Page 542 - War Conflict
'Most wanted Pak Taliban terrorist resurfaces to deny role in Benazir's assassination'
Ikramullah, one of Pakistan's most-wanted terrorists and named as the second suicide bomber of a cell that assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007 has appeared in a Taliban video denying his involvement, the BBC reported today. Bhutto, 54, was assassinated in a bomb-and-gun attack on her car in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, as she left an election rally. Ikramullah, who was then about 16 years old, is believed to have been a back-up Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan suicide bomber, who was meant to detonate his explosive vest if the first attacker did not succeed. But officials say he walked away after the other bomber blew himself up, killing Pakistan's first woman premier and at least 20 others at an election rally in Rawalpindi in 2007. In his first public statement on the case, Ikramullah appears in a video produced by a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban which was obtained by the BBC. It is believed to have been filmed in eastern Afghanistan, where the ...
Chemical weapons meeting again pits UK against Russia
A Nobel Prize-winning chemical weapons watchdog is opening a special meeting to consider a British proposal on whether it should have the right to apportion blame for chemical attacks. Russia has already voiced its opposition. The British delegation to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says early today that it wants to empower the group to identify those responsible for chemical weapons attacks, which it has been unable to do so far. Several nations feel such limits hamstring the organisation, and the British delegation say the change would "strengthen the Organization entrusted with overseeing the ban on chemical weapons." Russia has said such a change in the rules would undermine the organization and threaten its future.
How can grossly unrepresentative Security Council pursue noble cause of responsibility to protect: India
India has questioned how the UN Security Council, which is "grossly unrepresentative" and has a questionable record in addressing common challenges, pursue the noble cause of responsibility to protect populations and prevent genocide and crimes and humanity. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin's remarks came during a UN General Assembly general debate yesterday on The Responsibility to Protect and the Prevention of Genocide, War Crimes, Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes against Humanity'. "While Responsibility to Protect, at its core, has an appeal as a 'noble cause', its usage has only been selective in the context of a wider geo-strategic balance of power among competing players or groups," he said. Akbaruddin said there are many critical questions that need to be addressed if this noble cause is to be pursued in an impartial manner. "How can we ensure commonly accepted legal definitions of the crimes that we are discussing? What will qualify as a trigger
Taliban calls Islamic Scholars conferences a US process
The Afghan Taliban has denounced the so-called Islamic Scholars conferences in Asia and the Middle East as an "American process" and urged clerics to reject the gatherings. The Taliban says in a statement Tuesday the U.S. first gathered religious scholars for a conference in Indonesia in May, and have since organized similar conferences in Kabul, Islamabad, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. No date has been set for a conference in Saudi Arabia. The Taliban consider the conferences to be anti-Islamic and led by the U.S., the group said in the statement. It says the U.S. is using them to seek justification for its "military occupation" of Afghanistan. "The Islamic Emirate urges religious scholars to reject these conferences which are a scheme of the invaders," it said.
Odisha police to destroy drug-fund link of Maoists
Maoists are now engaged in heavy hemp cultivation in three districts of Odisha and the police will completely destroy such farming, a senior police officer said. The rebels are involved in such cultivation in the cut-off areas of Malkangiri, Koraput and Jeypore districts and trade in drugs is now their only source of income, Odisha DGP R P Sharma told reporters yesterday. "Odisha police with the help of multi-agency squads will completely destroy the hemp cultivation this year," he said. Last year hemp cultivation in over 4500 acres of land in the state was destroyed, he said. He said the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and state excise department were also tracking drug traffickers.
Suspected LTTE ammunition, explosives unearthed in Rameswaram
The Ramanathapuram district police has recovered a huge cache of ammunition and explosives on a coastal hamlet near Thangachimadam's Rameswaram island.The police suspect that the buried explosives are from the 1980s and belong to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a military organisation that fought for separate Tamil Eelam (land) for Tamils in Sri Lanka.According to media reports, a resident of Anthoniyarpuram found a box of bullets while constructing a septic tank, following which he alerted the police.In immediate action, police dug up the spot and found a huge cache of trinitrotoluene detonators, detonator launchers and over 50 boxes of ammunition.
