Page 820 - War Conflict
LTTE financiers trial begin in Switzerland
The trial of 13 financiers accused of funneling over 15 million Swiss francs ($15 million) to the now vanquished Sri Lankan rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), began at the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland.
382 Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists in 2017
In a report documented by Palestine's Wafa news agency, the Israeli forces committed violence on at least 382 Palestinian journalists on duty in both Israel and Palestine in 2017.In a report released on Monday, the Wafa agency noted that the violations included the use of live fire, rubber-coated bullets and teargas canisters against journalists, in addition to physical beating and arrest.The report said that around 213 journalists were injured by live fire or rubber-coated rounds, suffocated by teargas or beaten by Israeli forces. At least, 142 more were either arrested or targeted by gun fires. Another 27 of them were documented by the forces, showing them being thrashed."Although journalists wear vests with visible signs, indicating their work during the confrontation, the occupation forces do not care about this. They target them directly in order to prevent the truth about (Israel's) barbaric crimes from being known", the report also mentioned.The report comes after days, when ...
FIR against organisers of Jignesh Mevani-Umar Khalid event
An FIR has been filed against the organisers of 'Elgaar Parishad' an event where Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid gave speech on December 31 in Pune.The case has been registered under the section 153 A, 505(1) (B), and 117, 34 of Indian Penal Code (IPC).However, earlier on January 5, Mevani denied of making inflammatory speech in Pune.Addressing a press conference, Mevani said, "Not even a single word of my speech was inflammatory or provocative."An F.I.R. was registered against Mevani and Khalid in Pune on Thursday under sections 153(A), 505 and 117 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).The F.I.R. was registered after two complainants -- Akshay Bikkad and Anand Dhond - approached police and alleged Mevani and Khalid had made "provocative" comments in the event organised to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon.The dalit leader alleged that the 'false' F.I.R. is the brainchild of the ...
Syria regime takes on two rebel bastions
Regime forces upped the pressure on two of the last rebel bastions in Syria today, pounding the Eastern Ghouta enclave near Damascus and the northern province of Idlib. Shelling and air strikes on Ghouta, which government forces have besieged for four years, killed at least 20 civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The semi-rural area east of the Syrian capital is home to around 400,000 inhabitants and is targeted almost daily by regime forces trying to flush out rebel groups. On Monday, a woman and her three children were killed in regime strikes on Douma, which is the main town in Eastern Ghouta, Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Observatory, said. In the town's morgue, medics were wrapping the children's shredded bodies in shrouds amid the shrieks of bereaved parents, an AFP correspondent reported. Chaos engulfed the rudimentary facility as rescuers kept rushing in more wounded, some of whom died before they could receive life-saving ..
Major reduction of Chinese troops in Doklam
Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Monday said there has been a major reduction of Chinese troops in Doklam.
3 injured as Odisha ambulance service staff clash with police
Three persons including two policemen were today injured when members of the Odisha Ambulance Service Employees Union clashed with the police while trying to barge into the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), Northern Division, police said. The union members had staged a dharna near the office of the RDC protesting the arrest of their colleagues, who had earlier staged another dharna over various demands on January 4. The agitators clashed with the police as they were prevented from entering the RDC office. However, some agitators threw sand and pelted stones at the police following which police resorted to mild lathi charge, an eyewitness said. Police however, denied any lathicharge on the protestors. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Amarendra Rana said, "We discussed with them and asked them to send a five-member team to the office of the RDC to submit the memorandum. But they tried to barge into the office. They pelted stones and threw ...
Jordan arrests 17 suspected of plotting attacks
Jordan's intelligence service said today it has arrested 17 people suspected of links to the Islamic State group and of planning attacks in the kingdom. The service "foiled... a major destructive terrorist plot planned by a terrorist cell loyal to Daesh during November 2017," it said in a statement, using an Arabic acronym for IS. The group had planned to carry out "several simultaneous terrorist attacks aimed at shaking national security, creating chaos and terrifying citizens," it said. It did not specify the nationalities of those arrested, but said it had seized weapons and other materials that were to be used in the attacks. The targets included "security and military bases, commercial centres, media channels and moderate clerics", and the suspects planned to fund them by robbing banks and selling stolen cars, the statement said. The suspects were referred to the public prosecutor and charged with planning "terrorist acts", among other charges. Jordan, a key US ally, .
