Jammu & Kashmir: Terror Ambush Results in 4 Soldiers Killed and 3 Injured. Attack on LeT Offshoot Claims

In J&K, terrorists ambush an army vehicle, killing four soldiers.

According to officials, heavily armed terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, killing four soldiers and injuring three more. According to army sources, at approximately 3:45 pm, the personnel's vehicle was attacked at a blind curve at Dhatyar Morh between Dera Ki Gali while they were en route to the site of a cordon-and-search operation.

The terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), based in Pakistan, has split off into the People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), which has taken credit for the horrific ambush.

In the meantime, a search is underway by the security forces in the Dera ki Gali forest, the scene of the attack.

#WATCH | Security forces are conducting a search operation in the forest area of Dera ki Gali in the Rajouri sector after the terrorist attack on Army vehicles yesterday pic.twitter.com/V56EjGzfC2

— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2023

Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad, the former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, vehemently denounced the attack.

The White Knight Corps of the Indian Armed force posted the taking after on X, once in the past Twitter: "#IndianArmy and #Whiteknight Corps salutes the bravery and incomparable give up of four warriors in #Surankote on 21 Dec 23 while fighting the scourge of terrorism @adgpi."

#IndianArmy and #Whiteknight Corps salutes the bravery and supreme sacrifice of four soldiers in #Surankote on 21 Dec 23 while fighting the scourge of terrorism@adgpi @NorthernComd_IA

— White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) December 22, 2023

This is What Occurred 

Jammu-centered defence PRO According to Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal, based on "hard intelligence" regarding the existence of terrorists, a combined search operation was started on Wednesday night in the general Dera Ki Gali area in the Thanamandi-Surankote region of Rajouri. A truck and a Maruti Gipsy belonging to the Army were fired upon by the ultras as more forces were being brought to the scene.  According to a spokesman for the Defence Department, the troops retaliated against the attack without delay.

According to officials, the encounter resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and the injuries of three others, who have been admitted to a hospital. The fight against terrorism is still in progress.

The agency further stated that disturbing photos and videos of the scene included blood on the pavement, shattered soldier helmets, and smashed windscreens from the two Army vehicles.

During the intense confrontation, there is a chance that the soldiers and the terrorists will engage in hand-to-hand combat, according to the officials.

Authorities are working to compile more details about the attack in the interim.

After an all-night search of the ED's Madurai office, Tamil Nadu police report finding "incriminating" documents.

Ankit Tiwari, an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer who was detained on Friday, is the subject of an alleged bribery case. The Tamil Nadu Police wrapped up a protracted search operation on Saturday morning.

Tiwari was posted at the ED office in Madurai, and the officer's home was also searched by the Tamil Nadu Police's Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). Searches continued until six in the morning on Saturday, and authorities reported finding evidence of incrimination.

Prominent state government sources stated they would rebuff requests to transfer the investigation to a federal agency.

Tiwari was detained early on Friday morning on suspicion of accepting a bribe from a government physician. In a late-night press release, the DVAC said that Tiwari had gotten in touch with him on October 29, 2023, citing a 2018 case involving disproportionate assets against the government doctor that the DVAC's Dindigul district branch had already resolved. According to the DVAC statement, Tiwari purportedly stated that he had received orders to reopen the investigation from the Prime Minister's Office.

Officials claim that after the doctor was called to the ED office in Madurai on October 30, Tiwari allegedly forced him into a car and demanded a bribe of Rs 3 crore to stop the police from taking action. The doctor eventually agreed to accept Rs 51 lakh. It is purported that the first installment of Rs 20 lakh was delivered on November 1. Following the doctor's complaint to the DVAC, an operation was conducted, which resulted in Tiwari's arrest.

This occurs in the midst of the ED reopening a number of cases that the DVAC previously handled. State and DMK government ministers are involved in the majority of these cases. Minister V Senthil Balaji was arrested and imprisoned as a result of one such case.

The DVAC statement claims that during searches conducted after Tiwari's arrest, authorities found documents purportedly indicating Tiwari's potential involvement in threatening or blackmailing other officials with similar methods. According to the statement, more investigations are being conducted.

