Page 680 - War Conflict

SC/SC Act issue: Schools, bus services to remain shut in Pb in view of bandh call

In view of a bandh called by a number of Dalit organizations tomorrow to protest the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, the Punjab government has ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure, while the Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby. Schools will remain shut and buses off the road tomorrow. A spokesperson of the Punjab government said mobile Internet services in the state will remain suspended from 5 pm today till 11 pm tomorrow in a bid to check rumormongering on social media. All public and private transport will stay off the road during the bandh to prevent any untoward incident, the spokesperson said. The orders were issued after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh reviewed the security arrangements with top police and administration officials in the evening. It was followed by a video conference involving the Chief Secretary, deputy commissioners and other senior officials of all districts, the spokesperson said in a statement. Security forces

Punjab orders clampdown ahead of SC protest on Monday

The Punjab government on Sunday ordered a security clampdown across the state as a precautionary measure in view of Monday's protest by some organizations of the Scheduled Castes, objecting to the dilution of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

J&K: Internet services suspended after 11 terrorists killed in encounter

Mobile and internet services were suspended on Sunday as a precautionary measure following the killing of 11 militants in separate encounters with security forces in South Kashmir.According to primary information the decision to snap internet services was taken to prevent mischievous elements from creating law and order problems in the Valley.The terrorists were killed in three different encounters over two days.In Anantnag the encounter ended on March 31, and today two separate encounters took place in the morning, the first one being in Shopian's Dragad and another one in Kachdoora, which is still underway.Three Army personnel Gunner Arvinder Kumar, Gunner Nilesh Singh and Sepoy Hetram lost their lives in the Anantnag and Shopian encounters.

11 militants, three soldiers among 16 killed in Kashmir (Roundup)

Three soldiers and 11 militants were among 16 killed in the Kashmir Valley on Sunday in fierce fighting whose victims included those who had abducted and murdered Lt Ummer Fayaz in May last year.

Terrorists behind Lt. Ummer Fayaz's killing gunned down

Commander of the Army's Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lieutenant General AK Bhatt on Sunday said two terrorists responsible for killing Indian Army Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz when he was visiting his family on a holiday had been eliminated in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.Addressing a joint press briefing with Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S.P. Vaid, Bhatt said, "Out of the seven terrorists killed, two terrorists were involved in the killing of Indian Army Lt Ummer Fayaz.""Among the militants killed are Ishfaq Malik and Rayees Thokar. They were responsible for his death," Bhatt added.He further appealed the youth not to get lured by weapons and added, "Anybody who uses weapons will be dealt with in the same manner we dealt with the terrorists today."Speaking to ANI, Bhatt also praised the security forces on the ground for their work."Excellent synergy has developed between the police, the Army, the CRFP and the troops on the ground. We had been looking for the terrorists who killed Lt ..

Pak violates ceasefire in JKs Poonch

Pakistani troops today targeted forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir with mortar shells and gunfire in violation of the ceasefire, police said. Indian troops guarding the LoC fired in retaliation and the firing between the two sides continued for nearly half-an-hour from 1300 hours, a police officer said. He said there was no report of any casualty in the Pakistani firing and shelling in Khari Karmara area. This is for the second time in the past week that Pakistani troops targeted Indian positions in the area. On March 27, Pakistani troops fired mortar bombs ending a 10-day long lull in the cross-border firing along the LoC in the state. Earlier on March 18, five members of a family were killed and two others injured when a mortar shell hit their residential house in Balakote sector of the district. There has been a spurt in ceasefire violations along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir this ...

