Page 684 - War Conflict
Pakistani police foil terror bid in Punjab province
Pakistani law enforcement agencies on Friday foiled a major terror bid in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province and arrested six terrorists including a suicide bomber during an operation, officials said.
Bengal violence: Clash-hit Raniganj limps back to normalcy
Parts of Raniganj in West Bengal's Paschim Burdwan district that remained tense for most of this week following clashes over Ram Navami rallies limped back to normalcy on Friday even as large number of police and para-military forces continued to be deployed in the area to prevent any breach of peace.
Death toll on Gaza-Israel border rises to seven: ministry
At least seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces today, Gaza's health ministry said, as bloody clashes flared along the enclave's border. Mahmoud Rahmi, 33, became the seventh person killed when he was shot near the frontier in one of the bloodiest days of Israeli-Palestinian clashes in years, according to the ministry. His death came shortly after Jihad Farina, 33, and 16-year-old Ahmed Ouda were killed in similar circumstances, it said. Three other protesters were shot dead, while a farmer died when he was hit by a tank shell, the health ministry said. Tens of thousands of people took part in protests along the border with Israel that Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas had said would be peaceful. Smaller numbers approached the heavily guarded border in apparent attempts to breach the fence, as Israeli troops fired live ammunition after their leadership vowed to prevent any infiltrations. Israel's military said protestors were throwing stones and firebombs at soldiers while ...
Indian banks' credibility at all-time low, says Congress
With several fraud cases worth thousands of crores of rupees surfacing in Indian banks, the banking sector gone into a "deep crisis" with credibility at all time low due to failure of regulatory oversight, Congress said on Friday.
Gunmen kill six miners in northern Nigeria: police
Armed bandits killed six miners in northern Nigeria's Kaduna state, police said today, an area beset with ethnic and religious tensions with frequent clashes between farmers and herders. "Some unknown gunmen killed six people -- four men and two women -- at a mining site in Bakin-Kogi on Thursday," state police spokesman Mukhtar Aliyu told AFP. He said a female miner was also injured in the incident. "Military and police personnel have launched a manhunt for the attackers and we will not rest untill they are apprehended," he said. "We cannot say at this stage who was responsible for the attack, only investigation will determine who was behind it," he said. Aliyu declined to say if the attack was linked to the herder-farmer conflict, insisting it was "premature" to speak on the identity of the attackers. Bakin-Kogi is situated in the Jema'a district in the southern part of Kaduna state, a hotbed of ethnic and religious tensions. The area has witnessed frequent clashes between ...
Afghan official says bomb kills provincial council member
A suicide bomber killed a provincial council member in northeast Kunar province, while a day-long gun battle in neighbouring Badakhshan province left four civilians dead and another eight wounded, Afghan officials said today. Kunar provincial council member Shahwali Hemat was on his way to a local cemetery to attend a funeral Friday when a suicide bomber approached him and exploded his device, Kunar Police Chief spokesman Farid Dihqan told The Associated Press. A second person was also killed in the explosion and another one was wounded. No one immediately took responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban are active in Kunar province. Also hiding in Kunar province's towering mountains are members of Pakistan's militant Tehrik-e-Taliban, who fled a Pakistan military operation in the Swat Valley and found refuge in Kunar's rugged terrain. Among the Pakistani militants hiding in Afghanistan's Kunar province is Mullah Fazlullah, the Taliban leader who is believed to have masterminded ...
Army chief visits forward areas in Ladakh bordering China
Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat today visited forward areas bordering China in eastern Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. Gen Rawat arrived at Leh and visited forward posts in Eastern Ladakh, a defence spokesman said here. He said the army chief interacted with troops serving in sub-zero temperatures. "The Chief of Army Staff was briefed on the operational preparedness in Eastern Ladakh sector. He appreciated the efforts of troops deployed in harsh weather conditions," the spokesman said. He said Gen Rawat's visit has boosted the morale of soldiers deployed in difficult locations in Ladakh.
