Page 3 - National Security

Delhi police takes stock of security arrangements ahead of Republic Day

Ahead of Republic Day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the Republic Day parade camp organised by the National Cadet Corps in the national capital on Saturday

Continuance of TMC govt in West Bengal is threat to national security: BJP

The BJP on Friday came down heavily on the Trinamool Congress over an incident of attack on Enforcement Directorate officials in West Bengal, saying the continuance of the party's government under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is a threat to national security. The ED officers were assaulted and their vehicles damaged allegedly by supporters of TMC leader Sheikh Sajahan when they tried to raid his residence in North 24 Parganas district this morning in connection with a probe into the ration distribution scam. According to officials, the ED officers left their damaged vehicles and took auto rickshaws and two-wheelers to move out of Sandeskhali. At least two of the officers suffered serious injuries and were taken to a hospital. Reacting sharply to the incident, BJP co-incharge for political affairs in West Bengal Amit Malviya wrote on X, "This is how lawless Bengal is." "Continuance of the TMC government in West Bengal is a national security threat, he said. Malviya said the team

55 foreign terrorists among 76 neutralised in Jammu-Kashmir in 2023: DGP

A total of 76 terrorists, including 55 foreigners, were neutralised, 291 terrorist associates arrested and 201 overground workers booked under the Public Safety Act in Jammu and Kashmir this year, Director General of Police R R Swain said on Saturday. Swain further said that only 31 local terrorists an all time low - are left in the Union Territory. He said 14 civilians were also killed by terrorists in 2023, and there was a decline of 63 per cent in terror-related incidents as compared to the last year, while recruitment of terrorists has also gone down with strike calls and stone-pelting on continuous decline. Four police personnel, including a DSP and an inspector, lost their lives in terror attacks, Swain told reporters. The police chief said 89 terrorist modules were busted and 18 terrorist hideouts were unearthed in Jammu and Kashmir while 99 properties worth more than Rs 170 crore, including buildings, land, orchards and commercial establishments, were attached and 68 bank

Poonch attack: Army pays tributes to fallen soldiers, search op continues

A wreath laying ceremony was on Sunday held in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri for the four soldiers who lost their lives after being ambushed by terrorists in nearby Poonch district, officials said. A search operation to track down the fleeing terrorists continues near the scene of the ambush, while mobile internet services remained suspended in the twin districts for the second day on Sunday, they said. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi led the wreath-laying ceremony of Naik Birendder Singh, Naik Karan Kumar, rifleman Gautam Kumar and rifleman Chandan Kumar at a military camp where their mortal remains were shifted. General Officer Commanding of Jammu-based White Knight Corps Lt Gen Sandeep Jain, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Vikas Kundal, Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajouri Amritpal Singh and other officers and ranks of the Army also paid floral tributes. The soldiers lost their lives when their two vehicles were ambushed by terrorists

Parliament security breach: Manoranjan D maybe mastermind, suspects police

The Delhi Police Special Cell suspects Manoranjan D one of the six people arrested in the Parliament security breach - to be the mastermind behind the conspiracy, hatched to send a message to the ruling government by doing "something big," said a source privy to the probe. According to police, Lalit Jha, another accused, has revealed to the interrogators that Manoranjan was the one who motivated other members to do something big and planned the breach in the parliament. However, his, Jha's, role was only to destroy the evidence after the act. Manoranjan was arrested along with Sagar from inside the parliament on December 13. Both had jumped into the well of the Lok Sabha and opened yellow colour canisters hidden in their shoes. Manoranjan, a native of Mysore, had quit engineering to engage in social work. Though he was unemployed, he managed to visit Cambodia, the source said. Jha was produced before the court on Friday from where he was sent to 14 days of police custody. Police t

Defence ministry seals deal to procure six patrol vessels for Coast Guard

The defence ministry on Wednesday signed a Rs 1,614 crore contract with Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilders Ltd for procurement of six next generation offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard. The acquisition of the platforms is aimed at boosting the Coast Guard's capability towards maritime security, the defence ministry said. "The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilders Ltd on December 20 for the procurement of six next generation offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG)," the ministry said. It said the contract was made under the buy (Indian-IDDM) category at a total cost of Rs 1614.89 crore. Out of the six vessels being procured, four would replace the existing aging offshore patrol vessels and the other two would augment the Coast Guard's fleet. "The acquisition of these major ICG platforms is aimed to boost the ICG's capability and reinforces the increased focus of the Government towards maritime security," the ministry s

A negotiated outcome is best way to end Lebanon-Israel tension, says US NSA

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday that he has discussed with Israeli officials the volatile situation along the Lebanon-Israel border, adding that a negotiated outcome is the best way to reassure residents of northern Israel. Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Sullivan said that Washington won't tolerate threats by Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group, which has been attacking Israeli military posts along the border since a day after the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7. Over the past two months, Israel has evacuated more than 20,000 of its citizens from towns and villages along the border with Lebanon, some of whom have expressed concerns that they have no plans to return home as long as Hezbollah fighters are deployed on the Lebanese side of the border. We need to send a clear message that we will not tolerate the kinds of threats and terrorist activity that we have seen from Hezbollah and from the territory of Lebanon, Sullivan told reporters in ...

