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Showing posts from April 8, 2012

59 Taliban killed in offensive by Afghan commandos near Pak

PTI | 05:04 PM,Apr 14,2012 border From Mustafa Najafizada Kabul, Apr 14 (PTI) Afghan forces backed by air support from Nato aircraft have launched a broad sweep of the country's northeast borders killing 59 Taliban insurgents in a major offensive in a province that serves as a militant supply route from Pakistan. The Afghan forces are for the past three days combing mountainous region in Kamdesh district in Nuristan province, which touches Pakistan, in a spring onslaught on Taliban bases. "14 armed insurgents were killed, 34 wounded and 18 others arrested by Afghan forces during the last 24 hours," the interior ministry said in an statement. Kamdesh is a strategic base for the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan and serves as a spring board for militants crossing from Pakistan's turbulent Wazirstan province, a spokesman of the Nuristan province said. Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) spokesman said that 32 other militants had been killed in recent

'Mumbai attackers were trained in paramilitary courses'

PTI Washington 15:28 IST(14/4/2012) The 26/11 Mumbai attack was carried out by highly trained terrorists who were given training in paramilitary courses by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a US attorney has said. "...this (Mumbai attack) was, in fact, the handiwork of highly trained terrorists who had gone through the LeT paramilitary courses," US Attorney Neil H MacBride said in a submission to a US District court in Virginia, which sentenced 24-year-old Pakistani national Jubair Ahmad for aiding LeT. Ahmad was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment on Friday for providing material support to LeT by making a propaganda video for the terror group, helping it with recruitment and fundraising. Based in US for the past few years, Ahmad had himself received two levels of LeT training and was in regular communication with Talha Saeed, the son of the LeT founder Hafiz Saeed. "For years before his arrest, Ahmad engaged in trade-craft to conceal his activities on behalf of L

Sudan air raid kills 'five'

(AFP) – 3 hours ago  JUBA — A Sudanese plane bombed Bentiu, capital of South Sudan's oil-rich border state of Unity, on Saturday, killing five civilians and wounding six, a local government spokesman said. Gideon Gatfan, spokesman of the Unity state government, said one bomb fell beside a car market near a bridge which was the target of the raid. "Five traders have been killed," he told AFP. "The bomb fell next to a place where cars are being sold. "We also found that six people were wounded including one woman and they are now admitted to Bentiu Hospital," he said. Gatfan said earlier that the raid had failed to destroy the bridge, which links Bentiu to a road leading to the border between Sudan and South Sudan some 60 kilometres (35 miles) to the north, the theatre of fierce clashes in recent days. It was the second air raid reported by South Sudanese officials on Bentiu since Thursday. The Sudanese military in Khartoum could not be reached for co

Army denies claims made by Paresh Barua

Correspondent MIRZA, April 12 – Army officials of 9th Sikh Infantry today denied the allegation made by ULFA chief (anti-talk faction) Paresh Barua that an army personnel was killed in the encounter which took place on April 8 at Bolbola under Dhupdhara PS of Goalpara district. It may be mentioned here that within hours of the incident, Paresh Barua had in a press release claimed that the body of the deceased army man was removed by security forces. Talking to The Assam Tribune, a captain involved in that operation said that based on specific information, army camp Rangjuli and Dhupdhara police launched the operation under the command of Capt Dinesh Kumar Yadav and when the search team approached a house at around 5 am, two individuals from that house started running towards them. On retaliation, one Bobit Rabha (26) alias Banner was killed while another one managed to escape. Security forces recovered a AK-56 rifle, 2 magazines, 101 live rounds of AK-56, a hand grenade, three

Grenade blast on Assam-Arunachal border

GUWAHATI, April 12 (IANS): Suspected militants triggered a grenade blast at remote Bordumsa area in Tinsukia district of Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border Thursday, police said. No one was injured. The grenade was lobbed by two motor cycle-borne youth just outside the Bordumsa police outpost, about 600 km from here, police said. Although police have not named any particular militant for the blast, locals have pointed fingers at the anti-talk faction of the Ulfa rebels led by Paresh Baruah alias Paresh Asom, who are very active in the area. There have also been reports of massive extortion drive by the anti-talk faction of the Ulfa militants in the area. Source http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=apr1412/oth06

