Evening NEWS DIGEST
26 Jan.2017: 27 Rabius Sani 1438: Vol:8, No:99
'Derailing' the attempt to
cook up terror links: TOI
Mumbai: A man from Mumbai
who surrendered, claiming to have been hired by extremists to derail trains,
has now admitted under questioning that he concocted the story for a reward or
a job in the railways.Vasant Kumar Yadav, originally from UP, confessed before
the UP ATS that he lied. On Dec.29, Yadav had walked into BJP's Mumbai office
in Kurla, and met railway activist Subhash Gupta. Yadav told Gupta he knew
about a gang recruiting youth for sabotage. Gupta alerted the RPF, which then
questioned Yadav. He told them a Bihar ring had trained him in subversive
activities, which raised fears about his links to the recent derailments near
Kanpur. Maharashtra ATS was roped in. "We quizzed him early this month and
found several loopholes," said ATS chief Atul Kulkarni. The ATS then
allowed Yadav to go. When UP ATS took Yadav into custody for questioning, it
found he had lied to get a job or a reward from the PM. UP ATS took Yadav to
the places he mentioned as `training spots', but did not find any evidence.
Moreover, they found he was in his UP village at the time and not in Mumbai as
claimed. He is likely to be subjected to a lie detector test now.Yadav had said
the Bihar gang was led by one Suresh.When questioned by Mumbai police, he said
the group lured unemployed youths by paying them Rs 70,000 each. Cops were
startled by his claim that two men from his training camp had carried out an
operation after being paid the amount. Yadav told police these details at a
time when Bihar police had already busted a ring, which may have received funds
from the ISI to derail trains in the country.
NIA to probe sabotage angle
in train derailments in Kanpur, Andhra
New Delhi: NIA will probe
the sabotage angle in the recent train derailments in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur
and Andhra Pradesh's Kuneru area.The agency has taken over the probe in these
cases following an order from the Home Ministry, official sources said today.
An NIA team has already conducted an inspection of the site in Vizianagaram
near Kuneru where Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express went off the track to
ascertain if it was an "act of terror" as the railway suspected
sabotage. 39 people were killed in the accident that took place on Saturday.
The role of Pakistan's snooping agency ISI in the derailment of Indore-Patna
train on November 20 last year in Kanpur in which 150 people lost their lives
is also being looked into. Three persons arrested by Bihar Police in this
connection had claimed sabotage by the ISI.PTI
Govt has explained position
on triple talaq in SC: Law Minister
Udupi:Reacting to a query
on triple talaq on Wednesday, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that
the Union govt had explained its position in the Supreme Court. “Our position
is that triple talaq is bad on the grounds of gender justice, gender dignity
and gender equality. Our constitution respects women’s dignity and triple talaq
in that way is unconstitutional,” he said. Mr. Prasad said that triple talaq
had been regulated in 20 Islamic countries, including Pakistan.“If Islamic
countries could regulate triple talaq without being voilative of shariat, how
can such an argument be made in case of India, which is a secular country,” he
said.thehindu
Will respect religious
sentiments, if they are constitutional: Ravi Shankar Prasad
Indira Gandhi persuaded
Zia-ul-Haq to join regional strategy during Afghan crisis: CIA
New Delhi:Worried over Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi tried to persuade then
Pakistan President Zia-ul-Haq in 1980 to join an Indian-sponsored regional
strategy to effectively deal with the “occupation”, according to a declassified
CIA report. The report said Indira sought to form a regional grouping to exert
diplomatic pressure on the Soviets to confine their “activities” to
Afghanistan.The Pakistani establishment was also concerned that India might
take advantage of the tension along the Af-Pak border to intimidate Pakistan or
that India might launch a preemptive strike against its nuclear facilities.
According to the report declassified last week, in the wake of the invasion,
Pakistani leadrship was also apprehensive about the potential for Soviet and
Indian efforts — separate or joint– to undermine Pakistan’s
stability.“Immediately after the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Indira
Gandhi — who had just returned to power–tried to persuade President Zia’s
government to adopt an Indian-sponsored regional approach to the Soviet
occupation,” the report said. Rejecting India’s proposal, the Pakistani
officials characterised the plan to the US diplomats as “hegemonistic” and
instead accepted American offers of arms to counter the Soviet threat from Afghanistan.In
response to Indian arguments that Pakistan’s acquisitions of US arms threatened
India, Zia in 1981 had proposed a non-aggression pact with New Delhi. The
report said New Delhi continued to parry Pakistani initiatives on the pact.
