Page 629 - War Conflict
Stand united against insurgency: Afghan's CEO
Afghanistan's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah said insurgents continued to commit crimes against the fellow countrymen despite the National Unity Government's (NUG) repeated calls for peace.Speaking at an event to mark World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday, he said, "In fact the Taliban is a criminal group and despite NUG's repeated demands for peace and negotiation, they refuse, and with the continuation of the crimes, it became possible for other terrorist groups to be placed in Afghanistan and to be able to commit such crimes," said Abdullah, as quoted by Tolo News.Early this year, the Afghan government made a peace offer, without preconditions, to the Taliban. But the Taliban hasn't responded to the offer till now.On April 30, Daesh militants carried out two suicide bombings in Kabul, killing 29 people including nine journalists.The Afghanistan Federation of Journalists (AFJ) also issued a joint statement condemning the explosions and noted, "this terrorist attack ..
DRI seizes 194 kg of gold worth Rs 57.73 Cr in FY17-18
Gold weighing 194 kilograms worth Rs 57.53 crore has been seized in the last financial year, a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) official said. A majority of the yellow metal confiscated was smuggled from the neighbouring Sri Lanka, the official added. Smuggling of gold was a recurrent issue in the southern region and Tamil Nadu with vast coastal area was "prone" to it, he said. "In the last financial year (2017-18) alone, DRI Chennai seized 194 kilograms of gold worth Rs 57.73 crore," the official said. The bulk of the gold was seized from the coastal regions, he said, adding that the "most vulnerable areas were the stretches between Tiruchendur and Rameswaram and Rameswaram and Vedaranyam". Gold smuggling was normally carried out using country and small fishing boats, he said. Referring to the latest recoveries made by the agency, he said the officers in three separate incidents had seized a total of 32.24 kg of gold of foreign-origin smuggled into the country by sea from .
Sudan to close 13 diplomatic missions, 4 consular missions
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has announced closure of 13 diplomatic missions and four consular missions abroad due to a financial crisis.
Peacekeeping missions like UNMOGIP valuable: UN official
A senior UN peacekeeping official has rejected assertion that missions such as the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) are doing nothing, saying they are valuable and performing on the basis of ground realities in "frozen conflict" areas. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita was asked during a press briefing here about "frozen conflicts" where peacekeeping missions stay forever. She was asked about missions such as UNMOGIP, United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golaan Heights and that these missions are "sitting there doing nothing". Keita was asked how these frozen conflicts can be addressed and mandates reactivated to achieve results. The question that should be asked is "if they were not there, what would happen," Keita said. She said the "rhetoric that because there is no peace process moving then they are ..
Chinese Foreign Minister in Pyongyang
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is here in North Korea and has met his counterpart Ri Yong-ho. They have discussed the current situation on the peninsula following the inter-Korean summit, media reports said on Thursday.
Gunmen kidnap German nurse in Somalia capital: aid group
Armed men abducted a German nurse working for the International Committee of the Red Cross last evening from a compound in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, the aid group said today. "We are deeply concerned about the safety of our colleague," said Daniel O'Malley, ICRC's deputy Somalia head. "She is a nurse who was working every day to save lives and improve the health of some of Somalia's most vulnerable people." The Red Cross said the attack happened around 8 pm local time when unidentified armed men entered its compound in Mogadishu. The organisation said it is "in contact with various authorities to try and secure her release". Somalia, which collapsed into civil war in 1991 and has been the site of an al-Qaeda linked Islamist insurgency since 2005, is one of the most dangerous countries for aid workers, but abductions remain relatively rare.
Robbery bid in jewellery shop foiled
Two employees of a jewellery shop in southeast Delhi's Tigri foiled a robbery bid, police said today. The incident, that happened on April 30, was captured on a CCTV installed in the shop. In the footage, it was seen that the accused sprayed something on the employees in an attempt to loot jewellery from the shop, but they fight him back, the police said. The accused is yet to be arrested, they said.
