Page 702 - War Conflict
US military chief reaffirms support to Afghan-led peace process
The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff on Tuesday reaffirmed his country's support to an Afghan-led peace process.
4 militants killed in Kashmir gunfight
Four militants were killed on Tuesday in a fierce gunfight with troops in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, the army said.
Armed robbers loot Rs 18 lakh outside bank in Punjab
Two armed robbers today looted Rs 18 lakh right outside a private bank here when the cash was being taken inside to be deposited, police said. The heist took place outside the bank's branch at Barewal on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur road. As two employees of a service providing company alighted from a van to deposit the cash in the bank branch, one of the robbers, who was waiting outside with his accomplice, scuffled with them, the police said. They snatched the bag containing Rs 18 lakh at gun point and then fled in a car which had some more of their accomplices sitting inside, the police added. The robbers could not be identified and the police were analysing the recordings of the CCTV cameras installed outside the bank premises, an official said.
Russian diplomats leave UK amid spy row
The 23 Russian diplomats that UK's Prime Minister Theresa May expelled following the alleged poisoning of an ex-spy were on Tuesday making their way out of the country.
Why government didn't accept earlier that all were dead: Mosul survivor
The lone Indian who managed to escape from the Islamic State in Iraq's Mosul in 2014 on Tuesday reiterated that all the 39 Indians who were seized were killed long ago and wondered why the government didn't believe him all these years.
4 terrorists killed in Kupwara encounter
At least four terrorists have been killed in the encounter that broke out at Halmatpora area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.As of now, the firing in the area has stopped.A cordon-and-search operation was reportedly launched in the area to get hold of the militants.Further details are awaited.
Russian diplomats head home from Britain after spy attack
Nearly two dozen Russian diplomats headed home today after Britain's prime minister ordered them to leave because of a nerve agent attack on UK soil. Several dozen people, including children, emerged from the Russian Embassy in west London with suitcases, bags and pet carriers. Some hugged before they boarded vehicles, including a white minibus, and were driven away. They were expected to arrive in Moscow this evening. On March 14, Prime Minister Theresa May gave the 23 diplomats, whom she said were undeclared intelligence agents, a week to leave Britain. That prompted Russia to retaliate with its own expulsion of 23 British diplomats, who are expected to leave in the coming days. Tensions between the two countries have risen since the March 4 poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the English city of Salisbury. They remain in critical condition. Britain says they were poisoned with a Soviet-developed form of nerve agent known as Novichok. Western ...
Islamic State has killed thousands of civilians
The Islamic State, which has killed the 39 Indians it abducted in Mosul in Iraq, has killed thousands of civilians, at times in the most brutal manner. Most of its victims, ironically, have been Muslims.
4 militants killed in encounter with security forces in J&K
Four unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir today, a defence spokesman said. "Four militants have been killed in the Arampora operation in Kupwara district. The operation is still in progress," the defence spokesman said here. The encounter broke out in Arampora area as security forces launched an operation after militants had opened fire on an army patrol, an army official said. He said the soldiers reacted swiftly and launched an operation to track down the militants. "Around 3.30 pm, a gun battle broke out between the militants and security forces," he said.
Encounter underway between security forces-terrorists at Kupwara
An encounter is underway between security forces and terrorists at Halmatpora area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.At least three terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area.As per reports, a cordon-and-search operation has been launched in the area to get hold of the militants.Further details are awaited.
Gun battle breaks out in Kupwara
An encounter broke out today between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, officials said. The militants opened fire on an army patrol party at Arampora area in Kupwara, an Army official said. He said the soldiers reacted swiftly and launched an operation to track down the militants. "At around 3.30 pm, a gun battle broke out between the militants and the security forces," he said adding further details are awaited.
Iraq says bodies of 38 Indians have been recovered
Iraqi authorities have found the bodies of 38 Indian construction workers abducted when Islamic State militants overran the northern city of Mosul more than three years ago, officials said today. The bodies were buried near the village of Badush, northwest of Mosul, in an area that Iraqi forces recaptured last July. The killing was a "heinous crime carried out by Daesh terrorist gangs," Iraqi official Najiha Abdul-Amir al-Shimari told reporters. Daesh is the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. The bodies are "citizens of the friendly Indian state. Their dignity was supposed to be protected, but the forces of evil wanted to defame the principles of Islam," said Najiha, the head of Iraq's Martyrs Establishment, a government body dealing with people killed in the fight against the Islamic State group. The abducted workers, most from northern India, had been employed by a construction company near Mosul when militants captured wide swaths of the area. Relatives said they received .
Protests rock Nowshera, highway blocked over district demand
People of Nowshera town in Rajouri district today held massive protests and blocked the Jammu-Poonch highway demanding district status for the town. Indefinite strike continued in Nowshera township for the 33rd consecutive day today while Joint Action Committee (JAC) members have started chain hunger strike in Kalakote town demanding posting of an Additional Deputy Commissioner there. Led by the Joint Action Committee members at Nowshera, which included Beopar Mandal, Bar Association and Sanatan Dharam Sabha, hundreds of people sat on dharna on the highway and raised slogans in support of their demand. They took out protest rally in the town. The joint action committee had given the government time till Monday evening as they last week had suspended their march to Jammu for holding a protest to press for district status to the town. The government had sought time till Monday evening, but there was no order till today. Indefinite bandh seeking separate ADCs posting continued in ...
