Page 685 - War Conflict
Shopian shoot-out: Injured militant in hospital
A Hizbul Mujahideen militant, who was involved in a shoot-out with the Army in Shopian district, has surfaced in SKIMS Hospital here in an injured condition, police said. "Asif Ashraf Malik, an active militant of outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen outfit has been admitted with a bullet injury at SKIMS hospital here," a police spokesman said. He said preliminary investigation suggests that he was injured at Ahgam in Shopian district last night when militants, travelling in car, opened fire on an Army patrol. Malik, a resident of Krawoora in Shopian, has been active as a militant since October last year. Militants last night opened fire on an Army patrol at Ahgam in Shopian last night, drawing retaliatory fire from security forces. The car in which the militants were travelling at the time of the incident had veered off the road and hit a tree. Security forces had launched a search operation in the area but the militants managed to escape and Malik managed to travel a distance of more than 50 .
UNSC sanctions on terror outfit once located in Af-Pak border area
The UN Security Council has imposed sanctions on a terrorist outfit associated with the Al-Nusrah Front and previously located in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area, imposing an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban on it. The Council's ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee yesterday added Khatiba Imam Al-Bukhari to its sanctions list of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. Also known as Khataib al-Imam al-Bukhari, the group was previously located in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area and as of this month was known to be located in Syria, with its "operation zone" in Idlib, Aleppo and Khama, according to a Committee press release. Al-Bukhari has been associated with the Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant and "committed terrorist attacks in the Syrian Arab Republic", the release said. Since 2016, the outfit had been redeployed to Northern Afghanistan to project attacks against Central Asia countries, it said.
8 killed in suicide attack in eastern Libya: security officer
At least eight people, including civilians, were killed today in a suicide car bomb attack against a security barricade in the east of Libya, according to security and hospital sources. A suicide attacker exploded his vehicle at a barricade manned by forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar near the city of Ajdabiya, some 840 kilometres from Tripoli, general Fawzi al-Mansouri, a top officer in the local security forces, told AFP.
Efforts on to secure peace in Munger: DM
The Bihar government is working to ensure peace and rule of law in Munger after clashes occurred between two communities in the city, District Magistrate Uday Kumar Singh said on Thursday.Security personnel also conducted a flag march in the city after the incident.Singh said, "We are working to ensure peace and rule of law in the city. The situation is completely normal and will remain so."The clashes, erupted in Bhagalpur on March 17, have reportedly spread to seven more districts in the state.
Al-Qaida attack on Yemeni checkpoint kills 9 troops
A Yemeni official says a suspected al-Qaida attack on a checkpoint in the southeast has killed nine soldiers and wounded four others. Hisham al-Jabri, a military spokesman, said yesterday's attack in the Hadramawt province targeted an elite unit set up by the United Arab Emirates, which is part of a Saudi-led coalition battling the country's Houthi rebels. He says five attackers were killed. The Saudi-led coalition has been at war with the Iran-allied rebels for more than three years in a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people and devastated the Arab world's poorest country. Al-Qaida and a local Islamic State affiliate have exploited the chaos to expand their reach.
Pak opens fire along LoC in Rajouri, Poonch, jawan injured
An Army jawan was injured when Pakistani troops tonight launched shells and fired along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts, an official said today. Indian troops retaliated strongly and effectively, they said. The Pakistan Army also fired at Indian positions on the LoC in Kerni area of Poonch district tonight, the police said. The exchange continued intermittently when reports last came from the areas, they said.
J&K: Cop killed, civillian injured in separate terror attacks
A police officer lost his life and one civilian sustained injuries in three separate attacks in Shopian, Anantnag and Kulgam districts in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.Earlier in the day, terrorists opened fire at a patrolling party of Indian Army's 44 Rashtriya Rifles in Shopian district's Ahgam village. As of now no casualties have been reported.In a separate incident, Special Police Officer Mushtaq Ahmed Sheikh was injured after terrorists fired at his house in Anantnag district's Bijbehara town. He succumbed to his injuries soon after being taken to the hospital.Another incident took place in Kulgam district, where a teacher suffered bullet injuries in one of his legs in a terrorist attack. He is currently admitted to a hospital for further treatment.
