Page 99 - War Conflict
Rioting breaks out in Venezuela amid 'attempted coup'
Venezuela's self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido claimed Tuesday that troops had joined his campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro, whose government vowed to put down what it called an attempted coup by the US-backed opposition leader. An apparently carefully planned attempt by Guaido to demonstrate growing military support disintegrated into rioting as palls of black smoke rose over eastern Caracas. The government said it was "deactivating" an attempted coup by a small group of "treacherous" soldiers. And there was little early sign Maduro's iron grip on the military -- which has kept him in power in a months-long standoff with Guaido -- had slipped. On Twitter, he claimed the military chiefs had assured him of their "total loyalty". Confusion reigned in Caracas as a crowd that swelled to thousands, many waving Venezuelan flags, flocked onto a highway near a Caracas military base. Guaido had rallied his supporters with an early morning video message that showed him with ..
UN chief appeals to all sides in Venezuela to avoid violence
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday appealed to all sides in Venezuela to avoid violence after self-proclaimed leader Juan Guaido said he had the support of troops to oust President Nicolas Maduro. Guterres "urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint, and he appeals to all stakeholders to avoid any violence and take immediate steps to restore calm," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Delhi Police Commissioner reviews security for LS poll
Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik Tuesday held a meeting with senior officials regarding the security arrangements for the May 12 Lok Sabha elections in the national capital. The meeting was attended by Special CPs, Joint CPs, Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), Anti-Terrorist Officers (ATOs) and Station House Officers (SHOs). Following the recent terror attacks in Sri Lanka that killed 253 people and injured nearly 500, Patnaik directed the officials to take anti-terror measures during polling. The DCP Election Cell gave a presentation regarding the preparation for the elections during the meeting. "The Delhi Police Commissioner has also directed officials to follow guidelines issued by the Election Commission," said Anil Mittal, Additional Public Relations Officer (Delhi Police). Patnaik also directed for high security arrangements at critical and sensitive booths. He also asked the officials to keep an eye on activities along the Delhi borders, he said. Polling for all ...
Security of Goa heritage church complex reviewed
In view of the Easter Sunday terror attacks on churches in Sri Lanka, the Goa Police has conducted a security assessment at one of Goa's most popular church complexes in Old Goa, which houses 17th century religious structures, said a police officer on Tuesday.
Goa: Police conduct security assessment in Basilica of Bom Jesus Church
Police on Tuesday conducted a security assessment in Basilica of Bom Jesus Church in old Goa, as a precautionary measure in the wake of serial bomb blasts in Sri Lanka on April 21.Speaking to ANI, Police Inspector Jivba Dalvi said, " My team visited Basilica of Bom Jesus Churches and conducted a security assessment of the area. As the said churches come under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), special security guards have been deployed by the department."Dalvi also briefed about the security measures, precautions and checking of luggage of tourists by the 23 security guards. He also informed that armed guards are performing duty in the premises day and night. Dalvi emphasised that only sincere checking will prevent any untoward incident like that of serial bombings in Sri Lanka."The services of Dog squad were utilised and the Bomb Disposal Squad were also involved in the training programme," he added.On April 21, eight blasts ripped through three churches and three high-end ...
SC acquits 15 persons in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case
The Supreme Court Tuesday acquitted 15 persons who were awarded five-year jail terms by the Delhi High Court for offences of rioting, burning houses and violation of curfew during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna allowed five appeals filed by 15 convicts challenging the November 28, 2018, verdict of the high court. Earlier, the high court had upheld the conviction of 70 out of the 89 people who were awarded five-year jail terms by a trial court for rioting, burning houses and violation of curfew during the riots. Of the remaining 19 people, 16 died during pendency of their appeals against the trial court's August 27, 1996, decision. The appeals of the three others were dismissed after they absconded, the high court noted in its judgment. The high court had dismissed the appeals, which were pending for the last 22 years, and had asked the convicts to surrender forthwith to serve their remaining prison ...
Terror groups may be recruiting more women to wage jihad: study
Terrorist organisations may be increasingly recruiting women, data from the first large-scale research project evaluating the characteristics of women involved in jihadism-inspired terrorism has found, days after the worst terror attack in Sri Lanka. A woman was part of the nine suicide bombers in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday and intelligence officials say more women posing as devotees were planning to carry our terror attacks on Buddhist temples in the island nation. A study published on Monday by the North Carolina State University in the US found significant differences between men and women in both their backgrounds and their roles within terrorist groups. For the study, researchers drew on data from the Western Jihadism Project, based at Brandeis University, which collects data on terrorists associated with Al-Qaeda-inspired organisations. The researchers conducted comparative analyses of 272 women and 266 men, who were matched to control for variables such as ethnicity, nation of .