Delhi Assembly, CM condole killings of 39 Indians in Iraq
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today expressed grief at the killings of 39 Indians in captivity in Iraq, and the Delhi Assembly observed a two-minute silence to pay homage to them. "Extremely saddened to know about the killings of 39 Indian workers who were held hostage in Iraq. Entire nation stands with the families of victims," Kejriwal tweeted. In the Assembly, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel read out a condolence message that was followed by a two-minute silence to pay homage to the deceased. "It is unfortunate that after three-and-a-half years, we came to know that 39 Indians have been killed in Iraq," Goel said. All the 39 Indians, who were abducted by ISIS in Iraq nearly three years ago, were killed and their bodies have been recovered, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today. As many as 40 Indians were originally abducted by the terrorist organisation in June 2015 from Mosul in Iraq but one of them escaped by posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh, Swaraj said in a suo motu ...
I had been saying all 39 others were dead: Lone survivor Harjit Masih
Harjit Masih, the lone survivor who had managed to flee from ISIS captivity in Iraq in June 2014 following his abduction along with 39 other Indians there, today said he had been maintaining for the last three years that all others had been killed. "I had been saying for the last three years that all 39 Indians had been killed (by ISIS militants)," Masih today said. "I had spoken the truth," asserted Masih, resident of village Kala Afghana in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Masih was one of the 40 Indian workers abducted by ISIS militant outfit. His statement came after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today informed the Parliament that all the 39 Indian workers, abducted by ISIS in Iraq nearly three years ago, were killed and their bodies have been recovered. Masih said they were killed in front of my eyes and I had been saying all these years, wondering why the government was not accepting what he had said earlier. Giving details of the incident, Masih said that Indians were ...
IS claims responsibility for Afghan sports stadium explosion
Afghanistan's Islamic State affiliate has claimed responsibility for a bombing outside a sports stadium in eastern Nangarhar province that killed three people and wounded 10. In a statement posted on an IS-linked website late yesterday, the militant group said the motorcycle bombing in the provincial capital of Jalalabad targeted a pro-government meeting. The explosion occurred as former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar wrapped up a rally at the stadium. Hekmatyar, previously a declared terrorist by the US, signed a peace deal with President Ashraf Ghani in 2017 and was removed from the list. The Afghan IS affiliate, known as Khorasan Province, is based in Nangarhar. A separate militant statement on the IS-affiliate Aamaq news agency gave a different version of events, saying the bomb targeted a bus with pro-government militiamen.
Moscow awaits Russian diplomats ordered to leave Britain
Moscow is awaiting nearly two dozen Russian diplomats ordered to leave Britain as part of a standoff over a nerve agent attack on British soil. Britain ordered the 23 diplomats to leave by Tuesday, and they're expected in Moscow later, according to Russian media reports. Russia retaliated by expelling 23 British diplomats, who are expected to leave Moscow in the coming days. Russia denies involvement in the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the British city of Salisbury earlier this month. They remain in critical condition. Britain accuses Russia of the poisoning, which Western powers see as an example of increasingly aggressive Russian meddling abroad. International chemical weapons experts took samples of the nerve agent used, which Britain says is the Soviet-developed Novichok.
Two villagers killed by Naxals in Chhattisgarh
Two villagers were killed allegedly by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Kondagaon district, police said today. The incident took place late last night in Aadnar village under Bayanar police station limits, Kondagaon Additional Superintendent of Police Maheshwar Nag told PTI. As per preliminary information, a group of armed Naxals stormed into the village, located 40 kms away from Kondagaon town, and killed the two villagers, he said. A police team was sent to the spot this morning, Nag said, adding further details are awaited. Yesterday Naxals had killed a contractor and torched four machines engaged in road construction work in Bijapur district of the state.
Mamata expresses shock over killing of 39 Indians in Iraq
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today expressed shock over the killing of 39 Indians in Iraq. "Deeply saddened and shocked with the very sad news from #Mosul. Words are not enough to console the 39 grieving families. Our thoughts and prayers with them", she said in a tweet. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today told the Rajya Sabha that 39 Indians, who were abducted by the terror outfit ISIS in Iraq nearly three years back, were killed and their bodies have been recovered. As many as 40 Indians were originally abducted by the ISIS in June 2015 from Mosul in Iraq but one of them escaped by posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh, Swaraj said in a suo motu statement in Rajya Sabha.
39 Indians missing in Iraq killed: EAM Swaraj
External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday confirmed that 39 Indians, who went missing in Mosul in Iraq in the year 2014 have been killed.Speaking at Rajya Sabha, Swaraj said that the dreaded terror outfit Islamic State (IS) had killed all the Indian nationals.In July last year, Swaraj had firmly said in the Parliament that she would not declare the 39 Indians dead without concrete proof or evidence."It is a sin to declare a person dead without concrete evidence. I will not do this sin," Swaraj said in a statement in the Lok Sabha in 2017.Earlier, India had asked Iraq for help in locating the missing Indians after Iraqi forces recaptured Mosul from IS.The 39 persons, most of whom hailed from Punjab, were working on projects near Mosul, when they were kidnapped during their evacuation.