Page 723 - War Conflict
Petrol bombs hurled at BJP office in Coimbatore
Miscreants hurled petrol bombs at the BJP office in Coimbatore early today but no one was injured, police said. The miscreants, who came in an auto-rickshaw, hurled the bombs at the office in Siddapudur at around 4 am, they said, adding that the bombs fell short of the BJP office building. A special police team has been formed to track down the culprits, based on CCTV camera footage, they added. The attack comes after the reported remarks of BJP national secretary H Raja on Dravidian leader E V Ramaswamy, known as Periyar, and also the removal of communist icon Vladimir Lenin's statue in Tripura. Visuals of the incident have gone viral on social media. The local unit of the BJP has convened an emergency meeting following the incident, party sources said. Meanwhile, additional forces have been deployed near Periyar's statues in and around the city, police said.
Petrol bomb thrown at BJP's Coimbatore office
A petrol bomb was hurled at the Bharatiya Janata Party office here in Tamil Nadu by unidentified persons early on Wednesday, police said.
Lanka President promulgates emergency for a week
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena promulgated a state of emergency for a limited period of one week in the country by bringing into force Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance, Sri Lankan president's media division said.The state of emergency has been declared due to violent and criminal activities, which have taken place in certain parts of the country during the past two weeks. It also led to the loss of lives and damage to property, owing to the violent activities.The violence in Kandy caused tensions and discord among ethnic and religious groups arising from those criminal activities and led to attacks on religious places, property, transport facilities and damages caused by them.According to the Sri Lankan government, the continuity of such criminal activities is affecting the law and order across the country."In such circumstances, it has been necessary to bring into force the Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance as a measure to contain the situation and to ...
Restrictions imposed to prevent separatist march to Shopian
Authorities imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar on Wednesday to prevent a separatist-called protest march to Shopian town.
UN says Rohingya refugees facing 'forced starvation'
Myanmar has not stopped its ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people in Rakhine state, a United Nations human rights official said on Tuesday.
8 soldiers, 8 assailants dead in Burkina attack: updated toll
Eight soldiers were killed and 61 injured, as well as 24 civilians, in last week's twin attacks in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou, the authorities said today, adding that eight jihadist assailants also died. The previous official toll from Friday's twin assault on the country's military headquarters and the French embassy had been seven soldiers and nine attackers dead, and there was no mention of any civilian casualties. "The confusion (over the number of dead) stemmed from a body that was found on the site" of the attacks, public prosecutor Faso Maiza Sereme told a press conference. "After further tests and checks, it proved to be one of our soldiers," she said. The authorities had previously said around 80 were injured, but not mentioned any civilians among these casualties. Eight people have been arrested, including two soldiers and a former soldier who had been thrown out of the armed forces, Sereme said. "Complicity cannot be ruled out" in the attack against the military HQ,
China leveraging growing power to assert sovereignty
A top Pentagon intelligence official today told US lawmakers that China is leveraging its growing power to assert sovereignty claims over sites in the East and South China Seas and the China-India border. "China has long identified the protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity as a "core interest" and is leveraging its growing power to assert sovereignty claims over features in the East and South China Seas and the China-India border region," Lt Gen Robert Ashley, Director, Defence Intelligence Agency told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Despite a tribunal's ruling in 2016 that China's "nine-dash line" is not a lawful maritime claim, China is using coercive tactics, such as employing law enforcement vessels and its maritime militia, to enforce maritime claims and advance its interests in ways that are calculated to fall below the threshold of provoking conflict, he alleged. In the East China Sea, China persists in its use of maritime law enforcement ships
Strikes hit Syria's battered Ghouta as death toll hits 800
Heavy air strikes and clashes shook the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta today, as France and Britain called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the escalating violence. Eight hundred civilians -- including at least 177 children -- have been killed since Russia-backed regime forces launched an assault on the besieged enclave outside Damascus on February 18, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in its latest death toll. Russia suffered its own heavy losses today as the defence ministry said a Russian transport plane crashlanded at an airbase in western Syria, killing all 32 people on board. Bombardment and clashes in Eastern Ghouta, the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus have persisted despite a month-long ceasefire demanded by the Security Council more than a week ago. At least 19 civilians were killed today, according to the Syrian Observatory, a Britain-based monitor. The relentless attacks prompted France and Britain to request an emergency meeting .
