America calls itself a 'beacon' of human rights, but it covered up a 2019 war crime in Syria. An airstrike killed 60 civilians, the U.S. military downplayed the deaths & 'sanitised' the reports. Palki Sharma asks: Who will sanction the US for its war crimes?

Gravitas: US hid a 2019 war crime in Syria that killed civilians

In the last days of the battle against the Islamic State group in Syria, when members of the once-fierce caliphate were cornered in a dirt field next to a town called Baghuz, a U.S. military drone circled high overhead, hunting for military targets. But it saw only a large crowd of women and children huddled against a river bank.

Without warning, a U.S. F-15E attack jet streaked across the drone’s high-definition field of vision and dropped a 500-pound bomb on the crowd. Then a jet dropped one 2,000-pound bomb, then another.

It was March 18, 2019. At the U.S. military’s busy Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, uniformed personnel watching the live drone footage looked on in stunned disbelief.

“Who dropped that?” a confused analyst typed on a secure chat system being used by those monitoring the drone. Another responded, “We just dropped on 50 women and children.”

An initial battle damage assessment quickly found that the number of dead was actually about 70.

The Baghuz strike was one of the largest civilian casualty incidents of the war against the Islamic State, but it has never been publicly acknowledged by the U.S. military. The details, reported here for the first time, show that the death toll was almost immediately apparent to military officials. A legal officer flagged the strike as a possible war crime that required an investigation. But at nearly every step, the military made moves that concealed the catastrophic strike. The death toll was downplayed. Reports were delayed, sanitized and classified. U.S.-led coalition forces bulldozed the blast site. And top leaders were not notified.

The Defense Department’s independent inspector general began an inquiry, but the report containing its findings was stalled and stripped of any mention of the strike.

“Leadership just seemed so set on burying this,” said Gene Tate, an evaluator who worked on the case for the inspector general’s office and agreed to discuss the aspects that were not classified.

Tate, a former Navy officer who had worked for years as a civilian analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Counterterrorism Center before moving to the inspector general’s office, said he criticized the lack of action and was eventually forced out of his job.

The details of the strikes were pieced together by The New York Times over months from confidential documents and descriptions of classified reports as well as interviews with personnel directly involved and officials with top secret security clearances who discussed the incident on the condition that they not be named.

The Times investigation found that the bombing had been called in by a classified U.S. special operations unit, Task Force 9, which was in charge of ground operations in Syria. The task force operated in such secrecy that at times it did not inform even its own military partners of its actions. In the case of the Baghuz bombing, the U.S. Air Force command in Qatar had no idea the strike was coming.

After the strike, an alarmed Air Force intelligence officer in the operations center called over an Air Force lawyer in charge of determining the legality of strikes. The lawyer ordered the F-15E squadron and the drone crew to preserve all video and other evidence. He went upstairs and reported the strike to his chain of command, saying it was a possible violation of the law of armed conflict — a war crime — and regulations required a thorough, independent investigation.

But a thorough, independent investigation never happened.

This past week, after the Times sent its findings to U.S. Central Command, which oversaw the air war in Syria, the command acknowledged the strikes for the first time, saying 80 people were killed but the airstrikes were justified. It said the bombs killed 16 fighters and four civilians. As for the other 60 people killed, the statement said it was not clear that they were civilians, in part because women and children in the Islamic State sometimes took up arms.

The only assessment done immediately after the strike was performed by the same ground unit that ordered the strike. It determined that the bombing was lawful because it killed only a small number of civilians while targeting Islamic State fighters in an attempt to protect coalition forces. Therefore, no formal war crime notification, criminal investigation or disciplinary action was warranted.

But the Air Force lawyer, Lt. Col. Dean Korsak, believed he had witnessed possible war crimes and repeatedly pressed his leadership and Air Force criminal investigators to act. When they did not, he alerted the Defense Department’s independent inspector general. Two years after the strike, seeing no evidence that the watchdog agency was taking action, Korsak emailed the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Korsak did not respond to requests for comment.

A Secret Task Force

The United States portrayed the air war against the Islamic State as the most precise and humane bombing campaign in its history. The military said every report of civilian casualties was investigated and the findings reported publicly, creating what the military called a model of accountability.

But the strikes on Baghuz tell a different story.

The details suggest that while the military put strict rules in place to protect civilians, the Special Operations task force repeatedly used other rules to skirt them.

Even in the extraordinary case of Baghuz — which would rank third on the military’s worst civilian casualty events in Syria if 64 civilian deaths were acknowledged — regulations for reporting and investigating the potential crime were not followed, and no one was held accountable.

Nearly 1,000 strikes hit targets in Syria and Iraq in 2019, using 4,729 bombs and missiles. The official military tally of civilian dead for that entire year is only 22, and the strikes from March 18 are nowhere on the list.

The battle at Baghuz represented the end of a nearly five-year U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State in Syria. On the ground, Task Force 9 coordinated offensives and airstrikes. The unit included soldiers from the 5th Special Forces Group and the Army’s elite commando team Delta Force.

Over time, some officials overseeing the air campaign began to believe that the task force was systematically circumventing the safeguards created to limit civilian deaths.

The process was supposed to run through several checks and balances. Drones with high-definition cameras studied potential targets, sometimes for days or weeks. Analysts pored over intelligence data to differentiate combatants from civilians. And military lawyers were embedded with strike teams to ensure that targeting complied with the law of armed conflict.

But there was a quick and easy way to skip much of that oversight: claiming imminent danger.

The law of armed conflict — the rule book that lays out the military’s legal conduct in war — allows troops in life-threatening situations to sidestep the strike team lawyers, analysts and other bureaucracy and call in strikes directly from aircraft under what military regulations call an “inherent right of self-defense.”

Task Force 9 typically played only an advisory role in Syria, and its soldiers were usually well behind the front lines. Even so, by late 2018, about 80% of all airstrikes it was calling in claimed self-defense.

The rules allowed U.S. troops and local allies to invoke it when facing not just direct enemy fire, but anyone displaying “hostile intent.” Under that definition, something as mundane as a car driving miles from friendly forces could in some cases be targeted. The task force interpreted the rules broadly, the former officer said.

CIA officers working in Syria grew so alarmed over the task force’s strikes that agents reported their concern to the Department of Defense inspector general, which investigated the claims and produced a report. The results of that report are top secret, but a former task force officer said the CIA officers alleged that in about 10 incidents, the secretive task force hit targets knowing civilians would be killed. The former officer said the report determined that all the strikes were legal.

The inspector general declined to release the report or discuss its findings.

A Fatal Strike

The camp at Baghuz was effectively the Islamic State’s Alamo — a last stand where hard-core militants vowed to fight to the death. The coalition had laid siege, hoping to starve the fighters out. In six weeks, 29,000 people, most of them women and children, surrendered. On March 18, drone footage showed the camp still harbored large numbers of people suspected of being fighters and their families.

Coalition drones had scoured the camp 24 hours a day for weeks and knew nearly every inch, including the daily movements of groups of women and children.

What happened on the morning of March 18 is in dispute.

That day Islamic State fighters trapped in the camp launched a predawn counteroffensive, according to Central Command, which oversaw Task Force 9. It said hundreds of Islamic State fighters started firing rifles and grenade launchers and sending forward fighters with suicide vests. The coalition pummeled the fighters with airstrikes — so many that by midmorning, the coalition had used all the missiles on its drones. Only one U.S. drone, controlled by the task force, was left in the area, and it was unarmed.

At about 10 a.m., local Syrian forces reported they were under fire and in danger of being overrun and called for an airstrike, Central Command said. The task force drone tracked a group of fighters as they made their way through the camp to the area where the women and children sheltered.

A 5th Special Forces Group officer in the task force looked at the drone footage and did not see any civilians. But the drone he relied on had only a standard-definition camera. Central Command said there were no high-definition drones in the area that could get a better view of the target.

The Special Forces officer gave the order to fire. With no precision missiles left, the ground commander called in 500- and 2,000-pound bombs. The strike log classified the strike as self-defense.

In fact, a high-definition drone was available. The task force did not use it. Circling above, it was streaming footage of the same patch of ground to the operations center in Qatar. Because the task force operated at a high level of secrecy, the people in Qatar watching the high-definition drone were not aware the task force was about to call in a strike.

Central Command said the task force did not know that the better drone was overhead.

The high-definition drone recorded a very different scene from what was described by Central Command this past week. In it, two or three men — not 16 — wander through the frame. They have rifles but do not appear to be maneuvering, engaging coalition forces or acting in a way that would seem to justify a self-defense strike with 2,000-pound bombs. A chat log used by analysts who were watching the footage noted the presence of women, children and a man with a gun but did not mention any active combat.

Moments after the task force called in the strike, an F-15E attack plane hit the spot with a 500-pound bomb. Five minutes later, when ground forces saw people fleeing the blast site, the F-15E dropped two 2,000-pound bombs on the survivors. The entire attack took 12 minutes.

A Failed Investigation

Defense Department regulations require any “possible, suspected or alleged” violation of the law of armed conflict to be reported immediately to the combatant commander in charge as well as criminal investigators, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the secretary of defense and the secretary of the Army.

After viewing the footage, Korsak ordered the units involved to preserve nine pieces of evidence, including video, and reported the strike to his chain of command. He also notified the command of concerns that the unit appeared to be covering up the alleged war crimes violations by adding details to the strike log that would justify a self-defense strike. Commanders did not take action.

Coalition forces overran the camp that day and defeated the Islamic State a few days later.

Civilian observers who came to the area of the strike the next day found piles of dead women and children.

Satellite images from four days later show the sheltered bank and area around it appeared to have been bulldozed.

Concerned that details of the airstrike would be buried as well, Korsak alerted the Air Force’s version of the FBI, the Office of Special Investigations. A major responded that agents probably would not look into it.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations declined to comment.

Korsak again pressed his chain of command to act, informing his command’s chief legal officer in a memo in May 2019 that regulations required an investigation. His superiors did not open an investigation.

Unwilling to let the issue drop, Korsak filed a hotline complaint with the inspector general’s office in August 2019.

A four-person team in the office was already looking into shortcomings in the civilian casualty reporting processes in Syria and quickly set up an interview in a secure setting. After reviewing the high-definition footage and interviewing Korsak, the team, which included Tate, told superiors in the inspector general’s office that the allegation of a war crime was “extremely credible.”

But like the Air Force lawyer’s earlier effort, Tate’s team soon hit roadblocks. Central Command was slow to turn over evidence. Tate obtained video from several drones flying over Baghuz that day but could not locate the footage from the task force drone that called in the strike.

Tate studied the task force’s casualty report, but it did not match what he saw on video. The civilian deaths stated in the report were “an impossibly small number,” he said.

The final section of the casualty report was reserved for the legal opinion. In one version of the report that Tate was sent by the staff at Operation Inherent Resolve, the Baghdad-based military command overseeing operations in Iraq and Syria, a task force lawyer and an operations officer wrote that a violation of the law of armed conflict may have taken place. In another copy that came from Central Command, he said, that opinion had been removed.

Tate could find no evidence that the Joint Chiefs, the defense secretary or criminal investigators had been alerted, as required.

Within days of interviewing Korsak, Tate’s team took their findings to supervisors and told them the office was required to alert those officials and criminal investigation agencies. Tate said his supervisors took no action. The team pressed leaders numerous times over the next several months, and in January 2020, Tate’s team leader drafted a memo that would formally alert authorities. It only needed to be signed by the deputy inspector general overseeing the team. Tate said the supervisor did not sign it.

In the months that followed in 2020, the team finished its report on broader issues in the civilian casualty reporting process, but as it went through the editing and approval process, all mentions of the Baghuz strike were cut.

Tate became increasingly pointed in criticizing the leadership of the inspector general’s office. In October 2020, he said he was forced out of his position and escorted from the building by security.

A spokesperson for the inspector general’s office disputed Tate’s account. She said that it alerted the proper authorities at Central Command shortly after receiving the first hotline complaint in 2019. The spokesperson said the office also notified criminal investigators about the strike in October 2020, 14 months after receiving the hotline call.

Tate refused to give up. He contacted the Senate Armed Services Committee in May and sent a 10-page letter describing the strike and what he viewed as a “systematic failure” on civilian casualty reporting. The committee then contacted Korsak, who replied with a detailed email.

Tate waited for months for the committee to call back and give him an indication that it was actively looking at the case. This past week, he said with a sigh that he was still waiting.

In the last days of the battle against the Islamic State group in Syria, when members of the once-fierce caliphate were cornered in a dirt field next to a town called Baghuz, a U.

