Page 803 - War Conflict
Egypt's Sisi sacks his intelligence chief: state media
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al- Sisi has fired his powerful intelligence chief, state media said today, in the latest shake-up of the country's security services. Sisi appointed his chief-of-staff and close ally General Abbas Kamel as interim replacement for outgoing intelligence head General Khaled Fawzy, according to state media. No reason was given for the move, which comes ahead of presidential elections to be held in March. Sisi, who has run the country with an iron fist since 2014, has not yet officially declared himself a candidate, but he is widely expected to stand and win. A former army chief, Sisi was elected in 2014 a year after leading the military's overthrow of his predecessor Mohamed Morsi amid mass protests against the Islamist's year- long rule. Since then Egypt's security forces have faced a string of attacks, notably in the Sinai Peninsula where the Islamic State group is waging a deadly insurgency. In October Sisi named a new armed forces chief of
Govt gives VIP security cover to WB BJP chief
The Centre has accorded VIP security cover of central paramilitary commandos to West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh. Official sources said Ghosh has been provided with a 'Y' category security cover of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). A small team of about 2-3 armed commandos will move with the state BJP President when he travels in West Bengal, they said. The Union Home Ministry, they said, recently accorded the sanction for the cover after a threat analysis report by central security agencies favoured such a protection for Ghosh. Two FIRs were recently lodged against Ghosh on charges of making alleged "instigating statements" which could incite violence in the state, the state police had said. The CISF provides specialised VIP security cover to over 70 VIPs and has a special team for the task.
Army jawan buried with full military honours
The body of Army jawan Shamshad Khan, who was martyred in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri town, was buried today with full military honours at his native village in Jhunjhunu. His body draped in tricolour was brought to Taal village of Jhunjhunu district where local MLAs, government officials paid tribute to the slain soldier. Floral wreaths were laid after which a contingent of Army jawans fired in the air as a mark of respect to the departed soul. People from surrounding villages participated in the burial. Khans father Hamid Khan had given services to Rajasthan police whereas his elder brothers Amir Ali and Faiyyaz Khan had also served Army and his younger brother is sub-inspector in state police services. Chief Minister Vasudhara Raje also condoled the bereaved family saying people of the state and the country are proud of him.
India reiterates status quo being maintained in Doklam
India on Thursday dismissed as "inaccurate and mischievous" reports appearing in a section of the media about fresh Chinese troops build-up in the Doklam region on the India-China-Bhutan trijunction.
INS Vikramaditya affiliated to Bihar Regiment, IAF's No. 6 Squadron
Indian Naval Ship Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy's largest ship and its sole aircraft carrier was formally affiliated to the Indian Army's highly-decorated and battle-hardened Bihar Regiment and the Indian Air Force's No. 6 Squadron, that is tasked with maritime strike operations with its Jaguar fighter aircraft.
IED defused by J-K Police
An old Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was defused by the police on Thursday at Ponda village in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.On specific information, Doda police immediately conducted a search operation and traced out the IED.Police defused it successfully, with the help of experts.
No change in status quo in Doklam: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today dismissed reports of Chinese troops regathering near Doklam, saying that the status quo at the face-off site has not been altered."Our attention has been drawn to some reports that question the accuracy of the position stated by the Government in respect to the situation in Doklam. Subsequently, in response to repeated questions about any change in the status quo at the face-off site, Government had stated that there was no basis for such imputations", Raveesh Kumar, the official spokesperson of the MEA, said in a statement."Government would once again reiterate that the status quo at the face-off site has not been altered. Any suggestion to the contrary is inaccurate and mischievous", he added.His remarks come in the wake of recent media reports about China apparently taking control of the northern side of the Doklam Plateau.According to the reports, China has taken some infrastructure development activities in the disputed ...
1 killed in Karachi grenade attack
At least one civilian was killed and five others injured in a hand grenade attack in a busy market in Pakistan's Karachi on Thursday, a senior police official said.
Young boy killed, five injured in Trinamool faction fight
A young boy was killed and at least five others, including a police official, were injured in a gunfight between two factions of the state's ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Thursday, police said.
Afghan official: roadside a mine has killed 5 people western
A government official says a mine possibly meant for later use against security forces exploded in a residential home in western Afghanistan, killing five people. Jelani Farhad, spokesman for the governor of western Hirat province, said Thursday the mine exploded Wednesday night in a house in the remote Shindand district, killing five members of a family and wounding three others. Among the victims were women and children, Farhad said. He said the district is controlled by the Taliban. Also on Wednesday, Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor in Farha province, said Taliban fighters killed two police and six of the insurgents were also killed in a gun battle.
Status quo not altered at Doklam: India
India said today that the status quo has not been altered at Doklam, where Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a stand-off for over two months last year, and rejected any suggestion to the contrary as "inaccurate and mischievous". "Our attention has been drawn to some reports that question the accuracy of the position stated by the government in respect to the situation in Doklam," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. He said that in response to repeated questions about any change in the status quo at the face-off site, the government has stated that there was no basis for such imputations. "Government would once again reiterate that the status quo at the face-off site has not been altered. Any suggestion to the contrary is inaccurate and mischievous," he said. Kumar's remarks come in the wake of media reports about China carrying out some infrastructure development in the disputed region. Indian and Chinese troops had been locked in a ...
1 killed, 9 injured as vehicle falls into gorge in J-K
At least one person was today killed and nine others were injured when their vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, police said. The vehicle was on its way from Halwagan to Neel, they said. One person, identified as Ghulam Rasool, died on the spot and nine others were injured, three of them seriously, the police said, adding that the injured have been admitted to a hospital.
