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Southeast Asian air force chiefs to snub Myanmar meeting
Several Southeast Asian air force commanders will shun an upcoming meeting chaired by Myanmar's military rulers, officials told AFP, deepening the junta's regional isolation as it struggles to crush resistance. The annual ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference gathers top air force leaders from the 10-nation bloc to discuss cooperation in defense, combating extremism, and disaster relief. Current chair Myanmar is set to host the meeting next week but at least three Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries told AFP they will not send their top officials. The junta has been accused of war crimes over air strikes carried out by its jets -- mostly Chinese and Russian-built -- in support of ground troops battling opponents of its 2021 coup. Its air force chief Htun Aung, who will chair the conference, has been sanctioned by the United States and Britain. The air force chiefs of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia will not attend the meeting, officials told AFP. Malaysia's air force chief will not attend, a spokesperson said, while the Philippine commander will send a video message to his counterpart rather than go in person. Indonesia's air force chief "will not be attending and won't be sending anyone to represent him either," air force spokesperson Agung Sasongkojati told AFP without giving a reason. At a summit this week, ASEAN accused the junta of targeting civilians in the grinding conflict sparked by its coup, and of ignoring a peace plan agreed with the bloc to end violence. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said there had been "no significant progress" in the five-point plan agreed with the junta more than two years ago. ASEAN has barred junta officials from high-level meetings over their refusal to engage with the plan and their opponents. Cambodian air force commander Soeng Samnang declined to comment on whether he would attend, and the defence ministry could not be reached for comment. The air forces of Singapore, Brunei and Vietnam did not respond to requests for comment. But Thailand's air force chief will make the trip to neighboring Myanmar, a defense ministry official told AFP. While ASEAN has halted high-level meetings with Myanmar's generals, Thailand has held its own bilateral talks with the junta and deposed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in recent months, further dividing the bloc. War crime claims Amnesty International said last year the junta was likely using air strikes as "collective punishment" against civilians supporting anti-coup fighters, and in March the United Nations said the military had carried out more than 300 air strikes in the past year. Also in March, the junta held a parade to mark Armed Forces Day, with flyovers by Russian-made Yak and Sukoi Su-30 jets. The military bombed a gathering in northern Sagaing region in April that media and locals said killed about 170 people, sparking renewed global condemnation of the isolated junta. Human Rights Watch said it had evidence the military had used a thermobaric "vacuum bomb" in the attack, saying it likely amounted to a war crime. Air strikes on a concert held by a major ethnic rebel group in northern Kachin state killed around 50 people last October. The junta has said reports civilians were among the dead were "rumors". AFP has contacted a Myanmar junta spokesman for comment. The post Southeast Asian air force chiefs to snub Myanmar meeting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Año condemns latest NPA attacks
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Monday condemned another “bomb and gun attack” by the New People’s Army against unarmed civilians which seriously wounded three people, including a barangay captain, in Masbate province on 12 August. “We strongly condemn the latest atrocities by the New People’s Army against unarmed civilians in Barangay Bonifacio, Uson, Masbate, where a local government official and two others were seriously injured following a bomb and gun attack by members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front,” Año said. He stressed that the continued use of banned landmines by the NPA and its persistent attacks on civilian targets are both gross violations of international and domestic laws. “The perpetrators of this dastardly and cowardly act will not go unpunished. Justice will be served for Barangay Captain Democrito Rivera, Romneck Lumabab, and Alex Balayan, all of Barangay Bonifacio, who was shot by a five-man NPA hit team after being hit by a remotely-detonated explosive device,” said the security advisor. The post Año condemns latest NPA attacks appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Año condemns ‘dastardly’ NPA landmine attack in Masbate
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Monday condemned another “bomb and gun attack” by the New People’s Army against “unarmed” civilians, which seriously wounded three people, including a barangay captain, in Masbate province on 12 August. "We strongly condemn the latest atrocities by the New People’s Army against unarmed civilians in Barangay Bonifacio, Uson, Masbate, where a local government official and two others were seriously injured following a bomb and gun attack by members of the communist terrorist group, CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front)," Año said. Año stressed the continued use by the NPA of banned landmines and its persistent attacks on civilian targets are both gross violations of international and domestic laws. “The perpetrators of this dastardly and cowardly act will not go unpunished. Justice will be served for Barangay Captain Democrito Rivera, Romneck Lumabab and Alex Balayan, all of Barangay Bonifacio, who was shot by a five-man NPA hit team after being hit by a remotely-detonated explosive