LIVE! Over 250 militants killed in last phase of military op in Pakistan

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Sun, 03 April 2016

Over 250 militants killed in last phase of military op in Pakistan

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21:56 Over 250 militants killed in last phase of military op in Pakistan

Over 250 militants have been killed in Pakistan in army operations in the last two months along the porous Pak-Afghan border, the military said.

"The battle to clear the last pocket close to the Pak-Afghan border continues," the Inter-Services Public Relations said, adding that all heights over 9,000 feet have been cleared.

"Major terrorist hubs" in Mana, Gurbaz, Lataka, Inzarkas and Magrotai areas have been cleared of militants, it added.

"Terrorists' hideouts were destroyed, a cache of arms and ammunition recovered and there was virtually no communications infrastructure remaining in the Shawal area once the operation was launched in February this year," the Dawn quoted the statement as saying.

Hundreds of troops, backed by fighter jets, have been chasing the remaining militants in Shawal Valley where they are hiding, the statement said.

The militants have been killed under the Zarb-i-Azb military operation which was launched in North Waziristan nearly two years ago after a brazen militant attack on Karachi's international airport and the failure of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan negotiators.

The operation entered its last phase in February this year.

The dreaded Islamic State terror group is making use of Iraq's well-stocked Mosul University chemistry lab to churn out a new generation of deadly explosives, including chemical bombs and suicide vests, according to a media report.

Islamic State has been using the chemistry lab in Mosul for the past year to concoct explosive devices and train militants to make them, The Wall Street Journal reported citing US and Iraqi military officials.

General Hatem Magsosi, Iraq's top explosives officer, was quoted as saying that the facilities at the University of Mosul have enhanced Islamic State's ability to launch attacks in Iraq and to export bomb-making know-how when its fighters leave the so-called caliphate and return to their home countries.

The weaponry churned out includes peroxide-based chemical bombs and suicide-bomb vests like the ones used in the Brussels attacks and by at least some of the Paris attackers, the report said citing the general, others in the Iraqi military and an official from the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis issued a clarification after he found himself embroiled in a controversy surrounding his comments at a rally in Nashik where he said those who refuse to chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' have no right to live in India.

Fadnavis, in his statement, said that he had given a 50-minute long speech on Saturday in which he only talked about the slogan and Shani Shignapur temple issue for five minutes. "Media picked only 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and that too only a part of it. It clearly proves that a section of media is interested in creating controversy only," he said, launching an attack on the media.

He also asserted that in his speech he mentioned that 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' has nothing to do with religion. "It is not merely about the slogan but it is about those lakhs of freedom fighters and soldiers who sacrificed their life chanting this," said Fadnavis.

The Maharashtra CM, however, said that they have an objection when someone says that they will not chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. He said that "those who oppose this have negative intentions" and there is a "limit to appeasement too".

In a special gesture, PM Modi was conferred Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour, the King Abdulaziz Sash

An Amtrak train struck a piece of construction equipment just south of Philadelphia on Sunday causing a derailment, and some injuries are being reported, according to authorities. Service on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Philadelphia has been suspended.

The impact derailed the lead engine of the train. About 341 passengers and seven crew members were on board. Amtrak said initial reports show that some passengers were being treated for injuries, but officials didn't immediately have any information on the number or extent of injuries.

With Assam going for the first phase assembly poll tomorrow, around Rs 12 crore of cash and nearly 8 lakh litres of liquor have been seized from across the state by the authorities since election dates were announced on March 4.

"As a result of vigorous check, we have been able to seize cash worth Rs 9,92,09,575 since the announcement of the polls. Along with these around Rs 2 crore have been seized separately by the Income Tax department. So the total cash seizure is around Rs 12 crore," Assam Chief Electoral Officer Vijayendra told a press conference.

Along with the cash, authorities have also seized 7,85,633 litres of liquor from various parts of the state since the polling dates were announced on March 4," he said.

He said, 26,067 licensed arms out of 29,021 have been deposited as per procedure to conduct the elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud a gold-plated replica of the Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kerala (in pic). The Cheraman Juma Masjid, situated in Thrissur, Kerala, is believed to be the first mosque built in India by Arab traders around 629 AD.

The man who had extolled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's past as tea-seller and turned it into a generic outreach with 'Chai Pe Charcha' campaign, has picked up coffee to promote deputy Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh's electioneering. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor launched Punjab Da Captain, Coffee With Captain campaign in Amarinder's Lok Sabha constituency.