Insider attack leaves 9 policemen dead in Afghanistan
An insider attack against the police in Afghanistan's Helmand province claimed the lives of nine police personnel on Thursday, a local official said.
213 militants killed in 2017: J-K govt
The Jammu and Kashmir government today said that 213 militants were killed and 51 civilians died in militancy-related incidents last year. In a written reply to a question of BJP's Sat Sharma, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti told the Legislative Assembly that 213 militants, including 127 foreign militants and 86 local militants, were killed in 2017 as compared to 150 militants, including 119 foreign militants and 31 local militants, in 2016. Similarly, 51 civilians died in 2017 and as many as 20 civilians died in 2016 in militancy-related incidents, she said. The government has taken a number of steps to check cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said. The chief minister said that these measures include border-fencing and its electrification, installation of night-vision devices, target-oriented inputs on infiltration, among others. She said that the border is being manned by security forces who are adequately equipped in terms of manpower and ...
Militants kill mother-daughter polio workers in Pak
Unidentified gunmen today shot dead a mother and her daughter who were part of a polio vaccination team in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province. The gunmen opened fire on the polio team in the Shalkot area, killing the two women in what law enforcers believe is a targeted attack, Dawn reported, quoting police sources. The attackers escaped unhurt from the site of the attack, police said. Earlier today, two policemen were shot dead in a targeted attack in the Zarghoon Road area in Quetta. Polio teams have been the target of militants after the Taliban spread rumours that the vaccination drives were a front for espionage or a conspiracy to sterilise Muslims. The last major attack targeting a polio vaccination team in Quetta took place two years ago in January 2016 in the Satellite Town area. At least 13 policemen and a civilian were killed in the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan-claimed suicide attack near a polio centre.
Myanmar makes record drug bust with 30 million meth pills
Myanmar has seized 30 million meth pills along with more than two tonnes of "ice" and heroin in a record bust, the government said today, as drugs pour from labs in lawless border regions. The operation in a remote part of northern Myanmar came after the Tuesday arrests of four suspected traffickers who led police to a house in Shan State's Kutkai township where the haul was discovered, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement. "It's the biggest drug seizure with the largest amount (by value and quantity) in (our) history," a senior police officer from the anti-drug department told AFP on the condition of anonymity as the investigation was ongoing. In addition to the meth tablets, the authorities found 502 kilograms of heroin and 1,750 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, or ice, bringing the total estimated value to $54 million, or one-fifth of the amount of narcotics seized in the country in all of 2017. A picture of the packages of drugs stacked high on a ...
US seeks extradition of top Al-Qaeda suspect held in France
The US has sought the extradition of a top Al-Qaeda suspect for allegedly providing "critical" support to "most prolific" terrorists like Osama bin Laden and plotting to target Americans and Israelis during a meeting in Pakistan. Christian Ganczarski, aka Abu Mohamed -- a German citizen born in Poland -- is at present lodged in a prison in France, where he spent last 15 years. In March 2000, he attended a meeting in Karachi at which US and Israeli targets for terrorist attacks were discussed. A sealed indictment in this regard was made public yesterday. Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey S Berman said: "Christian Ganczarski, a German national, allegedly provided critical support to the most prolific terrorists of our time". "Today, we publicly announce charges against Ganczarski alleging that he participated in the planning of plots to kill Americans with high-level al-Qaeda terrorists Khaled Shaikh Mohammad, Osama bin Laden and others," said Berman. Ganczarski allegedly ...
Situation tense at LoC: BSF DG
Director General (DG) of Border Security Force (BSF) KK Sharma on Thursday described the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir as "tensed"."The situation is pretty tensed. A continuous ceasefire has been going along the LoC, now it's been happening in IB as well", DG BSF KK Sharma said at a press conference here.However, DG Sharma added that they retaliated effectively to Pakistan's ceasefire violation in RS Pura sector since 11 p.m. on Wednesday."We retaliated effectively which led to damage on that (Pakistan) side. BSF never starts it but when they do, we make sure we take strong action. Martyrdom of Head Constable A Suresh will not go in vain", said DH Sharma.Talking about the ceasefire, he said that there could have been a possibility of infiltration as well."The place where they engaged us has a stream nearby, there could have been a possibility of infiltration but our troops made sure that no such incident takes place", he ..
Israeli forces kill suspect in rabbi's murder in West Bank
Israeli forces raided a Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank overnight to arrest suspects in the recent murder of an Israeli, leaving one of them dead and sparking clashes, officials said. Two Israeli special forces members were wounded during the raid on Jenin that began late last night and continued into Thursday morning, the Israeli military said. A number of arrests were made. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed a Palestinian was killed in the operation, naming him as Ahmed Jarrar, 22. Jarrar was the son of Nasser Jarrar, a militant of Islamist movement Hamas who was killed while fighting Israeli forces in the second Palestinian intifada, his family said. Witnesses said two houses belonging to the family were also demolished during the operation. The Israeli military said that during the raid "a violent riot was instigated. Palestinian rioters hurled IEDs, blocks and rocks and fired at the forces." "In order to disperse the violent riot, forces responded ..
Myanmar urges Bangladesh to extradite 1,300 'rebel' Rohingyas
Myanmar said on Thursday that it has asked Bangladesh to arrest and extradite more than 1,300 Rohingyas suspected of taking part in a rebel assault against government checkpoints in Rakhine state in August last year.