Page 596 - War Conflict
Law and order improved due to Centre's peace initiative: J&K DGP
Jammu and Kashmir police chief S P Vaid today said the Centre's announcement to halt anti-militancy operations during Ramzan has improved the law and order situation in the troubled state, especially in south Kashmir which has lately become a hub of terrorists. The initiative, he said, also served as a confidence building measure. The Ramzan ceasefire has been successful thus far. The initiative of Hon'ble PM (Prime Minister) has helped in general improvement in law & order, Vaid tweeted. The situation especially in south Kashmir has eased and is serving as confidence building measure for families who want their boys to return back home, added the police chief. He had earlier, too, appealed to the families of Kashmiri militants to urge their sons to join the mainstream. On May 16, the Union government directed security forces not to launch counter-terror operations during Ramzan but said they reserve the right to retaliate if attacked. The government said the decision was taken to
Anti-Sterlite protest in TN turns violent, 20 injured
The months-long protest demanding closure of Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit here took a violent turn today with agitators pelting stones and toppling police vehicles after they were prevented from marching towards the plant. Police said section 144 of CrPc has been invoked in and around the Sterlite unit to provide security to it as per the orders of the Madras High Court. However, angered over not being allowed to take out a rally, the slogan-shouting protesters forcibly tried to push back the security personnel in riot gear. They then started hurling stones at police and also overturned a vehicle after which the security personnel lobbed teargas shells to disperse them, they said. While more than 20 people suffered minor injuries in stone-pelting incident, some vehicles were set on fire, leading to tension in the area, they added. Meanwhile, a peaceful demonstration was held near the old bus stand in the town, also demanding the closure of the Sterlite unit and the proposed ...
Taliban kill 12 policemen in Afghanistan
At least 12 police personnel have been killed in clashes with Taliban militants in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, an official said on Tuesday.
Record-high opium production in Afghanistan creates multiple challenges for region and beyond: UN
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan reached a record-high last year, becoming a vital source of funding for terrorist groups in the war-ravaged country, according to a UN report which said insurgency groups, including the Taliban, accrued a minimum of USD 116 - 184 million from taxing the opiate production in Afghanistan. The report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) noted opium cultivation increased by 63 per cent; from 201,000 hectares in 2016 to an estimated 328,000 hectares in 2017. UNODC said it would be possible to produce between 550 and 900 tonnes of export-quality heroin from the poppies harvested throughout the country during 2017. The report highlighted that the record level of cultivation creates multiple challenges for the country and its neighbours, as opiate-based illegal drugs make their way across the Afghan border. "The significant levels of opium poppy cultivation and illicit trafficking of opiates further fuel instability, insurgency and ...
14 police killed in Taliban attacks in eastern Afghanistan
An Afghan official says at least 14 police officers have been killed after Taliban attacked several districts in eastern Ghazni province. Provincial council member Hassan Reza Yusoufi says the seven killed in Dih Yak district included the police chief and a reserve police commander. Another seven were killed in Jaghatu district. He said the attacks started Monday night and were continuing Tuesday in Dih Yak, Jaghatu, Ajristan and Qarabagh districts. Latifa Akbari, the head of provincial council in Ghazni, confirmed that Taliban stormed several checkpoints in Dih Yak and Jaghatu and there are more than 20 casualties among security forces. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attacks. Mujahid claimed the Jaghatu district headquarters was captured as well as police checkpoints in Dih Yak.
Pakistan resorts to sinister tactics to target Indian troops
Pakistan Army and Rangers are now resorting to sinister tactics to deceive the Indian surveillance measures of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Armed Forces, here.It has come out that the Pakistani rangers and the Army along the International Borders (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) have changed their tactics to not only hoodwink the Indian border surveillance measures but also to target the Indian security forces.The Pakistani troops have started using the thermal camouflage suits/clothing. This clothing suppresses the heat and keeps it trapped inside the suit, thus decreasing the heat signature of the troop.ANI has an exclusive video which shows this.It is to be noted that Indian Army uses the Hand Held Thermal Imagers (HHTI) to keep an eye on the movement of the inimical forces. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the Indian troop to observe the presence of the enemy closely, and thus vulnerability of getting hit by them rises.This was found out when recently the BSF ...
