Page 763 - War Conflict
Philippines says Canada helicopters 'not for attack'
The Philippine military today denied it planned to use 16 Bell helicopters bought from Canada as attack aircraft against local insurgents, following reports Ottawa was reviewing the deal. Canadian media had reported that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government was reconsidering the sale over fears the aircraft would be used in internal security operations, just hours after both governments had announced the deal. President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman warned Manila may walk away from the deal in light of the controversy. "If they don't want to sell, well, we may consider the prospect of procuring them from other sources," presidential spokesman Harry Roque told reporters Thursday. The military stressed they were "utility helicopters, not attack helicopters". "They must not politicise the acquisition," said Major- General Restituto Padilla, the deputy chief of staff for plans and programmes of the Philippine armed forces. According to the Philippine defence department, ...
N.Korea celebrates army anniversary with military parade
North Korea on Thursday celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces, the Korean People's Army.
Clashes in B'desh ahead of verdict against ex-PM Zia
Clashes erupted today in Bangladesh between supporters of Khaleda Zia and police ahead of a corruption trial verdict against the ex-prime minister and main opposition BNP chief. A Dhaka court is set to deliver the judgement in the trial in which Zia, 72, and five others, including her expatriate elder son Tarique Rahman, accused of embezzling 21 million takas (USD 252,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust. Hundreds of activists poured in on Dhaka roads as Zia headed to the court. Clashes broke out between police and BNP activists who hurled bricks. Police had to lob tear gas shells to stop protesters. The capital, Dhaka, has been wrapped in an unprecedented security blanket. Elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and armed police were called out to guard Dhaka's streets while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League said their activists would be ready to "assist police" if the BNP tried to foment any unrest over the verdict. All measures have
Afghan official: 4 children killed amid battle with Taliban
An Afghan official says four children were killed in a remote area in central Ghazni province during a fierce battle between government forces and the Taliban. However, residents of the Deh Yak area where the fighting took place on Wednesday brought the bodies of the children to the provincial capital, Ghazni, to protest their killing. They said the children all under the age of 10 died in an airstrike, not by being caught in the crossfire. The Afghan official, Arif Noor, said on Thursday that the government is investigating. But Noor also stressed that the attack occurred in a remote area where the Taliban are strong and that it's dangerous for government officials to travel there.
More than 300 child soldiers released in South Sudan
More than 300 child soldiers have been released by armed groups in South Sudan, the second-largest such release since civil war began five years ago. Over 19,000 children are thought to have been recruited by all sides. The "laying down of the guns" ceremony for 87 girls and 224 boys yesterday was the first step in a process that should see at least 700 child soldiers freed in the coming weeks, the United Nations said. Putting down weapons and rejoining normal life is just the "beginning of the journey," said the head of the UN mission in South Sudan, David Shearer. The UN has released almost 2,000 child soldiers so far. More than 10 percent of them have been under age 13. One 17-year-old who had been abducted and forced to fight attended Wednesday's ceremony while clasping his arms around his stomach and staring at the ground. He gave only his first name, Christopher. "They told me to kill my mother," he said, his voice barely audible. After being seized from his home by
Naxal commander shot dead in Chhattisgarh
A naxal commander was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Dantewada district, police said today. The skirmish took place late last evening in Dokapara forest under Kirandul police station limits when a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-naxal operation, Dantewada Additional Superintendent of Police Gorakhnath Baghel told PTI. "The composite squad of Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) was cordoning off the forest area on the border of Dantewada and Bijapur districts, around 450 kms away from the capital, when it came under heavy fire from ultras in Dokapara, leading to the gun-battle," he said. After the guns fell silent, the security forces recovered the body of a naxal along with one 315 bore gun from the spot, the ASP said. "The naxal has been identified as Ungami alias Chakra, who was active as a jan militia commander," he said. Further details are awaited as the patrolling team was yet
Afghan official: Chinese, Uzbek IS militants killed in raid
An Afghan official says a Chinese and three Uzbek militants have been killed in an air raid against the Islamic State group in northern Jowzjan province earlier this week. The airstrikes were part of a joint operation with the US-led coalition. The provincial police chief, Faqir Mohammad Jowzjani, said on Thursday the airstrikes killed 25 IS fighters, including one Chinese national and three nationals from neighboring Uzbekistan. He says IS has become prominent in Darzab district, where the airstrikes took place, and also in Kush Tepa district. IS emerged in Afghanistan in 2014, mostly from the ranks of disgruntled Taliban, but has been increasingly active in the country's north, numbering in the thousands. Among the militants are many Uzbek nationals, formerly members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan militant group.
