Page 97 - War Conflict

Facing heat in Myanmar, NE ultras opting to surrender

Facing the heat due to continued operations by the Myanmar Army, at least 20 cadres of different northeastern militant outfits have surrendered to the security forces in less than a month, informed sources said on Wednesday.

"Leave my country alone", Lankan Prez Sirisena to ISIS chief Baghdadi

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena Wednesday asked Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to "leave my country alone" after the dreaded Islamic State leader claimed the massive suicide bombings in the island nation was a revenge attack for the fall of the Syrian town of Baghuz, the terror group's final bastion. Sirisena also warned it may be possible Islamic State had launched a "new strategy" by targeting smaller countries, Sky News Wednesday quoted him as saying. He said authorities were aware of a "small group" of Sri Lankans who had travelled abroad to receive training from Islamic State over the past decade. In the Sky News interview, President Sirisena said he had a message for Islamic State: "Leave my country alone." On Monday, Islamic State's media network published a video message purporting to come from its leader, Baghdadi. The man in the IS propagada video, said to be Baghdadi referred to the deadly Easter Sunday attack in Sri Lanka and to the months-long fight for IS's final bastion

New round of US-Taliban talks starts in Doha

A new round of peace talks between the Taliban and the US got underway in Qatar on Wednesday, as the foes continue to seek a way out of America's longest war. The latest negotiations come as pressure builds for some sort of breakthrough in the gruelling Afghan conflict, with Washington jostling for a resolution. According to a Taliban spokesman, the group's top political leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar met with US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the men discussed "key aspects for a peaceful resolution of the Afghan issue". Khalilzad, who has stressed "there is no final agreement until everything is agreed", has previously outlined the basic framework for a deal. The pact would see the US agree to pull its forces from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban vowing to stop terror groups ever again using the country as a safe haven. According to the Taliban, Baradar told Khalilzad it was vital those two key points "be finalised". The US embassy in Kabul confirmed only that talks were ...

Paris police clash with protesters ahead of May Day march

Riot police clashed with anti-capitalist protesters in Paris on Wednesday, firing tear gas to disperse them as thousands gathered for a May Day march in the city's south. In a tense atmosphere, hundreds of so-called "black bloc" activists pushed to the front of the gathering crowd on Montparnasse Boulevard, hurling bottles and other projectiles at police in a confrontation some 90 minutes before the march was to start. One protester suffered a head injury, an AFP journalist said. Riot police also used stingball grenades to disperse the crowd. A controversial riot control device, the grenade is thrown at ground level, releasing scores of rubber pellets that cause an intense stinging to the legs within a 15-metre (50-foot) range. By late morning, police said some 88 people had been detained for questioning. Six armoured vehicles and six water cannon were also on standby to be brought in if needed, a police source told AFP.

IS leader outlines path forward for his group post-caliphate

No longer burdened by territory and administration, Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi outlined the new path forward for his group: Widen your reach, connect with far-flung militant groups and exhaust your enemies with a "war of attrition." The deadly Easter attacks in Sri Lanka a week before his video appearance underscored this message in blood. It also highlighted the ease with which IS, like al-Qaeda before it, can inflict chaos through a loosely defined brand of global jihad in the most chilling way. That's even after losing the relative safety of its so-called caliphate across stretches of Iraq and Syria. "Al-Baghdadi was letting his followers know that he was prepared to lead a guerrilla insurgency in Iraq and Syria, while not forgetting that ISIS is a global organization," said Colin P. Clarke, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, using another acronym for the group. Though disheveled and never standing up in the video released Monday, al-Baghdadi's ...

US military stops releasing Afghanistan war information

Amid a battlefield stalemate in Afghanistan, the US military has stopped releasing information often cited to measure progress in America's longest war, calling it of little value in fighting the Taliban insurgency. The move fits a trend of less information being released about the war in recent years, often at the insistence of the Afghan government, which had previously stopped the US military from disclosing the number of Afghans killed in battle as well as overall attrition within the Afghan army. The latest clampdown also aligns with President Donald Trump's complaint that the US gives away too much war information, although there is no evidence that this had any influence on the latest decision. A government watchdog agency that monitors the US war effort, now in its 18th year, said in a report to Congress on Wednesday that the US military command in Kabul is no longer producing "district control data", which shows the number of Afghan districts and the percentage of their ...