Talking about various issues involving Indo-Pak ties, the CIA said Islamabad
feared that India’s desire for “regional pre-eminence threatens Pakistan’s
survival”.PTI
Zia assured Reagan Pakistan
wouldn't acquire n-bomb: CIA papers
Pakistan asks world to hold
India ‘accountable for its crimes’ in Kashmir
Islamabad: Pakistan on
Thursday asked the world community to hold India “accountable” for its “crimes
against humanity” in Kashmir, as it demanded justice for the families of 25
Kashmiris allegedly killed by Indian security in 1990.Foreign Office (FO)
spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in a statement that Jan.25 reminds Pakistan
about the alleged “massacre of more than 25 innocent defenceless Kashmiris” in
Handwara by Indian security forces 27 years ago.He alleged that the “horrific massacre
was committed by the Indian forces” just 3 days after they had reportedly
killed more than 50 Kashmiris in Gawkadal.“On both the occasions the Indian
forces had unleashed terror on peaceful protesters. The perpetrators of the two
massacres that I mentioned are yet to face justice while victims’ families have
been suffering from the unforgettable and unbearable pain for 27 years,”
Zakaria alleged.PTI
10 soldiers killed, many
missing after avalanche hits army camp in Kashmir
Srinagar: At least 10
soldiers were killed and several others are missing after avalanches hit an
army camp and a patrol team in north Kashmir’s Bandipora, officials said on
Thursday, the latest casualties in the Valley swamped by heavy snowfall.The
twin incidents came barely few hours after an Army major was killed Ganderbal
district, also in an avalanche.An army spokesperson said ten bodies have been
recovered since an avalanche struck the camp in the Gurez sector on Wednesday
night and a patrol team was buried under a separate avalanche earlier.HT
J&K: 10 soldiers
killed, several missing as two avalanches hit Gurez Sector, says Army
Gallantry award for three
soldiers for gunning down Burhan Wani
Srinagar: Tucked away in
the remote hills of south Kashmir, it is jubilation all around at the Rashtriya
Rifles unit as 3 of its personnel have been awarded Sena Medal for having
gunned down Burhan Wani whose killing plunged the valley into a welter of
violence that lasted for months.As details of the 8 July operation last year
emerge, it transpires that young Major Sandeep Kumar, who led the crack team
following "actionable" intelligence input that Sartaj Aziz and two
other militants were hiding in a house in Bumdoora village, showed nerves of
steel and exemplary restraint in the face of extreme provocation in
neutralising them.PTI
Alexander Kadakin, Russian
envoy and ‘friend of India’, dies of heart failure
New Delhi: Alexander
Kadakin, Russian ambassador to India, died of cardiac arrest at a New Delhi
hospital on Thursday. He was 68.A press release from the Russian embassy stated
that Kadkin, who has been heading the Russian diplomatic mission in New Delhi
since November 2009, passed away after a brief illness.HT
Sleeping picture of defence
minister Parrikar ‘napping’ during Republic Day parade has gone viral
Union defence minister
Manohar Parrikar paid tribute to the martyrs at Amar Jawan Jyoti before the
commencement of Republic Day parade at Rajpath, but that’s not what caught
people’s attention on social media. Unfortunately, minister was clicked at the
moment when his eyes were shut while the proceedings were underway.
