Page 654 - War Conflict

Indian troops capable of keeping Chinese at bay: Arunachal Governor

Arunachal Pradesh Governor BD Mishra on Monday said that the troops from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) often come close to the Indian territory, but the Indian troops have the capability to meet any challenge."As per the reports that come from the border, Chinese troops come near Indian territory and retreat when challenged by Indian troops. This has always been their (Chinese) tactics. I can say it with surety that Indian troops are so capable that the Chinese cannot enter our territory even by an inch," he told reporters here.The Line of Actual Control (LAC) that demarcates the Indian and Chinese territory traverses five Indian states, including Arunachal Pradesh.Since the military standoff at Bhutan's Doklam plateau ended in August last year, the tension has remained even as the troops of both countries disengaged.

Chemical arms probe in Syria stalled due to 'security concerns'

Russia and Syria have stalled access to Douma by international experts seeking to probe an alleged poison gas attack there, citing security concerns, a British diplomat said today. The claim came as the global chemical arms watchdog held emergency talks on the alleged atrocity, which prompted Western air strikes on Syria on Saturday. The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ahmet Uzumcu, told the closed-door meeting his inspectors had failed to gain access to the site so far, the British ambassador to the Netherlands told reporters. Uzumcu said "the Syrian regime and the Russians were citing security concerns," ambassador Peter Wilson told a press conference. The Russians and Syrians "have not been able to guarantee the security of the delegation to go to Douma at this point," Wilson added, saying no timeline had been given for when they could visit. The talks at the OPCW's headquarters come two days after a wave of punitive missile strikes in Syria

Gunmen kill four police in central Nigeria

Gunmen have killed four police personnel in central Nigeria's Benue state, police said on Monday, in the latest flare-up in an area beset by bloody clashes between farmers and herdsmen. The incident happened between Sunday night and early Monday at Anyibe in the Logo area of the state when the police personnel came under attack. "Sadly, at the moment, four casualties have been suffered by the police," state police spokesman Moses Yamu said, adding that extra forces and police planes had been deployed to track down the attackers. "They shall definitely be apprehended with their weapons of destruction and made to face the full wrath of the law." It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack. Since the start of the year, Nigeria has seen a growing number of clashes between largely nomadic herders and sedentary farmers over land, water and grazing rights. Benue state lies in Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt that separates the predominantly Muslim north from the largely Christian .

Civilian, cop injured in firing by militants in J&K's Shopian

A civilian and a policeman were injured in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir today when militants opened fire on a police party, officials said. "Today afternoon terrorists opened fire in Shopian which resulted in injuries to one civilian identified as Rafiq Lone and a policeman identified as Bilal Ahmad," a police spokesman said. The injured were evacuated to hospital for treatment, he said. The spokesman said a case was registered and investigations taken up. "Preliminary investigation revealed the involvement of outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in this attack," he added.

Mecca Masjid blast case: Security alert in Hyderabad

In the wake of the verdict in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case, a security alert was issued and vigil stepped up in the city today to prevent any untoward incident. Over 1,500 personnel drawn from different wings of the Hyderabad City Police were deployed in strategic locations in the Old City, a senior police official said. "An alert has been sounded and it is continuing...Our watch is on the entire city and we are monitoring through CCTV cameras installed across the city. Elaborate security arrangements are in place," the official said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), South Zone, V Satyanaryana along with senior police officials supervised the security arrangements at the historic Mecca Masjid and its nearby areas. "To prevent any untoward incident, over 1,500 police personnel have been deployed in the Old City. The situation is peaceful," the DCP told PTI. A three-tier security was put in place near the court complex prior to the pronouncement of the judgment. Earlier in the

China launches website to report about foreign spies, offers rewards

China today launched a unique website inviting public to report people, including spies harming national security, and attempts to "overthrow the socialist system", offering rewards on information. The website, launched by the Ministry of National Security yesterday, also encourages people to report attempts to incite ethnic separatism and bribing military officials to defect. People can report about foreigners meeting "any person within China who has conducted activities endangering state security," the website -- www.12339.gov.cn -- said. The website, in Mandarin and English, is open to organisations and individuals who have information about activities harming national security, including espionage, the ministry said in a statement. They can also use the phone number of "12339" to report, the ministry said, pledging to protect the privacy of the informants. People will be rewarded if the information is true or held accountable for intentionally providing false information, it ...

Ex Lankan Sports Min held for misappropriating Rs 39 mn

Sri Lanka's former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage was today arrested for allegedly misappropriating over Rs 39 million four years ago to buy sports goods, the police said. Aluthgamage, a loyalist of former President Mahinda Rajapaksha, was arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FICD) of the Sri Lanka police on charges of misappropriating government fund to buy sports goods, Carrom and Checker-boards, when he was a Minister, according to police. He was produced before a local court, which released him on bail. Aluthgamage has denied the allegations against him and accused President Maithripala Sirisena-led Unity Government of engaging in a political witch-hunt against the opposition. The Opposition has also alleged that the FCID of the police was "illegal" and it was set up for a political witch hunt against the members of the Rajapaksa-led opposition group. Several family members of Rajapaksa and his close allies have faced corruption allegations since ...