A DVAC representative commented on the search at the ED's Madurai office, saying: "At first, they said we cannot search and asked us to wait for permission. However, they consented after we showed them the warrant and made it clear that we were only there to search Tiwari's office. The Chennai office of the ED now has more security.

Who Is Nikhil Gupta, the Man Allegedly Accused of Killing Terrorists in Khalistan?

New Delhi: Indian national Nikhil Gupta is accused by US federal prosecutors of planning to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is a dual citizen of the US and Canada, on US soil by working with an Indian government official.

Gupta is alleged to have attempted to hire a hitman; however, the hitman was actually a US federal agent operating undercover. 52-year-old Gupta is being held in the Czech Republic in anticipation of being extradited to the United States. If found guilty, he could spend up to 20 years in prison.

The Storyline

A prominent Indian official, whose identity has not been disclosed, is accused of masterminding the plot to kill Pannun in New York City. The Financial Times claimed last week that US authorities had discovered the Pannun assassination plot, but it did not provide any identifying information.

The Indian official, identified as "CC-1" in an indictment, is accused by US federal prosecutors of masterminding a plot to kill "an attorney and political activist who is a US citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City" from India.

"In a series of phone calls and emails exchanged over encrypted applications beginning in or around early May 2023, CC-1 requested that Gupta set up the victim's murder in exchange for CC-1's help in getting a criminal case against Gupta in India dropped. Gupta consented to carry out the assassination plan. To further the plot, Gupta met CC-1 in person in New Delhi in addition to their electronic communications, according to the US Department of Justice indictment.

The Indian government employee allegedly wrote Gupta a message on May 6, 2023, while they were chatting on an encrypted messaging app, saying, "This is (CC-1)... Put my name in the CC-1 Alias field. Gupta put CC-1's phone number in an alias and saved it. Subsequently, another message was received by Gupta from CC-1, stating that they had a "target in New York" and another in "California," as per the indictment.

Following CC-1's orders, Gupta allegedly asked someone he thought was a criminal associate—but who was actually a confidential informant for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—for help hiring a hitman to kill Pannun in New York City.

Then, through a deal supposedly arranged by Gupta, CC-1 and the undercover agent agreed that CC-1 would pay $100,000 for the assassination. Gupta was detained in the Czech Republic in June 2023 at the US's request; the US had labelled him an "international narcotics trafficker".

In response

India declared that a high-level probe committee would conduct a thorough investigation into the US claim that a government official was masterminding a murderous scheme on American soil, referring to the claim as a "matter of concern".

At a press conference on Thursday, Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry, stated, "This is a matter of concern as regards the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court, allegedly linking him to an Indian official." "We have said and let me reiterate that this is also contrary to government policy."

The US has praised India's investigation efforts.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Thursday, "We look forward to seeing the results of the investigation that the (Indian) government announced today. That's good and appropriate." So you'll understand that I'm unable to provide a detailed comment. I can affirm that we take this very seriously. In recent weeks, several of us have brought up this issue directly with the Indian government."

As per the law, Agniveer Amritpal Singh committed suicide and received no military honours: Army

In a statement released on Sunday, the Indian Army said that Agniveer Amritpal Singh killed himself while doing sentry duty and that his funeral did not get military honours since self-inflicted wounds are not accorded such respect.

According to the Army, it does not make a distinction between soldiers who joined the army before or after the Agnipath system was put into place.

There have been claims that because Singh was an Agniveer soldier, military honours were not accorded to his funeral.

On Saturday, the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps of the Army said that Singh had self-inflicted gunshot wounds when he passed away while performing sentry duty in the Rajouri sector.

The Army claimed in a statement on Sunday night that certain facts surrounding the untimely death of Singh had been "misunderstood and misrepresented."

According to the Indian Army, Agniveer Amritpal Singh's suicide by shooting himself while on sentry duty was a "sad loss to the family and the Indian Army."

According to the statement, "in accordance with the established protocol, the deceased remains were conveyed under Army arrangements along with an escort group to his native town for the last rites" following the completion of medico-legal proceedings.

According to the Army, in terms of eligibility for benefits and protocols, the Armed Forces do not distinguish between soldiers who enlisted before or after the adoption of the Agnipath system.