Suicide bombing kills 9 policemen in Afghanistan
Some nine police personnel were killed and three others wounded in a suicide bomb blast in Afghanistan's eastern province of Kunar, official said on Tuesday.
9 policemen killed in Afghan suicide attack
Nine police personnel have been killed and three others wounded in a suicide blast attack in Afghanistan's Kunar province an official said on Tuesday.
Bodies of 3 kidnapped Ecuadorean press workers identified
Authorities in Colombia have identified the remains of two journalists from Ecuador and their driver who were kidnapped while reporting in a dangerous border region, officials said today. The Ministry of Defence announced that three bodies recently discovered had been confirmed as those of the news team that disappeared three months ago. The employees of the Ecuadorean newspaper El Comercio were investigating a rise in drug-fueled violence along the Colombia-Ecuador border. "I pledge the word of the State of Colombia and of course of the Attorney General to the families that this horrendous crime will not go unpunished," Attorney General Nestor Martinez said in a statement. Officials have said an armed dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia kidnapped the trio on March 26 and later killed them. They are journalist Javier Ortega, photographer Paul Rivas and driver Efrain Segarra. The remains will be turned over to Ecuadorean officials, officials said. Relatives ...
7 Taliban, 3 Afghan soldiers killed in Herat clash
At least seven Taliban fighters and three Afghan security force members were killed in a clash in Chishti Sharif district.The clash broke out after the Taliban insurgents attacked Afganistan security forces.According to the officials, two Afghan National Army soldiers and an Afghan National Police soldier were martyred in the clash and eight other security force members were wounded.As per Tolo News, Taliban has not yet commented on the clash.
8 killed in Kunar suicide bombing
A suicide attack in Kunar province in the East Afghanistan claimed eight lives and injured four people.The explosion took place near a police outpost in Sawkai district at around 8pm (local time) on Monday.The incident occurred when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive near a check post of Afghan Local Police, Tolo News reported.There is still no information on the identities of those who lost their lives in the blast.
Arrests in Mozambique after jihadist attacks: president
Mozambique's president announced today several arrests following a wave of deadly attacks blamed on jihadists and has received offers of support from Russia and the US to tackle the bloodshed. In his first comments on the violence engulfing the northeastern Cabo Delgado region, President Filipe Nyusi vowed that security forces would be "firm and ruthless" in pursuing the shadowy group blamed for more than 30 deaths. Vast riches of natural gas were recently discovered off the region's coast but the violence has thrown the viability of exploiting the reserves into doubt. "We condemn these acts and will not rest until their perpetrators and collaborators are neutralised and held accountable for their crimes," said Nyusi as he marked Mozambique's 43rd year of independence at a media conference in Maputo. "Our defence and security forces are on the ground -- firm and ruthless." Nyusi said he had received offers of support from Moscow and Washington but did not give further details. "US ...
India hosts 160 Sri Lankan defence personnel, families in Gaya
In an innovative step towards strengthening military ties, India today hosted a 160-member delegation comprising Sri Lankan military personnel and their families in Bihar's Gaya, where they will visit Buddhist religious places. One C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force brought the Sri Lankan delegation comprising of personnel from all three services and their family members from Colombo to Gaya, the Air Force said. The delegation will also visit the Officers Training Academy in Gaya. The visitors would be airlifted back to Colombo tomorrow. During the Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's recent visit to Sri Lanka, a proposal was discussed for a visit of Sri Lankan military personnel of all three services and their families to the Officers Training Academy in Gaya and the Buddhist religious site at Bodh Gaya. The Sri Lankan side was extremely enthusiastic about the tour, while the Ministry of Defence cleared the out of the box proposal from the Army chief on priority. India and Sri Lanka ..
Masked men snatch bag containing cash: police
Four masked men on two motorcycles allegedly snatched a bag containing Rs 22 lakh cash from an employee of a private cash collecting company at gun point today, police said here. The incident took place this evening at Fatehgarh Churian road when Kulwinder Singh after collecting cash from different city based traders was on way towards office on his scooter to deposit the money, they said. He was intercepted by four unidentified people who looted the cash at gun point, police officials said. They masked men fired in the air, they said adding investigations were underway.
