Latest news with #paramilitary
Associated Press
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Iraqi prime minister removes paramilitary commanders after deadly clash with police
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's prime minister approved sweeping disciplinary and legal measures against senior commanders in a paramilitary force after clashes with police at a government facility that left three people dead last month, his office said Saturday. Gunmen descended on the agricultural directorate in Baghdad's Karkh district on July 27 and clashed with federal police. The raid came after the former head of the directorate was ousted and a new one appointed. A government-commissioned investigation found that the former director — who was implicated in corruption cases — had called in members of the Kataib Hezbollah militia to stage the attack, Sabah Al-Numan, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, said in a statement Saturday. Al-Sudani, who also serves as commander in chief of the armed forces, ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the attack. Kataib Hezbollah is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mostly Shiite, Iran-backed militias that formed to fight the Islamic State extremist group as it rampaged across the country more than a decade ago. The PMF was formally placed under the control of the Iraqi military in 2016, but in practice it still operates with significant autonomy. Some groups within the coalition have periodically launched drone attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Syria. The Kataib Hezbollah fighters who staged the attack in Karkh were affiliated with the 45th and 46th Brigades of the PMF, the government statement said. Al-Sudani approved recommendations to remove the commanders of those two brigades, refer all those involved in the raid to the judiciary, and open an investigation into 'negligence in leadership and control duties' in the PMF command, it said. The report also cited structural failings within the PMF, noting the presence of formations that act outside the chain of command. The relationship between the Iraqi state and the PMF has been a point of tension with the United States as Iraq attempts to balance its relations with Washington and Tehran. The Iraqi parliament is discussing legislation that would solidify the relationship between the military and the PMF, drawing objections from Washington, which considers some of the armed groups in the coalition, including Kataib Hezbollah, to be terrorist organizations. In an interview with The Associated Press last month, Al-Sudani defended the proposed legislation, saying it's part of an effort to ensure that arms are controlled by the state. 'Security agencies must operate under laws and be subject to them and be held accountable,' he said.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Why mobile services have been cut in this province in Pakistan
Pakistani authorities have suspended cellular and mobile internet services for three weeks in the restive Balochistan province. The decision followed a suicide attack in Kech district that killed three paramilitary personnel and injured others. The suspension aims to contain a raging insurgency, with authorities stating insurgents use mobile services for coordination. The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, a significant insurgent group, claimed responsibility for the recent attack. Balochistan has a long history of insurgency, with separatists targeting the military and Chinese interests in the mineral-rich region.
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
UAE rejects Sudan claim it destroyed Emirati plane full of mercenaries
Sudan has been locked in a war between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with the military long accusing Abu Dhabi of supporting the RSF -- an allegation it denies. On Wednesday, army-aligned state TV said Sudan's air force struck an Emirati plane as it landed at an RSF-controlled airport in the war-torn Darfur region, killing 40 Colombian soldiers for hire. A UAE official told AFP that the "unfounded allegations" were "entirely false" and not supported by any evidence. The official dismissed the latest claims as part of Sudan's "ongoing campaign of disinformation and deflection". A Sudanese military source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, had said the plane "was bombed and completely destroyed" at Darfur's Nyala airport. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government was trying to find out how many Colombians died in the attack, adding: "We will see if we can bring their bodies back." Sudan had accused the UAE earlier this week of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight against the army on behalf of the RSF. State TV said the plane had taken off from an airbase in the Gulf, carrying dozens of foreign fighters and military equipment intended for the RSF, which controls nearly all of Darfur. Nyala airport has recently come under repeated air strikes by the Sudanese army. Foreign fighters at displacement camp The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has accused the UAE of supplying advanced weaponry, including drones, to the RSF via the airport. Abu Dhabi denies the accusations, despite numerous reports of its involvement from UN experts, US political officials and international organisations. Reports of Colombian fighters in Darfur date back to late 2024 and have been deemed credible by UN experts. In recent days, a pro-army coalition in Darfur known as the Joint Forces reported the presence of more than 80 Colombian mercenaries involved in RSF operations in El-Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur state. Some of the foreign fighters, the group said, were killed during the RSF's latest failed assault on the city. Recent videos published by the army show mercenaries at a location that a spokesman identified as the Zamzam displacement camp near El-Fasher. "Civilians in areas near Zamzam have reported their belongings and vehicles stolen by mercenaries," camp spokesman Mohamed Khamis Douda told AFP via satellite connection to circumvent a communications blackout. AFP could not independently verify the videos. External actors In May, Sudan's army-aligned government officially declared the UAE an "aggressor state", severing all diplomatic relations. The UAE responded by stating that the internationally-recognised Sudanese government "does not represent the legitimate government" of the country. On Wednesday, Sudan's civil aviation authority claimed the UAE had imposed a ban on Sudanese planes from landing at Emirati airports and blocked a Sudanese airliner from taking off from Abu Dhabi. The UAE has not publicly responded to the reported flight ban. Last month, the latest US attempt to chart a way out of the conflict broke down as Egypt and the UAE, seen as key external players, disagreed on the role the warring parties would play in a potential peace process. Sudan's newly appointed Prime Minister Kamil Idris travelled to Cairo on Thursday -- his first official foreign trip since taking office. In a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Idris said there was "consensus" between the two countries on key regional and international issues. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who also met Idris, reiterated Egypt's "steadfast support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan". Sudan is now effectively split, with the army in control of the north, east and centre, and the RSF dominating nearly all of Darfur in the west as well as parts of the south. Both sides have faced claims of war crimes during the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and created what the UN describes as the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.