Maldives top judge threatened with death: lawyer
The Maldives' top judge received death threats before his arrest in a regime crackdown, his lawyer said today ahead of a United Nations Security Council hearing on the island nation's political crisis. Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed was warned he would be "cut into pieces" if he did not overturn a court order quashing convictions against high-profile political dissidents, his lawyer Hisaan Hussain said. Saeed was arrested as President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the honeymoon islands after refusing to obey the court order. The top judge was accused of accepting bribes to impeach the regime leader, who has jailed most of his political opponents. "The Chief Justice was forcefully dragged on the floor from his chambers by uniformed security personnel in riot gear after he told them they were in contempt of court," Hussain said. He did not say who issued the threats. Saeed is among two top justices detained in a sweeping crackdown by Yameen, who has doubled .
Encounter underway between CISF, Naxals in Chhattisgarh
An encounter is currently underway between the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel and Naxals in Dantewada's Bacheli in Chhattisgarh.Earlier on Thursday, security forces had arrested a Naxal from the forest area of Bijapur's Basaguda. Detonator, wires and other equipment were also recovered from him.Further details are awaited.
Pence promotes peace with N.Korea
US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday said that Washington was committed to peacefully resolving the challenge posed by the North Korean regime's nuclear weapons programme, but did not rule out resorting to military force if necessary.
North Korea holds military parade on eve of Games: Seoul
North Korea staged a military parade in Pyongyang today, Seoul said, in a show of strength just a day before the Winter Olympics open in the South. The nuclear-armed North is on an Olympics-linked publicity drive -- sending a troupe of performers, hundreds of female cheerleaders, and the sister of leader Kim Jong Un to the South. In recent days, thousands of troops and hundreds of armoured vehicles have been seen rehearsing for the display in the capital. Unlike the North's last parade in April 2017 its state television did not show it live. But a Seoul government source told AFP: "We have learned that North Korea staged a military parade at Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang." Analysts say that with the dual approach, the North is looking to normalise its status as a "de facto nuclear state", and could be trying to weaken sanctions against it or drive a wedge between the South and its ally the US. North Korea is under multiple sets of UN Security Council sanctions over its
J&K Police accept security lapses led to terrorist's escape
The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday said the audacious attack and subsequent escape of a Pakistani terrorist from a Srinagar hospital two days back was a well planned and executed conspiracy that threw open chinks in the security setup.
Pence: US 'ready for any eventuality' on NKorea
Vice President Mike Pence said today the United States was "ready for any eventuality" with regard to North Korea and warned that "all options were on the table" to deal with Pyongyang's threats. Speaking to US and Japanese troops at the Yokota Air Base outside Tokyo, Pence vowed to continue the "maximum pressure campaign" on North Korea in a bid to force Pyongyang to give up its nuclear missile programme. Pence's trip to Asia comes amid an apparent thaw on the Korean peninsula, spurred by North Korea's participation in what is being hailed the "peace" Olympics in Pyeongchang in the South. But he struck a tough tone, citing a string of rights abuses and stressing: "Those who dare threaten us would do well not to underestimate the capabilities of the armed forces of the United States. "Let the world know, from here in Yokota Air Base and beyond, we are ready for any eventuality. "Let our adversaries know: All options are on the table and the American armed forces and ...
Lankan navy apprehends 7 Indian fishermen
The Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday apprehended seven Indian fishermen along with one boat at the Palk Bay near the Delft island.The fishermen have been taken to Kankesanthurai naval camp for interrogation.Fishermen from both the countries are being apprehended on a regular basis for violating each other's territorial waters or doing suspicious activities.Last month, the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 12 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing near Neduntheevu island in Palk Strait in northern Sri Lanka.