18:57 Naidu questions China UN veto on Masood Azhar

Questioning China's move to block an attempt in the UN to get JeM chief Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has said Beijing should understand that "today it is India (which is targeted by terror), tomorrow it may be your turn".

He also said Pakistan should give up its "old habit" of finding fault with India and stop "aiding and abetting" terrorism so that the two countries can have close ties.

"I do not know the reason why China blocked the proposal to ban Azhar. He is a notorious terrorist and should be banned," the Union parliamentary affairs minister said. "Today it is India, tomorrow it may be your (China) turn," he added.

India had yesterday slammed China's virtual veto to prevent the banning of Pathankot terror strike mastermind Azhar, saying it "does not reflect well on the determination that the international community needs to display to decisively defeat the menace of terrorism".

18:40

UPDATE: Two-year-old girl who was rescued from the bore well has passed away

18:05 First flight leaves Brussels since March 22 attacks

A Brussels Airlines flight heading to the Portuguese city of Faro has taken off from Brussels Airport -- the first passenger flight to leave the airport since suicide bombings on March 22 blew up its departures terminal.

Arnaud Feist, the CEO of Brussels Airport Co, says the three flights leaving Sunday are "a sign of hope" that even partial passenger service could resume so soon following "the darkest days in the history of aviation in Belgium."

The airport has been closed since suicide bombings at the airport and in the Brussels subway killed 32 victims and wounded 270. The attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group.

A two-year-old was rescued after falling 30 feet into a borewell in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district on Sunday, officials said. The borewell is one of the five dug around the roadways colony by the Kanpur Developing Authority. The borewells weren't allegedly closed after the work related to soil testing was over.

Seeking to inject new momentum in bilateral ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held wide-ranging talks with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on ways to expand strategic cooperation in a range of areas including trade, investment and counter-terrorism.

Before his talks with the King, Modi, who arrived yesterday on a two-day visit, was accorded an official welcome at the Royal Court.

In the last seven months, it is Modi's second visit tothe Gulf, a strategically important region which is home toover 8 million Indians and key to India's energy security. He had visited United Arab Emirates in August last year.

17:27 West Indies women win World T20 title

West Indies women outclassed Australia by eight wickets to win their maiden ICC Women's World T20 championship in Kolkata, on Sunday. Electing to bat, Australia posted a healthy 148 for five in their 20 overs. Openers Hayley Matthews (66) and Stafanie Taylor (59) hit half-centuries to lead their team to the title, with three deliveries to spare.

16:33 Mallya probe: ED to write to UK, South Africa

As the money laundering probe against embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya gathers pace, the Enforcement Directorate is preparing to issue Letters Rogatories to certain countries, including South Africa and the UK, for obtaining information on his overseas assets.

Official sources said the agency has obtained details about immovable and movable assets held by the United Breweries Chairman in a number of countries and investigators are looking at countries like South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Hong Kong and France, as part of its probe conducted till now in the case.

The agency is mulling moving a competent court in this regard and obtain the LRs (judicial requests) which will be sent to their counterparts in these countries for obtaining information with regard to purchase, registration and status of movable and immovable assets.

16:27

JUST IN: 6 injured in West Bengal's Howrah are after two groups of BJP workers clashed in front of BJP candidate Roopa Ganguly

15:42 Hrithik Roshan apologises for 'Pope' tweet

Hrithik Roshan has apologised for hurting "religious or other sentiments" caused by his reference to the "Pope" in his tweet in January, saying it was "unintentional".

The 42-year-old actor was sent a legal notice on March 30 by former vice-chairman of Maharashtra Minority Commission Abraham Mathai, who said Hrithik has hurt sentiments of the Christian community by making a reference to "Pope" in a tweet directed at actress Kangana Ranaut.

According to the notice, the actor was asked to apologise within seven days failing which a criminal complaint will be filed.

"Seems my tweet about His Holiness has led to misunderstanding. My apologies for hurt caused to religious or other sentiments. Was unintentional," Hrithik posted on Twitter.

A day after being denied entry into the inner sanctum of Shani Shinganapur temple in Maharashtra, Bhumata Ranragini Brigade president Trupti Desai said she is planning to file a "contempt of court" case against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state government.

