Al Arabia English

Canada extends Iraq, Ukraine military training missions

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2019/03/19/Dutch-prosecutors-arrest-third-suspect-over-deadly-tram-shooting.html

Canada’s defense and foreign ministers jointly announced Monday the extensions of military training missions in Iraq and Ukraine.

Both had been slated to wrap up at the end of March, but security concerns persist.

In Iraq, Canada will keep 250 special forces troops advising and training Iraqi security forces, in addition to several attack helicopters, as part of the US-led coalition against ISIS until the end of March 2021.

The number of troops deployed could ramp up to 850, if needed, and they will also help neighboring Jordan and Lebanon build their respective security capabilities, said officials.

Complementing those efforts, Canada last November assumed command of a new NATO mission. It has been contributing air power, medical support and help in training Iraqi forces since 2014.

“We have made significant and lasting progress, but we recognize that more work is needed. Now we must ensure that Daesh can never rebuild and threaten the safety of Iraq,” Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan told a press conference, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.

In Ukraine, some 200 Canadian troops will continue to provide arms, military engineering, logistics, military policing, and medical training until the end of March 2022.

Since 2015, Canada has so far trained nearly 11,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

Canada will also host a third Ukraine reform conference in Toronto between the second and fourth of July.

“Ukraine can continue to count on Canada’s unwavering support,” Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said.

“It’s very important to send a strong message to Ukraine, to the people of Ukraine, and to the international community that the invasion of Crimea and the annexation of Crimea are a grave breach of international law,” she added.

Al Arabia English

US-backed SDF says it captured 157 militants, mostly foreigners

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/03/19/US-backed-SDF-says-it-captured-157-militants-mostly-foreigners.html

US-backed fighters besieging the last shred of ISIS territory in eastern Syria said on Tuesday they had captured 157 mostly foreign fighters as they tracked efforts by extremists to escape the enclave.

“Our units monitored a group of terrorists, trailed them and captured 157 fully militarily equipped terrorists,” a statement by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said.

ISIS’s Baghouz pocket is tiny, wedged between the Euphrates river and a row of hills at the Iraqi border. It is crammed with vehicles and makeshift shelters and pummeled at night by artillery and air strikes.

It is the last populated area remaining to ISIS from the third of Syria and Iraq it suddenly seized in 2014 before its cruelties and attacks brought together local and foreign countries to push it back.

The captured extremists were “mostly foreign nationals” said Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF’s media office, on Twitter. Neither he nor the SDF statement said when the capture took place.

Both the SDF and the US-led coalition that backs it have said the remaining ISIS militants inside the Baghouz pocket are among its most hardened foreign operatives.

Over the past two months, more than 60,000 people have poured out of the group’s dwindling enclave, nearly half of whom were surrendering supporters of ISIS, including some 5,000 fighters.

However, while the capture of Baghouz will mark a milestone in the battle against ISIS, regional and Western officials say the group will remain a threat.

Some of its fighters hold out in the central Syrian desert and others have gone underground in Iraq to stage a series of shootings and kidnappings.

Nobody knows how many remain inside the last scrap of ground. Reuters footage of the encampment on Monday showed large explosions there and smoke billowing overhead with the sound of gunshots.

On Monday night ISIS released an audio recording of its spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer, saying the group would stay strong.

“Do you think the displacement of the weak and poor out of Baghouz will weaken the Islamic State? No,” he said.

Al Arabia English

Hundreds rally in Algiers as protest leaders tell army to stay away

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2019/03/19/Algeria-protest-leaders-tell-army-to-stay-out-of-politics.html

Hundreds of students and doctors rallied in Algiers on Tuesday calling for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to quit, as a new group headed by activists and opposition figures told the powerful army not to interfere in the campaign.

In the first direct message to the army from leaders emerging from mass protests against Bouteflika, the National Coordination for Change said the military should “play its constitutional role without interfering in the people choice.”

Students massed in the centre of the capital while doctors began a protest march nearby. "We will not stop our pressure until he (Bouteflika) goes," said student Ali Adjimi, 23.

Generals have traditionally wielded power from behind the scenes in Algeria but have stepped in during pivotal moments.

In 1992, the army cancelled elections an Islamist party was set to win, triggering a long civil war that killed an estimated 200,000 people. Soldiers have stayed in their barracks throughout the recent unrest.

In a statement titled “Platform of Change” and issued late on Monday, the organization demanded the Bouteflika should step down before the end of his term on April 28 and the government resign immediately.

Algerian authorities have always been adept at manipulating a weak and disorganized opposition.

But more than three weeks of demonstrations - which peaked on Friday with hundreds of thousands of people on the streets of Algiers - have emboldened well-known figures to lead the drive for reforms in the North African country.

Prominent members of the new group include lawyer and activist Mustapha Bouchachi, opposition leader Karim Tabou and former treasury minister Ali Benouari, as well as Mourad Dhina and Kamel Guemazi, who belong to an outlawed Islamist party.

Zoubida Assoul, leader of a small political party, is the only woman in the group so far.

Bouteflika, rarely seen in public since a stroke in 2013, has failed to ease anger on the streets by reversing a decision to seek a fifth term, postponing an election and planning a conference that will chart a new political future.

But he stopped short of stepping down, and effectively prolonged his fourth term.

