Page 87 - War Conflict
10 killed in suicide blast outside Sufi shrine in Pakistan's Lahore
A suicide bomber targeting Pakistani security personnel blew himself up outside a revered Sufi shrine here in Punjab province on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people, including five police commandos, and injuring 25 others as the country marks Ramzan. The powerful blast took place around 8:45 am (local time) outside Gate number 2 of the Data Darbar shrine, the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia, where the elite police personnel were deployed for security after a suicide attack in 2010, police said. The condition of four policemen is stated to be critical. Punjab Inspector General Police Arif Nawaz told reporters that it was a suicide attack and 7kg of explosives were used in the blast. "The target of the suicide bomber was the vehicle of the Elite Force that was stationed outside the shrine of Sufi saint Ali Hajvari commonly known as Data Darbar," Nawaz said. He said the suicide bomber came closer to the police personnel vehicle and blew himself up, killing five of them and injuring ..
Akshay thanks Rijiju for support in citizenship row
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has thanked Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju for supporting him amid a row over his citizenship and has committed himself to the cause of the government-led fund-raising initiative Bharat Ke Veer.
Three Shopian boys detained in Rajouri, released
Three boys belonging to Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district who were detained in Rajouri district by police were released on Wednesday.
Vigil stepped up along India-Myanmar border in Manipur
Vigilance has been stepped up by the Assam Rifles along the India-Myanmar border in Manipur to check possible human trafficking and illegal drug trade, an official of the paramilitary force said here Wednesday. The locals, mostly traders travelling to the border town of Moreh, have been asked to travel with proper identity proofs, the official said. The existing bilateral agreement allowed local residents of both the countries to travel up to 16 km from the border without travel documents. "The step has been necessitated following inputs about the possible movement of militants and drug smugglers in in Chandel, Churanchandpur and Ukhrul districts of the state," the Assam Rifles official said. The precautionary measure has also been taken in the wake of the rescue of 12 suspected Rohingya refugees allegedly from a human trafficking gang in neighbouring Mizoram and the detection of "unauthorised camps" set up by NSCN(IM), a militant outfit, at Shihai village in Ukhrul ...
Loud explosion rattles Kabul, casualties feared
A large blast rocked central Kabul Wednesday, officials confirmed, sending a plume of black smoke over the city in the latest explosion to hit the war-torn city and as Afghanistan observes the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. "I can confirm an explosion in the Shar-e-Naw area of Kabul. We are checking the details," Ferdaws Framurz, a spokesman for the city's police force, told AFP. Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the explosion happened near the offices of CARE International, an NGO with operations in Afghanistan. "We don't know the nature of the explosion yet but small arms firing has also been heard in the area," Rahimi added. The blast comes as the US and Taliban representatives continue negotiations in Qatar aimed at bringing an end to the nearly 18-year-old conflict. The talks follow a massive peace summit in Kabul last week where President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a ceasefire to begin on the first day of Ramadan, but the insurgents refused. The Taliban have .
Blast near Sufi shrine in Lahore kills 8 (2nd Lead)
At least eight people were killed and 25 injured in a suicide bombing targeting a police patrol near a Sufi shrine in Pakistan's Lahore city on Wednesday, police said.
