Page 66 - War Conflict
Tajikistan: 32 killed in prison riot
Three guards and 29 inmates were killed after a riot broke out at a high-security prison in Tajikistan's western city of Vahdat, the country's Deputy Justice Minister Mansurjon Umarov said on Monday.The riot started on Sunday evening after some convicted Islamic State (IS) militants took three prison guards hostage and later killed them, reported Xinhua.According to media reports, security forces killed 24 militants and restored ordered in the prison which has around 1500 inmates. Five other inmates were also killed during the riot.
Outgoing Navy chief Admiral Lanba calls on President Kovind
Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba made a farewell call on President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday, the Rashtrapati Bhawan said.Lanba will retire from the post of Chief of Naval staff on May 31 after a three-year tenure.Vice Admiral Karambir Singh has been appointed as the next Navy chief. His appointment was mired with controversy after senior most naval commander Vice Admiral Bimal Verma challenged it in the Armed Forces Tribunal over the government's decision to overlook the former.The Defence Ministry, earlier, had rejected the plea of Vice Admiral Verma Admiral Karambir Singh's appointment.
Brief exchange of fire takes place between State Police and Maoists in Gadchiroli
A brief exchange of fire took place between the State Police troops and Maoists here on Sunday night.The exchange of fire took place in Kopori gaon forest area in Bhamaragarh, which comes under Gadchiroli, at about 8 pm on May 19.The Maoists managed to escape from the spot. The state police troops recovered miscellaneous items during the search operations.Further details are awaited.
Maoists, security forces exchange fire in Maharashtra
An exchange of fire took place on Monday between Maoists and security forces in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, a police official said. No casualty was reported from either side, he said. The skirmish took place near the Kothi police outpost around 6.30 am when commandos of C-60, a specialised anti- Naxal unit of Maharashtra police, were on patrolling duty in a forest area near Koparsi village, the official said. On seeing the security personnel, Maoists started firing at them, to which the police retaliated, he said. The exchange of fire continued for over an hour following which the rebels fled into the forest, he said. "There was no report of any casualty on either side," he said, adding that combing operation was on in the area. On May 1, at least 15 security personnel and a driver were killed after suspected Maoists attacked a police vehicle in Gadchiroli.
Maoist attack in Jharkhand: 3 cops injured
Three policemen were injured in a Maoist attack in Seraikela district of Jharkhand on Monday, police said.
Prison riot in Tajikistan leaves 32 dead
A riot at a prison in Tajikistan has left 32 people dead, including 24 members of the Islamic State militant group and three guards, authorities said Monday. Five of the inmates and the three guards were killed by IS prisoners during the riot that erupted on Sunday evening, the justice ministry said in a statement. The prison in Vakhdat, 17 kilometres east of the capital Dushanbe, holds 1,500 inmates. It said the prisoners first stabbed to death three guards, and then five other inmates "in order to intimidate" the others. They then took other prisoners hostage before opening fire on the jail's medical facilities. "Following a reprisal operation, 24 members of this group were killed and 25 others arrested. The hostages were freed" and calm restored to the prison, the statement said. Among the leaders of the riot, the Tajik authorities identified the 20-year-old son of the former head of Tajik special forces who became a member of the IS leadership in Syria, where he was killed in ...
Swiss voters vouch for tighter gun laws to maintain EU treaties
Voters in Switzerland approved a measure to tighten the country's gun laws to conform to European Union (EU) regulations.Nearly 63 per cent of voters in Sunday's referendum supported tougher restrictions on semi-automatic and automatic weapons, according to the final results cited by Al Jazeera.The measures also demand regular training on the use of firearms and require gun owners to keep a registry of their firearms.Supporters of the firearms reform included members of the Swiss parliament and executive branch, who said that the amendments were needed to retain strong police cooperation and economic ties with Switzerland's partners in Europe.They cautioned that a "no" vote would lead to the country's exclusion from the Schengen travel region and also the Dublin accords regulating Europe's asylum-seeking process, potentially creating far-reaching consequences for security, asylum and even tourism, Al Jazeera reported.Switzerland is not an EU member, but it is in the Schengen zone.The .
