Page 698 - War Conflict
14 killed in Mogadishu blast
At least 14 were killed in a blast at Somali's capital Mogadishu on Thursday.A government spokesperson confirmed the news, as reported by media sources.Further details are awaited.Earlier on March 2, three were killed in a suicide attack on the outskirts of Mogadishu, following twin suicide car bomb blasts that took place on the same day, killing 45 people.
Pak security forces foil suicide attack in Quetta
Pakistan's security forces today foiled a suicide attack and killed the would-be bomber in the restive south-western province of Balochistan, officials said. An official of the Balochistan government said that a Frontier Corps vehicle was passing near a checkpoint in Kuch Mor area of Quetta, the provincial capital, when the attacker first opened fire on them and then tried to detonate himself. "But before he could detonate and cause casualties and damage, the alert security forces managed to gun him down," the official said. He said the security forces had found a suicide vest with explosives on the body of the attacker. Another official said that the experts of bomb disposal squad removed the suicide vest from the body of slain militant. Nobody took responsibility of the botched attack but the Taliban militants are active in the province and often carry out such attacks.
At least 14 dead, several hurt in car bomb in Somali capital
At least 14 people were killed and 10 others wounded in a car bomb blast near a hotel in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, Somali officials said today. Capt Mohamed Hussein said the explosion occurred near the Weheliye hotel on the busy Makka Almukarramah road. The road has been a target of attacks in the past by the Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab, the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa. Most of the casualties were passers-by and traders, Hussein told The Associated Press. The toll of dead and wounded was announced by security ministry spokesman Abdulaziz Hildhiban. Al-Shabab frequently attacks Mogadishu's high-profile areas such as hotels and military checkpoints. A truck bombing in October killed 512 people in the country's deadliest-ever attack. Only a few attacks since 9/11 have killed more people. Al-Shabab was blamed. Today's blast comes almost exactly a month after two car bomb blasts in Mogadishu shattered a months-long period of calm in the city, killing at ...
Jumbo found dead in hotel's septic tank
The carcass of a five-year-old elephant was today found in the septic tank of a private hotel, about 80 km from Udhagamandalam in nearby Nilgiris district. The jumbo's leg was found stuck in the tank, police said. Officials suspect that the pachyderm might have tried to come out, but failed as its hind legs were caught in the tank and died.
13 killed in Duterte's drug war in Philippines
Thirteen alleged drug traffickers were shot dead by the police in 24 hours in Philippines' Bulacan province as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.
Maoist with Rs 25 lakh bounty arrested
A Maoist commander carrying a Rs 25 lakh reward was arrested along with his wife in Jharkhand on Thursday while they were undergoing medical procedure to have a child, police said.
Unsure whether Lanka will be able to deliver justice: UNHRC
The UN Human Rights Council has expressed doubt that whether Sri Lanka would be able to fully implement the United Nation's prescribed transitional justice agenda before March 2019. The UNHRC Deputy High Commissioner Kate Gilmore yesterday presented an update on progress in promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka (A/HRC/37/23) between March, 2017 and January, 2018 at the 37th session of the UNHRC in Geneva. Sri Lanka was last year granted 18 months by a UNHRC resolution in October 2015 to initiate a credible investigation into the nearly three-decades long civil war with the LTTE. Gilmore said that it was much regrettable that progress in establishing transitional justice mechanisms were slow. "In the absence of concrete results or publicly available drafts of legislation, it seems doubtful that the transitional justice agenda committed to by the (Sri Lankan) government under this Council's resolution could be fully implemented before our next report in .
Israel police detain 14-year-old for hurling flammable device
Israel police on Thursday detained a 14-year-old Palestinian child accused of attempting to hurl a flammable incendiary device Molotov cocktail in East Jerusalem."At night, a boy attempted to throw a Molotov cocktail in East Jerusalem. During the attempt, the Molotov cocktail went off in his hand, causing his injury" Israel police was quoted as saying by Anadolu Agency.Further, the police said that Israel forces detained the boy from East Jerusalem's Al-Makassed hospital and later took him to another hospital for his treatment.Around 6,400 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli prisons, including dozens of women and scores of children, as per the Palestinian forces.About 450 of these are being held under what Israel calls "administrative detention" where they face neither trial nor charge.