Up to 200 children in Sri Lanka lost family members in Easter bombings: report
About 200 children in Sri Lanka have lost their family members, some of them sole breadwinners, in the massive Easter Sunday bombings, according to a leading charity organisation. Some of the families have lost their source of income and might not have sufficient savings to resume their normal life, Colombo-based Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) said. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday, killing more than 250 people. The ISIS terror group claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jammath (NTJ) for the bombings. The victims included over 40 foreigners, 10 of whom were Indians. The livelihood of 75 families have been disrupted due to the injuries sustained to their family members. More than 500 people were injured in the incident, Colombo Gazette quoted the SLRCS as saying. "Some of them will not be able to go to work due to
Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi calls PM Modi a "jallad"
Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comparing him with a "jallad" (an executioner).Replying to a question from the media about Priyanka Gandhi Vadra calling the Prime Minister Duryodhan (a villainous character from mythological Mahabharata), Rabri said, "Vadra should have called the Prime Minister an executioner because he has been responsible for killing judges and journalists."RJD leader and Rabri's daughter, Misa Bharti said, "People of Bihar are with us. We are fighting on ideology and issues but NDA leaders are issueless and they only target our family. People of Bihar are observing it minutely."On Nitish Kumar's comment that the days of lantern (RJD's symbol to indicate backwardness) are over and LED lights are in, Bharti said the fact that people still use lantern shows that Nitish Kumar has not developed the state.On missing her father Lalu Prasad Yadav, she said," I am missing him as a daughter. ...
Loud explosion rattles Kabul, casualties feared: police
A large blast rocked central Kabul Wednesday, sending a plume of black smoke over the city, police confirmed, in the latest explosion to hit the war-torn city as Afghanistan observes the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. "I can confirm an explosion in the Shar-e-Naw area of Kabul. We are checking the details," Ferdaws Framurz, a spokesman for the city's police force, told AFP.
Death toll mounts to 8 in Lahore suicide bombing, 25 wounded
At least eight people, including three police personnel, were killed and 25 others were wounded in the suicide bombing outside the Data Darbar shrine here on Wednesday morning, according to Punjab Police spokesperson."It was a suicide bombing. The target was a vehicle of the elite force that was stationed outside the gate for checking," Geo News quoted Punjab Police spokesperson Nayab Haider, as saying.Authorities believe that the suspected attacker's body is amongst those brought to Mayo Hospital in the aftermath of the bombing.President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack which took place at around 8:45 am today. Khan has sought a report of the incident.The 11th-century shrine was previously targeted in 2010, during which 40 people lost their lives. The latest attack rattled the Muslim community as it comes during the holy month of Ramzan.
Woman Naxal among 2 killed in encounter in C'garh: Police
Two Naxals, including a woman, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Wednesday morning, police said. While initially the police said bodies of two Naxals were recovered following the encounter, they later said that only one body was found along with two firearms. The face-off took place around 5 am at a forest near Gonderas village when a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF) was out on an anti-Maoist operation, Deputy Inspector General (anti-Naxal operations) Sundarraj P told PTI. The patrolling team was moving through Gonderas, located along the border of Dantewada-Sukma districts around 450 km from here, when a group of ultras fired at them, leading to the gun-battle, he said. The exchange of fire lasted for about an hour following which the rebels fled from the spot, he said. "During search, the body of a woman Naxal clad in uniform was recovered from the spot along with an Insas ...
9 killed in suicide blast outside shrine in Pakistan's Lahore
At least nine persons, including five police personnel, were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a major Sufi shrine in Pakistan's Lahore on Wednesday as the country marks the fasting month of Ramzan, officials said. The blast took place around 8:45 am (local time) outside Gate number 2 of the Data Darbar shrine, the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia, where the police personnel were deployed for security, police said. As many as 25 people have been injured in the blast. The condition of four policemen is stated to be critical. Punjab Inspector General Police Arif Nawaz told reporters that it was a suicide attack. "The target of the suicide bomber was the vehicle of the Elite Force that was stationed outside the shrine of Sufi saint Ali Hajvari commonly known as Data Darbar," Nawaz said. He said the suicide bomber came closer to the police personnel vehicle and blew himself up, killing five of them and injuring other four critically. One security guard and two ...