“Bouteflika just trampled on the constitution after he decided to extend his fourth term,” said the National Coordination for Change.Brother-in-law of Tunisia’s Ben Ali arrested, France confirms

Prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux said Trabelsi had been charged with “aggravated fraud and money laundering in an organized gang.” (File photo: AFP)

AFP, MarseilleTuesday, 19 March 2019

France said Monday it had arrested and detained Belhassen Trabelsi, the brother-in-law of ousted Tunisian leader El-Abidine Ben Ali, who had been on the run for three years after fleeing Canada.

Prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux in the southern city of Marseille said Trabelsi had been charged with “aggravated fraud and money laundering in an organized gang.”

Officials gave no other details of his arrest.

Tunisia said Sunday it was seeking Trabelsi’s extradition to face charges of fraud.

A Tunisian justice ministry statement said he faced 17 arrest warrants in Tunisia and 43 international warrants.

The millionaire businessman and brother of Ben Ali’s wife Leila Trabelsi left Tunisia in January 2011 when the Arab Spring uprising forced the veteran leader to flee to Saudi Arabia.

Trabelsi and his family flew in a private jet to Montreal where he requested political asylum but Canada turned down his appeal in 2015 , and a year later as it prepared to deport him he vanished.

A leaked June 2008 US diplomatic cable concluded that Trabelsi was “the most notorious (Ben Ali) family member and is rumored to have been involved in a wide range of corrupt schemes”.

Trabelsi -- whose holdings included an airline and hotels -- has denied the allegations against him, saying he accumulated his wealth from being a successful entrepreneur.

Radio Pakistan

Pakistan, Tajikistan agree to enhance trade volume

http://www.radio.gov.pk/18-03-2019/pakistan-tajikistan-agree-to-enhance-trade-volume

Pakistan and Tajikistan have agreed to enhance the volume of bilateral trade to 500 million dollar per annum.

The resolve came during meeting of 18-member high-level Tajikistan delegation of investors and businessmen with the Chief Executive of Pakistan Furniture Council, Mian Kashif Ashfaq in Islamabad today (Monday).

The delegation apprised the Chairman that Tajikistani investors and business community will take advantage of package of incentives offered to foreign investors by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The head of the delegation Chairman Union of Private Sector Development of Tajikistan Radzhabov Fayzali said Tajikistan is keen to promote bilateral trade with Pakistan and enhance trade, joint ventures and investment in different fields.

He said they are in Pakistan to explore new vistas in investment sector besides giving new impetus to their ties through enhanced cooperation in diversified areas, including trade, energy, furniture, garments, cotton, connectivity, health, education and culture.

He urged the Pakistani business community to become more proactive to promote business relations with Tajik counterparts as both countries have great potential for mutual cooperation.

He said that Pakistan could export many products to Tajikistan including furniture, sugar, textiles, cement, sports goods, surgical instruments, pharmaceuticals and leather products and stressed that Pakistani exporters should step up efforts to exploit these business opportunities.

Radzhabov Fayzali said that Pakistani investors should focus on Tajikistan to get easy access to huge market of Central Asia.

Welcoming the delegation, the PFC Chief Executive said that Tajikistan was a gateway for Central Asia and Pakistan wanted to develop close cooperation with it in furniture and garments fields.

He said  Pakistan’s furniture industry has the potential to dominate global markets with its innovative design and can take this to new height joining hands with their counterparts in Tajikistan.

Radio Pakistan

FBR enforced Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Rules, 2019

http://www.radio.gov.pk/19-03-2019/fbr-enforced-benami-transactions-prohibition-rules-2019

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has enforced Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Rules, 2019 with immediate effect.

Under the rules, BTB zones of Inland Revenue Service have been assigned the duty to establish cases against Benami properties and submit challan to Adjudication Authority within 120 working days.

In a statement, the FBR said that during this period, sale, purchase and transfer of such Benami property will be banned till further orders.

Appeal against the decision of Adjudication Authority can be lodged with the Federal Tribunal and after the decision of the Federal Tribunal such properties will be confiscated and sold out by the Federal Government.

Trt World

The Hezbollah fighter who wants to have a 'good life' in the U

https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/the-hezbollah-fighter-who-wants-to-have-a-good-life-in-the-us-25052/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Perhaps a metaphor for Lebanon’s complex cultural mosaic, the fighter is married to a Christian woman, has fought in Syria for several years but says that what he and all other Shia men really want is jobs, healthcare and a decent education.

The priorities of many Hezbollah fighters have changed as many aspire to have a conflict-free life in some place like America. ( AP )

BAALBEK, Lebanon — About half a kilometre from the 2,000-year-old ruins of the temple of Bacchus, the god of wine, Venus, the goddess of love, and Jupiter, the god of Roman gods, stands a larger than life cut-out of Ayatollah Khomeini, the Shia cleric who brought his idea of Islamic revolution to Iran and began to spread it in the region through its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah.

While diminutive in comparison to the ancient pillars jutting out in the distance lending Baalbek a historical appeal, it is Khomeini’s ideas that have gripped the imagination of the local Shia population in the recent past.  

Hassan, a 1.7-metre tall portly young man, is one of his followers. A Hezbollah fighter, he agreed to drive me around and shared his story - and that of his group as he saw it - in a rare interview. He opted for Hassan as his nom de guerre because officially Hezbollah fighters are instructed against speaking to journalists.