6 Arrested in N. Ireland after Real IRA Threatens to Kill Police, Soldiers

Monday, 09 Apr 2012, (NewsCore) - ANTRIM, Northern Ireland -- Six men have been arrested after the Real IRA (Irish Republican Army) threatened to kill more policemen and soldiers. They were detained Monday after a masked spokesman for the group made the threat at an Easter Rising commemoration in Derry, Northern Ireland. Police are now questioning the men in Antrim. The Real IRA is a renegade faction which emerged following a split in the mainstream Provisional IRA (PIRA). PIRA's alleged quartermaster general, Michael McKevitt, walked out when political party Sinn Fein joined the peace process. McKevitt is serving a jail sentence for terrorist offenses south of the Irish border. He is the husband of Bernadette Sands McKevitt, sister of infamous hunger striker Bobby Sands. Up to two dozen others defected with him, taking with them both weaponry and experience. The newly formed Real IRA soon replaced the Continuity IRA as the home for dissidents. Initially, they had a

There won't be an amnesty to ETA inmates, Basque PM says

04/13/2012 Nowadays, Spanish prisons' policy concerning ETA inmates is based on studying each case separately and only after the inmate asks for forgiveness to the victims of his/her actions. ETA inmates willing to speak with Spanish, French governments Basque Country's Lehendakari Patxi Lopez said on Friday that there won't be a "general amnesty or collective solutions" to members of the armed Basque group ETA in Spanish prisons. Speaking after a group formed by members of the armed Basque group ETA in Spanish prisons said that they are willing to speak with the Governments of Spain and France, the Basque Premier called on the ETA inmates to ask ETA for their dissolution and added that there won't be a "general amnesty or collective solutions" to members of the armed Basque group. Nowadays, Spanish prisons' policy concerning ETA inmates is based on studying each case separately and only after the inmate asks for forgiveness to the victims

Cameroon reinforces border security after Boko Haram attack

Suspected members of Boko Haram sect after being rounded up by the police in the northern Nigerian city of Kano on July 27, 2009. Neighbouring Cameroon is anxious these elements don't infiltrate the country. Photo | FILE | By BISONG ETAHOBEN in YaoundePosted Saturday, April 14 2012 at 15:04 Share This Story Share Cameroon: Fears of infiltration by Boko Haram Cameroon has reinforced security on its northern frontier with Nigeria following an attack by Boko Haram militants near the Cameroonian town of Amchidé. The attack which took place in the early hours of April 11 left 15 people dead including two Nigerian policemen. Thirteen of the dead were members of an anti-Boko Haram vigilante group from the Nigerian side. According to Albert Friki, the senior administrative officer under whose jurisdiction Amchidé falls, a security cordon of policemen, the gendarmerie and the rapid intervention battalion of the army has been deployed along the frontier “to deter the assailan

Cameroon reinforces border security after Boko Haram attack

Suspected members of Boko Haram sect after being rounded up by the police in the northern Nigerian city of Kano on July 27, 2009. Neighbouring Cameroon is anxious these elements don't infiltrate the country. Photo | FILE | By BISONG ETAHOBEN in YaoundePosted Saturday, April 14 2012 at 15:04 Share This Story Share Cameroon: Fears of infiltration by Boko Haram Cameroon has reinforced security on its northern frontier with Nigeria following an attack by Boko Haram militants near the Cameroonian town of Amchidé. The attack which took place in the early hours of April 11 left 15 people dead including two Nigerian policemen. Thirteen of the dead were members of an anti-Boko Haram vigilante group from the Nigerian side. According to Albert Friki, the senior administrative officer under whose jurisdiction Amchidé falls, a security cordon of policemen, the gendarmerie and the rapid intervention battalion of the army has been deployed along the frontier “to deter the assailan

