Ten Kuki militants killed in gunbattle in Manipur
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IMPHAL: Ten militants were killed and four injured in a fierce gunbattle between two Kuki groups at a remote area in Manipur, police said on Thursday.
The gunfight between the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) and Kuki National Front-Presidium (KNF-P) took place in interior Seijang hill area on the border between Imphal East and Senapati districts on Wednesday and lasted for five hours, they said.
The gunbattle could be the result of a fight for territorial control of areas inhabited by the Kuki tribes, police said.
The injured were brought to a private hospital here and the condition of some was stated to be critical.
Security personnel have rushed to Seijang hill area. Official sources said both KNF-P and KLA were signatories of the suspension of operation (SOO) agreement with the state government and security agencies for initiating the peace process.
Under the agreement, which was signed about a year ago, police and security personnel have suspended operations against the militant outfits.
Under the agreement, the militants were not allowed to carry arms.
Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh had on Wednesday warned another signatory of the SOO agreement, the Kuki National Army (KNA), for allegedly violating ground rules and threatened to take action against them.
While the KNA wants a 'Kukiland' to be formed by integrating Kuki-settled areas of Manipur and Myanmar, KNF-P and KLA wants a 'Kukiland' by carving out Kuki-inhabited areas of Manipur. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6200261.cms?prtpage=1
2. US admits ISI-Taliban links, assures India role in Afghanistan not diminished
NEW DELHI: Days after India-Pakistan talks broke down on the issue of terror, the US pointed out links between the Taliban and Pakistani spy agency ISI and assured India that its role in Afghanistan was "not being diminished" to the advantage of Islamabad.
Lauding New Delhi's role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke also pitched for better relations between India and Pakistan and stressed that improving relations of the US with Islamabad were in New Delhi's interests.
Although Holbrooke did not spell out what gave Pakistan leverage over the evolving power equations in Afghanistan, he spoke about the links between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Taliban, a nexus highlighted by New Delhi many a time.
"The links between the ISI and the Taliban are a problem. US has spoken to the Pakistan government and the military on ISI links with the Taliban," he told reporters in an interaction here.
He spoke about a growing coordination among terror groups in the region, a point also made by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon at a seminar on terrorism in South Asia when he highlighted the links between the intelligence agencies and terror groups in the region.
"Their long-term objective is to destroy the Western civilisation and to create crisis between New Delhi and Islamabad," Holbrooke said when asked about the Pakistan-backed Haqqani network and Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based militant group that allegedly plotted and executed the 2008 Mumbai carnage.
"LeT is co-equal threat along with al-Qaida. The LeT, al-Qaida and Taliban are all working closer together than ever before," he said, ruling out any reconciliation with the terrorist groups.
While acknowledging Pakistan's crucial role in the evolving situation in Afghanistan, Holbrooke said it did not detract from India's contribution in reconstruction of that country.
"India role in Afghanistan is not being diminished. It's not a zero sum game," he told reporters here when asked about India's concerns on the contentious proposal for reconciliation with the Taliban and Pakistan's growing role in the process.
"It is for India to decide what it wants its role to be in Afghanistan. US will back any efforts for better relations between India and Pakistan," Holbrooke, who flew in here from Kabul Wednesday on a two-day visit, said.
India pitched for "an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" peace and reintegration process in Afghanistan at the Kabul conference Tuesday and reminded the world of the need for this process to be "inclusive and transparent".
Holbrooke assured that neither Pakistan nor the Taliban are going to take over Afghanistan.
"You can't stabilise Afghanistan without Pakistan's support as a concerned, legitimate partner," he said, but added in the same breath: "India has a major role to play in stability in the region and in search for solutions in Afghanistan."
Referring to the meeting between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna in Kabul two days ago, Holbrooke said Clinton conveyed the need for India to improve relations with Pakistan.