He pointed to the temple and said: “It is beautiful but that was the time of Jahiliya [ignorance] of religion.”

A product of Khomeini’s ideology and a foot soldier of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s chief, Hassan said that he chose to speak to me because he did not want the world to think that his fellow fighters or him were terrorists. The US listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation over two decades ago while Britain followed suit last month and banned the group in its entirety.

“Do I look like a terrorist to you?” he asked. “England just does what America says and they do not like us because we fight Israel, their ally.”

Hassan neither counted the 1983 Beirut barrack attack which killed 241 US marines nor the 1992 one against Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires as terrorist strikes and either outrightly denied the group’s responsibility or termed them as acts to defend Lebanon.

He was, however, affronted by the UK’s classification of him as a terrorist and in a bid to show Hezbollah’s “kindness”, decided to show me round the villages of Baalbek.

He said: “Take a look at these empty villages, the only work here is agriculture. It was the same when I was a child, it is the same now. But after Hezbollah came into being at least I could get some work.”

It is here, along the fertile fields with little to no employment and an impoverished Shia population, that it all began. In the 80s, as Israel invaded Lebanon, a few hundred Iranian revolutionary Guards [IRGC] made way through a smugglers route from Zabadani in Syria to Baalbek in Lebanon where they rented homes in villages around the temple.

At first, they began a religious and social programme to win over the popular support among the Shias, traditionally the poorer community compared to the Sunni elite, propped up by the Ottomans, and the Maronite Christians, backed by the French.

However, at the same time, among others, a group of Shia fighters were already engaged in ousting the Israelis. Many of the latter, with religious leanings, collaborated with the IRGC and formed Hezbollah, which emerged as an effective guerrilla force and claimed success in pushing the Israelis to a sliver of territory in the south of the country by 1985.

Hassan was born in 1987, a time ripe with Hezbollah’s rhetoric and military success against Israel. Hassan said it was a time to believe that the Shias could rise up and not only protect Lebanon from Israel’s invasions but also fight to reclaim the Palestinian lands. Moreover, he said, Hezbollah was in a position to provide jobs to a people who did nothing else but till the farms.

He was too young to fight in the 80s or even in the 2006 war against Israel, but he said he fought in Syria to aid Iran’s other ally, Bashar al Assad, and has returned war hardened.

“I fought in Al Qusayr and then provided logistical support in the battle for Aleppo. Until 2014-15 it was only us, only Hezbollah fighting in Syria. There were very few Syrian soldiers and most of them badly trained. I was paid $1,200 a month. It was not great but better than nothing. There are no jobs in Lebanon,” he said.

Hassan is grateful to Hezbollah for providing jobs even if it is as fighters. But he said that he primarily joined the group to defend his country and was inspired by the group which could take on the might of “America-backed Israel”.

He said: “If we did not fight ISIS [Daesh] in Syria they would in Baalbek, and if my predecessors did not fight Israel, they would be in Beirut.”

Hassan has no qualms about fighting for Hezbollah and bombing Syrian homes, however, as he grows older his priorities have changed. Hassan is soon to be a father.

In Beirut he lives with his pregnant wife. Perhaps a metaphor for Lebanon’s complex mosaic itself, he is married to a Christian woman.  

For her comfort, Hassan lives in a Christian neighbourhood as opposed to the Shia-dominated southern suburbs of Dahiye, a stronghold of Hezbollah.

The living room in his house has a spartan look but for a Christmas tree tucked in a corner.

“It’s a girl,” he said. “My time for war has gone. Now I think about my child. How would I be able to give her a good education, a good future? If I got a job in the US, I would say bye-bye Hezbollah.”

After a whole day of criticising America, his sudden switch in tone and desire to move there was startling. He clarified and said that most Hezbollah fighters like America as a country and the Americans but disagree with their government’s regional policy.

A News

Facebook says it removed 1.5 million videos of New Zealand terror attack

http://www.anews.com.tr/middle-east/2019/03/18/facebook-says-it-removed-15-million-videos-of-new-zealand-terror-attack

Facebook said it removed 1.5 million videos globally of the New Zealand mosque attack in the first 24 hours after the attack.

"In the first 24 hours we removed 1.5 million videos of the attack globally, of which over 1.2 million were blocked at upload...," Facebook said in a tweet late Saturday.

The company said it is also removing all edited versions of the video that do not show graphic content out of respect for the people affected by the mosque shooting and the concerns of local authorities.

Copies of the distressing 17-minute live stream circulated online for hours after the terror attack that killed 50 people.

Hours after the attack, New Zealand police said they were working to have the footage removed while urging people not to share it.

Later Friday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern echoed the police's call, saying that citizens "should not be perpetuating, sharing, giving any oxygen to this act of violence and the message that is sitting behind it."

Meanwhile, the death toll in the New Zealand mosque shootings rose to 50 on Sunday. The gunman who attacked two mosques on Friday live-streamed the attacks on Facebook for 17 minutes using an app designed for extreme sports enthusiasts, with copies still being shared on social media hours later.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said she wants to discuss live streaming with Facebook.

