Militants killed 18 people in an attack on a village in eastern <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dr-congo-ebola-death-toll-2231-to-date-report-270888">Congo</a>, a regional official and a local human rights group said on Monday, the latest in a 60-day counter-offensive that has killed nearly 200 civilians.

The attack occurred in Apetina, in a remote forested area a few miles from the Ugandan border where attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist group, have increased since October&nbsp;30, when the army launched a campaign to root them out.

Democratic Republic of Congo <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/opposition-leader-felix-tshisekedi-declared-winner-in-dr-congo-presidential-election-189319">President Felix Tshisekedi</a> has said the campaign has dismantled nearly all of the ADF's sanctuaries, but attacks continue unabated. Earlier this month, 22 were killed in ambushes on two villages in the same region.

"There was a raid by ADF rebels in...​​Apetina on Sunday night. These rebels killed 18 people and burned down eight houses," said Donat Kibwana, the administrator of Beni territory.

He said that the army was alerted to the attack but arrived after the killings had occurred. CEPADHO, a human rights group, also said that 18 had been killed.

The Congolese government has blamed the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/17-people-killed-in-twin-attacks-in-dr-congo-182195">ADF for attacks</a> going back years, including dozens of night-time massacres since 2014 that have killed hundreds of civilians. But repeated military operations have failed to fully eradicate the group.

The recent surge in violence has complicated efforts to stamp out an Ebola outbreak in the area. Infections have started to rise in areas health workers have been unable to access because of insecurity.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sanctions-two-iranian-judges-for-overseeing-iranian-regimes-miscarriage-of-justice-269258">US&nbsp;Treasury</a> this month imposed sanctions on six members of the ADF, including its leader Musa Baluku. Islamic State has claimed some ADF attacks this year, but researchers say there is a lack of hard evidence linking the two groups.

Militants killed 18 people in an attack on a village in eastern Congo, a regional official and a local human rights group said on Monday, the latest in a 60-day counter-offensive that has killed nearly 200 civilians.

Militants killed 18 people in an attack on a village in eastern Congo, a regional official and a local human rights group said on Monday, the latest in a 60-day counter-offensive that has killed nearly 200 civilians. The attack occurred in Apetina, in a remote forested area a few miles from the Ugandan border where attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist group, have increased since October 30, when the army launched a campaign to root them out. Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has said the campaign has dismantled nearly all of the ADF's sanctuaries, but attacks continue unabated. Earlier this month, 22 were killed in ambushes on two villages in the same region. "There was a raid by ADF rebels in...Apetina on Sunday night. These rebels killed 18 people and burned down eight houses," said Donat Kibwana, the administrator of Beni territory. He said that the army was alerted to the attack but arrived after the killings had occurred. CEPADHO, a human rights group, also said that 18 had been killed. The Congolese government has blamed the ADF for attacks going back years, including dozens of night-time massacres since 2014 that have killed hundreds of civilians. But repeated military operations have failed to fully eradicate the group. The recent surge in violence has complicated efforts to stamp out an Ebola outbreak in the area. Infections have started to rise in areas health workers have been unable to access because of insecurity. The US Treasury this month imposed sanctions on six members of the ADF, including its leader Musa Baluku. Islamic State has claimed some ADF attacks this year, but researchers say there is a lack of hard evidence linking the two groups.

Militants kill 18 in attack in eastern Congo

Afghanistan deployed more than 100,000 troops and police on Friday (September 27) to guard polling stations in a presidential election due to be held at the weekend which the Taliban has threatened to disrupt with suicide bombings and rocket attacks.

Afghanistan bolsters security as Taliban threatens presidential poll

Ethiopia said on Saturday it had arrested an unspecified number of Islamist militant members of the Somali group al Shabaab and Islamic State who were planning to carry out attacks in the country on various targets including hotels.

Some of those arrested were carrying out intelligence work including photographing potential targets, the National Intelligence Security Services (NISS) said in a statement read out on state-affiliated broadcaster Fana.

"The group was preparing to attack hotels, religious festivities gathering places and public areas in Addis Ababa," NISS said.

Ethiopian intelligence coordinated with neighbouring Djibouti to detain the suspects including their leader, Muhammed Abdulahi, NISS said.

Those detained, NISS said, were arrested in the capital Addis Ababa, Oromia and Ethiopia's Somali region.