Twitterati’s given the verdict that he was taking a nap as he had to wake up
early in the morning for the ceremony.Parrikar’s picture has gone viral on
social media and jokes are abound. Some are even furious because and want to
remind him of all the statements about always keeping in mind the sacrifice of
the soldiers. indianexpress
Find out why Modi couldn’t
understand what UAE crown prince said
New Delhi: PM Modi could
not understand what UAE crown prince said yesterday in Joint Press Conference. Short
speech of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan was in
Arabic.The translator-on-duty held up in traffic jam yesterday and hence could
not reach the spot on time.In the beginning of his speech, Sheikh, India’s
Republic Day guest greeted with formal greeting, ‘Assalamu alaikum’. After the
greeting, there was silence in the room as Crown Prince continued his speech
for about 3 minutes in Arabic.However, written translation of his speech was
made available to press reporters. Siasat
Burj Khalifa glows with
tri-colour to mark R Day
NSG’s ‘Black cats’ debut at
Republic Day parade
Demonetisation
Demonetisation: People may
get another chance to deposit Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes
New Delhi: RBI may allow
citizens another chance to deposit the scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes
but the exchange would be for a limited sum, sources in the govt and banking
sector said on Wednesday. The central bank has been flooded with queries and
requests from people who failed to deposit all their money by the December 30
deadline, seeking relief, sources said.“The amounts are as small as Rs 2,000…
the issue is being looked into and the advice would be to hold on to those
notes as we are examining (opening) another window for these genuine people,” source
said.HT
Demonetisation: Cannot
disclose preparedness to handle cash crunch says RBI press
Demonetisation: Withdrawal
restrictions likely to go away by Feb-end
New Delhi:With the cash
crunch situation easing, Reserve Bank may do away with the weekly withdrawal
limits from banks as well as ATMs by the end of next month, bankers said. The
RBI had recently raised the ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 10,000 a day but
maintained the weekly cap at Rs 24,000 for saving account and Rs 1 lakh for
current account holders.PTI
Increase cash withdrawal
limit of candidates in 5 states to Rs 2 lakh: EC requests RBI
New Delhi:Election
Commission has requested RBI to enhance the weekly withdrawal limit from Rs
24,000 to Rs 2 lakh for candidates contesting election polls The EC on
Wednesday requested the RBI to enhance the weekly cash withdrawal limit of
candidates contesting polls in five states to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 24,000 imposed
post demonetization as they would find it difficult to meet their campaign
expenditure. DNA
Demonetisation may have
caused lasting damage to economy: political economist Barbara Harriss-White
Barbara Harriss-White is an
Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford, with decades of experience
studying India’s vast informal economy. It was this part of the economy that
was most hit by the decision to demonetise higher denominations of currency,
announced on Nov.8.In an interview with the Madras Courier, she paints a
comprehensive picture of what demonetisation has done to democracy,
agriculture, the “black economy” and society.
OTHERS
Mohsin Shaikh murder case:
Quash bail of HRS men, city lawyers urge HC
Pune: A Pune-based legal
group “Advocacy Association” has filed an application before the chief justice
of the Bombay High Court (HC), seeking quashing of the bail order passed by
Justice Mrudula Bhatkar in Mohsin Shaikh murder case. In an order dated Jan.12,
2017, Justice Bhatkar had granted bail to accused Vijay Rajendra Gambhire,
Ganesh, alias Ranjeet Shankar Yadav, and Ajay Dilip Lalge. Those granted bail
are among the 21 Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) activists, besides their leader
Dhanajay Jayram Desai alias Bhai, who were arrested for the alleged murder of
Mohsin — a Muslim techie who worked for a firm in Pune. On June 2, 2014, Mohsin
was heading home with a friend, Riyaz Ahmed Mubarak Shendure, after offering
prayers at a masjid in Hadapsar around 9.15pm, when he was allegedly attacked
by the accused who were protesting against the circulation of objectionable
pictures of Shivaji Maharaj and Bal Thackeray. The accused had allegedly
attended a meeting prior to the incident, in which Desai had allegedly
delivered a ‘provoking’ speech.Advocate Tosif Shaikh, president of Advocacy
Group, said, “We are not against the court granting bail to the accused. But we
are against the observations given by the judge. We believe that such decision
by courts will create an unhealthy precedence in the country. It goes against
constitutional morality, criminal jurisprudence and human values. So we have
filed an application on Jan.24 demanding the chief justice to intervene suo
moto and quash the bail order.” indian express
Bhopal Jailbreak: MP CM
Chouhan calls 8 dead men as 'dreaded terrorists' for second time
Bhopal:Madhya Pradesh Chief
Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has once again called the eight SIMI activists
who were gunned down in an encounter after they allegedly broke the Bhopal