In the last days of the battle against the Islamic State group in Syria, when members of the once-fierce caliphate were cornered in a dirt field next to a town called Baghuz, a U.S. military drone circled high overhead, hunting for military targets. But it saw only a large crowd of women and children huddled against a river bank. Without warning, a U.S. F-15E attack jet streaked across the drone’s high-definition field of vision and dropped a 500-pound bomb on the crowd. Then a jet dropped one 2,000-pound bomb, then another. It was March 18, 2019. At the U.S. military’s busy Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, uniformed personnel watching the live drone footage looked on in stunned disbelief. “Who dropped that?” a confused analyst typed on a secure chat system being used by those monitoring the drone. Another responded, “We just dropped on 50 women and children.” An initial battle damage assessment quickly found that the number of dead was actually about 70. The Baghuz strike was one of the largest civilian casualty incidents of the war against the Islamic State, but it has never been publicly acknowledged by the U.S. military. The details, reported here for the first time, show that the death toll was almost immediately apparent to military officials. A legal officer flagged the strike as a possible war crime that required an investigation. But at nearly every step, the military made moves that concealed the catastrophic strike. The death toll was downplayed. Reports were delayed, sanitized and classified. U.S.-led coalition forces bulldozed the blast site. And top leaders were not notified. The Defense Department’s independent inspector general began an inquiry, but the report containing its findings was stalled and stripped of any mention of the strike. “Leadership just seemed so set on burying this,” said Gene Tate, an evaluator who worked on the case for the inspector general’s office and agreed to discuss the aspects that were not classified. Tate, a former Navy officer who had worked for years as a civilian analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Counterterrorism Center before moving to the inspector general’s office, said he criticized the lack of action and was eventually forced out of his job. The details of the strikes were pieced together by The New York Times over months from confidential documents and descriptions of classified reports as well as interviews with personnel directly involved and officials with top secret security clearances who discussed the incident on the condition that they not be named. The Times investigation found that the bombing had been called in by a classified U.S. special operations unit, Task Force 9, which was in charge of ground operations in Syria. The task force operated in such secrecy that at times it did not inform even its own military partners of its actions. In the case of the Baghuz bombing, the U.S. Air Force command in Qatar had no idea the strike was coming. After the strike, an alarmed Air Force intelligence officer in the operations center called over an Air Force lawyer in charge of determining the legality of strikes. The lawyer ordered the F-15E squadron and the drone crew to preserve all video and other evidence. He went upstairs and reported the strike to his chain of command, saying it was a possible violation of the law of armed conflict — a war crime — and regulations required a thorough, independent investigation. But a thorough, independent investigation never happened. This past week, after the Times sent its findings to U.S. Central Command, which oversaw the air war in Syria, the command acknowledged the strikes for the first time, saying 80 people were killed but the airstrikes were justified. It said the bombs killed 16 fighters and four civilians. As for the other 60 people killed, the statement said it was not clear that they were civilians, in part because women and children in the Islamic State sometimes took up arms. The only assessment done immediately after the strike was performed by the same ground unit that ordered the strike. It determined that the bombing was lawful because it killed only a small number of civilians while targeting Islamic State fighters in an attempt to protect coalition forces. Therefore, no formal war crime notification, criminal investigation or disciplinary action was warranted. But the Air Force lawyer, Lt. Col. Dean Korsak, believed he had witnessed possible war crimes and repeatedly pressed his leadership and Air Force criminal investigators to act. When they did not, he alerted the Defense Department’s independent inspector general. Two years after the strike, seeing no evidence that the watchdog agency was taking action, Korsak emailed the Senate Armed Services Committee. Korsak did not respond to requests for comment. A Secret Task Force The United States portrayed the air war against the Islamic State as the most precise and humane bombing campaign in its history. The military said every report of civilian casualties was investigated and the findings reported publicly, creating what the military called a model of accountability. But the strikes on Baghuz tell a different story. The details suggest that while the military put strict rules in place to protect civilians, the Special Operations task force repeatedly used other rules to skirt them. Even in the extraordinary case of Baghuz — which would rank third on the military’s worst civilian casualty events in Syria if 64 civilian deaths were acknowledged — regulations for reporting and investigating the potential crime were not followed, and no one was held accountable. Nearly 1,000 strikes hit targets in Syria and Iraq in 2019, using 4,729 bombs and missiles. The official military tally of civilian dead for that entire year is only 22, and the strikes from March 18 are nowhere on the list. The battle at Baghuz represented the end of a nearly five-year U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State in Syria. On the ground, Task Force 9 coordinated offensives and airstrikes. The unit included soldiers from the 5th Special Forces Group and the Army’s elite commando team Delta Force. Over time, some officials overseeing the air campaign began to believe that the task force was systematically circumventing the safeguards created to limit civilian deaths. The process was supposed to run through several checks and balances. Drones with high-definition cameras studied potential targets, sometimes for days or weeks. Analysts pored over intelligence data to differentiate combatants from civilians. And military lawyers were embedded with strike teams to ensure that targeting complied with the law of armed conflict. But there was a quick and easy way to skip much of that oversight: claiming imminent danger. The law of armed conflict — the rule book that lays out the military’s legal conduct in war — allows troops in life-threatening situations to sidestep the strike team lawyers, analysts and other bureaucracy and call in strikes directly from aircraft under what military regulations call an “inherent right of self-defense.” Task Force 9 typically played only an advisory role in Syria, and its soldiers were usually well behind the front lines. Even so, by late 2018, about 80% of all airstrikes it was calling in claimed self-defense. The rules allowed U.S. troops and local allies to invoke it when facing not just direct enemy fire, but anyone displaying “hostile intent.” Under that definition, something as mundane as a car driving miles from friendly forces could in some cases be targeted. The task force interpreted the rules broadly, the former officer said. CIA officers working in Syria grew so alarmed over the task force’s strikes that agents reported their concern to the Department of Defense inspector general, which investigated the claims and produced a report. The results of that report are top secret, but a former task force officer said the CIA officers alleged that in about 10 incidents, the secretive task force hit targets knowing civilians would be killed. The former officer said the report determined that all the strikes were legal. The inspector general declined to release the report or discuss its findings. A Fatal Strike The camp at Baghuz was effectively the Islamic State’s Alamo — a last stand where hard-core militants vowed to fight to the death. The coalition had laid siege, hoping to starve the fighters out. In six weeks, 29,000 people, most of them women and children, surrendered. On March 18, drone footage showed the camp still harbored large numbers of people suspected of being fighters and their families. Coalition drones had scoured the camp 24 hours a day for weeks and knew nearly every inch, including the daily movements of groups of women and children. What happened on the morning of March 18 is in dispute. That day Islamic State fighters trapped in the camp launched a predawn counteroffensive, according to Central Command, which oversaw Task Force 9. It said hundreds of Islamic State fighters started firing rifles and grenade launchers and sending forward fighters with suicide vests. The coalition pummeled the fighters with airstrikes — so many that by midmorning, the coalition had used all the missiles on its drones. Only one U.S. drone, controlled by the task force, was left in the area, and it was unarmed. At about 10 a.m., local Syrian forces reported they were under fire and in danger of being overrun and called for an airstrike, Central Command said. The task force drone tracked a group of fighters as they made their way through the camp to the area where the women and children sheltered. A 5th Special Forces Group officer in the task force looked at the drone footage and did not see any civilians. But the drone he relied on had only a standard-definition camera. Central Command said there were no high-definition drones in the area that could get a better view of the target. The Special Forces officer gave the order to fire. With no precision missiles left, the ground commander called in 500- and 2,000-pound bombs. The strike log classified the strike as self-defense. In fact, a high-definition drone was available. The task force did not use it. Circling above, it was streaming footage of the same patch of ground to the operations center in Qatar. Because the task force operated at a high level of secrecy, the people in Qatar watching the high-definition drone were not aware the task force was about to call in a strike. Central Command said the task force did not know that the better drone was overhead. The high-definition drone recorded a very different scene from what was described by Central Command this past week. In it, two or three men — not 16 — wander through the frame. They have rifles but do not appear to be maneuvering, engaging coalition forces or acting in a way that would seem to justify a self-defense strike with 2,000-pound bombs. A chat log used by analysts who were watching the footage noted the presence of women, children and a man with a gun but did not mention any active combat. Moments after the task force called in the strike, an F-15E attack plane hit the spot with a 500-pound bomb. Five minutes later, when ground forces saw people fleeing the blast site, the F-15E dropped two 2,000-pound bombs on the survivors. The entire attack took 12 minutes. A Failed Investigation Defense Department regulations require any “possible, suspected or alleged” violation of the law of armed conflict to be reported immediately to the combatant commander in charge as well as criminal investigators, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the secretary of defense and the secretary of the Army. After viewing the footage, Korsak ordered the units involved to preserve nine pieces of evidence, including video, and reported the strike to his chain of command. He also notified the command of concerns that the unit appeared to be covering up the alleged war crimes violations by adding details to the strike log that would justify a self-defense strike. Commanders did not take action. Coalition forces overran the camp that day and defeated the Islamic State a few days later. Civilian observers who came to the area of the strike the next day found piles of dead women and children. Satellite images from four days later show the sheltered bank and area around it appeared to have been bulldozed. Concerned that details of the airstrike would be buried as well, Korsak alerted the Air Force’s version of the FBI, the Office of Special Investigations. A major responded that agents probably would not look into it. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations declined to comment. Korsak again pressed his chain of command to act, informing his command’s chief legal officer in a memo in May 2019 that regulations required an investigation. His superiors did not open an investigation. Unwilling to let the issue drop, Korsak filed a hotline complaint with the inspector general’s office in August 2019. A four-person team in the office was already looking into shortcomings in the civilian casualty reporting processes in Syria and quickly set up an interview in a secure setting. After reviewing the high-definition footage and interviewing Korsak, the team, which included Tate, told superiors in the inspector general’s office that the allegation of a war crime was “extremely credible.” But like the Air Force lawyer’s earlier effort, Tate’s team soon hit roadblocks. Central Command was slow to turn over evidence. Tate obtained video from several drones flying over Baghuz that day but could not locate the footage from the task force drone that called in the strike. Tate studied the task force’s casualty report, but it did not match what he saw on video. The civilian deaths stated in the report were “an impossibly small number,” he said. The final section of the casualty report was reserved for the legal opinion. In one version of the report that Tate was sent by the staff at Operation Inherent Resolve, the Baghdad-based military command overseeing operations in Iraq and Syria, a task force lawyer and an operations officer wrote that a violation of the law of armed conflict may have taken place. In another copy that came from Central Command, he said, that opinion had been removed. Tate could find no evidence that the Joint Chiefs, the defense secretary or criminal investigators had been alerted, as required. Within days of interviewing Korsak, Tate’s team took their findings to supervisors and told them the office was required to alert those officials and criminal investigation agencies. Tate said his supervisors took no action. The team pressed leaders numerous times over the next several months, and in January 2020, Tate’s team leader drafted a memo that would formally alert authorities. It only needed to be signed by the deputy inspector general overseeing the team. Tate said the supervisor did not sign it. In the months that followed in 2020, the team finished its report on broader issues in the civilian casualty reporting process, but as it went through the editing and approval process, all mentions of the Baghuz strike were cut. Tate became increasingly pointed in criticizing the leadership of the inspector general’s office. In October 2020, he said he was forced out of his position and escorted from the building by security. A spokesperson for the inspector general’s office disputed Tate’s account. She said that it alerted the proper authorities at Central Command shortly after receiving the first hotline complaint in 2019. The spokesperson said the office also notified criminal investigators about the strike in October 2020, 14 months after receiving the hotline call. Tate refused to give up. He contacted the Senate Armed Services Committee in May and sent a 10-page letter describing the strike and what he viewed as a “systematic failure” on civilian casualty reporting. The committee then contacted Korsak, who replied with a detailed email. Tate waited for months for the committee to call back and give him an indication that it was actively looking at the case. This past week, he said with a sigh that he was still waiting.

How the US hid an airstrike that killed dozens of civilians in Syria

The Kashmir Valley has been put on high alert after three civilians were shot dead in separate incidents on Tuesday evening. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In the first Incident at Iqbal Park area of Srinagar, the owner of Bindroo Medicate M L Bindroo was shot outside his shop at about 7.25 pm.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-air-force-to-take-part-in-exercises-in-israel-egypt-418459" hreflang="en">Indian Air Force to take part in exercises in Israel, Egypt</a>

The police said that it received information about a shooting near Iqbal Park Sherghari area of Srinagar. Makhan Lal Bindroo, who is the owner of Bindroo Medicate, was shot at by terrorists. He received fatal gunshot wounds and was immediately sent to nearby hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries.

In the second incident, a non-local street hawker, who was identified as Virender Paswan, was shot dead at around 8.15 pm at Madina Chowk, Lal Bazaar area of Srinagar.&nbsp;He belonged to Bhagalpur, Bihar, and was currently residing at Alamgari Bazar, Zadibal.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/made-in-amethi-kalashnikovs-russia-says-ready-to-train-indian-specialist-for-ak-203-project-418214" hreflang="en">'Made in Amethi' Kalashnikovs: Russia says ready to train Indian specialist for AK-203 project</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;

In the third incident, another civilian, who was identified as Mohd Shafi Lone, was shot dead in Shahgund area of Bandipora. He was a resident of Naidkhai.&nbsp;

As per the Jammu &amp; Kashmir Police release, the department has registered cases in these incidents. Investigation is in progress, and officers are establishing the full circumstances of these crimes. The respective areas have been cordoned, and search is going on for culprits.&nbsp;

The Kashmir Valley has been put on high alert after three civilians were shot dead in separate incidents on Tuesday evening. In the first Incident at Iqbal Park area of Srinagar, the owner of Bindroo Medicate M L Bindroo was shot outside his shop at about 7.

The Kashmir Valley has been put on high alert after three civilians were shot dead in separate incidents on Tuesday evening. In the first Incident at Iqbal Park area of Srinagar, the owner of Bindroo Medicate M L Bindroo was shot outside his shop at about 7.25 pm. Also Read: Indian Air Force to take part in exercises in Israel, Egypt The police said that it received information about a shooting near Iqbal Park Sherghari area of Srinagar. Makhan Lal Bindroo, who is the owner of Bindroo Medicate, was shot at by terrorists. He received fatal gunshot wounds and was immediately sent to nearby hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries. In the second incident, a non-local street hawker, who was identified as Virender Paswan, was shot dead at around 8.15 pm at Madina Chowk, Lal Bazaar area of Srinagar. He belonged to Bhagalpur, Bihar, and was currently residing at Alamgari Bazar, Zadibal. Also Read | 'Made in Amethi' Kalashnikovs: Russia says ready to train Indian specialist for AK-203 project In the third incident, another civilian, who was identified as Mohd Shafi Lone, was shot dead in Shahgund area of Bandipora. He was a resident of Naidkhai. As per the Jammu & Kashmir Police release, the department has registered cases in these incidents. Investigation is in progress, and officers are establishing the full circumstances of these crimes. The respective areas have been cordoned, and search is going on for culprits.

Kashmir Valley on high alert after 3 civilians shot dead in separate incidents

Afghan&nbsp;forces battled the Taliban for control of a key provincial capital Tuesday, as the United Nations warned "indiscriminate" gunfire and air strikes were&nbsp;hurting&nbsp;civilians&nbsp;the&nbsp;most.

Officials said insurgents had seized more than a dozen local radio and TV stations in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province and the scene of days of fierce&nbsp;fighting, leaving only one pro-Taliban channel broadcasting Islamic programming.

