Page 80 - War Conflict
Gunmen kill six during Catholic mass in Burkina Faso
Gunmen killed a priest and five churchgoers during mass Sunday in an attack on a Catholic church in Dablo, northern Burkina Faso, security sources and a local official said. "Towards 9.00 am, during mass, armed individuals burst into the Catholic church," the mayor of Dablo, Ousmane Zongo, told AFP. "They started firing as the congregation tried to flee." The attackers -- between 20 and 30 according to a security source -- managed to trap some of the worshippers, Zongo added. "They killed five of them. The priest, who was celebrating mass, was also killed, bringing the number of dead to six." The gunmen then set fire to the church, several shops and a small cafe before heading to the local health centre, which they looted, burning the chief nurse's vehicle. "There is an atmosphere of panic in the town," said Zongo. "People are holed up in their homes, nothing is going on. The shops and stores are closed. It's practically a ghost town," he added. Security reinforcements were sent from .
BLA releases video message warning China against its presence in Balochistan
A day after claiming the responsibility for the attack on the iconic Pearl Continental Hotel here, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) released a video message on Sunday.In the four-minute long video, the BLA militants are heard warning China stop "aiding Pakistan to brutally suppress Baloch civilians." The video was posted at vimeo.com."Baloch youth has time and again warned China to immediately stop its exploitation of Baloch land. But China has failed to take notice of our genuine concerns. China is using Baloch land to further its evil designs and in doing so it is aiding Pakistan to brutally suppress Baloch civilians."The BLA militants claimed that scores of families in Balochistan have "suffered at the hands of Pakistan military" due to China's ambitious infrastructure project -- China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)."Because of the so-called CPEC, scores of Baloch families have suffered at the hands of the Pakistani military, which are financially aided and armed with ...
Curfew relaxed in Hailakandi, internet services remain suspended
The Hailakandi district administration in Assam relaxed the indefinite curfew for three hours on Sunday, even though internet services remained suspended in the entire Barak valley. District Magistrate Keerthi Jalli ordered relaxation in curfew in the entire district from 12 noon to 3 pm, as no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the last 24 hours. The curfew, along with prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC, will remain in force till 7 am on Monday in order to maintain law and order in the district, Jalli said. "The overall law and order situation will be reviewed and a decision will be taken whether to lift the curfew after 7 am tomorrow (Monday)," another senior official said. During the three-hour relaxation of the curfew, most shops and business establishments remained closed and only private vehicles were seen on the roads. Internet services, too, remained suspended in Hailakandi, Karimganj and Cachar districts of Barak Valley since Friday night. "The services ...
Polling peaceful in Haryana, 62.91 pc voting recorded
The voting in Haryana remained peaceful and incident-free, said Director General of Police (DGP) Manoj Yadava on Sunday evening. The state recorded 62.91 pc polling."The polling for 10 Lok Sabha seats was conducted in a peaceful and incident-free manner thanks to excellent police arrangements, decisive intervention and energetic patrolling carried out since early morning across the state," he said.The DGP said that round-the-clock monitoring of polling situation was conducted by senior officers through State Police Control Room at Police headquarter.Police have taken all precautionary measures for ensuring peaceful polling due to which voters turned up in large numbers in their respective polling stations to exercise their franchise.He said that not even a single incident of poll-related violence was reported from anywhere till completion of polling. However, two incidents of violence were reported from Sonipat and Fatehabad districts which are not related to elections.More than ...
5 persons, 3 militants killed in Gwadar hotel attack; Defence forces clear hotel of IEDs
At least eight persons, including four civilians, a Pakistan Navy soldier and three militants, were killed in Saturday's deadly attack on a luxury hotel in the port city of Gwadar in the restive Balochistan province, as the security forces cleared the building and defused explosive devices left behind by the attackers, the Pakistan Army said Sunday. Three militants of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), armed with automatic weapons, stormed the Pearl Continental (PC) Hotel in Gwadar and opened random firing, killing a guard on Saturday. All three attackers were killed by the security forces. China has built a deep-sea port in Gwadar, which is one of the focal points of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Beijing has invested over USD 50 billion to link the port city with the China's far-western Xinjiang region. Many Chinese and workers from other provinces of Pakistan are also employed at the port. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday condemned a deadly attack on ..
