Page 752 - War Conflict
Chibok girls' kidnapper jailed for 15 years
A man involved in the 2014 kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in northeast Nigeria has been jailed for 15 years, the government confirmed today. Haruna Yahaya, 35, admitted being involved in the abduction when he appeared at a special court trying hundreds of Boko Haram suspects on Monday, a justice ministry spokesman told AFP. The conviction is the first in relation to the kidnapping, which triggered global outrage and sparked a worldwide campaign for the girls' release. Nigeria began prosecuting people arrested during the insurgency last October, starting with 1,669 suspects held at a military detention facility in Kainji, in the central state of Niger. "It is true that a member of Boko Haram who took part in the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls was given 15 years jail," justice ministry spokesman Salihu Isah said. "Haruna Yahaya, who is 35 and handicapped with a paralysed arm and a deformed leg, was arrested in 2015 by the Civilian JTF," he said referring to ...
Duterte slammed over threat to shoot rebels in the genitals
Human rights groups say the Philippine president's remarks about troops shooting female communist rebels in the genitals to render them "useless" can encourage sexual violence and war crimes. The left-wing group Karapatan said today that President Rodrigo Duterte "has distinguished himself as a frothing-in-the-mouth fascist who incites the worst violations of international humanitarian law." Human Rights Watch said Duterte's remark, uttered last week before supposedly surrendered communist rebels, is the latest of Duterte's "series of misogynist, derogatory and demeaning statements he has made about women" that encourages state forces to commit sexual violence during armed conflict. Duterte acknowledged that he has a "bad mouth" and that he's not a statesman, but said "the problem here is that I won" the election.
Two terrorists killed in Srinagar encounter: police
Mopping up operations were under way at a building in Srinagar's Karan Nagar area with security forces killing two terrorists, officials said today. The encounter between militants and security forces, which began yesterday after the ultras tried to attack a CRPF camp, resumed this morning after an overnight lull. The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants were not immediately known. Security forces had launched a final assault on the terrorists hiding in an under construction building in Karan Nagar area this morning, officials said. The incident came two days after Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists attacked an Army camp in Sunjuwan area of Jammu, killing seven people, including six Army soldiers. Three terrorists were also killed in retaliation by the Army.
2 LeT militants killed, Srinagar gunfight over
Two holed up LeT militants, involved in a failed terror bid on a CRPF camp here, were killed on Tuesday in a nearly 30-hour-long gunfight, police said.
4 Naxals arrested in Jharkhand
Security forces arrested four Naxals from Jharkhand's Giridih on Monday.The operation that lasted for three days was jointly conducted by Jharkhand Police and CRPF 7th Battalion Security forces.During the search operation, a rifle, a locally made pistol, live cartridges and a cache of Maoist-related items, including the material used in making explosives, were recovered from the Naxals."The police launched a search operation in the interiors of forest area near Dewari police and arrested two cadres, later identified as Sanjay Hansda and Sukhdeo Murmu. Both Hansda and Sukhdeo were interrogated who gave information about two others rebels who were settled near Barkhutia forest with explosives and arms later arrested and identified as Prakash Murmu, and Ambu Marandi," Surendra Kumar Jha, SP Giridh told media.Last week, two women Naxals were arrested in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.
One terrorist killed in ongoing Srinagar encounter: police
Security forces launched a final assault on terrorists hiding in a building in Karan Nagar area for the last 24 hours, killing an unidentified militant, police said. The identity and group affiliation of the slain militant is yet to be ascertained, a police official said. The operation is going on as security forces believe one more militant is hiding in the under-construction building. The encounter between militants and security forces, which began yesterday after the ultras tried to attack a CRPF camp, resumed this morning after an overnight lull. The operation to flush out the militants is in its final stage and is expected to end soon, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, S P Pani said here. "We have been successful in localising them, Pani told reporters near the encounter site. Asked about the number of militants, the IGP said, We suspect they are two but that will only be confirmed once the operation is over.
