Fifteen people including six children died in a battle between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/20-killed-as-sri-lanka-police-raid-suspected-bomber-hideout-on-east-coast-213841">Sri Lankan security forces and suicide bombers</a> who blew themselves up in the latest fallout from the Easter attacks, police said Saturday.

Three men set off explosives that killed themselves, three women and six children inside what was believed to be a jihadist hideout near the eastern town of Kalmunai.

"Three other men, also believed to be suicide bombers, were found dead outside the house," police said in a statement. They were shot dead by security forces, police officials added.

Security forces tried to storm the house late Friday and a one-hour long gun battle ensued before the explosions, a military official said.

A civilian was also killed in the crossfire during the raid near the predominantly Muslim town. Hundreds of families later fled their homes.

Police and troops have stepped up searches after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels, which killed least 253 people and injured 500.&nbsp;

Kalmunai is in the same region as the home town of the jihadist Zahran Hashim who founded the group accused of staging the attacks.

Police and officials said a series of tip-offs after the arrest of Hashim's driver, Mohamed Sharif Adam, in Hashim's home town of Kathankudy led them to the safe house.

Officials said the driver provided information leading to a raid on Friday on a hideout south of Kathankudy where they believe Hashim and other bombers recorded a video pledging allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before carrying out the Easter attacks.

Islamic State flag

Video on state television showed explosives, a generator, a drone and a large quantity of batteries inside the converted studio.&nbsp;

An IS flag and uniforms similar to those worn by the eight fighters in the video were also found, police said.

That, in turn, provided a tip-off about the hideout in Kalmunai, 370 kilometres (230 miles) east of the capital.

Authorities named Hashim's group, National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), as the perpetrators of the attacks. They announced Friday that he had been killed in the bombing of the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo.

President Maithripala Sirisena used emergency powers to ban the NTJ and a splinter group identified as Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI), his office said in a statement Saturday.

"All movable and immovable property of these two organisations will be confiscated," the statement said.

The government is on the defensive over its failure to heed a foreign intelligence warning that NTJ was planning suicide bombings on churches.

Police chief Pujith Jayasundara became the second high-ranking official to resign over the blunders Friday, after top defence ministry official Hemasiri Fernando stepped down.

Private prayers

Sri Lanka's Catholic leader, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, has said he felt "betrayed" by the government's failure to act on the warnings.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe apologised on Friday.

"We take collective responsibility and apologise to our fellow citizens for our failure to protect victims of these tragic events," he wrote on Twitter.

Amidst fears of new attacks, the Roman Catholic church has suspended all public services across the country until security is guaranteed by the government.

The archbishop, who has appealed to Catholics to stay home and say private prayers, is to hold a special mass at his official residence Sunday which will be broadcast live on television.

Some groups were expected to hold public vigils in Colombo and Negombo, where St Sebastian's Church suffered some of the worst casualties in the bombings.

The military have poured troops onto the streets to back up police as they search for suspects using newly granted powers under a state of emergency.

At least 94 people are in custody, including a man believed to be the father of two of the bombers. Authorities warned the hunt would continue.&nbsp;

"We now have info that there are about 140 people in Sri Lanka linked to the Islamic State. We can and we will eradicate all of them very soon," Sirisena said Friday, when he announced the new legislation to tackle extremist groups.

Tourism hit

Dozens of foreigners died in the attacks and the government has said it expects the number of overseas tourists to fall by 30 per cent this year, at a cost of $1.5 billion in revenues.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the island -- which depends on tourism as a cornerstone of its economy -- could take up to two years to fully recover.

The United States, Israel, Australia, India and Britain have all warned their citizens against visiting Sri Lanka.

Fifteen people including six children died in a battle between Sri Lankan security forces and suicide bombers who blew themselves up in the latest fallout from the Easter attacks, police said Saturday.

Fifteen people including six children died in a battle between Sri Lankan security forces and suicide bombers who blew themselves up in the latest fallout from the Easter attacks, police said Saturday. Three men set off explosives that killed themselves, three women and six children inside what was believed to be a jihadist hideout near the eastern town of Kalmunai. "Three other men, also believed to be suicide bombers, were found dead outside the house," police said in a statement. They were shot dead by security forces, police officials added. Security forces tried to storm the house late Friday and a one-hour long gun battle ensued before the explosions, a military official said. A civilian was also killed in the crossfire during the raid near the predominantly Muslim town. Hundreds of families later fled their homes. Police and troops have stepped up searches after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels, which killed least 253 people and injured 500. Kalmunai is in the same region as the home town of the jihadist Zahran Hashim who founded the group accused of staging the attacks. Police and officials said a series of tip-offs after the arrest of Hashim's driver, Mohamed Sharif Adam, in Hashim's home town of Kathankudy led them to the safe house. Officials said the driver provided information leading to a raid on Friday on a hideout south of Kathankudy where they believe Hashim and other bombers recorded a video pledging allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before carrying out the Easter attacks. Islamic State flag Video on state television showed explosives, a generator, a drone and a large quantity of batteries inside the converted studio. An IS flag and uniforms similar to those worn by the eight fighters in the video were also found, police said. That, in turn, provided a tip-off about the hideout in Kalmunai, 370 kilometres (230 miles) east of the capital. Authorities named Hashim's group, National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), as the perpetrators of the attacks. They announced Friday that he had been killed in the bombing of the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo. President Maithripala Sirisena used emergency powers to ban the NTJ and a splinter group identified as Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI), his office said in a statement Saturday. "All movable and immovable property of these two organisations will be confiscated," the statement said. The government is on the defensive over its failure to heed a foreign intelligence warning that NTJ was planning suicide bombings on churches. Police chief Pujith Jayasundara became the second high-ranking official to resign over the blunders Friday, after top defence ministry official Hemasiri Fernando stepped down. Private prayers Sri Lanka's Catholic leader, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, has said he felt "betrayed" by the government's failure to act on the warnings. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe apologised on Friday. "We take collective responsibility and apologise to our fellow citizens for our failure to protect victims of these tragic events," he wrote on Twitter. Amidst fears of new attacks, the Roman Catholic church has suspended all public services across the country until security is guaranteed by the government. The archbishop, who has appealed to Catholics to stay home and say private prayers, is to hold a special mass at his official residence Sunday which will be broadcast live on television. Some groups were expected to hold public vigils in Colombo and Negombo, where St Sebastian's Church suffered some of the worst casualties in the bombings. The military have poured troops onto the streets to back up police as they search for suspects using newly granted powers under a state of emergency. At least 94 people are in custody, including a man believed to be the father of two of the bombers. Authorities warned the hunt would continue. "We now have info that there are about 140 people in Sri Lanka linked to the Islamic State. We can and we will eradicate all of them very soon," Sirisena said Friday, when he announced the new legislation to tackle extremist groups. Tourism hit Dozens of foreigners died in the attacks and the government has said it expects the number of overseas tourists to fall by 30 per cent this year, at a cost of $1.5 billion in revenues. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the island -- which depends on tourism as a cornerstone of its economy -- could take up to two years to fully recover. The United States, Israel, Australia, India and Britain have all warned their citizens against visiting Sri Lanka.

15 dead as tips lead Sri Lanka forces to Islamist hideout

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at hundreds of hardline Islamists who attacked <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-criticizing-vote-us-charts-careful-course-on-bangladesh-196510">minority Muslims</a> in northern Bangladesh, leaving at least 25 people injured, officials said Wednesday.

The clashes erupted Tuesday night after days of tensions over a planned convention of the Ahmadi Muslim minority community in the town of Ahmadnagar. Majority Sunni Muslim groups demanded the event be cancelled.

Hardline Islamists do not consider the Ahmadis to be Muslim and have called for them to be banned. The 100,000 Ahmadis in Bangladesh have faced repeated attacks and are often barred from establishing mosques. The group is banned in Pakistan.

Police said several Sunni groups have been holding protests against the Ahmadis' local convention, scheduled to start in just over a week.

"Some 700-800 men wielding sticks and batons marched towards Ahmadnagar and clashed with the Ahmadis," local police chief Abu Akkas said.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to "maintain law and order", he told AFP, adding that at least 20 police and five Ahmadis were injured.