32 dead in Tajikistan prison riot: official
A riot at a prison in Tajikistan has left 32 people dead, including 24 members of the Islamic State group and three guards, authorities said Monday. Five of the inmates and the three guards were killed by IS prisoners during the riot that erupted on Sunday evening at a facility near the capital Dushanbe, the justice ministry said in a statement.
Bear attacks shepherd in J-K's Doda
A bear attacked a shepherd here on Sunday. The incident took place when the shepherd took his cattle out in the fields for grazing.The shepherd, Abdul Samad Hajam told ANI, "I rear sheep and while I was taking them on a stroll, I had an encounter with a bear. He attacked me while I kept trying to save myself. One of my friends saw it and after he started throwing stones and making a loud noise, the bear ran into the forest leaving me injured."Village headman, Nazir Ahmed said, "We live near the forest area and there is always a fear of being attacked by a wild animal. People fear to step out of their houses after sunset."Hajam was admitted to Government Medical Hospital, Doda, where he is undergoing treatment.
11 killed in bar shooting in Brazil
At least 11 people have been killed in a shooting at a bar in Brazil's Para state, police said.
UN peacekeeper killed in Mali
A United Nations soldier was killed and several others sustained injuries in two attacks on UN peacekeeping forces in Mali on Sunday, reported Al Jazeera.Gunmen attacked the UN troops in Timbuktu, where several armed groups are active, according to Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.Meanwhile, three UN soldiers from Chad were injured in northern Kidal region near the border with Algeria when their vehicle drove over an explosive device.Condemning the violence and expressing his condolences to the family of the killed UN soldier from Nigeria, Guterres said such attacks on UN soldiers could be considered war crimes under international law.An UN-backed peace agreement in 2015 was signed between the Government of Mali and various armed groups, which however failed to stabilise the febrile central and northern regions of the northwest African country.Since their deployment in 2013, more than 190 peacekeepers have died in Mali, including nearly 120 killed
No voting at four polling booths in Ferozepur
No polling took place at four booths in Ferozepur Parliamentary Constituency in Punjab on Sunday, officials said. There was no voter turnout at polling booth number 61, 62, 63 and 64 which were set at a school in cantonment area of Ferozepur city. "There is a report that voting did not take place at four polling booths," Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju said Sunday evening. He said there were a total of 4,500 voters who were registered here. Raju said he got the matter inquired and found that the army units had shifted from this place. "Therefore no voting took place," he said. Raju said 283 ballot units, 223 control units and 509VVPATs were replaced at several places in Punjab. "The replacement percentage was 0.06 per cent for ballot units, 0.96 per cent for control units and 2.19 per cent for VVPATs," he said. He further said paramilitary forces had been deputed to secure the EVMs. "Fifty-six companies of paramilitary forces will provide security to the electronic ...
PDP activist in critical condition after militant attack in J&K's Kulgam
A Peoples Democratic Party activist was grievously injured after militants allegedly shot him at Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Sunday, police said. Suspected militants shot at PDP worker Mohammad Jamal, 65, near his residence at Zungalpora village of Kulgam district in south Kashmir, a police official said. Jamal was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition, he added. A police case has been registered and a hunt has been launched to nab the assailants, the official said.
3 NSCN (K) insurgents held in Arunachal Pradesh
Three northeast insurgents have been nabbed by the ninth regiment of the Assam Rifles from Old Changlang area in Arunachal Pradesh' Changlang district.Weapons and ammunition including one AK-47 with its 20 live rounds, one 9MM pistol with its 14 live rounds have been recovered from the possession of the members of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang).The regiment has been carrying out an operation to apprehend the insurgents. Assam Rifles got secret information about the rebels and arrested them on acting on the tip.The insurgents have been identified as Capt Wanzeng Pathanga, Limtang Tutsa, Saamal Jugli.Along with the arms and ammunition, three mobile phones and some objectionable documents have also been recovered from their possession.
