Page 746 - War Conflict
No terror outfit camps exist on Pakistan soil: Gen Bajwa
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has claimed that Pakistan does not have any organised terror outfits on its soil.Addressing the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2018 in Germany on Saturday, General Bajwa said, "Today, I can say with pride and conviction that there are no organised camps on our side of the border. However, presence of terrorists of various hues and colors cannot be ruled out. We still have their active and sleeper cells and they are hiding in mountains, border towns and 54 refugee camps, besides some major town and cities."The army chief also stated that Pakistan still hosts approximately 2.7 million refugees from Afghanistan "whose concentration is regularly used by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Haqqani network to recruit, morph and melt".Bajwa refused to blame the Kabul administration, and claimed that of the last 130 terrorist attacks in Pakistan's border areas last year, 123 were conceived, planned and executed from ...
Voting for Tripura Assembly elections begins
Voting for the Assembly elections in India's northeastern state of Tripura began on Sunday morning amidst tight security, official said.
Now sneakers that are Maoist. Well, almost.
Nepal's Goldstar sneakers are undergoing a revival in the Himalayan country after it was long tagged as the Maoist Guerrillas choice of footwear.According to the Arab News, the stigma attached to the shoes is fading as Nepalis are supporting their locally made products due to which Goldstars saw a 30 percent jump in sales in 2017.Goldstars shoes were worn by the insurgents during Nepal's decade-long civil war.Recently, wearing these shoes in Nepal is kind of being a part of a revolution. Many celebrities in the country are promoting the shoes, once worn by the Guerrillas and some of them have also posted their collection of Goldstars shoes on social media.Earlier in December 2017, Kiran Shoe Manufacturers, the producer, marketer, and distributor of renowned Nepali shoes unveiled a one-of-its-kind promotional campaign for Goldstar shoes.Goldstar has been a brand parallel to Nepali identity and corresponds to Nepali sentimentality, Kiran Shoe Manufacturers said in a press statement.
Egypt court jails 65 Morsi loyalists up to 10 years
An Egyptian court sentenced on Saturday 65 loyalists of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi up to 10 years in prison over inciting anti-state riots, protests and violence.
Kurdish doctors report suspected Turkish gas attack in Syria
Six civilians suffered breathing difficulties and other symptoms indicative of poison gas inhalation after an attack launched by Turkey on the Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin, local doctors and Syrias state-run news agency reported today. Jiwan Mohammed, a doctor at Afrins main hospital, said the facility was treating six people who had been poisoned who arrived Friday night from the village of Arandi after it was attacked by Turkish troops. Another doctor, Nouri Qenber, said the victims suffered shortness of breath, vomiting and skin rashes. One of the victims had dilated pupils, he said, quoting one of the rescuers. Both spoke to The Associated Press via messaging service. State-run news agency SANA and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group also quoted local doctors in their reports. The claims could not be independently verified, and videos released from the hospital showed people being fitted with oxygen masks who did not otherwise show ...
BSF troops ferry woman patient to hospital in Malkangiri
In yet another humanitarian gesture, the Border Security Force (BSF) troops on Saturday came to the rescue of a woman patient, who needed immediate medical attention after giving birth in Malkangiri.BSF troops in the cut-off area of this Maoist-infested district in southern Odisha evacuated the patient from Badapada to Janbai by boat and then from Janbai to Chitrakonda Community Health Center (CHC) by unit ambulance.The medical cover was provided by Janbai-based 08 Battalion of BSF.BSF's Janbai camp is stationed at the Gurupriya Setu which is being built in the Chitrakonda cut-off areas under Chitrakonda police station limits."A 19-year- old tribal lady, living in Dambru Kanchai of Jantapai village under Papermetla police station limits of the cut-off area gave birth to a male child at Badapada Primary Health Center (PHC), 2 km far from the COB. The condition of the mother became very critical. Nursing Assistant of Badapada PHC referred her to 20 km away Chitrakonda Community Health ..
