Demonstrators took to the streets in Khartoum, Sudan, rejecting recent measures adopted by the army and demanding a civilian government…reports Asian Lite News
On October 25, the Sudanese Army took measures ending the partnership between the military and civilian coalition ruling during the transitional period in Sudan.
Meanwhile, General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency across the country and dissolved the sovereign council and government.
Sudan
The Forces of Freedom and Change alliance, the civilian component in the ruling coalition, accused Al-Burhan of carrying out a military coup.
Since the announcement of foiling a coup attempt on September 21, the disagreements between the military and civilian partners in the transitional government have continued to escalate.
Sudan is in a 39-month transitional period and is ruled by a transitional government of military and civilian elements, which was established after the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
The transitional period is set to be followed by elections to form a new government.
The transported individuals include British nationals and Afghans who are eligible for relocation to the UK, the defense ministry specified…reports Asian Lite News.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) has flown more than 100 people who had fled Afghanistan to the United Kingdom, via third countries, the British Ministry of Defence says.
“The RAF has airlifted over 102 people who had already left Afghanistan from a neighbouring third country,” the ministry said on Saturday, emphasizing that “these flights are the first military relocation of eligible Afghans and British nationals since the end of the evacuation from Kabul, known as Operation PITTING.”
The @RoyalAirForce has airlifted over 100 people who had already left #Afghanistan from a neighbouring third country to the #UK.
The transported individuals include British nationals and Afghans who are eligible for relocation to the UK, the defense ministry specified.
“Further flights are due to arrive in the UK in the coming weeks with more eligible people on board,” the ministry said.
In early August, the Taliban stepped up their offensive against the Afghan government forces and entered the capital city of Kabul on August 15. The US military withdrawal from Afghanistan was completed at the end of August, ending the nearly twenty-year American military presence in Afghanistan. Fearing reprisals from the militants, thousands of Afghans have fled their country since the Taliban takeover.
The United Kingdom completed the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan on August 29. In September, British media reported that the number of UK citizens remaining in Afghanistan was in the low hundreds.
About the course’s benefits, the officer said that it helps in analysing information, and collating that information to help the force understand what they are dealing with in a particular situation…reports Asian Lite News.
Amid border tensions with China on the Line of Actual Control, young and mid-level Indian Army officers deployed in Arunachal Pradesh are undergoing a short orientation course on Tibetan culture, language and topography, and will subsequently “assist in military operation capability”.
“They are undergoing Tibetology Orientation Cadre course at the Central Institute of Himalayan Culture Studies, at Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh,” said a senior Indian Army officer.
The aim of the orientation course, the officer said, is enhance awareness among the young and mid-level officers about Tibet, its demographic, its culture, its people, and its history. “Once they undergo this course, they will be fully aware about the whom they would be dealing with on the other side of the Line of Actual Control,” said a senior officer at 5 Mountain Division.
During the course, the officers are also taken to nearby monasteries where they interact with monks to understand Buddhist philosophy.
“The basic Bodhi language are also being taught during the orientation course,” said the officer, adding that it is a 42 day rigorous programme. The first batch of 15 officers were trained in 2020. The second batch of 25 officers started this year.
About the course’s benefits, the officer said that it helps in analysing information, and collating that information to help the force understand what they are dealing with in a particular situation.
He also said that the officers who have undergone this course “assist the force in military operation capability”.
The course is voluntary for these officers but importantly it will be endorsed in their career report for sure.
“We have started a course on Tibetan language and culture through an MoU signed between the Indian Army and Central Institute of Himalayan Culture Studies (CIHCS) and Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Sikkim,” said a senior Indian Army officer. https://t.co/88Ch4cPQNM
Major Pritam, who took this course, said that he was completely unaware about Tibet and the people when he came to Arunachal Pradesh. “After doing the course, I know what was missing. I was missing the essence,” he said.
The force’s first target is to get around 200 officers trained in Tibetology.
Offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in Buddhist and Himalayan studies, the centre was established under the aegis of the Buddhist Culture Preservation Society, Bomdila in 2003. In 2010, it became an autonomous body under the Union Culture Ministry.
An Al-Shabab commander surrendered to the Somali National Army (SNA) on Sunday in Wajid town in Bakool region, Southwest Somalia…reports Asian Lite News
Mohamed Nur, SNA officer told reporters that Mohamed Kulow Ali who was in charge of the terror group’s operations in the southern region based in Wajid town and armed with AK47 rifle and ammunition surrendered to the Somali army.