A News

US working closely with Turkey in Syria: US defense chief

http://www.anews.com.tr/middle-east/2019/03/19/us-working-closely-with-turkey-in-syria-us-defense-chief?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=twitter

Top defense officials from the U.S. and France discussed a host of issues Monday, including operations in Syria.

Acting American defense chief Patrick Shanahan met with his French counterpart, Florence Parly, in Washington, as the U.S. continues military operations in the war-ravaged country.

"We are working closely with the Turks, our strategic partner. More importantly, we are on plan for our drawdown in Syria," Shanahan said at a joint-news conference with Parly.

"We are in close coordination with our D-ISIS coalition partners on the real details of the plan," he added, using another term for the Daesh terrorist group.

U.S. President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw American forces from Syria late last year was met with significant pushback by close allies in Europe and among some of Trump's closest legislative supporters on Capitol Hill.

The U.S. withdrawal process should respect Syria's territorial integrity and political unity and Turkey's security concerns, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last week, adding that Ankara will continue to work with Washington and other actors in Syria.

TRT WORLD

Taliban blamed for killing 30 troops in western Afghanistan

https://www.trtworld.com/asia/taliban-blamed-for-killing-30-troops-in-western-afghanistan-18320/amp

Abdul Aziz Beg, head of the provincial council in Badghis province, says the Taliban struck Afghan army positions from different directions. There are conflicting reports over the Taliban's claim.

Taliban fighters have killed at least 30 Afghan soldiers in an attack on two checkpoints in western Badghis province, a provincial official said.

Abdul Aziz Beg, head of the provincial council in Badghis, said the fighters first attacked the checkpoints, then ambushed reinforcements as they arrived in Bala Murghab district.

The Taliban moved in large numbers, striking the army positions from different directions, and "very brutally killed them all," Beg said.

He said the attack started on Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday morning.

General Ahmad Fahim Qayim, the Badghis police chief, claimed the Taliban launched "a large attack from six directions."

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, Associated Press reported. 

But the Taliban are active in Badghis and have repeatedly claimed attacks against Afghan security forces there. 

According to AFP news agency, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a WhatsApp message to journalists.

Fighting continues

In a separate report from the same province, the Taliban launched another attack on a local police checkpoint, killing one and wounding four others in Ob Kamari district, Beg added.

Badghis governor spokesman Jamshid Shahabi told AFP that 15 Taliban fighters were also killed and 21 wounded in the attacks on two bases in Bala Murghab district.

The defence ministry issued a statement saying fighting in the area continued as the Taliban faced "stiff resistance" from Afghan security forces.

Further reinforcements had been deployed, the statement said.

Ceasefire accusations

The Taliban had observed a ceasefire over the three-day Eid al Fitr holiday last weekend but rejected the government's request for an extension.

Beg accused the Taliban of taking advantage of the suspension in fighting to do reconnaissance in the area. 

"During the ceasefire the Taliban had sent informants to collect information about the bases and plan the attack." he told AFP.

Officials said the group may have used the three-day truce, that ended on Sunday, to plan the attacks.

King Salman welcomes ceasefire

In the meantime, Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said in a statement he welcomes the truce between the Afghan government and the Taliban, the Saudi Press Agency said.

The Saudi king added that he has been following the ceasefire closely and hopes it will be renewed.

He also said the move could achieve a long- term peace for the Afghan people who have suffered extensively.  

TRT WORLD

At least 43 killed during clashes between Taliban and Afghan army

https://www.trtworld.com/asia/at-least-43-killed-during-clashes-between-taliban-and-afghan-army-24610/amp

The provincial governor's office said 16 other troops were wounded in the attack that began Friday and continued into Saturday in Wahser district.

Taliban gunmen targeted an Afghan army corps at their camp in southern Helmand province, killing at least 23 soldiers, officials said Saturday.

At least 20 Taliban gunmen were also killed.

Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor, said 16 other troops were wounded in the attack that began Friday and continued into Saturday in Wahser district.

Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, said in a statement the group was responsible for the attack, which came even as Taliban negotiators met for talks with a US peace envoy in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar.

He said Taliban fighters engaged both Afghan and foreign forces inside the camp and killed "scores."

Zwak said US advisers were present in the base, but in a separate area. "The foreign forces present at the base were all safe as the Taliban could not reach that part of the compound," he said.

Zwak said the attack began when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at Shorab camp. 

He said three other suicide bombers also blew themselves up as gunmen followed behind them. 

In recent years, the Taliban and Daesh have carried out near-daily attacks in Afghanistan, mainly targeting the government and its security forces.

The Taliban control several district centers in Helmand, which is a major source of the world's illegal opium supply.

Camp Shorab was previously a British air base known as Camp Bastion.

In northern Sari Pul province, Taliban ambushed a convoy of Afghan security forces, killing nine, said Zabihullah Amani, spokesman for the provincial governor.

Amani said 12 other forces were wounded during the battle with insurgents that lasted seven hours Friday in Sangcharak district. "Four security forces are missing and believe to be taken alive by the insurgents," he said.

The forces were just returning from an operation in the district when they came under heavy fire, Amani said.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack.

TRT WORLD

OIC urges Pakistan and India to talk – Pakistan-India

https://www.trtworld.com/asia/india-hands-over-body-of-pakistani-prisoner-pakistan-india-24534/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Organization of Islamic Cooperation adopts resolution reaffirming its "unwavering support for the Kashmiri people in their just cause," and expressing concern over "Indian violation of Pakistani airspace."