Ahmadi community spokesman Ahmad Tabshir Choudhury said at least seven of the Muslim minority were injured, three critically.

The last few decades have seen a number of attacks targeting Ahmadi Muslims in Bangladesh.

In 1999, a bomb ripped through an Ahmadi mosque in the southern city of Khulna, killing at least eight worshippers.

In 2015 a suicide blast by a suspected Islamist extremist at an Ahmadi mosque in the northwestern town of Bagmara wounded three people.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the authorities blamed the homegrown militant group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which is accused of killing scores of religious minorities including Hindus, Christians, Sufi Muslims and Shiites.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at hundreds of hardline Islamists who attacked minority Muslims in northern Bangladesh, leaving at least 25 people injured, officials said Wednesday.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at hundreds of hardline Islamists who attacked minority Muslims in northern Bangladesh, leaving at least 25 people injured, officials said Wednesday. The clashes erupted Tuesday night after days of tensions over a planned convention of the Ahmadi Muslim minority community in the town of Ahmadnagar. Majority Sunni Muslim groups demanded the event be cancelled. Hardline Islamists do not consider the Ahmadis to be Muslim and have called for them to be banned. The 100,000 Ahmadis in Bangladesh have faced repeated attacks and are often barred from establishing mosques. The group is banned in Pakistan. Police said several Sunni groups have been holding protests against the Ahmadis' local convention, scheduled to start in just over a week. "Some 700-800 men wielding sticks and batons marched towards Ahmadnagar and clashed with the Ahmadis," local police chief Abu Akkas said. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to "maintain law and order", he told AFP, adding that at least 20 police and five Ahmadis were injured. Ahmadi community spokesman Ahmad Tabshir Choudhury said at least seven of the Muslim minority were injured, three critically. The last few decades have seen a number of attacks targeting Ahmadi Muslims in Bangladesh. In 1999, a bomb ripped through an Ahmadi mosque in the southern city of Khulna, killing at least eight worshippers. In 2015 a suicide blast by a suspected Islamist extremist at an Ahmadi mosque in the northwestern town of Bagmara wounded three people. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the authorities blamed the homegrown militant group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which is accused of killing scores of religious minorities including Hindus, Christians, Sufi Muslims and Shiites.

Bangladesh: 25 people injured after hardline Islamists attack minority Muslims

The strength of the embattled<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghans-hope-for-peace-but-fear-bloodshed-as-us-taliban-talk-193222"> Afghan</a> defence forces has declined to its lowest level in four years, a US watchdog said on Thursday, as talks between Washington and the Taliban continue over the possible withdrawal of foreign troops.

The negotiations, due to resume in Qatar on February 25, are centred on a possible ceasefire and the withdrawal of thousands of US-led NATO forces. Many obstacles remain before that would be possible but an eventual pullout would place the Afghan defence forces under even more pressure.

The latest quarterly report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) noted that the control of Afghanistan's territory and population "became somewhat more contested (and) Afghan government control or influence continued to decline".

It put districts under government control or influence at 53.8 per cent covering 63.5 per cent of the population by October 2018, with the rest of the country controlled or contested by the Taliban.

The hardline Islamist group has been unable to seize a major Afghan city but has stepped up the pressure in rural areas and is now more powerful than any at other time since they were toppled by US-backed Afghan forces in late 2001.

SIGAR cited a US Forces-Afghanistan report that the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces had decreased to 308,693 troops, or 87.7 per cent of its assigned strength, the lowest since the creation of NATO's operation to train, advise and assist Afghans in January 2015.

The United States has some 14,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and a separate counter-terrorism effort largely directed at groups such as al Qaeda and Islamic State.

Some 8,000 troops from 38 other countries also participate in Resolute Support.

The report did not detail the reasons for the decreasing numbers and the Afghan government does not publish casualty figures. However, security analysts say that re-enlistment and unauthorised absences remain major problems.

President Ashraf Ghani said in Switzerland last week 45,000 members of the Afghan security forces had been killed since he took office in 2014, a figure analyst said helped explain morale problems.

"That number indicates that in those roughly 53 months, around 849 Afghan security personnel have been killed per month on average," SIGAR said.

SIGAR also released figures suggesting the recruitment and retention of women in the national defence and security forces was a significant challenge.

Citing information declassified by US Forces-Afghanistan, SIGAR said Afghan forces had 4,735 female personnel - less than 2 per cent of currently assigned strength.

 
&nbsp;

The strength of the embattled Afghan defence forces has declined to its lowest level in four years, a US watchdog said on Thursday, as talks between Washington and the Taliban continue over the possible withdrawal of foreign troops.

The strength of the embattled Afghan defence forces has declined to its lowest level in four years, a US watchdog said on Thursday, as talks between Washington and the Taliban continue over the possible withdrawal of foreign troops. The negotiations, due to resume in Qatar on February 25, are centred on a possible ceasefire and the withdrawal of thousands of US-led NATO forces. Many obstacles remain before that would be possible but an eventual pullout would place the Afghan defence forces under even more pressure. The latest quarterly report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) noted that the control of Afghanistan's territory and population "became somewhat more contested (and) Afghan government control or influence continued to decline". It put districts under government control or influence at 53.8 per cent covering 63.5 per cent of the population by October 2018, with the rest of the country controlled or contested by the Taliban. The hardline Islamist group has been unable to seize a major Afghan city but has stepped up the pressure in rural areas and is now more powerful than any at other time since they were toppled by US-backed Afghan forces in late 2001. SIGAR cited a US Forces-Afghanistan report that the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces had decreased to 308,693 troops, or 87.7 per cent of its assigned strength, the lowest since the creation of NATO's operation to train, advise and assist Afghans in January 2015. The United States has some 14,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and a separate counter-terrorism effort largely directed at groups such as al Qaeda and Islamic State. Some 8,000 troops from 38 other countries also participate in Resolute Support. The report did not detail the reasons for the decreasing numbers and the Afghan government does not publish casualty figures. However, security analysts say that re-enlistment and unauthorised absences remain major problems. President Ashraf Ghani said in Switzerland last week 45,000 members of the Afghan security forces had been killed since he took office in 2014, a figure analyst said helped explain morale problems. "That number indicates that in those roughly 53 months, around 849 Afghan security personnel have been killed per month on average," SIGAR said. SIGAR also released figures suggesting the recruitment and retention of women in the national defence and security forces was a significant challenge. Citing information declassified by US Forces-Afghanistan, SIGAR said Afghan forces had 4,735 female personnel - less than 2 per cent of currently assigned strength.

Watchdog shows Afghan defence forces declining as peace talks edge forward

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket at Israel late Saturday, Israel's army said, prompting retaliatory strikes on the territory's Islamist rulers Hamas as tensions rose after another day of violent border clashes.

"Earlier tonight, a rocket was launched from Gaza towards <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-launches-further-hamas-strikes-after-gaza-rocket-fired-188761">Israeli territory</a>. In response, IDF fighter jets targeted two of Hamas' underground structures in the Gaza Strip," Israel Defense Forces tweeted.

"We will continue operating to defend Israeli civilians," it added.

Two targets in Gaza City were hit by the Israeli strikes and no one was harmed, security sources in Gaza said.

The clashes come a day after a Gaza woman was shot dead by Israeli forces during weekly protests and clashes along the Gaza border.

The health ministry named her as Amal al-Taramsi, 43, saying she was the third woman to die in months of clashes that have seen at least 241 Palestinians killed.

Another 25 Palestinians were wounded along the Israeli border in Friday's violence.

The Israeli army said that around 13,000 Palestinians had gathered in multiple sites along the border.

"The rioters have burned tyres and hurled blocks, explosive devices and grenades towards (Israeli) troops and at the Gaza Strip security fence," an army statement read.

The army also struck two positions belonging to Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas on Friday, it said.

At least once a week since March, Palestinians have taken part in often violent protests with backing from Hamas.

Most of the Palestinians killed were shot in weekly clashes, but others have been hit by tank fire or airstrikes.

Protests have calmed in recent months amid an informal truce between Israel and Hamas.

Under the unwritten agreement, Israel has allowed Qatar to provide money and fuel to Hamas's government in Gaza in exchange for relative calm.

Expected delivery of new funds by Qatar did not arrive this week, sparking speculation Israel was holding it up.