An Al-Shabab commander surrenders to SNA
MOHAMED NUR, SNA OFFICER: “We are now displaying to the media al-Shabab commander who was popular in areas under southwest State here in Wajid town, he was armed with AK47 rifle and ammunition after he made successful contact with the army about his surrender to the army.”
He added that the army will welcome any terrorist who is willing to surrender in line with the government’s amnesty offer.
There was no immediate comment from the terror group which has been fighting to overthrow the internationally recognized government.
The force has recently come up with an aviation brigade in the region after getting more unmanned aircraft ‘Heron I’, chopper ‘ALH Dhruv’ and weaponised attack helicopters ‘Rudra’, reports Sumit Kumar Singh
The Indian Army has enhanced deployment of air assets, including unmanned aircraft, near the borders with China in Arunachal Pradesh region.
The deployments have increased gradually as the Indian Army revamped air fire power at its aviation wings. The force has recently come up with an aviation brigade in the region after getting more unmanned aircraft ‘Heron I’, chopper ‘ALH Dhruv’ and weaponised attack helicopters ‘Rudra’. Earlier, the force aviation wing largely had Cheetah Helicopters
The force have raised the Squadron of indigenously designed and developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-Dhruv). It is a twin engine, multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in the 5.5 ton weight class and is being used for quick mobilisation of troops.
The Army has also raised its first ever dedicated squadron of ‘Rudra’ armed helicopters. Rudra is the first Army Aviation aircraft to add ‘teeth’ to the fleet of Army Aviation with its Mistral air-to-air missiles, 70 mm rockets, 20 mm guns and ATGMs. The ALH(WSI) is a force multiplier for the field force commander with its potent weapons on board. This helicopter will be able to storm the enemy forces and hunt them down when required.
“ALH(WSI) pilot will be like an archer who will strike and kill or injure the enemy from a distance. He will be like a fierce God bringing death and destruction to the enemy,” said a senior Indian Army officer.
The Army Aviation wing recently got Israeli made Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Heron I from Artillery in August.
Corps of Army Aviation’s Lieutenant Colonel Amit Dadhwal said that the aviation wing has evolved from simple fixed wing aircraft with basic avionics to state-of-the-art equipment.
“We have in the rotary platforms today in the form of Cheetah, Advanced Light Helicopters, ALH-Weaponised System Integrated and Light Combat Helicopters,” Lt Col Dadhwal said.
“These Rotary Wing platforms provide us and our leaders and commanders a plethora of capabilities so that we can achieve success in all kinds of operations.”
As the Chinese People’s Liberation Army aggression at the Line of Actual Control, the force has increased frequency of surveillance at the border area to keep a tap on their activities.
“The aircraft since its inception has been the backbone of surveillance. It can climb up to 30,000 ft and continue to give feed to commanders on the ground. So that we can manoeuvre forces on the ground. It has an endurance of 24-30 hours at a stretch,” said Major Karthik Garg.
From Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh, India shares a total of 1,346-km-long LAC with China.
India and China have been engaged in border standoff for the past 18 months.
So far, 13 rounds of top commanders level meetings have taken place and in the last round of talks, which was held on October 10, culminated inconclusive.
Nine soldiers were killed in action in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district in what has become the deadliest encounter for the security forces in J&K in recent years, reports India Daily Newsdesk
The army and police in Jammu and Kashmir are suspecting Pakistani military’s hand in ongoing deadly fighting between terrorists and the security forces in Poonch district for at least eight days, media reported.
Sources said the ferocity of the fighting between security forces and the group of terrorists holed up in the jungles of Poonch district suggests the infiltrators were trained by Pakistani commandos, the NDTV reported.
With four more soldiers killed in the operation on Saturday, a total of nine soldiers including two Junior Commissioned Officers or JCOs were killed in action, fighting these terrorists since Monday, in what has become the deadliest encounter for India’s military in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.
It is also unclear if any of the terrorists have been killed since no bodies have been found yet. The fighting in the 8-9 km stretch of thick forest has continued despite a massive combing operation, a tight cordon and intense shelling, it was reported.
According to NDTV report, sources in the army and the local police suggest that the fact that this group of terrorists have been able to inflict such heavy casualties while managing to evade thousands of security forces for eight days suggests they were trained by elite commandos of the Pakistani military.