In Herat, another city under siege, hundreds of residents chanted "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) from their rooftops after government forces repulsed the latest Taliban assault.

The hardline Islamist group has seized control of much of rural Afghanistan since foreign forces began the last stage of their withdrawal in early May, but are meeting resistance as they try to take provincial capitals.

That urban&nbsp;fighting, however, is taking its toll on&nbsp;civilians.

"Taliban ground offensive &amp; ANA air strikes causing&nbsp;most&nbsp;harm," the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) tweeted Tuesday, referring to the&nbsp;Afghan&nbsp;national army.

"Deep concerns about&nbsp;indiscriminate&nbsp;shooting &amp; damage to/occupation of health facilities &amp; civilian homes."

UNAMA said at least 10&nbsp;civilians&nbsp;were killed and 85 wounded in Lashkar Gah in the past three days.

"Fighting&nbsp;was intense this morning," said Sefatullah, director of Sukon radio in the city.

"The US B52 and&nbsp;Afghan&nbsp;air force both pounded the Taliban positions," he said, adding that&nbsp;fighting&nbsp;was ongoing near the city's prison and a building housing the headquarters of police and intelligence agencies.

On Monday, the Ministry of Defence said that US air force had carried out air strikes in Lashkar Gah.

In recent days the US military has intensified air strikes across the country in a bid to stem Taliban advances.

Sefatullah said his radio station had "stopped broadcasting two days ago because the Taliban captured the building of our station."

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Afghan&nbsp;officials said that 10 other radio and four television stations in Helmand had been seized by the Taliban,&nbsp;most&nbsp;in the provincial capital.

"Terrorists do not want the media to publish the facts and expose their injustices," the Ministry of Information and Culture said.

The loss of Lashkar Gah would be a massive strategic and psychological blow for the government, which has pledged to defend cities at all costs after losing much of the rural countryside to the Taliban over the summer.

In Herat,&nbsp;Afghan&nbsp;officials said government forces had managed to push back the insurgents from several areas of the city -- including near the airport, which is vital for resupplies.

"Afghan&nbsp;security forces plus resistance forces launched a big operation in west of the city," Jailani Farhad, spokesman for Herat's governor, told AFP.

Another official said the US had carried out air strikes in Herat last night.

'War crimes'

Washington and London lashed out at the Taliban, accusing them of committing atrocities that may amount to "war crimes" in the town of Spin Boldak, which the insurgents captured last month along the border with Pakistan.

Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission earlier said the insurgents had indulged in revenge killings there, leaving at least 40 people dead.

"The Taliban chased and identified past and present government officials and killed these people who had no combat role in the conflict," the group said.

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken also slammed the militant leaders.

An Afghanistan without a democratic, inclusive government would be a "pariah state," he said, adding that the international recognition the group wants will not be possible if "seeks to take the country by force and commits the kind of atrocities that have been reported."

Fighting&nbsp;across the country, meanwhile, has displaced around 80,000 children from the start of June, humanitarian organisation Save the Children said Tuesday, adding that many schools and health facilities had also been damaged.

Afghan forces battled the Taliban for control of a key provincial capital Tuesday, as the United Nations warned "indiscriminate" gunfire and air strikes were hurting civilians the most.

Afghan forces battled the Taliban for control of a key provincial capital Tuesday, as the United Nations warned "indiscriminate" gunfire and air strikes were hurting civilians the most. Officials said insurgents had seized more than a dozen local radio and TV stations in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province and the scene of days of fierce fighting, leaving only one pro-Taliban channel broadcasting Islamic programming. In Herat, another city under siege, hundreds of residents chanted "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) from their rooftops after government forces repulsed the latest Taliban assault. The hardline Islamist group has seized control of much of rural Afghanistan since foreign forces began the last stage of their withdrawal in early May, but are meeting resistance as they try to take provincial capitals. That urban fighting, however, is taking its toll on civilians. "Taliban ground offensive & ANA air strikes causing most harm," the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) tweeted Tuesday, referring to the Afghan national army. "Deep concerns about indiscriminate shooting & damage to/occupation of health facilities & civilian homes." UNAMA said at least 10 civilians were killed and 85 wounded in Lashkar Gah in the past three days. "Fighting was intense this morning," said Sefatullah, director of Sukon radio in the city. "The US B52 and Afghan air force both pounded the Taliban positions," he said, adding that fighting was ongoing near the city's prison and a building housing the headquarters of police and intelligence agencies. On Monday, the Ministry of Defence said that US air force had carried out air strikes in Lashkar Gah. In recent days the US military has intensified air strikes across the country in a bid to stem Taliban advances. Sefatullah said his radio station had "stopped broadcasting two days ago because the Taliban captured the building of our station." Also read | Taliban assassinations of Afghan pilots 'worrisome,' US government watchdog says Afghan officials said that 10 other radio and four television stations in Helmand had been seized by the Taliban, most in the provincial capital. "Terrorists do not want the media to publish the facts and expose their injustices," the Ministry of Information and Culture said. The loss of Lashkar Gah would be a massive strategic and psychological blow for the government, which has pledged to defend cities at all costs after losing much of the rural countryside to the Taliban over the summer. In Herat, Afghan officials said government forces had managed to push back the insurgents from several areas of the city -- including near the airport, which is vital for resupplies. "Afghan security forces plus resistance forces launched a big operation in west of the city," Jailani Farhad, spokesman for Herat's governor, told AFP. Another official said the US had carried out air strikes in Herat last night. 'War crimes' Washington and London lashed out at the Taliban, accusing them of committing atrocities that may amount to "war crimes" in the town of Spin Boldak, which the insurgents captured last month along the border with Pakistan. Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission earlier said the insurgents had indulged in revenge killings there, leaving at least 40 people dead. "The Taliban chased and identified past and present government officials and killed these people who had no combat role in the conflict," the group said. Top US diplomat Antony Blinken also slammed the militant leaders. An Afghanistan without a democratic, inclusive government would be a "pariah state," he said, adding that the international recognition the group wants will not be possible if "seeks to take the country by force and commits the kind of atrocities that have been reported." Fighting across the country, meanwhile, has displaced around 80,000 children from the start of June, humanitarian organisation Save the Children said Tuesday, adding that many schools and health facilities had also been damaged.

'Indiscriminate' Afghan fighting hurting civilians the most, says UN

Rebels&nbsp;killed&nbsp;six&nbsp;civilians&nbsp;and wounded several others Saturday in an&nbsp;attack&nbsp;on&nbsp;a&nbsp;village&nbsp;in the northeast of the volatile Central African Republic, the&nbsp;UN&nbsp;peacekeeping mission said.

"This morning at dawn elements from the 3R (Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation) launched a large-scale&nbsp;attack&nbsp;against C. African army positions in the&nbsp;village&nbsp;of Mann," the spokesman for the&nbsp;UN's 12,000-strong MINUSCA mission said.

"Six&nbsp;civilians&nbsp;were&nbsp;killed&nbsp;and several wounded," he added.

The&nbsp;village&nbsp;is about 550 kilometres (340 miles) from the capital Bangui, Lieutenant Colonel Abdoulaziz Fall told AFP.

"The situation is under control and patrols are under way," he said.

The 3R, a&nbsp;rebel&nbsp;group composed of members from the Funali ethnic group, is one of several such outfits flourishing in the violence-wracked country. &nbsp;

CAR is the second least-developed country in the world according to the&nbsp;UN&nbsp;and is still suffering from the aftermath of a brutal civil conflict that erupted in 2013.

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It has been wracked by coups and decades of misrule by dictators since its 1960 independence from France.

President Faustin Archange Touadera was re-elected in December&nbsp;on&nbsp;a turnout of fewer than one in three voters.

The ballot was hampered by armed groups -- including the 3R -- that at the time controlled around two-thirds of the country, and rebels mounted an offensive in the runup to polling day.

Since then, the army, backed by&nbsp;UN&nbsp;peacekeepers, Rwandan special forces and Russian paramilitaries, has wrested much of the territory from&nbsp;rebel&nbsp;control.

On&nbsp;Thursday, the&nbsp;UN&nbsp;Security Council extended an arms embargo&nbsp;on&nbsp;the country for 12 months as members voiced alarm at the "deteriorating" situation.

The extension -- which aims to prevent armed groups from acquiring weaponry -- is virtually the same as the last embargo but includes an exemption&nbsp;on&nbsp;mortars.

Russian "instructors" have been aiding CAR's poorly-equipped national army since 2018, when Moscow first acknowledged sending personnel to help train its beleaguered forces.

The Russian paramilitaries supplied small arms, gaining exemption from the weapons embargo and are credited with helping strengthening CAR's army.

Last month,&nbsp;UN&nbsp;experts accused the Russian instructors of having carried out "indiscriminate killings" and lootings.

Moscow insists the personnel are unarmed and not involved in fighting.

Russia has acknowledged the deployment of around 500 instructors but&nbsp;UN&nbsp;experts estimate there could be up to 2,000.

Rebels killed six civilians and wounded several others Saturday in an attack on a village in the northeast of the volatile Central African Republic, the UN peacekeeping mission said.

Rebels killed six civilians and wounded several others Saturday in an attack on a village in the northeast of the volatile Central African Republic, the UN peacekeeping mission said. "This morning at dawn elements from the 3R (Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation) launched a large-scale attack against C. African army positions in the village of Mann," the spokesman for the UN's 12,000-strong MINUSCA mission said. "Six civilians were killed and several wounded," he added. The village is about 550 kilometres (340 miles) from the capital Bangui, Lieutenant Colonel Abdoulaziz Fall told AFP. "The situation is under control and patrols are under way," he said. The 3R, a rebel group composed of members from the Funali ethnic group, is one of several such outfits flourishing in the violence-wracked country. CAR is the second least-developed country in the world according to the UN and is still suffering from the aftermath of a brutal civil conflict that erupted in 2013. Also read | Germany to return bronzes looted by Britain from Nigeria It has been wracked by coups and decades of misrule by dictators since its 1960 independence from France. President Faustin Archange Touadera was re-elected in December on a turnout of fewer than one in three voters. The ballot was hampered by armed groups -- including the 3R -- that at the time controlled around two-thirds of the country, and rebels mounted an offensive in the runup to polling day. Since then, the army, backed by UN peacekeepers, Rwandan special forces and Russian paramilitaries, has wrested much of the territory from rebel control. On Thursday, the UN Security Council extended an arms embargo on the country for 12 months as members voiced alarm at the "deteriorating" situation. The extension -- which aims to prevent armed groups from acquiring weaponry -- is virtually the same as the last embargo but includes an exemption on mortars. Russian "instructors" have been aiding CAR's poorly-equipped national army since 2018, when Moscow first acknowledged sending personnel to help train its beleaguered forces. The Russian paramilitaries supplied small arms, gaining exemption from the weapons embargo and are credited with helping strengthening CAR's army. Last month, UN experts accused the Russian instructors of having carried out "indiscriminate killings" and lootings. Moscow insists the personnel are unarmed and not involved in fighting. Russia has acknowledged the deployment of around 500 instructors but UN experts estimate there could be up to 2,000.

Six civilians killed in rebel attack on Central Africa village: UN

A report by a rights commission has revealed that thirty-three people, including religious scholars, tribal elders and journalists have been assassinated in Afghanistan's Kandahar province over the last two weeks. After the Taliban forces took control of Spin Boldak, they conducted searches to identify residents who have worked for the local government or security forces.

Religious scholars, tribal elders, journalists assassinated in Afghanistan's Kandahar: Report

Thirteen civilians were killed in clashes north of Bangui, the capital of the perennially restive Central African Republic, the UN mission in the country said Thursday.

Peacekeepers found "13 dead bodies in Bongboto", about 300 kilometres (190 miles) north of Bangui, on Wednesday, MINUSCA spokesman lieutenant-colonel Abdoulaziz Fall told AFP.

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CAR is the second least-developed country in the world according to the UN and suffers from the aftermath of a brutal civil conflict that erupted in 2013.

MINUSCA said it would do everything "to shed light on this sad incident" and bring the attackers to justice.

The government has blamed the Coalition of Patriots for Change, created in December 2020 to try and topple President Faustin Archange Touadera, of being behind the attack.

Thirteen civilians were killed in clashes north of Bangui, the capital of the perennially restive Central African Republic, the UN mission in the country said Thursday.

Thirteen civilians were killed in clashes north of Bangui, the capital of the perennially restive Central African Republic, the UN mission in the country said Thursday. Peacekeepers found "13 dead bodies in Bongboto", about 300 kilometres (190 miles) north of Bangui, on Wednesday, MINUSCA spokesman lieutenant-colonel Abdoulaziz Fall told AFP. Also read | Death toll in South Africa riots rises to 337 CAR is the second least-developed country in the world according to the UN and suffers from the aftermath of a brutal civil conflict that erupted in 2013. MINUSCA said it would do everything "to shed light on this sad incident" and bring the attackers to justice. The government has blamed the Coalition of Patriots for Change, created in December 2020 to try and topple President Faustin Archange Touadera, of being behind the attack.

13 civilians killed north of Central Africa capital Bangui: UN

Thirteen&nbsp;Boko&nbsp;Haram&nbsp;fighters have been killed in clashes in southeast Niger while four civilians have been executed by the jihadists, a mixed African military force said Thursday.

Boko&nbsp;Haram&nbsp;fighters aboard ten vehicles sprang an ambush on soldiers on Tuesday evening along the road between Diffa and Maine Soroa, the Mixed Multinational Force (FMM) said in a statement.

"This attack was foiled thanks to the bravery of our ground and air forces," said the FMM, which is made up of soldiers from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

Before the attack, the assailants intercepted a bus transporting passengers and attacked "peaceful villagers," it said.

"Four civilians were executed by the enemy," including the bus driver, two villagers and a village chief, the MMF said.

It added that six soldiers and two female civilians were wounded.

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"On the enemy's side, thirteen terrorists were neutralised," it said, using a term indicating they were killed.

The force seized one enemy vehicle, four AK-47 rifles and large quantities of munitions.