Indian Army contingent trained to pitch bivouac
Indian Army contingent has been trained to pitch bivouac under the ongoing Harimau Shakti 2018 exercise.On May 1, there were heavy rains but despite the inclement weather condition, the Indian contingent had hands-on experience to pitch bivouac in such conditions at Wardieburn Camp.This training is essential for jungle survival as part of any operations in jungle terrain. The class was conducted by Major Hafizul, the training officer of 12 Brigade. He used natural resources available within the camp to pitch the bivouac.Fieldcraft and battle craft are one of the most essentials of any fighting fit army in the world.On May 1, as part of the cross training phase, practical training in various forms of field craft and battle craft was conducted at the Wardieburn Camp by the instructor staff from the Army Combat Training centre.Major Magen Raj instructor from this prestigious training centre, now posted with the 1 Royal Ranger Regiment, conducted the training of Indian Army contingent.The
Maoists behead villager in Jharkhand
Suspected Maoists today beheaded a villager near Ubsal village in the forests of Tamar in Ranchi district, police said. Suspecting him to be a police informer, the Maoists kidnapped Abraham Tigga yesterday and beheaded him today, Deputy Superintendent of Police Vikash Chandra Srivastav said. The extremists left a leaflet saying those who would help the police would be treated the same way. Srivastav said search operation against the Maoists has begun.
86 killed in NE Nigeria suicide blasts: gravediggers
Gravediggers today said they buried 86 people from a double suicide bombing in northeast Nigeria, nearly three times more than the official toll. Two blasts ripped through a mosque and market yesterday in the town of Mubi, Adamawa state, in an attack that bore all the hallmarks of Boko Haram jihadists. The official death toll today rose to at least 29 but local residents, a hospital source and rescue worker told AFP that many more died. One worker at Mubi's only cemetery said they were "shocked" to hear about the lower toll. "We worked up to 9:00 pm burying bodies. By the time we closed, we had 76 graves. We buried 76 people yesterday," he said, asking to remain anonymous. "Today, as at 3:00 pm (local time), 10 more bodies were brought in and buried. These people died overnight from injuries, obviously." Another gravedigger, who also asked for his name not to be used, supported the account. "We hope we are done with the burials," he added. Imam Garki, head of operations for Adamawa ...
Centre accepts Amarinder's plea to revoke cap on educational concession
The Centre has accepted Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's request to revoke cap on educational concession provided to children of Armed Forces officers/personnel below officer ranks, an official statement said. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has written to the chief minister to convey the Union government's decision to continue the said concession without capping it at Rs 10,000 per month, according to a release from the CM's Office here. Singh has welcomed the decision to reverse the cap, saying it would go a long way towards boosting the morale of the armed forces and their families, particularly the children of slain and disabled soldiers, to whom the nation owed its security and sovereignty. The Defence Minister's communication is in response to Singh's letter dated December 1, 2017, urging her to revoke the decision to put a cap of Rs 10,000 per month on the combined amount of tuition fee and hostel charges under the scheme of educational concession to such ...
Militants attack Libyan election commission, 14 Killed
Islamic State suicide bombers attacked Libya's election commission in the capital today, killing at least 14 people in the worst such attack in years that aimed to disrupt a nation-wide vote planned for later this year. The two bombers infiltrated the building in central Tripoli and fired on people inside, then detonated their explosives when their ammunition ran out, IS said in a statement circulated by its affiliated Amaq news agency. The Health Ministry earlier said the attack also set fire to the building, which could be seen in online videos showing thick black smoke billowing upward and security forces engaging in a gun battle. IS and other Islamic extremists in Libya oppose democratic elections, which the United Nations and Libya's foreign backers are urging to take place this year despite security problems in the oil-rich North African country. Militants have often targeted elections in other countries, and IS has called for attacks on voting infrastructure in Libya. "(It) is .
1 killed, 4 injured in clashes with security forces in J-K
One person was killed and four others were injured during clashes with security forces who were engaged in an encounter with militants in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, a police official said today. The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Turkwangam village of Shopian following information about presence of militants there, the official said. He said a gunfight broke out between the ultras and the security forces, which was going on when the reports last came in. Meanwhile, a group of youngsters assembled near the encounter site and started pelting stones at the security forces, the official said. He said five people were injured when the security forces opened fire to chase away the stone pelters. One of the injured, 17-year-old Umar Kumhar, later succumbed to injuries, he added. Locals, however, claimed that more than a dozen youngsters were injured in the security forces action.
One dead, 3 civilians injured in J&K clash
A civilian died while three others were injured on Wednesday in clashes with the security forces near a gunfight site in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said.