"It was the CM who, in January, had extended his support to our cause and failed to protect us yesterday. Now we have already given a complaint to Supa police station against the police (who failed to protect women activists yesterday), local administration and trustees and demanded that a contempt of court case should be filed against CM and Maharashtra

government," said Desai.

She alleged that whatever happened yesterday was a premeditated ploy to kill them. "When villagers unleashed an attack on us and started beating us, police were standing as mere spectators and did not oppose them," she further alleged.

Desai claimed that she and other activists sustained bruises during the attack by villagers. "We will wait till tomorrow as we feel that court will initiate a 'suo moto' action against Maharashtra government in yesterday's incident and if it does not happen, we are planning to file a contempt of court case against the CM and Maharashtra state for failing to implement the high court ruling," informed Desai.

An Indian priest abducted by gunmen in Yemen last month is safe and could be released soon, a Catholic group said today, quoting Sushma Swaraj, the external affairs minister.

Father Tom Uzhunnalil was captured from the southern Yemeni city of Aden by gunmen who killed at least 15 people at an old peoples home in an attack that was condemned by Pope Francis.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India said a delegation had met Swaraj who said the government was working to secure the priests safe return.

She has assured us Father Tom is safe and negotiations are on for his release which could happen very soon, said Father Joseph Chinnaiyan, deputy secretary of the CBCI.

Media reports last week said the priest was killed by Islamic State militants on Good Friday, although no one has claimed responsibility for last months attack in which gunmen killed four Indian nuns, two Yemeni female staff members, eight elderly residents and a guard.

Brussels Airport reopens today with three "symbolic" flights and strict additional checks for passengers, marking a new high-security era for air travel in Belgium after attacks by Islamic State suicide bombers.

The key travel hub has been closed since two men blew themselves up in the departure hall on March 22 in coordinated blasts that also struck a metro station in the Belgian capital, killing a total of 32 people.

The departure hall was badly damaged, and a tent-like check-in facility is being used as a temporary substitute. The attacks at the heart of Europe shocked the country and many hope the airport's reopening, even on a limited scale, will help turn the page on the traumatic events.

India has "secured" the release of four Indians from Syria, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today.

The four Indians were arrested by the Syrian government in January reportedly when they were on their way to join Islamic state Islamic State.

"We have secured the release of four Indian nationals from Syria," Swaraj said in a tweet.

In a series of tweets regarding the development, the external affairs minister said, "Welcome home Arun Kumar Saini, Sarvjit Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Joga Singh. I appreciate the officers who facilitated their journey from Syria to India."

She said, "I had requested (the) Deputy PM of Syria for their release during his visit to India in January this year. Thank you Syria."

Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti invited National Conference working president and former J-K chief minister Omar Abdullah to her swearing in ceremony that will be held in Jammu on Monday.

"Very gracious of Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba to phone & invite me to her oath taking ceremony. I look forward to being there on the 4th,'' Omar Abdullah wrote on Twitter.

Mehbooba Mufti will take oath on Monday as the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir along with a group of PDP and BJP ministers.

READ: The challenges that await Mehbooba

Three weeks after the World Culture Festival event was held on the Yamuna floodplain, the clean up work at the venue is in progress and will take more time to complete.

Labourers at the site said it would take another month to dismantle the seven-acre stage."Three groups of workers belonging to different contractors are dismantling the stage. It is a labour-intensive job and will take time,' said Raju (name changed on request).

Giant cranes, trucks and nearly 100 men were seen in action. A few security guards were also deployed at various corners of the site. "Apart from the stage, all other structures have been dismantled,' said one of the guards.

Rahul Raj Singh, the boyfriend of Pratyusha Banerjee has been admitted to a Mumbai hospital, a day after the final rites of the 'Balika Vadhu' actress were carried out in Mumbai. His lawyer said that he is suffering from depression and chest pain.

12:56 Kashmiri constable injured in militant attack

A constable of the Jammu and Kashmir police was wounded this morning in a militant attack in south Kashmir's Pulwama town.

A senior police officer said militants fired at a police party in Muran Chowk in Pulwama town injuring constable Mohammad Shafi.

He was rushed to hospital for treatment, the officer said.

Security forces rushed to the spot and the area was surrounded for searches.

-- Mukhtar Ahmad reports from Srinagar

12:32

JUST IN: Terrorists attack a police party at Muran Chowk in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama. One policeman injured.

More details awaited.

