Page 712 - War Conflict
Cristiano Ronaldo stands with Syrian children
Football great Cristiano Ronaldo has extended his support to the Syrian children who have been suffering due to the ongoing civil war in the country.The Portuguese international took to social media to draw attention to the violence against the children."Be strong. Have faith. Never give up," Ronaldo wrote on his official Twitter account as he shared a video about an attack against civilians in Syria's Eastern Ghouta last month.Be strong. Have faith. Never give up. #7WordsForSyria@SavetheChildrenpic.twitter.com/WjGltzXhSV— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) March 13, 2018Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb, which houses around 400,000 residents, has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years with humanitarian access being completely cut off.In the past eight months, regime forces have intensified their siege of Eastern Ghouta, making it nearly impossible for food or medicine to get into the district and leaving thousands of patients in need of treatment.Syria has been .
Sufi shrine damaged due to lightening in Uri
Lightening today destroyed a revered Sufi shrine of Baba Fareed Shakarganj in Uri area of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir but there was no loss of life in the incident, police said. The lightening hit the shrine Baba Fareed in Gharkote area of Uri, near the Line of Control (LoC), in the wee hours, destroying the shrine made of wood, mud and stone, police said. No one was present at the shrine when the lightening struck, they said. The shrine is revered by people from both sides of the LoC in Uri and adjoining areas.
J&K Police to procure micro UAVs for anti-terror operations
The Jammu and Kashmir Police will procure micro unmanned ariel vehicles fitted with night vision equipment for security, surveillance and detection operations in the state, officials have said. Senior police officials said that there was a need to have such UAVs for security drills including anti-terror operations, particularly in Kashmir Valley, in view of increasing militancy-related incidents. Tendering process for the procurement of eight drones has started. "We have invited tenders from original manufacturers or authorised dealers for supply of UAVs recently," Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Police Headquarters, Mubassir Latifi said. The move is part of Director General S P Vaid's focus on better equipping the force and improving its infrastructure, the official said. Latifi said these drones would be used for security, surveillance, reconnaissance and detection operations round the clock. The drones should have autonomous take-off, landing and flight navigation ...
Myanmar rebuts accusations of human rights violations
Myanmar rebutted the accusations of violation of human rights in Rakhine state following reports by the UN that there was evidence of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
3 CRPF personnel injured in 'accidental firing' in Dantewada
Three constables of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Wednesday suffered injuries in accidental firing in Dantewada.The 111 battalion constables were cleaning the arms when an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) went off in the Aranpur camp.Condition of one of the injured jawans is said to be critical. He has been referred to Raipur.
Attack on Afghan checkpoint kills 10 security forces
Insurgents attacked a security checkpoint in western Afghanistan early today, killing at least 10 security forces, officials said. No one immediately claimed the attack, but a series of assaults by the Taliban in Farah province over the past week have killed at least 38 security forces, while another five were captured and several were wounded. Abdul Samad Salehi, a member of the Farah provincial council, said four of those killed in today's attack were from the intelligence service and six were police. "We have asked the central government for additional troops before Farah city falls into the hands of the Taliban," Salehi said. He said security forces are battling the Taliban on three different fronts, and the insurgents have launched several attacks on checkpoints around the provincial capital. Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a suicide truck bomb struck a checkpoint in the southern Helmand province, killing at least two border police, according to Gen. Abdul Ghafar Safi, the police chief
Bhima-Koregaon violence: SC dismisses anticipatory bail plea of prime accused
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Milind Ramakant Ekbote, the prime accused in the Bhima-Koregaon violence.On January 1, the violence at Bhima Koregaon village in Pune district left one dead and injured several others, including 10 policemen.Violence erupted after some people, reportedly with saffron flags, pelted stones at cars heading towards the village for the commemoration of the 200 years of Bhima-Koregaon war on New Year's Day.Dalit leaders and workers at the village had alleged that Hindutva activists Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide instigated the violence.Two FIRs were registered against Ekbote for his alleged role in the violence at a time when Dalits in huge numbers had gathered at Perne village on the Pune-Ahmednagar Road to mark the 200th year of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon.Ekbote is facing charges of inciting violence, attempt to murder and atrocities against Dalits.Meanwhile, Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced that .