Youth goes missing in Reasi forests, recovered in injured condition
A youth went missing in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasidistrict and was recovered in an injured condition a day later, police said today. One youth, Vikram Singh, went missing from his home in Reasi and a complaint was made to police on Monday, officials said. The youth was recovered in an injured condition and was shifted to a hospital in Jammu for specialized treatment, they said. Further details are awaited, the police officials said.
BrahMos air version test fired with indigenous seeker
India on Thursday successfully test fired a BrahMos missile from a fighter aircraft using an indigenous seeker for the first time.
Airstrikes kill 27 militants in Afghanistan
At least 27 militants have been killed and ten others wounded in the airstrikes carried out by the Afghan Air Force in northern Faryab province of Afghanistan.Tolo News quoted the 209th Shaheen Corps of the Afghan Military as saying that the airstrikes were conducted in the vicinities of Pashtun Kot and Andkhoi districts.The Shaheen Corps further said that several weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also destroyed in the airstrikes.No insurgent group has commented on the incident so far.This comes as the Afghan armed forces are busy conducting counter-terrorism operations in certain northern provinces as the militant and terrorist groups are attempting to expand their insurgency activities in the north.Earlier this week, at least 13 militants belonging to the Taliban insurgent group were killed in an airstrike carried out by the United States in Southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan.
12 held after inter-community clashes
Nearly a dozen people have been arrested following a clash between two community members of a village near here, the police said today. The clashes took place in the Bandish police station area near here yesterday. Bandish police station in-charge Satyendra Rai said the inter-community fight took place yesterday evening at Deuli village after a youngster of one community was beaten up by the members of another community. After the victim narrated about the assault on him to his community members, some of them picked up a fight with the assailants and had a pitched battle with them. The police, however, rushed to the spot after coming to know of the incident and dispersed the crowd, the official said adding that 36 persons were subsequently booked for committing various penal offences. Out of the 36, twelve men involved in clashes were arrested, Rai said, adding, the police is looking for the others as well. The situation is under control, he said.
Educational concession to children of armed forces personnel to continue without cap
Ministry of Defence on Thursday issued an order that educational concession will continue without the cap of Rs. 10,000 per month for the children of armed forces officers, Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBORs) who are missing, disabled or killed in action.This move comes as a major relief to the families of soldiers after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today took to Twitter by coming out in support of armed forces officers.Sitharaman posted a statement stating that, "The educational concession will be admissible only for undertaking studies in government/government-aided schools/educational institutes/military /Sainik schools and other schools or colleges recognised by the central or state governments, including autonomous organisations financed entirely by the central/state governments". (sic)According to media reports, the concession will also include clothes, books and other supplies apart from the tuition fees.In February, the defence ministry had requested the finance ...
UNICEF asks Nigerian authorities to ensure schools' safety
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday said that the Nigerian authorities have a duty to ensure the safety of school children especially girls who have been targeted in Boko Haram multiple abductions in the country.This comes a day after the terrorist organisation Boko Haram freed most of the 110 schoolgirls kidnapped last month in Nigeria.Anadolu Agency quoted UNICEF spokesperson Eva Hinds as saying in a statement that "We are pleased to see that the girls are back in the safe environment of their families."Hinds further said that the agency would work with local NGOs to offer medical treatments and psychosocial support for the girls and their families."UNICEF reiterates that schools should be safe spaces, and protected at all times. Since the start of the insurgency in 2009, over 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 displaced, and almost 1,400 schools destroyed," it said.Last month, more than 100 girls went missing after Boko Haram militants attacked their ...