Kosovo celebrates a decade of independence from Serbia
Kosovo is celebrating 10 years of independence from Serbia in two-day festivities that started today around the country. British singer Rita Ora, who was born in Kosovo before her family left the country, headlines an open-air evening concert in Pristina. The main ceremony is taking place tomorrow, when President Hashim Thaci and Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli are due back from the Munich Security Conference. A special panel on Kosovo is scheduled to be held at the Munich conference. Kosovo is recognised by 117 countries, including the U.S. and most Western powers, and has joined about 200 international organizations. Serbia, which for centuries has considered Kosovo the cradle of its civilization, still sees it as part of its own territory and has the support of Russia and China. In Serbias capital, Belgrade, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said Kosovos independence remains fragile and wont be concluded without an agreement with Serbia. "This is one unsuccessful experiment,"
Four ULFA(I) OWGs apprehended in Arunachal
Assam Rifles have apprehended four over ground workers (OGWs) of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) during an operation in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, a defence release said today. AR had launched a special operation yesterday based on preliminary inputs on the presence of suspected OGWs in Malugaon area and apprehended the four along with one .22 pistol, it said. The four confessed to supplying weapons from Dimapur to Sadiya and Kakopathar and was previously involved in looting, smuggling and extortion of local populace, the release said. They were handed over to Margherita police station in Assam and an FIR was lodged, the release added.
NDC convocation ceremony held in Delhi
A convocation ceremony was held at Delhi's National Defence College (NDC), on Saturday.Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman graced the occasion and awarded the degree parchments to the graduates of the 55th NDC Course (class of 2015), in the presence of Dr P Duraisamy, Vice Chancellor, University of Madras and Rear Admiral DM Sudan, Officiating Commandant, NDC.In her valedictory address, Sitharaman exhorted the officers to further pursue their studies in national security to become thinking scholar soldiers who can further India's quest for comprehensive internal and external security.She also appreciated the diversity of the course participants and added that it would help in enriching their knowledge and understanding.NDC is the premier seat of learning in India in the field of Defence and Strategic Studies.A total of 100 officers of the rank of Brigadier and equivalent from the Indian Armed forces and Joint Secretary-level officers from civil, police and allied services attend the ..
Militant surrenders in Meghalaya
A Garo militant has surrendered before security forces, the police said. The member of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), who had joined the outfit last year, surrendered yesterday, the police said. The militant is a resident of Damra of Goalpara district in Assam, a police officer said, adding that the militant surrendered before the Border Security Officials and South Garo Hills (SGH) police. He deposited one country made shot gun and 26 rounds of ammunition, the police officer said.
Ankara, Feb 17 (AFP) Turkey has "never used" chemical weapons in Syria and accusations that it had done so during its offencive against a Syrian Kurdish militia are "baseless", a Turkish diplomatic so
Turkey has "never used" chemical weapons in Syria and accusations that it had done so during its offencive against a Syrian Kurdish militia are "baseless", a Turkish diplomatic source said today. Turkey last month launched military operation dubbed "Olive Branch" supporting Syrian rebels with ground troops and air strikes against the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) militia viewed as "terrorists" by Ankara. The Turkish source was reacting to claims by the head of Afrin hospital in northern Syria that six men were treated late Friday after shelling during the offencive and had symptoms that were in line with exposure to toxic agents. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said shelling from either Turkey or allied factions hit Al-Sheikh Hadid, west of the town of Afrin, and left six people with "enlarged pupils" and "breathing difficulties". Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP he could not confirm whether toxic gases were used. But the Turkish source said Ankara
Maidugur (Nigeria), Feb 17 (AP) A trio of suicide bombers detonated at a crowded fish market in northern Nigeria, killing at least 20 people, police said today.
A trio of suicide bombers detonated at a crowded fish market in northern Nigeria, killing at least 20 people, police said today. Borno state police spokesman Joseph Kwaji confirmed the last night attack to The Associated Press. Hospital officials said two patients later died from their injuries. The bombers, all believed to be female, left dozens wounded at the fish market in Konduga, just outside the state capital, Maiduguri. The city is the birthplace of the Boko Haram extremist insurgency and has been a frequent target. Musa Bulama, 32, said he was lucky to have survived the blasts. "I came to the night market to buy fish for dinner when I heard a loud bang some meters (yards) behind me and I saw myself on the ground, and before I could pick up myself another one went off then, the third one again," he recalled. "I couldn't stand any longer and just laid down but everywhere was in total confusion." He added: "From the wailings, one can tell that there are many casualties." Boko ...