Global Muslim body urges India, Pakistan to talk

Pakistan's foreign ministry says the world's largest body of Muslim-majority nations has adopted a resolution urging India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and resolve their issues "through peaceful means."

The ministry said in a statement on Saturday that at the end of a meeting in Abu Dhabi, the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation or OIC "reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Kashmiri people in their just cause."

It said the OIC expressed concern over this past week’s "Indian violation of Pakistani airspace; affirmed Pakistan's right to self-defence; and urged India to refrain from the threat or use of force."

The resolution came a day after Pakistan's foreign minister skipped the meeting to protest the host UAE's decision to invite India, a non-member.

In a separate statement, OIC said it "condemns recent wave of Indian terrorism" and "mass blinding of Kashmiris" in India-administered Kashmir. 

India returns body of Pakistani prisoner 

India has handed over the body of a Pakistani prisoner who was beaten to death by inmates at an Indian jail last month apparently in retaliation for a February 14 suicide bombing in India-administered Kashmir that killed over 40 soldiers.

It was unclear on what charges Shakir Ullah had been held at the jail.

Pakistani government officials say border guards received Ullah's body on Saturday at the same Wagah border crossing in the eastern city of Lahore from where an Indian pilot was handed over to Indian officials a day before.

Erdogan urges India to respond to Pakistan's 'positive step'

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed Pakistan for releasing Indian pilot, hoping India will "respond to the positive step in the same way".

"It's an admirable step for our Pakistani brothers to release an Indian pilot. Our hope is that our Indian friends will respond to this positive step in the same way," he said.

Erdogan said Turkey is ready to do its part to de-escalate tension between Pakistan and India. 

"There is no use in escalating the tension and fueling the fire."

More deaths in Kashmir as India-Pakistan tensions escalate

Indian and Pakistani soldiers again targeted each other's posts and villages along their volatile frontier in disputed Kashmir, killing at least six civilians and two Pakistani troops, officials said on Saturday.

Tensions have been running high since Indian aircraft crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday, carrying out what India called a pre-emptive strike against militants blamed for a February 14 suicide bombing in India-administered Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops. 

Pakistan retaliated, shooting down a fighter jet on Wednesday and detaining its pilot, who was returned to India on Friday in a peace gesture.

Fighting resumed overnight Friday. Pakistan's military said two of its soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with Indian forces near the Line of Control that separates Kashmir between the rivals. 

It marked the first fatalities for Pakistani troops since Wednesday, when tensions dramatically escalated between the nuclear-armed neighbours over Kashmir, which is split between them but claimed by both in its entirety.

Three civilians were killed on each side in the latest escalation. 

TRT World's Hassan Abdullah has more from Islamabad.

Friday, March 1

Pilot shot down by Pakistan returns to India

A pilot shot down in a dogfight with Pakistani aircraft returned to India on Friday, after being freed in what Islamabad called a "peace gesture" following the two countries' biggest standoff in years.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, downed on Wednesday over Kashmir, crossed into India at the Wagah crossing point, hours later than expected and sporting a black eye.

"He was arrested when his military jet MIG-21 crashed in Azad Jammu & Kashmir [Pakistan-administered Kashmir] after being shot down by Pakistan Air Force for violating Pakistani airspace on February 27, 2019," Pakistan foreign ministry statement said.

"While in captivity, he was treated with dignity and in line with international law. Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr Imran Khan announced his return as a goodwill gesture aimed at de-escalating rising tensions with India," the statement said.

Ahead of his release, Varthaman in a video statement released by Pakistani media, lauded Pakistani army and accused Indian media of sensationalising news and misleading people.

"Small issues are presented in incendiary way that misleads people," Varthaman said.

The released pilot will undergo a medical check-up, Indian officials said.

"This check-up is mandated particularly because the officer has had to eject from an aeroplane," Air Vice Marshal R G K. Kapoor told reporters near a border crossing in India's northern state of Punjab.

Pakistan accuses India of 'eco-terrorism', to lodge complaint at UN 

Pakistan plans to lodge a complaint against India at the United Nations, accusing it of "eco-terrorism" over air strikes that damaged pine trees and brought the nuclear-armed nations to blows, a government minister said on Friday.

Indian warplanes on Tuesday bombed a hilly forest area near the northern Pakistani town of Balakot, about 40 km from India's de facto border in the disputed region of Kashmir. New Delhi said it had destroyed a militant training camp and killed hundreds of "terrorists".

Pakistan denied there were any such camps in the area and locals said a crow was killed and an elderly villager was hurt.

 "What happened over there is environmental terrorism," Climate Change Minister Malik Amin Aslam told Reuters, adding that dozens of pine trees had been felled. 

"There has been serious environmental damage."

India bans Kashmir's socio-religious group Jamaat-e-Islami

India has banned a largest social, political and religious group in India-administered Kashmir in an ongoing crackdown against rebels seeking the end of Indian rule in the disputed region.

The ban comes against the backdrop of the most serious confrontation between India and Pakistan in two decades.

India also imposed a security lockdown in several parts of the region on Friday, including in downtown areas of the main city of Srinagar, in anticipation of protests and clashes against Indian rule.