ATS team raids hotels, detains terror suspect
In a joint operation, the Uttar Pradesh Police's Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Kanpur police conducted raids at three hotels in Ghantaghar pocket and nabbed a suspect allegedly operating for a terror module active in the eastern belt, officials said today. The suspect was interrogated intensively by the ATS and Intelligence sleuths, the police officials said. During the raid, ATS sleuths seized a laptop and diary of another suspect from a hotel room that was locked from the outside. The door was broke open and the belongings including laptop and diary belonging to a suspect from Muzaffarpur in Bihar seized, they said. Superintendent of Police (East), Anurag Arya, told PTI that top ATS sleuths had received inputs about a suspect from national intelligence agencies. After getting a tip-off, the ATS team comprising 40 commandos apart from police personnel of Rail-Bazar, Harbansh-Mohal, Babupurwa, Fazalganj and Raipurwa raided three hotels in Ghanta-ghar vicinity. ATSs .
PLFI commander, aide arrested in Jharkhand
A 'sub zonal commander' of rebel outfit Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI) was today arrested along with an aide when they arrived at Balumath-Chandwa main road under Balumath police station to collect levy, police said. Acting on a tip-off that a PLFI sub-zonal commander Dabloo Yadav along with his aide Deepak Pandey would be arriving near the under-construction Yogiadih Railway crossing to collect levy, Superintendent of Police Prasant Anand constituted a police team to apprehend them today. Addressing a press conference here, Anand said the police team rounded up Yadav and Pandey soon after they arrived while another accomplice managed to give police the slip. A country-made pistol, three live cartridges, six mobile phones and a PLFI letter pad was recovered from their possession, he said. A squad headed by Yadav, who was an active member of CPI (Maoists) before he joined PLFI, was active in Chandwa, Latehar, Balumath, Ghagra police station limits. Several ...
Pak court grants bail to TTP chief's father-in-law
A Pakistani court today granted bail to the father-in-law of Pakistani Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah over eight years after he was arrested on charges of sedition and terrorism. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) granted bail to 84-year-old Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the chief of banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM), due to his old age and poor health. Vying for implementation of Sharia in Pakistan, TNSM was declared a terrorist outfit and banned in 2002. It operates mainly in the Dir region, Swat and Malakand districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Muhammad was arrested in 2009 by Pakistan army during military operation Operation Black Thunderstorm in Swat against the Taliban. He was arrested along with his two aides for inciting violence and committing terrorism. He was charged with sedition, aiding terrorism and conspiracy. The court ordered release of Muhammad, who is currently hospitalised, against two surety bonds of Rs 700,000 each. His arrest came ..
Several killed in deadly airstrikes in Syria
Multiple airstrikes on residential areas in the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib, Syria killed as many as 24 civilians late Sunday night.Anadolu news agency quoted sources as saying that 12 people were killed in raids that targeted Falul village.The insiders revealed that three civilians were killed by airstrikes in Kafr Nabl town, two in Abu Adh Dhuhu town, three in Sheikh Ahmad village, and four in al-Gadfa and Kansafra villages.They further said that numerous aitstrikes were carried throughout the night.However, it is not clear that which side carried out the airstrikes.The airstrikes came after four explosions claimed the lives of at least 30 people in Idlib on Sunday.Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. Protesters have been long demanding the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his autocratic rule.
Security forces unearth powerful IED planted by naxals
A major tragedy was averted today when a joint patrol party of troopers unearthed a powerful IED planted by naxals near an under-construction bridge in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said. The 20-kg IED was unearthed byajoint team of the CRPF's 168th battalion and the local police from Tarrem village forest under Basaguda police station limits, a senior police official told PTI. "When security forces were carrying out patrolling in the area they spotted the pressure IED hidden beneath the earth near an under-construction bridge," he said, adding that the bomb disposal squad immediately destroyed the explosive. The bridge is part of the under-construction Basaguda- (Bijapur) Jagargunda (Sukma) road. With this recovery, at least four powerfulIEDs have been recoveredin separate incidents in the same area of Basaguda during the past week, he said. Maoists plant IEDsto target security forces during their operations in the region, the official added.
Security forces gun down terrorist in central Kashmir
A militant was gunned down by the security forces today in an encounter in the Chadoora area of central Kashmir's Budgam district, an Army official said. The gunbattle began after security forces launched a search operation in Zuhama village of Chadoora following information about the presence of militants, an official said. The search operation turned into an encounter after the militants, holed up inside a house, opened fire on the security forces, he said. One militant has been killed so far while the operation is in progress, the official said.