Bomb hits tourist bus near Egypt's Giza Pyramids, wounds 17
A roadside bomb hit a tourist bus on Sunday near the Giza Pyramids, wounding at least 17 people including tourists, Egyptian officials said. The officials said the bus was travelling on a road close to the under-construction Grand Egyptian Museum, which is located adjacent to the Giza Pyramids but is not yet open to tourists. The bus was carrying at least 25 people mostly from South Africa, officials added. The attack comes as Egypt's vital tourism industry is showing signs of recovery after years in the doldrums because of the political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Hosni Mubarak. The officials said security forces cordoned off the site of the explosion and the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital. The explosion damaged a windshield of another car, they said. Footage circulated online shows shattered windows of the bus. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief media. Atif Moftah, general
Saudi oil sector secure, minister says after attacks
Saudi Arabia said Sunday that the kingdom's massive oil installations are well protected a few days after a drone attack claimed by Yemeni rebels on a key oil pipeline. "We have strong (oil) industry security... everybody is vulnerable to extreme acts of sabotage," Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting in Jeddah of major oil producers. Yemen's Huthi rebels last week claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the huge east-west pipeline forcing it to temporarily shut down.
Sri Lankan troops should use their experience to fight challenges of Islamist militants: Sirisena
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday asked the security forces to use their experience in defeating separatist Tamil guerrillas a decade ago to meet the new challenge from Islamist militants linked to ISIS and responsible for last month's serial bombings that killed 258 people. Addressing the 'National War Heroes Day' to mark the 10th anniversary of the government's victory against the LTTE, Sirisena also said that he has full confidence in their (defence forces') ability to defeat such threat, "which is not only limited to Sri Lanka but has become international". At least 100,000 people were killed in the conflict between Sri Lankan forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Thousands of people, including security personnel, are still reported to be missing after the war. According to the Army, 27,000 soldiers lost their lives in the war. The 10th anniversary falls nearly a month after Easter Sunday bombings, the worst terror attack in the country that ...
Bomb attack on Shiite militiamen kills 7 in eastern Iraq
An Iraqi Shiite paramilitary group says a roadside bomb has hit a bus carrying its fighters in eastern Iraq, killing seven people and wounding 26. The Popular Mobilisation Forces said in a statement that the bomb hit the bus in the eastern town of Balad Ruz, while travelling from the southern province of Basra. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The Sunni Islamic State group has targeted Shiite groups in the past. IS, which seized Iraqi cities and declared a self-styled Islamic caliphate in territories it controls in Syria and Iraq, was formally declared defeated in Iraq following a three-year bloody battle that left tens of thousands dead and Iraqi cities in ruins. The extremist group sleeper cells continue to launch attacks in different parts of Iraq.
Afghan official: Roadside bomb kills 2 policemen
An Afghan official says a gun battle between illegal armed groups has killed at least nine people in the northeastern Takhar province. Jawad Hajri, a spokesman for the provincial governor, says seven others from the armed groups were also wounded in Saturday afternoon's gun battle in Rustaq district. Hajri added that one of the group leaders, who is on the police wanted list, was killed. Separately, officials say a roadside bombing killed two police officers Saturday in the southern Helmand province. Omar Zwak, the provincial governor's spokesman, added that two other policemen were wounded in the attack in the Washer district. No one immediately claimed the bombing. Taliban insurgents are active in Helmand and control several districts in the province.
Gunmen kill 19 at fish market in northeast Congo
At least 19 people were killed when gunmen attacked a fish market in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo near Lake Albert, local officials said on Sunday. No group has claimed responsibility, but the region around Ituri province has been hit in the past by intercommunal violence between militias from the Hema and Lendu communities. "Nineteen corpses were found in the village of Tara on the edge of Lake Albert, and eight others were wounded," said Pilo Mulindo, a local community leader in Djugu territory. "The attack happened on Wednesday when armed bandits attacked a group gathered on the beach to set up a market," the official said. The UN mission to the DRCongo, known by its initials MONUSCO, reported the attack on Friday without giving a precise death toll. It planned to send a team to the area. The victims were fishermen and their customers, Mulindo said. The area is known as a region where Lendu militia are active. Violence shook Ituri province, particularly Djugu, last year ..