On Monday, a rocket fired from Gaza hit Israel, prompting the Jewish state to carry out a series of air strikes against Hamas targets in the Palestinian enclave.

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket at Israel late Saturday, Israel's army said, prompting retaliatory strikes on the territory's Islamist rulers Hamas as tensions rose after another day of violent border clashes.

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket at Israel late Saturday, Israel's army said, prompting retaliatory strikes on the territory's Islamist rulers Hamas as tensions rose after another day of violent border clashes. "Earlier tonight, a rocket was launched from Gaza towards Israeli territory. In response, IDF fighter jets targeted two of Hamas' underground structures in the Gaza Strip," Israel Defense Forces tweeted. "We will continue operating to defend Israeli civilians," it added. Two targets in Gaza City were hit by the Israeli strikes and no one was harmed, security sources in Gaza said. The clashes come a day after a Gaza woman was shot dead by Israeli forces during weekly protests and clashes along the Gaza border. The health ministry named her as Amal al-Taramsi, 43, saying she was the third woman to die in months of clashes that have seen at least 241 Palestinians killed. Another 25 Palestinians were wounded along the Israeli border in Friday's violence. The Israeli army said that around 13,000 Palestinians had gathered in multiple sites along the border. "The rioters have burned tyres and hurled blocks, explosive devices and grenades towards (Israeli) troops and at the Gaza Strip security fence," an army statement read. The army also struck two positions belonging to Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas on Friday, it said. At least once a week since March, Palestinians have taken part in often violent protests with backing from Hamas. Most of the Palestinians killed were shot in weekly clashes, but others have been hit by tank fire or airstrikes. Protests have calmed in recent months amid an informal truce between Israel and Hamas. Under the unwritten agreement, Israel has allowed Qatar to provide money and fuel to Hamas's government in Gaza in exchange for relative calm. Expected delivery of new funds by Qatar did not arrive this week, sparking speculation Israel was holding it up. On Monday, a rocket fired from Gaza hit Israel, prompting the Jewish state to carry out a series of air strikes against Hamas targets in the Palestinian enclave.

Israel retaliates after rocket fired into Gaza: Army

Social exclusion has emerged as the leading factor in creating violent jihadists, according to a new international study.

A team of researchers, including from University College London (UCL), used medical science and neuroimaging techniques to map <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-what-jihad-has-to-do-with-islam-31228">how the brains of radicalised individuals respond to being socially marginalised</a>.&nbsp;

The findings, they claim, confirm that exclusion is a leading factor in creating violent jihadists, 'The Observer' reported.

The findings challenge the common belief among Western policymakers that other variables, such as poverty, religious conservatism and even psychosis, are the dominant drivers of radicalisation.

"The first ever neuroimaging study on a radicalised population shows extreme pro-group behaviour seems to intensify after social exclusion," he said.

Using ethnographic fieldwork and psychological surveys, researchers identified 535 young Muslim men in and around Barcelona, the Spanish city wherein 2017 Islamic State (IS) supporters killed 13 and wounded about 100 people in the Las Ramblas district.

Of those identified, 38 second-generation Moroccan-origin men, who had "expressed a willingness to engage in or facilitate violence associated with jihadist causes", agreed to have their brains scanned.&nbsp;

The results showed a striking effect when they were socially excluded by Spaniards while playing a virtual simulation called Cyberball, a ball toss game with three other players who abruptly stopped throwing them the ball.

Later scans showed that the neurological impact of being excluded meant that when issues were raised that the individual had not previously considered inviolable&nbsp;such as introducing Islamic teaching in schools or unrestricted construction of mosques they became far more important and were deemed similar to "sacred" and worth fighting for.

Previous research by the team on Israel-Palestinian, India-Pakistan and Kurds-ISIS conflicts had also found that when values deemed "sacred" are violated hostility becomes intractable.&nbsp;

"This latest research has shown how values start to become sacred and indicates that social exclusion makes non-sacred values behave like sacred values, which in turn makes people recalcitrant and prone to violence," Hamid told the newspaper.

He wants the study, a multi-university project involving scientific research organisation Artis International and partly funded by the US Department of Defence, to be used to help ensure social exclusion was factored into policies to prevent radicalisation.&nbsp;

Social exclusion has emerged as the leading factor in creating violent jihadists, according to a new international study. A team of researchers, including from University College London (UCL), used medical science and neuroimaging techniques to map how the brains of radicalised individuals respond to being socially marginalised.

Social exclusion has emerged as the leading factor in creating violent jihadists, according to a new international study. A team of researchers, including from University College London (UCL), used medical science and neuroimaging techniques to map how the brains of radicalised individuals respond to being socially marginalised. The findings, they claim, confirm that exclusion is a leading factor in creating violent jihadists, 'The Observer' reported. The findings challenge the common belief among Western policymakers that other variables, such as poverty, religious conservatism and even psychosis, are the dominant drivers of radicalisation. "The first ever neuroimaging study on a radicalised population shows extreme pro-group behaviour seems to intensify after social exclusion," he said. Using ethnographic fieldwork and psychological surveys, researchers identified 535 young Muslim men in and around Barcelona, the Spanish city wherein 2017 Islamic State (IS) supporters killed 13 and wounded about 100 people in the Las Ramblas district. Of those identified, 38 second-generation Moroccan-origin men, who had "expressed a willingness to engage in or facilitate violence associated with jihadist causes", agreed to have their brains scanned. The results showed a striking effect when they were socially excluded by Spaniards while playing a virtual simulation called Cyberball, a ball toss game with three other players who abruptly stopped throwing them the ball. Later scans showed that the neurological impact of being excluded meant that when issues were raised that the individual had not previously considered inviolable such as introducing Islamic teaching in schools or unrestricted construction of mosques they became far more important and were deemed similar to "sacred" and worth fighting for. Previous research by the team on Israel-Palestinian, India-Pakistan and Kurds-ISIS conflicts had also found that when values deemed "sacred" are violated hostility becomes intractable. "This latest research has shown how values start to become sacred and indicates that social exclusion makes non-sacred values behave like sacred values, which in turn makes people recalcitrant and prone to violence," Hamid told the newspaper. He wants the study, a multi-university project involving scientific research organisation Artis International and partly funded by the US Department of Defence, to be used to help ensure social exclusion was factored into policies to prevent radicalisation.

What creates a jihadist? New study says social exclusion

Pakistan authorities on Friday suspended mobile phone networks across major cities amid <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-islamists-block-roads-to-protest-acquittal-of-asia-bibi-174979">protests over the acquittal of a Christian woman facing the death penalty</a> for blasphemy, news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

Unrest gripped the country for the third consecutive day as Islamist groups protested the Supreme Court's order in favour of Asia Bibi, a mother of five, ordering her freed.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Pakistan Army on Friday called for an end to the ongoing standoff staged by Islamist hardliners and asked the protesters not to test its patience.&nbsp;

Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told state-run channel PTV that a government team, including a representative of ISI was holding talks with the protestors.

"We have shown patience. We have no link with the case (of Bibi) but we want that justice should prevail. We also want that the Army should not be forced to take action (against protestors) which it is empowered under the law to take," he said.

So far there were no reports about the success of negotiations despite indications by the officials that a breakthrough might be reached, news agency PTI reported.

The apex court's judgement, which was pronounced last Wednesday, triggered protests across Pakistan with protestors led by Islamic political party Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan and other groups blocking major highways and roads in different parts of the country.

Some of the major Pakistani cities, like Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi among others, were affected by the protests and witnessed roadblocks over past three days.

In Karachi alone, roads and junctions were blocked at 22 locations in the six districts of the city.

The education institutions were closed in Punjab, while private schools were closed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces as well as in cities like Karachi and Islamabad. Many universities across Pakistan announced the cancellation of papers due to the ongoing tense situation, PTI reported.

"There is a disruption in public transport due to which labourers are unable to reach their workplaces. Truckers are also reluctant to carry goods which have led to production losses and shipment delays," an industry leader was quoted by PTI.

Despite section 144 in force, petrol pumps, shopping centres and markets remained closed across various cities as protesters staged sit-ins at various points.

Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Hussain on Friday took to Twitter stating that negotiations with the protesters continue and that there is no cause to panic.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

 
,

Pakistan authorities on Friday suspended mobile phone networks across major cities amid protests over the acquittal of a Christian woman facing the death penalty for blasphemy, news agency Reuters reported.

Pakistan authorities on Friday suspended mobile phone networks across major cities amid protests over the acquittal of a Christian woman facing the death penalty for blasphemy, news agency Reuters reported. Unrest gripped the country for the third consecutive day as Islamist groups protested the Supreme Court's order in favour of Asia Bibi, a mother of five, ordering her freed. Meanwhile, Pakistan Army on Friday called for an end to the ongoing standoff staged by Islamist hardliners and asked the protesters not to test its patience. Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told state-run channel PTV that a government team, including a representative of ISI was holding talks with the protestors. "We have shown patience. We have no link with the case (of Bibi) but we want that justice should prevail. We also want that the Army should not be forced to take action (against protestors) which it is empowered under the law to take," he said. So far there were no reports about the success of negotiations despite indications by the officials that a breakthrough might be reached, news agency PTI reported. The apex court's judgement, which was pronounced last Wednesday, triggered protests across Pakistan with protestors led by Islamic political party Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan and other groups blocking major highways and roads in different parts of the country. Some of the major Pakistani cities, like Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi among others, were affected by the protests and witnessed roadblocks over past three days. In Karachi alone, roads and junctions were blocked at 22 locations in the six districts of the city. The education institutions were closed in Punjab, while private schools were closed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces as well as in cities like Karachi and Islamabad. Many universities across Pakistan announced the cancellation of papers due to the ongoing tense situation, PTI reported. "There is a disruption in public transport due to which labourers are unable to reach their workplaces. Truckers are also reluctant to carry goods which have led to production losses and shipment delays," an industry leader was quoted by PTI. Despite section 144 in force, petrol pumps, shopping centres and markets remained closed across various cities as protesters staged sit-ins at various points. Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Hussain on Friday took to Twitter stating that negotiations with the protesters continue and that there is no cause to panic. (With inputs from agencies) ,

Pakistan suspends phone networks in major cities as protests over Asia Bibi's acquittal enter third day

Pakistan`s military said it killed a senior member of an Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi(LeJ) and two would-be suicide bombers in a raid and later on Thursday five bombers who tried to mount a revenge suicide attack.

A senior military intelligence officer was killed and four other soldiers wounded during an operation targeting Salman Badeni, the Baluchistan regional chief of LeJ, on the outskirts of provincial capital Quetta late Wednesday, the army said.

The military said two would-be suicide bombers were also killed in the raid, but gave no details.

Hours later, five suicide bombers tried to drive a vehicle laden with ammunition and explosives into a military facility in the Quetta city on Thursday, the army said.&nbsp

Troops responded when one of the attackers detonated his explosive at the entrance, Khan Wasey, a local paramilitary spokesman said, and gunfire ensued.

All five attackers were killed, the army statement said, adding that the failed attempt was a response to the earlier military raid.

LeJ, a group which subscribes to the hardline Takfiri Deobandi school of Islam, considers Shi’ites apostates and has carried out scores of bomb and gun attacks in the southwestern province over the past two decades, most of them aimed at the Shi`ite Hazara community.

Badeni had been "involved in killings of over 100 innocent personnel of the Hazara community and police", the army said in its statement.

A&nbspLeJ spokesman, Ali bin Sufyian, said Badeni was not a member of the group. "He wasn`t our member," he said in a statement. He said the militant belonged to Islamic State.&nbsp

Islamic State, which operates from the lawless border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, has had worked in alliance with local militants such as the LeJ in several strikes in past.&nbsp

Islamic State did not immediately issue any statement claiming or disowning Badeni.&nbsp

Earlier this month members of the Hazara community went on a hunger strike in Quetta to protest against the spate of killings targeting them and to demand greater protection in the resource-rich province that has been plagued by violence and insurgency.

Over the past couple of years Islamic State militants have also targeted the Hazara community in Baluchistan.&nbsp

The Hazaras called off the protest after meeting with Pakistan`s powerful army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who vowed greater protection and promised those targeting Hazaras "shall suffer twice as much".

Bajwa said on Thursday the army was determined to "sacrifice anything and everything" to defend the country. "When a soldier sacrifices his life I lose part flesh of my body," he said at the funeral of the senior officer who died in the raid.

Violence in Baluchistan is a worry for China, which has voiced concerns about security in the province that hosts a key route in the $57-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan`s southern deep-water port of Gwadar.

A senior military intelligence officer was killed and four other soldiers wounded during an operation targeting Salman Badeni, the Baluchistan regional chief of LeJ, on the outskirts of provincial capital Quetta late Wednesday, the army said

Pakistan`s military said it killed a senior member of an Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi(LeJ) and two would-be suicide bombers in a raid and later on Thursday five bombers who tried to mount a revenge suicide attack. A senior military intelligence officer was killed and four other soldiers wounded during an operation targeting Salman Badeni, the Baluchistan regional chief of LeJ, on the outskirts of provincial capital Quetta late Wednesday, the army said. The military said two would-be suicide bombers were also killed in the raid, but gave no details. Hours later, five suicide bombers tried to drive a vehicle laden with ammunition and explosives into a military facility in the Quetta city on Thursday, the army said. Troops responded when one of the attackers detonated his explosive at the entrance, Khan Wasey, a local paramilitary spokesman said, and gunfire ensued. All five attackers were killed, the army statement said, adding that the failed attempt was a response to the earlier military raid. LeJ, a group which subscribes to the hardline Takfiri Deobandi school of Islam, considers Shi’ites apostates and has carried out scores of bomb and gun attacks in the southwestern province over the past two decades, most of them aimed at the Shi`ite Hazara community. Badeni had been "involved in killings of over 100 innocent personnel of the Hazara community and police", the army said in its statement. A&nbspLeJ spokesman, Ali bin Sufyian, said Badeni was not a member of the group. "He wasn`t our member," he said in a statement. He said the militant belonged to Islamic State. Islamic State, which operates from the lawless border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, has had worked in alliance with local militants such as the LeJ in several strikes in past. Islamic State did not immediately issue any statement claiming or disowning Badeni. Earlier this month members of the Hazara community went on a hunger strike in Quetta to protest against the spate of killings targeting them and to demand greater protection in the resource-rich province that has been plagued by violence and insurgency. Over the past couple of years Islamic State militants have also targeted the Hazara community in Baluchistan. The Hazaras called off the protest after meeting with Pakistan`s powerful army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who vowed greater protection and promised those targeting Hazaras "shall suffer twice as much". Bajwa said on Thursday the army was determined to "sacrifice anything and everything" to defend the country. "When a soldier sacrifices his life I lose part flesh of my body," he said at the funeral of the senior officer who died in the raid. Violence in Baluchistan is a worry for China, which has voiced concerns about security in the province that hosts a key route in the $57-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan`s southern deep-water port of Gwadar.

Pakistani army kills senior militant, seven suicide bombers

Bangladesh new ambitious project aims to build a total of 560 model mosques across the country. The plan is likely to get completed by December 2020.&nbsp;

Touted as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flagship project, the plan aims to set up model mosques across the country to check radical ideologies and counter Islamist extremist. The preliminary work for the project has already been started. &nbsp;

The billion-dollar model mosque project is believed to be partly funded by Saudi Arabia and will be open to women unlike most of Bangladesh's nearly three hundred thousand mosques.&nbsp;

There will also be research and cultural centres, library and learning centres.

Majority of mosques in the country are privately owned and have little government control and oversight.&nbsp;

The move is likely to warm PM Hasina's relations with the Muslim community and a diplomatic footing in the Middle East. &nbsp;

Watch: Bangladesh model mosques will be open for women

Bangladesh new ambitious project aims to build a total of 560 model mosques across the country. The plan is likely to get completed by December 2020. Touted as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flagship project, the plan aims to set up model mosques across the country to check radical ideologies and counter Islamist extremist. The preliminary work for the project has already been started. The billion-dollar model mosque project is believed to be partly funded by Saudi Arabia and will be open to women unlike most of Bangladesh's nearly three hundred thousand mosques. There will also be research and cultural centres, library and learning centres. Majority of mosques in the country are privately owned and have little government control and oversight. The move is likely to warm PM Hasina's relations with the Muslim community and a diplomatic footing in the Middle East.