According to the statement, "the Military Forces accord due respect to unfortunate incidents of mortality stemming from suicide/self-inflicted injuries, irrespective of the kind of entry, coupled with deep and enduring empathy with the family."

"According to the current Army Order of 1967, which is in style, such cases are not entitled to military funerals. Since then, the relevant policy has been routinely upheld without exception, "It read.

The Army reported that since 2001, there have been an average of 100 to 140 troops lost each year as a result of suicides or other self-inflicted injuries. In these cases, no military burial was held.

According to the statement, financial help and relief payments made in accordance with entitlements—including emergency financial support for holding funerals—are given top priority.

"Such tragic instances of loss weigh heavily on the family and the Forces as a whole." "During such times, it is important and incumbent on society to uphold the family's respect, privacy, and dignity while empathizing with them in their time of grief," the Army said.

"Armed Forces are known for adhering to policies and protocols and will continue to do so." "The Indian Army requests the assistance of all segments of society while adhering to its established protocols," it stated.

Bank OTP bypass fraud is on the rise; here's how to avoid it.

In an age dominated by digital transactions and online banking, the ease of controlling our funds at the tips of our fingers is accompanied by a growing concern—financial security. Recent occurrences, particularly the one-time password (OTP) bypass schemes, have generated serious concerns about the security of our financial transactions. As we rely more on digital banking, it's critical to recognize the developing threats and, more crucially, how to avoid falling victim to these frauds. This tutorial seeks to shed light on the growing OTP bypass scams and offer you with critical techniques to maintain your money security in the ever-changing world of digital banking.

The bank OTP bypass scam is on the rise: here's how to avoid it.

• One of the most important things to remember here is to use caution when sending SMS and email. Clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources should be avoided. Be wary of SMS or email demands for personal information or OTPs, and report any suspected frauds to your bank and local law enforcement as soon as possible. If something appears weird, trust your instincts and seek explanation from your bank.

• Users should only download apps from authorized app stores and keep their banking apps updated to take advantage of improved security features. Additionally, it is best to regularly update your smartphone's operating system and applications to ensure that you have the most recent security fixes. To lessen the chance of installing dangerous malware, download only apps from legitimate app shops and install reputable mobile security programs.

• The most recent cybersecurity dangers and scams should be kept up to date, and one should be informed of the latest bank security rules and changes on their official website.

• Whenever possible, users should turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for their banking accounts. This extra layer of security needs a password that only you know, such as a PIN or password, as well as a one-time password (OTP).

• It is always prudent to be wary of unwanted phone calls. Be cautious if someone pretends to be from your bank. Never give out personal information, account information, or OTPs over the phone. It is also critical to confirm the validity of the call. If you receive a call from your bank, hang up and dial the official customer support number to verify the call's legitimacy.

• Finally, it is recommended to use secure Wi-Fi networks. When managing your bank accounts, try to avoid using public Wi-Fi networks and instead utilize a trusted and encrypted network.

Six men steal from petrol station employees in Delhi's Mundka district in a shocking security camera footage.

A distressing sequence of events saw an armed robbery take place at gunpoint at a gas station in the Mundka neighbourhood of Delhi. On October 10, in the middle of the night, six armed persons broke into the building and committed the heist.

CCTV cameras recorded the entire encounter, and the footage quickly went viral. About six of the culprits approached the gas station's pump and asked the workers to fill it with gas. One of the people, who was a motorbike pillion passenger, however, dispersed a gun. One of the employees was forced to take the attacker inside, where cash was stolen, after the attacker pointed a gun at him.

The robbers continued after that. They launched a brutal attack on the attendants at the petrol pumps, detaining thousands of people.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 586

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine to mark Defenders of Ukraine Day [Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters]

Fighting

• Ukraine said its air defence systems shot down 16 of about 30 drones launched by Russia on Sunday. Authorities said civilian infrastructure and grain storage warehouses were damaged in the Cherkasy region as well as the southern Mykolaiv and eastern Dnipropetrovsk regions.