6 Afghan border policemen killed in car explosion
At least six Afghan border policemen were killed in a car explosion in Afghanistan's Helmand province on Wednesday, local officials confirmed.According to Helmand provincial governor Omar Zwak, the incident took place at about 8:30 am (local time) in Nad Ali district when the border police were patrolling the area, TOLOnews reported.No group, including the Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Prime accused in Bhima-Koregaon violence detained
Maharashtra Police on Wednesday detained Milind Ekbote, the prime accused in the Bhima-Koregaon violence after the Supreme Court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea.Ekbote was arrested from his house at Shivajinagar in Pune.On January 1, the violence at Bhima-Koregaon village in Pune district left one dead and injured several others, including 10 policemen.Violence erupted after some people, reportedly with saffron flags, pelted stones at cars heading towards the village for the commemoration of the 200 years of Bhima-Koregaon war on New Year's Day.Dalit leaders and workers at the village had alleged that Hindutva activists Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide instigated the violence.Two FIRs were registered against Ekbote for his alleged role in the violence at a time when Dalits in huge numbers had gathered at Perne village on the Pune-Ahmednagar Road to mark the 200th year of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon.Ekbote is facing charges of inciting violence, attempt to murder and atrocities ..
Philippines' Duterte moves to quit International Criminal Court
President Rodrigo Duterte said today he was pulling the Philippines out of the treaty underpinning the International Criminal Court, which is examining his deadly drug war. "I therefore declare and forthwith give notice... that the Philippines is withdrawing its ratification of the Rome Statute effective immediately," Duterte said in a statement. The Hague-based ICC announced last month it was launching a "preliminary examination" of Duterte's bloody anti-drug crackdown that has drawn international concern. Police say they have killed nearly 4,000 drug suspects as part of the campaign, while rights groups claim the toll is around three times the numbers given by authorities. The outspoken Philippine leader, who is accused of stoking the killings with inflammatory statements, has taken issue over the Philippines becoming the first southeast Asian nation put under a preliminary examination by the ICC prosecutor. Opened in 2002, the ICC is the world's only permanent war crimes court and .
Detection of IEDs a challenge for anti-Naxal forces: CM
Admitting that detection of IEDs was a challenge for the anti-Naxal forces, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today said that if the problem is overcome, it will take six months to tackle the rebels. He said this was a tougher battle than what was fought on the borders as in the Naxal-hit areas, the war was against "unidentified" people. In several incidents, the Naxals have planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in a bid to harm the security personnel. The devices are often hidden underground or in bushes and planted in dart tracks and near police camps, he said. According to the police, the rebels fear that construction of roads will speed up the movement of security forces and development works, which will ultimately uproot them. Singh's remarks came a day after nine Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel killed after Naxals blasted their mine protected vehicle (MPV) in Sukma district. "...Naxals suffer damage in the face-to-face encounters with security forces ..
C'garh: 3 CRPF jawans hurt as grenade launcher shell explodes
Three CRPF jawans were today injured, one of them critically, when a shell of an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) accidentally exploded at a paramilitary camp in Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh, police said. The incident took place this morning at the camp of 111th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Aranpur when the jawans were being issued arms and ammunition for the anti-naxal operation duty, Deputy Inspector General of Police (south Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI. "As per preliminary information, three constables identified as S Sornapalan, M Gyan Shekharan and Ram Singh, belonging to CRPF's 111th battalion sustained injuries after the shell of an UBGL (fitted with automatic rifles) accidentally exploded," he said. Soon after the incident, the injured jawans were rushed to a local hospital, where the condition of Sornapalan was said to be critical, he said.
Naxal attack: There was no intelligence failure, says Ahir
A day after nine CRPF personnel were killed in a Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, Union minister Hansraj Ahir today said there was no intelligence failure and asserted that the government was committed to ensuring the security of jawans. He also said the government wanted to arm the security forces with the latest equipment. Ahir visited the camp of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force here this morning and paid homage to the nine Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel killed yesterday after Naxals blasted their mine protected vehicle (MPV) in Sukma. "Our jawans sacrificed their lives while fighting a tough battle. We are pained over the incident and at the same time taking this as a challenge. People of the country hope that this will not be repeated and the Centre is alert over it," Ahir told reporters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh have expressed their condolences over the incident, and the Centre has been thinking seriously to ...
Sukma attack undertaken in retaliation: Raman Singh
In the aftermath of the Naxal-led attack that killed nine CRPF personnel in Sukma on Tuesday, Chief Minister Raman Singh clarified that the improvised explosive device (IED) blast was carried out in retaliation to an encounter which took place last morning."The background of this blast in Sukma is that the COBRA battalion held a successful encounter in the morning in which several Naxals were injured and weapons were recovered. This has left them perplexed, as we are reaching closer to their headquarters. This attack was carried out in fury," Singh told reporters here.The chief minister revealed that although IED detection with the present technology is difficult, the forces and state police are working together to abolish the naxal base in the region.Echoing a similar stance, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Hansraj Ahir, assured that the government is strongly monitoring the situation along with intelligence agencies and the forces.On Tuesday, nine personnel of the 212 Battalion .