Central Jail during the intervening night of Oct.31 and 31, 2016 as 'dreaded
terrorists'.Chouhan used the term 'dreaded terrorists' for the second time on
Friday while congratulating Bhopal police for the encounter over which many
serious questions have been raised.Chouhan's second reference to the 8 men as
terrorists comes at a time when the one-man judicial commission headed by
Justice SK Pandey is still conducting its investigation. Several human rights
bodies and fact-finding teams have already alleged the encounter was fake. indiatoday
Aurangabad arms case: HC
issues notices to Abu Jundal, 11 others
The Bombay high court on
Wednesday issued notices to Abu Jundal and 11 other people, convicted in the
2006 Aurangabad Arms Haul case earlier last year, after the Maharashtra
government challenged the special court’s decision to drop the stringent
charges of MCOCA against the 12 men. hindustantimes
Uttar Pradesh polls:
Mukhtar Ansari, kin rejoin BSP
New Delhi:Mukhtar Ansari,
his brothers, Sibgatulla and Afzal, and son Abbas joined Bahujan Samaj Party on
Thursday. Announcing their induction into the party at a press conference, BSP
chief Mayawati defended the move saying that the allegations against the jailed
leader have been not been proven so far. “In par lage aarop abhi tak saabit nahi
kar paaye iss baat ko dhyaan mein rakh kar aaj party mein wapas liya (The
allegations against him haven’t been proven so far; keeping that in mind, we
have inducted him once again into the party),” said Mayawati. Ansari will once
again contest from Mau Sadar and his son Abbas from Ghosi in the upcoming Uttar
Pradesh elections. “There have not been any criminal elements in BSP, but if
some people want to improve under the BSP umbrella, we give them a chance,”
Mayawati added. indianexpress
Disgruntled Mulayam loyalists
seek refuge in Sunni Barelvi cleric’s party
Bareilly: As many as 3
Mulayam loyalists who were denied tickets by the new Samajwadi Party leadership
have jumped ship to join Ittehad-ul-Millat Council (IMC) the party floated by a
Sunni Barelvi cleric, which has a dominant presence in at least four
constituencies in Bareilly where Muslims are gamechangers.It is expected that
the final list might include more such defectors from top parties.Though Mulayam
had given a ticket to Shaila Tahir from Nawabganj, Akhilesh had announced that
the ticket for the seat would go to his close aide and sitting MLA Bhagwat
Saran Gangwar, due to which Tahir left the SP and joined the IMC floated by
prominent Sunni Barelvi cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan. timesofindia
Another minority commission
member demits office, panel strength reduced to two
New Delhi:One more National
Commission for Minorities (NCM) member demitted office today on account of
completing his tenure, reducing strength of the panel to just two vis-a-vis the
mandated seven. Praveen Davar, who was appointed to the Commission during the
UPA-II regime, demitted office after completing his three- year stint with the
body. Davar's term technically ends tomorrow which is a public holiday. Four
members of the panel had retired between Sept.9, 2015 and Dec.1, 2016.Posts continue
to remain vacant. PTI
WORLD
Ramallah warns of a
religious war over Jerusalem
Jerusalem:Jerusalem is the
heart of Israel and Palestine and it beats at Temple Mount as Jews call it or
Haram esh-sharif as Muslims refer to it. Now, Donald Trump says he will move
American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which in effect is America’s
strongest acknowledgment of Jerusalem being Israel’s capital. Jerusalem doesn’t
belong to Israel says Abel Taqz, a member of the Palestinian Peoples Party
which played a big role in the first Palestinian intifada.Both Fatah and Hamas
agree that there will be violence if the US takes this step. Russia has already
been trying to bring the two Palestinian factions- Fatah in Ramallah and Gaza
strip rulers of Hamas -together.Fayez Warda, a Hamas leader who has been
arrested several times both by the Israelis and Fatah, says, “Our view of
Russia is different from America. We look at Russia as a friend and they are
holding reconciliation between Hamas and Fateh.”AFP
Council of Europe calls for
lifting of Gaza blockade
Strasbourg, France:Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe on Wednesday called on Israel and Egypt to
lift the blockade on Gaza which has since 2007 remained under a crippling
Israeli embargo.Approving a report prepared by Swedish politician Eva-Lena
Jansson, the Assembly said the situation in Gaza had "worsened
significantly" since the 2014 Israeli military operation in the blockaded
strip. Anadolu agency
Islamic authority decries
Jewish ‘rituals’ at Al-Aqsa
Jerusalem’s Authority for
Islamic Endowments has condemned increasingly frequent visits to Al-Aqsa Mosque
by Israeli settlers who often perform religious rituals at the site.Almost
daily visits to Al-Aqsa by Jewish settlers, the authority said in a statement,
constituted "violations of the sanctity" of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Anadolu
Israel detains 9
Palestinians in W. Bank raids: Army
Jerusalem:Israeli troops
conducted a number of raids throughout occupied West Bank early Thursday
morning and detained nine Palestinians, the Israel army said in a statement.