US, India, Taiwan unite to strengthen cybersecurity against China threat

Three countries share a common interest in warding off cyber attacks from various agencies PLA is developing and training in China

Article 370 verdict doesn't affect China's claims over border: Official

China on Wednesday said the Indian Supreme Court's verdict on Article 370 upholding the centre's decision to carve out the union territory of Ladakh from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir does not have any bearing on its claim on the western section of the China-India border. India's Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the central government's decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 bestowing special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The apex court also upheld the validity of the Centre's decision to carve out the union territory of Ladakh from the erstwhile state of J&K and directed restoration of statehood at the earliest as well as holding elections to the assembly by September 30 next year. Asked about the court verdict upholding the validity of the decision of the Indian government to carve out the union territory of Ladakh, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here that China has never recognised the ...

Suspicious four-feet pit found adjacent to Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad

A four-feet deep and wide pit was found adjacent to the boundary wall of the strategically important Hindon airbase here, raising an alert, with the local police saying the possibility of an infiltration attempt cannot be ruled out. A senior police official said on Monday police here have taken a serious note of it and launched an investigation after lodging an FIR. The pit was observed adjacent to the airbase boundary wall near Iqbal Colony and the locals informed the Teela More police station on Sunday night, the official said. Police and Air Force officials reached the spot soon and inspected the pit. Trans Hindon DCP Shubham Patel said the air force officials lodged an FIR. It could be the case of somebody trying to dig a tunnel to enter the premises, he said, adding police have started probing the case from various angles. The possibility of an infiltration attempt by some anti-national elements or some terrorist outfit cannot be ruled out, he said. The pit has been filled

US, India, Taiwan representatives collaborate on Cybersecurity workshop

India's former National Cyber Security Coordinator Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant said that with over 800 million internet users and 1.2 billion smart phones, cybersecurity is a major part of national security

Govt sanctions Rs 626 cr to build strategically important road in Arunachal

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 625.61 crore for the construction of a strategically important road in Shi-Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh. The 53.04-km Tato-Monigong Road will ensure all-weather connectivity to the India-China border and ensure socio-economic development in the region. Taking to X, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "In Arunachal Pradesh, an allocation of Rs 625.61 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of an intermediate lane road with hard shoulders, spanning 53.04 kilometers from Tato to Monigong section of National Highway 913, also known as the Frontier Highway. "This strategically significant road will ensure all-weather connectivity to the Indo-China Border, fostering socio-economic development in the border regions of Arunachal Pradesh," he added. Expressing his delight, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that the state is blessed to be at the forefront of infrastructural transformation under Prime Minister Narendra ...

Rajouri encounter: LeT terrorist, trained on Pak and Afghan fronts, killed

A Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist was on Thursday killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a defence spokesman said. Four Army personnel, including two captains of special forces, were killed and two others injured in the encounter on Wednesday. Fresh firing resumed this morning in Bajimaal area of Dharmsal belt after an overnight halt. The area was cordoned off overnight with induction of additional security forces to ensure terrorists engaged in the encounter do not escape from the highly forested area, they said. In the firing, one Pakistani terrorist has been killed, the spokesman said. He has been identified as Quari, a hardcore terrorist, he said. "He has been trained on Pakistan and Afghan front. He is a highly ranked terrorist leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba", he said . The Pakistani terrorist has been active in Rajouri-Poonch along with his group from the past one year, he said, adding he is also believed to be the mastermind of the

Best of BS Opinion: Drafting security strategy, Regulating AI & more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Drafting security strategy

India needs to fill a big gap

Singapore may review past takeovers on grounds of national security

Under the new law, where an entity has acted against Singapore's national security interests, any change in ownership or control of the entity within 2-yrs prior to the act may be reviewed

US terms with China must consider human rights, national security: Yellen

Washington wants to build an economic relationship with Beijing that takes into account national security and human rights and is fair to both sides, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday. In laying out the Biden administration's economic approach toward the Indo-Pacific region, the country's top financial official said Washington does not seek to decouple from China, the region's largest economy and the world's second largest next to the United States. But it wants to diversify by investing at home and boosting links with trusted countries in the region. We've put forward a vision of the world grounded in values we share with these allies and partners and in which there is also a healthy and stable economic relationship between the United States and China," Yellen said in a speech hosted by the Asia Society less than two weeks before leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation countries will gather in San Francisco for an annual meeting. President Joe Biden and ...

Australia decides against cancelling Chinese firm's lease of important port

The Australian government announced Friday it has decided not to cancel a Chinese company's 99-year lease on strategically important Darwin Port despite U.S. concerns that the foreign control could be used to spy on its military forces. The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet said it decided after an investigation of the eight-year-old lease that current monitoring and regulation measures are sufficient to manage security risks for critical infrastructure such as the port in the northern garrison city of Darwin. Australians can have confidence that their safety will not be compromised while ensuring that Australia remains a competitive destination for foreign investment, it said in a statement. Landbridge Industry Australia, a subsidiary of Rizhao-based Shandong Landbridge Group, signed the lease with the debt-laden Northern Territory government in 2015. That was three years after U.S. Marines began annual rotations through Darwin as part of the U.S. pivot to Asia. The United

Educating our security chieftains

The armed forces need to focus more on professional military education that prepares leaders for modern warfare

Elon Musk's denial of Ukraine's Starlink request prompts senate probe

Chairman Jack Reed said in a statement Thursday the reports on the use of Starlink exposed "serious national-security liability issues and the committee is engaged on this issue"