J-K: 8-month-old infant killed in ceasefire violation
An eight-month-old infant was killed late last night after being hit by a bullet during ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir's Keri Battal area of Akhnoor.The incident took place when the eight-month-old was sleeping with his family outside their home in Pallanwala sector.Local police said, "It might be an incident of stray bullet or snipping from the enemy side."Earlier in the day, the Pakistani troops violated ceasefire and resorted to heavy shelling across LoC.Following the ceasefire, the residents of the Arnia sector migrated to safer places.Earlier on May 18, Pakistan violated ceasefire in RS Pura and Arnia sectors, killing a total of five people including one Border Security Force (BSF) jawan and four civilians.
Foreign media arrive for North Korea nuke site closing
Foreign journalists have arrived in North Korea to cover the dismantling of the country's nuclear test site later this week. South Korean media initially scheduled to join were not allowed onto Tuesday's charter flight from Beijing. Pyongyang is allowing the small media group access to the site to publicize its promise to halt underground tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. It unilaterally announced that moratorium ahead of a summit between leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump scheduled for June 12 in Singapore. But Pyongyang has cut off high-level contact with Seoul over an exercise with the U.S. military. Amid growing concern over the success of the summit, South Korean President Moon Jae-in was to meet with Trump in Washington today.
Malaysia ex-PM Najib quizzed by graft agency
Scandal-tainted former Malaysian leader Najib Razak arrived today at the anti-corruption agency for questioning over a massive financial scandal that helped to bring down his long-ruling regime. Najib's coalition suffered a shock defeat at the May 9 poll, beaten by a reformist alliance led by Mahathir Mohamad, which broke their six-decade stranglehold on power. Mahathir, who first served as premier from 1981-2003 and came out of retirement aged 92 to take on Najib, and his allies focused on claims that the former leader and his cronies looted sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. Billions of dollars were allegedly stolen from the fund in a sophisticated fraud, and used to buy everything from artworks to high-end real estate. Najib and his reviled, luxury-loving wife Rosmah Mansor have had a swift fall from grace. They have been barred from leaving the country, and police have seized handbags, jewels and cash during raids on properties linked to the couple. The ousted leader arrived at the ...
J-K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Arnia sector
The Pakistani troops on Tuesday violated ceasefire upon the Indian Territory in Jammu and Kashmir's Arnia sector.On a related note, residents of the Arnia sector have migrated to safer places after Pakistan continued to violate ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday.The locals had arranged food for those affected by firing from the other side of the border.Earlier on May 18, Pakistan violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in RS Pura and Arnia sectors, killing a total of five people including one Border Security Force (BSF) jawan and four civilians.The Central government has ordered to suspend the security operations against terrorist in the state during the holy month of Ramzan.The Home Ministry said the decision has been taken to help the "peace-loving Muslims observe Ramzan in a peaceful environment".However, it clarified that the security forces "reserve the right to retaliate if attacked or if essential to protect the lives of innocent people".
Gunmen open fire in France's Marseilles
A group of masked men reportedly opened fired in one of the districts of Marseilles in the south of France, leaving one person wounded.The individuals, armed with Kalashnikovs (AK-47), opened fire at a group of young people, Sputnik International reported, citing the local newspaper La Provence, as saying.Police have not commented on the situation by far, however, a section of media reports claimed that it was a terrorist-related incident.The area has been cordoned off by law enforcement and firefighters.A preliminary inquiry is underway.This comes barely days after when an attacker, who has been claimed by the Islamic State (IS) as one of their soldiers, went on stabbing spree near the Palais Garnier opera house in the Second Arrondissement.The attacker, identified as French national Khamzat Azimov of Chechen origin, was later neutralised by Parisian police.The situation in France has been insecure in wake of more frequent attacks and the state of emergency, which was introduced ...
20 killed in DR Congo violence, including wildlife park
Twenty people have been killed in a flareup of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including a fresh attack in the renowned Virunga National Park, officials said today. Ten people were killed in the eastern DRC by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia, said Jonas Kibwana, administrator of the Beni region in North Kivu province. "The ADF attacked the town of Mbau... 10 civilians were shot dead and two others were wounded," Kibwana told AFP, giving a toll confirmed separately by sources in the armed forces and civil society. Eastern DRC has been wracked by violence since the mid-1990s. The ADF -- created by Muslim radicals to oppose the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni -- is one of a number of armed groups fighting over the region's rich mineral resources. It stands accused of killing hundreds of civilians over the years and of carrying out a deadly attack on UN troops in Beni last December that left 15 peacekeepers dead. Also in North Kivu, two soldiers ...