Death toll on Gaza-Israel border rises to six: ministry
At least six Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces today, Gaza's health ministry said, as bloody clashes flared along the enclave's border. Jihad Farina, 33, became the sixth person killed when he was shot east of Gaza City, the health ministry in the Gaza Strip said, shortly after 16-year-old Ahmed Ouda was pronounced dead in similar circumstances. Three other protesters were shot dead, while a farmer died when he was hit by a tank shell, the health ministry said, in the deadliest day in recent months. Tens of thousands of people took part in protests along the border with Israel that Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas had said would be peaceful. Smaller numbers approached the heavily guarded border in apparent attempts to breach the fence, as Israeli troops fired live ammunition. More than 200 people were hit by live fire during the clashes, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.
Death toll on Gaza-Israel border rises to five: ministry
A 16-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces today, the health ministry in the Gaza Strip said, as bloody clashes on the border with Israel escalated. Ahmed Ouda was shot in a clash north of Gaza City, the ministry said, as thousands of people took part in major protests all along the border. Three other protesters were shot dead, while a farmer died when he was hit by a tank shell, Palestinian officials said.
Tejashwi Yadav accuses RSS of inciting riots in Bihar
After communal violence has reportedly spread to eight cities in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday accused Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of inciting riots in the state."Mohan Bhagwat recently came to Bihar for 14 days. In these 14 days, he gave training on how to incite riots during Ram Navami. Now, people are getting to know about the agenda of his Bihar visit," Yadav saidAfter communal violence hit Bhagalpur district last weekend, the clashes have spread to other areas as well, with the latest being Nawada city.A clash erupted there today between two communities after an idol of Lord Hanuman was found to have been vandalised by miscreants.However, the situation came under control after security personnel were deployed in the city.
CRPF jawan injured in bomb blast in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur
A CRPF jawan was injured in the explosion of a pressure bomb, suspected to be planted by the Naxals, in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh today. Sunderraj P, Deputy Inspector General, South Bastar, told Bhasha/PTI on phone that Lakshman Rao (29), a jawan of the 85th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, was injured after stepping on a pressure bomb near Mahadev Ghat. He was part of a CRPF team which had set out for Bhopalpatnam from Bijapur for patrolling, the DIG said. Rao was shifted to Raipur for treatment, he said.
Post-Ram Navami violence, police gear up for Hanuman Jayanti
Following violence over Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal, the police are putting in place elaborate arrangements to avoid any untoward incident during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in the state tomorrow. Apart from a ban on armed rallies, additional forces will be deployed in each district and police personnel will be placed outside every religious place. "Elaborate arrangements have been made. Police will be deployed in every corner of the state, we will keep a tab on any suspicious movement. No one will be allowed to take out armed rallies," a senior police officer said here. Besides the deployment of additional forces, mobile police teams would patrol the sensitive areas round-the-clock and special monitoring would be done at the Bangladesh border and the inter-state borders, another police official said. "We have reports that those involved in Sunday's violence (in the Asansol and Raniganj areas of West Burdwan district) were outsiders," the official said. Chief Minister ...
Russia says deal reached on armed groups leaving E Ghouta town
Russia's defence ministry said today an agreement had been reached on armed rebel groups leaving the main town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta. "Today an agreement has been reached with the leaders of illegal armed formations of fighters and their family members to leave the town of Douma shortly," a senior defence ministry official, Sergei Rudskoi, said at a briefing, quoted on the defence ministry website. Syrian regime ally Russia has played a crucial role in helping the government gain the upper hand against rebels being evacuated from Eastern Ghouta. Moscow's military personnel have also directly overseen evacuations of rebels and civilians from encircled opposition zones in the enclave. Rudskoi said that so far "28,495 peaceful civilians have left via a humanitarian corridor opened in the area of the Al-Wafideen settlement." Syrian troops and their allies launched their all-out assault on Eastern Ghouta on February 18, seeking to oust the armed opposition from its strategic perch on .