Two LeT terrorists killed in Shopian encounter in J-K
Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Hind Sita Pora area here on Sunday morning. The slain terrorists were affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit -- Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), police said.According to police, the terrorists have been identified as Javid Ahmad Bhat and Adil Bashir Wani belongs to Kulgam.Police said both the terrorists were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.As per the police records, these terrorists had a long history of terror crime and several terror crime cases were registered against them.According to police records, they had a long history of terror crime records and a series of terror crime cases were registered against him for planning and executing terror attacks in the area. They were also responsible for recruiting youth from adjoining areas of Kulgam to join the proscribed terror outfits.Police said: "Arms and ammunition were .
Sudan tribal clashes kill 7, wound 22: local official
Clashes between members of two Sudanese tribes in an eastern town have left seven people dead and 22 wounded over the past two days, a local official said Sunday. The violence erupted on Saturday between members of the Nuba and Bani Amer tribes in the town of Gadaref, said Mohieddine Ahmed, governor of Gadaref province. "It all started when a woman from the Nuba tribe and a water vendor from the Bani Amer tribe quarrelled over the price of water" on Saturday, Ahmed told AFP. "The verbal dispute ended with the vendor killing the woman, which triggered anger among her tribe members." Members of the two groups then set fire to homes and shops belonging to each other's kin, Ahmed added. "In the ensuing clashes seven people have been killed and 22 wounded," Ahmed said, adding that the two groups have clashed in the past. The wounded included seven policemen, he said, as officers sought to separate the groups with tear gas and by firing shots in the air. Ahmed said the fighting that erupted
Catholics hold first Sunday mass in Colombo post-blasts
Catholics in the Sri Lankan cities of Colombo and Negombo, where churches were targeted by suicide bombers on Easter Sunday, held their first Sunday masses since the attacks which brought the country to a standstill and claimed more than 250 lives.
Two LeT militants killed in encounter in J-K's Shopian
Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were Sunday killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said. The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Hend Sitapur area in south Kashmir in the early hours of Sunday morning following a specific information about the presence of militants there, a police spokesperson said. He said as the forces were conducting searches, the militants fired upon them. The security forces retaliated the firing, ensuing a gunfight in which two militants were killed, he said. The bodies of the slain militants have been recovered and they have been identified as Javid Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Redwani Kulgam and Adil Bashir Wani, hailing from Waripora area of D H Pora in Kulgam, the spokesperson said. He said according to police records, both the militants were affiliated with the LeT outfit. "They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attack on security ...
UN says rebel pullout from Yemen ports on track
The United Nations said Sunday that a Yemeni rebel withdrawal from key Red Sea ports was proceeding as planned, after the government accused the insurgents of faking the pullout. The first day of the redeployment by Huthi insurgents from the ports of Hodeida, Saleef and Ras Issa on Saturday "went in accordance with established plans," a UN statement said. "All three ports were monitored simultaneously by United Nations teams as the military forces left the ports and the Coast Guard took over responsibility for security," it added. Military equipment is expected to be removed in the coming days, while demining is also planned, the statement said. Formal verification of the first redeployment will take place at the three ports on Tuesday, according to the UN. Hodeida port serves as a lifeline for millions in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, which has been pushed to the brink of famine by more than four years of devastating war. The pullback is considered a first step in ...