device,” he said. Año said the latest attack perpetrated by the NPA “only shows the group’s brand of violence”, the reason why they are considered the 15th deadliest terrorist organization in the world as indicated in the 2023 Global Terrorism Index. “We commiserate with the victims and their families and the countless others who were hurt, maimed, or killed by this godless and inhumane communist armed group. This terrorist group deserves no less than the condemnation of all freedom and peace-loving Filipinos here and all over the world,” he said. Año said the NPA is already “a spent force and a dying group of ideologues gasping for its last breath.” He assured the public that the joint Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will be relentless in hunting down the NPA remnants “who continue to sow terror in our communities, with impunity if only to stay relevant and project a false image of strength.” The national security adviser reiterated the government’s strong commitment to uphold the tenets of the IHL of the Geneva Convention and Republic Act No. 9851 or An Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity. Likewise, the government strongly upholds the enforcement of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, he added. “In light of this recent atrocity, let us continue to provide the national government a strong hand and vibrant mechanisms,” he said, noting that National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict will continue its whole-of-nation approach to finally put an end to the communist insurgency. International humanitarian law covers two areas, including the protection of those who are not, or no longer, taking part in the fighting. The other area covers restrictions on the means of warfare – in particular weapons – and the methods of warfare, such as military tactics. The Philippines also has Republic Act 9851, An Act Defining and penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity, Organizing Jurisdiction, Designating Special Courts, and for Related Purposes, since 2009. A provision under Section 4 states that combatants are prohibited from using APMs as it can cause "superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering or which are inherently indiscriminate.” The post Año condemns ‘dastardly’ NPA landmine attack in Masbate appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fear, grief after 41 dead in ‘brutal’ Uganda school attack
Grieving families buried their dead in western Uganda on Sunday while others searched desperately for missing loved ones after militants killed dozens of students in a "brutal" school attack. Officials say at least 41 people, mostly students, were massacred Friday in the worst attack of its kind in Uganda since 2010. President Yoweri Museveni, in his first statement since the attack, vowed to hunt the militants "into extinction". Victims were hacked, shot and burned in the late-night raid on Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe, which lies less than two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pope Francis offered a prayer on Sunday for "the young student victims of the brutal attack" that has shocked Uganda and drawn condemnation from around the globe. Ugandan authorities have blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia based in DR Congo, and are pursuing the attackers who fled back toward the border with six abductees. "Their action -- the desperate, cowardly, terrorist action -- will not save them," said Museveni. Fifteen others from the community, including five girls, were still missing, said Eriphaz Muhindi, chairman of Kasese district, which shares a long and forested border with DR Congo. - 'Great pain' - Families desperate for news waited all night in the cold outside a mortuary in nearby Bwera. Those able to identify loved ones embraced and wept as they took away the bodies in coffins. "We flocked (to) the hospital and found many bodies -- of boys and girls, some cut with pangas (machetes), others hit with hammers on the head," Roti Masereka, a farmer, told AFP. He left with the body of his brother -- 35-year-old Mbusa Kirurihandi, a security guard at the school -- and his 17-year-old son. But a third son, aged 15, is missing, and the family is distraught. "Today we have buried two bodies, the father and his son. But we are still looking for the missing child," he said. The government said Sunday it would assist with funeral arrangements and support the injured. Seventeen victims were burned beyond recognition when the attackers set a dormitory ablaze, frustrating efforts to identify the dead and account for the missing. Muhindi said they had been taken away for DNA testing, a process that could take some time. "This is a great pain to their families," he told AFP. - 'They wore military camouflage' - Officials said 37 students were killed -- 17 in the torched men's dormitory, and 20 female students who ran but were hacked to death. Elias Kule, an 18-year-old survivor, said the boys locked their dormitory door when they heard gunshots and saw armed men entering the school. "They wore military camouflage. Each had a hammer, a hoe, knives, pangas (machetes) and guns with magazines," he told AFP. He said the attackers started firing through the windows and doors, hitting at least one student, before lobbing a "bomb" into the dormitory that started a fire. "I ran out of oxygen, I covered my mouth and nose with a cloth... I got blood and smeared myself on the head and ears to claim I was dead," he said, waiting until the coast was clear to escape. Four non-students, including the security guard Kirurihandi, were also killed. - 'Appalling act' - The African Union, France and the United States, a close ally of Uganda, offered their condolences and condemned the bloodshed. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said: "Those responsible for this appalling act must be brought to justice." Questions have been raised about how the attackers managed to evade detection in a border region with a heavy military presence. Major General Dick Olum told AFP that intelligence suggested the presence of the ADF in the area at least two days before the attack, and an investigation would be needed to establish what went wrong. Uganda and DR Congo launched a joint offensive in 2021 to drive the ADF out of their Congolese strongholds, but the measures have failed to blunt the group's violence. Originally insurgents in Uganda, the ADF gained a foothold in eastern DRC in the 1990s and have since been accused of killing thousands of civilians. The Islamic State group claims the ADF as its Central African affiliate. Attacks in Uganda are rare but in June 1998, 80 students were burnt to death in their dormitories in an ADF raid on Kichwamba Technical Institute near the DR Congo border. More than 100 students were abducted. The attack was the deadliest in Uganda since 2010, when 76 people were killed in twin bombings in Kampala by the Somalia-based group Al-Shabaab. gm-np/bp © Agence France-Presse The post Fear, grief after 41 dead in ‘brutal’ Uganda school attack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BIFF bomb maker falls
ZAMBOANGA CITY — The military on Monday reported the arrest of an individual believed to be the improvised explosive device maker of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters-Karialan Faction at the vicinity of the Cotabato Regional Medical Center in Barangay Rosary Heights 10, Cotabato City. 90th Infantry Battalion commanding officer Lt. Col. Rowel Gavilanes disclosed that state forces arrested the suspect near the Cotabato Regional Medical Center in Cotabato City on Friday. Gavilanes identified the suspect as Kuntong Basilan, alias Tong Basilan, and Michael Basilan, who is facing two counts of double murder, multiple frustrated murders and an arson filed against him in the local court. Alias Tong Basilan is a known IED-making expert of the BIFF-Karialan Faction, a confidante of the late Ameril Umbra Kato and triggerman of Kumander Paradise, and Gavilanes added that he is also involved in some violence against government security forces and civilians of Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte. “Based on our information, the suspect was involved in a gun-for-hire, harassment and landmine attack on a military installation in Sitio Risingan, Dungguan, Aleosan, Cotabato; burning of civilian properties in Sitio Poypoyon, Dungguan and Bagolibas, Aleosan and Baliki, Midsayap, Cotabato in 2008, and a series of shooting incidents targeting the PNP and AFP in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte in 2019 to 2020,” Gavilanes said. He assured the people of Central and South Central Mindanao that the AFP and PNP would continue to work to eliminate threats to peace and maintain order in their locality. The operation against the suspects was jointly conducted by soldiers of the 90th IB, 34th IB, PNP-Special Action Force and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Maguindanao Provincial Field Unit. Basilan is currently in the custody of the CIDG-Maguindanao for appropriate disposition. The post BIFF bomb maker falls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bus bombing: Persons of interest identified
The Philippine National Police on Tuesday disclosed that it has already identified three individuals who are possible persons of interest involved in the recent bus bombing in Sultan Kudarat which left seven people injured. On Monday, a double-decker Husky Bus reportedly exploded as authorities also recovered another improvised explosive device on the bus’s second floor. Isulan PNP officer-in-charge PLtCol Richelu Alucilja, their initial investigation resulted in the identification of three persons of interest — which is a significant breakthrough in the case. Meanwhile, Biocrest Multi-Purpose Cooperative, the operator of the Husky Bus Tours, released a statement expressing their commitment to persevere. The company’s mission is to provide safe, affordable, efficient, quality, sustainable and integrated transport systems that enhance economic, investment, social and tourism activities in their area of operation. Bus companies plying the Cotabato-General Santos routes have been heavily victimized by extortion from lawless elements in the past. The injured victims of the recent bus bombing are currently recuperating in hospitals. The PNP is urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities that they may observe. They are also reminding everyone to cooperate with the authorities as they continue to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice. Meantime, the local government of Isulan, Sultan Kudarat has condemned the dastardly act of the suspects in the bombing of the Husky provincial bus at the Isulan Bus Public Terminal. Isulan Mayor Marites Pallasigue on Tuesday said that the condemn to the highest degree the incident as she called on police and military authorities to unmask the perpetrators of the bomb attack. Police Regional Office in Central Mindanao director P/Brig Gen. Jimili Macaraeg also condemned the “atrocious act.” “PRO 12 strongly condemns this dastardly act that affected seven innocent civilians,” Macaraeg said. “While PRO-12 is already on top of the situation, we will intensify our efforts together with the AFP and other law enforcement agencies to identify the personalities behind this atrocity and deliver justice to the victims,” he added. The post Bus bombing: Persons of interest identified appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pressure mounts on Israel not to attack Palestinians’ last refuge in Gaza
The Israeli military says it wants to flush out Islamist militants from hideouts in Rafah and free hostages being held there after the Hamas rampage in Israel on October 7, but has given no details of a plan to evacuate civilians.....»»