Al-Qaeda still going strong as IS crumbles: UN report
Al-Qaeda's global network remains "remarkably resilient," posing more of a threat in some regions than the Islamic State group, UN sanctions monitors said in a report today. The report sent to the Security Council said that Al- Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), based in Yemen, served as a communications hub for the UN-designated terror group as a whole. "Al-Qaeda affiliates remain the dominant terror threat in some regions, such as Somalia and Yemen, a fact demonstrated by a continuous stream of attacks and foiled operations," said the report. In West Africa and South Asia, Al-Qaeda-linked groups pose as serious a threat as IS affiliates who "currently remain unable to reach a dominant position," it said. UN member-states however see potential for linkups between Al-Qaeda and IS groups to support each other, warning that in some regions this could be a new threat, the report said. The Islamic State lost its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq last year but ...
Cabinet nods Inda-US deal on law enforcement training
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) of the United States and the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) of India on law enforcement training.This has paved the way for enhanced cooperation between the two countries in security-related matters under the aegis of the India-US Homeland Security Dialogue.The MoC will help in improving the standards of training, training materials and the quality of trainers, which will go a long way in improving the functioning of police forces in the country and realizing the concept of 'SMART' police.India and the US share a common interest to fight terrorism and transnational crimes in all their forms and manifestations and to prevent the continued growth of terrorist organisations.Both countries also share a common interest in protecting the homeland and vital infrastructures
3 Pakistanis named as 'terrorist facilitators' by US
The United States on Wednesday sanctioned three individuals allegedly linked to Pakistan-based terror networks.A US Treasury Department release said its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated three individuals - Rahman Zeb Faqir Muhammad, Hizb Ullah Astam Khan and Dilawar Khan Nadir Khan - as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) for providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.According to the statement, all property and interests in property of the three were blocked and the department prohibited the US citizens from engaging in transactions with them."Treasury continues to aggressively pursue and expose radicals who support terrorist organisations and run illicit financial networks across South Asia. We are targeting operatives who have provided logistical support, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other technological assistance to Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e Taiba, Taliban and other terrorist groups," Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial .
US drone strikes Al Qaeda-held area in Yemen
About four militants of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda branch were killed when a US drone strike hit their hideout in the central province of al-Bayda on Wednesday, a security official told Xinhua.
Brazilian troops, police stage operation in Rio favela
More than 3,000 soldiers and police officers staged an operation today in Rio de Janeiro's City of God favela in response to spiraling violence just days before the world famous carnival. Brazilian officials said 38 people were arrested in the operation, which followed mounting insecurity in City of God and other favelas where drug traffickers armed with automatic rifles rule the streets. Troops were deployed at dawn mostly to encircle City of God, blocking access roads, while heavily armed police entered in search of suspects. However, an AFP correspondent also saw soldiers inside the favela where they and police guarded the maze-like network of streets. Officials said five minors were among those detained in the operation, which focused on seeking a slew of gang leaders. Security forces also seized drugs, guns and ammunition, said the Rio state security ministry. At least three people were killed last week in shootouts between police and drug gangs in City of God, a ...
US adding air power, intelligence gathering in Afghanistan
The US is shifting combat and intelligence-gathering aircraft to Afghanistan as part of an intensified focus on the Taliban, now that the campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria is winding down, the commander of coalition air forces in Afghanistan said today. Air Force Maj Gen James Hecker told reporters at the Pentagon in a video teleconference from Kabul that on February 1 the US Central Command officially designated Afghanistan as its "main effort," supplanting the counter-Islamic State campaign in Iraq and Syria. Central Command is responsible for all US military operations in the broader Middle East as well as Central Asia. Hecker emphasized the importance of increased support from US intelligence agencies, whose analysis and expertise help the military identify targets to strike. "This behind-the-scenes legwork allows us to hit the Taliban where it hurts most, whether it's command-and-control ... or their pocketbooks," Hecker said. He said the ..