Page 58 - War Conflict
Pakistan: 1 dead in Quetta mosque blast
At least one person was killed and 10 others were injured after a blast rocked a mosque in Balochistan's capital Quetta.The attack took place at Rehmania mosque situated in the city's Pashtoonabad area when worshippers were offering their Friday prayers in the holy month of Ramzan.The wounded were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta. Police have cordoned off the area and are conducting an investigation.No terror group has claimed responsibility so far.Condemning the incident, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani directed authorities to submit a report.The attack comes more than a week after five people were killed when terrorists stormed the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar.
One killed, several injured in a blast in Pakistan
At least one person was killed and over a dozen injured in a blast targeting a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, police said. The explosion targeted the Rehmania Mosque in Pashtunabad area of the provincial capital Quetta, it said, adding that the injured have been shifted to different hospitals for treatment. The death toll could rise as it was a big explosion, said a security official. According to the police, the nature of the bombing was not known but it looked as if a planted device was detonated. Balochistan has witnessed several attacks of this kind in recent months. At least 20 people were killed and 48 others injured last month in a blast at a fruit and vegetable market in Quetta's Hazarganji area.
Seven Indians arrested after shootout in Nepal
Seven Indians have been arrested in Nepal following a shootout with the police near a temple on Thursday. The accused, who hail from Bihar's Samastipur district, include one Ravi Mallik who has sustained a bullet injury in the ensuing gunbattle, the police said in a statement. They were arrested as they gathered near the Bihar Kunda temple of Janakpur for committing loot, they said. The police have also seized two pistols, two rounds of bullet, a magazine, one knife and two motorcycles.
Internet services suspended in Kashmir after terrorist Musa killed
Hours after the killing of most wanted terrorist Zakir Musa, the local authorities have suspended mobile Internet services across the Valley.The move is seen as a preventive one to ensure that inflammatory images and posts post are not uploaded on the social media platforms.Besides, schools and colleges have also been shut down for a day in the Kashmir Valley.According to the police report, Musa was killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral in Pulwama in the morning. He was the commander of al-Qaeda linked Ansar Ghazwat-ul Hind.One AK-47 rifle and a rocket launcher have been recovered in the operation at Dadsara village in Tral which began on Thursday.The operation was launched following inputs about the presence of Musa.After the state police forces killed three terrorists affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen on May 18, there was tension in the area.Terrorists on Tuesday evening hurled grenade at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) post situated at ..
Zakir Musa killed in South Kashmir encounter: Officials
Zakir Musa, the so-called chief of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, was killed in an encounter with security forces in a village in South Kashmir's Tral, officials confirmed Friday. A defence spokesman said one militant was killed in the operation at Dadsara in Tral area of Pulwama district Thursday night. "The (slain) terrorist was identified as Zakir Musa after the body was recovered Friday morning. Weapons and war-like stores were recovered from the encounter site," defence spokesman Rajesh Kalia said, adding that the operation has been called off. Senior police officials said security forces had launched a cordon and search operation at Dadsara village and when the terrorists tried to escape, a gunfight broke out. They said efforts were made to make them surrender but the request fell on deaf ears and the holed up terrorists started lobbing grenades using a launcher. The officials said more team of security forces was rushed to the area to prevent the ...
Terrorist Zakir Musa killed in encounter
One of the most wanted terrorists Zakir Musa was killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral in Pulwama.Musa was the commander of al Qaeda linked Ansar Ghazwat-ul Hind.An AK-47 rifle and a rocket launcher have been recovered in the operation at Dadsara village in Tral which began on Thursday.The operation was launched following inputs about the presence of Musa.After the state police forces killed three terrorists affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen on May 18, there has been tension in the area.Terrorists on Tuesday evening hurled grenade at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) post situated at State Bank of India (SBI) in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. No loss of life or injury was reported in the incident.Further details are awaited.
Netherlands wants tribunal to try some Islamic State members
The Netherlands called Thursday for the establishment of a tribunal to prosecute members of the Islamic State extremist group responsible for "mass atrocity crimes." Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok made the proposal at a UN Security Council meeting on the protection of civilians in conflict, saying there must be accountability and an end to impunity for violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws. He said Islamic State fighters responsible for mass atrocities should be prosecuted, preferably in the region, and if feasible by "an ad hoc or hybrid international criminal tribunal." "I am fully aware of the complex obstacles on our road towards this goal," Blok said. "But we have to keep in mind: Justice is a prerequisite of lasting peace and security." He said the Netherlands will organise a ministerial meeting on the prosecution of Islamic State fighters on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the General Assembly in September. "I invite Security
UK journalists 'shelled' by Syrian forces
A British journalist working for Sky News reported on Thursday that her team was deliberately shelled by Syrian forces, while an activist they were travelling with was hit by shrapnel. "We were spotted by a military drone and then repeatedly shot at with what we believe were 125mm shells probably fired from a T-72 Russian battle tank," special news correspondent Alex Crawford said on the Sky News website. "As we retreated to leave the area, the targeting of us continued," said the journalist, who was reporting in the jihadist-dominated northwestern province of Idlib. She said that one of the Sky crew had press markings on his flak jacket, while the other was carrying a clearly visible green medical trauma pack. "They were all clear violations of the normal standards of operation in a battle zone," she said, posting a dramatic video of the attack on her Twitter account. "Even when we withdrew to the nearby town, Khan Shaykhun, some 10km away, the shelling followed us there and ...