22 killed in Nigeria suicide blasts
The death toll in Friday's suicide bomb attack in Nigeria's busy market has reached 22.The attacks were carried out by three suicide bombers on Friday, when they detonated Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Kasuwar Kifi, on the outskirts of Konduga town, the Xinhua reported.More than 25 people were injured in the deadly attack, according to local media reports.An eyewitness named Idrissa Bana said that the three bombers simultaneously detonated the explosives on their bodies in the crowded market."There were a lot of people doing last-minute shopping when the suicide bombers hit the market," Bana was quoted by various media outlets as saying.No one has claimed the responsibility for the attack, though several Nigerian analysts opined that the Boko Haram insurgent group could be responsible for the bombings.The dreaded militant group has stepped up its campaign of suicide bombing by using girls as 'human bombs' to carry out suicide attacks in Nigeria.Earlier this month, six people ...
The Haryana government today announced to gift a residential plot to the widow of a ...
The Haryana government today announced to gift a residential plot to the widow of a soldier, killed in an anti-militancy operation in Jammu and Kashmir. The state cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here today, approved the proposal of Gram Panchayat, Bijopur in Block Ballabhgarh of Faridabad district to gift 200 square yards residential plot to Mamuna, widow of martyr Mohd Sadik, who died in Operation Rakshak Jammu and Kashmir-2000, an official release said. Approval to gift the plot to Mamuna has been given keeping in view Rule 13 of the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules 1964 which provides that a Gram Panchayat with prior approval of the state government can gift land in Shamilat Deh vested in it for residential purposes up to the extent of 200 square yards, to the members of defence forces and paramilitary forces seriously injured and rendered handicapped or to the dependent families of such members killed, in any war or counter ...
India-China share good relations: Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that India and China share good relations and if any differences crop up between the two nations on border issues, then talks will be held."I believe we have good relations with China. If some differences crop up between the two nations on border issues, we hold talks, like we have done from time to time," Singh said here.Speaking about the recent terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh lauded the Indian Army, asserting that everyone should place their trust on the jawans."Our jawans have achieved great success in neutralising terrorists in 2017. We must place our trust on them. Desh ka mastak kabhi jhukne nahi diya jaega (Will not let country's head hang), he added.Singh's statements come after numerous terrorist attacks in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.On February 12, an encounter broke out at the 23 Battalion Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Srinagar's Karan Nagar.Earlier this month, terrorists stormed the ..
Modi, Jaitley knew country was being looted: Congress
The Congress on Saturday made a direct allegation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley saying "both were aware that the country was being looted" in the over Rs 11,000 crore PNB scam.
Suicide blasts kill 19 in northeast Nigeria: civilian militia
Three suicide bombers killed 19 people at a fish market in Konduga, northeast Nigeria, civilian militia leaders said today, in an attack blamed on Boko Haram jihadists. Babakura Kolo, from the Civilian Joint Task Force said the attack happened at about 8:30 pm (1930 GMT) yesterday. "We have 19 dead and about 70 others injured," he told AFP.
Always wanted to join the Army: Gen Bipin Rawat
As a young boy, every morning Gen Bipin Rawat donned the school uniform, but, he said, in his heart he always desired to wear the Army's olive green uniform. And, while life came full circle for him, when Rawat rose to become the 27th Army chief, this general, who hails from Uttarakhand, said, he had "not forgotten" the human lessons learned during his early education. In an interaction, yesterday, with a group of students from Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, Gen Rawat urged them to never comprise on hard work or get disheartened by failures. "Never underestimate the potential of someone, who has failed. Because, such people, if they resolve, work harder and may move ahead in life farther than those who have succeeded," he said. The Army chief then walked down memory lane, to his schools days to, emphasise the point. "There was a student, who was a senior to me by one year. He failed his class, so he came to our class (9th). In class 10, he gave a moderate performance, and ...
CRPF, Jharkhand Police carries special operations in Singhbhum
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Police on Saturday carried out special operations, wherein they had an encounter with Maoists in West Singhbhum District.An AK-47 was recovered during search operation.In a joint operation, Troops of 60 Battalion, along with 174 Battalion of CRPF, carried out the operations.No loss or injury of CRPF has been reported yet.Further details are awaited.
Restrictions in Srinagar to prevent separatist-called protest
Authorities imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar city on Saturday to prevent a separatist-called protest, police said.