Army officer dies in accidental fire in J-K's Anantnag
An Army officer died today after he accidentally shot himself from his personal firearm in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said. Colonel J V Mahadik suffered grievous injuries after his personal weapon went off accidentally while he was travelling in a vehicle in Khundroo area of Anantnag district, a defence spokesman said here. "In an unfortunate incident Col J V Mahadik (Corps of Artillery) posted at Station Headquarters, Khundroo, succumbed to the injuries suffered due to accidental discharge of fire from his personal weapon while travelling in a vehicle," the spokesman said.
RF tag for every vehicle carrying Amarnath pilgrims, joint control room for security
Amid heightened threat from terrorists, the government has decided to monitor each vehicle carrying Amarnath pilgrims with radio frequency (RF) tag and it will set up a joint control room for close coordination among different security agencies besides the Army, officials said today. The government has also decided to extend the validity of temporary pre-paid mobile connections taken by pilgrims during the Amarnath pilgrimage, beginning June 28, from seven days to 10 days. All vehicles carrying the Amarnath pilgrims will have one RF tag for its close monitoring for better security, an official said. RF tag uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track object attached to it. An RF tag attached to an automobile can be used to track its progress. A joint control room will be set up for better coordination between Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces and the Army to ensure security during the two-month-long pilgrimage to the cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva ..
Families flee as Syria regime bombards southern city
Syria's regime pounded rebel-held parts of the southern city of Daraa with rockets and barrel bombs overnight causing dozens of families to flee, a monitor and an AFP reporter said today. Government forces have ramped up their bombardment of the wider province of the same name for nearly a week, as fears rise of a full-blown regime assault to retake the country's south from rebels. Regime helicopters dropped barrel bombs on rebel-held areas of Daraa city for the first time in a year, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. An AFP correspondent said the heavy bombardment pushed dozens of terrified families to flee their homes on foot or on the back of motorbikes to seek shelter in olive groves on the outskirts of the city. Some families took refuge in small shelters or tents between the olive trees, the correspondent said. Russia-backed regime forces have been preparing an offensive to oust rebels from Syria's south, a strategic area bordering Jordan and the
PMK,BJP workers clash over remarks against Anbumani Ramadoss
Workers of the BJP and PMK today clashed here after the latter took out a march to the saffron party's office here intending to lay siege to it. The PMK workers wanted an apology from the state BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan after she reportedly made some remarks against PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss in a television interview. Police intervened and detained many protesters, police sources said. "Soundararajan should immediately apologise for her remarks failing which we would organise state-wide protests," PMK leader A K Moorthy, who organised the protest along with over 100 cadres, told reporters. Ramadoss in a series of tweets hit back at the BJP leader for her "lack of experience (in politics)." Speaking to reporters, Soundararajan said, "I never disrespected anyone. ....If I put forth my views, I would expect the same from the other side. Instead there has been ill-mannered retorts." The BJP leader said she would not apologise for anything as she has said ...
Taliban key commander among 12 killed in Afghanistan
A key Taliban commander was among 12 militants who were killed on Monday as security forces repulsed an attack by the militant group to overrun a district in Afghanistan's Faryab province, officials said.
Rajnath to visit Bangladesh; to discuss anti-terror cooperation, radicalisation
Anti-terror cooperation and ways to check radicalisation of youths will be high on the agenda during Home Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Bangladesh next month, officials said today. During the three-day visit beginning July 14, the home minister is also expected to meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discuss various bilateral issues. In his meeting with Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Singh will discuss how to strengthen the anti-terror mechanism between the two countries and check radicalisation of youths by terrorist groups, a home ministry official said. Singh, who will be accompanied by top officials of the home ministry and Border Security Force, will also discuss how to strengthen the existing mechanism set up to check movement of illegal immigrants, smuggling of cattle, arms and ammunition, narcotics and other items through the porus Indo-Bangla border. The Indian side is expected to take up the issue of the continuous inflow of fake Indian currency ..