NIA court sends to jail man held for 'conspiring' to launch suicide attack in Ker
A court here Tuesday remanded to judicial custody till May 29 a man arrested by the National Investigation Agency on the charge of conspiring to carry out a suicide attack in Kerala. The NIA court remanded Palakkad-based Riyas A, 29, also known as Riyas Aboobacker or Abu Dujana and a follower of Sri Lankan Easter bombing mastermind Zahran Hashim, when he was produced by the agency. It posted to May 6 an application filed by the NIA seeking five-day custody of Riyas, who was arrested Monday after he was picked up on Sunday in connection with an ISIS module case. According to the NIA, during interrogation soon after he was taken into custody, Riyas had disclosed that he had been following speeches and videos of Hashim for more than a year. He also allegedly followed the speeches of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. He admitted that he wanted to carry out a suicide attack in Kerala, an NIA spokesperson said Monday. Riyas had also disclosed he had been in online contact with ...
Terror groups recruiting more women, says study
Terrorist organisations may be recruiting more women, suggests a study evaluating the characteristics of women involved in jihadism-inspired terrorism.
NSA Doval's son gets VIP security cover; 10 BJP candidates in Bengal get too
Shaurya Doval, son of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, has been accorded a top 'Z' category level security in view of potential threats to him, officials said on Tuesday. Similarly, 10 BJP candidates, who are contesting elections from West Bengal, have been accorded security by the Centre for a "limited period", they said. The officials told PTI that junior Doval has been "brought under the mobile security cover" of a central paramilitary force after a security perception report prepared by central agencies claimed that he faced "threats from people inimical to his father and others". Post this report, the Union home ministry has ordered deployment of CISF commandos to guard Shaurya Doval (43) under the 'Z' category of VIP cover and AK-47 wielding commandos will be guarding him everytime he moves in any part of the country. About 15-16 commands have been "detailed" for the security of Shaurya Doval, they said. Shaurya Doval heads the think-tank 'India Foundation'. NSA Doval ...
Kabul on lockdown as assembly discusses peace with the Taliban
Afghanistan's usually bustling capital Kabul slowed to a crawl Tuesday amid massive security for a high-stakes peace summit that has previously been a target for insurgent attacks. Police flooded the city and authorities blocked off key roads around the west Kabul venue of the so-called "loya jirga" -- where some 3,000 tribal elders, religious figures, and politicians from across Afghanistan are gathering over four days to discuss possible conditions for a peace deal with the Taliban. Taliban suicide bombers armed with rockets and guns attacked a 2010 peace jirga at the same venue, and in 2011, two rockets were fired into Kabul during a two-day jirga. Despite such past attacks, Kabul residents are infuriated with the scale of the lockdown, which has already been blamed for at least one death and has paralysed businesses in what would ordinarily be a busy week before Ramadan begins. Local media reported that a newborn baby died when the father, who was trying to take the infant to a ...
Iraqi premier warns IS weakened, not defeated
Iraqi Premier Adel Abdel Mahdi said Tuesday the Islamic State group had been militarily weakened but not defeated as the recent deadly Sri Lanka bombings had shown. An IS propaganda video released Monday with a purported appearance by the jihadist group's elusive supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi showed him in what appeared to be a "very simple and isolated" location, Mahdi said on a visit to Berlin. "One and a half years ago Daesh controlled large areas in Iraq and Syria, and now Baghdadi appears in an isolated, unknown location," he said about the world's most wanted man, using another name for IS. "He did not seem to be among his followers like the first time in Mosul", he said, referring to a 2014 video in which Baghdadi announced the birth of IS's much-feared "caliphate" across swathes of Iraq and Syria. After losing its last remaining territory in the Syrian town of Baghouz in March, "IS has not completely disappeared but suffered painful blows", the Iraqi premier said at a joint ...
Arrested Kerala IS suspect sent to judicial custody
Alleged Islamic State operative Riyas Aboobacker, who was taken into custody by the NIA two days back from Kerala's Palakkad and formally arrested on Monday, was sent to judicial custody till May 29 by the special court here on Tuesday.
