French naval commander expresses concern over China expanding its maritime influence in the region.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded immediate withdrawal of joint security forces from trouble-hit Lalgarh, alleging that the CPI-M had used the security operation to unleash terror in a bid to regain control of the area. "We demand that the Centre take steps to ensure withdrawal of the joint forces at Lalgarh where the CPI-M is capturing village after village with the help of joint forces," she said.
General Naravane's UAE and Saudi Arabia visits communicate India's long awaited arrival in the domain of integrated foreign policy where the diplomatic and the military domains both complement each other much more substantially, observes Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
'The BJP's constitution promises allegiance to India's secularism and socialism.' 'This is the oath that it makes all its members sign,' observes Aakar Patel.
'The Chinese navy is large and expanding both in numbers and capability by the day.' 'India too must take measures to safeguard its own interests, now and in the future.'
It is beyond doubt that the Indian State has gravely erred in its latest counter-insurgency operation in Chhattisgarh and has indeed ended up killing non-combatants, says Bibhu Prasad Routray
The instructor has been removed from his teaching job at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, an official said, citing the outcome of an inquiry by Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey
The arrest of a person 20 days ago put the joint forces hot on the trail of top Maoist leader Kishenji who had called the shots in junglemahal and foxed them for over two years.
Elusive Maoist top gun Kishenji was on Thursday killed in an encounter with joint forces at Burisole forest in West Midnapore district, a day after he narrowly escaped from there.The body of 58-year-old Molajula Koteswar Rao, better known as Kishenji, was found and identified after the Jungle Mahal encounter, a top counter-insurgency force official said.
An alert has been sounded on the Andhra-Orissa border (AOB) and in some Telangana districts of Andhra Pradesh in the wake of the killing of top Maoist leader Kishenji in an encounter.
Virtually throwing a challenge to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has given a seven-day deadline to them to lay down arms, the Maoists on Wednesday called a 24-hour bandh in Junglemahal on October 22 - the day the deadline ends.
Improvised cannons and illegal firearms were seized from near a Communist Party of India-Marxist office and another area in West Bengal on Thursday by the police and the joint forces.
Rifles, guns and ammunition were seized from a Communist Party of India- Marxist party office, a health centre and other places in West Midnapore district on Tuesday, while the hand of a Trinamool Congress worker was chopped off allegedly by a CPI-M worker in Malda district.
A day after a fierce gun-battle at Lakhanpur jungle in Jungle Mahal between Maoists and joint forces, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday appealed to them to give up violence and offered a fresh package. Promising security to Maoists who will surrender, Banerjee said, "We want Maoists to give up the politics of guns and violence and join the mainstream. Return to a normal life with your families."
In a major breakthrough, the joint forces killed top-ranking Maoist leader Sasadhar Mahato and arrested a person at Kapgari in the Jamboni police station area in West Midnapore district.
One person was killed and 25 others were injured, including 18 security personnel, when a clash broke out between joint forces and Maoist-backed People's Committee against Police Atrocities supporters at Chunapara in West Midnapore district on Thursday.
In a major haul, security forces seized 400 kg of local explosives and over 1,700 detonators during an anti-Naxal operation in poll-bound Jharkhand on Monday.
Pentagon has sought direct dialogue between India and China 'free of any coercive aspects'.
A fresh gunbattle broke out between the Maoists and the joint forces in Salboni area on Saturday, while the police remained tightlipped over reports that top leader Kishenji was injured in Thursday's encounter at Hatiloth forest in West Midnapore district.
A day after 26 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and seven were injured in a Maoist ambush in Chhattisgarh''s Narayanpur District, the rebels have called for a shutdown in Jharkhand, Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
After getting a tip-off that a group of 22 Maoists had taken shelter in Ranja forest near Duli village in the Salboni police station area, the joint forces -- comprising Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, COBRA and the state police -- raided the area, West Midnapore District Magistrate N S Nigam said.
