Page 55 - War Conflict
4 Afghan policemen killed in Taliban attack
Four Afghan police officers were killed and four others wounded after Taliban militants stormed a security checkpoint in Paktia province, the police said on Monday.
US Army Twitter question highlights toll of America's wars
Days ahead of an annual holiday when Americans remember those who died while serving in the armed forces, the US Army's Twitter account asked people how their time in the military affected them and received an outpouring of grief. The question drew some 10,000 replies since it was posted late last week -- many of which were anonymous or included details that could not be independently confirmed, but which paint a harrowing picture of the toll America's wars have taken on those who fought them. "OEF, OIF ptsd with chronic pain," one Twitter user wrote, using the US military's acronyms for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the abbreviation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The US launched the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the Iraq war in 2003. The conflicts left thousands of American service members dead and many more wounded. US troops are still deployed in both countries to this day. "My dad came back from fighting in Iraq and was abusive, constantly angry, paranoid, and ...
IAF big guns fly for Kargil martyr, chief hails Rafale
In a rare feat, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief B.S. Dhanoa and Western Air Command chief Raghunath Nambiar flew in a formation together in a commemorative flight paying tribute to Kargil war martyr Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja.
French police arrest suspect over Lyon explosion
French police have arrested a suspect over an explosion in the heart of the southeastern city of Lyon last week which injured 13 people, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Monday. Police had been hunting for a man seen cycling near the scene of the blast who was wearing a green T-shirt and Bermuda shorts, and a carrying a dark rucksack. "A suspect has been arrested," Castaner wrote on Twitter. The Paris prosecutor's office, which has jurisdiction over terrorist investigations in France, confirmed that the man, a 24-year-old arrested in Lyon, is the suspected bomber. He had been the target of an extensive manhunt since Friday night when an explosive device filled with screws and ball bearings was placed in front of a bakery near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in the historic centre of Lyon. Police circulated photos of the suspect on Twitter, leading to "several dozen" calls from people with information. Sources close to the investigation suspected the explosive ..
Fake news of Jayasuriya's death shocks Ashwin
Fake news of former Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya's death left Indian off-spinner R. Ashwin stunned and worried on Monday.
Pak soldier killed as militants attack security outpost
A Pakistan Army soldier was killed when some militants attacked a security outpost in Pakistan's restive northwestern tribal region on Monday. An exchange of fire broke out between the security forces and the terrorists when they raided the Makki Garh post in Shawal Valley of North Waziristan, the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. Troops effectively repulsed the attempt by the militants and in the exchange of fire, a soldier was killed, it said. The army retrieved five unidentified bodies during patrolling in Boya area where an army post was attacked on Sunday by a group. The bodies with bullet wounds were found from a dry stream nearly 1.5 kms away from the Khar Kamar post which was attacked by the group. Once a hotbed of militants, North Waziristan was cleared after an operation in 2014. However, lately it has witnessed sporadic incidents of violence by militants entering from Afghanistan, according to the security forces.
'Very smart' Kim knows N Korea must give up nukes: Trump
US President Donald Trump on Monday praised North Korean leader as a "very smart" man who is aware that he has to give up nuclear weapons to develop his country. "He knows that with nuclear... only bad can happen. He is a very smart man, he gets it well," said Trump, who repeated that North Korea has "tremendous economic potential".
ACM BS Dhanoa leads Missing Man formation to pay tribute to 1999 Kargil war hero
A squadron of MiG-21 aircraft led by Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa on Monday flew in the Missing Man formation to pay tribute to Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja who was killed in action in Operation Safed Sadar during the Kargil war."We remember Ajay Ahuja with a feeling of nostalgia, he was our flight commander. We had served together twice in the past, in 101 and 29 squadron. He was my number two and flight commander, every year we pay homage to him by flying in the Missing Man formation. We will do the same tomorrow with helicopters in Sarsawan, I will also take part in it," Dhanoa told ANI here.Dhanoa also talked about how the Kargil war had made IAF gain capabilities in mountain warfare by forcing it to adapt to the job at hand."The Kargil war built the Air Force's capability to fight in the mountains and it also built the capability to take out small targets. Usually, in wars you don't let the enemy cross, you take out their supply lines, we learnt a lot during that time," he said.Air .