According to the statement, troops raided a handful of Palestinian refugee
camps in the West Bank, including the Dheisheh, Aida, Askar, Al-Azza camps,
among others.Anadolu agency
Muslim leaders hold
emergency rally on eve of Donald Trump’s Muslim ban
Hours before President
Trump enforces a Muslim ban and hours after he ordered federal agents to start
building the wall along the Mexican border, Muslim leaders held an emergency
rally to protest the executive orders. In Washington Square Park, hundreds of people
held signs, with “No human is illegal” and “Every Muslim I’ve ever known is a
better American than Donald Trump”. At least 5 helicopters swirled overhead,
and hundreds of cell phones, lit up, created a white wall opposite the iconic
arch in the park."No bans, no walls, this is our New York!" they
shouted. Independent
Trump defends restricted
entry for Muslims
NY demonstrators slam
Trump's anti-immigration tack
Trump is bombing 4 of the 7
Muslim countries from where he's restricting immigration
‘I stand ready to register
as Muslim’: Ex-US secretary of state Madeleine Albright
Washington: Former US
secretary of state Madeleine Albright has said she is ready to “register as
Muslim” in solidarity amid reports that President Donald Trump will legally
require all Muslims living in America to register in a database.Last week,
feminist icon Gloria Steinem also said she would register as a Muslim if such a
registry were required. “If you force Muslims to register, we will all register
as Muslims,” Steinem said during a speech at the Women’s March in Washington on
Saturday.HT
Trump says US backs Syrian
safe zones
US President Donald Trump
late Wednesday backed the creation of safe zones in Syria in his first media
interview since his inauguration.“Now I'll absolutely do safe zones in Syria
for the people,” he said when asked about refugees in an interview for
broadcaster ABC.w. Bulletin
Mexican president: We will
not pay for a wall
Mexico's leader Enrique
Pena Nieto has condemned US President Donald Trump's move to build a border
wall , and insisted that his country has no intention of paying for it."I
regret and condemn the decision of the United States to continue construction
of a wall that, for years, has divided us instead of uniting us,"
President Pena Nieto said in a brief televised message on Wednesday. "Mexico
does not believe in walls. I have said it time and again: Mexico will not pay
for any wall," he said, referring to Trump's vow to make his southern
neighbour pay for the barrier.Trump's plan has also been roundly condemned by other Latin American leaders.
aljazeera
Time to leave Afghanistan,
Taliban tell Trump
Taliban has called on
President Donald Trump to withdraw US forces from the "quagmire" of
Afghanistan, saying nothing has been achieved in 15 years of war except
bloodshed and destruction.In an open letter to the new US president published
on one of its official web pages, Taliban said US had lost credibility after
spending a trillion dollars on a fruitless entanglement. "So, the
responsibility to bring to an end this war also rests on your [Trump's]
shoulders," it said. Afghanistan was invaded by US in 2001 and has become
Washington's longest military intervention since Vietnam. Taliban justify their
ongoing insurgency in the letter, claiming that the group's "Jihad and
struggle was legitimate religiously, intellectually, nationally and conforming
to all other lawful standards".So far, Trump has had little to say
publicly about Afghanistan, where around 8,400 US troops remain as part of
NATO-led coalition's training mission to support local forces as well as a
separate US counterterrorism mission.Taliban, however, warned Trump against
relying on kind of "unrealistic" reports presented to former
presidents by their generals, saying: "They would emphasise continuation
of war and occupation of Afghanistan because they can have better positions and
privileges in war."Calling the ongoing violence as illegal, ineffective,
and aimless, the group claimed " Afghans, as a nation ravaged by war for
38 long years, sincerely want to bring this war to an end"."However,
they know, despite whatever reasons for previous wars, the principle cause for
the ongoing conflict is the presence of foreign occupying forces in our
independent country," the letter added. "You have to realise that Afghan
Muslim nation has risen up against foreign occupation." Aljazeera
Harsh winter kills 27 kids
in Afghanistan in 1 week
Trump may reinstate secret
CIA ‘black site’ prisons -US officials
President Donald Trump may
order a review that could lead to bringing back a CIA program for holding
terrorism suspects in secret overseas “black site” prisons where interrogation
techniques often condemned as torture were used, two US officials said on
Wednesday.The black sites were used to detain suspects captured in President
George W. Bush’s “war on terrorism” after the 11 Sept,2001, attacks and were formally
closed by former President Barack Obama.Any return to the Bush administration’s
initial anti-terrorism tactics – including secret prisons and interrogation