Jihadists in Niger have since May increased attacks in the region bordering Lake Chad and against Diffa, its large city.

Rated the poorest country in the world under the UN's Human Development Index, Niger is battling jihadist insurgences on its southwestern flank with Mali and on its southeastern border with Nigeria.

Last month, nearly 6,000 people who fled jihadist violence in 2015 returned home to the troubled Diffa region.

Diffa is home to 300,000 refugees and internally displaced people who have fled attacks by the Nigeria-based&nbsp;Boko&nbsp;Haram&nbsp;and its breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), according to the UN.

Thirteen Boko Haram fighters have been killed in clashes in southeast Niger while four civilians have been executed by the jihadists, a mixed African military force said Thursday.

Thirteen Boko Haram fighters have been killed in clashes in southeast Niger while four civilians have been executed by the jihadists, a mixed African military force said Thursday. Boko Haram fighters aboard ten vehicles sprang an ambush on soldiers on Tuesday evening along the road between Diffa and Maine Soroa, the Mixed Multinational Force (FMM) said in a statement. "This attack was foiled thanks to the bravery of our ground and air forces," said the FMM, which is made up of soldiers from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Before the attack, the assailants intercepted a bus transporting passengers and attacked "peaceful villagers," it said. "Four civilians were executed by the enemy," including the bus driver, two villagers and a village chief, the MMF said. It added that six soldiers and two female civilians were wounded. Also Read | EU-approved vaccines effective against Delta variant in bloc, says EMA "On the enemy's side, thirteen terrorists were neutralised," it said, using a term indicating they were killed. The force seized one enemy vehicle, four AK-47 rifles and large quantities of munitions. Jihadists in Niger have since May increased attacks in the region bordering Lake Chad and against Diffa, its large city. Rated the poorest country in the world under the UN's Human Development Index, Niger is battling jihadist insurgences on its southwestern flank with Mali and on its southeastern border with Nigeria. Last month, nearly 6,000 people who fled jihadist violence in 2015 returned home to the troubled Diffa region. Diffa is home to 300,000 refugees and internally displaced people who have fled attacks by the Nigeria-based Boko Haram and its breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), according to the UN.

Thirteen jihadists, four civilians killed in Niger, reveals military

British soldiers unjustifiably shot or used disproportionate force in the deaths of nine of the 10 innocent people killed in a 1971 incident in Belfast that sparked an upsurge of violence during Northern Ireland's 'Troubles’, an inquiry has found.&nbsp;

A Catholic priest and a mother of eight, who served soldiers tea, were among the victims in an event Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney described on Tuesday as 'one of the most tragic days' of Northern Ireland's three decades of bloodshed.&nbsp;

Judge Siobhan Keegan delivered her findings to applause from families of the victims shortly after the British government announced it would introduce legislation to give greater protection to former soldiers, who served in Northern Ireland, plans Dublin and many in Belfast fiercely oppose.&nbsp;

"All of the deceased were entirely innocent of any wrongdoing on the day in question," Keegan, the coroner for the case, concluded.&nbsp;

The British government's minister for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis said he would carefully consider the findings, but it was clear that those who died were 'entirely innocent of wrongdoing’.&nbsp;

The victims' grief has been "compounded by the long and difficult process of waiting for answers for so many years," Lewis said in a statement. &nbsp;

The deaths over a three-day period of disorder in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast - a sprawling housing estate of Catholics, who opposed British rule, occurred in the days after the introduction of internment without trial for suspected militants triggered disorder on the streets.&nbsp;

Father Hugh Mullan, the 38-year-old priest who died, was helping an injured man and waving a white object before he was shot twice in the back, the inquiry found.&nbsp;

"Our brother was killed by the British Army and then they lied about it to cover up their injustice," Mullan's brother Patsy told a news conference. "After 50 years, the truth we always knew has finally been told."&nbsp;

There was not enough evidence to say whether the army were responsible for the death of one the victims, John James McKerr, who was indiscriminately shot going to and from work. However, Judge Keegan said it was 'shocking' that the state did not carry out a proper investigation into the killing.&nbsp;

Questions also remain unanswered about the identity of the soldiers, who shot many of the victims, the judge added.&nbsp;

No one has been charged or convicted in connection with any of the killings. The inquest was a fact-finding exercise and not a criminal trial. &nbsp;

"The police have never to this day investigated the deaths of our loved ones," said John Teggart, the son of one of those killed. "No one should be above the law."&nbsp;

Some 3,600 people were killed in the sectarian confrontation between Irish nationalist militants, pro-British 'loyalist' paramilitaries and British military that largely came to an end after a 1998 peace agreement.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

British soldiers unjustifiably shot or used disproportionate force in the deaths of nine of the 10 innocent people killed in a 1971 incident in Belfast that sparked an upsurge of violence during Northern Ireland's 'Troubles’, an inquiry has found.

British soldiers unjustifiably shot or used disproportionate force in the deaths of nine of the 10 innocent people killed in a 1971 incident in Belfast that sparked an upsurge of violence during Northern Ireland's 'Troubles’, an inquiry has found. A Catholic priest and a mother of eight, who served soldiers tea, were among the victims in an event Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney described on Tuesday as 'one of the most tragic days' of Northern Ireland's three decades of bloodshed. Judge Siobhan Keegan delivered her findings to applause from families of the victims shortly after the British government announced it would introduce legislation to give greater protection to former soldiers, who served in Northern Ireland, plans Dublin and many in Belfast fiercely oppose. "All of the deceased were entirely innocent of any wrongdoing on the day in question," Keegan, the coroner for the case, concluded. The British government's minister for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis said he would carefully consider the findings, but it was clear that those who died were 'entirely innocent of wrongdoing’. The victims' grief has been "compounded by the long and difficult process of waiting for answers for so many years," Lewis said in a statement. The deaths over a three-day period of disorder in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast - a sprawling housing estate of Catholics, who opposed British rule, occurred in the days after the introduction of internment without trial for suspected militants triggered disorder on the streets. Father Hugh Mullan, the 38-year-old priest who died, was helping an injured man and waving a white object before he was shot twice in the back, the inquiry found. "Our brother was killed by the British Army and then they lied about it to cover up their injustice," Mullan's brother Patsy told a news conference. "After 50 years, the truth we always knew has finally been told." There was not enough evidence to say whether the army were responsible for the death of one the victims, John James McKerr, who was indiscriminately shot going to and from work. However, Judge Keegan said it was 'shocking' that the state did not carry out a proper investigation into the killing. Questions also remain unanswered about the identity of the soldiers, who shot many of the victims, the judge added. No one has been charged or convicted in connection with any of the killings. The inquest was a fact-finding exercise and not a criminal trial. "The police have never to this day investigated the deaths of our loved ones," said John Teggart, the son of one of those killed. "No one should be above the law." Some 3,600 people were killed in the sectarian confrontation between Irish nationalist militants, pro-British 'loyalist' paramilitaries and British military that largely came to an end after a 1998 peace agreement. (With inputs from agencies)

British Army killed innocent civilians in Belfast in 1971, says inquiry 

Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 23 civilians in an overnight raid on a village near Beni in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the provincial governor's office said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The death toll was still provisional as the search for bodies continued in&nbsp;Manyama-Moliso, north of the city of Beni, the North Kivu governor's office said on Twitter.&nbsp;

It blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan militia active in eastern Congo since the 1990s. The authorities have blamed the ADF for the deaths of hundreds of people since 2014.&nbsp;

The group has stepped up reprisals against civilians since Congo's army launched a fresh offensive in late 2019.&nbsp;

The United States designated the ADF a foreign terrorist&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;earlier this month, accusing it of links to Islamic State. UN experts in Congo, however, have not found evidence of a direct relationship between the two groups.&nbsp;

Two of the assailants were also killed when the army responded, the governor's office added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 23 civilians in an overnight raid on a village near Beni in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the provincial governor's office said on Wednesday.

Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 23 civilians in an overnight raid on a village near Beni in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the provincial governor's office said on Wednesday. The death toll was still provisional as the search for bodies continued in Manyama-Moliso, north of the city of Beni, the North Kivu governor's office said on Twitter. It blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan militia active in eastern Congo since the 1990s. The authorities have blamed the ADF for the deaths of hundreds of people since 2014. The group has stepped up reprisals against civilians since Congo's army launched a fresh offensive in late 2019. The United States designated the ADF a foreign terrorist organisation earlier this month, accusing it of links to Islamic State. UN experts in Congo, however, have not found evidence of a direct relationship between the two groups. Two of the assailants were also killed when the army responded, the governor's office added. (With inputs from agencies)

Suspected Islamists kill 23 civilians in eastern Congo 

Doctors without Borders, usually referred to by its French initials MSF, said in a statement that its staff had seen Ethiopian soldiers kill four men in a summary execution.

MSF also said in a statement that three staff members were attacked&nbsp;while travelling in a clearly marked MSF vehicle on Tuesday on the road from regional capital Mekele to Adigrat.

"Along the journey they encountered what appeared to be the aftermath of an ambush of an Ethiopian military convoy by another armed group, in which soldiers were injured and killed. Military vehicles were still on fire," said Karline Kleijer, head of emergency programs for the charity.

The testimony comes as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said atrocities have been reported in Tigray province, his first public acknowledgment of possible war crimes there.

"The soldiers then forced the passengers to leave the minibuses. The men were separated from the women, who were allowed to walk away. Shortly afterward, the men were shot."

The MSF team was allowed to leave, but their vehicle was again stopped by soldiers not long after.

"They pulled the MSF driver out of the vehicle, beat him with the back of a gun and threatened to kill him. Eventually the driver was allowed to get back into the vehicle and the team could return to Mekele."

Ethiopia's army could not be immediately contacted for comment on the statement.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military campaign in Tigray last year after blaming the region's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), for attacks on army camps.

Abiy, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, declared victory when federal forces entered the regional capital Mekele in late November however fighting continues.

After weeks of efforts to assert that normalcy is returning to Tigray, Abiy conceded Tuesday that there had been atrocities committed in the semi-autonomous region.

"Battle is destructive, it hurts many, and there is no question about it. There have been damages that happened in Tigray region..." he said.

Residents of Tigray have told human rights groups and journalists of massacres, widespread sexual violence and indiscriminate killings of civilians by security forces.&nbsp;

Abiy also admitted soldiers from neighbouring Eritrea were in the region.

Ethiopia's rights body on Tuesday corroborated studies by international rights groups that a bloody massacre had taken place in the historic town of Axum in November, saying over 100 had been killed by Eritrean soldiers.

(With inputs from agencies)

Doctors without Borders, usually referred to by its French initials MSF, said in a statement that its staff had seen Ethiopian soldiers kill four men in a summary execution.

Doctors without Borders, usually referred to by its French initials MSF, said in a statement that its staff had seen Ethiopian soldiers kill four men in a summary execution. MSF also said in a statement that three staff members were attacked while travelling in a clearly marked MSF vehicle on Tuesday on the road from regional capital Mekele to Adigrat. "Along the journey they encountered what appeared to be the aftermath of an ambush of an Ethiopian military convoy by another armed group, in which soldiers were injured and killed. Military vehicles were still on fire," said Karline Kleijer, head of emergency programs for the charity. The testimony comes as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said atrocities have been reported in Tigray province, his first public acknowledgment of possible war crimes there. "The soldiers then forced the passengers to leave the minibuses. The men were separated from the women, who were allowed to walk away. Shortly afterward, the men were shot." The MSF team was allowed to leave, but their vehicle was again stopped by soldiers not long after. "They pulled the MSF driver out of the vehicle, beat him with the back of a gun and threatened to kill him. Eventually the driver was allowed to get back into the vehicle and the team could return to Mekele." Ethiopia's army could not be immediately contacted for comment on the statement. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military campaign in Tigray last year after blaming the region's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), for attacks on army camps. Abiy, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, declared victory when federal forces entered the regional capital Mekele in late November however fighting continues. After weeks of efforts to assert that normalcy is returning to Tigray, Abiy conceded Tuesday that there had been atrocities committed in the semi-autonomous region. "Battle is destructive, it hurts many, and there is no question about it. There have been damages that happened in Tigray region..." he said. Residents of Tigray have told human rights groups and journalists of massacres, widespread sexual violence and indiscriminate killings of civilians by security forces. Abiy also admitted soldiers from neighbouring Eritrea were in the region. Ethiopia's rights body on Tuesday corroborated studies by international rights groups that a bloody massacre had taken place in the historic town of Axum in November, saying over 100 had been killed by Eritrean soldiers. (With inputs from agencies)

Ethiopian troops execute civilians in Tigray region: MSF

Two roadside bomb blasts rocked Kabul on Sunday morning, police said. The first blast took place in Bagh Dawood area of Paghman district, with no immediate report of casualties, according to police, it was followed by another blast in in Kot-e Sangi of the capital, leaving two wounded.

According to the reports, two civilians were injured in the blasts.

Meanwhile, Afghans from all walks of life have largely welcomed the much awaited face-to-face talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban in Doha, but were cautious about the outcome of the "complicated process" to bring about lasting peace in the war-torn country after decades of conflict.

The intra-Afghan talks opened in Doha on Saturday at a ceremony attended by senior officials from different countries, including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, reports Xinhua news agency.

(With inputs from agencies)

Two roadside bomb blasts rocked Kabul on Sunday morning, police said. The first blast took place in Bagh Dawood area of Paghman district, with no immediate report of casualties, according to police, it was followed by another blast in in Kot-e Sangi of the capital, leaving two wounded.

Two roadside bomb blasts rocked Kabul on Sunday morning, police said. The first blast took place in Bagh Dawood area of Paghman district, with no immediate report of casualties, according to police, it was followed by another blast in in Kot-e Sangi of the capital, leaving two wounded. According to the reports, two civilians were injured in the blasts. Meanwhile, Afghans from all walks of life have largely welcomed the much awaited face-to-face talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban in Doha, but were cautious about the outcome of the "complicated process" to bring about lasting peace in the war-torn country after decades of conflict. The intra-Afghan talks opened in Doha on Saturday at a ceremony attended by senior officials from different countries, including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, reports Xinhua news agency. (With inputs from agencies)

Afghanistan: Blast in Kabul injures two civilians

In a transformational move, the Indian Army is considering a proposal to allow civilians including young working professionals to join the force for a three-year tenure as officers and in other ranks in diverse areas like logistics and front-line formations.

