A major fire broke out early on Friday in one of the largest ammunition depots of the Indian Army at Panagarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal, gutting a store house containing a large number of small arms and ammunition.
Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan alias Karuna, who was the eastern commander of the LTTE before he fell out with Prabhakaran in 2004, and Daya Master, who surrendered to the army recently, were taken by the government to Puthumatalan to identify Prabhakaran's bullet-ridden body. "The body is of Prabhakaran's, there is no doubt about this," said Karuna, now a federal minister
The military delegation will be in Delhi "shortly" and confer with top Indian Army officials as well as those in the ministry of external affairs to evolve a road map for a counter-insurgency strategy, reports Nitin Gokhale.
'Since each chief single-mindedly pursues his service's interests in the competition for turf and in core matters such as budget share. The CDS, therefore, must act as an "honest broker" whose decisions serve the broader national purpose, rather than narrow service interests,' says Ajai Shukla.
The Army has pressed 18 columns and 17 more would be mobilised in two more days, taking the total number to 35, for carrying out relief and rescue operations in flood ravaged areas in north Bihar.General Commanding Officer of Eastern Command Lieutenant General H S Panag told newspersons that a total of 18 columns had already reached the flood affected areas and 17 more would reach by September 3, making it a total of 35.
Vice Admiral Singh is scheduled to take charge as the new Navy chief from incumbent Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is set to demit office on May 31.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday instructed the Central authorities to extend all medical care for Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Bannerjee in view of deterioration in her health.
General Bakshi is understood to have been assured by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that the process was under way to appoint him as India's first tri-service commander, a post that would, at least nominally, place him senior to General Rawat.
" ...the military (is) being increasingly drawn into the political discourse, it's being used to win political arguments"
Defence ministry says the focus was on suitability and merit for the selection of the new Army chief.
The army is fully prepared to defend its borders along China and would ensure that a situation like that of 1962 is not repeated in the event of any military engagement with that country, Chief of Army Staff Gen J J Singh said on Friday.
South African Army Chief Lt Gen Solly Zacharia Shoke, arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday after visiting the Indian Army's premier jungle warfare training school at Vairengte in Mizoram.
India, US troops will hold anti-terror drill in the N-E state
This will be the first instance since Independence that two of the three service chiefs will be the government's chosen men.
'There is no accountability in this country at all. You can get away with anything. When that happens... the younger generation, who does it learn from?' asks General M L Thapan.
Speculation are rife that he may seek premature retirement or will be given a new role by the government.
Mohd Azmal Haque -- who retired as a junior commissioned officer last year -- has been asked to prove that he is an Indian and not an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant.
Flying Officer Sinha, hailing from Jamshedpur, was a newly commissioned officer and his family has already been informed about his death, an IAF spokesman said in Shillong.
The fact that the PLA patrol came nearly 20 km deep into what India perceives as its own territory and stayed put -- for four days -- has made the Eastern Command a little more cautious about Chinese intentions, reports RS Chauhan
Gen Naravane also said the Army will enhance combat capabilities along the border with China so that it is fully prepared to deal with any security challenge.
The air defence command is to be rolled out by the beginning of next year and the Peninsula command by the end of 2021, Gen Rawat told a select group of journalists. The Indian Air Force will helm the air defence command and all-long range missiles as well as air defence assets will come under it, he said.
The funeral will take place on Thursday with full military honours, army sources said.
Deputy Chief of General Staff, People's Liberation Army, Gen Wu Quanxi, will arrive in Kolkata on Friday to visit the Indian Army's Eastern Command headquarters.
The 1971 war reaffirmed the importance of inspirational senior leadership in battle and heralded the emergence of a new fighting class amongst officers and men of India's armed forces.
Comprising not just the gritty Gorkhas, but also men from Kumaon and Garhwal regions, Sir Robert Colquhuon had raised the regiment on April 24, 1815 in Uttaranchal's Almora.
'In terms of sheer incompetence, this government has rivaled the Rajiv Gandhi-led government that was derisively called the 'Baba-log' government for its naive handling of many issues,' notes Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Air Commodore Nitin Sathe discovers how the IAF trained Pakistani air force pilots, during the 1971 War, which led to the birth of the Bangladesh air force.
The Centre held that seniority is not the sole criterion for selection.
Let us hope that what happened in 1962 will never happened again, prays Claude Arpi
'Ladakh is a tiny salami-slice issue.' 'The big one for China is Arunachal Pradesh, more than 83,000 sq km.' 'Do they imagine they can grab any of this by force?' 'In the 21st century, nursing those thoughts only means you need to get your heads examined.' 'It isn't going to happen,' declares Shekhar Gupta.
The defence ministry has taken the Election Commission's approval for appointment of a new navy chief after Admiral D K Joshi resigned on moral grounds after frequent mishaps in the force.
The largest indigenously-built warship INS Kolkata, to be inducted into the Navy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 16, will be commissioned without its main air defence weapon which protects the vessel from aerial attacks.
Major Rohit Suri and Naib Subedar Vijay Kumar were honoured at a military investiture ceremony.
Sonowal said the judgement is a reflection of India's democratic values where human rights and fairness are respected.
Both sides are fielding the same number of troops for the joint exercises, which will culminate on October.
Lt General Rawat belongs to the famous 5th Battalion of 11th Gorkha Rifles. He is the current vice chief of army staff of Indian Army.
'My brave JCO managed to get to the gun, sit on top of the dead man and fired away at the attacking aircraft till they melted away into the darkness.'
Promit Kumar Mitra, 48, who is in the realty business, was held from his residence in south Kolkata by a team of Military Intelligence officers before being handed over to Kolkata Police at Maidan Police Station on Thursday, they said.
The Naga Rengma Hills Protection Force has claimed responsibility for the killing of nine people of the Karbi community, all residents of Assam's Karbi Anglong district on December 28.
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