Kenya captures Al Shabaab recruit

Nairobi (RBC) Kenya April 13 – Police said Friday they were interrogating a suspected terrorist who has confessed having traveled to Somalia to receive Al Shabaab training. Abdullah Abdul Majid aka Abul was arrested on Thursday last week on suspicion of involvement in the grenade attacks at Nairobi’s country bus station which killed nine people and wounded dozens others last month. The 28-year-old has since told police he is a resident of Majengo, Mombasa. He was picked up from Nairobi’s Eastleigh Section III by Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) detectives. He has told police he was born in Saudi Arabia, but he has not been able to produce his passport. During a series of interrogations, Majid has confessed to police that he had traveled to Somalia for training with other Mujahideen after listening to preaching sessions from various Sheikhs—including Shamir and Aboud Rogo. Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe said the suspect has so far told police how he crossed into Somalia in January

How to take on the jihadists without risking a fatwa

When western hand-wringers blame Islamic terrorism on Anglo-American imperialism, they conveniently forget all the other conflicts raging around the world in which Islam is a central component. Russia, China and India haven’t a single soldier in the Middle East, yet have fought Muslim insurgencies of their own. And jihad is spreading across South-East Asia, with conflagrations in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. The last is the setting for Pure, the first novel by the thrice Booker-shortlisted Timothy Mo since his 2000 work, Renegade or Halo2, winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. As with Chris Morris’s film, Four Lions, the author’s perfectly reasonable terror of a fatwa-decreed death sentence keeps him well clear of any direct criticism of the religion itself. Instead, Islamic fundamentalism becomes a mere foil for silliness and lazy humour rather than a subject of genuine scrutiny. While Morris limited himself to bumbling slapstick clownery, Mo has created an excr

Five injured in Thailand bus attack

SAIBURI, Thailand, April 13 (UPI) -- Gunmen riding motorcycles attacked a bus in Thailand Friday morning, shooting and injuring five people, officials said. The bus was traveling on the Pattani-Narathiwat road when the passengers on two motorcycles began shooting at the bus with assault rifles, the Bangkok Post reported. The shooters then fled the scene, police Chief Arsis Umayee said. Five passengers were wounded and were taken to Saiburi hospital. Police blamed separatist militants for the attack. Next Story: Hot air balloon delays flights at Gatwick or see all World News stories Source http://m.upi.com/m/story/UPI-69411334357993/

1 soldier killed, 26 injured in Basilan mine attack

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- At least one soldier died while 26 others were wounded when they hit Abu Sayyaf-planted landmines on Tuesday morning in the province of Basilan. Colonel Ricardo R. Visaya of the 104th Infantry Brigade told BusinessWorld five members of a Scout Rangers unit are in critical condition after they stepped on landmines on a forested area in the town of Sumisip. “The troops were conducting combat reconnaissance patrol when the landmine attacks occurred,” he said, noting the area is roughly 800 meters from the main camp of the bandits that government troopers have earlier overrun. He said troops were dispatched to recover the victims and assist the wounded. “The weather is a bit cloudy. Two helicopters are now in the area for casualty evacuation,” he said. Lieutenant Colonel Randolph G. Cabangbang, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), said the exact location of the attack was in ridges of Abong-abong peak at Sitio Pansol in the village of Baywas, whi

Land mines in Iran claim three more victims

Source: Radio Zamaneh In the past month, three people have fallen victim to land mine explosions in the Kurdistan regions of Iran. Photos: Clearing the Mine Fields in Dehloran, Iran Zamaneh has been informed that Loghman Yousefi was killed by a land mine in Kermanshah Province. Kurdistan regional media also report that on March 24 two children under the age of 10 suffered injuries to their the eyes and hands after running into a land mine. In February, five workers at the National Oil Company of Iran were also injured by land mine explosions in the area. Iranian authorities rarely release statistics and information about land mine victims and incidents. Last month, the Welfare Office's prevention centre announced that in 2009, 104 people fell victim to land mine explosions. The head of the centre told ISNA that Iran is the world's second-most contaminated country in terms of land mines and it has not taken effective action to overcome the problem. Shirin Ebadi,

