Militants kill nine police in Iraq's north: officials

BAGHDAD: Militants have killed nine policemen in an attack in the Iraq’s north, police said.

A police officer said an unspecified number of militants attacked a police headquarters outside the northern city of Mosul early on Wednesday.

He said the attack triggered a shootout that left nine policemen dead and two wounded.

There were apparently no casualties among the attackers, the police officer said.

European Parliament identifies Wahabi and Salafi roots of global terrorism

It is not merely the faith or oil that flows out of Saudi Arabia. The oil-rich Arab state and its neighbours are busy financing Wahabi and Salafi militants across the globe.

A recent report by the European Parliament reveals how Wahabi and Salafi groups based out of the Middle East are involved in the "support and supply of arms to rebel groups around the world." The report, released in June 2013, was commissioned by European Parliament's Directorate General for External Policies.

Six injured in grenade attack on police vehicle in Srinagar

SRINAGAR: Four policemen and an undertrial were among six persons injured on Wednesday in a grenade attack by militants on a police vehicle in Batamaloo area of the city.

Militants lobbed a grenade on a police vehicle carrying an undertrial at busy Batamaloo bus stand around noon, police said.

The grenade landed and exploded inside the vehicle, resulting in injuries to four policemen and the undertrial Shakeel Ahmad Khatana, police said.

Around 300 militants across Line of Control ready for infiltration in Jammu, says Army

Jammu: Pakistan-based militant groups have intensified their infiltration attempts along the border and around 300 militants continue to be active on the other side of the Line of Control (LoC), just along the Jammu region, the Army today said.

However all those infiltration attempts have been successfully foiled by the troops at the border, General officer commanding (GoC) 16 corps Lieutenant General DS Hooda said, while giving out the figures.
He said the militants are now changing the tactics and targeting Army posts at the LoC in a desperate bid to carry out infiltration.

Sharif govt mulls peace talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to form a "working group" this month to hold peace talks with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other Islamist militant groups, in an effort to end continuous violence in the country, according to a media report.

The working group is expected to be announced after an all-party conference scheduled to be held later this month to build a consensus on the proposed national security policy, The Express Tribune reported on Monday.

Sharif govt mulls peace talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to form a "working group" this month to hold peace talks with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other Islamist militant groups, in an effort to end continuous violence in the country, according to a media report.

Militant commander killed in Mastung

QUETTA: A militant commander of a defunct sectarian organisation was killed in an operation conducted by security forces in Mastung district of Balochistan on Wednesday.

An intelligence official told Dawn.com on the condition of anonymity that security forces conducted an operation, which lasted for more than an hour, in Dasht area of Mastung district.

He added that two militants of the banned organisation were picked up during the operation and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was also recovered.

PTI separates govt, party offices in KP

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has decided to separate party and government offices in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and asked its five party leaders, now in the government, to vacate their positions with immediate effect.

The Central Election Commission of the PTI announced on Tuesday that KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had been asked to vacate the post of party secretary general for the province after assuming the high public office.

Similarly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, who was holding the position of provincial president, had been asked to quit the party post.

Dozens hurt as car bomb hits Hezbollah Beirut stronghold

A car bomb exploded on Tuesday in a Beirut stronghold district of the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group that has been fighting in Syria’s civil war, wounding at least 38 people, a hospital official told Reuters.

Reports that one employee had been killed in the parking lot where the explosion occurred in Beirut’s southern suburbs could not be confirmed by hospital officials. Sectarian tensions in Lebanon have been high following the intervention of the Shiite Hezbollah in support of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces fighting a two-year revolt.

Afghan Officials Say More Than 20 Taliban Fighters Killed In East

Officials in Afghanistan say more than 20 Taliban militants have been killed in security operations in the country's east.

The largest operation took place in Wardak Province, west of Kabul, where Afghan National Army soldiers killed 16 Taliban and confiscated weapons, cars, and motorcycles belonging to the militia.

A spokesman for the Wardak governor said four additional Taliban were killed in a smaller police operation in the province.

Key Taliban 'commanders' killed in Peshawar operation: security officials

PESHAWAR: Two key militant commanders of the Pakistani Taliban were killed in a successful operation by security forces in Peshawar on Thursday, security officials said.

Security officials told Dawn.Com that security forces were conducting a search operation in the Frontier Region of Peshawar near Mattani when they clashed with the militants, leaving one security personnel and two militants dead in the exchange of gunfire.

Officials identified the two key militant commanders as Rooh ul Amin and Adnan alias Hurera, both belonging to the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

At least six FC persons killed in a militant attack in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: At least six Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were killed and seven others injured when militants attacked the Kishan Ganga check-post near Frontier Region (FR), Jina Kor on Tuesday night.

Police confirmed the incident and said militants also kidnapped two security forces' personnel.

According to police, militants attacked the checkpost at 11:00 pm. A heavy exchange of fire between security forces personnel and the armed men ensued and continued till the early hours of Wednesday morning.