Page 695 - War Conflict
Syrian Army takes town in Eastern Ghouta
The Syrian Army on Saturday announced it had taken full control of Harasta town in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus, following the surrender of Islamist fighters.
Lanka Navy receives second India-built patrol vessel
India has handed over a second advanced offshore patrol vessel (AOPV) constructed at the Goa Shipyard to the Sri Lankan Navy. The vessel was officially handed over to the Sri Lankan Navy Chief Rear Admiral Neil Rosayro on Thursday in the presence of the Sri Lankan high commissioner to India, and the chairman and managing director of Goa Shipyard. The construction work of this AOPV commenced in 2014 and the state-of-the-art vessel is capable of conducting patrols, policing, reconnaissance, surveillance, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and pollution control missions in Sri Lanka's maritime zones. The navy said the delivery came much ahead of schedule.
French supermarket attacker's friend held, toll now 4
Police in France arrested a second person for Friday's attacks by a gunman, which led to the death of four people.
Maoist gunned down in Odisha's Malkangiri district
The Odisha Police today said an armed Maoist was gunned down during an encounter in Malkangiri district. "One armed Maoist was killed during an encounter with security personnel at Tulasi Pahar hills close to the Chhattishgarh border," Malkangiri SP Jagmohan Meena told reporters, after the body reached the district headquarters town here. The encounter took place when the personnel of the District Voluntary Force (DVF) were on a combing operation at Tulasi Pahar area under Mathili police station jurisdiction, considered to be a Maoist den in Malkangiri district. The exchange of fire continued for about an hour where the body of the Maoist was recovered, Meena said. The rebel has been identified as Vddam alias Urra, Meena said adding that police suspect more casulty as many ulltras had fled the encounter site. The police has launched a search operation in the area, Meena said.
Rajnath hails CRPF's contribution in meeting security challenges
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday hailed the CRPF for its contribution in facing various security challenges posed by terrorism, leftwing extremist violence and insurgents in the Northeast, saying the force played a prominent role in ensuring security for the country's development.
Car bomb kills 2 in Egypt's Alexandria
A car bomb killed two people and injured several others in the centre of the Egyptian port city of Alexandria on Saturday, officials said.
4 policemen injured in IED blast carried out by Naxals in C'garh
Four District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast, suspected to be carried out by the Naxals, in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district today, police said. The blast was triggered in a forest near Sirsetti village, under the Fulbagdi police station limits, when the security personnel were out on an anti-Naxal operation, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Sundarraj P told PTI. DRGs are part of the state police force. "Four jawans of the DRG were injured in the blast," the DIG said. Reinforcement was rushed to the area and efforts were on to evacuate the injured personnel, he added. On March 13, nine CRPF personnel were killed between Kistaram and Palodi villagesin the insurgency-affected Sukma district after a blast carried out by the Naxals targeted their mine-protected vehicle (MPV).
Over 105,000 civilians have fled Syria's Ghouta: state media
More than 105,000 civilians have escaped the shrinking rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Syria's capital that has been under regime attack for the past month, state news agency SANA said today. SANA, citing a military source, said that "more than 105,000 civilians... exited Eastern Ghouta so far" but did not give additional details. State television gave the same figure for those leaving Eastern Ghouta, whose population has been estimated at 400,000, and said they had exited through "humanitarian corridors" opened by Syrian troops.
Protesters clash with police in J&K's Nowshera, DM among injured
Protests in Nowshera town of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, demanding district status for the area, turned violent on Saturday, as agitators clashed with security forces, leaving at least 14 persons, including the District Magistrate, injured, police said.
Afghanistan: 48 terrorists killed in military operation
At least 48 terrorists including 14 Islamic State militants were killed in multiple military operations conducted by the Afghan air forces in Afghan province on Saturday.Further three were injured and 13 others arrested in the military operations conducted in Nangarhar, Kunar, Paktia, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Zabul, Farah, Badghis, Faryab and Helmand provinces of Afghanistan, as per the Tolo News.Afghan National Defense and Security Forces conducted 10 clearance operations and 12 special operations in nine provinces during the past 24 hours, Tolo News quoted a statement by the Ministry of Defence.The Ministry further said that three strongholds of the militants were eliminated in the military operations.According to the Ministry, the Afghan Air Force conducted 66 flights to support army soldiers and targeted 14 strongholds of terrorists.
Egypt Interior Ministry says explosion in Alexandria kills 1
Egypt's Interior Ministry says an explosion in the coastal city of Alexandria has killed at least one policeman and wounded four others. Today's explosion comes just days ahead of Egypt's presidential election, in which President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is virtually certain to be re-elected. It also comes during a wide-scale security campaign targeting Islamic militants in the restive north Sinai Peninsula and other areas. The Interior Ministry says the explosion occurred in the district of Roshdi as the head of the Alexandria Security Directorate was passing by. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion. Egypt has been under a state of emergency since April 2017, when suicide bombings struck two Coptic Christian churches on Palm Sunday in an attack claimed by the local affiliate of the Islamic State group.
