Four soldiers were killed and about 20 injured in an explosion at an army munitions depot in southeast Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday.

The defence ministry said late Friday an artillery shell exploded "accidentally" at the base at Sungu Tepe in Hakkari province near Turkey's borders with Iraq and Iran.

It said 25 soldiers were injured and seven missing after Friday's blast.

Erdogan said in a televised speech Saturday that four soldiers were "martyred" and "about 20" others wounded. He made no mention of any missing.

It was not clear whether the explosion happened during a combat mission or an exercise.

Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast has seen years of violent fighting between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), classified a "terrorist" group by Ankara and its Western allies.

Turkey also regularly bombs PKK bases in northern Iraq.

After a brief truce, fighting resumed in 2015, shattering hopes for a peaceful resolution to a conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives since 1984.

Four soldiers were killed and about 20 injured in an explosion at an army munitions depot in southeast Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday. The defence ministry said late Friday an artillery shell exploded "accidentally" at the base at Sungu Tepe in Hakkari province near Turkey's borders with Iraq and Iran.

Four soldiers were killed and about 20 injured in an explosion at an army munitions depot in southeast Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday. The defence ministry said late Friday an artillery shell exploded "accidentally" at the base at Sungu Tepe in Hakkari province near Turkey's borders with Iraq and Iran. It said 25 soldiers were injured and seven missing after Friday's blast. Erdogan said in a televised speech Saturday that four soldiers were "martyred" and "about 20" others wounded. He made no mention of any missing. It was not clear whether the explosion happened during a combat mission or an exercise. Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast has seen years of violent fighting between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), classified a "terrorist" group by Ankara and its Western allies. Turkey also regularly bombs PKK bases in northern Iraq. After a brief truce, fighting resumed in 2015, shattering hopes for a peaceful resolution to a conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives since 1984.

Four Turkish soldiers die in munitions blast: Erdogan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Harsil near the India-China border in Uttarakhand to celebrate Diwali with Army and ITBP personnel on Wednesday.

Greeting the jawans on the occasion, the prime minister said their devotion to duty in the remote icy heights, is enabling the strength of the nation, and securing the future and the dreams of 125 crore Indians, a statement from his office said.

He said that Diwali is the festival of lights, it spreads the light of goodness and dispels fear. He said that the jawans, through their commitment and discipline, are also helping to spread the sense of security and fearlessness among the people.

The prime minister recalled that he has been visiting soldiers on Diwali ever since he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

He also spoke of his interactions with the jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), years ago when he was part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
While interacting with Army and <a href="https://twitter.com/ITBP_official?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ITBP_official</a> Jawans in Harsil, spoke about the numerous steps being taken by the Government of India for the strengthening of the defence sector, welfare of ex-servicemen and highlighted how Indian forces are admired globally for the skills. <a href="https://t.co/DFAuJfrQwy">pic.twitter.com/DFAuJfrQwy</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1060049142133727232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The prime minister said India is taking great strides forward in the defence sector. He spoke of various measures being taken for the welfare of ex-servicemen, including implementation of 'one rank, one pension' (OROP).

Modi said that the Indian Armed Forces draw admiration and appreciation across the world, in UN peacekeeping operations.

The prime minister offered sweets to the jawans. He also interacted with people from nearby areas who had gathered to greet him on Diwali.

Harshil is a cantonment area situated at a height of 7,860 feet close to the India-China border in Uttarkashi district.

The prime minister is scheduled to go to Kedarnath later in the day to offer prayers and review the progress of reconstruction projects at Kedarpuri.

Kedarpuri, the township situated close to the Himalayan shrine, had bore the brunt of the catastrophic floods of 2013 which killed thousands of people.

Responding to Diwali greeting from Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday night, Modi had said, "Every year, I visit our border areas and surprise our troops. This year too, will spend Diwali with our brave troops. Spending time with them is special."&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Harsil near the India-China border in Uttarakhand to celebrate Diwali with Army and ITBP personnel on Wednesday. Greeting the jawans on the occasion, the prime minister said their devotion to duty in the remote icy heights, is enabling the strength of the nation, and securing the future and the dreams of 125 crore Indians, a statement from his office said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Harsil near the India-China border in Uttarakhand to celebrate Diwali with Army and ITBP personnel on Wednesday. Greeting the jawans on the occasion, the prime minister said their devotion to duty in the remote icy heights, is enabling the strength of the nation, and securing the future and the dreams of 125 crore Indians, a statement from his office said. He said that Diwali is the festival of lights, it spreads the light of goodness and dispels fear. He said that the jawans, through their commitment and discipline, are also helping to spread the sense of security and fearlessness among the people. The prime minister recalled that he has been visiting soldiers on Diwali ever since he was the chief minister of Gujarat. He also spoke of his interactions with the jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), years ago when he was part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. While interacting with Army and @ITBP_official Jawans in Harsil, spoke about the numerous steps being taken by the Government of India for the strengthening of the defence sector, welfare of ex-servicemen and highlighted how Indian forces are admired globally for the skills. pic.twitter.com/DFAuJfrQwy — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 7, 2018 × The prime minister said India is taking great strides forward in the defence sector. He spoke of various measures being taken for the welfare of ex-servicemen, including implementation of 'one rank, one pension' (OROP). Modi said that the Indian Armed Forces draw admiration and appreciation across the world, in UN peacekeeping operations. The prime minister offered sweets to the jawans. He also interacted with people from nearby areas who had gathered to greet him on Diwali. Harshil is a cantonment area situated at a height of 7,860 feet close to the India-China border in Uttarkashi district. The prime minister is scheduled to go to Kedarnath later in the day to offer prayers and review the progress of reconstruction projects at Kedarpuri. Kedarpuri, the township situated close to the Himalayan shrine, had bore the brunt of the catastrophic floods of 2013 which killed thousands of people. Responding to Diwali greeting from Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday night, Modi had said, "Every year, I visit our border areas and surprise our troops. This year too, will spend Diwali with our brave troops. Spending time with them is special."

PM celebrates Diwali with soldiers in Harshil near India-China border

The United States said on Monday it will send over 5,200 troops to help secure the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/many-gang-members-in-caravan-headed-to-sourthern-border-it-is-an-invasion-and-our-military-is-waiting-trump-174273">border with Mexico</a>, a far larger-than-expected deployment as President Donald Trump hardens his stance on immigration ahead of November&nbsp;6 mid-term elections.

The deployment will create an active-duty force comparable in size to the US&nbsp;military contingent in Iraq, as Trump's administration draws attention to a caravan of migrants that is trekking through Mexico toward the United States.

General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, the head of US&nbsp;Northern Command, said 800 US&nbsp;troops were already en route to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-honors-migrants-at-day-of-the-dead-as-caravan-treks-north-173978">Texas border</a> and more were headed to the borders in California and Arizona.

"The president has made it clear that border security is national security," O'Shaughnessy said, as he detailed a much larger deployment that the 800 to 1,000 troops predicted by US&nbsp;officials last week.

O'Shaughnessy said some soldiers would be armed although it was unclear who, beyond US&nbsp;military police, might need those weapons. US&nbsp;officials have stressed that the troops would not police the border and instead carry out support roles like building tents and barricades, and flying US&nbsp;customs personnel to locations along the border.

Trump railed against illegal immigration to win the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election and has seized on the caravan of Central American migrants at campaign rallies in the run-up to next week's vote, firing up support for his Republican Party.

If the Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives or the Senate, it could become much harder for Trump to pursue his policy agenda in his remaining two years in office.

According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in late September and early October, 75 per cent of Republican voters said illegal immigration is a very big problem, compared with 19 percent of Democratic voters.

Although Trump's supporters in Congress praised the deployment of troops, the American Civil Liberties Union derided it as a political stunt.

"President Trump has chosen just before midterm elections to force the military into furthering his anti-immigrant agenda of fear and division," said Shaw Drake, policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union Border Rights Center in El Paso, Texas.

ARMED SOLDIERS

Trump said on Twitter on Monday that the military would be waiting for the procession -- suggesting a far more direct role in confronting the migrants than the Pentagon described.

"Many Gang Members and some very bad people are mixed into the Caravan heading to our Southern Border," Trump tweeted.

"Please go back, you will not be admitted into the United States unless you go through the legal process. This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!" he added.

Trump administration officials have been discussing other options to address the caravan and a surge in border crossings, including having Trump use his authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare certain migrants ineligible for asylum for national security reasons.

Officials said no decisions had been made.

Kevin McAleenan, the US&nbsp;commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said a group of approximately 3,500 immigrants were travelling through southern Mexico with the intent of reaching the US&nbsp;border. A second caravan of about 3,000 people were at the Guatemala-Mexico border, McAleenan said.

At the same time, over the last three weeks, border agents have encountered nearly 1,900 people per day either crossing the border illegally or presenting themselves at ports of entry, with over half of them being children alone or parents and children travelling together, McAleenan said.

"We are already facing a border security and humanitarian crisis at our southwest border," he said.

Some migrants have abandoned the journey, deterred by the hardships or the possibility instead of making a new life in Mexico. Others joined it in southern Mexico.

Trump's decision to call in the military appears to be a departure from past practice, at least in recent years, in which such operations were carried out by National Guard forces -- largely part-time military members who are often called upon to serve in response to domestic emergencies.

There are already 2,100 US&nbsp;National Guard forces at the border, sent after a previous Trump request in April. The latest deployment would be in addition to those forces.

The decision to send active duty forces this time gives the Pentagon the ability to more rapidly mobilise greater capability than would be immediately available with the Guard, officials told Reuters.