3 Pak soldiers killed, 7 injured in terror attack along Afghan border

Three Pakistan soldiers were killed and seven others injured in a terrorist attack along the Pakistan-Afghan border on Wednesday, the army said. A group of 60-70 terrorists from across the border attacked the security forces fencing the Pak-Afghan border in Alwara at North Waziristan district, an army statement said. Three soldiers identified as Lance Naik Ali, Lance Naik Nazir and Sepoy Imdad Ullah were killed in the attack, while seven others were injured, it said. Several terrorists were killed in retaliatory firing by the Pakistan Army, it added. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan want peace in Afghanistan. Speaking to a visiting delegation of Afghan politicians, academicians, journalists and businessmen, Qureshi said, "Renewed push for political settlement of the conflict has created new hopes and opportunities for peace in Afghanistan and the region, which no one could afford to miss." He also highlighted Pakistan's efforts to facilitate the ongoing ..

Amit Shah condemns Maoist attack in Gadchiroli

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Wednesday condemned the Maoist attack in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli that killed 15 security personnel and wished for speedy recovery of those injured in the incident.

Shah condemns Naxal attack in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli

BJP president Amit Shah condemned Wednesday's Naxal attack on police personnel in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli and described it as an act of cowardice and desperation. "Naxalites attacked Maharashtra Police personnel in Gadchiroli. I have come to know that 16 people, including 15 security personnel, were killed in an IED blast triggered by Naxals. This is an act of cowardice and desperation. "I pay my respect to those killed in the attack and wish quick recovery of the injured people. Our government will extend all help," Shah said while addressing election rallies at Panchla and Arambagh. Those killed in the attack were members of the Quick Response Team (QRT) of Gadchiroli police, which was on its way to inspect a fleet of torched vehicles belonging to a road construction contractor, police said.

Naxal attack in Gadchiroli not due to intelligence failure: Maharashtra DGP

The Naxals want to overthrow the state, he said

Be ready to tackle Baghdadi's threat: Lanka PM

The whole world should be vigilant following the threat by the Islamic State terror group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said.

15 commandos, civilian killed by Maoists in Gadchiroli (2nd Lead)

Maoists struck in a big way on Wednesday, killing 15 commandos and a civilian by triggering a landmine blast targeting a security vehicle in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.

Naxal menace will be dealt with stronger force: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned Wednesday's Naxal attack in Gadchiroli, in which 15 police personnel and a civilian were killed, stating that the Naxal menace will be fought with stronger efforts. "Anguished to know that our 16 police personnel from Gadchiroli C-60 force got martyred in a cowardly attack by Naxals today. My thoughts and prayers are with the martyrs' families. I am in touch with the DGP and the Gadchiroli SP," he said in a statement. "I strongly condemn this attack and we will fight this menace with even stronger efforts," the chief minister added. Fadnavis said he had spoken to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and briefed him about the situation. At least 16 persons, including 15 security personnel, were killed in an IED blast triggered by Naxals in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Wednesday. The blast followed Naxals torching 25 vehicles belonging to a road construction contractor earlier in the day, police said. Those killed were members .

Dogs are 'silent warriors' of Indian Army: Colonel Raman Joshi

Dogs are not just a man's best friend but also can turn into hearty warriors and protectors when needed and that is exactly what our dogs do, said Colonel Raman Joshi, Commanding Officer of the 24 Army Dog unit on Wednesday."These are special silent warriors of the Indian Army. In the very active Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, they are the eyes and ears of many Army units, serving at LOC and even in the hinterland. They have saved many lives and have continued to be effective in situations where the humans fail," Raman said talking to ANI here.He asserted that the dogs are selected at a very young age and receive specialized training to become efficient in the job they have to carry out in the Army."The dogs are selected from the centre after checking for their breed and intelligence. After undergoing a basic obedience test, where they learn discipline and then are sent to an individual technical training centre where they specialize in the trade they are meant to work in. ...

