Page 678 - War Conflict
4 killed as Dalit protests turn violent in MP
The Dalit protests today turned violent in Madhya Pradesh, leaving four persons dead and several people, including a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and policemen, injured, officials said. In the wake of the large-scale violence, curfew was imposed in three districts of Gwalior, Morena and Bhind, they added. In Bhind district, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) was pressed into service to control the violent situation witnessed during the "Bharat bandh" called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Incidents of stone-pelting, arson and loot were reported from several parts of the state, Inspector General of Police (law and order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI. "Two persons were killed in Gwalior, while one each died in Bhind and Morena districts in the violence," he said. The four persons were killed in cross-firing between those supporting the bandh and those opposing it, the IG added. Those killed in Gwalior were identified as Rakesh Jatav ...
Protests by Dalit organisations turn violent in Punjab, Haryana
Normal life was paralysed as violence erupted at many places in Punjab and Haryana while rail and road traffic too was adversely affected as Dalit organisations staged protests alleging "dilution" of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police had to resort to cane charging in several towns after protesters indulged in stone-pelting and vandalism, blocking roads and squatting on rail tracks in the two states, officials said. At least 50 persons were injured in the violence, officials said. In view of the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by Dalit organisations, the Congress-led Punjab government had ordered closure of educational institutions, suspended bus services, and curtailed mobile and Internet services. In the neighbouring BJP-ruled Haryana, there were no orders to shut schools or suspend bus services. However, tight security arrangements were in place in both the states and their common capital - Chandigarh. The Punjab government had yesterday itself
Dalit protests derail life in Punjab, Haryana
Normal life was crippled across Punjab and Haryana on Monday as activists from various Scheduled Castes (SC) organisations held protests against the dilution of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act following a Supreme Court order.
Six dead as Dalit protests turn violent (Roundup)
Six persons were killed and dozens injured as Dalit protests during a day-long nation-wide shutdown on Monday turned violent in India amid anger against a Supreme Court order that dilutes a law aimed at preventing atrocities against Dalits and Tribes.
One killed as violence sweeps Rajasthan during 'Bharat Bandh'
At least one person was killed and many others injured, property damaged and transport affected as violence rocked various parts of Rajasthan during a 'Bharat Bandh' called by Dalit organisations on Monday to protest the Supreme Court verdict on the SC/ST act.
Protests across India today, but no pellets/bullets used: J&K Independent MLA
Independent legislator Sheikh Abdul Rashid today held a peaceful sit-in along with his supporters here to protest the killing of four civilians in the counter-militancy operations yesterday. Rashid, along with the supporters of his Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), took out a march from Residency road here towards the Press Enclave. They held a peaceful sit-in near the area and later dispersed, the police said. "It seems India has gone mad. Delhi has become (a) man-eater. There are protests across India today, but pellets or bullets are not being used there. You cannot end militancy by killing militants," Rashid told reporters here. The Langate constituency MLA also voiced support for talks with Pakistan to address the Kashmir issue. "The killings will continue to take place till India does not give us right to self determination. India has lost the moral battle in Kashmir as people were giving their full support to militants. It is better for India to fulfil its promises with Kashmiris," he
Six hours to the end: When parents, cops tried to get Hizb militant to surrender
It was a six-hour denouement that ended in a hail of bullets -- and a young man, barely out of his teens, dead inside a house surrounded by security personnel while his parents who had tried to talk him into surrendering waited nearby for news of the inevitable. Rauf Khanday, believed to be a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, was killed in the pre-dawn darkness of Sunday at Dialgam village in south Kashmir's Anantnag district. But he was not just another statistic, said officials present at the spot as the hours dragged on and he showed no signs of surrendering. Khanday, who had just passed his first year of graduation, was one of the two men holed up in a house in the village. The beginning of his end started around 11 pm on Saturday when the police wireless buzzed. It was an intercept about the presence of two militants inside a house. After ascertaining the identity of the militants, the house was cordoned off by security personnel and they were asked to surrender, said an official. One .