But it also injects the military, which prides itself in being non-partisan, into a highly charged political issue just days ahead of an election.

The United States said on Monday it will send over 5,200 troops to help secure the border with Mexico, a far larger-than-expected deployment as President Donald Trump hardens his stance on immigration ahead of November 6 mid-term elections.

The United States said on Monday it will send over 5,200 troops to help secure the border with Mexico, a far larger-than-expected deployment as President Donald Trump hardens his stance on immigration ahead of November 6 mid-term elections. The deployment will create an active-duty force comparable in size to the US military contingent in Iraq, as Trump's administration draws attention to a caravan of migrants that is trekking through Mexico toward the United States. General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, the head of US Northern Command, said 800 US troops were already en route to the Texas border and more were headed to the borders in California and Arizona. "The president has made it clear that border security is national security," O'Shaughnessy said, as he detailed a much larger deployment that the 800 to 1,000 troops predicted by US officials last week. O'Shaughnessy said some soldiers would be armed although it was unclear who, beyond US military police, might need those weapons. US officials have stressed that the troops would not police the border and instead carry out support roles like building tents and barricades, and flying US customs personnel to locations along the border. Trump railed against illegal immigration to win the 2016 US presidential election and has seized on the caravan of Central American migrants at campaign rallies in the run-up to next week's vote, firing up support for his Republican Party. If the Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives or the Senate, it could become much harder for Trump to pursue his policy agenda in his remaining two years in office. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in late September and early October, 75 per cent of Republican voters said illegal immigration is a very big problem, compared with 19 percent of Democratic voters. Although Trump's supporters in Congress praised the deployment of troops, the American Civil Liberties Union derided it as a political stunt. "President Trump has chosen just before midterm elections to force the military into furthering his anti-immigrant agenda of fear and division," said Shaw Drake, policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union Border Rights Center in El Paso, Texas. ARMED SOLDIERS Trump said on Twitter on Monday that the military would be waiting for the procession -- suggesting a far more direct role in confronting the migrants than the Pentagon described. "Many Gang Members and some very bad people are mixed into the Caravan heading to our Southern Border," Trump tweeted. "Please go back, you will not be admitted into the United States unless you go through the legal process. This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!" he added. Trump administration officials have been discussing other options to address the caravan and a surge in border crossings, including having Trump use his authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare certain migrants ineligible for asylum for national security reasons. Officials said no decisions had been made. Kevin McAleenan, the US commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said a group of approximately 3,500 immigrants were travelling through southern Mexico with the intent of reaching the US border. A second caravan of about 3,000 people were at the Guatemala-Mexico border, McAleenan said. At the same time, over the last three weeks, border agents have encountered nearly 1,900 people per day either crossing the border illegally or presenting themselves at ports of entry, with over half of them being children alone or parents and children travelling together, McAleenan said. "We are already facing a border security and humanitarian crisis at our southwest border," he said. Some migrants have abandoned the journey, deterred by the hardships or the possibility instead of making a new life in Mexico. Others joined it in southern Mexico. Trump's decision to call in the military appears to be a departure from past practice, at least in recent years, in which such operations were carried out by National Guard forces -- largely part-time military members who are often called upon to serve in response to domestic emergencies. There are already 2,100 US National Guard forces at the border, sent after a previous Trump request in April. The latest deployment would be in addition to those forces. The decision to send active duty forces this time gives the Pentagon the ability to more rapidly mobilise greater capability than would be immediately available with the Guard, officials told Reuters. But it also injects the military, which prides itself in being non-partisan, into a highly charged political issue just days ahead of an election.

As migrant caravan approaches, US says it's sending 5,200 troops to Mexico border

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP government of "making empty slogans" and of asking soldiers to buy their own shoes and uniforms.&nbsp;

Citing a recent news report, Gandhi took to Twitter and wrote: "MAKE (empty slogans and useless acronyms) IN INDIA.... meanwhile, make our soldiers buy their own clothes and shoes."

The report said that the Army was funding three major projects as the Centre did not provide money. This has resulted in the Army cutting down its supplies from state-owned ordnance factories due to which soldiers will have to spend their own money to buy uniforms and other clothes (combat dress, berets, belts, shoes) from civilian markets.&nbsp;

The report said that products procured from ordnance factories for the Army would be brought down from 94 to 50 per cent as the Centre did not provide additional funds to meet the critical shortage of ammunition and spares.

Both the Centre and the Indian Army are yet to confirm this fact.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government had given a massive push to Make in India movement immediately after coming into power in 2014, launching several initiatives around it.

This is not the first time Gandhi has criticised the BJP governments Maki In India scheme. In January, Gandhi used figures of declining investments and called the project “Fake in India programme”.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
MAKE (empty slogans and useless acronyms) IN INDIA....meanwhile, make our soldiers buy their own clothes & shoes. <a href="https://t.co/UaWqsIhnQx">https://t.co/UaWqsIhnQx</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1003943472976441344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Rahul citied a recent news report which said soldiers may have to buy their uniforms with their own money because of budget cuts

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP government of "making empty slogans" and of asking soldiers to buy their own shoes and uniforms. Citing a recent news report, Gandhi took to Twitter and wrote: "MAKE (empty slogans and useless acronyms) IN INDIA.... meanwhile, make our soldiers buy their own clothes and shoes." The report said that the Army was funding three major projects as the Centre did not provide money. This has resulted in the Army cutting down its supplies from state-owned ordnance factories due to which soldiers will have to spend their own money to buy uniforms and other clothes (combat dress, berets, belts, shoes) from civilian markets. The report said that products procured from ordnance factories for the Army would be brought down from 94 to 50 per cent as the Centre did not provide additional funds to meet the critical shortage of ammunition and spares. Both the Centre and the Indian Army are yet to confirm this fact. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government had given a massive push to Make in India movement immediately after coming into power in 2014, launching several initiatives around it. This is not the first time Gandhi has criticised the BJP governments Maki In India scheme. In January, Gandhi used figures of declining investments and called the project “Fake in India programme”. MAKE (empty slogans and useless acronyms) IN INDIA....meanwhile, make our soldiers buy their own clothes & shoes. https://t.co/UaWqsIhnQx — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 5, 2018 ×

MAKE (empty slogans) IN INDIA, make soldiers buy own clothes: Rahul slams BJP government

Actor John Abraham, who said that "Parmanu&nbsp;is my child"&nbsp;and that he has fought for its custody is now celebrating the success of his film "Parmanu - The Story of Pokhran"

John Abraham, while interacting with media along with director Abhishek Sharma after the success of "Parmanu- The Story of Pokhran" on Monday in Mumbai&nbsp;said that "we don't value soldiers of our country".&nbsp;

In relation to his movie, John also talks about soldiers of the country who deal with difficulties in their life. He said: "I always say that they are the real-life heroes and we are just reel-life heroes.''

He further added, "I think they should not face any kind of difficulties. They protect us on borders and here by sitting in the air-conditioned room, we complain about petty issues in life."&nbsp;

While in further interaction he gave an example saying:&nbsp;"In Siachen (Glacier), they survive in -50 degree Celsius and in Jaisalmer, they survive in +50 degree Celsius so, I think we don't have any right to complain, whatever we can do for them as a country, we must do for them."&nbsp;

Talking about the success of the film, John said: "I am thankful for audience and media because they have appreciated our film. Abhishek and me, both of us are feeling very relieved and happy that this film worked at the box-office.&nbsp;This film not only has garnered a positive response from the critics and audience but, I think everything in this film has come together. I think the direction of Abhishek, my and other actor's performances has worked in the favour of the film, so it feels amazing."&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

In relation to his movie, John also talks about soldiers of the country who deal with difficulties in their life

Actor John Abraham, who said that "Parmanu is my child" and that he has fought for its custody is now celebrating the success of his film "Parmanu - The Story of Pokhran" John Abraham, while interacting with media along with director Abhishek Sharma after the success of "Parmanu- The Story of Pokhran" on Monday in Mumbai said that "we don't value soldiers of our country". In relation to his movie, John also talks about soldiers of the country who deal with difficulties in their life. He said: "I always say that they are the real-life heroes and we are just reel-life heroes.'' He further added, "I think they should not face any kind of difficulties. They protect us on borders and here by sitting in the air-conditioned room, we complain about petty issues in life." While in further interaction he gave an example saying: "In Siachen (Glacier), they survive in -50 degree Celsius and in Jaisalmer, they survive in +50 degree Celsius so, I think we don't have any right to complain, whatever we can do for them as a country, we must do for them." Talking about the success of the film, John said: "I am thankful for audience and media because they have appreciated our film. Abhishek and me, both of us are feeling very relieved and happy that this film worked at the box-office. This film not only has garnered a positive response from the critics and audience but, I think everything in this film has come together. I think the direction of Abhishek, my and other actor's performances has worked in the favour of the film, so it feels amazing."

John Abraham: We don't value soldiers of our country

Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have developed an artificial intelligence system that can help soldiers learn 13 times faster than conventional methods.

Scientists at the US Army Research Laboratory are working on improving the intensity and rate of learning even with a few resources in hand. It is possible to help soliders come up with quick solutions to threats like vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or potential danger zones from aerial warzone images.

They&nbsp;relied on low-cost, lightweight hardware and implemented collaborative filtering, a well-known machine learning technique on a state-of-the-art, low-power Field Programmable Gate Array platform to achieve a 13.3 times speedup of training compared to a state-of-the-art optimised multi-core system and 12.7 times speedup for optimized GPU systems.

The new technique consumed far less power too. Consumption charted 13.8 watts, compared to 130 watts for the multi-core and 235 watts for GPU platforms, making this a potentially useful component of adaptive, lightweight tactical computing systems.