Arms and drug smugglers detained in Azerbaijan

News The Ministry of National Security revealed and detained a group, which was smuggling arms and narcotic drug from Iran to Azerbaijan. Press service of the ministry told that the citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran – Abdi Naser Zohrab, Dalir Ali Yadullah, and the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Khudaliyev Gabil Shekerali, Mammadov Ruslan Tahir, Murshudov Arzuman Mammadali, Lalayev Niyamaddin Sharafaddin and others criminally bargained to smuggle arms and narcotic drugs from Iran to Azerbaijan. The investigative department of the Ministry of National Security launched criminal investigation and above-mentioned persons were detained on charges of arms and drug smuggling, illegal storage, sale and transit of drug and arms, illegal bearing gas weapon and trespassing. The investigation is underway. Source http://www.en.sia.az/index.php?action=static_detail&static_id=215385

Filmmaker hopes to shed light on drug war’s innocent victims

Fri Apr 13, 2012. By Y.C. Orozco According to the Mexican government, as of January 2012, 47,515 people had been killed in drug-related violence, since President Felipe Calderón issued a military assault on criminal cartels soon after taking office in late 2006. Ciudad Juarez, just south of El Paso, has become the bloody centerpiece in the Mexican drug war that erupted after President Felipe Calderon officially sent federal troops to dismantle the drug cartels. Juarez has been called one of the most dangerous cities outside of declared war zones. But even as the homicide rate continues to rise and even as news reports paint Mexico as a simmering pot of violence and chaos, the human tragedy remains relatively under the radar. Charlie Minn, an independent filmmaker from New York, wants his new film to shed light on the human tragedy of the drug war and put it on the map of public consciousness, especially in the United States. Independently produced and financed, The Murder Capita

Nigeria Islamists 'get looted Libyan arms'

ABUJA, Nigeria, April 12 (UPI) -- Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist militants appear to be gaining strength and firepower from an alliance with al-Qaida in North Africa amid reports dozen of them are in Mali with Tuareg rebels while weapons looted in Libya have turned up in Nigeria. The emergence of Islamic extremists from Nigeria, where the government is battling a surge of attacks by Boko Haram, in turbulence-torn North Africa, if correct, would mark a tightening merger between two dangerous organizations. It would indicate that Nigeria, one of Africa's top oil producers and a key supplier to the United States, could face a dangerous escalation in Islamist violence amid serious internal difficulties. Nigerian authorities have for some time suspected that Boko Haram -- the name means "Western education is sinful" in the Hausa language of northern Nigeria -- has splintered into several factions, with Islamic extremists moving away from the parent movement. These m

Filmmaker hopes to shed light on drug war’s innocent victims

Fri Apr 13, 2012. By Y.C. Orozco According to the Mexican government, as of January 2012, 47,515 people had been killed in drug-related violence, since President Felipe Calderón issued a military assault on criminal cartels soon after taking office in late 2006. Ciudad Juarez, just south of El Paso, has become the bloody centerpiece in the Mexican drug war that erupted after President Felipe Calderon officially sent federal troops to dismantle the drug cartels. Juarez has been called one of the most dangerous cities outside of declared war zones. But even as the homicide rate continues to rise and even as news reports paint Mexico as a simmering pot of violence and chaos, the human tragedy remains relatively under the radar. Charlie Minn, an independent filmmaker from New York, wants his new film to shed light on the human tragedy of the drug war and put it on the map of public consciousness, especially in the United States. Independently produced and financed, The Murder Capita

Peru Troops Take Casualties in Hostage Rescue

2012-04-13 23:56 EST Peru's government deployed troops on Thursday in an attempt to rescue hostages held by Shining Path rebels. Around 40 workers from natural gas companies were kidnapped in a jungle region, notorious for drug trafficking. A female police officer was killed and three others were wounded in an armed encounter, as troops searched for the hostages. The rebels tried to shoot down a helicopter that was combing the area. Relatives gathered in the town of Kepashiato, appealed to the government to carry on with negotiations. Some were against the idea of an attack. [Unidentified Relative of Hostage]: "There are 40 families asking for help. We want them to come and negotiate with those who are holding them and not attack. Because if they attack we don't know who will come out alive." The family of Miguel Medina, one of the hostages, pleaded for security forces to