Syria says insurgent shelling kills 6 civilians in northwest
Insurgents fired rockets into a government-held Christian town in northwestern Syria on Sunday, killing six people, including five children who were playing near a monastery and wounding several others, state media and a local priest said. State TV said the shelling just before noon caused widespread material damage to the town of Suqailabiyah. It said the dead also included a 35-year-old woman. State news agency SANA said Syrian troops had retaliated by firing shells toward insurgents' positions on the southern edge of Idlib province, the last major rebel stronghold in the country. Al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, is the main insurgent group in the area. Priest Maher Haddad told The Associated Press by telephone from Suqailabiyah that a rocket struck near a group of children, instantly killing five and wounding others. He said the woman was killed in a nearby street by a separate rocket. "The kids went out to play after some days of calm," Haddad said, since the town had
Muslim cleric wanted for airing extremist views arrested by Lankan authorities
A 47-year old Muslim cleric wanted by the Sri Lankan security forces for using social media platform to air extremist views has been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport, a media report said. The cleric, whose identity has not been disclosed, was wanted for releasing videos in a manner that harms reconciliation in the country and has been remanded till May 14, the Daily Mirror reported. The suspect, a resident of Vavuniya, was arrested on Saturday at the airport after his arrival from Mecca after performing Hajj. The suspect had been organising pilgrimage tours to Mecca, the paper reported. The arrest of the cleric came days after the Sri Lankan government said the trustees of all the mosques in the country should not engage in or allow any gathering to promote or propagate hatred and also directed them to send the audio recordings of the sermons to authorities. The government's order was after security forces recovered swords and other weapons from mosques during search
Lankan Catholics hold first Sunday mass since Easter attacks
Sri Lanka's Catholic Church held its first Sunday mass amid tight security, three weeks after devastating suicide attacks on three churches and luxury hotels that killed over 250 people on the Easter Sunday. Regular services were cancelled across all churches after the deadly suicide attacks claimed by the Islamic State. However, the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith conducted private Sunday services in the past two weeks, which were broadcast live on national television. Cardinal Ranjith announced Thursday that mass would be held in his diocese from Sunday. It was just this morning (Sunday) that churches resumed their normal Sunday services since the attack, residents said. Security has been beefed up across Sri Lanka after the April 21 attacks on three churches, two of them Catholic, and three luxury hotels. Authorities did not allow any vehicles into the compound of the churches and worshippers were asked to bring only minimum baggage. The security forces are ...
Islamic preacher held in Sri Lanka for inciting extremism
A 47-year-old preacher has been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in the Sri Lankan capital on charges of using social media platform to air extremist views, the police said.
Sri Lanka imposes curfew in western coastal town after communal clashes
Sri Lankan police on Sunday imposed curfew with immediate effect in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw after a mosque and few shops owned by Muslims were attacked by a mob, authorities said. The curfew has been imposed till 6 am Monday as a precaution, the police said. Additional troops have been deployed in the city to bring the situation under control, they said. Tension was brewing since Saturday between the Catholics and Muslims in the Christian dominated town. This is a fallout from the Easter Sunday attacks in which over 250 people were killed. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others on the Easter Sunday. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group, the National Thawheed Jama'ath (NTJ), for the bombings. Some inflammatory exchanges happened between .
Airstrikes kill 24 Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan
Multiple airstrikes across three provinces in Afghanistan left at least 24 Taliban terrorists dead on Sunday.Airstrikes in Zurmat and Bermal districts of Paktika province left 20 terrorists dead, Khaama Press reported while quoting military sources.Furthermore, two Taliban terrorists were killed in Andar district of Ghazni province, while another two were killed in Farsi district of Herat province.The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces have beefed up operations against anti-establishment armed militants who have carried out terror activities across Afganistan.So far, the Taliban has not released any statement regarding the airstrikes.
Afghan official: gunmen kill provincial intelligence officer
An Afghan official says unidentified gunmen killed a deputy intelligence director for northern Baghlan province. The provincial official says Abdul Ghafour Mahmoud was shot Sunday while travelling to the capital, Kabul, and another intelligence agent was wounded. The official spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to speak to the media. He says the attack took place on the outskirts of Baghlan's provincial capital, Puli Khumri, and an investigation is underway. He says it's still unclear if one or more gunmen carried out the attack before fleeing the scene. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting, but provincial officials blamed Taliban insurgents who are active in the province and have repeatedly targeted government officials and Afghan security forces.
Taliban may retake Afghan control post US pullout: Gates
Former US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said that there is a "real risk" that if American troops are pulled out of Afghanistan, the Taliban might retake control of the country.
8 'terrorists' killed in Saudi operation
Eight members of a "terrorist" cell have been killed in a security operation in Saudi Arabia's Qatif region, the state media reported.
Sri Lanka: Police arrest Islamic preacher for inciting extremism on social media
A 47-year-old moulavi, an Islamic preacher, was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Colombo on charges of using social media platforms to air extremist views, the police said on Sunday.The suspect, a resident of Vavuniya, was arrested on Saturday morning by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) upon his arrival from Mecca after performing Hajj, The Daily Mirror reported.The police said that the suspect was organising pilgrimage tours to Mecca.The moulavi has been remanded till May 14 after he was produced before the Negombo Magistrate's Court a day before.The arrest comes after eight coordinated explosions jolted Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo, Kochchikede and Batticaloa on April 21 as the Christian community celebrated Easter. Islamic State or Daesh claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks that left 257 people dead and several hundred others injured.In the wake of the attacks, Sri Lankan authorities, last month, banned two local Islamist ...