Collection agent looted at gun point
A collection agent was looted at gun point by three robbers when he was going to deposit Rs 2.5 lakh in a bank in Kaushambi colony of Indira Puram area, police said today. Sanjay Saini along with his associate Vineet was on his way to a bank when the robbers on a scooter snatched their bag containing Rs 2.5 lakh, Superintendent of Police (City) Akash Tomar said. A police team was monitoring CCTV footage to investigate the matter, Tomar said. PTI CORR http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpg We bring the World to you" Disclaimer : This e-mail message may contain proprietary, confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed. Please delete this e-mail, if it is not meant for you.
Bahrain strips 9 of citizenship amid wide crackdown
A court in the Arab Gulf state of Bahrain has revoked the nationality of nine people and sentenced them to between three and 15 years in jail, amid a yearslong crackdown on dissent. This year, more than 200 people have been stripped of their nationality, including 115 in a mass terrorism trial last week. Bahrain's state-run news agency said Monday the nine were accused of establishing a terrorist group, illegally possessing weapons and ammunition, and shooting at policemen in 2016 with homemade firearms. Two of the suspects remain at large. The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy says 728 people have been stripped of their nationality since 2012, after the Sunni-led monarchy led a crackdown against protests by majority Shiites.
Watchdog report questions US claim on Afghan war progress
A government watchdog is taking issue with Pentagon assertions that momentum in the fight against the Taliban has shifted to Afghan government forces. The report released today by the Pentagon's inspector general's office says that while Afghan security forces are improving, they have made minimal progress toward securing the population. It also said the number of Afghan fighting forces has continued to decline, raising concerns about their effectiveness. The Trump administration, in launching a new war strategy last August, said it was taking stronger measures to compel the Taliban to join peace talks. But Monday's report to Congress said there was little publicly available evidence that the actions to increase pressure on the Taliban were having a significant impact.
Russia prepares for World Cup drone attack
Russia will reportedly deploy jamming devices used in Syria and the war in Ukraine to defend World Cup stadiums against a drone attack. The threat of terror has been a prime concern for organisers of the June 14 to July 15 football showpiece. Russia has been hit by a string of suicide bombings since winning the right to host the world's most watched event in 2010. Some have been blamed on militants from the north Caucasus with ties to the Islamic State group in Syria. Russia's military bases in the war-ravaged Middle East nation have also been targeted by deadly drone attacks this year. The possibility of someone using the increasingly ubiquitous devices to drop a bomb on a stadium is one Russia's defence ministry is not taking lightly. Moscow's RBK news site said army chief Valery Gerasimov issued orders in February to set up jamming stations outside the 12 stadiums that would make remotely operating a drone impossible. A source in the Russian defence ministry told RBK that some of ..
Naxal-affected areas witnessing rapid development: Rajnath Singh
Attending the Commissioning of the maiden Bastariya Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, in Chhattisgarh's Ambika, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that currently, 52 battalions of Central Armed Police Force are deployed in Chhattisgarh.The Home Minister said that 135 Naxalites were killed in 2016 and 77 in 2017 and 40 Naxalites so far in this year. He also said that the numbers have only increased, along with the numbers of surrenders."The government will take action to stop their funds and to seize their properties," the Home Minister assured."Today we have seen the courage and enthusiasm of the Bastaria battalion. Naxalites are against development, they want poverty in their area of influence. The Chhattisgarh government and other states affected by the problem are also running a fast campaign to eradicate Naxalism," Rajnath Singh added."Most of the soldiers have been martyred in IED blasts, a result of the cowardice of the Naxals. The Naxalites are fighting a losing ...
Moroccan terror suspect expelled from Italy
Rome, May 21 (AKI/IANS) Italian authorities have deported a 34-year-old suspected Moroccan extremist on national security grounds, police said on Monday.
'Gaddafi-linked terror cell members' held in Tripoli
Tripoli, May 21 (IANS/AKI) Libyan security forces on Monday said they had arrested seven alleged operatives of a terrorist cell said to have links to late dictator Muammar Gaddafi's regime, the Libya Observer daily reported on its website.
Six injured in Jammu in Pakistani shelling, injured baby succumbs
Six people were injured on Monday in indiscriminate shelling by Pakistan Rangers across the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Jammu district, police said.