methods considered torture under international law – would likely alienate key
US allies in the fight against militant groups like al Qaeda and Daesh.The
officials said Trump is expected to sign an executive order in the next few
days. It would call for a high-level review into “whether to reinitiate a
program of interrogation of high-value alien terrorists to be operated outside
the United States” and whether the CIA should run the facilities, according to
a copy of the draft published by the Washington Post.middleeastmonitor
UN accused of suppressing
Middle East report
US has rejected suggestions
that it suppressed a report critical of the way governments in the Middle East
treat their citizens.The report was meant to be released this month by the UN's
Economic and Social Commission for West Asia, or ESCWA.According to a draft
obtained by Al Jazeera, the report outlines a number of issues already
discussed in popular media, including the suicide of fruit-seller Mohamed
Bouazizi - that launched protests in Tunisia, and across the Arab world, in
2011 - and women in Saudi Arabia protesting about their country's ban on female
drivers.But the UN has yet to officially release the report.Several countries
in the Middle East, such as Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia, have objected to
its findings.Egypt has reportedly disputed that President Mohamed Morsi was
overthrown in 2013 in a military coup, while Israel has taken issue with the
report's descriptions of its treatment of occupied Palestinians. Meanwhile,
Saudi Arabia has argued against the report having any mention of its execution
of Shia Muslim leader Nimr al-Nimr in Jan.2016. Aljazeera
Iran official, pro-Tehran
lobbyist hosted by Obama’s White House 33 times
Two high-level Iranian
government backers, including a former Islamic Republic official and another
accused of lobbying on Tehran’s behalf, were hosted at the Obama White House
for more than 30 meetings with top officials at key junctures in the former
administration’s contested diplomacy with Iran, according to White House
visitor logs exposed by Washington Free Beacon (WFB) earlier this week.Seyed
Mousavian, a former Iranian diplomat and head of its national security council,
was hosted at the White House at least three times, while Trita Parsi, a
US-based pro-Iran advocate long accused of hiding his ties to the Iranian government,
met with Obama administration officials some 33 times, according to WFB.Citing
sources familiar with the nature of the meetings, WFB reported that both Parsi
and Mousavian helped the White House craft its pro-Iran messaging and talking
points that helped lead to the controversial nuclear agreement with Iran. middleeastmonitor
Iraq PM slammed for
sectarian abduction of Sunnis near Baghdad: middleeastmonitor
Iraqi PM has been
criticised by one of Iraq’s three vice presidents for abduction and forced
disappearance of dozens of Sunni Arab civilians from their homes in the
township of Tarmiyah, north of the capital Baghdad.Vice President Ayad Allawi,
who also heads the Iraqi National Accord parliamentary bloc, slammed Prime
Minister Haider Al-Abadi’s govt, calling on the authorities to end its silence
over the abduction of around 50 men from Sunni villages in the Tarmiyah
district. Meanwhile, the Iraqi premier admitted that a “part of a unit” from Iran-backed
Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an official part of the Iraqi military, was
responsible for the attacks on Tarmiyah and sectarian targeting of Sunni
villagers.
IS fighters redeploy in
west Mosul after Iraqi forces take east: Reuters
Baghdad: Islamic State
fighters have taken up sniper positions in buildings on the west bank of the
Tigris river ahead of an expected government offensive into that side the city,
locals said on Wednesday. PM Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday his forces had
taken complete control of eastern Mosul, and the commander of the campaign to
retake ISs last major stronghold in Iraq has said preparations to cross the
Tigris are under way.IS fighters have moved in recent days into Mosul's main medical
complex made up of a dozen buildings located between two of the city's 5
bridges - positions that can be used for observation and sniper fire, local
residents told Reuters. The tallest is seven storeys, one resident said, asking
not to be identified as the militants execute those caught speaking with the
outside world. Some 750,000 people live in western Mosul, according to the US
which has voiced grave concerns for civilians in an area beyond the reach of
aid organisations. It took 100,000 Iraqi troops, members of regional Kurdish
security forces and Shi'ite Muslim paramilitaries, backed by air and ground
support from a US-led coalition, almost 100 days to retake eastern Mosul in
what has become the biggest battle in Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003.Reuters
US-led coalition strikes
airport in Daesh-held Mosul
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:11 PM)
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