Teenager among ‘rebels’ killed in Kashmir
Shopian: Government forces killed five suspected rebels, including a teenager, in gun fights in Indiancontrolled Kashmir.
The clashes began after troops cordoned off two villages in southern Kashmir’s Shopian and Bijbehara areas on intelligence that anti-india militants were hiding there, police said.
Three militants were killed and two soldiers wounded in Shopian, said Inspector General Vijay Kumar. He added that troops recovered a rifle and a pistol from the site.
One of the dead militants was a teenage boy who, according to officials, had joined rebel ranks few days earlier.
Mr Kumar said several attempts were made to seek the trapped militants’ surrender but they refused.
Indian forces killed two more militants in the second clash in Bijbehara, he said.
Hutubi: Rescuers are trying to reach 21 coal miners trapped by an underground flood in north-west China.
The mine in Hutubi County in the Xinjiang region flooded at about 6.10pm on Saturday, the Xinhua News Agency reported. It said eight people had been rescued.
China’s coal mines are among the world’s deadliest, regularly suffering explosions and gas leaks despite repeated safety crackdowns.
Rawalpindi: One of Pakistan’s most wanted militants was killed by counter-terrorism police in a shootout in the city of Rawalpindi.
Officer Kashif Hussain said three of the militant’s accomplices escaped during the exchange of fire, leaving their weapons at the scene.
He identified the shot militant only as Niaz and said the man also used the alias Zeeshan.
Mr Hussain said Niaz was active with the Pakistani Taliban group Tahreek-e-taliban in Punjab province and was also in league with banned militant organisation Lashker-e-jhangvi.
The officer said Niaz was wanted in connection with a number of attacks in the region in which more than two dozen citizens and security officials were killed. There was a $40,000 (£29,000) bounty on his head.
Mr Hussain said the counter-terrorism department received intelligence that four militants on two motorcycles planned to attack secret service officers so checkpoints were set up on the road linking Attock with Rawalpindi.the targets were seen approaching the Kheri Murat checkpoint.
Mr Hussain said they were asked to stop but the motorcyclists opened fire in an attempt to escape.
Seoul: South Korea is to resume administering Astrazeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine to all eligible people between the ages of 30 and 60.
Last week, the country suspended the use of the jab for anyone aged 60 or younger pending the outcome of a review by the European Medicines Agency.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said it will restart the use of the Astrazeneca vaccine from today, citing studies showing its benefits outweigh the risk of side-effects.
Those aged 30 or younger will be excluded, as UK authorities have recommended they are given alternative vaccines.
Three cases of blood clots have been found in vaccinated people in South Korea – but none of the type of side-effects determined by European authorities.