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Top military sources said the Army is also considering to induct personnel from paramilitary forces and central armed police forces for a short duration of up to seven years following which they would be allowed to return to their parent organisations.

The "game-changing" proposal to allow civilians to work for three years is being examined by top commanders of the Army and its main aim is to bring people closer to the 1.3-million-strong force by giving them an opportunity to experience military life, they said.

"If approved it will be a voluntary engagement and there will be no dilution in selection criteria. Initially, 100 officers and 1,000 men are being considered for recruitment as part of test-bedding of the project," Spokesperson of the Army Col Aman Anand said when asked about it.

The sources said minute details of the proposal are being worked out, adding age and fitness level will be among the key criteria for recruitment under the 'Tour of Duty (ToD) or 'Three Years Short Service' scheme.

There is a "resurgence of nationalism and patriotism" in the country and the proposal attempts to tap the feelings of the youths who do not want to join the Army as a profession but wish to experience the military life for a temporary duration, a source said.

The proposal, which is a part of broad reforms envisaged for the force, is set to be discussed at a conference of top commanders of the Indian Army following which the process would be taken forward, the sources said, adding the scheme will benefit the Army financially.

At present, the Army recruits young people under short service commission for an initial tenure of 10 years which is extendable up to 14 years.

According to the proposal, the people to be recruited under the ToD will be eligible to be deployed as combatants in key forward locations and there will be no restrictions in their roles.

The sources quoting an internal study said the Army would gain significant financial benefit from the ToD scheme as it will save a huge amount of money on gratuity, severance packages, leave encashment and pension.

Young working professionals would be allowed to apply under ToD, they said.

The Army has also made a comparative study on whether the training costs on people to be recruited under ToD will be commensurate with their subsequent limited employment for only three years.

The initial approximate financial calculations show that the financial benefits accrued would be exponential.

Sources said the cumulative approximate cost of pre-commission training, salary and other expenses is nearly Rs 5.12 crore and Rs 6.83 crore on an officer if he or she is released after 10 and 14 years respectively.

However, the similar cost for those released after three years would be just Rs 80 lakh to Rs 85 lakh each.

Since approximately 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the Short Service Commissioned Officers are granted a permanent commission, the cost of their retention until attaining 54 years of age is too high.

Similarly, money saved on the cost incurred by the government for a sepoy with 17 years of service as compared with a ToD sepoy with three years of service for a 17-year period would be substantial.

The savings for only 1,000 jawans could be Rs 11,000 crore which could then be utilised for the much-needed modernisation of the Indian armed forces, the sources said.

They said a stint in the Army would also be helpful for young people in getting jobs incorporate as well as government sector.

An officer or soldier after completing one year of training and three years of ToD is likely to display visible improvement in self-confidence, teamwork, responsibility, initiative, stress management, innovation and social skills, according to a military officer.

"Initial survey tells that all corporates would favour an individual who has been trained by the military and comes to them at 26/27 years of age rather than a raw college graduates at 22/23 years of age," he said.

The move to recruit personnel from paramilitary forces and central armed police forces is being considered under a concept called 'Inverse Induction Model'.

In a transformational move, the Indian Army is considering a proposal to allow civilians including young working professionals to join the force for a three-year tenure as officers and in other ranks in diverse areas like logistics and front-line formations.

In a transformational move, the Indian Army is considering a proposal to allow civilians including young working professionals to join the force for a three-year tenure as officers and in other ranks in diverse areas like logistics and front-line formations. Also read: Indian Army introduces course to help jawans clear SSB, serve as officers Top military sources said the Army is also considering to induct personnel from paramilitary forces and central armed police forces for a short duration of up to seven years following which they would be allowed to return to their parent organisations. The "game-changing" proposal to allow civilians to work for three years is being examined by top commanders of the Army and its main aim is to bring people closer to the 1.3-million-strong force by giving them an opportunity to experience military life, they said. "If approved it will be a voluntary engagement and there will be no dilution in selection criteria. Initially, 100 officers and 1,000 men are being considered for recruitment as part of test-bedding of the project," Spokesperson of the Army Col Aman Anand said when asked about it. The sources said minute details of the proposal are being worked out, adding age and fitness level will be among the key criteria for recruitment under the 'Tour of Duty (ToD) or 'Three Years Short Service' scheme. There is a "resurgence of nationalism and patriotism" in the country and the proposal attempts to tap the feelings of the youths who do not want to join the Army as a profession but wish to experience the military life for a temporary duration, a source said. The proposal, which is a part of broad reforms envisaged for the force, is set to be discussed at a conference of top commanders of the Indian Army following which the process would be taken forward, the sources said, adding the scheme will benefit the Army financially. At present, the Army recruits young people under short service commission for an initial tenure of 10 years which is extendable up to 14 years. According to the proposal, the people to be recruited under the ToD will be eligible to be deployed as combatants in key forward locations and there will be no restrictions in their roles. The sources quoting an internal study said the Army would gain significant financial benefit from the ToD scheme as it will save a huge amount of money on gratuity, severance packages, leave encashment and pension. Young working professionals would be allowed to apply under ToD, they said. The Army has also made a comparative study on whether the training costs on people to be recruited under ToD will be commensurate with their subsequent limited employment for only three years. The initial approximate financial calculations show that the financial benefits accrued would be exponential. Sources said the cumulative approximate cost of pre-commission training, salary and other expenses is nearly Rs 5.12 crore and Rs 6.83 crore on an officer if he or she is released after 10 and 14 years respectively. However, the similar cost for those released after three years would be just Rs 80 lakh to Rs 85 lakh each. Since approximately 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the Short Service Commissioned Officers are granted a permanent commission, the cost of their retention until attaining 54 years of age is too high. Similarly, money saved on the cost incurred by the government for a sepoy with 17 years of service as compared with a ToD sepoy with three years of service for a 17-year period would be substantial. The savings for only 1,000 jawans could be Rs 11,000 crore which could then be utilised for the much-needed modernisation of the Indian armed forces, the sources said. They said a stint in the Army would also be helpful for young people in getting jobs incorporate as well as government sector. An officer or soldier after completing one year of training and three years of ToD is likely to display visible improvement in self-confidence, teamwork, responsibility, initiative, stress management, innovation and social skills, according to a military officer. "Initial survey tells that all corporates would favour an individual who has been trained by the military and comes to them at 26/27 years of age rather than a raw college graduates at 22/23 years of age," he said. The move to recruit personnel from paramilitary forces and central armed police forces is being considered under a concept called 'Inverse Induction Model'.

Indian Army's 'game-changing' proposal to allow 3-year tenure for civilians: Report

At least three civilians were killed, and four security personnel, including jail chief, wounded in an explosion near Laghman prison on Saturday.

Also read:&nbsp;

"Three civilians were killed in an explosion near #Laghman prison, and Four security people including Jail chief were wounded," Pajhwok Afghan News quoted provincial governor's spokesman Assadullah Dawlatzai as saying.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Further details are awaited.&nbsp;

At least three civilians were killed, and four security personnel, including jail chief, wounded in an explosion near Laghman prison on Saturday. Also read: "Three civilians were killed in an explosion near #Laghman prison, and Four security people including Jail chief were wounded," Pajhwok Afghan News quoted provincial governor's spokesman Assadullah Dawlatzai as saying.

At least three civilians were killed, and four security personnel, including jail chief, wounded in an explosion near Laghman prison on Saturday. Also read: "Three civilians were killed in an explosion near #Laghman prison, and Four security people including Jail chief were wounded," Pajhwok Afghan News quoted provincial governor's spokesman Assadullah Dawlatzai as saying. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Further details are awaited.

Afghanistan: 3 civilians killed, 4 security persons wounded in explosion near Laghman prison

In Jammu Kashmir Valley, Terrorists continues to harm the civilians. 2 truck drivers have been shot dead. Another one is critically injured and admitted to the hospital. Watch this exclusive ground report of WION to know more.

J&K: Terrorists continues to harm civilians, 2 truck drivers shot | WION Exclusive Ground Report

Civilians must be spared in any <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/american-troops-to-withdraw-as-turkey-launches-syria-operation-white-house-254146">Turkish military operation in northeast Syria</a>, where the United Nations hopes that mass displacement and Srebrenica-like killings can be prevented, a senior U.N. aid official said on Monday.

The United States began pulling troops from northeast Syria in a major policy shift, opening the way for a Turkish attack on Kurdish-led forces long allied to Washington and handing Turkey responsibility for thousands of jihadi captives.

The United Nations currently delivers aid to 700,000 people in the densely-populated northeast region of 1.7 million.

It has drawn up contingency plans to reach people who might flee south with food and medical aid, said Panos Moumtzis, U.N. regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis.

"Any (military) operation that takes place at the moment has to take into account to ensure that we don't see any further displacement," Moumtzis told reporters in Geneva. "We are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst".

Turkey has long argued for the establishment of a 20-mile (32 km) "safe zone" along the border, under Turkish control, driving back the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia - which is the dominant force in the SDF alliance and which Ankara considers a terrorist organisation and a threat to its national security.

Moumtzis, asked about the Turkish offensive against Kurdish-led forces and the 'safe zone' idea, said:

"I really cannot talk about what type or how would the intervention be or how extensive it is going to be in terms of the military operation that will take place.

"For us as the United Nations, the safe zone concept is one that we have a bitter history (with) and actually we never promote or encourage. We don't think it is something that had worked for the United Nations, keeping in mind Srebrenica and what had happened in the past," he said.

He was referring to the slaughter by Bosnian Serb troops of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in 1995 in a U.N.-declared "safe zone" where Dutch peacekeepers were unable to protect civilians.

"We understand that there is going to be some kind of security zone which will be very specifically targeted to a military operation or to an area where there has to be some clearance," Moumtzis said.

"So our hope is that there will be full cooperation by all to make sure that it happens as smoothly as possible, without resulting in displacement, and ensuring the protection of civilians, ensuring that the basic principles of humanity will be respected on the ground."

The United Nations is in contact with all sides to explain where clinics, schools, water points, markets and residential areas are located, and to urge them "to stay away from civilian people", Moumtzis said.

Civilians must be spared in any Turkish military operation in northeast Syria, where the United Nations hopes that mass displacement and Srebrenica-like killings can be prevented, a senior U.

Civilians must be spared in any Turkish military operation in northeast Syria, where the United Nations hopes that mass displacement and Srebrenica-like killings can be prevented, a senior U.N. aid official said on Monday. The United States began pulling troops from northeast Syria in a major policy shift, opening the way for a Turkish attack on Kurdish-led forces long allied to Washington and handing Turkey responsibility for thousands of jihadi captives. The United Nations currently delivers aid to 700,000 people in the densely-populated northeast region of 1.7 million. It has drawn up contingency plans to reach people who might flee south with food and medical aid, said Panos Moumtzis, U.N. regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis. "Any (military) operation that takes place at the moment has to take into account to ensure that we don't see any further displacement," Moumtzis told reporters in Geneva. "We are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst". Turkey has long argued for the establishment of a 20-mile (32 km) "safe zone" along the border, under Turkish control, driving back the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia - which is the dominant force in the SDF alliance and which Ankara considers a terrorist organisation and a threat to its national security. Moumtzis, asked about the Turkish offensive against Kurdish-led forces and the 'safe zone' idea, said: "I really cannot talk about what type or how would the intervention be or how extensive it is going to be in terms of the military operation that will take place. "For us as the United Nations, the safe zone concept is one that we have a bitter history (with) and actually we never promote or encourage. We don't think it is something that had worked for the United Nations, keeping in mind Srebrenica and what had happened in the past," he said. He was referring to the slaughter by Bosnian Serb troops of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in 1995 in a U.N.-declared "safe zone" where Dutch peacekeepers were unable to protect civilians. "We understand that there is going to be some kind of security zone which will be very specifically targeted to a military operation or to an area where there has to be some clearance," Moumtzis said. "So our hope is that there will be full cooperation by all to make sure that it happens as smoothly as possible, without resulting in displacement, and ensuring the protection of civilians, ensuring that the basic principles of humanity will be respected on the ground." The United Nations is in contact with all sides to explain where clinics, schools, water points, markets and residential areas are located, and to urge them "to stay away from civilian people", Moumtzis said.

U.N. calls for protecting civilians in northeast Syria

Afghanistan is investigating reports that 40 civilians, including children, were killed in an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-14-killed-8-injured-in-airstrike-in-helmand-251437">airstrike during a wedding celebration</a> in southern Helmand province, officials said Monday.

The allegations stem from an overnight skirmish in Musa Qala district, less than a week after a drone killed at least nine civilians in Nangarhar province east of Kabul.

Residents and local officials in Helmand said an evening wedding celebration was underway when security forces launched a ground and aerial operation against suspected militants.&nbsp;

Majeed Akhundzada, a member of the Helmand provincial council, told AFP that both Afghan and foreign forces had been involved in the fighting.&nbsp;

"Some 40 people were killed and 18 others were wounded and were brought to the hospital, all the victims were civilians," he said.&nbsp;

Sher Mohammad Akhundza, a provincial senator, also put the toll at 40 dead.&nbsp;

Defence ministry spokesman Fawad Aman later told AFP that special forces had been targeting a compound hosting Taliban and Al Qaeda militants, saying fighting lasted an hour before an insurgent detonated a suicide vest.&nbsp;

Aman said at least 22 "terrorists" were killed and 14 others injured in the incident, adding that officials were investigating claims that civilians had also been killed.&nbsp;

But he denied that airstrikes had been used during the operation.

A statement from Helmand's governor gave a different account, saying the militants were killed in "airstrikes" and ground operations.&nbsp;

While the Afghan military does have a fledgling air force, most strikes are led or supported by the United States, the only member of the international coalition in Afghanistan that provides aerial support in the conflict.

