Latest news with #Armed
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First Post
5 days ago
- First Post
2 Indians shot dead in Niger, third kidnapped by armed group; embassy seeks safe release
The Indian embassy in Niger said it was coordinating with local authorities to repatriate the bodies of the deceased and secure the safe release of the abducted individual. read more Two Indian nationals were killed and one abducted by gunmen in Niger's Dosso region. Source: AFP Gunmen in Niger's southwest Dosso region killed at least two Indian nationals and kidnapped a third in a violent attack, Indian authorities reported, marking the latest assault on foreigners in the conflict-ravaged country.2 The Indian Embassy in Niger posted on X Friday (July 18) that the attack took place on Tuesday. The embassy is coordinating with local authorities to repatriate the bodies of the deceased and secure the safe release of the abducted individual. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'In a heinous terror attack on 15 July in Niger's Dosso region, two Indian nationals tragically lost their lives and one was abducted. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,' the embassy wrote. 'Mission in Niamey is in touch with local authorities to repatriate mortal remains and ensure safe release of the abducted Indian. All Indians in Niger are advised to remain vigilant.' In a heinous terror attack on 15 July in Niger's Dosso region, two Indian nationals tragically lost their lives and one was abducted. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Mission in Niamey is in touch with local authorities to repatriate mortal remains and ensure… — India in Niger (@IndiainNiger) July 18, 2025 According to local media in Niger, the victims were workers at a construction site in Dosso, about 140 kilometres (87 miles) from the capital, Niamey. Foreigners have increasingly become targets of armed groups in Niger. This year alone, several abductions have occurred, including an Austrian woman who has worked as an aid worker in Niger for over 20 years, a Swiss woman taken from her home in April, and five Indian workers also kidnapped in April, reported Associated Press (AP). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Niger has been grappling with a jihadist insurgency tied to al-Qaida and the Islamic State for years, a crisis that analysts say has intensified since the military overthrew the government in July 2023, struggling to quell violence in key areas. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project reported that June was one of Niger's deadliest months on record, with Islamic State-backed fighters launching a major offensive in the Tillaberi and Dosso regions, killing over 100 civilians in a resurgence of mass atrocities in rural communities.
The Star
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Myanmar junta releases 93 child soldiers after UN criticism
YANGON: Myanmar's ruling junta said on Friday (July 4) it has already discharged 93 minors from military service, responding to a United Nations report last month accusing it and its allies of recruiting over 400 children, many in combat roles. In a rare admission published in its mouthpiece newspaper, the junta said it conducted a verification process last year that resulted in the discharge of 93 verified minors, who were also provided with financial assistance. "To date, only 18 suspected minor cases remain pending verification," a government-run committee said in a statement published in the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. Myanmar's military and the armed groups affiliated to it last year recruited 467 boys and 15 girls, including over 370 children used in combat roles, the UN Secretary-General's report on Children and Armed Conflict said. Anti-junta groups had also recruited children, the report said, although their number was far lower than that of the military. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 coup that unseated an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, causing widespread protests that morphed into a nationwide armed uprising against the powerful military. Established ethnic armies and new armed groups formed in the wake of the coup have gained control over much of Myanmar's borderlands, hemming the junta largely into the country's central plains. The struggling junta in 2024 activated a mandatory military service law, conscripting young people to replenish its depleted ranks after months of relentless fighting forced it to cede swathes of territory. Nearly 3.5 million people were internally displaced in the war-torn country, with children accounting for over 33 per cent of that population in 2024, according to Unicef. The largest proportion of child recruitment appears to have taken place in western Rakhine state, home to the minority Muslim Rohingya community, where the Myanmar military - along with two allies fighting there - enlisted 300 minors, according to the UN report. Reuters reported last year that children as young as 13 were fighting on the frontlines in Rakhine state, citing a U.N. official and two Rohingya fighters. Millions of Rohingya driven out of Myanmar remain confined in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, where militant recruitment and violence surged last year. - Reuters
Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Myanmar junta releases 93 child soldiers after UN criticism
By Naw Betty Han and Shoon Naing Myanmar junta releases 93 child soldiers after UN criticism July 4 - Myanmar's ruling junta said on Friday it has already discharged 93 minors from military service, responding to a United Nations report last month accusing it and its allies of recruiting over 400 children, many in combat roles. In a rare admission published in its mouthpiece newspaper, the junta said it conducted a verification process last year that resulted in the discharge of 93 verified minors, who were also provided with financial assistance. "To date, only 18 suspected minor cases remain pending verification," a government-run committee said in a statement published in the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. Myanmar's military and the armed groups affiliated to it last year recruited 467 boys and 15 girls, including over 370 children used in combat roles, the UN Secretary-General's report on Children and Armed Conflict said. Anti-junta groups had also recruited children, the report said, although their number was far lower than that of the military. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 coup that unseated an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, causing widespread protests that morphed into a nationwide armed uprising against the powerful military. Established ethnic armies and new armed groups formed in the wake of the coup have gained control over much of Myanmar's borderlands, hemming the junta largely into the country's central plains. The struggling junta in 2024 activated a mandatory military service law, conscripting young people to replenish its depleted ranks after months of relentless fighting forced it to cede swathes of territory. Nearly 3.5 million people were internally displaced in the war-torn country, with children accounting for over 33% of that population in 2024, according to UNICEF. The largest proportion of child recruitment appears to have taken place in western Rakhine state, home to the minority Muslim Rohingya community, where the Myanmar military - along with two allies fighting there - enlisted 300 minors, according to the UN report. Reuters reported last year that children as young as 13 were fighting on the frontlines in Rakhine state, citing a U.N. official and two Rohingya fighters. Millions of Rohingya driven out of Myanmar remain confined in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, where militant recruitment and violence surged last year. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Sun
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Myanmar junta releases 93 child soldiers amid UN scrutiny
MYANMAR'S ruling junta said on Friday it had already discharged 93 minors from military service, countering a United Nations report last month that accused it and allies of recruiting more than 400 children, many in combat roles. In a rare admission published in its mouthpiece newspaper, the junta said it conducted a verification process last year that resulted in the discharge of 93 verified minors, who were also provided with financial assistance. 'To date, only 18 suspected minor cases remain pending verification,' a government-run committee said in a statement published in the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. It is unclear when the 93 minors were released. Myanmar's military and the armed groups affiliated to it last year recruited 467 boys and 15 girls, including over 370 children used in combat roles, the UN Secretary-General's report on Children and Armed Conflict said. Anti-junta groups had also recruited children, the report said, although their number was far lower than that of the military. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 coup that unseated an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, causing widespread protests that morphed into a nationwide armed uprising against the powerful military. Established ethnic armies and new armed groups formed in the wake of the coup have gained control over much of Myanmar's borderlands, hemming the junta largely into the country's central plains. The struggling junta in 2024 activated a mandatory military service law, conscripting young people to replenish its depleted ranks after months of relentless fighting forced it to cede swathes of territory. Nearly 3.5 million people were internally displaced in the war-torn country, with children accounting for over 33% of that population in 2024, according to UNICEF. The largest proportion of child recruitment appears to have taken place in western Rakhine state, home to the minority Muslim Rohingya community, where the Myanmar military - along with two allies fighting there - enlisted 300 minors, according to the UN report. Reuters reported last year that children as young as 13 were fighting on the frontlines in Rakhine state, citing a U.N. official and two Rohingya fighters. More than a million Rohingya driven out of Myanmar remain confined in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, where militant recruitment and violence surged last year. - Reuters
New Straits Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Myanmar junta releases 93 child soldiers after UN criticism
NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar's ruling junta said today it has already discharged 93 minors from military service, responding to a United Nations report last month accusing it and its allies of recruiting over 400 children, many in combat roles. In a rare admission published in its mouthpiece newspaper, the junta said it conducted a verification process last year that resulted in the discharge of 93 verified minors, who were also provided with financial assistance. "To date, only 18 suspected minor cases remain pending verification," a government-run committee said in a statement published in the 'Global New Light of Myanmar' newspaper. Myanmar's military and the armed groups affiliated to it last year recruited 467 boys and 15 girls, including over 370 children used in combat roles, the UN Secretary-General's report on Children and Armed Conflict said. Anti-junta groups had also recruited children, the report said, although their number was far lower than that of the military. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 coup that unseated an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, causing widespread protests that morphed into a nationwide armed uprising against the powerful military. Established ethnic armies and new armed groups formed in the wake of the coup have gained control over much of Myanmar's borderlands, hemming the junta largely into the country's central plains. The struggling junta in 2024 activated a mandatory military service law, conscripting young people to replenish its depleted ranks after months of relentless fighting forced it to cede swathes of territory. Nearly 3.5 million people were internally displaced in the war-torn country, with children accounting for over 33 per cent of that population in 2024, according to UNICEF. The largest proportion of child recruitment appears to have taken place in western Rakhine state, home to the minority Muslim Rohingya community, where the Myanmar military -- along with two allies fighting there -- enlisted 300 minors, according to the UN report. Reuters reported last year that children as young as 13 were fighting on the frontlines in Rakhine state, citing a UN official and two Rohingya fighters. Millions of Rohingya driven out of Myanmar remain confined in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, where militant recruitment and violence surged last year.