J&K's PDP-BJP alliance becoming increasingly untenable (News Analysis)
As security forces battled militants in both Srinagar and Jammu, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti reiterated that a dialogue between India and Pakistan still remained the only way out for lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). While her ruling alliance partners in the BJP advocate a hardline approach and want to tell Pakistan that enough is enough, Mehbooba has consistently followed the peace approach.
Restrictions in Srinagar as anti-terrorist ops enters 2nd day
After an overnight lull, an encounter between security forces and terrorists hiding in a building in Karan Nagar area in Srinagar resumed today, as authorities imposed precautionary restrictions in parts of the city in wake of the operation, officials said. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official said the gunbattle between terrorists and security forces resumed at day break this morning. He said the security forces were preparing for a final assault when the terrorists opened fire. No new casualty has been reported today. A CRPF jawan was killed and a policeman was injured in the encounter yesterday. The CRPF has claimed it thwarted the attempt by terrorists to attack its camp in Karan Nagar area. The incident came days after Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists attacked an Army camp in Sunjuwan area of Jammu, killing six people including five soldiers. Three terrorists were also killed in retaliation by the Army. In wake of the security operation underway in Karan ...
Sunjuwan attack: Body of another soldier recovered; toll rises
The body of another soldier was today recovered from the encounter site inside the Sunjuwan Military camp here, taking the death toll in the terror attack to 10, including six Army personnel and three terrorists of the JeM. The body of the Army jawan was recovered during the clearance operation at the camp last night, Jammu-based Army Public Relation Officer Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI. A group of heavily-armed men struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry before dawn on February 10, killing six people including five soldiers. Five Army personnel, hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, and the father of one of the slain soldiers, were killed and 10 others, including two officers and six women and children, were injured in the incident. The bodies of the three terrorists of the Jaish-e- Mohammad (JeM) outfit were also recovered along with huge cache of arms and ammunition during the search operation. Meanwhile, Lt Col Anand said Chief .
Fresh terror attack averted in Jammu
A fresh terror attack was averted by alert guards at the entrance of an army camp in Jammu on Tuesday.
20-hour long gunfight continues in Srinagar
The over 20-hour long gunfight between holed up militants and the security forces continued in Srinagar on Tuesday as fresh firing exchanges started.
Encounter on between terrorists, security forces in Srinagar
The encounter between terrorists holed up in a building in Karan Nagar area of Srinagar and security forces resumed this morning after an overnight lull. The exchange of fire between the terrorists and the security forces resumed at day break, a CRPF official said. He said the security forces were preparing for a final assault on the terrorists when they opened firing. No new casualty has been reported today. A CRPF jawan was killed and a policeman was injured in the exchange of fire yesterday. The CRPF has claimed that it thwarted the attempt by the terrorists to attack its camp in Karan Nagar area. The incident came days after Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists attacked another Army camp in Sunjwan area of Jammu, killing six people including five soldiers. Three militants were also killed in retaliation by the Army.
India urges for political solutions over peacekeeping response
Warning that more reliance on stronger peacekeeping operations will not bring peace or protect peacekeepers in high-risk environments, India has urged the UN to scale up strategies for political resolution of conflicts in the face of mounting fatalities among its personnel.
Poachers kill six troops, two others in Cameroon wildlife park
Poachers killed six troops and two guides in a wildlife park in northern Cameroon, Defence Minister Joseph Beti Assomo has said. "Six members of the defence forces and two civilian guides were killed " on Thursday during a clash with heavily- armed men on horseback in Bouba Ndjida national park in the north of the country, Beti Assomo said in a statement aired on state radio yesterday. In 2012, 128 elephants were killed in the Bouba Ndjida park within two months, according to the government. The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) put the figure at 480. The WWF attributed that massacre to poachers from Sudan and Chad. Since March 2012, Cameroon has deployed a hundred troops in the wildlife reserve to help deal with the threat from poachers and protect the elephant population for which the park is known. The eight people killed in Thursday's violence were carrying out a routine patrol, source said. Poaching has killed an estimated 110,000 elephants over the last decade, with .