Integration of modern sensors carried out during 'Vijay Prahar' exercise
Army's South Western command today carried out the integration of modern sensors, including high-precision radars, satellite imagery and pilot-less drones, to get real-time information of enemy activities during the ongoing "Vijay Prahar" exercise in Rajasthan's Suratgarh. The troops also integrated the inputs received from various sensors into the automated decision support system for quick and accurate decision making. The drill and procedures were fine tuned and man-machine integration was further refined. The ongoing efforts have resulted in a high-level of battlefield transparency, an official release said. Over 20,000 troops of the strike formations of the Army's South Western Command are engaged in the exercise. The exercise that began a couple of weeks ago will conclude on May 9 and Army chief General Bipin Rawat and other senior officers are likely to witness the final phase.
Iraq: 4 civilians killed in bomb blasts
Four civilians were killed on Wednesday in two separate incidents of bombing in Iraq's Kirkuk and Diyala provinces."An explosive device planted under a car went off, killing a man and his two sisters in the Al-Azim sub-district located 60 kilometers [roughly 38 miles] north of Baqubah, Diyala's regional capital, Anadolu Agency quoted police Captain Habib al-Shimmari as saying.Further another incident of bomb blast was reported in Kirkuk's Al-Dabas district in which a civilian lost his wife.No terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack.The local officials are hinting at the involvement of the Islamic State militants.In 2017, Baghdad officials had claimed to destroy the military presence in Iraq though there is a limited presence of the Islamic State terror group in the northern and western parts of the country.
Harima Shakti 2018: Indian army trained to pitch bivouac
On the second day of the 'Harima Shakti' 2018 joint military exercise of Indian and Malaysian armies, the Indian army was trained in pitching bivouac at Malaysia's Wardieburn.The Malaysian Army comprises of soldiers and officers of Malaysian, Indian and Chinese originOn Wednesday the level of the training raised a notch higher as the place experienced heavy rains throughout the day and the armies were encouraged to pitch the tents in unfavourable weather conditions.This practice is essential for survival in the forested areas. The session was conducted by 12 Brigade training officer Maj Hafizul.Practical training of army tactics involved in Fieldcraft and Battle craft were given as part of the cross-training phase under the supervision of an instructor belonging to Army Combat Training centre.Further Major Magenraj also conducted a training session for the Indian army contingent.The Indian army contingent includes four grenadiers also known as the fighting fourth. They are known for ..
ETA's bloody history: 853 killings in 60 years of violence
Basque civil society organisations and international observers have hinted at the dissolution of the Basque militant group ETA this week. Although details are unclear about when and how will the much-awaited declaration arrive, the announcement marks the end of a bloody chapter in recent European history. In its goal to create an independent Basque country, ETA -which stands for Euskadi ta Askatasuna or "Basque Homeland and Freedom" in Basque- killed 853 people, most of them during the tumultuous years when Spain was transitioning from dictatorship to democracy. A timeline of some major events since the group's founding 60 years ago traces the trajectory of the deadly conflict: 1958: ETA is created during Gen. Francisco Franco's dictatorship as a scission of youth organisations linked to the Basque Nationalist Party, or PNV. Its stated goal in early documents is to fight for Basque self-determination. 1968: In its first deadly attack, ETA kills civil guard officer Jose Pardines. His ..
Suicide attack on Libya election commission kills 12
Suicide attackers killed at least 12 people at Libya's electoral commission in the capital Tripoli today, authorities in the violence-wracked country said, after witnesses reported thick smoke and gunfire. The internationally backed Government of National Accord (GNA) said it was dealing with "the consequences of the cowardly suicide attack" after the health ministry put the toll at 12 dead and seven wounded. Four armed assailants attacked the building this morning, a senior security official in Tripoli, Mohamad al-Damja, told AFP. "They killed the guards before opening fire at people on the premises," he said. At least two of the attackers detonated their explosives when the security forces arrived, Damja added, describing the building as seriously damaged after it caught on fire. Security forces have since brought the situation under control, he said, while the site has been sealed off. Eyewitnesses earlier said shots and at least two explosions were heard, while black smoke could ..
Two jawans killed in IED blast in Chhattisgarh
Two jawans of Chhattisgarh Police's District Force were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Gariaband district on Wednesday.Special Director General (DG) of Police, Anti Naxal operations, DM Awasthi confirmed the death of one of the jawans.A platoon of 29 security personnel had gone to attend a public welfare meeting in a village located near the Odisha border."It is here that the blast took place," added DG Awasthi.Earlier on April 29, a Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) jawan sustained injuries in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.