India's Maoist rebel chief killed: Interior minister
Amit Shah said troops had killed 27 rebels in central India, including the 'topmost leader' of the Naxalite rebellion, named after the village in the foothills of the Himalayas where the Maoist-inspired guerrilla movement began nearly six decades ago.
'Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralized 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, topmost leader, and the backbone of the Naxal movement,' Shah said in a statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Russia expects India to keep buying its oil and seeks China-India-Russia talks
Russia expects to continue supplying oil to India despite warnings from the United States, Russian embassy officials in New Delhi said on Wednesday, adding that Moscow hopes trilateral talks will soon take place with India and China. US President Donald Trump has announced an additional tariff of 25 percent on Indian goods exported to the US from August 27, as a punishment for buying Russian oil, which constitutes 35 percent of India's total imports compared with a negligible 0.2 percent before the Ukraine war. 'I want to highlight that despite the political situation, we can predict that the same level of oil import (by India),' Roman Babushkin, the charge d'affaires at the Russian embassy in India, told a press briefing. He predicted India and Russia would find ways to overcome Trump's latest tariffs in their 'national interests.' Trade talks between India and the US broke down over the opening up of India's vast farm and dairy sectors, as well as its purchases of Russian oil. The total tariff announced on Indian goods entering the US is 50 percent. The Indian foreign ministry did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment. It has previously said the US decision to single out India for Russian purchases was 'extremely unfortunate.' Russia's Deputy Trade Commissioner Evgeny Griva on Wednesday said buying oil from Russia is 'very profitable' for India, which will not want to change its supplier. On average Russia gives a 5-7 percent discount to Indian buyers, he said, adding that Russia has a 'very, very special mechanism' to continue oil supplies to India. In addition, he said Russia had started accepting Indian rupee payments for its goods after the resolution of issues that had trapped billions of dollars worth of funds in Indian banks. 'Greater Eurasian partnership' As tensions between Washington and New Delhi rise, high-profile visits from New Delhi and Beijing in recent weeks have raised hopes on the part of the Asian neighbors that ties damaged by a 2020 border clash can be repaired. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to visit China for the first time in over seven years later this month. The planned visit was reported by Reuters last week, even as other high profile exchanges, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's two-day visit to New Delhi, concluded. At the same time, Russia is trying to revive long-standing plans for a trilateral meeting with India and China to help them forge a 'greater Eurasian partnership.' 'As far as the trilateral is concerned, we are quite hopeful that this format will be resumed sooner rather than later because its importance is not questioned,' Babushkin said. 'This is closely linked to the Russian initiative of the establishment of the greater Eurasian partnership,' Babushkin said. Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Modi in New Delhi by the end of year, he said. Putin, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are also expected to all attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation starting August 31.
Al Arabiya
11 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Putin, Modi to meet in Delhi by end of year: Russian official
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet in New Delhi by the end of the year, though no dates have been finalized yet, a Russian embassy official in India said on Wednesday.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Azerbaijan ‘eager' to learn from Pakistan's multi-domain air warfare — Pakistani military
ISLAMABAD: Azerbaijan has expressed a keen interest in learning the Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) multi-domain air warfare to strengthen its defense capabilities, the Pakistani military said on Tuesday. The statement came after a high-level Azerbaijan delegation, led by Deputy Minister and Director-General of Defense Agil Gurbanov, called on the PAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, at the Air Headquarters in Islamabad. The visit follows a four-day Pakistan-India military standoff in May, during which officials said the PAF successfully conducted multi-domain operations to down six Indian fighter jets, including the French-made Rafale jets. While India has acknowledged losses in the air, it has not specified the number of aircraft lost. During Tuesday's meeting in Islamabad, both sides engaged in extensive discussions and underscored a shared commitment to fostering defense collaboration in training, modernization and technical expertise, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military's media wing. Deputy Minister Gurbanov 'conveyed Azerbaijan's strong desire for collaboration across Multi-Domain Operations, noting that Pakistan Air Force's rich operational experience provides a valuable model for Azerbaijan,' the ISPR said in a statement after the meeting. 'He added that his country is especially eager to learn PAF's complete methodology of Multi Domain warfare to strengthen its own capabilities.' The hour-long India-Pakistan fight, which took place in darkness, involved some 110 aircraft, experts estimate, making it the world's largest air battle in decades. Pakistan's Chines-made J-10s shot down at least one Rafale, Reuters reported in May, citing US officials. Its downing surprised many in the military community and raised questions about the effectiveness of Western military hardware against untested Chinese alternatives. Deputy Minister Gurbanov termed the PAF's seamless integration of multi-domain operations a 'hallmark of modern air warfare' and conveyed Azerbaijan's 'keen interest' in learning from PAF's battle-proven experience. Underscoring the importance of joint training initiatives through bilateral exercises between the two air forces, the visiting dignitary emphasized that such cooperation would enhance shared learning, interoperability and professional excellence, according to the ISPR. During the meeting, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu shared insight into the PAF's various ongoing modernization projects, operational construct, force goals and plans for the force structure, with a focus on future warfare. He reiterated the PAF's unwavering support to provide capacity-building assistance to the Azerbaijan Air Force in upgradation of its human resource, maintenance parameters and operational training. 'The dignitary reiterated Azerbaijan's intent to revamp its entire training system, beginning from the academy level, and acknowledged Pakistan Air Force as a trusted partner in guiding this transformation,' the ISPR said. 'He expressed confidence that cooperation with PAF would significantly contribute to the modernization and professional growth of Azerbaijan Air Force.' Pakistan and Azerbaijan maintain close brotherly, trade and defense ties. In July 2024, Azerbaijan announced a $2 billion investment in Pakistan during a visit by President Ilham Aliyev to Islamabad. In September last year, Pakistan signed a contract to supply JF-17 Block III fighter jets to Azerbaijan, marking the deepening of defense cooperation. 'The visit of the Azerbaijani defense delegation to Air Headquarters, Islamabad reflects the mutual commitment of Pakistan and Azerbaijan to further deepen their strategic partnership, while reinforcing the shared aspirations for regional peace, security and stability,' the ISPR added.