Rajgopal Kannan, an ARL researcher, said this technique could eventually become part of a suite of tools embedded on the next generation combat vehicle, offering cognitive services and devices for warfighters in distributed coalition environments.

Developing technology for the next generation combat vehicle is one of the six Army Modernisation Priorities the laboratory is pursuing.

Kannan said he is working on developing several techniques to speed up AI/ML algorithms through innovative designs on state-of-the-art inexpensive hardware.

This work is part of Army's larger focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning research initiatives pursued to help to gain a strategic advantage and ensure warfighter superiority with applications such as on-field adaptive processing and tactical computing.

&nbsp;

It is possible to help soldiers come up with quick solutions to threats like vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or potential danger zones from aerial warzone images

Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have developed an artificial intelligence system that can help soldiers learn 13 times faster than conventional methods. Scientists at the US Army Research Laboratory are working on improving the intensity and rate of learning even with a few resources in hand. It is possible to help soliders come up with quick solutions to threats like vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or potential danger zones from aerial warzone images. They relied on low-cost, lightweight hardware and implemented collaborative filtering, a well-known machine learning technique on a state-of-the-art, low-power Field Programmable Gate Array platform to achieve a 13.3 times speedup of training compared to a state-of-the-art optimised multi-core system and 12.7 times speedup for optimized GPU systems. The new technique consumed far less power too. Consumption charted 13.8 watts, compared to 130 watts for the multi-core and 235 watts for GPU platforms, making this a potentially useful component of adaptive, lightweight tactical computing systems. Rajgopal Kannan, an ARL researcher, said this technique could eventually become part of a suite of tools embedded on the next generation combat vehicle, offering cognitive services and devices for warfighters in distributed coalition environments. Developing technology for the next generation combat vehicle is one of the six Army Modernisation Priorities the laboratory is pursuing. Kannan said he is working on developing several techniques to speed up AI/ML algorithms through innovative designs on state-of-the-art inexpensive hardware. This work is part of Army's larger focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning research initiatives pursued to help to gain a strategic advantage and ensure warfighter superiority with applications such as on-field adaptive processing and tactical computing.

Artificial Intelligence could help soldiers come up with quick solutions to threats

Seven Myanmar soldiers have been sentenced to “10 years in prison with hard labor in a remote area” for participating in a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in northwestern Rakhine state last September, the army said on Tuesday.

The military said in a statement the soldiers will serve 10 years with hard labour for "contributing and participating in murder".

The sentencing of the seven soldiers comes after an internal investigation by Tatmadaw or the Myanmar military recently revealed that the bodies of 10 Rohingya men were found buried in a mass grave in Inn Din, a village located in the strife-torn Rakhine State.

The authorities told Reuters in February the military opened an internal investigation independently and that it is unrelated to the Reuters reporters who are accused of obtaining unrelated secret government papers.

The Rohingya men from the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din were buried in a mass grave in early September after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbors and soldiers. Reuters published its story on the murder in February.

The murders were part of a larger army crackdown on the Rohingya, beset by allegations of murder, rape, arson and looting, unleashed in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces in late August. The United Nations and the United States described it as ethnic cleansing - an accusation which Myanmar denies.

“Four officers were denounced and permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a prison in a remote area. Three soldiers of other rank were demoted to the rank of ‘private’, permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a prison in a remote area,” read the military statement.

It added that legal proceedings against the police personnel and civilians “involved in the crime” are still underway.

On Jan. 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 militants who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military had said.

The military’s version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses published in the February story.

Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

The military said in a statement the soldiers will serve 10 years with hard labor for 'contributing and participating in murder'

Seven Myanmar soldiers have been sentenced to “10 years in prison with hard labor in a remote area” for participating in a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in northwestern Rakhine state last September, the army said on Tuesday. The military said in a statement the soldiers will serve 10 years with hard labour for "contributing and participating in murder". The sentencing of the seven soldiers comes after an internal investigation by Tatmadaw or the Myanmar military recently revealed that the bodies of 10 Rohingya men were found buried in a mass grave in Inn Din, a village located in the strife-torn Rakhine State. The authorities told Reuters in February the military opened an internal investigation independently and that it is unrelated to the Reuters reporters who are accused of obtaining unrelated secret government papers. The Rohingya men from the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din were buried in a mass grave in early September after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbors and soldiers. Reuters published its story on the murder in February. The murders were part of a larger army crackdown on the Rohingya, beset by allegations of murder, rape, arson and looting, unleashed in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces in late August. The United Nations and the United States described it as ethnic cleansing - an accusation which Myanmar denies. “Four officers were denounced and permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a prison in a remote area. Three soldiers of other rank were demoted to the rank of ‘private’, permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a prison in a remote area,” read the military statement. It added that legal proceedings against the police personnel and civilians “involved in the crime” are still underway. On Jan. 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 militants who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military had said. The military’s version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses published in the February story. Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses. (With inputs from Reuters)

7 Myanmar soldiers sentenced to 10 years in prison for Rohingya massacre

Two Indian army soldiers were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district during a shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday.&nbsp 
&nbsp 
"Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 1715 hours in Sunderbanisector along the Line of Control (LoC) last night," a defence spokesman said.

The soldiers, Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma, &nbspwere critically injured after which both of them succumbed to their injuries, the spokesperson informed.&nbsp

Singh, 24, belonged to Danapur village of Akhnoor district in Jammu and Kashmir. He is survived by his father, Ajit Singh. 
Sharma, 30, was from Sanhail village of Hiranagar district in Jammu. He is survived by his wife, Rajni Devi.

"Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to the brave hearts for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the defence spokesperson said.&nbsp

The fresh ceasefire violation comes four days after an army officer was injured when Pakistan Army violated ceasefire on Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.&nbsp

(With inputs from PTI)

The soldiers, Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma, were critically injured after which both of them succumbed to their injuries, the spokesperson informed

Two Indian army soldiers were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district during a shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday. "Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 1715 hours in Sunderbanisector along the Line of Control (LoC) last night," a defence spokesman said. The soldiers, Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma, &nbspwere critically injured after which both of them succumbed to their injuries, the spokesperson informed. Singh, 24, belonged to Danapur village of Akhnoor district in Jammu and Kashmir. He is survived by his father, Ajit Singh. Sharma, 30, was from Sanhail village of Hiranagar district in Jammu. He is survived by his wife, Rajni Devi. "Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to the brave hearts for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the defence spokesperson said. The fresh ceasefire violation comes four days after an army officer was injured when Pakistan Army violated ceasefire on Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district. (With inputs from PTI)

2 Indian army soldiers dead after unprovoked shelling by Pakistan

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte last week directed his soldiers to specifically target women rebel fighters by shooting them in the vagina, according to local reports.

Human rights groups have slammed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for encouraging violence against women.

Duterte made the remarks last Wednesday during a meeting with more than 200 former communist rebels who have surrendered, including 48 women.

In his speech, Duterte talked about female fighters and said that soldiers should &ldquo;shoot their vaginas&rdquo; because &ldquo;without that, they are useless.&rdquo;&nbsp;

New York-based Human Rights Watch noted it was not the first time that Duterte has made &ldquo;misogynist, derogatory and demeaning statements&rdquo; about women.

&ldquo;It encourages state forces to commit sexual violence during armed conflict, which is a violation of international humanitarian law,&rdquo; it said.

Last month, Duterte came under fire for saying he would offer 42 virgins to attract tourists to visit the country.

In May last year, he told soldiers he would protect them against criminal charges even if they rape three women while implementing martial law in the southern region of Mindanao.

Duterte talked about female fighters and said that soldiers should “shoot their vaginas” because “without that, they are useless."

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte last week directed his soldiers to specifically target women rebel fighters by shooting them in the vagina, according to local reports. Human rights groups have slammed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for encouraging violence against women. Duterte made the remarks last Wednesday during a meeting with more than 200 former communist rebels who have surrendered, including 48 women. In his speech, Duterte talked about female fighters and said that soldiers should “shoot their vaginas” because “without that, they are useless.” New York-based Human Rights Watch noted it was not the first time that Duterte has made “misogynist, derogatory and demeaning statements” about women. “It encourages state forces to commit sexual violence during armed conflict, which is a violation of international humanitarian law,” it said. Last month, Duterte came under fire for saying he would offer 42 virgins to attract tourists to visit the country. In May last year, he told soldiers he would protect them against criminal charges even if they rape three women while implementing martial law in the southern region of Mindanao.

Shoot female rebels in their vaginas: Philippine President Duterte tells soldiers

Action will be taken against 10 members of Myanmar&#39;s security forces in connection with the killing of captured Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, a government spokesman said on Sunday, adding it was not related to a Reuters report on the incident.

Reuters on Friday published a report laying out events that led up to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/one-grave-for-10-rohingya-men-how-myanmar-forces-burned-looted-and-killed-in-a-remote-village-32293" target="_blank">killing of 10 Rohingya men</a> in the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din who were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers.

A Myanmar government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said that &quot;action according to the law&quot; would be taken against seven soldiers, three members of the police force and six villagers as part of an army investigation that was initiated before the Reuters report was published.

The arrests were &quot;not because of Reuters news. The investigation was being conducted even before Reuters news,&quot; Zaw Htay said, adding that he was unable to specify what action would be taken against the 16 people.

On Jan. 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 &quot;terrorists&quot; who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military said, adding that it would take action against those involved.

The military&#39;s version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses.

Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses told Reuters that soldiers plucked the 10 from among hundreds of men, women and children who had sought safety on a nearby beach.

Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since August, when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said may amount to genocide.

Arrested journalists

The Reuters investigation of the Inn Din massacre was what prompted the arrest of two of the news agency&#39;s reporters. Myanmar citizens Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were detained on Dec. 12 for allegedly obtaining confidential documents. The police has said two police officers were also arrested.

Prosecutors are seeking to charge Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo under Myanmar&#39;s Official Secrets Act, which dates back to the time of colonial British rule and carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence.

Asked about the evidence Reuters had uncovered about the massacre, spokesman Zaw Htay said on Thursday, before publication of the Reuters report: &quot;We are not denying the allegations about violations of human rights. And we are not giving blanket denials.&quot;

If there was &quot;strong and reliable primary evidence&quot; of abuses, the government would investigate, he said.

There has been no official comment from the government following the publication of the report.

Britain&#39;s foreign minister, Boris Johnson, said he would raise the case of the two journalists during a meeting with Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Sunday.

A statement issued by Britain&#39;s Foreign Office after Johnson met with Aung San Suu Kyi said he had raised the case of the two journalists without providing details.

&quot;Discussed importance of Burmese authorities in carrying out full &amp; independent investigation into the violence in #Rakhine &amp; urgent need to create the right conditions for #Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Rakhine,&quot; Johnson said in a separate tweet following the talks.

The United States and the United Nations have called the military campaign against the Rohingya &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing, and says its security forces mounted legitimate counter-insurgency clearance operations.

A Myanmar government spokesman said "action according to the law" would be taken against seven soldiers, three members of the police force and six villagers as part of an army investigation

Action will be taken against 10 members of Myanmar's security forces in connection with the killing of captured Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, a government spokesman said on Sunday, adding it was not related to a Reuters report on the incident. Reuters on Friday published a report laying out events that led up to the killing of 10 Rohingya men in the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din who were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers. A Myanmar government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said that "action according to the law" would be taken against seven soldiers, three members of the police force and six villagers as part of an army investigation that was initiated before the Reuters report was published. The arrests were "not because of Reuters news. The investigation was being conducted even before Reuters news," Zaw Htay said, adding that he was unable to specify what action would be taken against the 16 people. On Jan. 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 "terrorists" who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military said, adding that it would take action against those involved. The military's version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses. Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses told Reuters that soldiers plucked the 10 from among hundreds of men, women and children who had sought safety on a nearby beach. Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since August, when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said may amount to genocide. Arrested journalists The Reuters investigation of the Inn Din massacre was what prompted the arrest of two of the news agency's reporters. Myanmar citizens Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were detained on Dec. 12 for allegedly obtaining confidential documents. The police has said two police officers were also arrested. Prosecutors are seeking to charge Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo under Myanmar's Official Secrets Act, which dates back to the time of colonial British rule and carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence. Asked about the evidence Reuters had uncovered about the massacre, spokesman Zaw Htay said on Thursday, before publication of the Reuters report: "We are not denying the allegations about violations of human rights. And we are not giving blanket denials." If there was "strong and reliable primary evidence" of abuses, the government would investigate, he said. There has been no official comment from the government following the publication of the report. Britain's foreign minister, Boris Johnson, said he would raise the case of the two journalists during a meeting with Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Sunday. A statement issued by Britain's Foreign Office after Johnson met with Aung San Suu Kyi said he had raised the case of the two journalists without providing details. "Discussed importance of Burmese authorities in carrying out full & independent investigation into the violence in #Rakhine & urgent need to create the right conditions for #Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Rakhine," Johnson said in a separate tweet following the talks. The United States and the United Nations have called the military campaign against the Rohingya "ethnic cleansing". Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing, and says its security forces mounted legitimate counter-insurgency clearance operations.

Myanmar says soldiers, police face action over village killings

Three army personnel were killed today when an avalanche struck their post in Machhil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army said.

The identified army personnel were - Havaldar Kamlesh Singh, 39, Naik Balveer, 33&nbsp;and Rajinder, 25.&nbsp;

The avalanche hit an army post of 21 Rajput around 4:30 pm at Sona Pandi Gali in Machil, according to reports.&nbsp;

&quot;In an unfortunate incident of avalanche in Machhil sector, the Army lost three valiant soldiers,&quot; an army official said.

The avalanche struck two days after a 24-hour avalanche warning was issued in several districts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Kupwara, on Wednesday, shortly after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region jolted parts of north India, reports said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The army personnel were identified as - Havaldar Kamlesh Singh, 39, Naik Balveer, 33 and Rajinder, 25,

Three army personnel were killed today when an avalanche struck their post in Machhil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army said. The identified army personnel were - Havaldar Kamlesh Singh, 39, Naik Balveer, 33 and Rajinder, 25. The avalanche hit an army post of 21 Rajput around 4:30 pm at Sona Pandi Gali in Machil, according to reports. "In an unfortunate incident of avalanche in Machhil sector, the Army lost three valiant soldiers," an army official said. The avalanche struck two days after a 24-hour avalanche warning was issued in several districts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Kupwara, on Wednesday, shortly after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region jolted parts of north India, reports said.

J&K: 3 soldiers killed after avalanche in army post

The Pakistani media reported Monday that India had killed three Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control.

It added that one Pakistani soldier was wounded.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
India has killed three Pakistan Army soldiers along LOC at Rakhchikri, Rawlakot sector. One Pak soldier is injured: Pakistan media <a href="https://t.co/mgy2WkaGWy">pic.twitter.com/mgy2WkaGWy</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945339431434600449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Indian Army troops crossed over the Line of Control (PoK) &amp; killed three Pakistani army soldiers, one Pak soldier injured. This was in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday? in ceasefire violation by Pakistan: Intelligence Sources
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945475527619391488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

ANI reported Tuesday, quoting intelligence sources, that Indian Army troops had crossed over the Line of Control and killed the three soldiers.&nbsp;

ANI added that the killings were in retaliation to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-3-soldiers-killed-in-pakistan-ceasefire-violation-in-keri-27540" target="_blank">four Indian Army personnel killed</a> on Saturday in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan.&nbsp;

The Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, said the killings had been caused by a ceasefire violation.&nbsp;

&ldquo;India initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC at Rakhchikri, Rawlakot sector. Three soldiers embraced shahadat (died). One injured,&rdquo; it said on its website.&nbsp;

The ISPR added that Pakistani troops had given a &quot;strong response&quot; to the attack.&nbsp;

Some media outlets&nbsp;however quoted the Indian Army as denying the reports, blaming Pakistan for the ceasefire violation, and saying the Pakistani&nbsp;soldiers may have died in return fire.&nbsp;

The three Pakistani soldiers killed, sources said, belonged to the 59 Baloch Regiment, 12 infantry division.&nbsp;

They were identified as Sepoy Sajjad, M Usma, and Abdul Rehman.&nbsp;

The injured Pakistani soldier was identified as Athzaz Hussain.&nbsp;

The sources added that the &quot;action&quot;&nbsp;took place in the Rakhchakri area of Rawalkot on the afternoon of December 25.&nbsp;

The ceasefire along the LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir has been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-violated-ceasefire-881-times-along-loc-ib-27216" target="_blank">violated </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-violated-ceasefire-881-times-along-loc-ib-27216">881 times this year.</a>&nbsp;

The four Indian soldiers killed on Saturday included a major, two lance naiks, and a sepoy.&nbsp;

Four Indian Army soldiers had been killed in the ceasefire violation in Keri on Saturday

The Pakistani media reported Monday that India had killed three Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control. It added that one Pakistani soldier was wounded. India has killed three Pakistan Army soldiers along LOC at Rakhchikri, Rawlakot sector. One Pak soldier is injured: Pakistan media pic.twitter.com/mgy2WkaGWy — ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2017 × Indian Army troops crossed over the Line of Control (PoK) & killed three Pakistani army soldiers, one Pak soldier injured. This was in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday? in ceasefire violation by Pakistan: Intelligence Sources — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017 × ANI reported Tuesday, quoting intelligence sources, that Indian Army troops had crossed over the Line of Control and killed the three soldiers. ANI added that the killings were in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan. The Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, said the killings had been caused by a ceasefire violation. “India initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC at Rakhchikri, Rawlakot sector. Three soldiers embraced shahadat (died). One injured,” it said on its website. The ISPR added that Pakistani troops had given a "strong response" to the attack. Some media outlets however quoted the Indian Army as denying the reports, blaming Pakistan for the ceasefire violation, and saying the Pakistani soldiers may have died in return fire. The three Pakistani soldiers killed, sources said, belonged to the 59 Baloch Regiment, 12 infantry division. They were identified as Sepoy Sajjad, M Usma, and Abdul Rehman. The injured Pakistani soldier was identified as Athzaz Hussain. The sources added that the "action" took place in the Rakhchakri area of Rawalkot on the afternoon of December 25. The ceasefire along the LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir has been violated 881 times this year. The four Indian soldiers killed on Saturday included a major, two lance naiks, and a sepoy.

Indian Army crosses LoC, kills 3 Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for Keri attack: Report

A roadside bomb killed three soldiers Sunday in a remote part of northwest Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, officials said.

The bombing took place in the village of Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan, one of the country&#39;s seven semi-autonomous tribal areas where the military has been battling Islamist militants, including the Pakistani Taliban.

The soldiers from the paramilitary Frontier Corps were searching for bombs to clear the area for the passage of a convoy, a senior Pakistani security official told AFP.

&quot;Three soldiers ... were martyred in an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blast in Ghulam Khan,&quot; the official said.

Local intelligence officials confirmed the incident and casualties.

It was not possible to independently verify the account as the area is out of bounds for media.