The military is also suspecting that the group of terrorists may include Pakistani commandos, but yet to confirm “once they are shot down.”
In the first brush with these terrorists, five soldiers, including a JCO, were killed on the night of October 10 in the Dera Wali Gali area of Poonch, which is close to the Line of Control.
Lt Colonel Devender Anand, defence ministry spokesman said on Saturday, “Subedar Ajay Singh and Naik Harendra Singh of Indian Army were killed in action during search operations being conducted by the Indian Army along with Jammu and Kashmir Police in densely forested area of Nar Khas forest in Mendhar district of Poonch.
“Subedar Ajay Singh and Naik Harendra Singh were part of search operations launched by the security forces to flush out terrorists hiding in the forested area.”
“On 14 October 2021 after a fierce firefight with terrorists, the communication with Subedar Ajay Singh and Naik Harendra Singh was disrupted.”
“Relentless operations continued to neutralize the terrorists and to re-establish communication with the soldiers. Subedar Ajay Singh and Naik Harendra Singh were killed in action in the fierce fight and their bodies have been recovered in the evening today,” an army statement said.
Top LeT commander eliminated
Top LeT commander responsible for the killing of two policemen has been eliminated in an encounter between terrorists and security forces at Drangbal area of Pampore in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday, according to officials.
“LeT terrorist Umar Mustaq Khandey who martyred our 2 colleagues SgCT Mohammad Yousf and Ct Suhail Ah in Baghat, Srinagar while they were having tea, neutralised in Drangbal, Pampore. Amongst various other crimes of the terrorists, this stands out as most unforgivable,” police said.
“We are committed to hunt down these terrorists who try to create fear among masses and spread mischief and tumult in the valley. Such elements and their name should be excised from society.”
One more terrorist was also killed in the same encounter between terrorists and security forces at Drangbal area of Pampore in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday.
The fire-fight between terrorists and security forces took place after a joint team of the police and the army cordoned off the area and launched a search operation on the basis of specific information about presence of terrorists.
As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where terrorists were hiding they came under a heavy volume of fire that triggered the encounter.
With two retirements, he was eligible for two pensions. He had linked his permanent account number (PAN) and Aadhaar with his bank account while in the DSC service…reports Asian Lite News.
The regional bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has directed the Uttarakhand Police to lodge an FIR against a man who served the Indian Army for 34 years, impersonating his brother.
The imposter was exposed when he applied for getting his PAN linked with pension and so did his brother who had also retired from the Army.
The case relates to one Narain Singh who got himself enrolled in the Army as Shyam Singh on November 30, 1982.
He joined the 13 Guards Battalion as a soldier. Singh retired on June 30, 2001 as Naik.
He later re-enrolled in the defence security corps (DSC) on March 3, 2002 and was discharged on July 1, 2018 after rendering more than 16-years of service.
With two retirements, he was eligible for two pensions. He had linked his permanent account number (PAN) and Aadhaar with his bank account while in the DSC service.
However, in May 2017, his army pension was stopped after the bank found two permanent account number (PAN) cards with the same name (Shyam Singh), same father’s name (Madan Singh) and same date of birth (July 11, 1963) but with two different individual pictures.
Later his DSC pension too was stopped.
During investigations, it came to light that Shyam Singh is the name of the accused’s younger brother, who too served the Army with 6 Mechanized infantry.
He joined on March 15, 1982 and served for 20-years before retiring on January 31, 2002 as Havaldar.
In April 2017, the SBI’s Kashipur branch (Udham Singh Nagar district) asked real Shyam Singh to link his PAN with bank following which it was found that imposter Shyam Singh had already linked PAN with SBI’s Rampur branch of Almora district.
Thereafter bank officials stopped the pension of the two siblings.
After a four-year-long trial, the AFT Lucknow bench ordered Uttarakhand Police to lodge an FIR against accused Narain Singh.
The court observed that accused Narain Singh had used his younger brother’s fifth grade marksheet to enrol in the Indian Army.
However, agricultural land records and ration card entries had his name as Narain Singh. He used his brother’s PAN card details to link with pension payment order (PPO) for disbursement of pension.
Lt. Col. (retired) Seemit Kumar, the joint registrar of AFT Lucknow said, “The case of impersonator never would have come into light, had the PAN card was not linked to bank and PPO.”