Al Shabaab has been fighting for years to topple Somalia's central government, which the African Union-mandated peacekeeping force AMISOM helps to defend.

The militants have carried out numerous attacks in Somalia on military and civilian targets, and it has also conducted attacks abroad including in Kenya.

Ethiopia said on Saturday it had arrested an unspecified number of Islamist militant members of the Somali group al Shabaab and Islamic State who were planning to carry out attacks in the country on various targets including hotels.

Ethiopia said on Saturday it had arrested an unspecified number of Islamist militant members of the Somali group al Shabaab and Islamic State who were planning to carry out attacks in the country on various targets including hotels. Some of those arrested were carrying out intelligence work including photographing potential targets, the National Intelligence Security Services (NISS) said in a statement read out on state-affiliated broadcaster Fana. "The group was preparing to attack hotels, religious festivities gathering places and public areas in Addis Ababa," NISS said. Ethiopian intelligence coordinated with neighbouring Djibouti to detain the suspects including their leader, Muhammed Abdulahi, NISS said. Those detained, NISS said, were arrested in the capital Addis Ababa, Oromia and Ethiopia's Somali region. Al Shabaab has been fighting for years to topple Somalia's central government, which the African Union-mandated peacekeeping force AMISOM helps to defend. The militants have carried out numerous attacks in Somalia on military and civilian targets, and it has also conducted attacks abroad including in Kenya.

Ethiopia arrests suspected Islamist militants

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani apologised Wednesday to the families of civilians, mainly children, killed when the country's air force sprayed an outdoor religious gathering with rockets and machine gun fire last month.

The April 2 airstrike on a ceremony attended by hundreds of men and boys in Dasht-e-Archi district -- a Taliban stronghold in the northern province of Kunduz -- left at least 36 people dead including 30 &nbspchildren, a United Nations investigation has shown.&nbsp

Seventy-one people were wounded, including 51 children, it said, adding that it had "credible information" the tolls could be even higher.

Originally the government and military had said the Afghan Air Force targeted a Taliban base where senior members of the group were planning attacks.&nbsp

The defence ministry initially denied any civilians had been hurt, then claimed the Taliban had shot them.

On Wednesday Ghani met families as well as local elders and apologised, a statement from the presidential palace said.

"(T)he difference between evildoers and a legitimate government is that a legitimate government apologises for the mistakes made," he said, according to the statement.&nbsp

He also vowed that the government would pay compensation to the families, and build a minaret in memory of the victims as well as a mosque for the region. The statement gave no further details.&nbsp

The UN investigators could not confirm if the casualties were all civilians or whether Taliban leaders had been present at the time of the air strike. They have called for further investigations. &nbsp &nbsp&nbsp

The government has sent two teams to conduct an investigation into the incident but so far neither team has "publicly reported their findings", the UN said.&nbsp

The April 2 airstrike on a ceremony attended by hundreds of men and boys in Dasht-e-Archi district -- a Taliban stronghold in the northern province of Kunduz -- left at least 36 people dead including 30 children

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani apologised Wednesday to the families of civilians, mainly children, killed when the country's air force sprayed an outdoor religious gathering with rockets and machine gun fire last month. The April 2 airstrike on a ceremony attended by hundreds of men and boys in Dasht-e-Archi district -- a Taliban stronghold in the northern province of Kunduz -- left at least 36 people dead including 30 &nbspchildren, a United Nations investigation has shown. Seventy-one people were wounded, including 51 children, it said, adding that it had "credible information" the tolls could be even higher. Originally the government and military had said the Afghan Air Force targeted a Taliban base where senior members of the group were planning attacks. The defence ministry initially denied any civilians had been hurt, then claimed the Taliban had shot them. On Wednesday Ghani met families as well as local elders and apologised, a statement from the presidential palace said. "(T)he difference between evildoers and a legitimate government is that a legitimate government apologises for the mistakes made," he said, according to the statement. He also vowed that the government would pay compensation to the families, and build a minaret in memory of the victims as well as a mosque for the region. The statement gave no further details. The UN investigators could not confirm if the casualties were all civilians or whether Taliban leaders had been present at the time of the air strike. They have called for further investigations. The government has sent two teams to conduct an investigation into the incident but so far neither team has "publicly reported their findings", the UN said.

