Page 638 - War Conflict
Saudi coalition airstrike kills 38 Houthis
At least 38 Houthi militants were killed when a coalition airstrike led by Saudi Arabia targeted the building of Yemen interior ministry in Sanaa in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.Saudi Arabia's official Al-Ekhbariya television said in a statement that two high-ranking insurgents were among those killed in the airstrike, Arab News reported.The Houthis confirmed the airstrike but did not give more details.Eyewitnesses and residents said that the airstrikes targeted other places such as Najda camp, the Dailmi air base, the presidential palace, Jabal al-Nahdeen and its militia camps and other nearby areas in Sanaa.Earlier on Saturday, Saudi air defences reportedly intercepted four missiles fired by Houthi rebels in Jazan province bordering with Yemen in southern Saudi Arabia.Continued missile attacks from Houthi rebels in Yemen have forced Saudi Arabia to cut off air, sea and land links from its neighbour. Saudi defence forces have also halted Yemen's financial aids and ...
Yemeni forces: Senior Islamic State leader killed in south
Yemeni security forces say they have raided a militant hideout in Yemen's south, killing a top Islamic State group leader. The media office of Aden's security department said today's raid killed Saleh Naser Fadl al-Bakhshi and led to the arrest of three other IS members. The office said in a statement that al-Bakhshi refused to surrender and opened fire on anti-terrorism forces, killing one and wounding two others. The three IS members surrendered after al-Bakhshi's death, according to the statement. Yemen was plunged into civil war more than three years ago. Al-Qaida and an Islamic State group affiliate have exploited the chaos to expand their presence. Aden is the seat of Yemen's internationally recognized government after the capital, Sanaa, was seized by Shiite rebels known as Houthis in 2014.
"Soldiering - A Life on the Edge"
The life of a young Army officer, replete with challenges and exciting adventures, fascinates most young people across the world, and especially so in India, where soldiering is deemed to be a noble and revered profession.In his book, "Soldiering - A Life on the Edge," the author Brigadier P S Gothra has a young Army Captain as the main protagonist. The book is set against the back drop of the Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir where young Captain Bharat is posted.Captain Bharat on being posted to the LOC demonstrates exemplary courage and presence of mind and inflicts casualties on the enemy crossing the LOC with the intention to kill Indian troops. His seniors repose enough faith in his ability to entrust to him the very dangerous task of crossing over to enemy territory to avenge the beheading of one of his subordinate soldiers.He conducts the operation successfully and brings laurels to his Army and his Nation.The book has drawn inspiration from the incidents of beheading .
Officials: Suicide car bomber kills 6 in Afghanistan
A Taliban suicide bomber attacked an army base in southern Helmand province today killing four civilians and two soldiers, officials said. Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor in Helmand, said three civilians and two soldiers were wounded in the attack in Nad Ali district. The bomber targeted the base using a mini-van, said Zwak. Maj. Abdul Qadeer Bahadorzai, the army corps commander's spokesman in the south, confirmed the attack. He said the death toll could change. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Taliban insurgents announced the start of their annual spring offensive last Wednesday, at a time when insurgents are already regularly launching attacks and battling security forces. The group issued a statement Wednesday saying that the "Al-Khandaq" offensive would make use of "new and intricate tactics" aimed at "crushing, killing and capturing American invaders and their supporters." The onset of spring has traditionally brought an increase in ..
Pashtun rights group accuses Pakistan army of abuses
A Pakistani human rights group that has accused the military of widespread abuses as it battles Islamist militants in Pakistan's rugged border region with neighboring Afghanistan has emerged as a force among the country's Pashtun minority, drawing tens of thousands to rallies to protest what it contends is a campaign of intimidation that includes extrajudicial killings and thousands of disappearances and detentions. The group's charismatic leader, 25-year-old Manzoor Pashteen, has become the face of the country's oppressed Pashtun, charging that in the name if its "war on terror" the military has used indiscriminant force as it hunts for Taliban hideouts in the tribal regions where the Pashtun dominate, imposing collective punishments like bulldozing the homes of family members of suspected militants and punishing entire villages for extremist attacks. The catalyst for the group's creation was the police killing in January of Naqueebullah Mehsud, a 27-year-old ethnic Pashtun and ...