Afghanistan: IED blast targets bus carrying government employees; 10 wounded
At least 10 people were wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that targetted a government workers' bus in Kabul city on Monday, police said.The blast took place at around 7:45 am (local time), when a magnetic IED attached to a mini-bus carrying employees of Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, detonated in the Baraki neighbourhood of the city, reports Xinhua.Security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures. An investigation into the incident is underway.No group has taken the responsibility of the attack as yet.In a separate incident, seven members of a family were killed by an unidentified gunman in Kart-e-Sakhi area of Kabul on Sunday night, reports Tolo News.Further details on both the developments are awaited.Afghanistan is suffering from an unstable political, social, and security situation due to the activities of the Taliban and Islamic State.In the past 10 days, about ten police officers have lost their lives in the capital city.
Sri Lanka reacts to UN Special Advisers' statement on sectarian violence
Rohan Perera, Sri Lanka's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Sunday, criticised two UN representatives for expressing alarm over the "growing acts of violence on the basis of religion," particularly in the North Western Province of the country.In a joint statement issued on May 13, Adama Dieng, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Karen Smith, UN Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, cited growing instances of religion-based violence and called for an end to "hateful attacks" directed towards the country's Muslim minority.Responding to the statement, Perera said that while noting their concerns, "we were taken aback by your oversimplified narrative of events that are nuanced and complex in nature", Colombo Page reported.He said their prejudiced statement only serves to sensationalise issues at a time when the Sri Lankan government is taking stringent measures to maintain law and order and quell unrest in the interest of safety of all in the
Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi drone targeting Jizan airport
Saudi Arabia on Sunday shot down a bomb-laden drone deployed by Yemen's Houthi rebels that targeted an airport located close to the southern border of the kingdom.The Saudi-led coalition Air Force was quoted as saying that the drone, which targeted the Jizan airport, close to the border with Yemen, was intercepted and destroyed, Al Jazeera reported."While we confirm our right to defend our country, we stress that the terrorist Houthis will pay a dear price," said alliance spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malaki, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.The Saudi announcement came hours after the Houthis said they used an armed drone to attack warplane runways at Jizan airport. However, the coalition reported no casualties.The attack comes after the Houthis on last Thursday targeted the Najran airport, also near the Yemeni border, with an explosives-laden drone.
Brazil: Prison riot in Amazonas state leaves at least 8 dead
Fighting erupted among inmates at a prison in the northern state of Amazonas on Sunday, and at least 15 people died before the riot was brought under control, authorities said. The state prison secretary said in a statement that prisoners began fighting among themselves around noon, and security reinforcements were rushed to the Anisio Jobim Prison Complex in the state capital of Manaus. The secretary, Col. Marcus Vinicius Oliveira de Ameida, said the situation was now "under control," though police helicopters continued to fly over the complex as a precaution. There was no information about any escapes. The same prison was the scene of a severe riot in January 2017 that killed 56 people.
Five Nigerian soldiers killed in Boko Haram ambush
Five Nigerian soldiers have been killed and a number are missing after an ambush by Boko Haram's Islamic State-backed faction, security sources said Sunday. Fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Friday opened fire on a column of civilian vehicles under military escort in the northeastern Borno State, according to the sources who requested anonymity. The troops were escorting residents from the village of Sabon Garin Kimba in dozens of trucks to a camp in the town of Damboa about 50 kilometres away, according to a militia fighting against the jihadists alongside the army. They were being evacuated from the village, which lies 130 kilometres from the state capital Maiduguri, ahead of a major military offensive against ISWAP, which has recently increased its activities in the area. "We lost five soldiers in the ambush, two were wounded and several are missing, their fate still unknown," said one military officer. He said the attackers seized two military trucks and .
Saudi downs attack drone from Yemen: coalition
Saudi Arabia on Sunday shot down a bomb-laden drone deployed by Iran-aligned Huthi rebels in Yemen to attack an airport in the kingdom, state media reported. The Saudi air force intercepted and destroyed the drone that targeted Jizan airport, close to the southern border with Yemen, the Riyadh-led coalition fighting the rebels was quoted as saying by the official Saudi Press Agency. The rebels' Al-Masirah TV said earlier that the drone targeted military hangars at Jizan airport. The airport is used by thousands of civilians every day, but the coalition reported no casualties and warned the rebels of a strong response. The strike comes after the Huthis on Thursday similarly targeted Najran airport also near the Yemeni border with an explosives-laden drone. That attack -- the third against Najran airport in 72 hours -- had targeted a Patriot air defence system, Al-Masirah said. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to push back an advance by the Huthi rebels, who ...