India's home ministry issued a notification against Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday night, accusing the group as "unlawful association" and supporting militancy in the region.

Police have already arrested at least 400 leaders and activists, mainly from the Jamaat-e-Islami, which seeks self-determination for the Himalayan region, which is divided between India and Pakistan since 1947 but claimed by both in its entirety.

Pakistan to reopen airspace

Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority said airspace closed this week amid tensions with neighbouring India would reopen for commercial flights from 1100 GMT on Friday.

Indian pilot to be released at Wagah border

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said a downed Indian pilot will be handed over to Indian authorities later on Friday in an effort to de-escalate a crisis between the nuclear armed neighbours.

"As a gesture of peace and to de-escalate matters, the Indian pilot who is under arrest with us will be released today in the afternoon at the Wagah border," Qureshi told parliament, referring to the border crossing near Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore.

Thursday, February 28

India welcomes decision to release pilot

Indian military officials said on Thursday they welcomed Pakistan’s planned return of a captured pilot, but refused to confirm they would de-escalate a conflict between the two nuclear powers.

The pilot, identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, became the human face of the flare-up over the contested region of Kashmir following the release of videos showing him being captured and later held in custody.

“We are happy our pilot is being released,” said Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor, at a joint news conference of India’s three armed forces on Thursday evening.

He did not say when asked by reporters if India considered the return a de-escalation in the conflict.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said the pilot would be released on Friday, to the relief of many Indians, even as his military reported that four Pakistani civilians had been killed by India firing across the disputed border in Kashmir.

“As a peace gesture we will be releasing him tomorrow,” Khan told Pakistan’s parliament on Thursday afternoon. Lawmakers thumped their desks in response.

Turkey, US, China, European Union and other powers have urged restraint from the two nations, as tensions escalated following a suicide car bombing that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-controlled Kashmir on February 14.

Indian PM urges nation to 'fight as one'

A day after cross-border air raids escalated tensions with nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India will fight as one nation.

Speaking on Thursday to his party workers across the nation in a video conference, he said the enemy wants to destabilise the country.

"When the enemy tries to destabilise India, then one of their motives is to ensure that India's development is stalled.

"We must show that the nation will not stop. Our soldiers are defending our borders. We must also work like soldiers and continue our work," local broadcaster India Today reported.

"India will live as one; India will work as one; India will grow as one; India will fight as one," he added.

He went on to say: "We must ensure that our enemy should not get a chance to point fingers at us."Pakistan's PM Khan says he will ask Turkish president to help 

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said he will ask Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to help defuse tension between Pakistan and India.

“I am going to talk to [Turkish] President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, and I will request him to play his role in this connection,” Khan told a joint session of the parliament summoned after both countries claimed to have shot down each other's jets.

He said his country wants peace and this should not be considered a weakness, adding that he had attempted to contact Indian Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday to call for deescalation.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to telephone Prime Minister Modi to defuse the ongoing tensions between the two countries," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told local broadcaster Geo News.

"Is he (Modi) ready for that?" he asked.

Fighting erupts between Indian, Pakistani soldiers

Fresh fighting has erupted between Indian and Pakistani soldiers along the so-called Line of Control that divides disputed Kashmir between the two nuclear-armed rivals.

India's army says Pakistani soldiers are targeting nearly two dozen Indian forward points with mortar and gunfire.

Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesman, said Pakistani troops later Thursday attacked forward posts along the Line of Control calling it an "unprovoked" violation of the 2003 cease-fire accord. 

He said Indian soldiers were responding to the ongoing Pakistani multiple attacks along the highly militarised de-facto frontier.

Anand said shells were also landing in some civilian areas near the frontier. Police said at least two people, an off-duty soldier and a woman, were injured in the shelling.

Pakistani soldiers also attacked Indian positions overnight, the army spokesman said earlier, but described its intensity as "lesser" than previous nights.

He said no casualties involving soldiers were reported so far in fighting since Wednesday night.

Pakistan says will free Indian pilot as 'peace gesture'

Pakistan said it will release a captured Indian pilot in a "peace gesture", taking a step towards rapprochement as clashes between the nuclear-armed rivals ignited fears of a disastrous conflict.

The pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, has become the face of the crisis since he was shot down in a rare aerial engagement between the South Asian neighbours over the disputed region of Kashmir on Wednesday.

"As a peace gesture we are releasing the Indian pilot tomorrow," Prime Minister Imran Khan told a joint session of parliament.

Pakistan willing to return captured pilot

Qureshi said his country is prepared to return the Indian pilot shot down and captured on Wednesday, but only if it helps ease the crisis with its neighbour, India.

"We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation," he was quoted as saying by Pakistan media.

He added that, as a sign of the crisis easing, India had handed over its file to Pakistan on the deadly suicide bombing in India-administered Kashmir on February 14, which triggered the latest upsurge in tension.Two sides exchange fire overnight

India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire through the night into Thursday morning in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, though jet fighters roared overhead through the mountainous region as villagers along the so-called Line of Control fled to safety.

Meanwhile, members of Indian Prime Minister Modi's Bharitiya Janata Party called for more military action, suggesting the conflict still could worsen. Modi himself held a teleconference rally Thursday ahead of national elections, warning that "India's enemies are conspiring to create instability in the country through terror attacks."