Watch: Bangladesh's billion-dollar 'model' mosques will be open for women

Hamas must disarm and recognise Israel under a Palestinian unity deal announced on Thursday with its rival Fatah aimed at ending their decade-long split, an Israeli government official said.

&quot;Any reconciliation between the (Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority) and Hamas must include a commitment to international agreements and to the conditions of the Quartet, first of which is recognising Israel and demilitarising Hamas,&quot; the official said in the Israeli government&#39;s first reaction to the deal signed in Cairo.

The official was referring to the diplomatic Quartet on Middle East peace, which includes the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia.

The reaction was Israel&#39;s first after the two major Palestinian factions agreed on a unity deal in the Egyptian capital on Thursday afternoon, which is supposed to see the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority retake control of Gaza from Islamists Hamas by December 1.

The publicly-released parts of the agreement did not specify what would happen to Hamas&#39; armed wing.

Hamas does not recognise Israel and has fought three wars with the Jewish state since 2008.

&quot;As long as Hamas remains armed and as long as it calls for the destruction of Israel, Israel will consider Hamas responsible for any terror attack originating from Gaza,&quot; the official said.

He also demanded an immediate return of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed by Hamas in 2014, as well as the release of two citizens believed imprisoned by the Islamists.&nbsp;

Hamas does not recognise Israel and has fought three wars with the Jewish state since 2008

Hamas must disarm and recognise Israel under a Palestinian unity deal announced on Thursday with its rival Fatah aimed at ending their decade-long split, an Israeli government official said. "Any reconciliation between the (Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority) and Hamas must include a commitment to international agreements and to the conditions of the Quartet, first of which is recognising Israel and demilitarising Hamas," the official said in the Israeli government's first reaction to the deal signed in Cairo. The official was referring to the diplomatic Quartet on Middle East peace, which includes the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia. The reaction was Israel's first after the two major Palestinian factions agreed on a unity deal in the Egyptian capital on Thursday afternoon, which is supposed to see the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority retake control of Gaza from Islamists Hamas by December 1. The publicly-released parts of the agreement did not specify what would happen to Hamas' armed wing. Hamas does not recognise Israel and has fought three wars with the Jewish state since 2008. "As long as Hamas remains armed and as long as it calls for the destruction of Israel, Israel will consider Hamas responsible for any terror attack originating from Gaza," the official said. He also demanded an immediate return of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed by Hamas in 2014, as well as the release of two citizens believed imprisoned by the Islamists.

Hamas must disarm, recognise Israel under Palestinian unity deal: Israel

Philippine security forces bombed a southern city on Thursday as they battled Islamist militants who were holding hostages and reported to have murdered at least 11 civilians.

An initial rampage by the gunmen, who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, through the mainly Muslim city of Marawi on Tuesday prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to impose martial law across the southern third of the Philippines.

Authorities said ending the crisis was proving extremely hard because, although there were only 30 to 40 remaining gunmen, the militants were moving nimbly through homes, had planted bombs in the streets and were holding hostages.

Intense gunfighting could be heard constantly throughout the day, according to an AFP reporter in the city, and the military said it had dropped bombs on residential neighbourhoods.

&quot;We are using surgical airstrikes,&quot; local military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera told reporters in Marawi shortly before big clouds of black smoke rose from a bombed area near the provincial government building.

Most of Marawi&#39;s 200,000 residents had fled the city, which is about 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Manila, but Herrera said those who remained had been warned to get out of the areas where there was bombing and fighting.

&quot;We are requesting our people in Marawi to go to safe places... and to stay indoors,&quot; he said.

Five soldiers, two policemen and 13 militants have died in the three days of fighting, according to authorities.

Herrera said two civilians had also been killed inside a hospital that the gunmen had occupied on Tuesday, and the military was investigating reports that nine people had been murdered at a checkpoint the militants had set up.

Local GMA television network showed images of nine bullet-riddled bodies lying in a field with their hands tied together.

Duterte said on Wednesday that one of the policemen killed was similarly caught at a checkpoint set up by the militants, then beheaded.

The militants are also holding between 12 and 15 Catholic hostages abducted from a church, according to the local bishop, Edwin Dela Pena.

&nbsp;

Failed raid&nbsp; 
The fighting erupted on Tuesday after security forces raided a house where they believed Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the infamous Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom gang and Philippine head of IS, was hiding.

The United States regards Hapilon as one of the world&#39;s most dangerous terrorists, offering a bounty of $5 million for his capture.

The raid went spectacularly wrong as dozens of gunmen emerged to repel the security forces, then went on a rampage across the city while flying black IS flags.

The gunmen belonged to the Maute group, which along with Hapilon&#39;s faction of the Abu Sayyaf, had pledged allegiance to IS, authorities said.

The militants raided two jails, leading to the escape of more than 100 inmates, according to Mujiv Hataman, the governor of a Muslim self-rule area that includes Marawi.

They also set fire to many buildings, including a church and a university.&nbsp;

An enraged Duterte, who was in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, declared martial law shortly after the fighting erupted and cut short his trip to fly home and deal with the crisis.

&quot;It is brutality, cruelty,&quot; Duterte said on Wednesday after flying back to Manila.

&nbsp;

Rise of IS 
Duterte said martial law was required throughout the southern region of Mindanao, home to 20 million people, to stop the rising threat of hardline militants aligned to IS.

Muslim rebels have been fighting since the 1970s for an independent or autonomous homeland in Mindanao, with the conflict claiming more than 120,000 lives.

The main Muslim rebel groups are now involved in peace talks with the government.

But the Abu Sayyaf, Maute and other hardline groups want to set up an Islamic caliphate in the south for IS, according to Duterte and security analysts.

Duterte said Wednesday he may impose martial law throughout the rest of the country if he believed the terrorism threat was spreading.

The president, who has waged a controversial war on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives, warned martial law would be &quot;harsh&quot; and similar to military rule imposed by dictator Ferdinand Marcos a generation ago.

(AFP)

The troops are battling militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and have allegedly killed at least 11 hostages

Philippine security forces bombed a southern city on Thursday as they battled Islamist militants who were holding hostages and reported to have murdered at least 11 civilians. An initial rampage by the gunmen, who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, through the mainly Muslim city of Marawi on Tuesday prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to impose martial law across the southern third of the Philippines. Authorities said ending the crisis was proving extremely hard because, although there were only 30 to 40 remaining gunmen, the militants were moving nimbly through homes, had planted bombs in the streets and were holding hostages. Intense gunfighting could be heard constantly throughout the day, according to an AFP reporter in the city, and the military said it had dropped bombs on residential neighbourhoods. "We are using surgical airstrikes," local military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera told reporters in Marawi shortly before big clouds of black smoke rose from a bombed area near the provincial government building. Most of Marawi's 200,000 residents had fled the city, which is about 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Manila, but Herrera said those who remained had been warned to get out of the areas where there was bombing and fighting. "We are requesting our people in Marawi to go to safe places... and to stay indoors," he said. Five soldiers, two policemen and 13 militants have died in the three days of fighting, according to authorities. Herrera said two civilians had also been killed inside a hospital that the gunmen had occupied on Tuesday, and the military was investigating reports that nine people had been murdered at a checkpoint the militants had set up. Local GMA television network showed images of nine bullet-riddled bodies lying in a field with their hands tied together. Duterte said on Wednesday that one of the policemen killed was similarly caught at a checkpoint set up by the militants, then beheaded. The militants are also holding between 12 and 15 Catholic hostages abducted from a church, according to the local bishop, Edwin Dela Pena. Failed raid The fighting erupted on Tuesday after security forces raided a house where they believed Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the infamous Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom gang and Philippine head of IS, was hiding. The United States regards Hapilon as one of the world's most dangerous terrorists, offering a bounty of $5 million for his capture. The raid went spectacularly wrong as dozens of gunmen emerged to repel the security forces, then went on a rampage across the city while flying black IS flags. The gunmen belonged to the Maute group, which along with Hapilon's faction of the Abu Sayyaf, had pledged allegiance to IS, authorities said. The militants raided two jails, leading to the escape of more than 100 inmates, according to Mujiv Hataman, the governor of a Muslim self-rule area that includes Marawi. They also set fire to many buildings, including a church and a university. An enraged Duterte, who was in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, declared martial law shortly after the fighting erupted and cut short his trip to fly home and deal with the crisis. "It is brutality, cruelty," Duterte said on Wednesday after flying back to Manila. Rise of IS Duterte said martial law was required throughout the southern region of Mindanao, home to 20 million people, to stop the rising threat of hardline militants aligned to IS. Muslim rebels have been fighting since the 1970s for an independent or autonomous homeland in Mindanao, with the conflict claiming more than 120,000 lives. The main Muslim rebel groups are now involved in peace talks with the government. But the Abu Sayyaf, Maute and other hardline groups want to set up an Islamic caliphate in the south for IS, according to Duterte and security analysts. Duterte said Wednesday he may impose martial law throughout the rest of the country if he believed the terrorism threat was spreading. The president, who has waged a controversial war on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives, warned martial law would be "harsh" and similar to military rule imposed by dictator Ferdinand Marcos a generation ago. (AFP)