• Russia’s defence ministry said its forces’ air defences in eastern Ukraine had intercepted five United States-made HIMARS shells, an air-launched JDAM bomb and 37 Ukrainian drones. Kyiv began a counteroffensive in June to retake Ukrainian land occupied by Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.

• Russia’s defence ministry said it shot down six Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and two Ukrainian missiles over Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

• Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said five more ships were on their way to Ukrainian seaports using a new corridor for agricultural exports after Moscow withdrew from the United Nations and Turkey-brokered Black Sea grain deal that allowed safe passage for Ukraine’s grain.

• UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backpedalled on a comment by his defence minister that the United Kingdom could send military instructors to Ukraine. Grant Shapps told the Sunday Telegraph that as well as training Ukrainian troops in the UK, he wanted to deploy British instructors to Ukraine. Hours later, Sunak said there were no such plans. “That’s something for the long term, not the here and now. There are no British soldiers that will be sent to fight in the current conflict,” he said.

• After Shapps’s comments were published, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who is now deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, said any UK soldiers training Ukrainian troops in Ukraine would be seen as legitimate targets for Russian forces.

• The UK’s Ministry of Defence said leaked Russian defence spending documents suggested Moscow was “preparing for multiple further years of fighting in Ukraine. The documents said defence spending for 2024 was likely to account for 30 percent of total public expenditure.

Sweden gangs: Army to help police after surge in killings

The army will be officially tasked with assisting the police with gangs next Thursday

The Swedish army is stepping in to support police in tackling a recent surge in gang killings, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has announced.

He said that from next week the army would start providing assistance with analysis and logistics, as well as in handling explosives and forensic work.

Mr Kristersson added that Sweden's laws also needed updating to enable more military involvement.

So far this month, 12 people have been killed in gang violence in the country.

This is the highest number since December 2019, according to the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.

On Wednesday night alone, two young men were shot dead in Stockholm, and a woman - who police say had no links to gang crime - was killed in blast at home some 80km (50 miles) north of the capital.

The 24-year-old woman, named as Soha Saad by local media, was a newly qualified teacher and thought to be a neighbour of the target of the explosion.

HARDtalk with Foreign Minister Tobias Billström: Controversy in Sweden

Mr Kristersson made the announcement after crisis talks on Friday with Sweden's army chief Micael Byden, police chief Anders Thornberg and Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer.

He said the government would ask the army to help the police "in cases where the armed forces' specialist skills can help".

"This could be many things: help with explosives and helicopter logistics, analysis skills... IT forensic analysis."

The prime minister added that the country's current legislation had to change to address "grey-zone situations where it's not obvious what kind of threat Sweden is facing".

Soha Saad, 24, was killed in the early hours of Thursday after a blast tore through her home

Swedish media have connected the recent surge in deaths to a conflict involving a gang known as the Foxtrot network, which has been rocked by infighting and split into two rival factions.

On Thursday, Mr Kristersson said Sweden had not seen anything like it before and that "no other country in Europe" was experiencing this kind of situation.

Children and innocent bystanders, he stressed, were increasingly being caught up in such violence.

Last year, more than 60 people died in shootings in Sweden - the highest on record - and this year is set to be the same or worse.

An official government report published in 2021 stated that four in every million inhabitants were dying in shootings each year in Sweden - compared with 1.6 people per million across Europe.

Police have linked the violence to poor integration of immigrants, a widening gap between rich and poor and drug use.

Mr Kristersson's centre-right minority government, which came to power last year with the support of the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, has not yet been able to stem the violence.

He has vowed to push ahead with more surveillance, harsher penalties for breaking gun laws, stronger deportation powers and stop and search zones - insisting that "everything is on the table".

Some critics have argued these measures fail to address underlying social issues including child poverty and underfunded community services.

Source: BBC

4 Arrested, 2 Detained For Killing Two Manipur Students; Flown To Assam

 

Some of the suspects in the murder case of two Manipur students

Imphal and New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four persons and detained two others in connection with the horrible death of two students in Manipur in July, whose images appeared on social media last week.

Apart from the two girls seized in the state capital Imphal, the four comprise two males and two women. The four were airlifted to Guwahati, Assam.