Central African Republic massacres leave more than 50 dead
More than 50 people were reportedly killed in an attack by a militia on several villages in the Central African Republic's volatile northwest near the border with Chad, the United Nations said Thursday. The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, known as MINUSMA, condemned Tuesday's attacks and its peacekeepers are undertaking "robust patrols in and around Ouham Pende prefecture" where the killings took place, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The government issued an ultimatum to the leader of a militia group known as 3R, calling on him to hand over those responsible. Government spokesman Ange-Maxime Kazagui says the group retaliated against several communities in the Ouham Pende prefecture after an incident in which one man was killed. Lucien Mbaigoto, a legislator from the area, said that militia fighters on the ground are not abiding by the peace agreements signed by their leaders, including one in February. Human rights groups have blamed the 3R group for killing and raping ..
300 LeT terrorists active in Afghanistan: Pentagon
At least 300 fighters from Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), designated a global terror organisation by the US and the UN, are active in war-torn Afghanistan, a pentagon report has said. The report also identified LeT among the three terrorist groups posing the greatest threat to the US and its allied forces in Afghanistan. The LeT was responsible for the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 that killed 166 people. Among the 20 prominent terrorist organisations active in Afghanistan, LeT ranks fifth in terms of fighters along with al Qaeda and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, stated the Pentagon report, 'Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom's Sentinel', for the quarter ending March 31. The report said the Department of Defence "identified the Haqqani Network, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba as groups that present the greatest threat to US and allied forces in Afghanistan". The report also stated that an estimated 300 LeT and 1,000 Islamic Emirate .
US could send more troops to Mideast: Pentagon chief
The United States is considering deploying more troops to the Middle East as it looks for ways to enhance the protection of its forces in the turbulent region, acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Thursday. Shanahan denied news reports that plans call for the deployment of as many as 10,000 more troops to the region, where tensions between the US and Iran are on the rise. "What we're looking at, are there things that we can do to enhance force protection in the Middle East?" he said, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon. "It may involve sending additional troops.
Zakir Musa believed to have been killed in encounter in South Kashmir
Zakir Musa, the so-called chief of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, was believed to have been killed in an encounter with security forces on Thursday in a village in Tral of South Kashmir, officials said. They said two terrorists were killed in the encounter but there was no confirmation about their identities as the bodies were yet to be retrieved. However, Musa's family confirmed that he was present at the site. There has been no firing for quite sometime at the encounter site, but security forces are taking precaution before approaching the debris, they said. Spontaneous protests broke out in Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora and downtown Srinagar, with people raising slogans in favour of Musa. Senior police officials said security forces had launched a cordon and search operation at Dadsara village and when the terrorists tried to escape a gunfight broke out. They said efforts were made to make them surrender but the request fell on deaf ears and the holed up ..
Terrorist Zakir Musa 'trapped' in encounter with security forces in Kashmir's Pulwama
A gunfight broke out between terrorists and security forces at Dadsara village in Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday. Exchange of fire is going on between two sides.The operation was launched following inputs about the presence of the militant commander of Ansar Gazwatul Hind -- Zakir Musa.After the state police forces killed three terrorists affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen on May 18, there has been tension in the area.Terrorists on Tuesday evening hurled grenade at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) post situated at State Bank of India (SBI) in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. No loss of life or injury was reported in the incident.No loss of life or injury to the security forces was reported in the incident which is taking place currently in the region.Further details are awaited.
Uganda court blocks government bid to suspend journalists
Uganda's high court on Thursday blocked a government bid to suspend dozens of top journalists, on the grounds their coverage of the arrest of popstar MP Bobi Wine had endangered national security. The Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) earlier this month called for 13 radio and TV stations to suspend their news editors, producers and heads of programming over their coverage of the latest detention of the popular rapper and politician. Two activists petitioned the court on behalf of the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) to have the order struck down. "I am aware of the national security interests, however regulatory actions cannot be used to trample the rights of people's freedoms and right to information," judge Lydia Mugambe Ssali told a packed courtroom in Kampala. "The application is allowed and injunction ordered against the respondent (the UCC)." The ruling was hailed by journalists present in court. "This is a historical ruling that has shaped the rights and principles of .