Anti-terror operation in Rajouri called off, day after 4 terrorists killed
Police tonight called off its anti-terror operation in Rajouri hills in Jammu and Kashmir, where four terrorists were killed in an operation yesterday. "Police tonight called off its area sanitisation operation at the site of yesterday's encounter in Sunderbani. A huge cache of arms and ammunition belonging to the militants were recovered from the area," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Rajouri district Yougal Manhas told PTI. The bodies of the militants were also buried today after legal formalities, the officer said. The four terrorists, who were part of a suicide squad, were killed in a day-long encounter with security forces in the Sunderbani area yesterday. The fidayeen, or suicide attackers, had infiltrated into the Indian territory from across the Line of Control (LoC) about four-five days ago, prompting security forces to launch a search operation in the area. Authorities had ordered the closure of educational institutions in the Sunderbani tehsil in view of the search
Russian spy daughter's health rapidly improves
Yulia Skripal, hit in a nerve agent attack that has chilled relations between Russia and the West, came out of critical care today following a swift improvement in her health. The 33-year-old daughter of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal is "improving rapidly and is no longer in a critical condition. Her condition is now stable", said the hospital treating the pair since the March 4 attack. Sergei Skripal, 66, remains in a critical but stable condition, Salisbury District Hospital's board said. The attack on the Skripals in the southwestern English city has been met with a major response that has seen more than 150 Russian diplomats expelled from countries around the world. British authorities have blamed Moscow, which denies any involvement, and said a Soviet-designed nerve agent dubbed Novichok was used in the poisoning -- the first use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II. "I'm pleased to be able to report an improvement in the condition of Yulia Skripal," said
Guterres 'very concerned' about return of Cold War conditions
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that he is "very concerned" about the world returning to a Cold War situation and suggested reviving mechanisms that existed then to prevent escalation of tensions.
2 PLFI members killed in encounter
Two members of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) were killed in an encounter, while a villager was shot dead by CPI(Maoist) in separate incidents in Jharkhand, police said today. Two PLFI activists were killed in an encounter with the police in Regre Bagichatoli under Karra police station of Khunti district today. Acting on a tip-off that some members of the PLFI have assembled in the village, a joint team of Ranchi and Khunti district police rushed to the spot, Khunti Superintendent of Police Ashwini Kumar Sinha said. Activists of the PLFI, a Maoist outfit, fired on the approaching police team and the policemen retaliated, he said adding that two ultras have been killed in the gun battle and others fled. A search operation has been launched following the encounter to track down the extremists. Police recovered two fire-arms and a motorcycle from the spot. Meanwhile, a villager was shot dead by CPI(Maoist) which has given a Jharkhand bandh today in protest ...
Police fire in air near Vadodara after mob turns violent
Police had to fire in air to disperse a violent mob during a raid at an illegal liquor-making unit at Ganpatpura village near here late this evening, a senior official said. The village is 15 km from here. A mob of around 300 people gathered and started pelting stones at a police team which was conducting raid at a hooch manufacturing unit at the village, said Superintendent of Police Saurabh Tolumbia. Two constables were injured in the stone-pelting and the police fired four rounds in air in self-defence, he said. The situation was now under control and senior police officers have reached the spot, he added.
Militants shot dead special police officer in J-K
Militants tonight shot dead a special police officer (SPO) and injured his wife in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said. "Militants fired upon SPO Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh inside his residence at Katsoo in Bijbehara area of Anantnag district," the police official said. While the SPO was killed in the spot, his wife, Fareeda, suffered injuries in the firing by the militants, the official said. He said the woman has been rushed to a hospital for treatment. In a separate incident, the ultras fired upon a man at Chancer in Kulgam district, the official said. Sayar Wani was hit by a bullet in the leg, he said, adding the injured was admitted to a local hospital for treatment.