Khan had called for talks between the two nuclear-armed rivals in a televised address Wednesday, saying: "Considering the nature of the weapons that both of us have, can we afford any miscalculation?"

Both Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into on Thursday. However, Indian army spokesman Lt. Colonel Devender Anand described the intensity of the firing as "lesser" than previous nights.

Pakistan's airspace remained closed for a second day Thursday, snarling air traffic.

Schools in Pakistan-administered Kashmir also remained closed.

India demands the release of its pilot

India on Thursday demanded the release of one of its air force pilots who was in a jet shot down by Pakistan's warplanes.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by villagers in Pakistan-administered Kashmir after his MiG 21 crashed after being shot.

India's foreign ministry demanded the pilot's immediate release.

The pilot is currently in Pakistan military custody.The international community has continued to urge restraint as the crisis between the countries intensifies. 

TRT World's Hasan Abdullah reports from Pakistan's capital Islamabad with the latest.

Wednesday, February 27 

Imran Khan offers talks with India after Kashmir clashes

Khan repeats his calls on Wednesday that he is ready to cooperate with India over the Kashmir suicide bombing investigation.

"Pakistan's plan was that there should be no casualties or damage, only to show Pakistani capability," said Khan.

He added, “we need to use wisdom and sense to resolve the dispute with India”.

Pakistan's prime minister stated that both sides can't afford miscalculation with weapons they have and urged "better sense to prevail".

US acting Pentagon chief focused on 'de-escalating tensions'

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is focused on de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan and urged them both to avoid further military action, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, without saying if he had spoken with his counterparts from either nation.

In a statement, the Pentagon said Shanahan had spoken with senior US military officials about the situation.

"Acting Secretary Shanahan's focus is on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action," the statement added. Turkey concerned

Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu has called for a de-escalation of tensions and a resolution on the Kashmir conflict. 

Cavusoglu said that he has told Pakistan that Turkey is willing to mediate between India and Pakistan. 

Turkish foreign minister added that Ankara ready to play its part to ease tension between Pakistan, India.

India says it shot down one Pakistan fighter jet

India says it lost a combat jet and the pilot was MIA while it foiled an attack by Pakistan military planes over the disputed region of Kashmir.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said Indian planes engaged with Pakistan jets and brought one of them down.

"In this engagement, we have unfortunately lost one MiG 21. The pilot is missing in action. Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts," Kumar told reporters.

Pakistan has denied losing any of its planes.

Pakistan closes all airspace

Pakistan closed its airspace Wednesday, the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the military said, as fears spiked of an all-out conflict with nuclear-armed neighbour India.

The CAA tweeted that it "has officially closed its airspace until further notice", while a Pakistani military spokesman said the decision had been taken "due to the environment."

A CAA source said all airlines had been notified.

India had earlier announced it was closing several cities in India and India-administered Kashmir.Pakistan says it captured Indian pilot

Pakistan says it captured an Indian pilot after shooting down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistan-administered Kashmir. He is in hospital for medical treatment, army spokesman said. 

Pakistan’s state media Wednesday published a video showing the pilot. It showed a blindfolded man in an Indian Air Force uniform, his face bloodied, with his hands tied behind him, as a soldier interrogates him. 

He gave his name, rank and serial number and when pressed for further information says, “I am not supposed to tell you that.” 

In a photograph, which has also been confirmed by security sources, the pilot can be seen flanked by Pakistani military personnel.

Pakistan 'does not want war' - military spokesman

Pakistan military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said Pakistan does not want to escalate its crisis with India, nor does it want to go to war. He also discredited Indian media reports of Wednesday morning's incident.

"Indian media says a Pakistani F-16 was downed - but Pakistan has not used any F-16s so far, nor has any been shot down," Ghafoor said.

"Army, government and people of Pakistan have always conveyed a message of peace. Both countries have the capacity, but war is the failure of policy. Showing our will and resolve, we do not want to escalate and want to follow a path of peace. Nothing is solved through war and no conflict has ever been settled through war."

He added that the action Pakistan has taken is in "self defence."

"It is up to India now to go the way we have gone. Which is the way of peace. If they respond with aggression, we will be forced to respond," he said.

Time Of Islamabad

Pakistan barred Afghanistan India flights over its airspace

https://timesofislamabad.com/27-Feb-2019/pakistan-barred-afghanistan-india-flights-over-its-airspace

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Pakistan barred Afghanistan India flights over its airspace

27 Feb, 2019

 Pakistan barred Afghanistan India flights over its airspace

 

 

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KABUL - Afghan airliner en route to India was barred from crossing Pakistan’s airspace and was forced to return to Kabul, an official from Kabul-based Kam Air said.

READ MORE:Pakistan Army Chief gives a clear message to World Capitals

Najib Paiman, a spokesman for the airline, said the plane was forced to return due to the tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.

Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority and the International Civil Aviation Organization are working to find a new route for flights between Afghanistan and India, he said.

 

 

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Kam Air’s flight was not the only airliner which was prevented from crossing Pakistan’s airspace, he said, adding that other airplanes were also forced to return to Kabul when they were not allowed to enter the neighboring country’s airspace.