Philippine troops bomb Islamist militants in residential neighbourhoods

Somalia&#39;s al Shabaab Islamist group launched a suicide bomb attack on a hotel in the centre of Mogadishu on Saturday before fighters stormed inside, police and the militant group said. 
 
Police said at least seven people had died and 10 others were wounded. Gunfire echoed round the seaside city after the blast and ambulances raced to the scene. 
 
&quot;We attacked the hotel which was frequented by the apostate government members,&quot; al Shabaab military operations spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters, adding that the group&#39;s fighters were inside the building. 
 
Al Shabaab frequently carries out attacks in the capital in its bid to topple the Western-backed government. 
 
&quot;Those who died included civilians and hotel guards,&quot; police major Ali Hassan told Reuters. 
 
&quot;We have rescued many people from the back door. No one can enter the building from the front or near the front. There are snipers there,&quot; he said as fighting continued. 
 
Earlier, another police officer said the initial blast was caused by a suicide bomber before fighters stormed into the Nasahablood hotel. There was a heavy exchange of gunfire. 
 
Muslims in&nbsp;Somalia&nbsp;and around the world are observing Ramadan. In previous years, al Shabaab has often intensified attacks during the fasting month, often picking targets where people gather just before or after breaking the fast. 
 
(Reuters)

Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist group launched a suicide bomb attack on a hotel in the centre of Mogadishu on Saturday before fighters stormed inside, police and the militant group said. Police said at least seven people had died and 10 others were wounded. Gunfire echoed round the seaside city after the blast and ambulances raced to the scene. "We attacked the hotel which was frequented by the apostate government members," al Shabaab military operations spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters, adding that the group's fighters were inside the building. Al Shabaab frequently carries out attacks in the capital in its bid to topple the Western-backed government. "Those who died included civilians and hotel guards," police major Ali Hassan told Reuters. "We have rescued many people from the back door. No one can enter the building from the front or near the front. There are snipers there," he said as fighting continued. Earlier, another police officer said the initial blast was caused by a suicide bomber before fighters stormed into the Nasahablood hotel. There was a heavy exchange of gunfire. Muslims in Somalia and around the world are observing Ramadan. In previous years, al Shabaab has often intensified attacks during the fasting month, often picking targets where people gather just before or after breaking the fast. (Reuters)

Somalia Islamist group al Shabaab launch suicide bomb attack before storming inside Mogadishu hotel

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7925e5b9-6228-427f-a482-00fa781626e1}{172}" paraid="1780931624" style="text-align: justify;" >The main suspect in the murder of the Bangladesh bloggers,&nbsp;Avijit&nbsp;Roy and&nbsp;Niladri&nbsp;Chattopadhyay&nbsp;Niloy, was killed in an&nbsp;alleged gunfight with the police in capital Dhaka&#39;s&nbsp;Khilgaon&nbsp;area early on Sunday. 
&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{05a0032d-ac79-453f-a114-958b5ecea2d7}{96}" paraid="295924590" style="text-align: justify;" >The suspect,&nbsp;Shariful&nbsp;alias&nbsp;Sakib&nbsp;alias Sharif alias Saleh alias&nbsp;Arif&nbsp;alias Hadi-1, was a top&nbsp;organiser&nbsp;of&nbsp;Ansarullah&nbsp;Bangla Team (ABT), Bangladesh&nbsp;newspaper,&nbsp;The Daily Star, reported&nbsp;Musudur&nbsp;Rahman, a Dhaka police officer&nbsp;as saying. ABT is a banned militant group.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{984d1263-ec83-482f-8a1a-583559350cb5}{12}" paraid="1413621411" style="text-align: justify;" >The &quot;gunfight&quot;&nbsp;apparently took place&nbsp;at&nbsp;Meradiya&nbsp;Banshpotti&nbsp;at about 2.00 am on Sunday.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7362ad74-bce9-4f03-84af-fcff745e99de}{173}" paraid="1819828175" style="text-align: justify;" >The police had claimed they found evidence that&nbsp;Shariful&nbsp;was present at&nbsp;Dhaka University where&nbsp;Avijit&nbsp;Roy was hacked to death with&nbsp;machetes&nbsp;on February 26, 2015 and of his involvement even in the killing of&nbsp;Niladri&nbsp;Niloy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7d89d678-a532-47d7-8f4a-8dd68125f7d7}{27}" paraid="895991529" style="text-align: justify;" > 
Shariful, who was originally from Khulna,&nbsp;played an important role in the recruitment of ABT members, apart from providing training in&nbsp;firearms and information technology&nbsp;to the new recruits, as per the Dhaka metropolitan police&#39;s website.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7362ad74-bce9-4f03-84af-fcff745e99de}{159}" paraid="1494492534" style="text-align: justify;" > 
He&nbsp;was also linked to the murder attempt on&nbsp;publisher Ahmed Rashid&nbsp;Tutul&nbsp;at&nbsp;Lalmatia&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;killing of&nbsp;Riyad&nbsp;Morshed&nbsp;Babu, a student of Shanta Mariam University.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7362ad74-bce9-4f03-84af-fcff745e99de}{161}" paraid="1062033893" style="text-align: justify;" > 
This is not all, the police said&nbsp;Shariful&nbsp;was&nbsp;one of the brains behind the murders of&nbsp;Jagriti&nbsp;Prokashoni&nbsp;owner,&nbsp;Faisal&nbsp;Arefin&nbsp;Dipan, blogger&nbsp;Oyashiqur&nbsp;Rahman&nbsp;Babu, secular activist&nbsp;Nazim&nbsp;Uddin&nbsp;Samad&nbsp;and LGBT rights activist&nbsp;Xulhaz&nbsp;Mannan&nbsp;and his friend&nbsp;Mahbub&nbsp;Tonoy.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{87805b9a-9ccf-46cd-b117-e1b01fe3d6f0}{205}" paraid="1372513054" style="text-align: justify;" > 
The alleged gun fight took place within hours of&nbsp;another&nbsp;suspected militant, nineteen-year-old&nbsp;Golam&nbsp;Faizullah&nbsp;Fahim, being killed in a&nbsp;reported ambush&nbsp;when he was taken along on a search for his Islamist associates, the police claimed.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{e4ca9fd8-f38a-4e36-8526-4567b7e7bdbc}{166}" paraid="1621426751" style="text-align: justify;" > 
The search team was reportedly&nbsp;ambushed in a farmland.&nbsp;Faizullah&nbsp;was in police custody for questioning for attacking Hindu mathematics lecturer Ripon&nbsp;Chakrabarti&nbsp;and grievously injuring him&nbsp;in Bangladesh&#39;s&nbsp;Madaripur. Eyewitnesses managed to catch him and hand him to the police.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{57b998cf-5434-431a-b2c2-d45e1cf5717d}{75}" paraid="1784564055" style="text-align: justify;" > 
As per the police,&nbsp;Fahim&nbsp;was a college student and was a member of the banned Islamist group&nbsp;Hizb&nbsp;ut-Tahrir&nbsp;--&nbsp;an international group which wants to combine all Muslim countries in a unitary Islamic state. The group is outlawed in several countries, including Bangladesh.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{74659285-ee64-4e3d-82d9-6922b2b828be}{52}" paraid="1214658543" style="text-align: justify;" > 
Seven suspected Islamist militants have now been shot dead since Bangladesh launched a nationwide crackdown on local jihadist groups in the wake of a spike in the murders of secular activists and religious minorities.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The drive has seen more than 11,000 people including 194 militants arrested over the past week despite widespread criticism by local and international human rights groups.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{74659285-ee64-4e3d-82d9-6922b2b828be}{74}" paraid="840182797" style="text-align: justify;" > 
Nearly 50 people have been killed over the last three years in a wave of gruesome murders targeting Hindus, Christians, Sufi Muslims, secular activists and foreigners, with most blamed on or claimed by Islamist militants.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Many of the victims were hacked to death with machetes.&nbsp; 
(WION)</div>