19 Indian fishermen remanded in custody in Lanka
At least 19 Indian fishermen have been ordered to be remanded in custody in northern Sri Lanka, police said here today, days after they were arrested for allegedly poaching in the country's waters. The 19 fishermen from Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu were arrested on March 30 for allegedly poaching in the waters off Talaimannar. They were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy and handed over to fisheries officials. The fishermen were produced before the Vavuniya magistrate and were ordered to be sent to the Vavuniya prison till April 12, police said. The frequent arrest of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy has become a flash point in India-Sri Lanka relations.
Air raid kills 16 near Yemen port of Hodeida: security sources
An air strike near the Yemeni port of Hodeida today killed 16 people in a building where Huthi rebels were gathering, security sources told AFP. There were conflicting reports on the number of rebels versus civilians killed in the strike which was believed to have been carried out by the Saudi-led coalition. The coalition said it was investigating the reports and could not immediately comment.
Gaza protests fade for now, but both sides brace for more
Protests along the Gaza border with Israel have dwindled after the conflict's deadliest day in years, but both sides braced for further tensions today after Palestinians called for more demonstrations. The death toll from Friday's violence along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel rose by one to 17 today when the health ministry in the enclave confirmed another Palestinian had died from his wounds. The Islamic Jihad militant group said in a statement that Faris al-Raqib, 29, was a member, but that he was not carrying a weapon when he was shot. In an AFP photo before his injury, Raqib is seen carrying one of the wounded away from the clashes. Hundreds of other Palestinians were wounded on Friday, many of them by gun fire, when a mass protest of tens of thousands led to clashes with Israeli forces along the Gaza border. The toll prompted the European Union and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call for an independent investigation, which Israel has flatly ...
Two killed as violence grips India amid Dalit protests (Overall Lead)
Two persons were killed and many injured as violence gripped parts of India on Monday as Dalit groups enforced a day-long country-wide shutdown against a Supreme Court order they say dilutes a law to prevent atrocities against the marginalized Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
Rail, road traffic affected; Dalit protests turn violent in Pb, Hary
Rail and road traffic went for a toss at many places in Punjab and Haryana today as the Dalits staged protests over dilution of the SC/ST Act. The police had to resort to cane charge after protesters turned violent at some places in the neighbouring states. In view of the Bharat Bandh call given by various Dalit organisations, the Congress-led Punjab government had ordered closure of educational institutions, suspended bus services, and curtailed mobile and Internet connectivity. Tight security arrangements were also put in place across the states and the common capital of Chandigarh. The Punjab government had yesterday ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure, while the Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby to prevent any exigency. Protest marches were taken out by the Dalits in Jalandhar, Patiala, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Kapurthala and Phagwara in Punjab, and at Panchkula, Ambala, Kaithal, Hisar, Rohtak, Yamunanagar, ..
Rebels begin evacuating from last opposition pocket of Syria's Ghouta: state media
Rebels began evacuating from the last opposition holdout of Syria's Eastern Ghouta today, state media said, a day after regime ally Russia announced a deal for the pocket. "A group of buses carrying a number of Jaish al-Islam terrorists and their families leave Douma in preparation of them being transported to Jarabulus," a rebel-held town in northern Syria, state news agency SANA said, referring to the rebels. State television said four buses had left Douma, the main town in Eastern Ghouta and the only opposition holdout after a six-week Russia-backed regime offensive. Russia on Sunday reported a deal had been reached for Jaish al-Islam fighters to leave Douma, but the rebel group has not yet confirmed the agreement. The retaking of Eastern Ghouta would mark a major milestone in President Bashar al-Assad's efforts to regain control of territory seized by rebel factions during Syria's seven-year civil war. Assad's forces have retaken 95 percent of Eastern Ghouta since launching a ...
