Page 595 - War Conflict
Sterlite Copper expresses sorrow over violence in Tuticorin
Sterlite Copper has released an official statement expressing sorrow and regret over the deaths that took place during the anti-Sterlite protest in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin on Tuesday.In a late night statement, Sterlite Cooper said it has appealed to the government and the authorities to ensure safety of its employees and the surrounding communities.It added that the plant is currently non-operational as the company was awaiting approval for it."It's with great sorrow and regret that we witnessed today's incidents around the protest today at Tuticorin. The company has appealed to government and authorities to ensure safety of our employees, facilities and surrounding communities. Sterlite Copper plant is non-operational as we await approval for the consent to operate," the statement read.The months-long protest of the locals, demanding the closure of the Sterlite Copper plant in Tuticorin over pollution concerns, turned violent on Tuesday, resulting in the death of nine.More than 65 ...
Pak violates ceasefire in J&K
Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday evening.Pakistan initiated unprovoked firing in Kathua's Hiranagar, Samba and Ramgarh of Samba district, and Arnia and Suchetgarh sectors of Jammu district.At the time of filing of this report, the Border Security Force (BSF) was retaliating strongly.Pakistan repeatedly violated ceasefire in the last two days in Arnia.More details are awaited.
Five more injured in Pakistani shelling
At least five people in a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district were injured in Pakistani shelling on Tuesday evening, taking to 13 the number of injured in the ceasefire violations in the day, an official said.
Def Ministry simplifies military procurement; service HQs to get more financial power
In a major move, the Defence Ministry today approved a series of measures to simplify procurement of military platforms and weapons for the three services with an aim to speed up their modernisation. The decision to cut procedural delays in the procurement process was taken at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "To streamline defence procurement procedures and to reduce timelines so as to ensure timely delivery of equipment to the Armed Forces, the DAC discussed and approved various measures to simplify the defence procurement procedure," the defence ministry said in a statement. It said the significant changes includes devolution of powers within the ministry and the service headquarters, concurrent running of the acquisition process instead of sequential stage clearance, deletion of repetitive processes and aligning of various documents with revised financial guidelines. "These measures will go a long way in obviating ..
Guv condoles death of 9 persons killed in police firing
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit today condoled the death of nine persons killed in police firing at an anti-Sterlite protest in Tuticorin district. "My condolences to each one of the bereaved families. At this critical hour, I appeal to all sections of society to be calm and help in maintaining the peace in the state," he said in a Raj Bhavan release. The months-long protests for the closure of Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit in Tuticorin over pollution concerns turned violent today, with agitators fighting pitched battles with police, prompting the force to open fire. Nine persons were killed in police 'action', the state government said. The Madras Union of Journalists also condemned the police firing. In a statement, MUJ alleged that some journalists were attacked by police when they were covering the violence and expressed concern over the same.
9 dead in anti-Sterlite protest in Tamil Nadu
Nine people have been killed on Tuesday during a protest held in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin, demanding a ban on Sterlite Industries, in wake of the pollution emitted by the plants.According to initial information, nine people have been killed when the police opened fire and one is critical. More than 65 people have been injured in the clashes between agitated protestors and police officials.The injured people have been shifted to a nearby Government Hospital in the area.The protest has been going on for months now and turned violent on Tuesday when protestors were not allowed to march up to the plant. Agitated protestors then started to pelt stones and toppled police vehicles.The protestors also tried to gherao the collector's office and torched vehicles inside the premise.Police officials resorted to lathicharge and tear gas to disperse the crowd to contain the tense situation.Condemning the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led State government for the unrest and the ...
Nine dead in police firing in Toothukudi as Sterlite protests turn violent
Nine people, including a girl, died on Tuesday in police firing after the ongoing anti-Sterlite protests turned violent with thousands of people from nearby areas allegedly attacking the District Collectorate demanding closure of the Vedanta Group-run company.