2 Pak militants killed in encounter in J-K
Two Pakistani militants, belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit, were killed in an encounter with security forces today in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, police said. Acting on specific information about the presence of militants in Shistragam village in Dooru area of Anantnag, security forces launched a search and cordon operation in the area late last night, a police official said. The search operation turned into an encounter as the hiding militants fired upon the security forces, the official said. He said while the operation was halted for the night, the forces maintained a tight cordon to prevent the militants from escaping. The gunfight resumed this morning and two militants were killed, the official said, adding the seizures made from the spot and other incriminating materials collected so far have confirmed that the killed militants were a part of outlawed JeM outfit. Preliminary investigation suggests that both the killed terrorists (in an encounter in Dooru area of .
4 JDS rebels resign from party, set to join Cong
Ahead of assembly polls, the JD(S) today suffered a setback when four of its rebel MLAs resigned from the Karnataka Assembly, a day after cross voting in favour of Congress' Rajya Sabha candidates. B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, R Akhanda Srinivasamurthy, N Chaluvaraya Swamy and Bheema Naik submitted their resignations to Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad at his residence here. The MLAs are likely to join Congress in a day or two, said sources close to them. The four MLAs were among the seven who rebelledagainst their party and been vocal against the party leadership, especially H D Kumaraswamy, JDS state unit chief and son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. Koliwad told reporters he had accepted the resignations because they were in order. "Today Chaluvaraya Swamy,B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, RAkhanda Srinivasamurthy and Bheema Naik have resigned from the legislative assembly. When I asked them personally, they said they resigned on their own without political pressure or any duress. I have ...
Afghanistan: Death toll in Helmand blast rises to 15
The death toll in an explosion in Afghanistan's Helmand Province has risen to 15 on Saturday.According to Tolo News, officials confirmed the death toll and said children were among those killed and wounded in the blast.Helmand governor's spokesman Omar Zwak said the explosion took place outside Helmand stadium in Lashkargah City of the province on Friday when people were leaving the stadium after watching a wrestling match.Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has condemned the attack and said in a statement that "The enemies of Afghanistan cannot prevent the celebration of traditional, religious and cultural events in the country".United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirming the incident on Twitter said, "verifying disturbing reports of attack outside a sports stadium in Helmand.""Attacks directed at civilians are clear violations of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes," UNAMA tweeted.Till now, no terrorist organisation has taken responsibility .
Naxalism on its last leg in the country: Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the "serious" challenge of Naxalism in the country has entered its "last leg" and Maoists are now resorting to coward ambushes against security forces as they are unable to undertake a direct fight. Addressing troops of the country's lead anti-Naxal operations force CRPF on the occasion of their 79th Raising Day, the home minister said due to operational efforts of these forces incidents of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) have "drastically" come down in the recent past and the casualty rate of extremists has gone up. The demoralised Naxal cadres are now not able to undertake a fight head on with security forces and hence with their limited capabilities are now resorting to coward ambushes and attacks, he said while addressing the men and officers of the force. The minister, during his speech, paid tributes to the 9 men of the force who were killed in a Naxal ambush in Chhattisgarh's Sukma early this month after a deadly explosive was ...
Massive search operation in J&K border villages
The security forces on Saturday launched a massive search operation in the border villages of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, police said.
Role of Indian women peacekeepers in Liberia lauded as UN mission completes mandate
As the UN mission in Liberia successfully completes its mandate, the role of an all-female contingent of peacekeepers from India deployed with it is being highlighted for inspiring women in the West African nation to become police officers. The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was established by the Security Council in 2003 and will officially close at the end of this month, successfully completing its mandate after almost 15 years of supporting the West African nation in the transition to peace and democracy. At a ceremony in Monrovia on March 22 attended by President George Weah, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed lauded the accomplishments of the United Nations mission. During UNMIL's nearly 15-year mandate, dozens of countries from around the world deployed troops and police, with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Sweden, Ireland and the US making "significant contributions" to peacekeeping in the country, a statement by UNMIL .
French hero officer who swapped himself for hostage dies
A French police officer who offered himself up to an extremist gunman in exchange for a hostage has died of his injuries, the interior minister said today. Col Arnaud Beltrame was among the first officers to respond to the attack on the supermarket in the south of France yesterday. His death, announced by French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, raises the toll to four. The gunman was also killed, and 15 people were injured in the attack. The gunman first hijacked a car and opened fire on police, then took hostages inside a supermarket. Baltrame volunteered to take the place of a female hostage and surreptitiously left on his cellphone so police outside could hear what was happening inside the store. Officials said the decision was made to storm the building when they heard shots fired. French President Emmanuel Macron said investigators will focus on establishing how the gunman, identified by prosecutors as Moroccan-born Redouane Lakdim, got his weapon and how he became ...
French supermarket attack: Police 'hero' dies of wounds
A French police officer who swapped himself for a hostage in a supermarket siege in Trebes has died, a minister said on Saturday.
Clashes between protesters, police in Catalonia
Protesters in Catalonia region clashed with the police after Spain's Supreme Court ruled that 25 separatist leaders should be tried for rebellion, embezzlement or disobeying the state, the media reported on Saturday.