Paominlun Haokip, Malsawn Haokip, Lhingneichong Baite, and Tinneikhol have been named as the defendants. According to sources with intimate knowledge of the situation, Lhingneichong Baite is a friend of the slain girl student. According to reports, one of the suspects is purportedly the wife of an insurgent organisation located in Churachandpur.

In a combined operation, a special squad of the Manipur Police and the Indian Army apprehended the suspects in the hill area of Churachandpur, 51 kilometres from Imphal, where ethnic violence erupted on May 3. This highland area is home to several Kuki rebel factions that have signed the tripartite suspension of operations (SoO) agreement.

After apprehending them, the troops drove them to the airport, where a CBI team awaited them. About 5:45 p.m., the CBI team and the suspects boarded the final aircraft out of Imphal.

According to sources, some people attempted to flee to the airport after learning of the arrests. According to those with firsthand knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity, the one hour before the jet took off was "full of stress" since the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) patrolling the airport was notified about anticipated difficulties. Fortunately, nothing out of the ordinary occurred, they claimed.

The two Manipur students who were killed in July

"One may flee after committing a crime, but they cannot escape the long hands of the law, as the phrase says. We are dedicated to securing the most severe punishment possible, including the death penalty, for the horrible act they have done "Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh made the announcement in a post on X, previously Twitter.
 

I’m pleased to share that some of the main culprits responsible for the abduction and murder of Phijam Hemanjit and Hijam Linthoingambi have been arrested from Churachandpur today.

As the saying goes, one may abscond after committing the crime, but they cannot escape the long…

— N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) October 1, 2023

Terrorists from Myanmar and Bangladesh have joined forces with some Kuki rebel groups to exploit the Manipur problem, according to Mr Singh, and the continuing fighting is between the terrorists and the state.

The National Investigation Agency apprehended a terror suspect from Churachandpur yesterday in a transnational plot case involving terrorist leaders from Bangladesh and Burma.

Following the arrests, a big throng gathered in the streets of Churachandpur. According to the police, the gathering was calm.

On September 26, images of the remains of the two students who went missing in July surfaced on social media, prompting the Manipur government to promise speedy action.

The CBI has already begun investigating this case, albeit the corpses of the two students, both minors, have yet to be discovered. According to NDTV, investigators are also investigating into rape accusations before to the minor's murder.

The photographs show the two pupils, both 17 years old, seated in the grassy compound of what looks to be an armed group's improvised jungle camp.

This month, the Manipur Police selected a former army special forces member to command combat operations.

Ethnic violence erupted on May 3 between the hill-majority Kuki tribes and the valley-majority Meiteis in response to the Kukis' protest over the Meiteis' quest for Scheduled Tribes (ST) designation. Approximately 180 people have been killed, and hundreds have been internally displaced.

Communal tensions flare in Jaipur following the death of a bystander due to a'misunderstanding.'

The police said that a dozen suspects were detained in the case of Friday and the incident was the result of a misunderstanding

Communal tensions erupted in the Ramganj region of Rajasthan's Jaipur district when a bystander was assaulted and murdered by a gang of men following a bike accident. According to police, a dozen people were apprehended in the Friday incident, which was caused by a "misunderstanding."

The deployment of more personnel, according to Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph, brought the situation in the region under control. Tensions rose after two motorbikes collided at Subhash Chowk, prompting a gang of men to bash two spectators, mistaking them for the cause of the accident.

"Following the collision, there was an awful episode of road rage in which two guys who had stopped to watch what had happened were thrashed by a group of people." "Biju Joseph stated to reporters.

"One of the two men was killed. An FIR has been filed, and numerous persons engaged in the event have been apprehended. The situation has returned to normal, and total peace will be restored shortly "He went on to say.

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Following the tragedy, various businesses, particularly in Muslim-majority areas, shut down. The victim's relatives and other local residents came to demand that the guilty be punished.

According to the police, the perpetrator was from the Subhash Chowk area of Jaipur, while the victim was from the Ramganj neighbourhood. After the incident, the police deployed Special Task Force (STF) in sufficient numbers, according to DGP Umesh Mishra. He also mentioned that the police are employing drones to keep a close check on the region.

"Strict legal action will be taken against the accused in this situation," he stated.

(With assistance from PTI)