Israel soldiers flee attack after blundering into Palestinian
Two Israeli soldiers narrowly escaped today after they were attacked when they mistakenly drove into a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank, the army said. "Earlier today, an IDF (Israel Defence Forces) vehicle accidentally entered Jenin, north of Jerusalem," the military wrote on Twitter. "Rocks were hurled at the soldiers and the vehicle. One soldier was injured and transferred to a hospital for medical treatment." Jenin in the north of the West Bank is in a zone that falls under the civil and military control of the Palestinian authorities. Israeli civilians do not have the right to enter the area and soldiers only go in on planned operations. One of the soldiers who was injured in the face described it as an attempted "lynching" on Israeli television. "We were surrounded by a crowd that attacked us," he said. There have been repeated cases in recent years of Israeli soldiers blundering into Palestinian towns that usually end up with them getting rescued by ...
South African troops accused of abuse in DR Congo: UN
South African troops serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been accused of beating a 17-year-old boy and sexually exploiting women, a UN spokesman said today. UN and South African investigators will conduct a joint probe of the four allegations of misconduct that took place in Kasai province and in North Kivu. The allegations, which surfaced last week, involve a 17- year-old Congolese boy who was subjected to "physical violence" in eastern Kasai, said spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Given the "serious concern raised by these allegations", the United Nations has asked South Africa to send a team of agents to the DR Congo within five days and that the investigation be completed within 90 days, he added. The other three allegations concern the sexual exploitation of women in the North Kivu towns of Sake, Beni and Goma, one of whom gave birth to a child and is seeking child support. Dujarric did not says how many troops were ...
2 suspected militants killed in J-K
Two suspected militants were killed after their motorcycle met with an accident due to snowfall in Sopore area of north Kashmir, police said today. While one of the deceased has been identified as Owais, the identity of the other person has not been ascertained yet, the police said. A preliminary investigation has revealed that Owais had joined the militant ranks recently while the other deceased could be a foreigner, they said. The unidentified body has now been shifted to police hospital, they added.
Alfano to attend anti-IS coalition summit in Kuwait
Rome, Feb 12 (IANS/AKI) Italy's Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said on Monday that he will on Tuesday attend a meeting of the global coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group.
RSS chief's remarks question Army's capability: NCP
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP today sought an apology from the RSS, saying its chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks that the Sangh could "prepare" military personnel faster than the Army, were an insult to India's armed forces. "Saying that the RSS swayamsevaks are more prepared (than the Army) is akin to insulting our armed forces. This statement is wrong. The RSS should apologise over such remarks," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said. "Raising a question mark over the capability of the Indian armed forces is not right. If given the orders, our armed forces can take any action (against the enemy) in minutes," the NCP leader said. Bhagwat's statement disrespects the armed forces and those who have laid down their lives for the country, he said. Addressing an RSS workers meet in Bihar yesterday, Bhagwat said, "Sangh will prepare military personnel within three days which the Army would do in 6-7 months. This is our capability. Swayamsewak will be ready to take on the front if the ...
UN to participate in Rohingya repatriation: B'desh
Bangladesh foreign minister on Monday said they have signed a deal that will involve the United Nations in the process of returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.Foreign Affairs Minister Shahriar Alam said the government was involving the UN refugee agency so that it could not be accused of sending anyone from the stateless Muslim minority back against their will."We have repeatedly said this repatriation process is very complex," local media quoted Alam as saying."We want to fill up the (repatriation) forms in their (UN) presence so that no one can say they been forced by someone or sent back against their will," he said.There was no comment from the UN, which had previously said that any repatriation must be voluntary.Alam asked for patience and said Bangladesh did not want to send back the refugees only to have them return, as has happened after past rounds of repatriation."Bangladesh wants to make sure the situation in Myanmar is safe and secure", he said.Earlier on February 5, the