There was no immediate comment from NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.

The UN documented a sharp rise in civilian deaths from airstrikes last year, as Afghan and US forces intensified the aerial bombardment of Taliban and Islamic State group militants.&nbsp;

Afghanistan is investigating reports that 40 civilians, including children, were killed in an airstrike during a wedding celebration in southern Helmand province, officials said Monday.

Afghanistan is investigating reports that 40 civilians, including children, were killed in an airstrike during a wedding celebration in southern Helmand province, officials said Monday. The allegations stem from an overnight skirmish in Musa Qala district, less than a week after a drone killed at least nine civilians in Nangarhar province east of Kabul. Residents and local officials in Helmand said an evening wedding celebration was underway when security forces launched a ground and aerial operation against suspected militants. Majeed Akhundzada, a member of the Helmand provincial council, told AFP that both Afghan and foreign forces had been involved in the fighting. "Some 40 people were killed and 18 others were wounded and were brought to the hospital, all the victims were civilians," he said. Sher Mohammad Akhundza, a provincial senator, also put the toll at 40 dead. Defence ministry spokesman Fawad Aman later told AFP that special forces had been targeting a compound hosting Taliban and Al Qaeda militants, saying fighting lasted an hour before an insurgent detonated a suicide vest. Aman said at least 22 "terrorists" were killed and 14 others injured in the incident, adding that officials were investigating claims that civilians had also been killed. But he denied that airstrikes had been used during the operation. A statement from Helmand's governor gave a different account, saying the militants were killed in "airstrikes" and ground operations. While the Afghan military does have a fledgling air force, most strikes are led or supported by the United States, the only member of the international coalition in Afghanistan that provides aerial support in the conflict. There was no immediate comment from NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. The UN documented a sharp rise in civilian deaths from airstrikes last year, as Afghan and US forces intensified the aerial bombardment of Taliban and Islamic State group militants.

Afghan officials investigate reports 40 civilians killed in airstrike

Taliban militants killed at least 14 members of a pro-government militia in Afghanistan on Wednesday, said officials, as Taliban and US&nbsp;officials near a deal aimed at ending the 18-year war.

Government officials said 14 members of the militia were killed and several civilians were wounded during clashes in the western province of Herat.

Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman for Heart police, said the 14 men were killed in Rubat-e-Sangi district of Herat after a large number of Taliban fighters stormed security checkpoints in the Chahardara area.

"At least nine others are wounded in the clashes and the Taliban militants were pushed back after Afghan forces reinforced the area," said Walizada.

Taliban officials were not immediately available for comment.

US&nbsp;and Taliban officials are said to be nearing an agreement, after months of negotiations, under which the United States would start to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban pledges not to allow the country to harbour other Islamic extremist groups.

Taliban militants killed at least 14 members of a pro-government militia in Afghanistan on Wednesday, said officials, as Taliban and US officials near a deal aimed at ending the 18-year war.

Taliban militants killed at least 14 members of a pro-government militia in Afghanistan on Wednesday, said officials, as Taliban and US officials near a deal aimed at ending the 18-year war. Government officials said 14 members of the militia were killed and several civilians were wounded during clashes in the western province of Herat. Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman for Heart police, said the 14 men were killed in Rubat-e-Sangi district of Herat after a large number of Taliban fighters stormed security checkpoints in the Chahardara area. "At least nine others are wounded in the clashes and the Taliban militants were pushed back after Afghan forces reinforced the area," said Walizada. Taliban officials were not immediately available for comment. US and Taliban officials are said to be nearing an agreement, after months of negotiations, under which the United States would start to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban pledges not to allow the country to harbour other Islamic extremist groups.

Taliban kills 14 pro-government militia in Afghanistan: Officials

Syrian regime bombardment has killed 14 civilians including seven children in northwestern Syria, a war monitor said Saturday, in the latest deadly raids on the embattled opposition bastion.

Warplanes and helicopters late Friday carried out air strikes on Mahambel village in Idlib province, killing 13 civilians including the seven children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A woman was also killed early Saturday in regime rocket fire on the outskirts of the town of Khan Sheikhun in the south of the province, the Britain-based war monitor said.

Idlib, a region of some three million people, many of whom fled former rebel-held areas retaken by the government, is the last major bastion of opposition to the Russia-backed Damascus government after eight years of civil war.

The region on Turkey's doorstep is administered by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, but other jihadist and rebel groups are also present.

Idlib is supposed to be protected from a major regime assault by a September deal between Moscow and Ankara, but Damascus and its Russian ally have ramped up their deadly bombardment of the region since late April.

More than 520 civilians have been killed since then, according to the Observatory.

The United Nations says 25 health facilities in the region have been hit, the latest including the second attack in two months on an underground hospital in the town of Kafranbel on Thursday.

"The attacks happened despite the fact that the coordinates of this hospital had previously been shared with the parties to the conflict in a deliberate, carefully planned effort to prevent any attacks on it," a UN official said on Friday.

"I am horrified by the ongoing attacks on civilian areas and civilian infrastructure as the conflict in northwest Syria continues," said Mark Cutts, UN deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syrian crisis.

Syria's war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.

Syrian regime bombardment has killed 14 civilians including seven children in northwestern Syria, a war monitor said Saturday, in the latest deadly raids on the embattled opposition bastion.

Syrian regime bombardment has killed 14 civilians including seven children in northwestern Syria, a war monitor said Saturday, in the latest deadly raids on the embattled opposition bastion. Warplanes and helicopters late Friday carried out air strikes on Mahambel village in Idlib province, killing 13 civilians including the seven children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. A woman was also killed early Saturday in regime rocket fire on the outskirts of the town of Khan Sheikhun in the south of the province, the Britain-based war monitor said. Idlib, a region of some three million people, many of whom fled former rebel-held areas retaken by the government, is the last major bastion of opposition to the Russia-backed Damascus government after eight years of civil war. The region on Turkey's doorstep is administered by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, but other jihadist and rebel groups are also present. Idlib is supposed to be protected from a major regime assault by a September deal between Moscow and Ankara, but Damascus and its Russian ally have ramped up their deadly bombardment of the region since late April. More than 520 civilians have been killed since then, according to the Observatory. The United Nations says 25 health facilities in the region have been hit, the latest including the second attack in two months on an underground hospital in the town of Kafranbel on Thursday. "The attacks happened despite the fact that the coordinates of this hospital had previously been shared with the parties to the conflict in a deliberate, carefully planned effort to prevent any attacks on it," a UN official said on Friday. "I am horrified by the ongoing attacks on civilian areas and civilian infrastructure as the conflict in northwest Syria continues," said Mark Cutts, UN deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syrian crisis. Syria's war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.

Regime bombings kill 14 civilians in northwest Syria: War monitor

The&nbsp;Kremlin&nbsp;said on Friday that it was&nbsp;Turkey's responsibility to stop<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-erdogan-to-putin-we-need-a-ceasefire-in-syrias-idlib-223237">&nbsp;militants&nbsp;in&nbsp;Syria's&nbsp;Idlib&nbsp;province </a>from firing on civilian and Russian targets.

Kremlin&nbsp;spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments when asked about a suggestion from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to implement a ceasefire in&nbsp;Idlib.

A Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in the rebel-held northwest, the most serious escalation of the war between President Bashar al-Assad and his enemies since last summer, has uprooted around 250,000 people in the territory, the last significant rebel stronghold.

The Kremlin said on Friday that it was Turkey's responsibility to stop militants in Syria's Idlib province from firing on civilian and Russian targets. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments when asked about a suggestion from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to implement a ceasefire in Idlib.

The Kremlin said on Friday that it was Turkey's responsibility to stop militants in Syria's Idlib province from firing on civilian and Russian targets. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments when asked about a suggestion from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to implement a ceasefire in Idlib. A Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in the rebel-held northwest, the most serious escalation of the war between President Bashar al-Assad and his enemies since last summer, has uprooted around 250,000 people in the territory, the last significant rebel stronghold.

Kremlin says onus is on Turkey to rein in militants in Syria's Idlib

For months, Alia Ali endured the din of fighting in Iraq's second city Mosul. Then a missile slammed into her home, killing her husband and her hearing.

The 59-year-old lost her sense of sound in the final phase of the ferocious battle between government forces and jihadists of the Islamic State group, not long before the guns fell silent in July 2017.

For nearly nine months, air strikes, mortar rounds and car bombs pummelled the city relentlessly, and thousands of residents still suffer hearing problems ranging from tinnitus to profound deafness.

"I lost my sense of hearing two years ago," Ali recalled.

"A warplane hit our neighbourhood in the fight for the western half of the city and my husband died of very bad burns," she told AFP.

Ali spent two years piecing her life back together, but could not afford to get specialised care for her diminished hearing.

"We lost our home and all our possessions -- we didn't have money to go to private clinics," she said.

Blasts in conflict zones can propel debris into the human ear and rupture the eardrum, which transmits sound further into the cochlea.&nbsp;

Nerves in the cochlea, which sends sound on to the brain to be processed, can also be destroyed by explosions.

Mines have noise levels approaching 170 decibels -- twice the loudness needed to cause permanent damage to ears.

Bleeding, nerve damage&nbsp;

In Mosul, civilians were exposed to repeated loud blasts that sent between 15 and 20 a day to hospitals complaining of hearing loss.

"They were bleeding from their ears because of the shelling, but they had nothing to stop the flow," according to hearing specialist Mohammad Saleh.&nbsp;

"Some never recovered because their nerve cells were torn by the loud sounds."

Mosul's health infrastructure was ravaged by IS's reign and subsequent fighting, with the 6,000 hospital beds available before the jihadist takeover reduced to just 1,000.

With help from outside charities, hospitals are slowly reopening wing by wing.&nbsp;

At Jumhuriya hospital in west Mosul, a specialised hearing impairment centre opened its doors less than a year ago with backing from Iraq's Dary Humanitarian Organisation.

The waiting room is packed with people, young and old, waiting to get long-delayed hearing tests to see how badly the blasts have damaged their ears.&nbsp;

"My hearing deteriorated after three mortars hit my house in west Mosul," 65-year-old Fathi Hussein yelled.

He can only respond to questions that are virtually screamed and answers them at the same volume.&nbsp;

"I put off treatment because I'm poor. I don't have the money for consultations or medicine," he said.&nbsp;

Since the centre opened less than a year ago, it has treated several thousand patients, according to specialist Mohammad Said.&nbsp;

"We have distributed 2,000 hearing aids so far. More complex cases get sent to hospitals in Baghdad for treatment, including cochlear implants which aren't available here yet," Said told AFP.&nbsp;

He expects there are thousands of more cases that have yet to visit the Jumhuriya centre.&nbsp;

"Some patients went to private clinics, others went elsewhere in Iraq or even left the country and still others have received no treatment at all," he said.

&nbsp;'I want to go to school'&nbsp;

For younger patients, partial deafness means more than just shouting to be heard -- it can affect schooling.

"In kids especially, hearing loss can damage speaking ability," Said said.&nbsp;

"It's extremely important because it means the hearing aids we distribute aren't enough, and these children are in need of treatments and speaking rehabilitation that we don't offer here."

Five-year-old Mohannad may not remember much of life under bombardment in Mosul, but it will likely mar his education for years to come.

He suffers both hearing and speech impediments from the fighting that were long left untreated.&nbsp;

"I didn't notice how weak his hearing was until weeks after Mosul was liberated," his mother told AFP. &nbsp;

She said she was now desperate to get free treatment for Mohannad in time for him to finally enrol in classes this autumn.

"I want to go to school like our neighbour's son, Ahmad," Mohannad mumbled with difficulty.&nbsp;

Watch: 400,000 minor still displaced in Iraq's Mosul

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For months, Alia Ali endured the din of fighting in Iraq's second city Mosul. Then a missile slammed into her home, killing her husband and her hearing. The 59-year-old lost her sense of sound in the final phase of the ferocious battle between government forces and jihadists of the Islamic State group, not long before the guns fell silent in July 2017.

For months, Alia Ali endured the din of fighting in Iraq's second city Mosul. Then a missile slammed into her home, killing her husband and her hearing. The 59-year-old lost her sense of sound in the final phase of the ferocious battle between government forces and jihadists of the Islamic State group, not long before the guns fell silent in July 2017. For nearly nine months, air strikes, mortar rounds and car bombs pummelled the city relentlessly, and thousands of residents still suffer hearing problems ranging from tinnitus to profound deafness. "I lost my sense of hearing two years ago," Ali recalled. "A warplane hit our neighbourhood in the fight for the western half of the city and my husband died of very bad burns," she told AFP. Ali spent two years piecing her life back together, but could not afford to get specialised care for her diminished hearing. "We lost our home and all our possessions -- we didn't have money to go to private clinics," she said. Blasts in conflict zones can propel debris into the human ear and rupture the eardrum, which transmits sound further into the cochlea. Nerves in the cochlea, which sends sound on to the brain to be processed, can also be destroyed by explosions. Mines have noise levels approaching 170 decibels -- twice the loudness needed to cause permanent damage to ears. Bleeding, nerve damage In Mosul, civilians were exposed to repeated loud blasts that sent between 15 and 20 a day to hospitals complaining of hearing loss. "They were bleeding from their ears because of the shelling, but they had nothing to stop the flow," according to hearing specialist Mohammad Saleh. "Some never recovered because their nerve cells were torn by the loud sounds." Mosul's health infrastructure was ravaged by IS's reign and subsequent fighting, with the 6,000 hospital beds available before the jihadist takeover reduced to just 1,000. With help from outside charities, hospitals are slowly reopening wing by wing. At Jumhuriya hospital in west Mosul, a specialised hearing impairment centre opened its doors less than a year ago with backing from Iraq's Dary Humanitarian Organisation. The waiting room is packed with people, young and old, waiting to get long-delayed hearing tests to see how badly the blasts have damaged their ears. "My hearing deteriorated after three mortars hit my house in west Mosul," 65-year-old Fathi Hussein yelled. He can only respond to questions that are virtually screamed and answers them at the same volume. "I put off treatment because I'm poor. I don't have the money for consultations or medicine," he said. Since the centre opened less than a year ago, it has treated several thousand patients, according to specialist Mohammad Said. "We have distributed 2,000 hearing aids so far. More complex cases get sent to hospitals in Baghdad for treatment, including cochlear implants which aren't available here yet," Said told AFP. He expects there are thousands of more cases that have yet to visit the Jumhuriya centre. "Some patients went to private clinics, others went elsewhere in Iraq or even left the country and still others have received no treatment at all," he said. 'I want to go to school' For younger patients, partial deafness means more than just shouting to be heard -- it can affect schooling. "In kids especially, hearing loss can damage speaking ability," Said said. "It's extremely important because it means the hearing aids we distribute aren't enough, and these children are in need of treatments and speaking rehabilitation that we don't offer here." Five-year-old Mohannad may not remember much of life under bombardment in Mosul, but it will likely mar his education for years to come. He suffers both hearing and speech impediments from the fighting that were long left untreated. "I didn't notice how weak his hearing was until weeks after Mosul was liberated," his mother told AFP. She said she was now desperate to get free treatment for Mohannad in time for him to finally enrol in classes this autumn. "I want to go to school like our neighbour's son, Ahmad," Mohannad mumbled with difficulty. Watch: 400,000 minor still displaced in Iraq's Mosul ×

Long after guns fall silent, Mosul residents suffer hearing loss

Syrian government aircraft bombed several towns in northwestern Syria on Thursday killing five civilians as troops and militia battled jihadists on the ground, a monitor said.