Two powerful IEDs planted by naxals recovered in Sukma
Security forces have recovered two powerful improvised explosive devices (IEDs), allegedly planted by naxals, from Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district, police said. The IEDs were recovered by the personnel of CRPF's 212th battalion during a search-cum-area domination operation yesterday, a senior police official told PTI. The development comes at a time when security forces are on high alert following the deadly attack on CRPF personnel last week. "The IEDs, weighing 8 kg and 7 kg, were found planted beneath the dirt track near Kansaram nullah, few meters away from the place where the naxals had killed nine personnel after triggering an IED blast in their mine-protected vehicle (MPV) on March 13 between Kistaram and Palodi village," The bomb disposal squad immediately destroyed the explosives, he added. "The Maoists plant the IEDs to target the security forces during their operations on the under-construction route that passes through dense forests," the officer
Kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls freed
Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the terrorist organisation Boko Haram has freed most of the 110 schoolgirls kidnapped last month in Nigeria.The CNN quoted Mohammed as saying in a statement that according to an ongoing headcount,104 of the girls abducted by militants from their boarding school on February 19 were "dropped off" on Wednesday in Dapchi in northeast Nigeria.One boy was also among those schoolgirls who returned early Wednesday, the minister said."He was also picked from the school," he said of the boy. "I don't know what he was doing there."The minister further said the schoolgirls were later flown to the capital, Abuja, where they are expected to meet the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari."The only thing they asked for was that they should be the ones to drop them off. They didn't want to hand them over to any third party. Nothing was given in exchange for them," Mohammed said."The government had a clear understanding that .
Rebels expected to evacuate Syria's Eastern Ghouta
Buses waited outside a bombed-out town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta today after a deal was announced to evacuate rebels and civilians following weeks of regime bombardment. The deal, announced on Wednesday and brokered by regime ally Russia, could mark a major step forward in government efforts to secure the nearby capital Damascus. The evacuations from Harasta had been scheduled to start at 0500 GMT, but an AFP correspondent at a government checkpoint on the edge of the town said they were running late. A spokesman for hardline Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham, which controls the town, said they would go ahead nonetheless. A member of a committee involved in the negotiations said 1,600 fighters and thousands of members of their families were expected to leave. Eastern Ghouta has faced a blistering assault by the army and allied militia since February 18 that has taken back most of the enclave and sliced what remains into three pockets held by different rebel groups. The evacuation ...
Anna Hazare gets permission for protests
Delhi Police on Thursday gave permission to social activist Anna Hazare to start a protest campaign at Ramlila Maidan here from Friday, police said.
Austin bomber made video confession before blowing himself up: police
The serial bomber who terrorised the US state of Texas for weeks left a 25-minute video confession on his mobile phone, which the police said portrayed a "very challenged" young man talking about problems in his personal life that led him to launch the attacks. The video made by 23-year-old Mark Anthony Conditt, whose string of package bombs killed two people and wounded five in Texas, was found on his cell phone when police recovered his body yesterday, interim police chief Brian Manley said. Conditt did not make any terror- or hate-related references in the confession for the bombings that started on March 2, Manley said. Conditt died after setting off an explosion in his car as officers closed in on him, he made the 25-minute video, found on his phone, in which he describes the differences between the explosive devices in detail, Manley said. Manley said there appeared to be no specific reasons why Conditt targeted the people who were killed or injured in the attacks that ...
Terrorists killed in Kupwara encounter were of foreign origin: Police
Kashmir Inspector General of Police (IGP) SP Pani on Thursday said that five terrorists, who were killed in the encounter with the security forces in Kupwara yesterday, were of foreign origin.The IGP further said the operation was at the controlling stage while searches are being conducted at some places."Operation is at controlling stage, searches are underway at some places. We have recovered arms & ammunition in large quantity, all those killed are foreign terrorists. Prima facie it appears they are related to LeT," Pani told media.Yesterday, five security personnel were also killed in an encounter with the terrorists in north Kashmir's Kupwara district.