Hindu Sena wants Home Ministry to ban burqa, nikab to prevent terror attacks
Right-wing fringe group Hindu Sena has written to the Home Ministry, demanding a complete ban on face covers, burqa and niqab at public places and government and private institutions on the lines of Sri Lanka to prevent terror attacks. In his letter to Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Hindu Sena national president Vishnu Gupta said intelligence failures in Sri Lanka led to synchronized suicide bombings by terrorists in churches in the island nation recently, resulting in more than 250 deaths. "We request you to immediately formulate policies at both tactical and strategic levels to prevent occurrence of such attacks in India and Indian territories, including embassies and high commissions, all across the world," the letter read. "Please impose a ban on full face covers and dresses like burqa and niqab at all public places and inside government and private institutions. These kind of head coverings enable terrorists to hide their identity from CCTV cameras and other surveillance measures in
Rural Catholic church defies Sri Lanka threats, holds Mass
The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants launched suicide attacks that killed over 250 people. The trucks stopped first, soldiers digging through crates and produce. Buses disgorged their passengers. Cars lined up single file so soldiers could open their hoods to inspect engine blocks and pull everything out of trunks. The reason became clear soon after, as the sound of hymns filled the air of Thannamunai. The small village in eastern Sri Lanka held likely the first Mass since Catholic leaders closed all their churches for fear of further attacks. Under incredibly tight security, worshippers watched a priest be ordained as they hoped for a future when Mass wouldn't require hundreds of troops armed with assault rifles to defend it. "People wanted to celebrate Mass, they wanted to participate in this, but they even myself were afraid," Father Norton Johnson told Associated Press journalists .
In video message, IS chief emulates other hunted leaders
They make threats from their hideaway lairs and celebrate mass attacks. The ending isn't scripted for these hunted men with horrifying death tolls on their hands. When the reclusive Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appeared in a video Monday, he was the latest in a series of most-wanted figures to use the medium to communicate with the outside world. Al-Baghdadi's goal was to dismiss suggestions of the extremist group's defeat and his own often-reported demise, claim responsibility for the recent Sri Lanka bombings on Easter and warn of a "long battle" ahead. In the video, released by an IS-run media outlet, al-Baghdadi like others before him, such as Osama Bin Laden wanted to show he's alive and assure followers that the battle against "infidel enemies" continues. "Audio and video messages by hunted figures is their way of rallying and reassuring followers that the group must carry on," said Colin P. Clarke, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center. "In some ...
Kerala Police on 'high alert' after Sri Lanka blasts
Kerala DGP Loknath Behera said that the state police is on high alert in the wake of the Sri Lanka blasts."Kerala Police is at high alert after Sri Lanka blasts," Behera said."Alert given to Indian Coast Guard, Commandos and Bomb Detachment Squad. An analysis of large volumes of technical data like phone calls, social media activities being done daily," he added.More than 250 people were killed and several hundred suffered injuries in the eight coordinated explosions that rattled various churches and high-end hotels located across Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo, Kochchikede and Batticaloa as the Christian community celebrated Easter on April 21.
Sri Lanka lifts ban on social media
Sri Lanka on Tuesday lifted a temporary ban on several social media networks, which was put in place to prevent spreading misinformation after the ghastly suicide bombings on Easter Sunday.The government has urged people to use social media responsibly saying "use social media responsibly even though the ban is lifted, due to the prevailing situation in the country".Along with social media bans, the government has imposed lockdown, with nightly curfews for several days.With this, life in Sri Lanka has started reviving, which came to stand still after a series of coordinated bombings shook the South Asian island nation. Over 250 people were killed in the attack.Sri Lanka is known for taking such preventive measures in the past. Last year, in March during Kandu riots also Sri Lanka had blocked popular social media networks, such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Viber and Instagram to name a few, for three days in order to prevent the spreading of communal violence across the country.Meanwhile, .
US warns of more attacks in Sri Lanka by active members of terror group still at large
The US has warned that the terrorist threat in Sri Lanka still remains as active members of the group that carried out the massive suicide attacks on Easter Sunday may still be at large, a media report said Tuesday. The US Embassy here has said that at the request of the Sri Lankan Government, US security experts were working closely with their Sri Lankan partners on "fulfilling short term, specific objectives" related to the recent attacks and to bringing the perpetrators to justice. Nancy VanHorn, the spokesperson at the US Embassy in Colombo that the US believes active members of the attack group that carried out the terror attacks on Easter Sunday may still be at large. "As the (US) Ambassador (Alaina Teplitz) has previously stated and as reflected in our travel advisory, the terrorist threat is ongoing," the spokesperson told the Colombo Gazette. Sri Lankan authorities said they believed a little-known local militant Islamist group known as National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) was ...
Protests after body of abducted property dealer found
The body of an abducted property dealer was found in a field in Bihar's Nalanda district, triggering protests, police said on Tuesday.