Ensure lives of civilians protected: Mehbooba to armed forces
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday advised security forces to strictly follow the laid down standard operating procedures (SOP) while carrying out anti-militancy operations and ensure there is no collateral damage.
Congress demands Modi's reply on bank fraud cases
The Congress on Tuesday said an RTI has revealed that frauds of Rs 19,317 crore have been reported in the country's finance capital Mumbai alone in the last three years and demanded a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sharad Yadav condemns Sri Sri's Syria remark
Former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav today condemned Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's statement that there could be "a Syria in India" if the Ayodhya dispute was not resolved. Yadav alleged that the remarks were like a "veiled threat" to the minorities and charged Sri Sri with making a political statement while claiming to be a spiritual guru. The AOL founder has claimed that his comments during an interview to a news channel had been "twisted" and that he could not "even dream" of issuing a threat to any community. "The Ayodhya dispute will be resolved by the court of law where the matter is under consideration. The remarks of Sri Sri sound like a veiled threat to the minority community", Yadav told reporters here. The former JD(U) leader, who was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha for his refusal to toe the party line in the aftermath of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's exit from the Grand Alliance, claimed that the upcoming by-polls in one Lok Sabha and ..
Imposed emergency to prevent unsatisfactory security situation: SL President
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena promulgated state emergency to redress the unsatisfactory security situation prevailing in certain parts of the country, the Media Division of the Sri Lankan president said in a statement on Tuesday.The police and armed forces have been suitably empowered to deal with criminal elements in society and to urgently restore normalcy, it added.The Sri Lankan government earlier on Tuesday imposed a state of emergency for 10 days to control law and order in the country.A curfew was reimposed on Monday in two police divisions of Kandy district till Wednesday morning following the tense situation.More than two dozen arrests have been made so far, following the violence against the minority Muslim community in Kandy district which claimed two lives.Members of the Buddhist community held protests outside a police station in Kandy demanding the release of its people who were arrested in the riots.The police have said that the special security arrangements
2 Pak nationals held for supplying suicide vests in Afghanistan
Two Pakistani nationals were arrested on charges of supplying suicide vests allegedly to the insurgents in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province on Tuesday.Nangarhar Police Chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said the two Pakistanis were arrested in connection with criminal and terrorist activities in the last month in different parts of the province especially in Jalalabad, the capital of the province."Two Pakistani nationals who were preparing suicide vests were arrested with suicide vests and dozens of other suspects who wanted to conduct terrorist activities in different parts of the province were arrested before they were able to reach their targets. They are now under investigation," Rahimi was quoted by the TOLOnews as saying.The arrests come after a number of people raised concerns over the increase in criminal and terrorist activities in the province.Meanwhile, the two Pakistanis who were arrested said that they had been deceived by the militants."I am a resident of Peshawar from Pakistan ..
Intel official: Russia, China seek fast, futuristic weapons
The top US defense intelligence official said Tuesday that it's not just Russia but China too that is seeking faster, futuristic weapons to challenge America's know-how of state-of-the-art military technology. Army Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley told the Senate Armed Services Committee that China is developing long-range cruise missiles some capable of reaching supersonic speeds. He says China also is working on a bomber with a nuclear mission, which would give Beijing a nuclear triad of land, air and sea-based nuclear weapon systems. China and Russia present the greatest threat of developing state-of-the-art military capabilities. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled new strategic weapons that he claims can't be intercepted. One is a hypersonic glide vehicle, which could fly 20 times faster than the speed of sound and make sharp maneuvers to avoid being detected by missile defense systems. "Developments in hypersonic propulsion will revolutionize warfare by providing the ...
