Troops
Mali junta plans ‘transitional president’
Rebel troops who have taken power in Mali said on Thursday “a transitional president” would be appointed from either civilian or military ranks. “We are going to set in place a transitional council, with a transitional president who is going to be either military or civilian,” Junta spokesman Ismael Wague told TV channel France 24. “We are in contact with civil society, opposition parties, the majority, everyone, to try to set the transition in place.” Wague said, “It is going to be a transition which will be the shortest possible. You’re not talking about 2023, 2022. (We have) to complete this transition as quickly as possible, and then we go back to doing something different. “I can’t tell you when we are going to hand over power to civilians, because the transition has first to be put i...
Hezbollah deny ‘involvement’ in border clash with Israel
Lebanese group Hezbollah denied any involvement in a border clash with Israel after Jerusalem said it had repelled an attempt by the militant group to penetrate its northern border on Monday, The border clash, which Israel said included an exchange of fire between its troops and gunmen, followed days of reported heightened tensions between Hezbollah and the Jewish state. “Today, a Hezbollah cell penetrated Israeli territory,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address, adding that the army succeeded in thwarting the “attempted attack”. “Hezbollah is playing with fire and our response will be very strong,” the veteran premier added, insisting that the Shiite group and the Lebanese government, “carry responsibility” for Monday’s incident. Israel’s army said a grou...
Troops kill kidnap kingpin, rescue 32 hostages in Benue
Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke have killed a notorious kidnap kingpin, Zwa Ikyegh, at Tomayin village in Logo LGA of Benue State. The soldiers also rescued 32 hostages held captive for over a month. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, in a statement on Friday, said that the operation was carried out on Thursday. It said that some suspected kidnappers escaped with gunshot wounds. The statement read, “Following credible intelligence on the activities of a notorious kidnap syndicate operating in the general area of Igbom village in Nenzev council ward of Logo LGA, troops of Sector 2 and 4, on July 16 carried out a raid operation on a suspected kidnappers den at Tomayin village in Logo LGA of Benue State. “The gallant troops responded with superior fire forcing...
Troops raid militants hideout in Rivers, recover cache of arms
Nigerian troops on May 12 raided and destroyed an identified pirates/militants hideout in Arugbanama Community in Bonny Local Government Arwa of Rivers State, Defence Headquarters says. The Coordinator, Defence Media Information, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, who disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja, the troops were from the 146 Battalion deployed in Bonny Island in the state. Enenche explained that the troops engaged the militants/pirates in exchange of gun fire leading to the killing of two of the criminals. He added that there was recovery of one AK47 rifle and seven magazine, one pump action rifle, one pistol and magazine. Others are one round of 7.62mm NATO ammunition and 102 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, three rounds of 9mm ball ammunition and one live cartridge. He said that one camou...