Peru Troops Take Casualties in Hostage Rescue

2012-04-13 23:56 EST Peru's government deployed troops on Thursday in an attempt to rescue hostages held by Shining Path rebels. Around 40 workers from natural gas companies were kidnapped in a jungle region, notorious for drug trafficking. A female police officer was killed and three others were wounded in an armed encounter, as troops searched for the hostages. The rebels tried to shoot down a helicopter that was combing the area. Relatives gathered in the town of Kepashiato, appealed to the government to carry on with negotiations. Some were against the idea of an attack. [Unidentified Relative of Hostage]: "There are 40 families asking for help. We want them to come and negotiate with those who are holding them and not attack. Because if they attack we don't know who will come out alive." The family of Miguel Medina, one of the hostages, pleaded for security forces to

2 PKK members killed in southeastern Turkey

ANKARA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Two members of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in clashes with the Turkish security forces in the southeast of the country, an official statement said Saturday. The clashes erupted late Friday between a group of PKK members and the security forces during a military operation staged in Yavrukoy area of Nusaybin town in Mardin province, said the statement issued by the Mardin governor's office. The security forces found the PKK members during their operation and opened fire at them, said the statement. The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms in 1984 in a bid to create an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey. Since then, more than 40,000 people have been killed in conflicts involving the group. Source http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.asp?id=63955

Peru urges patience over Skanska hostages

14 Apr 12 10:49 CET | The Peruvian government on Friday called for patience and trust from relatives of 36 kidnapped workers, 28 of whom are employed by Swedish construction company Skanska, in its bid to secure their release from leftist guerrillas. Peruvian police and soldiers are "quietly" coordinating to free the hostages, Justice Minister Juan Jimenez told Canal N television, adding that "a democratic state like Peru does not negotiate with terrorist criminals." "What the families of the kidnap victims must do is trust the authorities, because they are doing the right thing," he added. The Swedish company Skanska and Peruvian firm Construcciones Modulares have called for the "speedy and safe release" of its employees who where kidnapped Monday in the Cuzco region of southeastern Peru. On Thursday, President Ollanta Humala said the authorities were hoping to get the workers back to safety "in very short order," without mak

China's internet users temporarily blocked from foreign websites

Unexplained, hour-long incident sparks speculation about changes to 'great firewall' net censorship system guardian.co.uk, Thursday 12 April 2012 A young woman at an internet cafe in Beijing. Across China people were unable to access foreign websites. China's internet users have been cut off from accessing all foreign websites for around an hour in an unexplained incident that sparked speculation the country's censorship system was being tested or further tightened. The "great firewall" already blocks many sites hosted from other countries, but users in Beijing, Shanghai and other parts of China reported that they could not reach any foreign sites whatsoever on Thursday morning – although it was not clear whether the problems were universal. Meanwhile, users abroad and in Hong Kong – which is part of China but not subject to Beijing's net censorship – said they were unable to reach any sites on the Chinese mainland. Some believed it was purely a

Pakistan gunmen kill eight Shia Muslims

Attackers on motorcycle stage two sectarian attacks in south-western city of Quetta, leaving eight people dead Associated Press in Quetta guardian.co.uk, Saturday 14 April 2012 06.47 BST Pakistani Shia Muslims protest against in Quetta this week against a spate of sectarian killings. Photograph: Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty Images Police say gunmen riding on a motorcycle have killed eight Shia Muslims in two sectarian attacks in south-west Pakistan. A senior police officer, Shaukat Ajmad, said assailants had opened fire on a car on Saturday, killing six people in Quetta, the capital of the impoverished south-western Baluchistan province. Minutes later, they shot and killed two people in a rickshaw in the same area. Shia Muslims are a minority in overwhelmingly Sunni Pakistan. Although most Sunni and Shia Muslims live peacefully together, extremists from both sides have targeted each other over the past three decades. In recent years, Sunni attacks on Shias have become far more