Taiwan says it will beef up defense to respond to China
Taiwan will look to its domestic arms industry as well as foreign suppliers to respond to China's continuing military buildup, but has no interest in engaging in an arms race with its cross-strait rival, the defense ministry said today. The remarks from spokesman Chen Chung-ji came a day after China announced an 8.1 percent rise in its military budget for this year to 1.1 trillion yuan ($173 billion), the world's second largest after the United States. "Taiwan has no intention of getting involved in an arms race with China, or with neighboring countries," Chen told reporters at a briefing. "However, we expect to strengthen our capabilities in self-developing arms, including locally built vessels and aircraft, or even information and communication warfare." China regards Taiwan as Chinese territory to be eventually brought under its control, by force if necessary. Under China-imposed diplomatic isolation, Taiwan has few avenues for purchasing arms abroad apart from the United States, ..
Lankan commander holds talks with top defence brass
Commander of Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen N U M M W Senanayake today held wide-ranging talks with Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat on ways to deepen cooperation between armed forces of the two countries. The Sri Lankan Army Chief also met Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and discussed issues relating to defence and security cooperation between the two countries. His meetings here came on a day the Sri Lankan government declared a state of emergency for 10 days to rein in the spread of communal violence between majority Sinhala and minority Muslims in the country's Kandy district. A range of issues relating to defence cooperation between the two countries were discussed during the talks between Lt Gen Senanayake and Gen Rawat, a senior Army official said. Lt Gen Senanayake also met Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal SB Deo. The visit by the Sri Lankan commander comes amidst reports that China was trying to expand its influence over Colombo. It is not immediately known whether the issue ...
7 Maoists arrested, arms, 300 Aadhaar cards seized
Seven Maoists, including four carrying rewards on their heads, were arrested and a cache of arms and ammunition and over 300 adhar cards were seized by CRPF and the district armed police in raids since Monday in Giridih district of Jharkhand, police said today. The raids took place in Akbaki village, superintendent of police Surendra Kumar Jha said adding 13 firearms including AK-47 and INSAS rifles were seized in the raids. Among the others arrested Sunil Manjhi carries a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head, Geeta, the lone woman, Rs 15 lakh, Charlie alias Shekhar and Sohan Bhaiya Rs five lakh each, the police said. The firearms included a AK 47 rifle, INSAS and SLR rifles, hand grenades, large quantity of live cartridges, the police said adding more than 300 Aadhaar cards were also seized. Police have begun investigation following the seizure of the large number of Aadhaar cards. The raids are still on, the police said adding it was led by additional superintendent of ...
Lanka declares state of emergency to quell communal violence
Sri Lanka today declared a state of emergency for 10 days to rein in the spread of communal violence between majority Sinhala Buddhists and minority Muslims in the country's scenic Kandy district that left two persons dead and damaged several mosques and homes. Violence, triggered by the death of a Sinhalese man at the hands of a mob last week, erupted yesterday in the Theldeniya area of the central hill district popular with tourists. The government sent troops and elite police commandoes to Kandy to restore order and enforce the curfew. President Maithripala Sirisena and the Cabinet decided to declare a state of emergency for 10 days following the violence prevailed in some parts of the country, Minister of Social Empowerment S B Dissanayake told reporters after a Cabinet meeting. Muslims claimed that around 10 mosques, 75 shops and 32 houses belonging to the minority community were badly damaged in the attacks by the Sinhalese Buddhists, forcing police to fire tear gas shells and ..
30 injured as mobs clash with police in Assam
At least 30 people were injured as mobs clashed with police and security forces in Assam's Bodoland on Tuesday. The people were protesting a recent Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) decision on land sale.
16 killed in central Nigeria violence: police
At least 16 people, mostly women and children, were killed in clashes between youths and cattle herders in central Nigeria, police said today. Yesterday's violence in the village of Omutu, in the Okpokwu area of Benue state, is the latest flare-up linked to tensions over land and grazing rights in the restive region. State police spokesman Moses Yamu said in a statement that a meeting had been called to calm anger after a herdsman was killed on Monday and another went missing. "Unfortunately as the search and peace meeting were going on some herdsmen surreptitiously went on (a) rampage, resulting in the macheting to death of 15 persons, mainly women and children," he said. Yamu said some houses were set on fire during the violence and four people were arrested. "An extensive patrol of the community is ongoing, which will be reinforced with the (military) special forces," he added. The chairman of the Okpokwu local government area, Francis Ejembi, described the violence as ...