A curfew has been imposed in the area as security forces search for the suspected militants who planted the bomb, the official said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Taliban militants have carried out many similar attacks in the past.

Violence in Pakistan has declined in recent years following a series of military offensives against insurgents along the northwestern border with Afghanistan, but militant groups are still able to carry out bloody attacks.

There have been a number of deadly assaults in recent weeks in the northwest as well as in the southwestern Balochistan province.

This latest wave of attacks came as hundreds of people displaced from their homes during the offensives in North Waziristan prepared to return after the military declared the region safe.

A curfew has been imposed in the area as security forces search for the suspected militants who planted the bomb, the official said

A roadside bomb killed three soldiers Sunday in a remote part of northwest Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, officials said. The bombing took place in the village of Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan, one of the country's seven semi-autonomous tribal areas where the military has been battling Islamist militants, including the Pakistani Taliban. The soldiers from the paramilitary Frontier Corps were searching for bombs to clear the area for the passage of a convoy, a senior Pakistani security official told AFP. "Three soldiers ... were martyred in an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blast in Ghulam Khan," the official said. Local intelligence officials confirmed the incident and casualties. It was not possible to independently verify the account as the area is out of bounds for media. A curfew has been imposed in the area as security forces search for the suspected militants who planted the bomb, the official said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Taliban militants have carried out many similar attacks in the past. Violence in Pakistan has declined in recent years following a series of military offensives against insurgents along the northwestern border with Afghanistan, but militant groups are still able to carry out bloody attacks. There have been a number of deadly assaults in recent weeks in the northwest as well as in the southwestern Balochistan province. This latest wave of attacks came as hundreds of people displaced from their homes during the offensives in North Waziristan prepared to return after the military declared the region safe.

Bomb kills three soldiers in northwest Pakistan: Officials

Prosecutors in Turkey have issued detention orders to over 300 soldiers suspected of having associations to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who was responsible for last year&#39;s attempted coup, media reports said.&nbsp;

According to reports, the suspects included 333 soldiers and 27 civilians - also termed as &quot;secret-imams&quot;. Out of the total accused, seven military members sought were pilots.&nbsp;

It was also reported that two soldiers were detained in Zonguldak and will be taken to Istanbul, where the inquiry will be carried out.

Turkey blamed Gulen behind the July 15, 2016, failed overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Gulen had reportedly denied the claims.

Since last July, over 50,000 people have been arrested in a crackdown on the movement which Turkey has dubbed the &ldquo;Fethullah Terrorist Organization&rdquo; (FETO).

Gulen, living in self-imposed exile in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, insists his group is peaceful and has no links to terror.

Almost everyday, the authorities announce detentions of alleged Gulenists, over 16 months after the coup, media reports say.

According to reports, the suspects included 333 soldiers and 27 civilians - also termed as "secret-imams"

Prosecutors in Turkey have issued detention orders to over 300 soldiers suspected of having associations to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who was responsible for last year's attempted coup, media reports said. According to reports, the suspects included 333 soldiers and 27 civilians - also termed as "secret-imams". Out of the total accused, seven military members sought were pilots. It was also reported that two soldiers were detained in Zonguldak and will be taken to Istanbul, where the inquiry will be carried out. Turkey blamed Gulen behind the July 15, 2016, failed overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Gulen had reportedly denied the claims. Since last July, over 50,000 people have been arrested in a crackdown on the movement which Turkey has dubbed the “Fethullah Terrorist Organization” (FETO). Gulen, living in self-imposed exile in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, insists his group is peaceful and has no links to terror. Almost everyday, the authorities announce detentions of alleged Gulenists, over 16 months after the coup, media reports say.

Turkey arrests over 300 soldiers for links with US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen

The Bangladesh High Court has upheld the death penalty of 139 convicted soldiers for brutally killing 74 army officers and several civilians during the 2009 BDR mutiny.&nbsp;

According to media reports, a three-member bench judge-led by Justice Md. Shawkat Hossain gave the judgment of sending 185 accused to life imprisonment and declared different prison terms to 196 and acquitted 49.&nbsp;

The historic verdict included Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique and Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder as the other members of the bench who heard the death references and appeals against convictions.

Reports say that six out of the 846 allegedly accused in the&nbsp;had died during the course of the trial.&nbsp;

On February 25-26 in 2009, members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), killed 57 army officers and around 17 civilians during the mutiny force&#39;s &nbsp;Pilkhana headquarters.

The mutiny had carried on for two days, a month after a new government was appointed, sending shock waves across Bangladesh and to the rest of the world.

This is the first time so many defendants, 856 in total, had been tried in a single case in the history of Bangladesh.

The High Court has upheld death sentences for 139 people for their roles in the country?s bloodiest mutiny at the border guards? headquarters in Dhaka

The Bangladesh High Court has upheld the death penalty of 139 convicted soldiers for brutally killing 74 army officers and several civilians during the 2009 BDR mutiny. According to media reports, a three-member bench judge-led by Justice Md. Shawkat Hossain gave the judgment of sending 185 accused to life imprisonment and declared different prison terms to 196 and acquitted 49. The historic verdict included Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique and Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder as the other members of the bench who heard the death references and appeals against convictions. Reports say that six out of the 846 allegedly accused in the had died during the course of the trial. On February 25-26 in 2009, members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), killed 57 army officers and around 17 civilians during the mutiny force's Pilkhana headquarters. The mutiny had carried on for two days, a month after a new government was appointed, sending shock waves across Bangladesh and to the rest of the world. This is the first time so many defendants, 856 in total, had been tried in a single case in the history of Bangladesh.

Pilkhana carnage: High Court upholds death for 139 of 152 Bangladesh soldiers

A Bangladesh court on Monday upheld death sentences for 139 soldiers over the massacre of 74 people including 57 senior army officers during a 2009 mutiny, the attorney general said.

&quot;The verdict has upheld the death sentence for 139 people,&quot; Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters after the High Court handed down its judgment in Dhaka.

&quot;Nowhere in the world did anything happen like the way those 57 top army officers were killed,&quot; Alam said.

The sentences will be appealed again to the Supreme Court, which by law has the final say in all capital punishment cases.

In 2013 a court sentenced 152 soldiers to death for the grisly killings in which dozens of officers were shot, hacked to death or burnt alive before being dumped in sewers or shallow graves.

One of those handed the death penalty died in custody, eight others had sentences commuted to life imprisonment and four were acquitted, Alam said.

The sentences were condemned at the time by the UN rights chief, who expressed alarm at such a heavy punishment meted out in a mass trial.

The mutineers stole thousands of weapons in February 2009 before going on a two-day killing spree at a barracks.

Bangladesh has a history of military coups and the massacre threatened the newly-elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which responded by arresting thousands of suspects.

The sentences will be appealed again to the Supreme Court, which by law has the final say in all capital punishment cases

A Bangladesh court on Monday upheld death sentences for 139 soldiers over the massacre of 74 people including 57 senior army officers during a 2009 mutiny, the attorney general said. "The verdict has upheld the death sentence for 139 people," Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters after the High Court handed down its judgment in Dhaka. "Nowhere in the world did anything happen like the way those 57 top army officers were killed," Alam said. The sentences will be appealed again to the Supreme Court, which by law has the final say in all capital punishment cases. In 2013 a court sentenced 152 soldiers to death for the grisly killings in which dozens of officers were shot, hacked to death or burnt alive before being dumped in sewers or shallow graves. One of those handed the death penalty died in custody, eight others had sentences commuted to life imprisonment and four were acquitted, Alam said. The sentences were condemned at the time by the UN rights chief, who expressed alarm at such a heavy punishment meted out in a mass trial. The mutineers stole thousands of weapons in February 2009 before going on a two-day killing spree at a barracks. Bangladesh has a history of military coups and the massacre threatened the newly-elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which responded by arresting thousands of suspects.

Bangladesh upholds death sentence for 139 soldiers for 2009 mutiny

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wished all soldiers, veterans and their families on the occasion of Army Day.

&quot;Greetings to all soldiers, veterans &amp; their families on Army Day.&nbsp;We salute the courage &amp; invaluable service of the Indian Army,&quot; Prime Minister Modi tweeted. Applauding the Indian Army for its courage and valour, the Prime Minister said it has always protected the sovereignty of India.

&quot;Indian Army always leads from the front, be it in protecting the sovereignty of our nation or helping citizens during natural disasters,&quot; he tweeted.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Indian Army always leads from the front, be it in protecting the sovereignty of our nation or helping citizens during natural disasters.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/820439765732339713">January 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Remember the sacrifices made by the army, Prime Minister Modi said they put their lives at risk so that the citizens can live peacefully.

&quot;We remember with great pride all the sacrifices made by our Army. They put their lives at risk so that 125 crore Indians live peacefully,&quot; his tweet read.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We remember with great pride all the sacrifices made by our Army. They put their lives at risk so that 125 crore Indians live peacefully.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/820439886826074112">January 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year, in recognition of Lieutenant General KM Cariappa&#39;s taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949.