2 suspects from Sunday s Mass bombing, among 9 killed in Philippines
MANILA, The Philippines: The Philippine army said over the weekend that its troops killed nine suspected Muslim militants, including two key suspects, in a bomb attack last month that killed four Christian worshippers in the south of the country. Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala said that four army scout rangers were slightly wounded in the operation on January 25 against the Dawlah Islamiyah in the village of.....»»
Iran : 103 people killed by twin bomb blasts
Twin bomb blasts killed at least 103 people in Iran on Wednesday, ripping through a crowd commemorating Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani four years after his death in a US strike, state media reported. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed “evil and criminal enemies” of the country for the attack and vowed a “harsh.....»»
PNP to file raps vs Dawlah Islamiyah, Maute members in MSU bombing
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) aims to file criminal complaints against the suspects and unidentified persons of interest (POIs) involved in the Mindanao State University (MSU) bomb attack. The filing, according to the investigators, can be expected by the end of this week. PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the situation in.....»»
Classes resume at MSU
A week after a bomb attack killed four persons and wounded dozens of others during a Catholic mass at the Mindanao State University in Marawi, students returned to classes yesterday amid tight security and heightened police and military presence......»»
Philippines identifies 2 members of pro-Islamic State group as bomb suspects
Philippine police on Wednesday identified two persons of interest as suspects involved in a deadly blast that killed four people during a catholic Mass in a southern city at the weekend. Those suspected of orchestrating the attack in Marawi were members of Daulah Islamiya-Maute, a pro-Islamic State militant group that took control of the city in 2017 and held it throughout five months of ground offensives and ai.....»»
Philippines identifies 2 members of pro-Islamic State group as bomb suspects
Philippine police on Wednesday identified two persons of interest as suspects involved in a deadly blast that killed four people during a catholic Mass in a southern city at the weekend. Those suspected of orchestrating the attack in Marawi were members of Daulah Islamiya-Maute, a pro-Islamic State militant group that took control of the city in 2017 and held it throughout five months of ground offensives and ai.....»»
MSU blast victims receive medical, burial assistance
In response to the bomb explosion at the Dimaporo Gymnasium of Mindanao State University–Main Campus in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, victims received medical and burial assistance. Officials from the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) and other Bangsamoro Government agencies, including Barmm Chief Minister Ahod “Al-Hadj Murad” Ebrahim, visited victims at hospitals. Six patients received financial aid through MSSD’s Bangsamoro Critical Assistance for Indigents in Response to Emergency Situations program. Additionally, injured patients at the MSU Infirmary received financial aid for transportation and medical needs. The MSSD workforce also visited the bereaved families of the deceased victims to provide cash assistance and support. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support will be provided for MSU-Main Campus Marawi students, and interventions for deceased victims' families will be determined by MSSD. Officials from various agencies, including the university and security sector, held a meeting and inspected the site of the incident. Related stories include the naming of MSU Marawi bombing suspects and statements from officials condemning the attack......»»
Muslim leaders condemn MSU bomb attack
Muslim leaders and peace activists condemned the bombing during a Catholic mass at the Mindanao State University gymnasium in Marawi City last Sunday and demanded that the police and the military identify and arrest the perpetrators......»»
US denounces horrific bomb attack in Marawi
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Washington is in close contact with Manila and stands with Filipinos in rejecting the act of violence. .....»»
Pope Francis prays for victims of Marawi bombing
“I wish to assure my prayer for the victims of the attack that occurred this morning in the Philippines, where a bomb exploded during Mass,” Pope Francis said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. .....»»
At least 4 killed, over 50 injured in Philippine university explosion
The Mindanao State University gymnasium after a bomb attack in Marawi, Lanao Del Sur province, the Philippines, December 3, 2023. /AFPAt least four people were killed and over 50 others injured in an explosion inside the gym of a university during a Catholic mass in the southern Philippine province of Lanao del Sur on Sunday morning, local authorities said. Philippine President Ferdinand Rom.....»»
Strong indications of foreign element in Marawi bomb attack — DND
In a briefing, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said that there was “strong” evidence of a “foreign element” being involved in the attack. .....»»
Military on high alert after calling Marawi bombing ‘a terror act’
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine forces were on high alert on Sunday after a bomb killed four people and wounded several during a Catholic Mass in a university gymnasium in Marawi City, an attack the authorities called Islamist terrorism. “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists,” said.....»»