Four Chinese scientists killed in Sri Lanka's suicide bombings

Four oceanic scientists were among the six Chinese nationals killed during the Easter Sunday bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said. The deceased included Li Jian, 38, and Pan Wenliang, 35, who were senior engineers at the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (SCSIO). Two others, Li Dawei, 30, and Wang Liwei, 26, were from the First Institute of Oceanography under the Ministry of Natural Resources, state run Global Times reported on Wednesday. Websites of both the institutes turned black and white to mourn the dead scientists. Li, along with four other scientists, arrived at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo on April 18 and 19, respectively. They were supposed to participate in a joint scientific cooperation between China and Sri Lanka, the SCSIO said. The embassy said another five people from the Chinese Academy of Sciences were injured during the explosions. All of them have returned to China for further treatment, state run .

Inter-Korean border village re-opens for public tours

South Korean soldiers held their normal stern and unmoving positions Wednesday outside the blue huts of Panmunjom village, the only place along the border where troops from the two Koreas stand nearly face-to-face, but with one notable omission: their weapons. Sporting their signature aviator sunglasses, the guards in the truce village in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the peninsula -- standing only metres away from North Korean soldiers -- were visibly no longer armed. Public tours to the southern side of the inter-Korean border village resumed on Wednesday morning with firearms and guardposts now removed from the designated Joint Security Area (JSA), after having been stopped in October to facilitate joint efforts by Seoul and Pyongyang to demilitarise the border. But with Pyongyang still in deadlock with the US over its nuclear weapons and economic sanctions -- and fresh tension between North and South Korea -- the tours began again with little fanfare. The truce village

Cable operators in Sri Lanka block Zakir Naik's Peace TV

Two of Sri Lanka's major cable TV operators, have dropped controversial Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's Peace TV from their channel following the country's worst terror attacks on Easter Sunday which killed over 250 people, according to a media report. India and Bangladesh have already banned Malaysia-based Naik's Peace TV, which has often been used by ISIS recruiters for indoctrination and brainwashing the youth. Sri Lanka's two of the largest cable operators 'Dialogue' and 'SLT' have stopped airing Zakir Naik's Peace TV. However, an official announcement on this yet to be made, Colombo Gazette reported. The move came after the deadly Easter Sunday bombings which killed at 253 people and injured 500 others. However, the Sri Lankan government has not banned the controversial Peace TV. 'Peace TV' was launched by Naik's Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation in 2006. An Urdu version was launched in 2009, followed by a Bangla version in 2011. The contents in English, Urdu and ...

Committee probing Easter Sunday attack to release report on May 6: officials

The special panel appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena to probe the Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka will release its report on May 6 and has recorded statements from several top state authorities, including former defence secretary and the suspended police chief, officials said. The three member-committee appointed by President Sirisena on April 21 to conduct investigations into the series of suicide attacks on eight places in the country, commenced its works on April 22. The Special Investigation Committee is headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Vijith K Malalgoda and comprises former Inspector General of Police NK Illangakoon and former Law & Order Ministry Secretary Padmasiri Jayamanne. The panel is to release its report on May 6, officials said. Statements from several high-ranking state officials, including the former defense secretary Hemasiri Fernando and the suspended police chief Pujith Jayasundera, have also been recorded, the President's Media Division

Venezuela opposition leader calls for massive May Day protest

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a massive May Day protest to increase the pressure on President Nicolas Maduro after a day of violent clashes on the streets of the capital. Guaido said Wednesday's rally would be "the biggest in the history of Venezuela" as he presses his attempt to unseat the president. "Across all of Venezuela, we will be in the streets," said the National Assembly leader, recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries, as he repeated his call for the armed forces to join "Operation Freedom" to overthrow the socialist leader. Maduro however remained defiant after Guaido's call earlier Tuesday for the military to rise up appeared to have largely failed. Following a day of clashes between demonstrators and police on the streets of Caracas, Maduro Tuesday evening said he had defeated an attempted coup. Maduro, who is also due to lead a May Day rally in Caracas, declared victory over the uprising -- congratulating the armed forces for ...

15 troopers, driver killed in Maoist blast in Maharashtra

At least 15 C-60 commandos, including a woman, and a driver, were killed in a blast on two security vehicles triggered by Maoists in Kurkheda tehsil of Gadchiroli district on Wednesday afternoon, Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said.