The envoy tried to assuage concerns in India about the growing relationship of the US with Pakistan in the wake of the Taliban reintegration and reconciliation plan in Afghanistan. "Our goal is to improve relations with Pakistan," he said."The truth is that the US has better relations with India and Pakistan than the two countries have with each other. It's in the interest of both countries." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6200393.cms?prtpage=1
The gunfight between the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) and Kuki National Front-Presidium (KNF-P) took place in interior Seijang hill area on the border between Imphal East and Senapati districts on Wednesday and lasted for five hours, they said.
The gunbattle could be the result of a fight for territorial control of areas inhabited by the Kuki tribes, police said.
The injured were brought to a private hospital here and the condition of some was stated to be critical.
Security personnel have rushed to Seijang hill area. Official sources said both KNF-P and KLA were signatories of the suspension of operation (SOO) agreement with the state government and security agencies for initiating the peace process.
Under the agreement, which was signed about a year ago, police and security personnel have suspended operations against the militant outfits.
Under the agreement, the militants were not allowed to carry arms.
Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh had on Wednesday warned another signatory of the SOO agreement, the Kuki National Army (KNA), for allegedly violating ground rules and threatened to take action against them.
While the KNA wants a 'Kukiland' to be formed by integrating Kuki-settled areas of Manipur and Myanmar, KNF-P and KLA wants a 'Kukiland' by carving out Kuki-inhabited areas of Manipur. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6200261.cms?prtpage=1
2. US admits ISI-Taliban links, assures India role in Afghanistan not diminished
NEW DELHI: Days after India-Pakistan talks broke down on the issue of terror, the US pointed out links between the Taliban and Pakistani spy agency ISI and assured India that its role in Afghanistan was "not being diminished" to the advantage of Islamabad.
Lauding New Delhi's role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke also pitched for better relations between India and Pakistan and stressed that improving relations of the US with Islamabad were in New Delhi's interests.
Although Holbrooke did not spell out what gave Pakistan leverage over the evolving power equations in Afghanistan, he spoke about the links between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Taliban, a nexus highlighted by New Delhi many a time.
"The links between the ISI and the Taliban are a problem. US has spoken to the Pakistan government and the military on ISI links with the Taliban," he told reporters in an interaction here.
He spoke about a growing coordination among terror groups in the region, a point also made by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon at a seminar on terrorism in South Asia when he highlighted the links between the intelligence agencies and terror groups in the region.
"Their long-term objective is to destroy the Western civilisation and to create crisis between New Delhi and Islamabad," Holbrooke said when asked about the Pakistan-backed Haqqani network and Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based militant group that allegedly plotted and executed the 2008 Mumbai carnage.
"LeT is co-equal threat along with al-Qaida. The LeT, al-Qaida and Taliban are all working closer together than ever before," he said, ruling out any reconciliation with the terrorist groups.
While acknowledging Pakistan's crucial role in the evolving situation in Afghanistan, Holbrooke said it did not detract from India's contribution in reconstruction of that country.
"India role in Afghanistan is not being diminished. It's not a zero sum game," he told reporters here when asked about India's concerns on the contentious proposal for reconciliation with the Taliban and Pakistan's growing role in the process.
"It is for India to decide what it wants its role to be in Afghanistan. US will back any efforts for better relations between India and Pakistan," Holbrooke, who flew in here from Kabul Wednesday on a two-day visit, said.
India pitched for "an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" peace and reintegration process in Afghanistan at the Kabul conference Tuesday and reminded the world of the need for this process to be "inclusive and transparent".
Holbrooke assured that neither Pakistan nor the Taliban are going to take over Afghanistan.
"You can't stabilise Afghanistan without Pakistan's support as a concerned, legitimate partner," he said, but added in the same breath: "India has a major role to play in stability in the region and in search for solutions in Afghanistan."
Referring to the meeting between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna in Kabul two days ago, Holbrooke said Clinton conveyed the need for India to improve relations with Pakistan.
The envoy tried to assuage concerns in India about the growing relationship of the US with Pakistan in the wake of the Taliban reintegration and reconciliation plan in Afghanistan. "Our goal is to improve relations with Pakistan," he said."The truth is that the US has better relations with India and Pakistan than the two countries have with each other. It's in the interest of both countries." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6200393.cms?prtpage=1
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