Communist narcoterrorism entrenched in Colombia's state universities

Last week's tragic death of three presumed terrorists handling explosives in a house in Suba (northwest Bogota) was followed by that of another university "student" in Tunja, when explosive devices that he was carrying, along with classmates, went off. They were heading to "protest" at a student march. The Colombian media, which is accustomed to excessive diplomacy – referring, for example, to dictator Fidel Castro as president, to terrorists as insurgents, to corrupt politicians as doctors and to thieves as "crooks" –has again understated the gravity of the facts. Let us examine these facts, one by one. The material that university rebels have for decades been using to manufacture so-called "papas explosivas" (explosive potatoes) is not capable of destroying part of a house built in brick and concrete, while simultaneously damaging more than 40 houses in the surrounding area and, in passing, affecting the same number of poor families. U

'FARC' threaten councilors who opposed PDA

FRIDAY, 13 APRIL 2012 Colombia's largest rebel group the FARC have allegedly threatened opposition councilors from the former guerrilla safe haven San Vicente del Caguan, reported Caracol Radio. Councillor Eduardo Cedeño announced that guerrillas had declared him and other councilors military targets as retaliation for their questioning the administration of Mayor Domingo Emilio Perez of the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA), in the former demilitarized zone, located in southern Caqueta Department. Cedeño said the politicians had requested government protection and added that it was "not fair for the insurgents to take sides" and offer criticisms for what is good for the municipality. San Vicente del Cagaun served as a safe haven for the leftist guerrilla group during failed peace talks with the Colombian government between 1998 and 2002 and was where former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt was kidnapped in 2002. Local media announced Friday that four pe

Sudan Army Says Advancing toward Higlig Town:Aggressors Started Withdrawal

Sudan's armed forces are on the outskirts of Higlig town and are advancing toward the settlement, which was occupied by South Sudan this week, the Sudanese military spokesman said on Friday. "We are now on the outskirts of Higlig town," Al-Sawarmi Khalid Saad told reporters in Khartoum. "The armed forces are advancing toward Higlig town ... the situation in Higlig will be resolved within hours." For their part, opposition political leaders were all agreed that South Sudan’s offensive on South Kordufan’s region of Higlig was an implementation of foreign Israeli scheme after the project of Greater Middle East has failed, which was aimed to pave the way for Israeli expansion in the region. The chairman of opposition Justice Party Maki Balayil said South Sudan’s People’s Liberation Army’s recurring attacks on Sudanese forces brings out interests of South Sudan in Sudan. Balayil indicated that there was a resolve and determination by Juba to carry out regionally

Jailed Maoists speak against ‘lavish lifestyle’ of senior comrades

A group of 21 jailed Maoists, led by former “sub-zonal commander” of the Sone-Ganga-Vindhyazal zone Sudama Oraon, have accused senior comrades of “living in town” and exploiting the lower cadre, mostly illiterate and poor tribals. In a two-page “press release” on jail application paper, duly signed or carrying their thumb impression, the 21 say the senior Maoists “hobnob with jungle mafia and landlords, embezzle party funds and put the blame on the lower rung”. Oraon, accused of killing Rohtas District Forest Officer Sanjay Singh in 2002, has been in Rohtas jail since 2006. Along with the 20 other hardcore Maoists — including state-level leaders Rajendra Uraon, Jagdish Chhero and Sitaram Chhero — he had formed the Adivasi Chetna Manch last September in Sasaram jail allegedly as he was disenchanted with top leaders of the outlawed outfit. Oraon has also hinted at a caste war within the CPI (Maoist), with OBC Yadavs the dominant group. “Senior leaders have started leading lavish l

Fresh violence in Bahrain after F1 gets go-ahead

Violence erupted in Bahrain between police and protesters on Friday, hours after Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone declared the Gulf nation safe to host a grand prix next week. All 12 teams told Ecclestone on Friday they were happy to travel to the tiny kingdom despite the ongoing political unrest and no extra safety precautions being put in place. "There's nothing happening (in Bahrain),'' Ecclestone said in Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. "I know people that live there and it's all very quiet and peaceful.'' But clashes broke out after the funeral of activist Ahmed Ismail, who authorities say was killed late last month by gunfire during a protest, although it is still unclear who fired the shots. "No F1, no F1 ... they killed my son in cold blood,'' sobbed Ismail's mother, Makyia Ahmed, who said her son had been a volunteer at previous F1 races. Firebombs were hurled Friday by some protesters, who were chanting an