Time Of Islamabad

Near 100 Afghan soldiers killed, injured in Afghan Taliban deadly attack

https://timesofislamabad.com/03-Mar-2019/near-100-afghan-soldiers-killed-injured-in-afghan-taliban-deadly-attack

KABUL - Dozens of the Afghan security forces were killed after the Taliban attacked a large military base in the southern province of Helmand on Friday morning.*

READ MORE:Pakistan Army Chief gives a clear message to World Capitals

According to the sources, over 40 killed and 50 wounded in this complex attack which lasted for more than 24 hours.

A group of at least 20 militants in military uniform assaulted 215th Maiwand Corps in Camp Shurab in Washeer district of the province on Friday morning from different directions.

 

 

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READ MORE:Turkish President assures full support to Pakistan in time of crisis against India

The provincial governor Yasin Khan said that 20 insurgents including suicide bombers were killed in the attack.

At least 22 Afghan soldiers were also killed and 16 others wounded in the incident, the official said.

 

 

READ MORE:Pakistan PM Imran Khan announces to release IAF captured pilot as a goodwill gesture

However, sources informed Ariana News of a much high number of casualties to the Afghan forces in the incident.

According to the sources, over 40 killed and 50 wounded in this complex attack which lasted for more than 24 hours.

Condemning the attack, Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish said that the enemies want to demolish and weaken the moral of the Afghan Defense and Security forces by launching such terrorist attacks.

He stressed that the enemies will never achieve this goal.

Time Of Islamabad

India gets a worst diplomatic blow from Pakistan

https://timesofislamabad.com/02-Mar-2019/india-gets-a-worst-diplomatic-blow-from-pakistan?version=amp&__twitter_impression=true

ABU DHABI: The OIC passed a strong resolution and condemned in the strongest terms the Indian terrorism in Occupied Kashmir along with use of force against Pakistan.

READ MORE:Pakistan Army Chief gives a clear message to World Capitals

OIC condemned the recent wave of Indian terrorism in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Kashmiri people in their just cause.,” said a press release from the Foreign Office.

 

The resolution also reminded the international community of its obligation to ensure implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, it said.

READ MORE:Turkish President assures full support to Pakistan in time of crisis against India

OIC expressed concern over Indian violation of Pakistani airspace, backing Pakistan’s right to defend itself against unprovoked acts of aggression.

 

In a new resolution sponsored by Pakistan, OIC member states urged India to refrain from the threat or use of force.

READ MORE:Pakistan PM Imran Khan announces to release IAF captured pilot as a goodwill gesture

In a resolution adopted by the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), the OIC member states reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains the core dispute between Pakistan and India and its resolution is indispensable for the dream for peace in South Asia.

 

This OIC resolution on regional peace and security in South Asia also welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s renewed offer of dialogue to India and the goodwill gesture of handing over captured Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

“The resolution called for restraint and de-escalation as well as the need to resolve outstanding issues through peaceful means,” said a press release from Pakistan’s Foreign Office.

Radio Pakistan

Pakistan Army effectively responds to Indian unprovoked firing on LoC

http://www.radio.gov.pk/02-03-2019/indian-forces-again-resorted-to-unprovoked-firing-along-loc-killing-two-civilians

Pakistan Army effectively responded to unprovoked firing by Indian troops on the Line of Control inflicting casualties on them and damaging their posts.

According to ISPR, Indian troops deliberately targeted civilian population in Tatta Pani, Jandrot and Nakiyal Sectors. 

Four persons, including two soldiers of Pakistan Army, embraced martydrom and two civilians were wounded during the exchange of fire.

The soldiers, who embraced martydrom include Havaldar Abdul Rub and Naik Khurram.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy continue to be alert and vigilant.  

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The News

OIC reaffirms its unwavering support to Kashmiri people

https://www.thenews.com.pk/amp/438838-oic-reaffirms-its-unwavering-support-to-kashmiri-people?__twitter_impression=true

The resolution also reminded the international community of its obligation to ensure implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

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ISLAMABAD: The OIC Ministerial meeting that concluded on Saturday in Abu Dhabi reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Kashmiri people in their just cause.

In a resolution adopted by the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), the OIC member states reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains the core dispute between Pakistan and India and its resolution is indispensable for the dream for peace in South Asia.

The OIC resolution also condemned in the strongest terms recent wave of Indian terrorism in Indian Occupied Kashmir and expressed deep concern over the atrocities and human rights violations in IoK.

The resolution also reminded the international community of its obligation to ensure implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

In the context of current volatile situation in the region, the OIC member states adopted a new resolution sponsored by Pakistan, which expressed grave concern over the Indian violation of Pakistani airspace; affirmed Pakistan's right to self-defence; and urged India to refrain from the threat or use of force.

This OIC resolution on regional peace and security in South Asia also welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan's renewed offer of dialogue to India and the goodwill gesture of handing over the Indian pilot. The resolution called for restraint and de-escalation as well as the need to resolve outstanding issues through peaceful means.

In another significant development, the OIC elected Pakistan as a member of its Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission from the Asian region, in acknowledgement of Pakistan's constructive contribution to human rights discourse, norms and policies.

The OIC adopted two other resolutions sponsored by Pakistan on international disarmament and non-proliferation issues and reform of the UN Security Council.

The strong OIC support to the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the centrality of this core issue to regional peace is recognition of the key role that Pakistan plays as a founding OIC member.

Pakistan boycotted the plenary session of the 46th CFM at the Foreign Minister level.