Seven Islamist militants have been shot dead since Bangladesh started its crackdown on Jihadist groups

The main suspect in the murder of the Bangladesh bloggers, Avijit Roy and Niladri Chattopadhyay Niloy, was killed in an alleged gunfight with the police in capital Dhaka's Khilgaon area early on Sunday. The suspect, Shariful alias Sakib alias Sharif alias Saleh alias Arif alias Hadi-1, was a top organiser of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), Bangladesh newspaper, The Daily Star, reported Musudur Rahman, a Dhaka police officer as saying. ABT is a banned militant group. The "gunfight" apparently took place at Meradiya Banshpotti at about 2.00 am on Sunday. The police had claimed they found evidence that Shariful was present at Dhaka University where Avijit Roy was hacked to death with machetes on February 26, 2015 and of his involvement even in the killing of Niladri Niloy. Shariful, who was originally from Khulna, played an important role in the recruitment of ABT members, apart from providing training in firearms and information technology to the new recruits, as per the Dhaka metropolitan police's website. He was also linked to the murder attempt on publisher Ahmed Rashid Tutul at Lalmatia and the killing of Riyad Morshed Babu, a student of Shanta Mariam University. This is not all, the police said Shariful was one of the brains behind the murders of Jagriti Prokashoni owner, Faisal Arefin Dipan, blogger Oyashiqur Rahman Babu, secular activist Nazim Uddin Samad and LGBT rights activist Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Mahbub Tonoy. The alleged gun fight took place within hours of another suspected militant, nineteen-year-old Golam Faizullah Fahim, being killed in a reported ambush when he was taken along on a search for his Islamist associates, the police claimed. The search team was reportedly ambushed in a farmland. Faizullah was in police custody for questioning for attacking Hindu mathematics lecturer Ripon Chakrabarti and grievously injuring him in Bangladesh's Madaripur. Eyewitnesses managed to catch him and hand him to the police. As per the police, Fahim was a college student and was a member of the banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir -- an international group which wants to combine all Muslim countries in a unitary Islamic state. The group is outlawed in several countries, including Bangladesh. Seven suspected Islamist militants have now been shot dead since Bangladesh launched a nationwide crackdown on local jihadist groups in the wake of a spike in the murders of secular activists and religious minorities. The drive has seen more than 11,000 people including 194 militants arrested over the past week despite widespread criticism by local and international human rights groups. Nearly 50 people have been killed over the last three years in a wave of gruesome murders targeting Hindus, Christians, Sufi Muslims, secular activists and foreigners, with most blamed on or claimed by Islamist militants. Many of the victims were hacked to death with machetes. (WION)

Bangladesh bloggers' murder:?Main suspect?dead in gunfight with police

Egypt&#39;s ousted Islamist President Mohamad Morsi was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a Cairo court in an espionage trial in which six co-defendants were handed death penalties for leaking state secrets on military intelligence to Qatar and a Doha-based TV network. 
 
The Cairo Criminal Court upheld the death sentences of the six Muslim Brotherhood members and awarded life imprisonment to two others. 
 
Life in prison in Egypt is 25 years. But Morsi, who received life in prison for leading an unlawful group, was given an additional 15 years for stealing documents related to national security, increasing his jail term to 40 years. 
 
The six co-defendants were Ahmed Abdo Ali Afifi, a documentary film producer (who is in jail), Asmaa el-Khateeb, a reporter with Rasd News Network which is widely suspected of links to Morsi&#39;s Muslim Brotherhood (sentenced in absentia). 
 
Two more included Al-Jazeera employees - news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal (both sentenced in absentia). 
 
Qatar, a wealthy Gulf state, was the main backer of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood during his term in power between 2012 and July 2013, when the military overthrew and detained him.&nbsp;Today&#39;s verdicts are not final and can be appealed. 
 
Last month, the court ordered that case documents of the six defendants, excluding Morsi, be referred to the Grand Mufti, who according to Egyptian law must review all death sentences. His decision, however, is not binding. 
 
The co-defendents have been convicted for leaking classified documents to Qatar and selling them to Doha-based Al-Jazeera channel. The documents allegedly include information on general and military intelligence, the armed forces, its armaments and state policy secrets. 
 
Other charges include leading and joining the outlawed Brotherhood, that aims at changing Egypt&#39;s regime by force, and attacking army and police posts and public properties. 
 
Muslim Brotherhood&#39;s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and 35 other members of the proscribed Islamist group were last month sentenced to life for committing violent acts after the ouster of country&#39;s first democratically-elected President in 2013. 
 
Badie and Morsi were also sentenced to life in prison in the espionage case. Their sentences are currently in appeal. 
 
Morsi, Badie and 100 other leaders were sentenced to death in June last year for escaping from prison in 2011. 
 
However, an Egyptian court later quashed the death sentence against Badie. Hundreds of other Muslim Brotherhood members were also sentenced for life in various cases. 
 
The Egyptian government has been cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters since Morsi&#39;s ouster. The Muslim Brotherhood was designated as a terrorist group in November 2013 by the government. 
(PTI)

Six other co-defendants, including three journalists, were handed death penalties for leaking military secrets to Qatar

Egypt's ousted Islamist President Mohamad Morsi was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a Cairo court in an espionage trial in which six co-defendants were handed death penalties for leaking state secrets on military intelligence to Qatar and a Doha-based TV network. The Cairo Criminal Court upheld the death sentences of the six Muslim Brotherhood members and awarded life imprisonment to two others. Life in prison in Egypt is 25 years. But Morsi, who received life in prison for leading an unlawful group, was given an additional 15 years for stealing documents related to national security, increasing his jail term to 40 years. The six co-defendants were Ahmed Abdo Ali Afifi, a documentary film producer (who is in jail), Asmaa el-Khateeb, a reporter with Rasd News Network which is widely suspected of links to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood (sentenced in absentia). Two more included Al-Jazeera employees - news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal (both sentenced in absentia). Qatar, a wealthy Gulf state, was the main backer of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood during his term in power between 2012 and July 2013, when the military overthrew and detained him. Today's verdicts are not final and can be appealed. Last month, the court ordered that case documents of the six defendants, excluding Morsi, be referred to the Grand Mufti, who according to Egyptian law must review all death sentences. His decision, however, is not binding. The co-defendents have been convicted for leaking classified documents to Qatar and selling them to Doha-based Al-Jazeera channel. The documents allegedly include information on general and military intelligence, the armed forces, its armaments and state policy secrets. Other charges include leading and joining the outlawed Brotherhood, that aims at changing Egypt's regime by force, and attacking army and police posts and public properties. Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and 35 other members of the proscribed Islamist group were last month sentenced to life for committing violent acts after the ouster of country's first democratically-elected President in 2013. Badie and Morsi were also sentenced to life in prison in the espionage case. Their sentences are currently in appeal. Morsi, Badie and 100 other leaders were sentenced to death in June last year for escaping from prison in 2011. However, an Egyptian court later quashed the death sentence against Badie. Hundreds of other Muslim Brotherhood members were also sentenced for life in various cases. The Egyptian government has been cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters since Morsi's ouster. The Muslim Brotherhood was designated as a terrorist group in November 2013 by the government. (PTI)

Egypt's ousted Islamist President Morsi sentenced to life in jail, plus 15 years

Authorities in Bangladesh have arrested at least 103 militants as part of a broad crackdown on Islamists after a wave of deadly attacks on members of minority groups and liberal activists, police said on Monday.