SPO shot dead in J&K
A Special Police Officer was shot dead by militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Thursday, police said.
Militants open fire on Army patrol in J-K
Militants opened fire on an Army patrol in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting security forces to launch a cordon-and-search operation tonight. The ultras fired upon a patrolling party of the Army at Ahgam in Shopian district this evening, a police official said. He said the soldiers retaliated, triggering a brief exchange of fire. The security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the militants, he added.
59 Naxals surrender in Sukma district
Fifty-nine Naxals, including 16 women, surrendered in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh today, a senior police official said. Sukma district superintendent of police Abhishek Meena said that 59 rebels including 16 women cadres laid down the arms before police at Errarbor village. Arrest warrants were pending against nine of them, he said. All of them were residents of villages under the Errabor police station limits, Meena said.
Bhagalpur clash: Union Minister's son seeks quashing of FIR
Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat on Thursday moved the Patna High Court, seeking quashing of the FIR filed against him in connection with communal clashes in Bihar's Bhagalpur district.A case against Shashwat was registered on March 19. He filed an anticipatory bail petition two days after a Bhagalpur court issued a warrant of arrest against him in connection with the communal clashes in Nathnagar on March 17.On March 17, violence broke out during a procession led by Shashwat in Nathnagar that the Bharatiya Navvarsh Jagran Samiti organised to mark the Hindu New Year.Choubey and other local BJP leaders later claimed that the district administration had allowed the rally and had also denied that provocative slogans were shouted.Choubey was elected from the Buxar Lok Sabha seat in 2014. His son Shashwat had contested the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections from Bhagalpur.
Asansol violence: Babul Supriyo booked for assaulting officer
An FIR has been filed against Union Minister Babul Supriyo for allegedly violating Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and assaulting an IPS officer after he was prevented from visiting the violence-hit areas in Asansol, where the situation continued to remain tense over a Ram Navami procession.The minister, who was booked in North Asansol police station, was heading to the city to take stock of the situation when he was barred from entering the area by the security forces.Earlier in the day, Supriyo said that the state administration, including the police and the district magistrate, was acting like the Trinamool Congress cadres and was doing nothing to take stock of the current situation.Supriyo, who also met state Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi during his visit, said that he has informed the Centre that several attempts by the Governor to convince the state to allow paramilitary force in Asansol have failed.The Ram Navami celebrations on March 25 had turned sour after .
Landmines to be cleared from Jesus's baptism site
Thousands of landmines at the site where many believe Jesus was baptised are to be removed during the next year, allowing eight churches to reclaim land sealed off since the 1970s. The project, carried out by the international de-mining charity the Halo Trust along with the Israeli defence ministry, would cost around USD 3 million and reopen thousands of square metres of territory, officials said. The site is only a few hundred metres from where, according to biblical tradition, Jesus was baptised by his cousin John and where thousands of pilgrims come every year to submerge themselves in the water. The majority of the mines were laid by Israeli forces after the Jewish state seized control of the West Bank in 1967 from Jordanian troops. Other unexploded ordinance from both Israel and Jordan remains lodged in the ground, including around the churches -- which were evacuated by Israel in the 1970s. "We are looking to clear one million square metres and we estimate that in the ground we .
Girls school in Haryana renamed after Army officer killed in J-K
A school in Haryana's Rewari was today renamed after an Army officer who was killed while fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir. Haryana state education department took the initiative of renaming the government senior secondary girls school, Kosli, in Rewari district as 'Shaheed Major Vikas Yadav Senior Secondary School'. The renaming was to pay respect to Major Vikas Yadav of 7 Jat who had laid down his life fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir, an Army spokesperson said.. The renaming coincides with his birth anniversary. The event also saw unveiling of statue of the valiant officer by Lt Gen SK Saini, Colonel of the Jat Regiment. To mark the occasion, a large number of veterans including course mates of the brave officer were also present at the occasion.