Suicide attack on strongman's forces kills 2 in east Libya
A suicide attack today against a checkpoint in eastern Libya killed at least two militiamen loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar, a security source said. The attack south of the city of Ajdabiya comes after the Islamic State group claimed a string of deadly assaults against roadblocks run by Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). In another incident armed men also stormed another checkpoint some 150 kilometres away and kidnapped one of the militiamen deployed at the location, the militia security source said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either of Tuesday's attacks. Libya has been wracked by chaos since a 2011 uprising that toppled and killed its long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with two rival authorities vying for control. Haftar supports an administration based in the east of the country. A UN-backed unity government based in the capital has struggled to assert its authority outside the west.
16 killed, 38 wounded by blast in southern Afghan city
At least 16 people were killed and 38 wounded today when a minivan packed with explosives detonated as security forces were trying to defuse it in southern Afghanistan, officials said. Security forces in Kandahar had already cleared the area around a bus station where the van was found, provincial governor spokesman Daud Ahmadi said. "As the security forces were trying to defuse the van, it detonated," said police spokesman Mohammad Qasim Azad. "The latest figures show 16 dead and 38 wounded people brought to the hospital. We still have two ambulances at the site because there might be more people under the rubble," Dr Nehmat Barak, chief of the Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar, said. Ahmadi confirmed the toll, adding that the dead included four security forces personnel. At least five children and 10 members of the security forces were among the wounded. The blast was so powerful that the majority of the casualties were passers-by outside the cleared area. Ahmadi said security forces ...
Aurangabad riots: Muslim MLAs from Maha protest at Mantralaya
Several MLAs from the Muslim community, cutting across party lines, today protested against the alleged involvement of Shiv Sena party workersand police personnel in the Aurangabad riots. These legislators claimed that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis did not meet them despite giving an appointment. Fadnavis, however, told PTI that the legislators had not sought his appointment in advance, adding that he has asked them to meet him either tonight or tomorrow. Samajwadi party MLA Abu Asim Azmi, Congress MLAs Amin Patel, Abdul Sattar, Aslam Shaikh and Malegaon Central MLAAsif Shaikh, MIM's Waris Pathan and Imtiyaz Jaleel were among those who sat on the steps of Mantralaya, the state's secretariat, in protest. "We wanted to apprise the Chief Minister of the situation in Aurangabad. He had asked all the legislators to meet him at 12:30pm. Despite the MLAs coming from different places, we were told that he was busy with official work," SPMLA Abu Azmi told PTI. Azmi added that .
Three dead in anti-terror operation in Burkina capital
An operation by security forces today against suspected jihadists left three people dead in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, an AFP reporter saw. Two corpses were seen in front of a house and a third in a courtyard after a pre-dawn operation that a police officer said also left three gendarmes wounded. The Sahel state has been in the grip of a jihadist insurgency since 2016, causing scores of deaths and forcing thousands from their homes.
Five killed, 33 wounded by blast in southern Afghan city
At least five people were killed and 33 wounded today when a minivan stuffed with explosives detonated as security forces were trying to defuse it in southern Afghanistan, officials said. Security forces in Kandahar had already cleared the area around a bus station where the van was found, provincial governor spokesman Daud Ahmadi said. "As the security forces were trying to defuse the van, it detonated," said police spokesman Mohammad Qasim Azad. The dead included one civilian, as well as two police and two intelligence officials, authorities at Kandahar's Mirwais Hospital said. The blast was so powerful that the majority of the wounded were civilian passers-by outside the cleared area. Ahmadi said security forces also found a large container of explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, suicide vests, and ammunition near the site. "The terrorists planned to conduct a big attack at end of Ramadan in the city among crowds of people as they went out shopping for Eid... security forces ...
'Minimal progress for US troops in Afghan in Q1 2018'
A Pentagon watchdog has said that US troops made "minimal progress" in Afghanistan during the first quarter of 2018 as challenges facing US and Afghan forces mount.
16 killed in Afghanistan blast
At least 16 people were killed when a vehicle, packed with explosives detonated in the southern Kandahar province on Tuesday, authorities said.