2 Army jawans, 8 militants killed in south Kashmir encounters

In a major crackdown on terrorist groups, two Army jawans, eight terrorists and two civilians were killed in near-simultaneous operations launched at three places in South Kashmir, police said. The operations by security forces rendered a severe dent to militant groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashker-e-Taiba, officials said here. At a hurriedly convened press conference at the Victor Force headquarters at Awantipura, around 33 kms from here, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid said two Army jawans lost their lives at the Kachdooru encounter in Shopian district, where a gunbattle was still going on. So far, eight terrorists have been killed in Dialgam and Draggad villages and one militant has been captured alive, the DGP said. Corps Commander of XV Corps, Lt Gen A K Bhatt, termed it one of the biggest operations in recent times and said the death of Lt Umar Fayaz, who was brutally killed in Shopian last year, had been avenged. "Among the militants .

Mobile internet services suspended in Kashmir Valley

Mobile internet services were suspended in the Kashmir Valley today as a precautionary measure following the killing of eight militants in encounters and two civilians in clashes with security forces, officials said. Two Army jawans also laid down their lives in a gun-fight with terrorists. Internet services on mobile devices were snapped shortly after clashes broke out at many places in south Kashmir and some parts of the city this afternoon, an official said. He said the decision to snap internet services was taken as a precautionary measure to prevent mischievous elements from creating law and order problems. The authorities also suspended train services in Kashmir as a precautionary step. Miscreants have targeted trains during law and order situations in the past. Eight terrorists were killed in three encounters in Shopian and Anantnag districts while one militant surrendered before the security forces. At some places, locals clashed with security forces and pelted stones at them.

Army says it kills Lt Fayaz's killers, loses two men

The Army said on Sunday that it lost two men in fierce gun battles which led to the killing in Jammu and Kashmir of eight militants including those who abducted and killed Lt Ummer Fayaz in May last year.

27 Taliban militants killed in Afghanistan

At least 27 Taliban militants were killed in operations launched by the security forces in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province in the last three days, according to local officials on Sunday.They added that the operations were ongoing to eliminate the militants from Wardoj and Yamgan districts of the province, which has been under the group's control for a year.Badakhshan governor Ahmad Faisal Bigzad said in a statement that security forces had made good progress so far, according to TOLOnews."Our security forces are advancing step by step and clearing the villages in order to prevent civilian casualties and are creating check posts in the operations," said Bigzad.The officials further said that around five villages have been cleared in Badakhshan province."In the past two days seven key members of the enemies including a Tajikistani citizen were killed and 17 others were wounded," said Mohammad Naeem Majidi, an army commander in Badakhshan.A number of Afghan provincial council members ..

'Final evacuation deal' reached for Syria's Ghouta

A final deal has been reached for fighters and civilians to leave the last opposition-held pocket of Eastern Ghouta, a monitor said today, paving the way for Syria's regime to retake the onetime rebel enclave near Damascus. The deal brokered by regime ally Russia would see fighters with the Jaish al-Islam rebel faction leave Ghouta's main town of Douma for opposition-held territory in northern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. There was no immediate confirmation from the rebels, but pro-regime newspaper Al-Watan quoted "diplomatic sources" as saying the agreement would see fighters give up heavy weapons and leave Douma for northern Syria. 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. Backed by Russia, Assad's forces have scored a series of victories over rebel forces in recent years, often through campaigns of siege, ...

Russia deal to evacuate civilians from Ghouta main town

Syria's regime moved closer today to fully retaking the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta after its Russian ally agreed with rebels to evacuate hundreds of civilians from a final pocket. Tens of thousands people are thought to remain in the battered town of Douma, the last rebel holdout and their one-time bastion east of the capital Damascus. Russia-backed regime forces have seized more than 95 percent of Eastern Ghouta in a six-week air and ground blitz that has displaced tens of thousands from their homes. People have fled the fighting into regime-held territory, while so far more than 45,000 fighters and civilians in total have been bussed out under evacuation deals. "A partial agreement was reached to evacuate hundreds of civilians who wish to leave for Idlib", a northwestern province still largely outside regime control, a Britain-based war monitor said on Sunday. In all, around 1,300 people would be evacuated from Douma under the deal, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human .