Police detain JKLF chief Yasin Malik on his way to protest march
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was detained today on his way to the Jamia Masjid here to lead a protest march against alleged use of force on student protestors, police said. Malik was detained at Khanyar when he was going to the Jamia Masjid at Nowhatta for the protest march, a police official said. He said Malik has been lodged at Kothi Bagh police station. Meanwhile, a JKLF spokesman said Malik was to lead the protest march against the use of force on students, illegal continuous arrest of leaders by NIA and Kathua rape-and-murder incident. He said the JKLF chairman was assaulted by the police before being taken away. Quoting witnesses, the JKLF spokesman claimed police stopped Malik's vehicle near Gousia hospital Khanyar and straightaway a police officer started hurling abuses on him. The JKLF chairman objected to the police officer's misbehavior and asked him to show some restraint, the spokesman claimed. Policemen assaulted JKLF chairman,
N Korea hails summit as 'new milestone'
North Korea on Saturday applauded the need for achieving a "complete denuclearisation" during the joint declaration of the recently-concluded inter-Korean summit held in Panmunjom on the southern side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ)."North and South Korea affirmed the common goal of realizing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through complete denuclearisation," the South Korean news agency, Yonhap, quoted the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) as saying."Sharing the understanding that the measures led and taken by the North and South are very meaningful, significant ones for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, (the two sides) agreed to fulfill their respective responsibilities and roles going forward," the statement added.The KCNA further said in a separate article that the Panmunjom Declaration "will mark a new milestone in joint efforts for co-prosperity and independent reunification."On Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in ...
Six killed in Afghan suicide attack
At least six people were killed and 10 others injured on Saturday in a suicide attack next to a military base in Afghanistan's Helmand province, an official said.
Armed robbers loot marriage party, kill bride for resisting in UP
Armed robbers shot dead a bride and looted jewellery worth lakhs after intercepting a marriage party on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway in Meerut district, police said today. The incident occurred near Matore village, under the Dorala police station area, of Meerut last night, they said, adding that the groom and four others were injured in the attack. The victims were returning to the district after the wedding ceremony in Ghaziabad district, officials said. Six armed men, in two cars, intercepted the marriage party while it was on its way back. Farhana was killed after she resisted the robbers, Senior Superintendant of Police Manjil Saini said. Jewellery worth lakhs and a car was looted from them, he said. Police have started a search operation to nab the perpetrators, Saini said, adding that the bride was rushed to the Muzaffarnagar Medical College, where she declared dead.
Kazakhstan peacekeeping unit trains in India
A peacekeeping unit from Kazakhstan was recently in India to receive training and briefing on operational coordination for deployment as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.According to an Embassy of Kazakhstan release issued on Friday evening, the joint training exercise from March 19 till April 14, saw officers and contract servicemen of Kazakhstan peacekeeping battalion "Kazbat" and their Indian counterparts acquire skills and knowledge of requirements for UN peacekeeping units.Both countries managed to establish personal contact and reach mutual understanding with regard to common standards of peacekeepers' actions, the embassy release said.In general, the leadership of the Indian Center for Peacekeeping Training of the United Nations assessed the level of training of Kazbat personnel hoped for the successful peacekeeping deployment in Lebanon.
Woman among 2 Naxals killed in fresh encounter in Chhattisgarh
At least two Naxals, including a woman, were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh today, a senior police official said. Several other ultras were injured in the encounter and the toll may rise. Firearms were also seized from the spot, he said. The gunfight comes a day after eight Naxals, including six women, were killed in an encounter in Sukma's adjoining district Bijapur. The fresh gun-battle took place in the forest near Metagudam village in Burkapal area of Sukma district this morning, Deputy Inspector General of Police (south Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI. "So far, the bodies of two Naxals, including a woman, have been recovered along with 11 weapons. A search operation following the encounter was still going on," he said. Separate teams of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), the Special Task Force (STF) and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), an elite unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were carrying
Two Naxals killed in encounter in Sukma
Two Naxals including a woman has been killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday.The bodies of the Naxal are yet to be identified."One woman Naxal killed in an ongoing encounter, while another body was recovered later on," Special Director General of Police (SDGP) Anti Naxal operations DM Awasthi told ANI.According to media reports, separate teams of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), the Special Task Force (STF) and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), a unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), carried out combing operations in Sukma.This comes a day after seven Naxals were gunned down in an encounter near Penta village of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.