Deadly new air strikes as Syria army battles jihadists
Syrian government aircraft bombed several towns in northwestern Syria on Thursday killing eight civilians as troops and militia battled jihadists on the ground, a monitor said. The new bombardment of the largely jihadist-controlled region of Idlib followed strikes on Tuesday night and Wednesday that killed 23 civilians, 12 of them at a busy market. In the Idlib town of Kafr Aweid, airstrikes on Thursday blew in the facades of buildings, littering their interiors with mounds of rubble, an AFP photographer reported. Two young girls were killed in airstrikes on the town, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. An AFP photographer saw a young boy running barefoot from the site of a blast covered in dust -- his eyes filled with tears, and spatters of blood visible on his feet. In neighbouring Hama province, Syrian troops battled for a third straight day to repel a jihadist counterattack around the town of Kafr Nabuda, leaving 17 combatants dead, 11 of them jihadists, the Observatory
Killed by militants, Aboh retains assembly seat
Tirong Aboh, the National Peoples Party (NPP) candidate who was gunned down by suspected NSCN militants, has retained the Khonsa West assembly constituency in Arunachal Pradesh. Aboh, who was killed along with 10 others at 12 mile area in Tirap district on May 21, has defeated his lone rival Phawang Lowang of the BJP by 1055 votes as per results declared by the Election Commission Thursday. This is the first time that NPP has entered the electoral scene of Arunachal Pradesh thanks to Aboh but its win will be shortlived as the EC will soon announce the mandatory by-poll in the seat. Aboh was elected from the constituency in 2014 on Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA) ticket. He was on his way to Khonsa from Dibrugarh on the fateful day when the suspected Naga militants opened fire on his convoy consisting four vehicles and killed him along with his son and nine others. Among the dead were two police personnel, officials said. Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Liken Koyu said ...
Zakir Musa, J&K's most wanted militant, killed in Kashmir
The Kashmir Valley's most wanted militant commander, Zakir Musa, who headed the Al Qaeda affiliate Ansar Gazwatul Hind, was killed on Thursday by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
War veteran blames Pakistan for its duplicity causing US to lose in Afghanistan
A retired US Army Reserve colonel, who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and on a humanitarian mission to West Africa, accused Pakistan of its duplicity that has "caused the United States to lose in Afghanistan.""For over 17 years we have wrongly applied counter-insurgency doctrine to a proxy war waged by Pakistan against the United States and Afghanistan. At the same time, we supplied Pakistan with generous aid packages to bribe them from pursuing a course of action opposed to our own, which they considered in their national interest," said Lawrence Sellin in his article published by The National Interest."Counter-insurgency was never a winning strategy as long as Pakistan controlled the supply of our troops in landlocked Afghanistan and regulated the operational tempo through its proxy army, the Taliban, which has maintained an extensive recruiting, training and financial support infrastructure inside Pakistan, where it has been immune to attack," the veteran added.Following the 9/11 ...
Police say 7 died in Indonesia election rioting
Seven people have died in election violence in the Indonesian capital, police said Thursday, as calm returned to the city and the losing presidential candidate prepared to challenge the result in court. The apparently orchestrated chaos that turned central Jakarta into a battleground started Tuesday night during peaceful protests over official results that confirmed President Joko Widodo had won the April 17 election, securing him a second term. National police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal said several hundred have been arrested and seven deaths were confirmed. Police, who responded to the rioting with water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas, deny using live ammunition. The defeated candidate, former General Prabowo Subianto, who also lost to Widodo in 2014, has refused to accept the result and instead declared himself the winner. Subianto and his campaign have alleged massive election fraud but not provided any credible evidence. They didn't file a Constitutional Court challenge to ...
Two air strikes kill 14 Afghan civilians: UN mission
Two air strikes have killed 14 civilians in Afghanistan in recent days, the United Nations said Thursday, as the US intensifies its air war across the country. According to the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), five women and seven children were among the 14 civilians killed in Helmand province in the south on May 20, and Kunar province in the east on May 22. "Civilian casualty toll from airstrikes in #Afghanistan continues to rise," UNAMA said on Twitter. "Parties must respect international obligations to protect civilians from harm." While the Afghan military does have a fledgeling air force, most strikes are led or supported by American air power. US Forces Afghanistan declined to comment. According to US Air Force Central Command, the US dropped 7,362 bombs in Afghanistan in 2018, the highest number since at least 2010. In April, UNAMA published a report saying Afghan civilians are for the first time being killed in greater numbers by US and pro-government forces than by the ...