(ANI)

Modi said the Indian Army has always protected the sovereignty of India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wished all soldiers, veterans and their families on the occasion of Army Day. "Greetings to all soldiers, veterans & their families on Army Day. We salute the courage & invaluable service of the Indian Army," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. Applauding the Indian Army for its courage and valour, the Prime Minister said it has always protected the sovereignty of India. "Indian Army always leads from the front, be it in protecting the sovereignty of our nation or helping citizens during natural disasters," he tweeted. Indian Army always leads from the front, be it in protecting the sovereignty of our nation or helping citizens during natural disasters. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 15, 2017 × Remember the sacrifices made by the army, Prime Minister Modi said they put their lives at risk so that the citizens can live peacefully. "We remember with great pride all the sacrifices made by our Army. They put their lives at risk so that 125 crore Indians live peacefully," his tweet read. We remember with great pride all the sacrifices made by our Army. They put their lives at risk so that 125 crore Indians live peacefully. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 15, 2017 × Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year, in recognition of Lieutenant General KM Cariappa's taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949. (ANI)

India: Prime Minister Modi salutes courage and service of soldiers on Army Day

In the aftermath of Indian army&#39;s &quot;punitive fire assaults&quot;, DGMOs of India and Pakistan spoke today at the latter&#39;s request for an &quot;unscheduled hotline interaction&quot; during which the &quot;unethical&quot; act of mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers by &quot;terrorists&quot; was raised, news agency PTI reported.

&quot;He (Pakistani Director General of Military Operations) was categorically informed that if any ceasefire violations were initiated by Pak troops or any infiltration attempt was made by terrorists from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir or territory under its control, it would invite an appropriate response by Indian army,&quot; a statement issued by the Indian DGMO&#39;s office said.

Indian DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh spoke of infiltration attempts by terrorists from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir and &quot;unethical act of mutilation of the body of Indian soldiers close to the Line of Control by terrorists infiltrating from Pakistan&quot;, the PTI report stated.

Pakistan&#39;s DGMO was exhorted to exercise strict control on their troops to refrain from any &quot;nefarious activities&quot;, it said.

Headlined &quot;Aftermath of Indian Army&#39;s punitive fire assault: Pak DGMO requests for unscheduled talks on hotline&quot;, the report said that Pakistan&#39;s restraint would lead to normalcy along the Line of Control.

Pakistan&#39;s DGMO&nbsp;raised the issue of civilian casualties on his side caused by Indian firing at the Line of Control.

Lt Gen Singh expressed grief at civilian casualties but stated that &quot;retaliatory firing by Indian troops has only been carried out targeting locations from where Pakistan has initiated ceasefire violations on Indian posts&quot;.

Pakistan Army had earlier said that seven people, including three soldiers, were killed in an exchange of fire with Indian troops at the LoC.

Three Indian soldiers were killed in cross-border firing yesterday, with the&nbsp;body of one being mutilated, the Indian Army had said.

Today&#39;s offensive by the Indian army was what it called &quot;heavy retribution&quot; to the killing of its soldiers.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

The talks were initiated by Pakistan today after Indian Army's 'heavy retribution' to the killing of three Indian soldiers on Tuesday

In the aftermath of Indian army's "punitive fire assaults", DGMOs of India and Pakistan spoke today at the latter's request for an "unscheduled hotline interaction" during which the "unethical" act of mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers by "terrorists" was raised, news agency PTI reported. "He (Pakistani Director General of Military Operations) was categorically informed that if any ceasefire violations were initiated by Pak troops or any infiltration attempt was made by terrorists from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir or territory under its control, it would invite an appropriate response by Indian army," a statement issued by the Indian DGMO's office said. Indian DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh spoke of infiltration attempts by terrorists from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir and "unethical act of mutilation of the body of Indian soldiers close to the Line of Control by terrorists infiltrating from Pakistan", the PTI report stated. Pakistan's DGMO was exhorted to exercise strict control on their troops to refrain from any "nefarious activities", it said. Headlined "Aftermath of Indian Army's punitive fire assault: Pak DGMO requests for unscheduled talks on hotline", the report said that Pakistan's restraint would lead to normalcy along the Line of Control. Pakistan's DGMO raised the issue of civilian casualties on his side caused by Indian firing at the Line of Control. Lt Gen Singh expressed grief at civilian casualties but stated that "retaliatory firing by Indian troops has only been carried out targeting locations from where Pakistan has initiated ceasefire violations on Indian posts". Pakistan Army had earlier said that seven people, including three soldiers, were killed in an exchange of fire with Indian troops at the LoC. Three Indian soldiers were killed in cross-border firing yesterday, with the body of one being mutilated, the Indian Army had said. Today's offensive by the Indian army was what it called "heavy retribution" to the killing of its soldiers. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India, Pakistan top military commanders talk after two days of cross-border firing

Three soldiers of the Indian Army were killed and the body of one mutilated in Macchal, Jammu and Kashmir, the army said on Tuesday.

&quot;Retribution will be heavy for this cowardly act,&quot; the army said in a statement. &quot;The incident will be responded to appropriately,&quot; it added.

This is the second incident in a month of a soldier being mutilated.

The intruders are believed to have escaped.

Terrorists mutilated the body of 27-year-old Sepoy Mandeep Singh before running back into Pakistan-Controlled Kashmir, under cover fire provided by Pakistan army.

(WION)

This is the second incident in a month of a soldier being mutilated, the Indian Army said

Three soldiers of the Indian Army were killed and the body of one mutilated in Macchal, Jammu and Kashmir, the army said on Tuesday. "Retribution will be heavy for this cowardly act," the army said in a statement. "The incident will be responded to appropriately," it added. This is the second incident in a month of a soldier being mutilated. The intruders are believed to have escaped. Terrorists mutilated the body of 27-year-old Sepoy Mandeep Singh before running back into Pakistan-Controlled Kashmir, under cover fire provided by Pakistan army. (WION)

3 Indian Army soldiers killed in Jammu and Kashmir, body of 1 mutilated

In a rare ruling, seven soldiers in Myanmar have been jailed for killing villagers during an interrogation, the military said,&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Seven Myanmar army soldiers are sentenced to five years for killing local people in Mong Yaw village in Lashio township, Shan State,&quot; an official statement on Facebook read.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They all have to be sentenced to five years with hard labour in&nbsp;countryside&nbsp;prison,&quot; the statement mentioned. 
 
The bodies of the villagers were reportedly found in graves days after they were detained by soldiers following an altercation with ethnic rebels in the Shan state. 
 
Ever since her party took over in March, democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi has prioritised&nbsp;ending warfare, but the military that still has control over key government bodies will be a crucial player in bringing peace to the borderlands.&nbsp; 
 
US President Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday&nbsp;to lift sanctions, which were imposed when the former military junta was in power, following Suu Kyi&#39;s visit to the White House.&nbsp; 
 
Activists have, however, condemned the&nbsp;move, saying it removes a key lever for applying pressure on the army. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP) 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The army, which has long operated with?impunity,?has made a rare admission of misconduct among its troops

In a rare ruling, seven soldiers in Myanmar have been jailed for killing villagers during an interrogation, the military said, "Seven Myanmar army soldiers are sentenced to five years for killing local people in Mong Yaw village in Lashio township, Shan State," an official statement on Facebook read. "They all have to be sentenced to five years with hard labour in countryside prison," the statement mentioned. The bodies of the villagers were reportedly found in graves days after they were detained by soldiers following an altercation with ethnic rebels in the Shan state. Ever since her party took over in March, democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi has prioritised ending warfare, but the military that still has control over key government bodies will be a crucial player in bringing peace to the borderlands. US President Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday to lift sanctions, which were imposed when the former military junta was in power, following Suu Kyi's visit to the White House. Activists have, however, condemned the move, saying it removes a key lever for applying pressure on the army. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Seven Myanmar soldiers jailed for killing villagers

Seven Myanmar soldiers on trial for murder have admitted their involvement in the killing of five villagers in northern Shan State, according to witnesses at an unprecedented court martial. 
 
In a highly unusual move, the army invited 15 residents from the remote village of Mong Yaw, where the killings took place, to witness the court martial at a nearby military base on Tuesday. Four of them have described the proceedings to Reuters. 
 
&quot;The judge read the murder case reports and asked for confessions from the soldiers, who admitted they were responsible,&quot; said Sai Kaung Kham, a Mong Yaw villager who has been helping the families attending the military trial. 
 
Military officials did not respond to requests for comment, and it was not possible to independently verify the testimony at the closed proceedings in the northern city of Lashio.&nbsp; 
 
In July, in a rare public admission of wrongdoing by the still-powerful military, intelligence chief Mya Tun Oo told reporters the army was responsible for killing five men from Mong Yaw and said the culprits would be prosecuted.&nbsp;Witnesses had previously told Reuters that soldiers rounded up dozens of men from the village, in an area riven by a long-running ethnic insurgency, on June 25 and led five away. Their bodies were found in a shallow grave a few days later. 
 
Both the news conference by one of the country&#39;s most senior generals and the invitation to villagers to attend the military trial were unprecedented. The army has occasionally acknowledged troops have been at fault in previous incidents, but has usually done so in vaguely worded official statements. 
 
The response this time suggests a heightened sensitivity about the military&#39;s image as it tries to present itself as a responsible partner in Myanmar&#39;s democratic transition and seeks closer ties with Western counterparts. 
 
Military representatives contacted in the capital Naypyitaw and at the Northeast Command in Lashio did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the trial. 
 
Knifed to death 
 
Myanmar&#39;s armed forces have often been accused by human rights groups of abuses during decades of conflict with ethnic armed groups in the country&#39;s lawless border zones, but campaigners such as Amnesty International say it is extremely rare for soldiers to be held to account. 
 
Mong Yaw lies in a distant corner of Shan State, where thousands of people have been displaced by decades of fighting between the military and ethnic insurgents.&nbsp;Three officers and three lower-ranking soldiers have admitted murdering the villagers, according to the witnesses present at the court martial.&nbsp;The seventh serviceman, the highest-ranking of those on trial, said he did not order the soldiers to &quot;kill&quot; the villagers, but to &quot;clear them out&quot;. 
 