Russia, Syria not yet allowed OPCW team into Douma: UK embassy

Russia and Syria have not yet allowed a fact-finding mission from the world's chemical weapons watchdog to enter Douma to probe allegations of a gas poison attack, the British embassy here said today. The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ahmet Uzumcu, had briefed emergency talks about the deployment of the team, which arrived Saturday in Damascus. But "Russia & Syria have not yet allowed access to Douma. Unfettered access essential," the British delegation to the OPCW based in The Hague said in a tweet. British ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Wilson, urged Monday's meeting "to act to hold perpetrators to account", saying failure to do so "will only risk further barbaric use of chemical weapons, in Syria and beyond". "The time has come for all members of this executive council to take a stand," Wilson said, adding "too many duck the responsibility that comes with being a member of this council". He repeated that Britain, together with ..

Policeman, civilian injured in J&K attack

A policeman and a civilian were injured on Monday when militants opened fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said.

One person injured as militants fire at police party in Shopian

One person was injured in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir when militants opened firing on a police party today, officials said. Militants opened firing on police personnel in Shopian town this afternoon, a police official said. One person sustained injuries in the incident, he said adding the injured was rushed to district hospital in Shopian for treatment.

Army man joins Hizbul Mujahideen: JK police officials

An army man who had gone missing from south Kashmir earlier this month has joined the Hizbul Mujahideen terror group, police officials said today. Idrees Mir, who was posted in the Army's Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) unit, joined the group yesterday, a police official said. The official said Mir had gone missing from Shopian. He joined the group along with two locals who had also been missing. The Army maintains that he is "missing" and has no confirmation about his joining the terror outfit. According to the police, Mir was posted to Jharkhand and was unhappy about the move.

Justice not done, says Owaisi

Reacting to the acquittal of all the five accused in Makkah Masjid blast, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said justice had not been done and that the ruling will weaken the fight against terrorism.

Search operation in Pathankot after suspected terrorists spotted

Security agencies are on high alert and carrying out search operation in the border belt of Punjab, particularly in the frontier districts of Pathankot and nearby areas, on Monday after two suspected terrorists were seen in the area.

OPCW starts emergency talks on Douma attacks: diplomatic sources

The global chemical watchdog today opened emergency talks on the suspected poison gas attack in the Syrian town of Douma, diplomatic sources told AFP. The meeting has "just started," a source, who asked not to be named, said. Earlier the British, Russian and French ambassadors were all seen arriving at the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

15 IS fighters join Taliban in Afghanistan

A 15-member group of the Islamic State (IS) terror outfit has joined the Taliban in Afghanistan's Darzab district, police said on Monday.

Pathankot on alert after local claims sighting suspected terrorists

Security forces today put the city of Pathankot in Punjab on high alert after a local claimed to have given lift to two suspected terrorists. The local claimed that he gave lift to two men last night. The duo got down at a place nearby Kathua region in neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir, the police said. "We are on alert and the matter is being investigated. A local told us that he gave lift to two youths. The local felt that the duo could be terror suspects as they were apparently carrying weapons and got down at a place nearby Kathua," Pathankot SSP Vivek Sheel Soni said. "At this stage, we are treating the two as possible suspects and proceeding accordingly," he said. The Pathankot police has been checking vehicles at key places. Notably, the Punjab Police has provided nine bulletproof tractors to Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts to deal with any such threat. Dinanagar in Gurdaspur and the Air Force base in Pathankot were attacked by terrorists in July 2015 and January 2016, ...

Bangladesh rejects Myanmar's claim of repatriating Rohingya

Bangladesh today rejected a claim by Myanmar that the Buddhist-majority nation had repatriated the first five among some 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled to the neighbouring country to escape military-led violence against the minority group. A Myanmar government statement said on Saturday that five members of a family had returned to western Rakhine state from the border area. It said the family was staying temporarily with relatives in Maungdaw town, the administrative centre close to the border. The statement said authorities determined whether they had lived in Myanmar and provided them with a national verification card. The card is a form of ID, but does not mean citizenship - something Rohingya have been denied in Myanmar, where they've faced persecution for decades. The statement did not say whether any more repatriations were being planned. Bangladesh has given Myanmar a list of more than 8,000 refugees to begin the repatriations, but there have been delays due to a ...

39 killed in accidents during Sri Lankan New Year

Thirty-nine people were killed in accidents across Sri Lanka during the New Year period which began on April 12 and ended on Monday, police said.

AU calls on world powers to respect Syria's territorial integrity

The African Union Commission (AUC) has called on world powers to undertake international efforts to solve the Syrian civil war that respects the territorial integrity of Syria.

Several Afghan soldiers killed in border clashes with Pakistan

Several Afghan soldiers including a policeman and a local tribesman were killed in the ongoing clashes with Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps near the disputed border Durand Line on Saturday.A regional Afghan police chief said that the clashes broke out along the Zazi Maidan border district in the southeastern province of Khost adjacent to Kurram as Pakistan initiated firing to force people outside the claimed Pakistan border, reported by Anadolu Agency.Initially, Afghan National Police interim chief Colonel Abdul Hanan told Anadolu Agency that two Pakistani troops were arrested during the clash.Pakistan and Afghanistan share a nearly 2,600-kilometer largely porous border. The Pakistani military has recently started constructing a robust fence on the border in its bid to prevent illegal crossings in either direction.Afghanistan authorities have opposed the plans of fencing the Afghan frontier by Pakistan as the latter dispute the demarcation made during the British era.Earlier in