2 ULFA cadres injured in exchange of fire with security forces
Two cadres of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were reportedly injured in exchange of fire with security forces at Kakorani Reserve Forest along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, Defence sources said here today. On specific information about presence of ULFA cadres, the Assam Rifles conducted an operation in the area yesterday night and in the ensuing exchange of fire, two rebels of the outfit were injured, Defence spokesman Colonel Chiranjit Konwer said. However, the cadres along with the injured ones managed to escape using cover of darkness, bad weather and dense foliage, the spokesman said in a statement. Security forces subsequently launched search operation and the area was cordoned to trap the escaping militants. This is the second operation in a week after the Assam Rifles busted a temporary hideout of the rebel outfit on January 5 last at Namdapha Reserve Forest under Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. In the run up to the Republic Day, security forces
ISIS terrorist arrested in Pakistan
A terrorist belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or Islamic State (ISIS) has been arrested by Punjab Police's counter-terrorism department (CTD) from Shah Sharif graveyard in the Daska area near Sialkot.Pakistan Today quoted CTD spokesperson as saying that the arrested terrorist, Abu Bakar, was a member of the banned organisation 'Daesh' and was shifted to some undisclosed location for further investigation.The police also seized explosives, detonators and other ammunition from him.According to the spokesperson, Bakar was planning to target sensitive installations in Sialkot.Many persons having affiliation with ISIS were arrested in the country last year.Meanwhile, a recent report revealed that there was an increase in the presence of ISIS in Pakistan in 2017.Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), an Islamabad-based think-tank, had said in its security report that more than 150 people were killed in around six terrorist attacks claimed by ISIS in 2017, Geo news ...
ISIS on rise in Pakistan: report
The Islamic State (IS) militant group poses a major threat to Pakistan and is alarmingly increasing its presence in the country, according to a think- tank report. Pakistan has been denying that ISIS had an organised presence in the country, however, even though the terrorist group has claimed responsibility for several other attacks in Baluchistan in recent years. The security report by Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) yesterday stated that the IS, especially active in northern Sindh and Balochistan, was also behind the abduction and killing of two Chinese nationals last year, Dawn News reported. The PIPS shared the findings of its security analysis titled Special Report 2017, providing an insight into security challenges of Pakistan. "Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamaatul Ahrar and others with similar objectives perpetrated 58 per cent attacks, while 37 per cent and 5 per cent of the attacks were carried out by nationalist insurgents and violent ...
Reduction in Chinese troops post truce in Doklam: Army chief
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Monday said there had been a major reduction in the Chinese troops at the Doklam plateau region between India and China, after a truce was called last year.The 73-day Doklam stand-off came to an end on August 28 after the two sides agreed to withdraw their respective troops from the plateau and the Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's corridor. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan.Commenting on reported intrusion of Chinese in Arunachal Pradesh, General Rawat said that the matter "has been sorted out"."There has been a very major reduction (of troops) from the Chinese side," he told the media."It has been sorted out and we have had our border personnel meeting after that," he said, when asked about the Arunachal Pradesh intrusion.Earlier in the day while addressing a seminar on the Army technology, Rawat said that the Army "would like to" move away from imports in defence technology and "fight the .
Encounter underway in Budgam
An encounter broke out today between security forces and militants hiding in a house in Chadoora area of central Kashmir's Budgam district, police said. The gunbattle began after security forces launched a search operation in Zuhama village of Chadoora following information about presence of militants in the area, a police spokesman said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter when militants, believed to be two, opened fire on security forces. Intermittent exchange of fire was going on when reports last came in, he said. No casualties have been reported so far.
Militant arrested in joint operation by police, Assam Rifles
A militant allegedly involved in the recent kidnapping of a policeman has been arrested in Dima Hasao district, police said. The militant was apprehended during a joint operation conducted by the police and Assam Rifles yesterday. The militant was identified as S S Maj Naimeyning alias Aboy of Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), the police said. A pistol with live ammunition was recovered from his possession A joint team of police and troopers of 43rd and 22nd battalions of Assam Rifles had on January 1 rescued Prafull Phukan, the abducted personal security officer (PSO) of the executive magistrate of North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, from Hungrum village in Dima Hasao district. Phukan had been abducted on December 31.
Trump has to keep Kim 'on his toes': Haley on 'nuclear button'
Nikki Haley has defended US President Donald Trump's recent "nuclear button" tweet warning Kim Jong Un of America's might, saying it was required to keep the North Korean leader "on his toes". Trump last week warned that his "nuclear button" is "much bigger and more powerful" than the one controlled by Kim, days after the North Korean leader said that Pyongyang's nuclear weapons can reach anywhere in the US and threatened that he has a nuclear button on his desk. Haley, the Indian-American US Ambassador to the UN said that the North Korean regime needs to take a series of steps for talks, a day after Trump said that he is open to talks with the North Korean leader. The steps include stop testing missiles and nuclear weapons and be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons, Haley was quoted as saying by ABC News yesterday. Asked if the tweet was a good idea, she said: "I think that he (Trump) always has to keep Kim on his toes. It's very important that we don't .