Ashraf Ghani apologises after Afghan air strike kills 30 children

Seven Islamist militants were sentenced to death Sunday in Bangladesh for the murder of a Sufi shrine caretaker in 2015, at the height of a wave of attacks which swept the South Asian country.

The militants belonged to the banned outfit Jama&rsquo;atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Identified as - Masud Rana, Bijoy, Liton Mia, Ihsak Ali, Chandu Mia, Shakhwat Hossain and Sarwar Hossain - were also fined Tk 20,000 each. Of them, Chandu Mia was tried in absentia.&nbsp;

The Special Judge&rsquo;s Court of Noresh Chandra Sarker acquitted six other accused of the charges, reports said.

The defendants were convicted by a special court in the northern city of Rangpur where the killing took place, according to prosecutor Ratish Chandra Bhowmik.

&quot;Six of the convicts were in the court. Another convict was sentenced in absentia,&quot; he said, adding the defendant remained at large.&nbsp;Two further suspects had been killed in a shootout with security forces since the murder, Bhowmik added.&nbsp;

He said the men confessed to slaughtering the caretaker in November 2015 because they considered him a heretic.

&quot;They think shrine worship is anti-Islam,&quot; the prosecutor said, adding the extremists admitted saying they would kill anyone they believed had deviated from Islam.

Earlier, on March 5, a court here fixed March 18for delivering the verdict in the case.

The JMB has been blamed for a wave of extremist attacks on religious minorities, atheist bloggers and converts from Islam in the past five years after they regrouped following the executions of its founder and senior leaders in 2007.

In July 2016, suspected JMB militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group.

The men confessed to slaughtering the caretaker in November 2015 because they considered him a heretic

Seven Islamist militants were sentenced to death Sunday in Bangladesh for the murder of a Sufi shrine caretaker in 2015, at the height of a wave of attacks which swept the South Asian country. The militants belonged to the banned outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Identified as - Masud Rana, Bijoy, Liton Mia, Ihsak Ali, Chandu Mia, Shakhwat Hossain and Sarwar Hossain - were also fined Tk 20,000 each. Of them, Chandu Mia was tried in absentia. The Special Judge’s Court of Noresh Chandra Sarker acquitted six other accused of the charges, reports said. The defendants were convicted by a special court in the northern city of Rangpur where the killing took place, according to prosecutor Ratish Chandra Bhowmik. "Six of the convicts were in the court. Another convict was sentenced in absentia," he said, adding the defendant remained at large. Two further suspects had been killed in a shootout with security forces since the murder, Bhowmik added. He said the men confessed to slaughtering the caretaker in November 2015 because they considered him a heretic. "They think shrine worship is anti-Islam," the prosecutor said, adding the extremists admitted saying they would kill anyone they believed had deviated from Islam. Earlier, on March 5, a court here fixed March 18for delivering the verdict in the case. The JMB has been blamed for a wave of extremist attacks on religious minorities, atheist bloggers and converts from Islam in the past five years after they regrouped following the executions of its founder and senior leaders in 2007. In July 2016, suspected JMB militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group.

7 Bangladesh Islamist militants sentenced to death for Sufi murder

Philippine government forces fought hundreds of Islamic militants on two remote islands today, with the military aircraft-backed campaign leaving up to 10 people dead, the army said. 
 
The gun battles on the southern islands of Jolo and Basilan followed orders by new President Rodrigo Duterte for the security services to go after the Abu Sayyaf, which recently beheaded two foreign hostages and is also blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history. 
 
The fighting was continuing late today with more troops being rushed in, backed by military aircraft and artillery, regional military spokesman Major Filemon Tan told reporters. 
 
&quot;Continuous indirect fire support and air strikes are being done and additional troops were deployed,&quot; he added without giving details. 
 
Army troops hunting down Abu Sayyaf units clashed with about 130 of the gunmen near the Jolo town of Patikul, killing a soldier and wounding six others, Tan said. 
 
Military intelligence reports later determined that nine Abu Sayyaf members were also killed and 13 others wounded, he added. 
 
Meanwhile up to 200 Abu Sayyaf gunmen have been fighting running gun battles with government forces in three Basilan towns since late Wednesday, Tan said, but did not say if there were casualties. 
 