The soldiers said they had arrested and interrogated five men and found two of them were related to a local ethnic armed group. They said they asked their superiors for further instructions, villager Sai Kaung Kham said.&nbsp;The low-ranking soldiers then proceeded to kill the villagers, acting on orders, the witnesses at the trial said. 
 
&quot;They were worried that if they let the three villagers go back, they would tell others they had been tortured,&quot; the soldiers told the court martial, according to Sai Kaung Kham.&nbsp;Before killing them, the soldiers dressed some of the men in camouflage trousers, Sai Kaung Kham and other witnesses said.&nbsp;It was not clear when the court martial would end. 
 
Aye Lu, the wife of Aik Sai who was one of the men killed, said that at the court martial one of the soldiers admitted knifing her husband to death.&nbsp;&quot;I want to see those who killed my husband sent to jail,&quot; she said. 
 
(Reuters)

The army invited 15 residents from the village Mong Yaw, where the killings took place, to witness the soldiers' rare public admission

Seven Myanmar soldiers on trial for murder have admitted their involvement in the killing of five villagers in northern Shan State, according to witnesses at an unprecedented court martial. In a highly unusual move, the army invited 15 residents from the remote village of Mong Yaw, where the killings took place, to witness the court martial at a nearby military base on Tuesday. Four of them have described the proceedings to Reuters. "The judge read the murder case reports and asked for confessions from the soldiers, who admitted they were responsible," said Sai Kaung Kham, a Mong Yaw villager who has been helping the families attending the military trial. Military officials did not respond to requests for comment, and it was not possible to independently verify the testimony at the closed proceedings in the northern city of Lashio. In July, in a rare public admission of wrongdoing by the still-powerful military, intelligence chief Mya Tun Oo told reporters the army was responsible for killing five men from Mong Yaw and said the culprits would be prosecuted. Witnesses had previously told Reuters that soldiers rounded up dozens of men from the village, in an area riven by a long-running ethnic insurgency, on June 25 and led five away. Their bodies were found in a shallow grave a few days later. Both the news conference by one of the country's most senior generals and the invitation to villagers to attend the military trial were unprecedented. The army has occasionally acknowledged troops have been at fault in previous incidents, but has usually done so in vaguely worded official statements. The response this time suggests a heightened sensitivity about the military's image as it tries to present itself as a responsible partner in Myanmar's democratic transition and seeks closer ties with Western counterparts. Military representatives contacted in the capital Naypyitaw and at the Northeast Command in Lashio did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the trial. Knifed to death Myanmar's armed forces have often been accused by human rights groups of abuses during decades of conflict with ethnic armed groups in the country's lawless border zones, but campaigners such as Amnesty International say it is extremely rare for soldiers to be held to account. Mong Yaw lies in a distant corner of Shan State, where thousands of people have been displaced by decades of fighting between the military and ethnic insurgents. Three officers and three lower-ranking soldiers have admitted murdering the villagers, according to the witnesses present at the court martial. The seventh serviceman, the highest-ranking of those on trial, said he did not order the soldiers to "kill" the villagers, but to "clear them out". The soldiers said they had arrested and interrogated five men and found two of them were related to a local ethnic armed group. They said they asked their superiors for further instructions, villager Sai Kaung Kham said. The low-ranking soldiers then proceeded to kill the villagers, acting on orders, the witnesses at the trial said. "They were worried that if they let the three villagers go back, they would tell others they had been tortured," the soldiers told the court martial, according to Sai Kaung Kham. Before killing them, the soldiers dressed some of the men in camouflage trousers, Sai Kaung Kham and other witnesses said. It was not clear when the court martial would end. Aye Lu, the wife of Aik Sai who was one of the men killed, said that at the court martial one of the soldiers admitted knifing her husband to death. "I want to see those who killed my husband sent to jail," she said. (Reuters)

Myanmar soldiers confess involvement in village killing in unprecedented court martial

The United Nations has documented at least 120 cases of rape since a recent flareup of violence in South Sudan and is investigating allegations that its peacekeepers did nothing to stop the violence, a spokesman said yesterday. 
 
&quot;We take very seriously the allegations that peacekeepers did not render aid to civilians in distress,&quot; said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. 
 
&quot;Of course that is exactly what they are supposed to do and there would be serious repercussions if they failed in their duty,&quot; he added. 
 
Media reports quoted witnesses who said peacekeepers looked on and did nothing during at least one assault on a woman. 
 
The Associated Press interviewed a witness who said at least 30 peacekeepers from Chinese and Nepalese battalions watched as a woman screamed for help during an assault by two soldiers near the base&#39;s gate. 
 
Haq said the command of the UN force in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, was looking into the allegations that peacekeepers failed to protect civilians. 
 
South Sudanese soldiers in uniform and men in plain clothes were allegedly involved in the sexual violence, including gang rapes, against civilians near a UN base in Juba and other areas of the capital, said Haq. 
 
Some of the victims were minors, he added. 
 
Juba was rocked by several days of heavy fighting starting on July 9 between government forces and those loyal to rebel chief Riek Machar, the latest upsurge in the two and half year war. 
 
Nearly 300 people died in the violence and thousands rushed to UN peacekeeping bases for safety. 
 
In response to the increase in rapes, UN peacekeepers have stepped up patrols around the base and in the city. 
 
They are also accompanying women who venture out of the base to collect firewood and procure other items, said Haq. 
 
UNMISS has 13,500 troops and police deployed across South Sudan under a mandate that calls for the protection of civilians. 
 
(AFP)

Chinese and Nepalese battalions watched as a woman screamed for help during an assault by two soldiers, a witness told Associated Press

The United Nations has documented at least 120 cases of rape since a recent flareup of violence in South Sudan and is investigating allegations that its peacekeepers did nothing to stop the violence, a spokesman said yesterday. "We take very seriously the allegations that peacekeepers did not render aid to civilians in distress," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. "Of course that is exactly what they are supposed to do and there would be serious repercussions if they failed in their duty," he added. Media reports quoted witnesses who said peacekeepers looked on and did nothing during at least one assault on a woman. The Associated Press interviewed a witness who said at least 30 peacekeepers from Chinese and Nepalese battalions watched as a woman screamed for help during an assault by two soldiers near the base's gate. Haq said the command of the UN force in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, was looking into the allegations that peacekeepers failed to protect civilians. South Sudanese soldiers in uniform and men in plain clothes were allegedly involved in the sexual violence, including gang rapes, against civilians near a UN base in Juba and other areas of the capital, said Haq. Some of the victims were minors, he added. Juba was rocked by several days of heavy fighting starting on July 9 between government forces and those loyal to rebel chief Riek Machar, the latest upsurge in the two and half year war. Nearly 300 people died in the violence and thousands rushed to UN peacekeeping bases for safety. In response to the increase in rapes, UN peacekeepers have stepped up patrols around the base and in the city. They are also accompanying women who venture out of the base to collect firewood and procure other items, said Haq. UNMISS has 13,500 troops and police deployed across South Sudan under a mandate that calls for the protection of civilians. (AFP)

UN peacekeepers accused of failing to stop South Sudan rapes

French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve on Saturday called on young citizens to become reservists and help boost security forces in the wake of the country&#39;s latest terror attack. 
 
France&#39;s &quot;operational reservists&quot; include French citizens with or without military experience as well as former soldiers. 
 
&quot;I want to call on all French patriots who wish to do so, to join this operational reserve,&quot; said Cazeneuve.&nbsp;His call comes after the government has been criticised for not doing more to stop attacks.&nbsp; 
 
The Islamic State group has said it was behind Thursday&#39;s truck massacre in Nice which left 84 people dead and many more injured.&nbsp;It was the third major Islamist attack which France has suffered in the past 18 months. 
 
French President Francois Hollande said on Friday that the new reservists would be called upon to boost the ranks of police and gendarmes.&nbsp;Details of how to become a reservist were swiftly posted on the national gendarmerie&#39;s website. 
 
Volunteers must be between 17 and 30 years of age, have the right physical and moral aptitude and undergo military training.&nbsp;They will only be required during the summer period, while the regular reservists are on holiday, said Cazeneuve. 
 
The operational reserve is currently made up of 12,000 volunteers, 9,000 of whom are within the paramilitary police and 3,000 in the regular police force, said Cazeneuve. 
 
&quot;We are going to reinforce the presence of security forces across the country,&quot; he added. 
 
He said the number of security forces deployed to protect the population was nearly 100,000, including 53,000 police, 36,000 para-military police and 10,000 soldiers. 
 
(AFP)

New volunteers will only be required during the summer period, while the regular reservists are on holiday

French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve on Saturday called on young citizens to become reservists and help boost security forces in the wake of the country's latest terror attack. France's "operational reservists" include French citizens with or without military experience as well as former soldiers. "I want to call on all French patriots who wish to do so, to join this operational reserve," said Cazeneuve. His call comes after the government has been criticised for not doing more to stop attacks. The Islamic State group has said it was behind Thursday's truck massacre in Nice which left 84 people dead and many more injured. It was the third major Islamist attack which France has suffered in the past 18 months. French President Francois Hollande said on Friday that the new reservists would be called upon to boost the ranks of police and gendarmes. Details of how to become a reservist were swiftly posted on the national gendarmerie's website. Volunteers must be between 17 and 30 years of age, have the right physical and moral aptitude and undergo military training. They will only be required during the summer period, while the regular reservists are on holiday, said Cazeneuve. The operational reserve is currently made up of 12,000 volunteers, 9,000 of whom are within the paramilitary police and 3,000 in the regular police force, said Cazeneuve. "We are going to reinforce the presence of security forces across the country," he added. He said the number of security forces deployed to protect the population was nearly 100,000, including 53,000 police, 36,000 para-military police and 10,000 soldiers. (AFP)

France urges young citizens to join reservists after Nice attack

The Indian Government on Thursday morning launched the &#39;Sankat Mochan&#39; operation to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. 
 
India sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to war torn South Sudan&#39;s capital city Juba to evacuate Indians stranded there, an exercise which is being led by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. 
 
Singh had also supervised the evacuation of nearly 4,000 Indians from conflict-ridden Yemen last year. 
 
An official advisory said that only Indian nationals with valid Indian travel document will be allowed boarding with maximum five kilogram cabin baggage and no check-in pieces. It also said that women and children will be accommodated on priority. 
 
Apart from Singh, Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations), will also travel to Juba. 
 
India has been closely monitoring developments in South Sudan, which is witnessing heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city. A task force has been set up for the purpose. 
 
According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of which 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. 
 
(DNA)

India sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to war torn South Sudan's capital city Juba to evacuate Indians stranded there

The Indian Government on Thursday morning launched the 'Sankat Mochan' operation to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. India sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to war torn South Sudan's capital city Juba to evacuate Indians stranded there, an exercise which is being led by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. Singh had also supervised the evacuation of nearly 4,000 Indians from conflict-ridden Yemen last year. An official advisory said that only Indian nationals with valid Indian travel document will be allowed boarding with maximum five kilogram cabin baggage and no check-in pieces. It also said that women and children will be accommodated on priority. Apart from Singh, Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations), will also travel to Juba. India has been closely monitoring developments in South Sudan, which is witnessing heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city. A task force has been set up for the purpose. According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of which 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. (DNA)

India launches operation to rescue nationals from South Sudan

Mexican soldiers killed five suspected criminals in a gunfight in a northern state where 14 other people were murdered over the weekend, authorities said.&nbsp;The shootout took place on Sunday on a road in the town of Valle Hermoso, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the US border, in the state of Tamaulipas. 
 
The soldiers were on the road when they saw armed civilians and ordered them to stop, according to the Tamaulipas Coordination Group of federal and state security forces.&nbsp;The civilians &quot;ignored them and began to shoot at the soldiers, who repelled the attack in self-defense&quot;, the group said in a statement. 
 
The dead suspects are part of a criminal group that operates in the region, the statement said yesterday, without identifying the gang. 
The Gulf cartel and their rivals, Los Zetas, have fought brutal turf wars in Tamaulipas for years.&nbsp;On Saturday, 11 members of the same family were killed by gunmen in their home in Ciudad Victoria, the state capital. 
 
Three people from another family were murdered less than an hour later in another home.&nbsp;The government said the killings in Ciudad Victoria appeared to be related to a dispute between rival gangs. 
 
(AFP)

The shootout took place 40 miles south of the US border in Valle Hermoso, where 14 other people were murdered over the weekend

Mexican soldiers killed five suspected criminals in a gunfight in a northern state where 14 other people were murdered over the weekend, authorities said. The shootout took place on Sunday on a road in the town of Valle Hermoso, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the US border, in the state of Tamaulipas. The soldiers were on the road when they saw armed civilians and ordered them to stop, according to the Tamaulipas Coordination Group of federal and state security forces. The civilians "ignored them and began to shoot at the soldiers, who repelled the attack in self-defense", the group said in a statement. The dead suspects are part of a criminal group that operates in the region, the statement said yesterday, without identifying the gang. The Gulf cartel and their rivals, Los Zetas, have fought brutal turf wars in Tamaulipas for years. On Saturday, 11 members of the same family were killed by gunmen in their home in Ciudad Victoria, the state capital. Three people from another family were murdered less than an hour later in another home. The government said the killings in Ciudad Victoria appeared to be related to a dispute between rival gangs. (AFP)

Mexican soldiers kill 5 suspected criminals in gunfight

Niger vowed to avenge the deaths of 24 of its soldiers who were killed by Boko Haram insurgents in one of the jihadist group`s deadliest attacks in the country. 
 
&quot;We must continue to fight, this insult must be expunged, there is nothing to be done, it must be avenged,&quot; Defence Minister Hassoumi Massoudou said Sunday. 
 
The minister was speaking to troops at a garrison at Bosso, near the Nigerian border where the deadly attack took place on Friday, according to a broadcast on state television on Monday. 
 
The bradcast said the minister visited military positions in Bosso accompanied by army chiefs and Nigerian General Lamidi Adeosun, head of the multinational force that groups soldiers from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad to fight Boko Haram. 
The minister also toured the town to view to scale of the damage caused by the Islamic insurgents, the television said. 
 
It showed images of a burnt-out military transport vehicle and a town seemingly devoid of its 20,000 residents and Nigerian refugees. 
 
&quot;It`s terrible, all of Niger is crying,&quot; said Massoudou, adding that he felt &quot;deeply wounded&quot; after visiting the site of the bloodshed. 
The attack &quot;will unfortunately be engraved on the history of our people.&quot; 
 
He urged the troops to keep their &quot;morale high&quot; as &quot;we will win this war.&quot; 
 
Twenty-four Nigerien and two Nigerian soldiers were killed in the attack by hundreds of Boko Haram assailants on a military post in Bosso, the government said in a statement Monday.&nbsp; 
 
The defence ministry earlier said that a total of 32 soldiers had been killed.&nbsp; 
 
Some 67 soldiers were injured, according to the updated statement, while 55 Boko Haram fighters were killed and &quot;many&quot; injured. &quot;On the enemy`s side, several dead and injured were taken away,&quot; the ministry said. 
 
Local resident and former MP Elhaj Aboubacar said: &quot;They drove up at twilight, shouting Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest), they fired a lot of shots and torched many places in Bosso.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We don`t know where our military went, but one thing is for sure, Boko Haram were able to do what they liked until dawn,&quot; Aboubacar said. 
 
It was one of the deadliest attacks by Boko Haram in Niger since the Islamist group began launching raids in the country in February 2015 from its stronghold in neighbouring Nigeria. 
 
Boko Haram`s seven-year insurgency has devastated infrastructure in Nigeria`s impoverished northeast and forced around 2.1 million people in Nigeria to flee their homes, according to the UN`s refugee agency. 
 
The unrest has left at least 20,000 people dead in Nigeria and made more than 2.6 million homeless. 
 
Since Friday`s attacks, thousands of residents have fled Bosso to &quot;more secure areas&quot;, a UN source said. 
 
Water, food, shelter and medical aid remain &quot;the most urgent needs&quot;, the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in Niamey. 
 
It said humanitarian aid missions to Bosso were suspended for security reasons. 
The attack comes as the multinational force prepares to launch a &quot;decisive&quot; offensive against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

Niger vowed to avenge the deaths of 24 of its soldiers who were killed by Boko Haram insurgents in one of the jihadist group`s deadliest attacks in the country

Niger vowed to avenge the deaths of 24 of its soldiers who were killed by Boko Haram insurgents in one of the jihadist group`s deadliest attacks in the country. "We must continue to fight, this insult must be expunged, there is nothing to be done, it must be avenged," Defence Minister Hassoumi Massoudou said Sunday. The minister was speaking to troops at a garrison at Bosso, near the Nigerian border where the deadly attack took place on Friday, according to a broadcast on state television on Monday. The bradcast said the minister visited military positions in Bosso accompanied by army chiefs and Nigerian General Lamidi Adeosun, head of the multinational force that groups soldiers from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad to fight Boko Haram. The minister also toured the town to view to scale of the damage caused by the Islamic insurgents, the television said. It showed images of a burnt-out military transport vehicle and a town seemingly devoid of its 20,000 residents and Nigerian refugees. "It`s terrible, all of Niger is crying," said Massoudou, adding that he felt "deeply wounded" after visiting the site of the bloodshed. The attack "will unfortunately be engraved on the history of our people." He urged the troops to keep their "morale high" as "we will win this war." Twenty-four Nigerien and two Nigerian soldiers were killed in the attack by hundreds of Boko Haram assailants on a military post in Bosso, the government said in a statement Monday. The defence ministry earlier said that a total of 32 soldiers had been killed. Some 67 soldiers were injured, according to the updated statement, while 55 Boko Haram fighters were killed and "many" injured. "On the enemy`s side, several dead and injured were taken away," the ministry said. Local resident and former MP Elhaj Aboubacar said: "They drove up at twilight, shouting Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest), they fired a lot of shots and torched many places in Bosso." "We don`t know where our military went, but one thing is for sure, Boko Haram were able to do what they liked until dawn," Aboubacar said. It was one of the deadliest attacks by Boko Haram in Niger since the Islamist group began launching raids in the country in February 2015 from its stronghold in neighbouring Nigeria. Boko Haram`s seven-year insurgency has devastated infrastructure in Nigeria`s impoverished northeast and forced around 2.1 million people in Nigeria to flee their homes, according to the UN`s refugee agency. The unrest has left at least 20,000 people dead in Nigeria and made more than 2.6 million homeless. Since Friday`s attacks, thousands of residents have fled Bosso to "more secure areas", a UN source said. Water, food, shelter and medical aid remain "the most urgent needs", the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in Niamey. It said humanitarian aid missions to Bosso were suspended for security reasons. The attack comes as the multinational force prepares to launch a "decisive" offensive against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

Niger vows to avenge deadly raid by Boko Haram

soldiers

Soldiers, News on Soldiers, stories on Soldiers, articles on Soldiers, Soldiers stories at Wion, Soldiers news, Soldiers latest news