Philippines removes 'comfort woman' status
Philippine authorities have removed a bronze statue in Manila symbolising the World War II sex slaves abused by Japanese soldiers, less than five months after it was installed, officials said on Saturday.
Thousands flee fresh clashes in northern Myanmar: UN
Thousands of people have fled renewed fighting between Myanmar's army and ethnic insurgents in the country's remote north, a United Nations official said, as a long-simmering conflict intensifies. More than 4,000 people have been displaced in Myanmar's northernmost state of Kachin near the border with China in the last three weeks, Mark Cutts, the head of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told AFP late last night. The numbers do not include some 15,000 people who have fled since the beginning of the year and upwards of 90,000 residing in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps in both Kachin and Shan states since a ceasefire between the government and the powerful Kachin Independence Army broke down in 2011. "We have received reports from local organisations saying that there are still many civilians who remain trapped in conflict-affected areas", Cutts said of the recent clashes. "Our biggest concern is for the safety of civilians -- including ...
Haftar's return should help stabilise Libya, says Italian envoy
Tripoli, April 28 (IANS/AKI) Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar's return after a two-week stay in France for medical treatment could offer hope for the future stability of the conflict-wracked country, says Italian Ambassador Giuseppe Perrone.
Twelve Tuareg killed on Mali-Niger border
Twelve tuareg, including children and elderly people, were killed in clashes on the Mali border with Niger, sources said today, a day after the incident. Unrest between jihadists and two Tuareg-led armed groups is common in the region. Sixteen gunmen appeared on motorbikes outside the town of Anderamboukane and "opened fire on civilians" Thursday, according to statements from the Tuareg groups, the pro-government Gatia and MSA. "Among the victims are young children and elderly people," they added. A Mali official source speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed the death toll to AFP. An MSA patrol gave chase to the assailants, saying it had placed four "out of harm's way" while losing a fighter of their own in capturing equipment and motorbikes from the attackers. Sources from the UN's MINUSMA peacekeeping operation said on April 12 they had received "very serious" information that "summary executions of at least 95 people" had occurred during anti-jihadist operations in the ...
Twelve Tuareg killed on Mali-Niger border
Twelve tuareg, including children and elderly people, were killed in clashes on the Mali border with Niger, sources said today, a day after the incident. Unrest between jihadists and two Tuareg-led armed groups is common in the region. Sixteen gunmen appeared on motorbikes outside the town of Anderamboukane and "opened fire on civilians" Thursday, according to statements from the Tuareg groups, the pro-government Gatia and MSA. "Among the victims are young children and elderly people," they added. A Mali official source speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed the death toll to AFP. An MSA patrol gave chase to the assailants, saying it had placed four "out of harm's way" while losing a fighter of their own in capturing equipment and motorbikes from the attackers. Sources from the UN's MINUSMA peacekeeping operation said on April 12 they had received "very serious" information that "summary executions of at least 95 people" had occurred during anti-jihadist operations in the ...
Northern Command troops commended for successful anti-militancy operations
Indian Army's Northern Command chief, Lt Gen. D. Anbu on Friday reviewed security in the Kashmir Valley and commended the security f orces for recent successful anti-militancy operations, a defence official said.
The Skull of Alum Bheg: Wagner unfolds chapter of 1857 uprising in Sialkot
The skull of Alum Bheg should perhaps stay in England to remind 'civilised' Englishmen how their forefathers dealt with recalcitrant colonial subjects
 "The Skull of Alum Bheg: Wagner unfolds chapter of 1857 uprising in Sialkot")
3 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in Gaza border clashes: ministry
Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in clashes on the Gaza border today, the health ministry in the enclave said, in the latest day of demonstrations dubbed the Great March of Return. The ministry said two of the men, who it did not identify, were killed by Israeli fire east of Gaza City. An AFP correspondent saw both bodies at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. A third man, identified by the ministry as 29-year-old Abdul Salam al-Bakr, was killed east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. The deaths brought the number of Palestinians killed since protests began on March 30 to 44. 154 other people were hospitalised for gunshot wounds and tear gas inhalation, Gaza's health ministry said. As on previous Fridays, protesters gathered at five sites near the border fence, though numbers were down on earlier weeks. Marchers are demanding the right to return to their homes seized by Israel in 1948. Israel says that allowing the refugees in would mean the end of the Jewish state, and ...