The judgement in the case came on Wednesday and a copy of the order was released on Thursday.
It seems that the EU has learnt the lessons of the abrupt end of the US-led mission in Afghanistan, writes Asad Mirza
Proposals for a European Union (EU) army have re-emerged after the Afghan fiasco – but many member states still remain ‘hard to convince, about its feasibility.
It seems that the EU has learnt the lessons of the abrupt end of the US-led mission in Afghanistan and furthermore after AUKUS, that the US is a trying to build a coalition of English speaking Anglophonic nations in the defence realm and that time has now come for them to guard their interests themselves.
In her annual state of the union speech in the European Parliament in Strasbourg recently, Ursula von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, described the withdrawal of the US-led mission in Afghanistan, and the subsequent collapse of President Ashraf Ghani’s administration troubling. She urged the European leaders to acquire the “political will” to build up its own military force to de deployed at or prevent any future crises.
She is also reported to be working with the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, on issuing a “new declaration” on EU-Nato relations by the end of the year. She has also said there would be crises where the EU’s own military force should operate independently from both the UN and Nato.
Germany’s current Defence Minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has said that von der Leyen is right. Real EU defence depends on the political will of the member states. That’s why Germany and France must lead any such exercise.
European solidarity
For some, this state of affairs revived the old idea of a European military – with the EU’s chief diplomat himself urging the bloc to create a collective armed force.
“The need for more European defence has never been as much evident as today after the events in Afghanistan,” EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell told journalists at a meeting of the bloc’s foreign and defence ministers in Slovenia recently, where the Afghanistan debacle featured prominently.
The EU needs to create a “rapid response force” of 5,000 soldiers, Borrell said. EU military committee chairman Claudio Graziano also agreed with the idea, which should be supported with a genuine “will to act” he is reported to have said.
This phrase appeared once again, when Macron talked about Afghanistan with visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the ElysEe Palace. The two leaders gave a joint statement urging the EU to develop “strategic autonomy” so it can take “more responsibility for its security and defence”.
Going one step further France has recently inked a defence deal for supply of 13 Rafael jets and 3 frigates to Greece. By choosing French Rafael, Greece rejected the bid by US’s Boeing for F-16 planes.
Critics of the proposal
The idea of common defence, one attacked by some critics of the EU as evidence of fomenting nationalism building, has a long and chequered history. It dates back to 1990s and the Yugoslav Wars. A joint 1998 statement by France’s then President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair declared that the EU “must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces”, an assertion which fits Emmanuel Macron very well today.
In 1999, the EU agreed to raise a contingent of 50,000-60,000. In 2007, the bloc created a network of two “battle groups” of 1,500 troops from each country. They have since never been requisitioned.
Proponents of an EU armed force that operates independently of Washington will also have to win over sceptics within the bloc; the Baltic states and Poland are not in favour of any new defence pact excluding the US.
In addition perceptions within the EU states differ as to what is a threat to its interests. For example the Baltic states consider Russia as an existential threat as per geopolitical realities but Russia is a key energy partner for Germany, and an ally for Hungary.
Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel also backed the EU army idea in 2018, amid suggestions that the EU “could no longer count on the United States” under Donald Trump’s leadership. Other European leaders who had advocated for such an army have included Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italy’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Czech President Milos Zeman and former Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.
Trump terms Macron’s proposal for EU Army (ANI)
Pushes for an EU-force have public support, too. A 2017 Eurobarometer poll collated by Statista found that 74 per cent of respondents in the Netherlands and Belgium supported the idea. In France and Germany, backing for the proposal was 65 per cent and 55 per cent percent respectively, but in EU’s traditionally more neutral countries, like Austria (45 per cent), Ireland (46 per cent), Finland (42 per cent) and Sweden (40 per cent) it was mellowed. In the UK, only 39 per cent of survey respondents were in favour.
Other critics of the proposal include Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg himself, who has warned that an EU force “cannot defend Europe” without NATO assistance.
Military analysts say that most EU governments can’t investment more in defence and they are further concerned about the risk of undermining Nato. In 2019 EU’s 27 member states’ expenditure on defence stood at 1.2 per cent of the GDP compared with 3.4 per cent by the US.