11:59 Indo-Canadian Sikh man viciously assaulted in Canada

A 29-year-old Indo-Canadian Sikh was viciously assaulted by four men in Canada in an alleged racially motivated attack, drawing strong condemnation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Supninder Singh Khehra, an Indian citizen from Patiala and a resident of the Toronto suburb of Brampton, was verbally abused and beaten by a group of men who seemed to be drunk by who targeted him because of his brown skin and turban.

Khehra who is still recovering, said he was out with friends in Quebec City after dark and trying to hail a cab when a car full of men approached and started shouting at him in French, swearing and pointing at his turban.

The incident has been condemned by Trudeau while he was speaking to reporters in Washington, where he was attending the Nuclear Security Summit hosted by US President Barack Obama.

Trudeau was quoted as saying that such "hateful acts" had "no place in Canada". He said, "We stand clearly against the kind of discrimination and intolerance that represents."

11:57 PM Modi visits TCS all-women centre in Riyadh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, presently in Saudi Arabia on a two-day official trip, visits the Tata Consultancy Services all women IT & ITES Centre in Riyadh. Addressing the crowds, Modi said, "I am meeting those professionals who are now the glory of Saudi Arabia."

Australia's transport minister said new debris found on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius would be examined to see if it belonged to MH370, just weeks after two Mozambique fragments were linked to the missing flight. The debris was found on the Mauritius island of Rodrigues by a vacationing couple.

"The Malaysian government is working with officials fromMauritius to seek to take custody of the debris and arrange for its examination," Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said. "This debris is an item of interest however until the debris has been examined by experts it is not possible to ascertain its origin."

National Investigation Agency officer was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor on Saturday night while he was returning from a wedding.

NIA Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mohd Tanzil and his wife, who was with her at the time of incident, were shot from close range by unidentified gunmen on motorcycle in PS Seohara near Sahaspur district.

Sources say, the officer was shot 21 times and his wife sustained four bullets injuries.

The officer and his wife were immediately rushed to a hospital in Moradabad where Tanzil was declared brought dead. His wife has been shifted to a hospital in Noida where her condition is stated to be critical.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that Tanzil was part of a team who was investigating the Indian Air Force base terror attack in Pathankot.

00:32 BJP youth wing leader shot at in Chhattisgarh

A 27-year-old BJP youth wing leader was today shot at and injured allegedly by Naxals at a temple in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, the police said.

Bijapur district BJYM president Murlikrishna Naidu was shot at by ultras in Bhairamgarh town at around 8 pm when he had gone to a temple.

Bijapur Superintendent of Police K L Dhruv said four rebels armed with country-made guns and sharp-edged weapons stormed the temple and attacked him.

"The ultras fired two bullets from behind which hit him in the shoulder and waist. They then tried to attack him with an axe but some persons present there came to his rescue," the SP said, adding the rebels then fled the spot.

Naidu was taken to a local hospital from where he was shifted to Jagdalpur district headquarters and was now being airlifted to Raipur for further treatment, Dhruv said.

Union minister Babul Supriyo's road show in support of BJP candidates was stopped by the police in Midnapore district saying the organisers did not take police permission for the programme.

Supriyo, singer turned BJP MP from the state, was holding a road show in the afternoon at Nannur Chowk in the town but police reached there and asked the minister to discontinue the programme.

Superintendent of Police B Chandrasekhar said local organisers did not take permission from the police for holding the road show.

"Our men went to the minister, explained him the situation and asked him to stop the road show which he did," the SP said.

Supriyo, however, alleged, "We failed to hold the road show because of the partisan nature of the police."

"However, as a law abiding citizen, I discontinued the programme and restrained my followers to do it," said the Union minister of state for urban development.

In a special gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today broke bread with a group of Indian workers of a major construction project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Modi sat with the workers at the L&T workers' residential complex and had the meal with them shortly after addressing them during which he appreciated their contribution to development of Saudi Arabia.

"Eating together, hearing each other's thoughts & experiences...at L&T Workers' Residential Complex in Saudi Arabia," the prime minister tweeted along with a picture of him having food with them.

The prime minister's gesture was hailed by the workers. "This is unprecedented. We will not forget it ever," said a worker from Kerala.

The Indian blue collar workers are engaged in L&T's USD 2 billion housing project in Riyadh. There are over 2.96 million Indian nationals working in Saudi Arabia, the largest expatriate community in the country, and nearly 90 per cent of them are blue collar workers.

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