The Jolo militants are believed to be holding a Norwegian resort manager abducted elsewhere in the south in September last year and a Dutch birdwatcher kidnapped in 2012. 
 
Tan did not reply when asked about the impact of the fighting on the hostages. 
 
The Abu Sayyaf beheaded in April and June two Canadian tourists who were kidnapped along with the Norwegian, while a Filipina who was abducted with them was freed last month. 
 
The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of a few hundred Islamic militants, formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden&#39;s Al-Qaeda network, that has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings-for-ransom. 
 
Although its leaders have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, analysts say they are mainly focused on lucrative kidnappings. 
 
Last month, as Duterte prepared to assume office after winning the May presidential elections by landslide on a law and order platform, he ordered the military defeat the Abu Sayyaf. 
 
&quot;Our first priority is the Abu Sayyaf because that is the order of our new president: address the Abu Sayyaf immediately so we can neutralise them,&quot; Delfin Lorenzana told reporters before he was sworn in as defence secretary. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered security services to go after Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic militant network formed in 1990 that beheaded two foreign hostages

Philippine government forces fought hundreds of Islamic militants on two remote islands today, with the military aircraft-backed campaign leaving up to 10 people dead, the army said. The gun battles on the southern islands of Jolo and Basilan followed orders by new President Rodrigo Duterte for the security services to go after the Abu Sayyaf, which recently beheaded two foreign hostages and is also blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history. The fighting was continuing late today with more troops being rushed in, backed by military aircraft and artillery, regional military spokesman Major Filemon Tan told reporters. "Continuous indirect fire support and air strikes are being done and additional troops were deployed," he added without giving details. Army troops hunting down Abu Sayyaf units clashed with about 130 of the gunmen near the Jolo town of Patikul, killing a soldier and wounding six others, Tan said. Military intelligence reports later determined that nine Abu Sayyaf members were also killed and 13 others wounded, he added. Meanwhile up to 200 Abu Sayyaf gunmen have been fighting running gun battles with government forces in three Basilan towns since late Wednesday, Tan said, but did not say if there were casualties. The Jolo militants are believed to be holding a Norwegian resort manager abducted elsewhere in the south in September last year and a Dutch birdwatcher kidnapped in 2012. Tan did not reply when asked about the impact of the fighting on the hostages. The Abu Sayyaf beheaded in April and June two Canadian tourists who were kidnapped along with the Norwegian, while a Filipina who was abducted with them was freed last month. The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of a few hundred Islamic militants, formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, that has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings-for-ransom. Although its leaders have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, analysts say they are mainly focused on lucrative kidnappings. Last month, as Duterte prepared to assume office after winning the May presidential elections by landslide on a law and order platform, he ordered the military defeat the Abu Sayyaf. "Our first priority is the Abu Sayyaf because that is the order of our new president: address the Abu Sayyaf immediately so we can neutralise them," Delfin Lorenzana told reporters before he was sworn in as defence secretary. (Reuters)

Philippine army: 10 dead in clashes with islamic militants

Bangladeshi clerics said on Monday they have issued a fatwa against the killing of minorities and secular campaigners in the mainly Muslim country where police have arrested over 10,000 people in a crackdown on militancy. 
 
Nearly 50 people have been killed over the past three years in a wave of gruesome attacks by Islamist militants targeting Hindus, Christians, Sufi Muslims, activists and foreigners. Many were hacked to death with machetes. 
 
Farid Uddin Masuod, who heads the Council of Bangladesh Clerics, said over 100,000 clerics had signed the fatwa, or religious edict, which will be made public on June 18. 
 
&quot;The fatwa unequivocally said these killings of non-Muslims, minorities and secular activists are forbidden in Islam,&quot; he told AFP. 
&quot;We&#39;ve said these killings are illegal and are crimes against humanity,&quot; Masuod added. 
 
Last week an elderly Hindu priest was found nearly decapitated in a rice field and a Hindu monastery worker was hacked to death, while a Christian grocer was murdered near a church. 
 
Other victims have included liberal activists and secular bloggers along with two foreigners and two gay rights activists. 
 
The Islamic State (IS) and a South Asian branch of Al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for many of the murders. But the police and the government say they have no presence in the country. 
 
The fatwa announcement came as police said they had detained 3,115 people on the fourth day of a nationwide anti-militant drive aimed at stopping the killings, taking the total number to 11,307. 
 