International security and defence analyst Brooks Tigner has also pointed to potential funding issues. In a 2018 opinion piece for the Atlantic Council, Tigner wrote that while the idea for an EU army might appear “impressive on paper”, but none has any realisation of what the collective cost of operations might be. He added that the bloc would have to resolve a plethora of other “technical, legal, and administrative differences” that would “boil down to the most mundane things such as soldiers’ rights”.
The exercise will involve tactical level operations at sub unit level in an international Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism environment…reports Asian Lite News.
The 8th Edition of the India-Sri Lanka bilateral joint Exercise Mitra Shakti will be conducted at Combat Training School, Ampara in Sri Lanka from 4 to 15 October.
An all-arms contingent of 120 personnel of the Indian Army will participate in the exercise along with a battalion of the Sri Lankan Army, said a statement from the Ministry of Defence.
The aim of the exercise is to promote close relations between the Armies of both countries and enhance inter-operability and sharing of best practices in counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations.
The exercise will involve tactical level operations at sub unit level in an international Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism environment.
It will go a long way in further strengthening the relationship between both the South Asian Nations and will act as a catalyst in bringing synergy and cooperation at grass root level between both Armies, the defence ministry said.
The 7th Edition of Exercise Mitra Shakti was conducted at Foreign Training Node (FTN), Pune, Maharashtra (India) in 2019. (INN)
Lieutenant General C P Mohanty says if India wouldn’t have invested in its armed forces, then the country would have lost the battles in Galwan and Doklam, reports Asian Lite News
Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General C P Mohanty said that if India wouldn’t have invested in its armed forces, then the country would have lost the battles in Galwan and Doklam.
“Had the country not invested in security, we would have lost probably the war in Kargil, Doklam. Even internal security in Jammu and Kashmir would have been in turmoil. Our northeast region would have been in turmoil and Naxals would have had a field day,” Lieutenant General Mohanty said at an event.
Responding to arguments on expenditure on armed forces, he said, “If Tibet had strong armed forces, they would have never been invaded.”
Lieutenant General Mohanty also said the incidents in Doklam and Galwan has not only enhanced the prestige of the nation but has given the country a ”big stature” in the international arena.
He said, “Today everybody talks about India as the net security provider and it is a security umbrella against a big nation.”
Lieutenant General Mohanty added that Indian armed forces are a symbol of national integration as they rise above ethnicity, caste and creed.
He highlighted that Indian armed forces do not have any political aspirations and respect the politics in the country.
“There have been other examples where the military leaders had political aspirations. The Indian Armed Forces have no such aspirations, we respect the politics here,” he stressed.
Addressing an event, he spoke extensively on the key ethos of the Indian armed forces and highlighted their major contributions during the 1965 war, 1971 war and the Kargil conflict.
Citing recent events, Lt Gen Mohanty said, “What has happened in Doklam and Galwan not only enhanced the prestige of the nation, but it has also given us a big stature internationally.”
“Today everyone talks about India as a net security provider,” he said at the event organised by Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies (VIPS).
“It is not going to be long when we also start being counted amongst the superpowers,” he added.
The troops of India and China were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in Doklam tri-junction in 2017 that even triggered fears of a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Indian armed forces put up stiff resistance to China’s construction of a road in Doklam near the trijunction. The dispute was resolved through several rounds of talks.
The Indian Army blunted “vicious” Chinese attacks in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15 last year in eastern Ladakh.
Twenty Indian Army personnel laid down their lives in the clashes with Chinese troops that marked the most serious military conflicts between the two sides in decades.
In February, China officially acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in the clashes with the Indian Army though it is widely believed that the death toll was higher.
In his address, Lt Gen Mohanty said India has invested in its security forces and they have been playing a key role in the overall development of the country as security is a key aspect of prosperity.
He emphasised that allocation towards the armed forces is part of the nation-building process.
Lt Gen Mohanty also complimented Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman for his role in thwarting a Pakistani offensive a day after the Balakot strikes in February 2019.
“He held his head high and become a symbol of today’s youths,” he said.
The Vice Chief of Army Staff also referred to reports of how Pakistan was forced to release Varthaman as the neighbouring country knew that India would surely attack it if he was not released.
“That was how he was returned with dignity,” Lt Gen Mohanty said.
Varthaman was captured on February 27, 2019, by Pakistan following a dogfight between the air forces of the two countries in which his MIG-21 was shot down.
Before his jet was hit, he downed an F-16 fighter of Pakistan.
Varthaman was released on the night of March 1, 2019, by Pakistan.