The new bombardment of the largely jihadist-controlled region of Idlib followed strikes on Tuesday night and Wednesday that killed 23 civilians, 12 of them at a busy market.

In neighbouring Hama province,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-and-syrian-army-step-up-attacks-on-rebel-held-northwestern-syria-sources-215395"> Syrian troops </a>battled for a third straight day to repel a jihadist counterattack around the town of Kafr Nabuda, leaving 15 combatants dead, 11 of them jihadists, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Syrian government forces retook the town on May 8 but the jihadists retook most of it on Wednesday, the Britain-based monitor said.

More than 100 combatants have been killed in the fighting around Kafr Nabuda since Tuesday.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, controls much of Idlib as well as adjacent slivers of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces.

The jihadist-dominated region is nominally protected by a buffer zone deal, but the government and its ally Russia have escalated their bombardment in recent weeks, seizing several towns on its southern flank.

The United Nations has warned that an all-out offensive on the Idlib region would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe for its nearly thee million residents.&nbsp;

More than 200,000 people have already been displaced by the upsurge of violence since April 28, the UN has said.

A total of 20 health facilities have been hit by the escalation -- 19 of which remain out of service, it added.&nbsp;

Syrian government aircraft bombed several towns in northwestern Syria on Thursday killing five civilians as troops and militia battled jihadists on the ground, a monitor said.

Syrian government aircraft bombed several towns in northwestern Syria on Thursday killing five civilians as troops and militia battled jihadists on the ground, a monitor said. The new bombardment of the largely jihadist-controlled region of Idlib followed strikes on Tuesday night and Wednesday that killed 23 civilians, 12 of them at a busy market. In neighbouring Hama province, Syrian troops battled for a third straight day to repel a jihadist counterattack around the town of Kafr Nabuda, leaving 15 combatants dead, 11 of them jihadists, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syrian government forces retook the town on May 8 but the jihadists retook most of it on Wednesday, the Britain-based monitor said. More than 100 combatants have been killed in the fighting around Kafr Nabuda since Tuesday. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, controls much of Idlib as well as adjacent slivers of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces. The jihadist-dominated region is nominally protected by a buffer zone deal, but the government and its ally Russia have escalated their bombardment in recent weeks, seizing several towns on its southern flank. The United Nations has warned that an all-out offensive on the Idlib region would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe for its nearly thee million residents. More than 200,000 people have already been displaced by the upsurge of violence since April 28, the UN has said. A total of 20 health facilities have been hit by the escalation -- 19 of which remain out of service, it added.

Deadly new air strikes as Syria army battles jihadists

Sudan's protest movement said that it is determined to have a civilian as head of a new governing council ahead of negotiations Sunday with army rulers to finalise its makeup.

Talks between the current ruling military council and the protest movement over the planned transfer of power are set to resume amid international pressure to return to the table after the generals suspended the negotiations earlier this week.

The Alliance for Freedom and Change, the umbrella group that brought down autocratic leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudans-ousted-president-bashir-charged-over-killing-of-protesters-218466">Omar al-Bashir </a>after months-long protests against his three-decade rule, said the talks were set to begin at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) Sunday.

The military council had announced the previous night that the new round of talks would be held at the presidential palace in Khartoum.

"The talks will revolve around outstanding issues concerning the representation in the sovereign counsel and its chairmanship," the alliance said in a statement.

The generals and protest leaders are at loggerheads over the final composition of the next ruling body, the thorniest issue so far in negotiations between the two sides.

The generals insist the new body be military-led but the protest leaders are determined to have a majority civilian body.

On Sunday the protest movement said it is determined to have a "civilian sovereign council led by a civilian as its chairman and having a limited military representation".

The current military council that took power after ousting Bashir on April 11 is headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the generals negotiating with protesters have previously said that Burhan would lead the new governing body too.

Before talks were suspended the two sides had agreed on several key issues, including a three-year transition period and the creation of a 300-member parliament, with two-thirds of lawmakers to come from the protesters' umbrella group.

But Sunday's negotiations come against the backdrop of rising tension after hundreds of supporters of several Islamic movements rallied outside the presidential palace to reject any civilian administration deal that excludes the Islamic law sharia as its guiding principle.

The Alliance for Freedom and Change has so far remained silent on whether sharia has a place in Sudan's future, arguing that its main concern now is installing a civilian administration.

Sudan's protest movement said that it is determined to have a civilian as head of a new governing council ahead of negotiations Sunday with army rulers to finalise its makeup.

Sudan's protest movement said that it is determined to have a civilian as head of a new governing council ahead of negotiations Sunday with army rulers to finalise its makeup. Talks between the current ruling military council and the protest movement over the planned transfer of power are set to resume amid international pressure to return to the table after the generals suspended the negotiations earlier this week. The Alliance for Freedom and Change, the umbrella group that brought down autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir after months-long protests against his three-decade rule, said the talks were set to begin at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) Sunday. The military council had announced the previous night that the new round of talks would be held at the presidential palace in Khartoum. "The talks will revolve around outstanding issues concerning the representation in the sovereign counsel and its chairmanship," the alliance said in a statement. The generals and protest leaders are at loggerheads over the final composition of the next ruling body, the thorniest issue so far in negotiations between the two sides. The generals insist the new body be military-led but the protest leaders are determined to have a majority civilian body. On Sunday the protest movement said it is determined to have a "civilian sovereign council led by a civilian as its chairman and having a limited military representation". The current military council that took power after ousting Bashir on April 11 is headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the generals negotiating with protesters have previously said that Burhan would lead the new governing body too. Before talks were suspended the two sides had agreed on several key issues, including a three-year transition period and the creation of a 300-member parliament, with two-thirds of lawmakers to come from the protesters' umbrella group. But Sunday's negotiations come against the backdrop of rising tension after hundreds of supporters of several Islamic movements rallied outside the presidential palace to reject any civilian administration deal that excludes the Islamic law sharia as its guiding principle. The Alliance for Freedom and Change has so far remained silent on whether sharia has a place in Sudan's future, arguing that its main concern now is installing a civilian administration.

Sudan protesters want civilian as head of new ruling body

The Afghan National Army commandos rescued 10 civilians from a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/taliban-must-agree-to-a-ceasefire-and-join-the-intra-afghan-peace-talks-215289">Taliban prison </a>in an operation conducted late Friday night in the country`s northern province of Kunduz, a military source said on Saturday.

"The raid was launched in Aq Saray village, Chahar Dara district late Friday, and the building used by the Taliban as a detention centre was destroyed by the security forces," Xinhua quoted army spokesperson Ghulam Hazrat Karimi as saying.

Taliban militants guarding the facility fled before the troops arrived. The civilians were shifted to an army camp for the identification process before being provided accommodation. They would be joining their families soon.

Taliban insurgents frequently detain civilians from across villages and highways on charges of spying for the government security forces.&nbsp;

The Afghan National Army commandos rescued 10 civilians from a Taliban prison in an operation conducted late Friday night in the country`s northern province of Kunduz, a military source said on Saturday.

The Afghan National Army commandos rescued 10 civilians from a Taliban prison in an operation conducted late Friday night in the country`s northern province of Kunduz, a military source said on Saturday. "The raid was launched in Aq Saray village, Chahar Dara district late Friday, and the building used by the Taliban as a detention centre was destroyed by the security forces," Xinhua quoted army spokesperson Ghulam Hazrat Karimi as saying. Taliban militants guarding the facility fled before the troops arrived. The civilians were shifted to an army camp for the identification process before being provided accommodation. They would be joining their families soon. Taliban insurgents frequently detain civilians from across villages and highways on charges of spying for the government security forces.

Afghan National Army commandos rescues 10 civilians from Taliban prison

Two civilian have sustained injuries after an explosive went off when they were fiddling with it in Damhal area of Kulgam in south Kashmir.&nbsp;

The duo has sustained minor injuries and was shifted to a local hospital for treatment.&nbsp;

''Two individuals have reportedly sustained minor injuries today due to an explosive substance which exploded when they were apparently fiddling with it in their neighbourhood,'' police said in a statement.&nbsp;

The injured have been identified as Shahid and Ikhlaq. Hospitals authorities said that both were in a stable condition and one among the two were discharged after preliminary medical treatment.&nbsp;

''Police has taken cognizance and is probing the circumstances of the blast,'' police said in a statement.&nbsp;

Two civilian have sustained injuries after an explosive went off when they were fiddling with it in Damhal area of Kulgam in south Kashmir. The duo has sustained minor injuries and was shifted to a local hospital for treatment.

Two civilian have sustained injuries after an explosive went off when they were fiddling with it in Damhal area of Kulgam in south Kashmir. The duo has sustained minor injuries and was shifted to a local hospital for treatment. ''Two individuals have reportedly sustained minor injuries today due to an explosive substance which exploded when they were apparently fiddling with it in their neighbourhood,'' police said in a statement. The injured have been identified as Shahid and Ikhlaq. Hospitals authorities said that both were in a stable condition and one among the two were discharged after preliminary medical treatment. ''Police has taken cognizance and is probing the circumstances of the blast,'' police said in a statement.

Kashmir: Two civilians injured after blast in Kulgam district

Fighters of the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) fired heavy weaponry including tanks and guns mounted on armored vehicles as the forces of veteran general Khalifa Haftar battled groups loyal to the internationally-recognized government in the southern outskirts of Tripoli, video released by LNA

Crisis in Libya Deepens; At least 2 civilians killed in Tripoli

More civilians were killed in the Afghan war in 2018 than during any other year on record after nearly two decades of fighting, according to a UN report released Sunday.

Civilian deaths jumped by 11 per cent from 2017 with 3,804 people killed and another 7,189 wounded, according to the UN figures, as suicide attacks and bombings wreaked havoc across the war-torn country.

The report's release comes a day before the US and the Taliban hold their next round of talks aimed at ending the conflict, raising tentative hopes for peace along with fears that an American withdrawal could spark an even bloodier civil war. &nbsp;

The talks in Doha follow years of escalating violence in Afghanistan. According to the UN, at least 32,000 civilians have been killed and another 60,000 wounded in the last decade when the organisation began compiling the data.

The uptick in violence in 2018 coincides with a significant increase in the number of deaths caused by the "deliberate targeting of civilians", according to the report, mostly stemming from suicide attacks by insurgents allied with the Taliban or Islamic State (IS).

"It is time to put an end to this human misery and tragedy," said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

"The best way to halt the killings and maiming of civilians is to stop the fighting," he said.

At least 65 suicide attacks were recorded in 2018 -- the majority hitting Kabul -- with militants responsible for the death of more than 2,200 civilians across the country.&nbsp;

An increase in air strikes by US and Afghan forces also led to more civilian deaths in 2018, with more than 500 civilians killed by "aerial operations for the first time on record", the report noted.

The US intensified its air campaign against Taliban and IS fighters as Washington seeks to pile pressure on the militants, dropping twice as many munitions on insurgent positions in 2018 compared to the previous year.

Yamamoto said the civilian casualties were &nbsp;"wholly unacceptable" and called on all parties to take “immediate and additional concrete steps to stop a further escalation in the number of civilians harmed and lives destroyed".

More civilians were killed in the Afghan war in 2018 than during any other year on record after nearly two decades of fighting, according to a UN report released Sunday.

More civilians were killed in the Afghan war in 2018 than during any other year on record after nearly two decades of fighting, according to a UN report released Sunday. Civilian deaths jumped by 11 per cent from 2017 with 3,804 people killed and another 7,189 wounded, according to the UN figures, as suicide attacks and bombings wreaked havoc across the war-torn country. The report's release comes a day before the US and the Taliban hold their next round of talks aimed at ending the conflict, raising tentative hopes for peace along with fears that an American withdrawal could spark an even bloodier civil war. The talks in Doha follow years of escalating violence in Afghanistan. According to the UN, at least 32,000 civilians have been killed and another 60,000 wounded in the last decade when the organisation began compiling the data. The uptick in violence in 2018 coincides with a significant increase in the number of deaths caused by the "deliberate targeting of civilians", according to the report, mostly stemming from suicide attacks by insurgents allied with the Taliban or Islamic State (IS). "It is time to put an end to this human misery and tragedy," said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan. "The best way to halt the killings and maiming of civilians is to stop the fighting," he said. At least 65 suicide attacks were recorded in 2018 -- the majority hitting Kabul -- with militants responsible for the death of more than 2,200 civilians across the country. An increase in air strikes by US and Afghan forces also led to more civilian deaths in 2018, with more than 500 civilians killed by "aerial operations for the first time on record", the report noted. The US intensified its air campaign against Taliban and IS fighters as Washington seeks to pile pressure on the militants, dropping twice as many munitions on insurgent positions in 2018 compared to the previous year. Yamamoto said the civilian casualties were "wholly unacceptable" and called on all parties to take “immediate and additional concrete steps to stop a further escalation in the number of civilians harmed and lives destroyed".

