Russian ‘double-tap’ strike on shopping centre in Ukraine kills 16 and wounds 130

-
 By Reuters | Posted by TOE At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Friday when several Russian drones ‌struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine, authorities said, with President ‌Volodymyr Zelenskiy promising a response to what he called an “act of barbarism.” Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said ​that 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelenskiy’s hometown. “There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children,” Hanzha said. He posted a photo of black ‌smoke billowing from a large ⁠industrial building. In an update early on Saturday, Hanzha said nine people were preliminarily considered missing, including two children, and ⁠that rescuers were continuing to clear the rubble of the shopping centre. Zelenskiy called the attack “absolutely cynical and despicable”, saying that a second Russian drone hit the shopping ​centre ​half an...
Post a Comment

More deaths as Colombian guerrilla violence displaces nearly 50,000

-

A new bout of fighting between two guerrilla groups in northeastern Colombia, where violence has displaced nearly 50,000 people in 10 days, claimed 13 lives this weekend, authorities said Monday.

The toll brought to 54 the total number of confirmed deaths from fighting in the cocaine-growing Catatumbo region — lower than the figure of about 80 reported last week based on local counts, officials said.

The government has vowed “war” against the left-wing guerrillas, declaring a state of emergency and deploying some 10,000 soldiers to contain the violence that threatens to scupper a fragile national peace process.

In just five days from January 16, bloodshed was reported across three Colombian departments — from the remote Amazon jungle in the south to the mountainous northeastern border with Venezuela.

Analysts say the spasm of violence in Catatumbo was caused by a turf war between the ELN guerrilla group and a rival formation comprised of ex-members of the now-defunct FARC guerrilla force which disarmed under a 2016 peace pact.

The ELN and FARC dissidents vie for territory and control of lucrative coca plantations and trafficking routes in the Catatumbo region, which President Gustavo Petro is due to visit later Monday.

The governor’s office of Norte de Santander department, of which Catatumbo forms part, said the 13 dead reported Monday appeared to all be FARC dissidents.

Military intelligence sources say the ELN is seeking to wipe out a FARC dissident group known as the 33rd Front, once an ally in Catatumbo.

The latest toll raised to 48,000 the number of people forced to leave their homes, on top of 11 wounded and 12 missing, according to the governor’s office.

The world’s biggest cocaine producer, Colombia has enjoyed almost a decade of relative peace since the FARC laid down arms, seeking to end decades of civil war that killed some 450,000 people.

But pockets of the country are still controlled by assorted left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and drug cartels vying for territory and trafficking routes.

Colombia reactivated arrest warrants for top ELN commanders last week, and Petro has called off peace negotiations with the group.

SOURCE: AFP AND AGENCIES



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/hmYJ5I4

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Myanmar earthquake death toll rises as fresh tremors further complicate rescue efforts

-
Image
A5.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, on Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor was part of a series of aftershocks following Friday’s devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which resulted in the collapse of numerous buildings and significant infrastructure damage. The death toll has risen to over 1,600, with more than 3,400 individuals reported missing; these numbers are expected to increase as rescue operations continue. Foreign rescue teams and supplies arrived in Myanmar on Sunday to help the impoverished country cope with an earthquake that killed over 1,600 and left many near the epicentre scrambling for help without proper equipment. The 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar’s strongest in a century, jolted the Southeast Asian nation on Friday, leaving 1,644 people dead, 3,408 injured and 139 missing, the military government said. India, China and Thailand are among Myanmar’s neighbours that have sent relief ...
Read more

Israel says situation on Lebanon border ‘not sustainable’

-
By James Mackenzie Reuters  Israeli officials and media reacted with satisfaction on Monday after a  long-expected missile attack  by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement appeared to have been largely thwarted by pre-emptive Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Israel seemed content to let Sunday’s attack, in retaliation for the  killing of a senior Hezbollah commander  in Beirut last month, count as settled for the moment. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said Hezbollah had suffered a “crushing blow” from the Israeli strikes but that a longer lasting solution was still needed. “The current situation is not sustainable,” he told a briefing, referring to the tens of thousands evacuated from their homes in northern Israel, a situation mirrored on the other side of the border in southern Lebanon. “Israel will do its duty and return its population to our sovereign territory.” Hopes that children might return for the start of the ...
Read more