Expose elements bent upon creating disturbance in J-K: DGP
Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh Sunday asked his force to remain alert and expose the elements who want to create disturbance in the state. He said the achievements of the security forces including the state police against militancy particularly in neutralising terrorists like Zakir Musa has been appreciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and state Governor Satya Pal Malik. Musa, the so-called head of the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Dadsara village of Tral in the south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Friday. "You need to expose the elements who will try to create any disturbance... the police being local has a greater responsibility in foiling any attempts of reviving the militancy in the areas (declared militancy free in Jammu region)," Singh told policemen during his visit to Gool in Ramban and Mahore and Reasi in Jammu region. The Ramban and Reasi districts were declared ...
Sri Lanka Navy puts its vessels on alert after reports of IS terrorists setting off to India
The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday said coastal guard vessels and personnel have been alerted following reports of boats allegedly carrying 15 local Islamic State (IS) members had set off for India's Lakshdweep islands. A top official source of the Kerala Police Saturday said that the state's coastal police stations and the police chiefs of the coastal districts have been alerted following intelligence reports that boats allegedly carrying 15 IS terrorists had set off from Sri Lanka to the Lakshdweep islands. "The Navy has come to know through the reports in local and Indian media that some 15 local IS members were moving to India's Lakshadweep islands through the sea route," Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Isuru Suriyabandara said. "We have alerted all our coastal guard vessels and personnel," he added. The spokesperson also said the Navy had not received any official information in this regard. "The possibility of the local Jihadi group members moving to India, however, had not been ...
Iraqi court sentences 3 French members of IS to death
A Baghdad court Sunday sentenced to death three French citizens for being members of the Islamic State group, an Iraqi judicial official said. The verdict raised fresh questions about the legal treatment of thousands of foreign nationals formerly with the extremist group. The official said the three were among 12 French citizens whom the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces handed over to Iraq in January. They can appeal the sentences within a month, according to the official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to speak to the media. Iraqi President Barham Saleh had said during a February visit to Paris that the 12 will be prosecuted in accordance with Iraqi laws. The SDF has handed over to Iraq hundreds of suspected IS members in recent months. The trials of the French nationals in Baghdad raise the difficult question of whether foreign IS suspects should be tried and punished in the country of their alleged crimes, even when there are serious ...
Lt Gen PJS Pannu to take over as Dy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations) on June 1
Lt Gen PJS Pannu will take over as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations) from Air Marshal Rajeev Sachdeva on June 1.Lt Gen Pannu will look after the raising of Defence Cyber and Space agencies along with the Special Forces Division. He is currently posted as Deputy Chief Integrated Defence Staff (Doctrine Organisation and Training).The General Officer is an alumnus of Indian Military Academy and was commissioned into 22nd Battalion, The Maratha Light Infantry (MLI) on December 13, 1980, and commanded the battalion from May 1999 to February 2001 in Uri Sector (Jammu and Kashmir) during Operation VIJAY.Lt Gen Pannu has held a string of important command and staff appointments and took active part in many operations. He has also attended major prestigious courses like the Defence Services Staff College, Senior Command, Higher Command and National Defence College course in his career.The General Officer has been an instructor in the prestigious Indian Military Academy.
Militant arrested in Moreh town
A militant belonging to the proscribed outfit the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was arrested by security forces from Manipur's Moreh town on Sunday, police said. The militant identified as N Sanjay, 39, a self styled captain of the outfit was arrested by a joint team of the Assam Rifles and Manipur Police. He had joined the militant group in 2002, they said. The militant was handed over to the Moreh police station for further investigation, the added.
Assam Rifles battalion to be placed in J&K as NDRF
The Assam Rifles, a central paramilitary force that guards India's border with Myanmar, will soon have presence in Jammu and Kashmir as the government has approved conversion and placement of one of its battalion into the NDRF. A recent government order issued by the Union Home Ministry said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will have four new battalions that will be based in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the national capital region. The order, accessed by PTI, said the new battalions of the NDRF will he drawn from the Assam Rifles (location in J-K), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) and the Border Security Force (Delhi-NCR region). The Assam Rifles draws its strength of officers from the Army and functions under the command of the Union Home Ministry. Established in 1835 as a militia called the 'Cachar Levy', the paramilitary force today has a strength of about 47,000 personnel. "The process of acquiring land and ...