Lanka army commander warns Tamils to be wary

A top Sri Lankan Army commander has warned the Tamil people in the country's north to be wary of elements attempting to undermine the hard-earned peace. Speaking to the local people after distributing grants to former LTTE combatants for their rehabilitation, Jaffna Commander Maj Gen Mahinda Hathurusinghe invited the Tamil diaspora to help the needy rather than undermining normalcy. "Various groups in Tamil Diaspora are now in the process of undermining the hard-earned peace in the country. Instead of disturbing peace now being enjoyed by people of Sri Lanka, those groups must come forward to help destitute people to make their life better using money being wasted on creating dissension among communities in Sri Lanka," he said. Hathurusinghe said as all communities in the island had suffered irrespective of ethnicity by the LTTE's campaign for a separate state, now it was the time to forget the dark era of the past and unite as one nation that is Sri Lanka. The

Pakistan to deport bin Laden family to Saudi Arabia

Pakistan will deport slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's three widows and children to Saudi Arabia next week after the end of their jail term. Their lawyer Mohammed Amir Khalil told the media that the 45-day jail term given to the widows and two grown-up daughters will end on April 17 and all members of the slain al-Qaeda chief's family would be deported the following day. But, there was no official word on the issue and no indication whether Saudi Arabia had agreed to accept them. The three widows and children are currently serving jail sentence for illegally entering and living in Pakistan. Two of the widows are from Saudi Arabia and the third from Yemen. It could not be ascertained why the Yemeni widow would be deported to Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month, a civil judge sentenced the five women to 45 days in prison for illegally entering and staying in Pakistan. He said the prison term would begin from March 3, when they were formally arrested. The judge fur

Maoists: high on spirit, low on tech

There was a curious phrase that Maoist rebels used in a report in the wake of operations by security forces in the Abujhmad area of Chhattisgarh in mid-March There was a curious phrase that Maoist rebels used in a report in the wake of operations by security forces in the Abujhmad area of Chhattisgarh in mid-March. When a chopper arrived to evacuate a couple of injured personnel of the Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), they were at it like “honeybees”. With outmoded rifles. That’s what the Maoist rebellion still is: High on spirit, low on tech. Or, at any rate, lower tech than what the security forces sometimes throw at them, for instance, the giddily-named CoBRA, spun out of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to battle Maoists. As pressure mounts on rebels, and they hit back when they can—an ambush here, a mine explosion there, taking hostages somewhere else—how these guerrillas arm and fight is worth looking at. (Especially as police and paramilitaries have beg

Courage or compulsion: With Maoist troops gone, Prachanda and Bhattarai lose bargaining power

Yubaraj Ghimire : Sat Apr 14 2012, 00:16 hrs With Maoist troops gone, Prachanda and Bhattarai lose bargaining power Maoists have either resisted the demand or backed out of the promise to have their private army dismantled and to hand over their arms to the state. But on April 10, things moved at an unexpected speed in Nepal. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai told the high-powered Army Integration Special Committee that the Nepal army was going to move into all 15 Maoist cantonments, take control and seize the the weapon containers lying there. Fifteen teams of the technical committee of the AISC had spread out to these camps in order to have over 9,000 combatants vacate them by the evening of April 12. A maximum of 6,500 were to be given the option to join the Nepal army, provided they fulfilled the “relaxed” eligibility criteria. The rest were to be given the option of going into “voluntary retirement”. The army was to take control of the empty camps after that. Lieutenant Gene

Odisha steps up efforts to secure release of MLA

The Italian hostage crisis over, Odisha government stepped up its efforts to secure the release of BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka, still in Maoist captivity. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday visited Koraput district, from where BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka (37) was abducted by Maoists on March 24. Patnaik held a high level meeting with senior administrative and police officials to discuss the crisis relating to Hikaka’s abduction. “The discussion focused on steps to secure Hikaka’s release and to expedite development process in the area,” scheduled caste and scheduled tribes development minister Lalbihari Himirika, who accompanied the chief minister. Later, Patnaik met Hikaka’s family members including his mother, wife and children in Laxmipur and assured them the government was doing its best to secure his release. Sources said Patnaik’s visit was scheduled to dispel the impression by people, especially Hikaka’s family members, that the state government had not shown sincerity to