Bangladeshi authorities had faced criticism for failing to tackle the violence, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed at the weekend to catch &quot;each and every killer&quot;. 
 
She has accused the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist party ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, of orchestrating the killings to destabilise the country. 
 
&#39;Acts of terrorism&#39; 
 
However, the BNP says 2,100 of its activists have been arrested and accuses the government of using the crackdown to suppress political dissent. 
 
Most of those arrested are wanted for criminal offences unconnected with militancy. 
 
Deputy inspector general of Bangladesh police A.K.M Shahidur Rahman told AFP just 145 of those arrested were members of Islamist militant groups. 
 
Police said they had detained two local leaders of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) on the outskirts of the capital with a meat cleaver and some Jihadi books in their possession. 
 
Police have blamed the ABT and another homegrown militant group, Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), for most of the murders. 
Many of the ABT&#39;s leaders are highly educated and the group has a reputation for sophistication. 
 
The crackdown comes after five suspected Islamist militants were shot dead in gunbattles with police in recent days. 
 
It is thought to have been triggered by the murder this month of Mahmuda Begum, wife of a top anti-terror police officer. 
 
The officer had led several high-profile operations against the JMB, scores of whose members were among those arrested in the latest sweep. 
 
Masuod said the police crackdown was important, but the clerics&#39; fatwa will discredit any Islamist groups that tried to defend the killings. 
 
&quot;The fatwa clearly says these killings are not a just part of Jihad, but mere acts of terrorism,&quot; he said. 
(AFP)

Nearly 50 people have been killed over the last three years in a wave of gruesome attacks targeting minorities, activists and foreigners

Bangladeshi clerics said on Monday they have issued a fatwa against the killing of minorities and secular campaigners in the mainly Muslim country where police have arrested over 10,000 people in a crackdown on militancy. Nearly 50 people have been killed over the past three years in a wave of gruesome attacks by Islamist militants targeting Hindus, Christians, Sufi Muslims, activists and foreigners. Many were hacked to death with machetes. Farid Uddin Masuod, who heads the Council of Bangladesh Clerics, said over 100,000 clerics had signed the fatwa, or religious edict, which will be made public on June 18. "The fatwa unequivocally said these killings of non-Muslims, minorities and secular activists are forbidden in Islam," he told AFP. "We've said these killings are illegal and are crimes against humanity," Masuod added. Last week an elderly Hindu priest was found nearly decapitated in a rice field and a Hindu monastery worker was hacked to death, while a Christian grocer was murdered near a church. Other victims have included liberal activists and secular bloggers along with two foreigners and two gay rights activists. The Islamic State (IS) and a South Asian branch of Al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for many of the murders. But the police and the government say they have no presence in the country. The fatwa announcement came as police said they had detained 3,115 people on the fourth day of a nationwide anti-militant drive aimed at stopping the killings, taking the total number to 11,307. Bangladeshi authorities had faced criticism for failing to tackle the violence, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed at the weekend to catch "each and every killer". She has accused the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist party ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, of orchestrating the killings to destabilise the country. 'Acts of terrorism' However, the BNP says 2,100 of its activists have been arrested and accuses the government of using the crackdown to suppress political dissent. Most of those arrested are wanted for criminal offences unconnected with militancy. Deputy inspector general of Bangladesh police A.K.M Shahidur Rahman told AFP just 145 of those arrested were members of Islamist militant groups. Police said they had detained two local leaders of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) on the outskirts of the capital with a meat cleaver and some Jihadi books in their possession. Police have blamed the ABT and another homegrown militant group, Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), for most of the murders. Many of the ABT's leaders are highly educated and the group has a reputation for sophistication. The crackdown comes after five suspected Islamist militants were shot dead in gunbattles with police in recent days. It is thought to have been triggered by the murder this month of Mahmuda Begum, wife of a top anti-terror police officer. The officer had led several high-profile operations against the JMB, scores of whose members were among those arrested in the latest sweep. Masuod said the police crackdown was important, but the clerics' fatwa will discredit any Islamist groups that tried to defend the killings. "The fatwa clearly says these killings are not a just part of Jihad, but mere acts of terrorism," he said. (AFP)

Bangladesh clerics issue fatwa on Islamist killings

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