Page 549 - War Conflict
Kashmiri Pandits reach J&K for annual festival
Scores of migrant Kashmiri Pandits arrived at Mata Kheer Bhawani Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Wednesday to attend an annual festival, officials said.
Mali admits soldiers implicated in deaths during security sweep
Mali's defence minister has admitted that soldiers were involved in killings in the country's unstable centre, after the discovery of a mass grave backed up accusations of summary executions by government troops. An NGO called Kisal, which campaigns for the rights of pastoral communities, said on Monday that 25 bodies had been found in three mass graves. It said 25 people from the Fulani ethnic group, who are mainly herders, had been picked up last week by the army in the localities of Kobaka and Nantaka. "The inspection mission sent to the area confirms the existence of mass graves implicating some armed forces personnel in serious violations causing the deaths of men in Nantaka and Kobaka," said Defence Minister Tiena Coulibaly yesterday. Coulibaly ordered military prosecutors to open an investigation. He said in a statement the authorities were "firmly resolved to fight impunity and get soldiers to strictly observe international rights and humanitarian conventions". President ...
Helmand peace team places demands before Afghan President
A peace team from Afghanistan's Helmand province called on President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday and placed a list of demands aimed at facilitating peace in the region.The peace team arrived in Kabul on Monday after a 38-day-long march on foot.The peace team said there is a need for everyone in Afghanistan to work towards establishing peace through intra-Afghan talks and without the involvement of foreigners. They said this was essential to maintain a sense of honour for Afghans, Tolo News reported.The team demanded that the government should announce a year-long ceasefire for these talks to take place in a calm environment.Once there is peace and stability, foreign troops need to withdraw from Afghanistan, they said.They said they will continue protesting till peace in the region is achieved.The activists also called on the Taliban's leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada to present similar demands to the Taliban hoping to meet the group in the near future.President Ghani responded by ...
Checking illicit trade prime objective of border management policy: India
India has told a UN conference on small arms that a principle objective of its border management policy is to secure frontiers borders against illicit trade, emphasising that its national security has been adversely impacted by terrorism, transnational organised crime and drug trafficking. With a long border with several neighbours, border management remains a significant challenge for India. A principle objective of India's border management policy is to secure our borders against illicit trade, including through the setting up of a Department of Border Management as well as establishing bilateral and multilateral avenues of cooperation in this sphere, Ambassador Amandeep Singh Gill, Permanent Representative of India to the Conference on Disarmament, said here yesterday. Gill was speaking at the 3rd UN Conference to Review Progress made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action (PoA) to Prevent, Combat And Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in ..
Amarnath Yatra: Security forces asked to maintain synergy
Ahead of the annual Amarnath yatra, security forces have been asked to maintain "highest level of alertness" and "synergy," police said today. The two-month long pilgrimage to the 3,880 metre high cave shrine of Amarnath will commence on June 28. All border police stations , posts and check-points have also been directed to be strengthened and activated to neutralize any attempt of infiltration by terrorists from across the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC), a police spokesman said. He said the directions were passed at a high level meeting chaired by Inspector General of Police, Jammu, S D Singh Jamwal here last evening and attended among others by senior police, Army, paramilitary forces and state and central intelligence agencies. The meeting was convened to discuss and review security arrangements for the pilgrimage. "All officers have been directed to maintain highest level of alertness and synergy among themselves and also to share intelligence on real ...
Sitharaman visits rifleman Aurangzeb's family in J&K
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday visited the family of rifleman Aurangzeb who was abducted and killed by militants in Jammu and Kashmir on June 15.
Indian peacekeepers praised for bringing sense of hope, peace in troubled South Sudan town
Indian peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) are being lauded for helping restore peace and security in a town in the East African country, ravaged by fighting that forced civilians to flee and devastated the economy. Indian peacekeepers operate a temporary base set up in February this year in the Jonglei region town of Akobo in the north-east of South Sudan, according to an UNMISS press release. UN peacekeepers have previously been stationed in Akobo but their base in the town was closed down after being targeted by an unprovoked attack in December 2013, in which two Indian peacekeepers and 30 civilians who had sought refuge in the premises were killed. The Head of the UN Mission, David Shearer, sought to reestablish the Mission's presence there, expressing a need to reach communities in need in all parts of the country, regardless of their ethnic or political background. As a result, the temporary base operated by the Indian battalion was established in ...
Taliban members tired of war: Afghan officials
The senior officials of Afghanistan, who interacted with Taliban members during the Eid-ul-Fitr ceasefire said, many of them admitted they were tired of the war and would like peace.Over 30,000 Taliban fighters entered cities, towns and villages during the three-day ceasefire and some of them have not returned to the battlefields."There was excitement when elders and Taliban leaders who attended a gathering were seen to be tired of war and they (Taliban) hoped to deliver their messages and demands to their elders so that efforts should be made for a lasting peace," Tolo News quoted the governor of Nangarhar, Hayatullah Hayat as saying."We are very tired. We are tired even if it was Jihad or service to the homeland or fight against foreigners. We are really tired of it," a Taliban commander, Hazratullah said.According to the Afghan Defense Ministry, the Taliban has resumed their fight in some provinces, but the level of violence has decreased since the successful Eid truce.This comes ..
3 militants killed, 5 security men injured in J&K gunfight
Three Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants were killed and five security men injured in a gunfight in Tral area of Pulwama district, police said.