Five Bangladeshi nationals arrested for armed robbery in Thane
Five persons were arrested for an armed robbery in a house in Kashimira locality in Bhayander here in which cash and jewellery amounting to Rs 9.98 lakh was looted, police said today. Police said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the five persons are Bangladeshi nationals, with three of them arriving in the country a few days ago by air and the other two by train. In the early hours of March 22, a group of armed robbers cut the grills of a house near Chena creek here and, after tying up the residents, looted Rs 9.98 lakh in cash and valuables from them, said police. Following the incident, special police teams were formed and they had fanned out in different areas of the district to apprehend the criminals, police informed. "Acting on a tip-off, a team led by senior inspector Venkat Andale and assistant inspector Pramod Badak of the Crime Branch yesterday kept vigil at a bridge between Vasai and Versova here and stopped a Chevrolet car. The tip-off was .
US airstrike kills 6 IS terrorists in Afghanistan
As many as six Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in a US drone strike in Kunar province in northeastern Afghanistan, local officials said on Friday.The officials said that the latest airstrike was carried out in Chapa Dara district in the province.The spokesperson of Kunar provincial governor Faridullah Dehqan, was quoted by the Khaama Press as saying that two top IS commanders were among those killed in the airstrike.He said that the airstrike was necessitated to clear out the terror hideouts of the dreaded militant group in Kunar province.The IS group has not commented on the incident so far.This comes as at least five militants affiliated with the terror group were killed in a similar airstrike conducted in the same district last week.The US forces, along with the Afghan forces frequently carries out airstrikes on IS targets in Kunar province and elsewhere in Afghanistan, in a bid to eliminate the presence of the militant group in the country.Furthermore, three IS militants .
Communal tension grips Bihar town
Communal tension gripped Bihar's Nawada town on Friday after a religious idol was found damaged, police said.
Afghan official: 4 civilians killed amid battle with Taliban
An Afghan official says four civilians have been killed and another eight wounded during a gun-battle between Afghan security forces and the Taliban in northeastern Badakhshan province. Asadullah Mujadedi, a district police chief there, says the battle broke out after security forces launched a clean-up operation in Badakhshan's Jurm district. Mujahdedi says the Taliban, armed with mortars and machine gun rifles, fired from within the houses in a blistering battle that lasted throughout the day yesterday. A statement from the Taliban today claimed significantly more civilians were killed in the firefight and blamed the government for their deaths.
Palestinian killed before mass Gaza protest
A Palestinian farmer was killed and another was injured on Friday by Israeli artillery fire on eastern Gaza Strip, officials said, hours before a major protest by Palestinians along the border.
Russia says 'terrorists nearly wiped out' of Syria's Eastern Ghouta
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Syrian forces had "nearly wiped out the terrorists" in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta. Backed by the Russian military since 2015, the Syrian regime in February launched a massive offensive against rebels in the Damascus suburb, killing more that 1,600 civilians. "As a result of this anti-terrorism operation in Eastern Ghouta, terrorist elements have nearly been wiped out of this suburb of the Syrian capital," Lavrov yesterday said at press conference in Moscow after meeting UN Syrian envoy Staffan de Mistura. "Civilian life is going to be re-established there," Lavrov said, adding that "the majority of the rebels have been evacuated". Syrian troops have recaptured more than 90 per cent of Ghouta, and are draining the last opposition pockets with negotiated pull-outs mediated by Russia. Moscow has secured two such deals already and has been pressing Jaish al-Islam, the rebel faction in control of the third and final part of the ...
Israel shelling kills Palestinian ahead of Gaza protests
- Israeli shelling killed a Palestinian farmer in Gaza early today, the enclave's health ministry said, just hours before the launch of mass protests along the border. A second Palestinian was wounded by the tank fire near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, a ministry spokesman said. The ministry identified the dead man as Omar Samour, 27. Witnesses said he was working his land near the border when the shells hit. An Israeli army spokesman said: "Two suspects approached the security fence along the southern Gaza Strip and began operating suspiciously. "In response an (Israeli) tank fired towards them," he said, adding that the army was aware of reports of a death. The shelling came just hours before the opening of large protest camps near the border, which have prompted the Israeli army to deploy reinforcements, including more than 100 special forces snipers, for fear of mass attempts to break through the security fence. Hundreds of people, including women and children, are ...