Violence in MP during bandh by Dalit outfits
Four persons were killed and several others, including policemen, sustained injuries in violent protests in Madhya Pradesh during the nationwide bandh called today by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Curfew was clamped in three districts including Bhind, where the Army was called in to control the situation. "Two people were killed in Gwalior while one person each died in Bhind and Morena districts during the violence," Inspector General (law and order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI. Incidents of stone-pelting, arson and loot were also reported from several parts of the state during the protest, he said, adding that further details are awaited. A student leader, identified as Rahul Pathak, died in firing in Morena district, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Umesh Shukla told PTI. Pathak was allegedly shot by agitators and he succumbed to injuries enroute to hospital, he said. As the violence escalated, curfew was imposed in the entire ...
Special aircraft carrying mortal remains of Indians killed in Iraq arrive
A special aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 38 Indians killed in Iraq arrived at the Amritsar International Airport today, officials said. The aircraft with the remains of the 38 slain Indians, out of 39, landed at Amritsar from Baghdad around 2:30 pm, they added. The presumed remains of one of those killed were yet to be positively identified. Relatives of the deceased received the bodies with teary eyes. As the aircraft carrying the coffins landed at the airport, an air of gloom descended as distraught families looked at the caskets. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh had left for Iraq yesterday to bring back the mortal remains of the Indians, killed in the war-torn country. While the remains of the 31 men belonging to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh were received at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar, the rest of the bodies would be flown to their respective places in Patna and Kolkata to be handed over to their relatives. Out of these, 27 ...
AFSPA extended in three Arunachal districts for 6 months
The Centre today extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in three districts of Arunachal Pradesh and eight police station areas bordering Assam by another six months. According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts of Arunachal Pradesh and eight police stations bordering Assam were declared "disturbed" areas under the AFSPA, 1958. The Act gives special rights and immunity to security forces in carrying out various operations in "disturbed" areas. It gives security personnel the power to search premises and arrest without warrant, to use force even to the extent of causing death. "And whereas a further review of the law and order situation in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts of Arunachal Pradesh and in the area falling within the jurisdiction of eleven police stations in districts of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the state of Assam, has been undertaken. "Now, therefore, Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in ..
Violence erupts in MP over SC/ST Act
Dalit protests turned violent in parts of Madhya Pradesh on Monday, forcing authorities to impose curfew in many places, police said.
One killed in MP during violent protests over dilution of SC/ST laws
One person was killed and several persons were injured in violence in Madhya Pradesh during the nationwide bandh called today by Dalit outfits against the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act, prompting authorities to clamp curfew in three districts including Bhind, where the Army was called in to control the situation. A student leader, identified as Rahul Pathak, died in firing in Morena district, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Umesh Shukla told PTI. Pathak was allegedly shot during protests by agitators and he succumbed to injuries enroute to hospital, he said. As the violence escalated, curfew was imposed in the entire city, Shukla said. Police said the protesters also stopped a train in Morena. Curfew was imposed in Gwalior and Bhind districts also following violence, officials said. Gwalior Commissioner B M Sharma said, "Curfew has been imposed in several parts of Gwalior city following violence during the protest." However, Sharma did not share more details. Eyewitnesses ...
10 of 13 killed in offensive from Shopian, sign of security forces' control on area
Ten of the 13 militants killed over the weekend in a major offensive by the state police were from Shopian, an indication that security personnel have tightened their hold on the south Kashmir terror bastion over the last five months, officials said. Most of the 10 from Shopian, once considered the ground zero of terrorism, were young and had joined the militant movement between last year and now. Sources in the security establishment expressed the hope that parents of disappeared youth would now encourage their children to shun violence and surrender. The oldest of the 10 was Ishfaq Ahmad Thoker, alias 'Abrar', who became a militant in September 2015, officials said. The others, from various villages in the district, were Ubaid Shafi Malla alias 'Abu Huraira', who became a militant in February 2017, Zubair Ahmed Turrey alias 'Abu Bakar', Nazim Ahmad Dar alias 'Furqan Bhai' and Rayees Ahmad Thoker (May 2017), Yawar Itoo (July 2017), Adil Ahmed Thoker (November 2017), Ishfaq Ahmed ...
Kashmir traders protest killing of civilians
Kashmiri traders and manufacturers on Monday protested against the killings of four civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district during operations against militants by security forces.