Monday's Naxalite attack on a joint forces camp in Silda, West Midnapore, has left the West Bengal government red-faced and the Union home ministry livid. At least 24 paramilitary jawans of the Eastern Frontier Rifles were killed last evening.
Maoists are ready for talks if the Centre stops operations against them, their leader Kishenji said on Friday.
Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the US Joint Forces Command would close, the use of outside contractors would be cut and the number of generals and admirals reduced. The command, which is based in Norfolk, Virginia, has an annual budget of US $ 240 million and 2,800 military and civilian employees.
The West Bengal government said on Friday that the police and intelligence agencies had got information about Maoist leader Kishenji hiding in the state and that he was likely to be arrested soon.
Hours after the deadly Naxal attack left 73 CRPF personnel dead in Chhattisgarh, Maoists on Tuesday claimed for the first time that their top leader Kishenji was alive and well.
"Kisenji is hiding in the district and is injured. His associate Bikash and woman leader Tara are hiding along with him," Midnapore SP Manoj Verma told PTI.
In a daring attack, a group of over 25 Maoists attacked a police camp belonging to the joint forces in Purulia district, West Bengal, injuring ten police personnel, the police said on Sunday. In a retaliatory raid by the forces on a nearby village, three ultras were injured. Purulia Superintendent of Police Rajesh Yadav said Maoists, aided by villagers belonging to the People's Committee against Police Atrocities, raided the Gurpana police camp at approximately 11.30 am.
After a meeting with Buddhadeb, Indrani -- the wife of officer-in-charge of Sankrail police station, Atindranath Dutta -- said they had conveyed to the chief minister Maoist leader Kishenji's demand that the women arrested by joint forces in West Midnapore district be released immediately.
A close aide of top Maoist leader Kishenji and main accused in the Jharkhand MP Sunil Mahato murder case was arrested from a forest in Salboni in West Midnapore district on Friday.
A police officer and a Maoist were killed and two others injured in a gunfight between the security forces and the ultras at Sarenga in Bankura district, the police said on Thursday.A group of armed Maoists shot at and injured local Communist Party of India - Maoist leader Tarashankar Patra late on Wednesday night. On getting the information, police and joint forces rushed to the spot, and a gun-battle ensued.
With firing having erupted in West Midnapore district on Tuesday, Maoist leader Kishenji demanded security forces stop it as a condition for the release of two abducted drivers of Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani.
Maoists have started losing their sway over the people of Lalgarh and its surrounding areas in the wake of a sustained operation by the joint forces and the arrest of tribal leaders Chhatradhar Mahato and Sukhshanti Baske.
A newly-raised armed wing of tribal agitators, aided by Maoists, were responsible for the seven-and-a-half half hour hijack drama of the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express in a jungle area of West Midnapore district of West Bengal.
Security forces have busted a transit naxal camp following an encounter with the ultras during a search operation conducted in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh and recovered a large cache of arms and explosives, police said.
Known as an astute strategist whose non-political interests range from playing chess and watching cricket to stage performances and listening to classical music, 54-year-old Shah is often hailed as the BJP's most successful president for crafting its way to power states after states.
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai sprang a huge surprise when he said that he is not against the idea of a joint force of Afghanistan and Pakistan to patrol the volatile border between the two countries. He was replying to a specific question of Thomas E Freston, investor in media business at the event of the Asia Society in New York.
Vetran of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War Lt Gen J F R Jacob on Friday said the then Pakistan army commander A A K Niazi only wanted to sign a ceasefire deal instead of an "unconditional surrender" as demanded by India. Jacob, who drafted the Instrument of Surrender for the December 16 surrendering ceremony, said the Pakistani commander did not want to sign a document suggesting the "unconditional surrender" to India-Bangladesh joint forces.
Rahman now awaits trial at an ordinary prison ward of Dhaka Central Jail. Legal experts said if convicted he could be imprisoned for five years.
Immigration officials said the suspects, who were to board a plane bound for Afghanistan, could not give any satisfactory answers about the purpose of their visit.
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