'Only 5 stone pelting incidents since suspension of ops in JK'
Only five incidents of stone pelting were reported in Jammu and Kashmir in the first five days of suspension of operations by security forces, an official said today, citing an assessment by security agencies. The count is from May 17 to May 21, an official said. This is down from 92 incidents of stone pelting in the first five days of April this year when operations against militants by security forces were fully on, he said. Jammu and Kashmir police chief S P Vaid also said today that the "Ramzan ceasefire" has been successful thus far. "The initiative of Hon'ble PM has helped in general improvement in law & order. The situation especially in south Kashmir has eased & is serving as confidence Building Measure for families who want their boys to return back home (sic)," the state's director general of police said on Twitter. The Home Ministry announced on May 16 that security forces will not launch any operations in Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month of Ramzan. The ...
Afghanistan: Car bomb kills 3 in Kandahar
At least three people were killed and 25 others injured after an explosive-laden vehicle detonated in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar city on Tuesday."The huge blast occurred in Police District 14 of the city at around 12:30 p.m (local time). The whole place has now been sealed off. The blast caused a plume of gray smoke to rise above the scene," an eyewitness told Xinhua news agency.Kandahar governor's spokesman, Daoud Ahmadi said the explosives inside the vehicle went off before they could be defused, TOLOnews reported.No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.In the last few months, Afghanistan has seen a spate of terror attacks by the Taliban and Islamic State (IS) groups.
Four injured in army firing in Shopian
Four women, including two sisters, were wounded in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district when Army troops allegedly fired at a group of civilians protesting an iftar feast organised by the force, police said today. The injured were rushed to a hospital and their condition is stated to be stable after the firing in Shopian's DK Pora area last evening, a police official said. Troops of the Army's counter-insurgency force, 34 Rashtriya Rifles, had erected a tent outside a mosque to host an iftar feast for the locals. According to eyewitnesses, the residents objected to it as they had already communicated their disinterest to the Army's local unit. Clashes broke out when the locals asked the soldiers to leave but the latter resisted, they said. In the ensuing melee, the troops opened fire at the protestors, the eyewitnesses added. Taking cognisance of the incident, an investigation has been initiated, the police official said. A defence spokesperson said a detailed statement about the ...
Protests against Vedanta plant turns violent, 1 killed in
The months-long protests for the closure of Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit in Tuticorin over pollution concerns turned violent today, with agitators fighting pitched battles with police, prompting it to open fire in which a man was killed, officials said. Hurling stones and setting government vehicles and public property on fire, the agitators went on the rampage in the town, about 600 km from Tamil Nadu capital Chennai. Police said nearly 5000 protesters gathered near a local church and insisted on taking a out a rally to the district collectorate after they were denied permission to march to the copper smelter plant. Initial pushing and shoving soon led to violent clashes, after agitated locals began hurling stones at police and overturned a vehicle. Security personnel used batons and burst teargas shells to break up the protest. Many were injured in stone-pelting by the agitators, who also set some vehicles on fire. Windscreens of some government cars were smashed and
Sweden to distribute brochure in case of crisis or war
Sweden is distributing an updated version of a Cold War-era civil emergency advice booklet to some 4.8 million households about what to do in the event of a crisis, including war. The 20-page brochure "If Crisis or War Comes" is about getting the country "better prepared" if public services have been debilitated by accidents, severe weather, IT attacks or "in the worst-case scenario, war," the Civil Contingencies Agency said. The brochure is a reflection of Stockholm's concerns over a worsened security situation in the Baltic Sea region over the past few years. Russia has increased military operations there since it annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. "It is important in the light of the deterioration in the security situation in the rest of the world," the agency said in a statement issued yesterday. According to the brochure, Sweden's population, which totals 10 million, has a duty to act if the country is threatened. "If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will
Sweden to send war pamphlet to 4.8 mn households
The Swedish government is sending an instructional war pamphlet to all 4.8 million households in the country, educating them for the first time in more than 30 years on the perils of war.