In addition to the arrest of the Islamist militants, about 6,000 suspected criminals have been arrested since law enforcement agencies began a week-long drive on Friday to halt a series of targeted killings in the mainly Muslim nation.

All the arrests were made on specific charges, national police chief AKM&nbsp;Shahidul Hoque said, relating to firearms, narcotics and other offences.

&quot;We will have to prevent the emergence of militancy collectively as a whole nation. It is not possible to eliminate it by police alone,&rdquo; Hoque said.

Over the past week, an elderly Hindu priest, a Hindu monastery worker and a Christian shopkeeper were hacked to death in attacks for which Islamic State claimed responsibility. The Muslim wife of a counter-terrorism police official was also stabbed and shot dead.

Militants have killed more than 30 people in Bangladesh since early last year, with atheist bloggers, liberal academics, gay rights campaigners, foreign aid workers, members of&nbsp;minority Muslim sects&nbsp;and other&nbsp;religious&nbsp;groups among the victims.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for 21 of the attacks since its first claim in September last year and al Qaeda has claimed most of the rest, according to Site Intelligence Group, a US-based monitoring service.

The government denies that either group has a presence in Bangladesh and says home-grown radicals are responsible.

Last month, junior foreign minister Shahriar Alam told Reuters that Islamic State was trying to ride a wave of religious radicalisation by falsely claiming killings and said there was enough evidence implicating domestic militant groups.

Police said two domestic militant groups - Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and Ansarullah Bangla Team - were behind the attacks as part of their efforts to impose strict Islamic law on Bangladesh, whose population of 160 million are mostly moderate Muslims.

At least 10 suspected members of the outlawed Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen have been killed in shootouts since November, including five last week, police said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to track down the killers, blaming the growing violence on political opponents linked to Islamist parties.

The main opposition party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, dismisses such accusations and said the mass arrests were a ploy to suppress political opponents.

Police also arrest 100 Islamist militants, who killed over 30 minorities and activists, in the mainly Muslim nation

Authorities in Bangladesh have arrested at least 103 militants as part of a broad crackdown on Islamists after a wave of deadly attacks on members of minority groups and liberal activists, police said on Monday. In addition to the arrest of the Islamist militants, about 6,000 suspected criminals have been arrested since law enforcement agencies began a week-long drive on Friday to halt a series of targeted killings in the mainly Muslim nation. All the arrests were made on specific charges, national police chief AKM Shahidul Hoque said, relating to firearms, narcotics and other offences. "We will have to prevent the emergence of militancy collectively as a whole nation. It is not possible to eliminate it by police alone,” Hoque said. Over the past week, an elderly Hindu priest, a Hindu monastery worker and a Christian shopkeeper were hacked to death in attacks for which Islamic State claimed responsibility. The Muslim wife of a counter-terrorism police official was also stabbed and shot dead. Militants have killed more than 30 people in Bangladesh since early last year, with atheist bloggers, liberal academics, gay rights campaigners, foreign aid workers, members of minority Muslim sects and other religious groups among the victims. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for 21 of the attacks since its first claim in September last year and al Qaeda has claimed most of the rest, according to Site Intelligence Group, a US-based monitoring service. The government denies that either group has a presence in Bangladesh and says home-grown radicals are responsible. Last month, junior foreign minister Shahriar Alam told Reuters that Islamic State was trying to ride a wave of religious radicalisation by falsely claiming killings and said there was enough evidence implicating domestic militant groups. Police said two domestic militant groups - Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and Ansarullah Bangla Team - were behind the attacks as part of their efforts to impose strict Islamic law on Bangladesh, whose population of 160 million are mostly moderate Muslims. At least 10 suspected members of the outlawed Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen have been killed in shootouts since November, including five last week, police said. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to track down the killers, blaming the growing violence on political opponents linked to Islamist parties. The main opposition party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, dismisses such accusations and said the mass arrests were a ploy to suppress political opponents.

5,000 arrested in Bangladesh in crackdown on wave of targeted killings

Security forces from the Islamist group&nbsp;Hamas&nbsp;executed three convicted Palestinians at dawn today, a move condemned by local and international human rights groups and likely to lead to deeper division among Palestinian factions.

The three were found guilty of murder in separate cases and sentenced to death after a trial and all appeals were exhausted,&nbsp;Hamas&nbsp;said. Two were executed by firing squad and the third, a policeman, was hanged, security sources said.

&quot;To achieve public deterrence and block crime, the relevant authorities implemented at dawn today&nbsp;execution rulings against three convicted of horrifying murders,&quot; the general prosecutor&#39;s office in Gaza said in a statement.

Hamas, which has been in control of Gaza since 2007, had been under pressure not to carry out the executions, with the European Union and United Nations joining in calls from human rights groups for the decision to be set aside.

Under Palestinian law, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has to agree to the use of the death penalty. Because of splits between&nbsp;Hamas&nbsp;and Abbas&#39;s Fatah party, the Islamists did not receive approval from the president for the sentence.

The policeman put to death was employed by the Palestinian Authority, the Fatah-led administration based in the West Bank, which has ever diminishing influence in Gaza.

In a statement, the Palestinian Authority said the executions were illegal.

&quot;Carrying out the executions represents a flagrant violation of the Palestinian basic law,&quot; Ahmed Brak, the attorney general based in Ramallah, told Reuters.

He said those who participated in the executions were complicit in murder and would be subject to law at the &quot;local and international level&quot;.

Human rights groups last week demanded that&nbsp;Hamas&nbsp;hold off on the executions, but the Gaza-based attorney general said the sentences could be carried out.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said enforcing the death sentence without the Palestinian president&#39;s ratification constituted extra-judicial execution. International human rights groups condemned the decision.

&quot;The death penalty is an inherently cruel and irreversible punishment in all circumstances,&quot; said Sari Bashi, the director for Israel and Palestine at Human Rights Watch.

&quot;It&#39;s particularly egregious to execute defendants sentenced in Gaza, whose court system is rife with coercion, torture and compromised procedures,&quot; she added.

In recent weeks there have been several murders in Gaza, leading to pressure on&nbsp;Hamas&nbsp;to crack down on perpetrators.

Islamist militant group Hamas executed three convicted Palestinians

Security forces from the Islamist group Hamas executed three convicted Palestinians at dawn today, a move condemned by local and international human rights groups and likely to lead to deeper division among Palestinian factions. The three were found guilty of murder in separate cases and sentenced to death after a trial and all appeals were exhausted, Hamas said. Two were executed by firing squad and the third, a policeman, was hanged, security sources said. "To achieve public deterrence and block crime, the relevant authorities implemented at dawn today execution rulings against three convicted of horrifying murders," the general prosecutor's office in Gaza said in a statement. Hamas, which has been in control of Gaza since 2007, had been under pressure not to carry out the executions, with the European Union and United Nations joining in calls from human rights groups for the decision to be set aside. Under Palestinian law, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has to agree to the use of the death penalty. Because of splits between Hamas and Abbas's Fatah party, the Islamists did not receive approval from the president for the sentence. The policeman put to death was employed by the Palestinian Authority, the Fatah-led administration based in the West Bank, which has ever diminishing influence in Gaza. In a statement, the Palestinian Authority said the executions were illegal. "Carrying out the executions represents a flagrant violation of the Palestinian basic law," Ahmed Brak, the attorney general based in Ramallah, told Reuters. He said those who participated in the executions were complicit in murder and would be subject to law at the "local and international level". Human rights groups last week demanded that Hamas hold off on the executions, but the Gaza-based attorney general said the sentences could be carried out. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said enforcing the death sentence without the Palestinian president's ratification constituted extra-judicial execution. International human rights groups condemned the decision. "The death penalty is an inherently cruel and irreversible punishment in all circumstances," said Sari Bashi, the director for Israel and Palestine at Human Rights Watch. "It's particularly egregious to execute defendants sentenced in Gaza, whose court system is rife with coercion, torture and compromised procedures," she added. In recent weeks there have been several murders in Gaza, leading to pressure on Hamas to crack down on perpetrators.

Hamas executes three convicted Palestinians in Gaza

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