Defence ministry mum on 'urgent' action

The Defence Ministry has given no indication that intends to take swift action on an urgent report by the newly appointed defence commission.

Govt: Colombia's top Farc commander is dead

The founder and chief commander of Colombia's Farc rebel force, Manuel Marulanda, has died after more than 40 years fighting the state from jungle and mountain camps. If confirmed, the death of Manuel Marulanda, who organised the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrillas in the 1960s, would be the heaviest blow yet to Latin America's oldest insurgency.

Tuareg rebels attack Mali army camp, 32 killed

Tuareg rebels attacked an army camp in north-eastern Mali where 17 rebels and 15 soldiers were killed in one of the bloodiest clashes to date in a revolt by the desert insurgents, the government said on Thursday. A Defence Ministry statement said an "armed band" assaulted the camp at Abebara during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday in Mali's remote north-east.

Use of army overdue, says opposition

The deployment of the army to areas hit by xenophobic attacks was long overdue, opposition parties said on Wednesday after President Thabo Mbeki's nod to South African National Defence Force "involvement". South African police say 42 people have been killed in violence in Johannesburg that has raged for more than a week and 16 000 have been displaced.

Xenophobia: Mbeki gives nod to army

As violent xenophobic clashes that have claimed at least 42 lives spread from Gauteng to Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the "involvement" of the military. More than 16 000 people have been displaced in Gauteng.

Union takes army to court over Aids policies

A union representing South African soldiers is to take the country's armed forces to court on Thursday over alleged discrimination against HIV-infected personnel, the union said on Wednesday. The South African Security Forces' Union accuses the South African National Defence Force of discriminating against HIV-infected people.

Russia: Georgia preparing for war against rebels

Georgia is preparing to invade its breakaway region of Abkhazia, Russia said on Tuesday, days after Moscow warned it would defend its Abkhaz allies if they came under attack. It said Georgia had amassed 1 500 soldiers and police in the upper Kodori Gorge, a pocket of breakaway Abkhazia, which is controlled by Tbilisi.

Afghan president escapes assassination bid

Afghan President Hamid Karzai escaped unhurt after an assassination attempt by Taliban fighters with guns and rockets during an official celebration in the capital, Kabul, on Sunday. Government ministers along with leaders of other political factions were seen ducking for cover after gunfire sounded at the celebration to mark the 16th anniversary of fall of the Afghan communist government.

Sri Lanka counts losses after major battle

Heavy fighting between rebels and government soldiers subsided in northern Sri Lanka on Thursday, a day after intense artillery battles left hundreds killed or wounded, according to officials on both sides. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam said they were planning to return the 30 bodies of government troops they captured.

Dozens killed in heavy fighting in Sri Lanka

Ferocious fighting erupted in Sri Lanka on Wednesday as government troops made a fresh bid to break into rebel territory, leaving at least 67 dead on both sides, the Defence Ministry said. A ministry spokesperson said 74 soldiers and about 100 rebels were also seriously wounded.

Fighting kills dozens in Sri Lanka, says Defence Ministry

Sri Lanka government troops on Wednesday captured a strip of land from Tamil Tigers after heavy fighting across the island's north left 42 rebels and a soldier dead, the Defence Ministry said. Security forces killed the guerrillas from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in separate clashes in the Mannar, Weli Oya and Jaffna districts since Tuesday evening, the ministry said.

Rebel forces clash with Chad army

Fighting broke out between rebel and government forces in eastern Chad on Tuesday, nearly two months after a failed insurgent bid to oust President Idriss Déby Itno, rebel officials said. The clashes occurred in the eastern Ade region bordering Sudan, said Ali Gadaye, spokesperson for the main rebel group, the National Alliance.

Sri Lanka says 60 killed in weekend battles

At least 56 Tamil Tiger rebels and four government troops have been killed in heavy fighting across Sri Lanka's embattled north over the weekend, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday. Helicopter gunships were deployed against suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam strongholds in the coastal district of Mannar on Saturday, the ministry said.

Tiger rebels say Sri Lankan jets kill civilians

Tamil Tiger rebels said Sri Lankan government fighter jets killed five civilians in an air raid on their northern stronghold on Friday. Fighting between the military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has intensified since the government formally pulled out of a six-year-old ceasefire pact in January.

Heavy fighting kills dozens in Sri Lanka, says military

Heavy fighting in northern Sri Lanka has left at least 11 government soldiers and 42 Tamil Tiger rebels dead, defence officials said on Tuesday. The clashes between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the Weli Oya area on Monday also left 35 security personnel and 21 rebels wounded, a defence official said.

Russia denies bomber enters Japanese airspace

A Russian strategic bomber briefly entered Japanese airspace over the Pacific south of Tokyo early on Saturday morning, prompting 24 Japanese military aircraft to scramble, officials said. Russia denied the incursion, but the Japanese Foreign Ministry said it lodged a strong protest with the Russian embassy in Tokyo.

Report: Chad rebel leader accepts ceasefire

General Mahamat Nouri, the main leader of Chadian rebels in control of large parts of the capital, Ndjamena, has accepted a ceasefire proposed by Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi, Libyan news agency Jana reported. The rebels seized Ndjamena on Saturday after intense fighting with government forces.

Israel orders closure of Gaza crossings

Moin al-Wadia lay on his hospital bed beneath a window on Friday, soaking up the last of the day's winter sunshine. Around him sat his family, with boxes of sweet pastries and bouquets of flowers, as they tried to explain the growing anger and frustration of the people of Gaza.

Israel flattens Hamas Interior Ministry

Israel closed border crossings with the Gaza Strip and destroyed the Hamas-run Interior Ministry on Friday in what witnesses said was an air strike, stepping up what it says is a campaign to halt Palestinian rocket attacks. One woman was killed and at least 30 others nearby were wounded in a large explosion, medical officials said.

Govt: Sri Lankan bus victims were shot

Sri Lanka's military said on Thursday most of the 27 people killed in a bus ambush were shot by rebels as the passengers tried to flee rather than in the blast that struck the vehicle. Wednesday's attack came as a six-year truce between the state and rebels formally ended.

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