At least 4 terrorists trapped in Kachdoora encounter site: SP Vaid

At least four terrorists are believed to be trapped in the ongoing encounter between terrorists and security forces in Shopian's Kachdoora village, said Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police S.P. Vaid on Sunday.The senior police official further informed that some civilians are also trapped in the houses in Kachdoora village and efforts are being made to rescue them."In Shopian's Kachdoora, three to four terrorists are believed to be trapped but some civilians are also trapped in the houses there and we are making efforts to rescue them," Vaid told ANI.Vaid also informed that along with the bodies of slain terrorists huge amount of weapons have also been recovered in Dargad."One terrorist was killed in Anantnag and another was caught alive. Encounters are underway in Shopian's Dragad and Kachdoora. Seven bodies of terrorists and a huge amount of weapons have been recovered in Dragad," SP Vaid added.Two encounters broke out on Sunday morning, one each in Shopian's Dragad and ...

Civilian dead, 50 injured as 11 militants killed (Fourth Lead)

A civilian was killed and 50 others were injured as they clashed with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday after security forces shot dead 11 militants in the region, police said.

Egypt says 6 jihadists, 2 soldiers killed in Sinai op

Six jihadists and two Egyptian soldiers were killed last week during a sweeping operation against Islamic State group militants in the Sinai Peninsula, the army said today. The army launched the campaign on February 9 after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who this week won a second term, gave it a three-month deadline to crush IS in the Sinai. Army spokesman Tamer Rifai in a statement said the six jihadists were killed in an exchange of fire in the north of the Sinai, as the army launched a raid against a "very dangerous terrorist cell". An officer and a soldier were also killed last week and two other troops wounded, he said. During the same period the army arrested more than 500 "wanted criminals" and prevented 169 people of various nationalities from infiltrating across the western border with Libya, the military said. Since the campaign was launched, more than 100 jihadists and at least 22 soldiers have been killed, according to official figures. Sisi won a second term ...

Deal to evacuate hundreds of civilians from Syria's Douma: monitor

Syrian regime ally Russia struck a deal with rebels to evacuate hundreds of civilians from Douma, the final opposition pocket in their former bastion of Eastern Ghouta, a monitor said today. "A partial agreement was reached to evacuate hundreds of civilians who wish to leave for Idlib", the rebel-held province in northwestern Syria, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP. In all around 1,300 people would be evacuated under the deal, Rami Abdel Rahman said, adding that talks on the fate of rebels who hold Douma were still underway. "Negotiations were continuing for a full agreement, including concerning the Jaish al-Islam" rebel faction, said the head of the Britain-based monitor. A civilian committee taking part in the negotiations with Russia on Saturday said a deal had been reached "to evacuate humanitarian cases to northern Syria". It gave no further details nor did it say when the planned evacuations would start. The reports come after Syria's army on ...

50 civilians injured in J&K clash

Around 50 civilians were injured in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday as they clashed with security forces following the killing of 10 militants in the district, police said.

11 militants killed in J&K gunfights (Third Lead)

Eleven militants were killed in three separate gunfights in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said.

Eight militants killed in south Kashmir encounters

In a huge success for security forces, eight militants, including top 'commanders', were killed today, while one ultra surrendered in three separate encounters in south Kashmir, police said. While one militant was killed and another surrendered before forces in Anantnag district, seven ultras were killed in a gunbattle in Shopian district where another encounter is going on at a second place. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police (DGP) S P Vaid confirmed the killing of eight militants. One terrorist killed in Dialgam Anantnag after efforts of his family/ J&K Police failed to surrender, one caught alive. In Draggad Shopian 7 (seven) bodies of terrorists recovered including top commanders, he said in a Tweet. Vaid said the third encounter was on in Kachdoora area of Shopian where some civilians were trapped. Encounter also going on in Kachdoora Shopian, some civilian trapped efforts to rescue them on, the DGP said. A police official, while giving details of the operations, ...

Sri Lanka refloats WW2 shipwreck

A British passenger ship that sank after it was bombed in a Japanese air strike in the World War Two has been raised off the Sri Lanka coast after 75 years, the media reported.