UN receives 138 allegations of sexual misconduct
The United Nations received 138 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse last year and nearly half were against UN peacekeeping missions, a report said today. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report that the 62 allegations against personnel in 10 peacekeeping missions and one political mission were a drop from the 104 claims reported in 2016. There was a sharp decrease in allegations recorded for the MINUSCA mission in the Central African Republic: 19 last year compared to 52 in 2016. Gabon last week announced that it was withdrawing its troops from MINUSCA following cases of sex abuse and other problems. MINUSCA has been hit by a string of sex abuse allegations against peacekeepers that led to the firing of the mission commander in 2015 and the repatriation of contingents which faced repeated accusations. Guterres has vowed to toughen the UN response to allegations of misbehavior by peacekeepers and UN personnel whose mission is to protect vulnerable civilians in ...
Iraq PM security detail commander killed in armed clash
A general charged with ensuring security ahead of a visit by Iraq's prime minister was killed today in a shoot out with militia fighters, officials said. Special forces commander Sherif Ismail was heading back to Baghdad after preparing the ground for a trip planned for tomorrow by premier Haider al-Abadi to the conflict-ravaged Nineveh province. "Clashes broke out with fighters from Saraya al-Salam," a group loyal to prominent Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, a security source said, after a verbal altercation spiralled out of control. "The general was killed and three of his men were wounded," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity. The prime minister's office confirmed the death of Ismail and blamed "shots from undisciplined fighters", without naming a group. Abadi had "ordered the immediate opening of an investigation", a statement said. The violence comes two months ahead of legislative elections in Iraq that Abadi is hoping will see him remain in charge after claiming victory ..
Dozens killed in troubled eastern DR Congo province
Dozens of people were killed overnight in fresh clashes in DR Congo's volatile northeastern Ituri province, sharpening an ethnic conflict that has already forced tens of thousands to flee, officials said today. At least 30 people were killed in the latest unrest, which came in the wake of the interior minister's visit to the region. "We have recorded 30 deaths. There are certainly other bodies out in the bush. A search is underway," a government official said. Other sources gave a higher toll. "In the village of Djo, (the attackers) killed 10 people, in Gbi, there were 10 dead, and in Takpa, 19 people were shot dead, which makes 39 dead," Willy Pilo Mulindro, head of Bahema-North district, told AFP. The UN radio channel Okapi gave a toll of 41 dead in four villages, and said the attackers used machetes, arrows and Kalashnikovs. Fighting in Ituri has involved the Hema and Lendu communities, respectively cattle herders and farmers who have a long history of violence over access to ...
Egypt, France launch joint naval drill in Red Sea
The Egyptian and French navies have started a joint drill in the Red Sea, the Egyptian Armed Forces has said.
US citizen sentenced to 45 years for supporting Al Qaeda
An American citizen, who received training in the tribal areas of Pakistan, was sentenced to 45 years of imprisonment today for conspiring to kill US nationals and providing support to Al Qaeda. Muhanad Mahmoud al Farekh, a 32-year-old American citizen, traveled overseas, joined al Qaeda, and conspired to kill Americans, including through an attack using explosive devices on a US military installation in Afghanistan in 2009, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security John C Demers. As proven at trial, in March 2007, Farekh and two co-conspirators, all of whom were students at the University of Manitoba, departed Canada for Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces overseas. "With the sentence handed down today, al Qaeda terrorist Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh is being held accountable for his crimes," said Demers. Before traveling overseas, Farekh and his co-conspirators watched video recordings encouraging violent jihad, listened to jihadist lectures by ...
Ahir to visit Raipur
Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir will visit Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur to pay homage to the nine CRPF personnel killed in an landmine blast triggered by suspected Naxals. "Union minister Ahir along with Chief Minister Raman Singh will pay tribute to the martyred paramilitary personnel at the camp of the 4th battalion of Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) in Mana area tomorrow morning," a government official said. Ahir will reach here late tonight, he added. In a brazen attack, Naxals blew up an anti-landmine vehicle, killing nine CRPF personnel in Kistaram area of Sukma district. Chief minister Raman Singh visited two injured CPRF personnel in a hospital here late this evening.