Air Force looks at buying advanced 'bunker buster' version of Spice-2000 bombs
Buoyed by its success in the Balakot air strikes against a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in Pakistan, the Indian Air Force is now planning to buy an advanced version of the Spice-2000 bomb, which can completely destroy buildings and bunkers.During the Balakot strikes, the Air Force had dropped Spice-2000 bombs from Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft after a pack of 12 of these fighters crossed the Line of Control to strike the Jaish facility in the Khyber Pakhtunwa province.However, the Spice-2000 bombs used in the Balakot strikes were the penetrator version which made holes using their weight in the concrete rooftops of the buildings in the Jaish camp which don't destroy buildings but explode inside killing people with the mix of 70-80 kg explosives with shrapnel."The IAF is now planning to acquire the bunker buster or the building destroyer version with Mark 84 warhead which can decimate targeted buildings," government sources told ANI.The acquisition is likely to be done through the ...
Blast outside Sufi shrine in Pakistan, 5 dead
At least five people, including three police officials and two civilians, were killed and 24 others injured in an explosion near Data Darbar here in Pakistan on Wednesday, DIG Operations Lahore Ashfaq Ahmed Khan confirmed.
Five killed in blast outside shrine in Pak
A powerful blast outside a famous Sufi shrine in Pakistan's second largest Lahore city on Wednesday killed at least five persons, including two policemen, and injured many others as the country marks the fasting month of Ramzan, police said. The blast targeted a van carrying police officers outside the Data Darbar shrine, the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia. According to initial police reports, the explosion took place close to two police vehicles near Gate 2 of Data Darbar in Punjab province. Three police officials died in the blast, a security guard and a resident were also among the dead, Deputy Inspector General Operations Lahore Ashfaq Ahmad Khan was quoted as saying by the Geo News. At least 24 people are being treated for injuries, some of whom are in critical condition, he added. The exact nature of the blast was being ascertained, and it was too early to determine if it was a suicide attack, the official told media from the site of the incident. Police have cordoned off the
Pakistan: 3 killed in blast near Lahore's Data Darbar shrine
At least three people were killed and many others sustained injuries in an explosion outside Data Darbar, a major Sufi shrine, here on Wednesday.The blast targeted a vehicle carrying the Elite Force of Punjab Police, officials said.Sources from Mayo Hospital, where 18 of the injured are undergoing treatment, told Geo News that three bodies were brought to the hospital following the blast.Among those injured, four are said to be in critical condition.No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the blast as yet, which comes as the country marks the holy fasting month of Ramzan.The 11th-century Data Darbar is among the oldest shrines in South Asia and is visited by thousands every year.The shrine was targeted in a suicide attack in the year 2010 in which there were many casualties.Further details are awaited.
Peacekeeping needs to adapt to growing threat situations: India
With peacekeeping operations trapped in a "no-man's land" of vague realities and expectations, India says there has to be a readiness to adapt to the emerging threat situations.
UN chief warns of global threat from fleeing IS foreign fighters
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of a major global threat from foreign fighters fleeing the defeated Islamic State (IS) terrorist organisation and declared stopping them should be a high global priority.
NIA accused held at Cochin airport on return from Gulf
A day after a Qatar-based Keralite was named by the NIA as an accused based on information from arrested alleged Islamic State operative Riyaz Aboobacker, he was picked up by the agency from the Cochin airport on his return here on Tuesday.
Lift travel warnings, Lankan President appeals to international community
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena Tuesday appealed to the international community, including India, to lift travel the warnings issued after the Easter Sunday terror attacks, as the country's tourist arrivals dipped 7.5 per cent last month. The terror attacks on three luxury hotels and three churches on April 21 killed 257 people, including over 40 foreigners. Ten Indians were among the dead. President Sirisena urged the diplomatic community in Sri Lanka to lift the travel warnings since security in the country has been strengthened, Colombo Gazette reported. The US, China, the UK, India and Australia were among the countries which issued travel warnings on Sri Lanka. Tourism accounts for about five per cent of Sri Lanka's economy, with India, Britain and China being the main markets. The country earned about USD 4.4 billion in 2018 from the tourism sector. Following Sri Lanka's worst terror attack, India issued an advisory for its nationals in the country. India is the ...