Civilian deaths in Afghan war hit record in 2018: UN

At least nine people were killed and several wounded when a car loaded with explosives blew up near a mall in a busy market in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/blast-in-somalias-capital-mogadishu-report-195008">Somalia capital</a> on Monday, police said.

"The blast occurred close to Mogadishu mall and it has caused death and destruction. Nine civilians were confirmed dead and several others are wounded," police officer Ahmed Moalin Ali said.

"The terrorists parked a vehicle loaded with explosives in the vicinity of the mall to kill the innocent civilians."

He said some of the victims died in a building that collapsed as a result of the blast in the Hamarweyne market.

"I saw the dead bodies of four people recovered from the debris of a collapsed building and three others were strewn dead outside after the blast had blown them," said shopper Munira Abdukadir.

"I was not far away from the blast location, but I was lucky to have survived, several people were wounded and some were screaming before the ambulances arrived," said another witness, Abdulahi Mohamed.

Mogadishu is regularly targeted by the Al-Qaeda affiliated Islamist group Al-Shabaab.

The group was largely driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 and has lost many of its strongholds. But it retains control of large rural swathes of the country and continues to wage a guerrilla war against the authorities. 
&nbsp;

At least nine people were killed and several wounded when a car loaded with explosives blew up near a mall in a busy market in the Somalia capital on Monday, police said.

At least nine people were killed and several wounded when a car loaded with explosives blew up near a mall in a busy market in the Somalia capital on Monday, police said. "The blast occurred close to Mogadishu mall and it has caused death and destruction. Nine civilians were confirmed dead and several others are wounded," police officer Ahmed Moalin Ali said. "The terrorists parked a vehicle loaded with explosives in the vicinity of the mall to kill the innocent civilians." He said some of the victims died in a building that collapsed as a result of the blast in the Hamarweyne market. "I saw the dead bodies of four people recovered from the debris of a collapsed building and three others were strewn dead outside after the blast had blown them," said shopper Munira Abdukadir. "I was not far away from the blast location, but I was lucky to have survived, several people were wounded and some were screaming before the ambulances arrived," said another witness, Abdulahi Mohamed. Mogadishu is regularly targeted by the Al-Qaeda affiliated Islamist group Al-Shabaab. The group was largely driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 and has lost many of its strongholds. But it retains control of large rural swathes of the country and continues to wage a guerrilla war against the authorities.

At least nine killed, several wounded in Somalia market car bombing: Police

Australia on Friday acknowledged it may have killed as many as 18 civilians in an air strike on Mosul two years ago, during a massive and ultimately successful campaign to dislodge jihadi fighters.

Following an internal investigation, the Australian Defence Forces said coalition raids against Islamic State group positions in the then-occupied northern Iraqi city on June 13, 2017 "may have caused civilian casualties".

"The coalition assesses that between six and 18 civilians may have been killed," during strikes on the Al Shafaar neighbourhood.

Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld indicated there was no firm information about the number of deaths or whether they came as a result of the Australian strike, or from other coalition members.

The intense aerial bombardment to retake what had been Iraq's second-largest city has already been the subject of intense scrutiny, with the US-led coalition admitting over 1,100 civilian casualties.

A total of 30,008 strikes against IS were carried out between August 2014 and the end of August 2018, with the Mosul campaign being particularly intense.

Critics have alleged the coalition strategy leaned too much on overwhelming air power. While quicker and posing fewer risks for coalition forces, they allege it put civilians at greater risk.&nbsp;

Monitoring group Airwars says the number of civilian deaths acknowledged by the coalition is well below the true toll of the bombing campaign, estimating that at least 7,468 civilians were killed.

IS was known to hold civilians as human shields in a deliberate effort evade detection, deter air strikes and shape Western public opinion against the war.

Hupfeld said the Australian strike was requested by Iraqi security forces and was in "full compliance with the law of armed conflict and applicable rules of engagement".

"The Australian Defence Force takes all feasible precautions to minimise the risk of civilian casualties."

Ahead of the strike, seven IS fighters were identified in a building and adjacent courtyard, armed with heavy weapons.

They were hit with a "500lb precision guided munition" which "achieved the effect desired".

Australia's defence forces said the civilian casualties were in a nearby building.

Australia on Friday acknowledged it may have killed as many as 18 civilians in an air strike on Mosul two years ago, during a massive and ultimately successful campaign to dislodge jihadi fighters.

Australia on Friday acknowledged it may have killed as many as 18 civilians in an air strike on Mosul two years ago, during a massive and ultimately successful campaign to dislodge jihadi fighters. Following an internal investigation, the Australian Defence Forces said coalition raids against Islamic State group positions in the then-occupied northern Iraqi city on June 13, 2017 "may have caused civilian casualties". "The coalition assesses that between six and 18 civilians may have been killed," during strikes on the Al Shafaar neighbourhood. Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld indicated there was no firm information about the number of deaths or whether they came as a result of the Australian strike, or from other coalition members. The intense aerial bombardment to retake what had been Iraq's second-largest city has already been the subject of intense scrutiny, with the US-led coalition admitting over 1,100 civilian casualties. A total of 30,008 strikes against IS were carried out between August 2014 and the end of August 2018, with the Mosul campaign being particularly intense. Critics have alleged the coalition strategy leaned too much on overwhelming air power. While quicker and posing fewer risks for coalition forces, they allege it put civilians at greater risk. Monitoring group Airwars says the number of civilian deaths acknowledged by the coalition is well below the true toll of the bombing campaign, estimating that at least 7,468 civilians were killed. IS was known to hold civilians as human shields in a deliberate effort evade detection, deter air strikes and shape Western public opinion against the war. Hupfeld said the Australian strike was requested by Iraqi security forces and was in "full compliance with the law of armed conflict and applicable rules of engagement". "The Australian Defence Force takes all feasible precautions to minimise the risk of civilian casualties." Ahead of the strike, seven IS fighters were identified in a building and adjacent courtyard, armed with heavy weapons. They were hit with a "500lb precision guided munition" which "achieved the effect desired". Australia's defence forces said the civilian casualties were in a nearby building.

Australia admits 'may have killed' civilians in 2017 Mosul raid

Twelve civilians were killed on Thursday during a jihadist attack in the north of Burkina Faso, which has been battling a wave of Islamist violence, officials said Friday.

The west African country declared a state of emergency in several provinces at the end of last year and on Thursday replaced its army chief as it struggled to put a stop to a spate of such attacks.&nbsp;

In the latest violence, gunmen attacked a village market in broad daylight, the security ministry said in a statement issued late Friday.

"Around 30 armed individuals perpetrated... a terrorist attack in the village of Gasseliki," it said, giving a toll of 12 dead and two wounded.

"A barn, a cart and six shops were also set alight," it added.

A local source told AFP that the attackers "ransacked stores and opened fire on people who had gathered for the weekly market".

Jihadist attacks began in northern Burkina Faso in 2015 but then spread to the east, near the border with Togo and Benin.

The country is part of the vast Sahel region and one of the poorest states in the world.

The region turned into a hotbed of violent extremism and lawlessness after chaos engulfed Libya in 2011, which was followed by an Islamist insurgency in northern Mali and the rise of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria.

Most attacks in Burkina Faso itself have been attributed to the jihadist group Ansarul Islam, which emerged near the Mali border in December 2016, and to the JNIM (the Group to Support Islam and Muslims), which has sworn allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Ansarul Islam emerged as violence spilled over from Mali, where radical Islamists seized key Sahara towns in 2012 before being ousted by French troops.

Smaller groups are also active, with the overall number of fighters estimated to be in the hundreds, according to security sources.

The groups are believed to be responsible for more than 270 deaths since 2015. The capital Ouagadougou has been hit three times and almost 60 people have died there.

The jihadists extend their hold gradually, forcing government workers and others who oppose them to flee. The violence has so far displaced some 40,000 people.

In the north, armed groups move freely through the country's porous borders.

The jihadists mainly target the security forces, but also attack government officials and local chiefs who oppose them.

Teachers are vulnerable due to the jihadists' fierce opposition to secular, French education, with their threats and attacks sparking the closure of hundreds of schools in the north and the east.

As the country struggles to get on top of the violence, army chief Major General Oumarou Sadou was replaced on Thursday by General Moise Minoungou, according to a presidential decree read on public television.

Twelve civilians were killed on Thursday during a jihadist attack in the north of Burkina Faso, which has been battling a wave of Islamist violence, officials said Friday.

Twelve civilians were killed on Thursday during a jihadist attack in the north of Burkina Faso, which has been battling a wave of Islamist violence, officials said Friday. The west African country declared a state of emergency in several provinces at the end of last year and on Thursday replaced its army chief as it struggled to put a stop to a spate of such attacks. In the latest violence, gunmen attacked a village market in broad daylight, the security ministry said in a statement issued late Friday. "Around 30 armed individuals perpetrated... a terrorist attack in the village of Gasseliki," it said, giving a toll of 12 dead and two wounded. "A barn, a cart and six shops were also set alight," it added. A local source told AFP that the attackers "ransacked stores and opened fire on people who had gathered for the weekly market". Jihadist attacks began in northern Burkina Faso in 2015 but then spread to the east, near the border with Togo and Benin. The country is part of the vast Sahel region and one of the poorest states in the world. The region turned into a hotbed of violent extremism and lawlessness after chaos engulfed Libya in 2011, which was followed by an Islamist insurgency in northern Mali and the rise of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria. Most attacks in Burkina Faso itself have been attributed to the jihadist group Ansarul Islam, which emerged near the Mali border in December 2016, and to the JNIM (the Group to Support Islam and Muslims), which has sworn allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Ansarul Islam emerged as violence spilled over from Mali, where radical Islamists seized key Sahara towns in 2012 before being ousted by French troops. Smaller groups are also active, with the overall number of fighters estimated to be in the hundreds, according to security sources. The groups are believed to be responsible for more than 270 deaths since 2015. The capital Ouagadougou has been hit three times and almost 60 people have died there. The jihadists extend their hold gradually, forcing government workers and others who oppose them to flee. The violence has so far displaced some 40,000 people. In the north, armed groups move freely through the country's porous borders. The jihadists mainly target the security forces, but also attack government officials and local chiefs who oppose them. Teachers are vulnerable due to the jihadists' fierce opposition to secular, French education, with their threats and attacks sparking the closure of hundreds of schools in the north and the east. As the country struggles to get on top of the violence, army chief Major General Oumarou Sadou was replaced on Thursday by General Moise Minoungou, according to a presidential decree read on public television.

12 civilians killed during a jihadist attack in Burkina Faso

Pakistan Prime Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-supreme-court-orders-imran-khans-sister-to-pay-rs-2940-crores-as-fine-tax-on-foreign-properties-183850">Imran Khan</a> on Sunday condemned the killing of seven civilians in Kashmir’s Pulwama and threatened to raise the issue at the UN.

Seven civilians died on Saturday when security forces opened fire at an unruly mob that thronged the site of an encounter in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district in which three terrorists and an army man were killed.

In Srinagar, the army urged people not to march towards the headquarters of its Chinar Corps on the call of separatists to protest the killing of the civilians. Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP said the responsibility of such deaths lies with separatists and supporters of militants, including the mainstream political parties.

Khan took to Twitter to condemn the incident, saying only dialogue and not violence and killings will resolve this conflict. He threatened to raise the Kashmir issue at the UN and said the country will demand that the UN Security Council fulfil its plebiscite commitment in Jammu and Kashmir.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Strongly condemn killing of innocent Kashmiri civilians in Pulwama IOK by Indian security forces. Only dialogue &amp; not violence &amp; killings will resolve this conflict. We will raise issue of India's human rights violations in IOK &amp; demand UNSC fulfil its J&amp;K plebiscite commitment
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1074291793775218689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office condemned the incident and said that Jammu and Kashmir was an internationally recognised dispute, pending on the agenda of the UN Security Council and the dissociation of India from reality was alarming.

The government and the people of Pakistan reaffirm their continued and resolute moral, diplomatic and political support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle, it said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday condemned the killing of seven civilians in Kashmir’s Pulwama and threatened to raise the issue at the UN. Seven civilians died on Saturday when security forces opened fire at an unruly mob that thronged the site of an encounter in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district in which three terrorists and an army man were killed.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday condemned the killing of seven civilians in Kashmir’s Pulwama and threatened to raise the issue at the UN. Seven civilians died on Saturday when security forces opened fire at an unruly mob that thronged the site of an encounter in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district in which three terrorists and an army man were killed. In Srinagar, the army urged people not to march towards the headquarters of its Chinar Corps on the call of separatists to protest the killing of the civilians. Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP said the responsibility of such deaths lies with separatists and supporters of militants, including the mainstream political parties. Khan took to Twitter to condemn the incident, saying only dialogue and not violence and killings will resolve this conflict. He threatened to raise the Kashmir issue at the UN and said the country will demand that the UN Security Council fulfil its plebiscite commitment in Jammu and Kashmir. Strongly condemn killing of innocent Kashmiri civilians in Pulwama IOK by Indian security forces. Only dialogue & not violence & killings will resolve this conflict. We will raise issue of India's human rights violations in IOK & demand UNSC fulfil its J&K plebiscite commitment — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 16, 2018 × Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office condemned the incident and said that Jammu and Kashmir was an internationally recognised dispute, pending on the agenda of the UN Security Council and the dissociation of India from reality was alarming. The government and the people of Pakistan reaffirm their continued and resolute moral, diplomatic and political support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle, it said.

Pak PM Imran Khan condemns killing of seven civilians in Kashmir’s Pulwama, threatens to raise the issue at UN

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