Pyongyang may soon return US soldier remains
North Korea may soon return a first out of 200 sets of remains of American soldiers who died during the Korean War, after an agreement reached last week by Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump, a US official said today. "Preparations continue" to receive the remains, the US official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "It could happen in the next few days." The US and North Korean leaders agreed to the repatriations during their historic June 12 summit in Singapore. "On several occasions in the past, DPRK officials have indicated they possess as many as 200 sets of remains they had recovered over the years," the Pentagon said in factsheet updated Monday about those reported missing in action during the Korean War of 1950-1953. "The commitment established within the Joint Statement between President Trump and Chairman Kim would repatriate these as was done in the early 1990s and would reinforce the humanitarian aspects of this mission." The document used the acronym for North Korea's formal ...
Boko Haram kills nine soldiers in Nigeria
Boko Haram fighters killed nine soldiers and wounded two others in northeast Nigeria, according to military sources, just days after 43 civilians died in deadly suicide bombings. Both attacks came as the government, which says the jihadists are on the verge of defeat, urges those displaced by the conflict to return to their homes across the war-torn region. Troops from 242 battalion Nigerian Army stationed at Gajiram, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, came under attack on Monday afternoon. The Borno state police initially said its officers and soldiers "engaged the terrorists and promptly repelled the attack". "There was no casualty on the side of the police," it added. But military communications seen by AFP said nine soldiers were classed as "KIA" - killed in action - while two others were "WIA" - wounded in action. Locals said they had seen between 10 and 12 Boko Haram fighters being loaded into vehicles but it was not clear how many were ..
Italian army rebuilds key access road in Mosul
Rome, June 20 (IANS/AKI) Italian soldiers in Iraq have helped rebuild an access road to Mosul's biggest olive grove located close to the war-ravaged northern city's strategic dam, the army announced on Tuesday.
Pulwama encounter: One more terrorist killed
One more terrorist was killed in an encounter with the security forces that took place here in Tral town on Tuesday.Earlier in the day, the bodies of two terrorists were recovered from the encounter site.However, one Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel sustained injuries and was admitted to a hospital nearby.The encounter has now ended.
Yemen government forces enter Hodeida airport
UAE-backed Yemeni government forces fought their way into Hodeida airport today, pressing an offensive that has seen some of the most intense fighting of a three-year war against Shiite Huthi rebels. The United Arab Emirates, which has US-trained troops fighting alongside the Yemeni army, said the alliance had entered the airport in Hodeida - a Red Sea port city that is a key aid hub and the entry point for three-quarters of Yemen's imports. "With the participation and support of the Emirati armed forces, the joint Yemeni resistance (army) entered Hodeida airport," the UAE state news agency WAM tweeted. A Yemeni military source confirmed to AFP that troops had entered the rebel base at the disused airport on the southern edge of the city. Military sources also reported 33 Huthis and 19 soldiers killed in today's battle, bringing the death toll in Hodeida this week to 216 fighters. No civilian casualties have yet been confirmed. The battle for Hodeida has sparked fears of a new ...
Operations against terrorists will be intensified: J&K DGP
Operations against militants in Kashmir would be intensified in the coming days, Director General of Police S P Vaid said here today as the state headed for a spell of governor's rule. I am sure things should work very effectively and it will have an impact on the security situation in the Valley, he said. He said counter-terrorism operations were stopped only during the just-ended period of Ramzan . They were going on earlier also, but we will intensify these operations in the days to come. And it would be, I think, much easier to work, the Jammu and Kashmir police chief said when asked if governor's rule would make a difference. Vaid said militant activities increased during the period the security forces suspended the operations. But we will go all out and intensify operations against the terrorists now, he said. He said the suspension of operations had an impact in the fight against terrorists as they were at an advantage. The orders were to maintain a high alert in the camps so ..
KK Rao made new Gurgaon police commissioner
The Haryana government has appointed Inspector General of Police K K Rao, posted with the Indian Reserve Battalion at Bhondsi, as new police commissioner of Gurgaon, a senior police officer said In a fresh reshuffle of senior police officers, the state government transferred eight IPS officers, including the police commissioners of Panchkula and Gurgaon, with immediate effect. As per the orders, Sandeep Khirwar has been posted as inspector general of police, Rohtak Range, the officer said, adding 1996 batch IPS officer K K Rao has been posted as Gurgaon police commissioner. Khirwar had come to limelight after the Special Investigation Team set up under his supervision to probe a minor student's murder in Ryan International School was found having a slew of wrong and controversial steps during the probe. The CBI which took over the case later had also raised questioned marks on the unfair style of Gurgaon police after Khirwar supported his officers. Panchkula Police Commissioner A S ...
Operations against militants would be intensified: JK DGP
Operations against militants in Jammu and Kashmir would be intensified in the days to come as extremist activities increased during Ramzan when counter-militancy operations were stopped, state police chief S P Vaid said today. "Operations will continue. Only thing was in between, during this (ceasefire) period, the operations were stopped. They were going on earlier also, but we will intensify these operations in the days to come. And it would be, I think, much easier to work, he said here when asked if Governor's rule would make any difference to the security apparatus of the state in counter-militancy operations. Vaid said the militant activities increased during the period of Ramzan ceasefire. "But, we will go all-out and intensify the operations against the terrorists now," he said. The DGP said he was sure the Governor's rule would have an impact on the security situation of the valley and "things should work very effectively". "I am sure things should work very effectively and ..
K.K. Rao new Gurugram police chief
Senior IPS officer K.K. Rao was on Tuesday named Gurugram's new Commissioner of Police and will take charge on Wednesday, an official said.
3 top JeM militants killed in Tral encounter
Three top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants, including its operational commander, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir today, police said. The encounter broke out after security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area following specific intelligence inputs, a police official said. Earlier, Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid wrote on Twitter, Encounter going on at Hyena Tral, 3 (three) important JEM Terrorists trapped... The police official said the gunfight was going on when last reports came in. Further details were awaited, he added.
Two militants killed, CRPF trooper injured in Kashmir gunfight
Two Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants were killed on Tuesday in a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.