Al Jazeera
6 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Displaced Sudanese struggle to survive in Tawila
Displaced Sudanese struggle to survive in Tawila NewsFeed Sudanese women who fled the city of el-Fasher say paramilitary Rapid Support Forces fighters killed, looted, and raped people during their escape. Now in Tawila, about 60km to the west, they face rain, hunger, and a growing cholera outbreak. Video Duration 00 minutes 56 seconds 00:56 Video Duration 01 minutes 26 seconds 01:26 Video Duration 00 minutes 28 seconds 00:28 Video Duration 01 minutes 25 seconds 01:25 Video Duration 01 minutes 55 seconds 01:55 Video Duration 02 minutes 17 seconds 02:17 Video Duration 01 minutes 50 seconds 01:50
CBS News
02-08-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Colombian ex-President Álvaro Uribe sentenced to 12 years house arrest for bribery
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was sentenced Friday to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and bribery in a historic case that gripped the South American nation and tarnished the conservative strongman's legacy. The sentence, which Uribe said will be appealed, followed a nearly six-month trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that he attempted to influence witnesses who accused the law-and-order leader of having links to a paramilitary group in the 1990s. "Politics prevailed over the law in sentencing," Uribe said after Friday's hearing. Uribe, 73, has denied any wrongdoing. He faced up to 12 years in prison after being convicted Monday. His attorney had asked the court to allow Uribe to remain free while he appeals the verdict. Judge Sandra Heredia on Friday said she did not grant the defense's request because it would be "easy" for the former president to leave the country to "evade the imposed sanction." Heredia also banned Uribe from holding public office for eight years and fined him about $776,000. Ahead of Friday's sentencing, Uribe posted on X that he was preparing arguments to support his appeal. He added that one must "think much more about the solution than the problem" during personal crises. The appeals court will have until early October to issue a ruling, which either party could then challenge before Colombia's Supreme Court. The former president governed from 2002 to 2010 with strong support from the United States. He is a polarizing figure in Colombia, where many credit him for saving the country from becoming a failed state, while others associate him with human rights violations and the rise of paramilitary groups in the 1990s. Heredia on Monday said she had seen enough evidence to determine that Uribe conspired with a lawyer to coax three former paramilitary group members, who were in prison, into changing testimony they had provided to Ivan Cepeda, a leftist senator who had launched an investigation into Uribe's alleged ties to a paramilitary group. Uribe in 2012 filed a libel suit against Cepeda in the Supreme Court. But in a twist, the high court in 2018 dismissed the accusations against Cepeda and began investigating Uribe. Martha Peñuela Rosales, a supporter of Uribe's party in the capital, Bogota, said she wept and prayed after hearing of the sentence. "It's an unjust sentence. He deserves to be free," she said. Meanwhile, Sergio Andrés Parra, who protested against Uribe outside the courthouse, said the 12-year sentence "is enough" and, even if the former president appeals, "history has already condemned him." During Uribe's presidency, Colombia's military attained some of its biggest battlefield victories against Latin America's oldest leftist insurgency, pushing the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into remote pockets and forcing the group's leadership into peace talks that led to the disarmament of more than 13,000 fighters in 2016.