NCP leader shot dead by Maoists in Gadchiroli

A 43-year-old NCP leader was shot dead allegedly by five armed Maoists in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, police said on Saturday. Kewal Atkamwar, a former Zilla Parishad member in the district was attacked last night when he was sitting with a friend in front of his brother's shop at main square in Etapalli taluka, they said. The Maoists pumped five bullets from almost close range and fled from the scene. Two others — Prashant Kukulwar and Laxminarayan Parvatlawar — who were sitting along with the deceased, sustained bullet injuries and were rushed to Gadchiroli civil Hospital for treatment. Parvatalawar was later referred to Chandrapur Civil Hospital, police added. Atkamwar was vice-president of Gadchiroli unit of NCP and was a close aide of former minister and tribal NCP leader Dharamrao Baba Atram. This is the second political killing within three months. Maoists had earlier killed one Bahadur Shah Alam, president of Bhamragarh Taluka Congress Committee. Maha

Pakistan: Tension grips Karachi again, three killed

14-04-2012 KARACHI, (Dawn): Three people were killed in firing and a hand grenade attack in Karachi’s Gulbahar area on Saturday, DawnNews reported. Additionally, incidents of firing were reported in Lyari and Garden area on Saturday morning. The armed men stopped all traffic and forcibly closed all business centres. However, police and frontier corps (FC) have been deployed in the area. A tortured body was also discovered in a gunny bag in the city’s area of Soldier bazaar. http://dawn.com/2012/04/14/tension-grips-lyari-again/

Pakistan: Firing in Quetta kills eight, injures one

14-04-2012 QUETTA, (Dawn): Unidentified men opened fire on a car at Broori road, area of Quetta on Saturday, which killed seven people and injured one, DawnNews reported. According to the police, unidentified motorcyclists opened fire on a car, as a result of the firing four people died on the spot whereas other three died on their way to the hospital. One person was injured by firing who was transferred to the Bolan Medical Complex Hospital. In another unrelated firing incident, a man was shot dead which resulted in closing of all the business centers in the city, raising the death toll to eight people. Moreover, FC has been deployed in the city to maintain the law and order situation in Quetta. http://dawn.com/2012/04/14/firing-in-quetta-kills-seven-injures-one/

Al-Khobar gang blamed for latest North Cotabato bus bombing

By Jeoffrey Maitem and Dennis Santos Inquirer Mindanao 3:28 pm | Saturday, April 14th, 2012 share COTABATO CITY, Philippines—Police officials here said Saturday they were certain that the al-Khobar extortion group, which has ties to the Abu Sayyaf, was behind the April 11 bus blast in North Cotabato that killed three persons and wounded more than a dozen others. Chief Suprintendent Felicisimo Khu, head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Western Mindanao, said two al-Khobar members linked to last Wednesday’s bombing were now being hunted down. The Rural Transit Bus had come from Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat and was on its way to Cagayan de Oro City when the bomb exploded. “The two suspects boarded the bus in Kabacan (North Cotabato) and they detonated the homemade bomb in Carmen (also in North Cotabato),” Khu said, adding that “we have a witness that identified the suspects as such.” He did not say how the witness was able to confirm that the suspects we

Pakistan: Bomb blast kills excise officer

14-04-2012 PESHAWAR, (Dawn): As a result of bomb blast, excise officer was killed on Saturday at Peshawar’s Daudzai Takhatabad road, DawnNews reported. According to the sources, bomb exploded outside the house of excise officer located at Takhatabad road. The explosive device was planted outside Khaista Mai residence, which exploded during the early hours of Saturday morning, killing the excise officer on the spot. According to the sources of excise police, the killed officer was posted at Haripur. http://dawn.com/2012/04/14/bomb-blast-kills-excise-officer/