Defense

Astha, which already had links with Hizbul Mujahideen has established links with fugitive terrorist Paresh Barua of United Liberation Front of Assam(ULFA). Founder of Astha, Mohammad Shahid Uddin Khan sponsored a secret meeting between Salauddin, the current leader of Jamaatul Mujahidin Bangladesh(JMB), Paresh Barua and Ghulam Rahman of Hizbul Mujahideen in Nepal-China border.

During the visit which will last till July 12, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa is scheduled to visit various operational and training units as well as fly a sortie in Russian trainer aircraft YAK-130, a Defence Ministry statement said.

The project, initially valued at Rs 11,929 crore, was meant for the Indian private sector to enter aerospace manufacturing despite stiff PSU resistance. The C-295 planes will replace IAF’s old Avro aircraft, first inducted in the early 1960s. While Airbus will supply the first 16 aircraft, the remaining 40 will be built in India within eight years.

“India has successfully test-fired a vertical deep dive version of BrahMos, the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile, that can now change the dynamics of conventional warfare… The upgraded version of the missile with enhanced range of up to 500 km is also ready,” CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, Sudhir Kumar Mishra, has said.

The operation, code named ‘Sudarshan’, was launched on July 1 and will cover the entire over 1,000-kms length of the India-Pakistan International Border. While Jammu shares about 485-kms of the sensitive IB with Pakistan, about 553-kms of the front is in Punjab. Further, it runs down towards Rajasthan and Gujarat on India’s western flank.

The acquisition case is being processed under the emergency powers for procurement of weapon systems and ammunition to be war-ready in post-Pulwama attack-like situations. The ammunition is being acquired for units deployed along the Line of Control where artillery shelling by Pakistan is a common feature.

In their complaint to the Prime Minister, these officers have claimed that Ansari, while being posted in Tehran, “not only failed to protect India’s national interest, but cooperated with the Iranian government and its intelligence agency SAVAK to cause serious dent to R&AW and its operations.

The security forces launched a well-coordinated operation after receiving a specific input regarding NSCN (IM) cadres camping in village Kekru Naga and carrying out illegal extortion in general area Nungba, a well-coordinated operation was launched on Friday night.

Security forces have already been working on improving the Standard Operating Procedure for convoy movement. Road Opening Party (ROP) duties are also being revised in view of the threat of vehicle borne IEDs. The number of Mine Protected Vehicles and bulletproof vehicles are being increased.

People living along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Batalik sector, where the intrusion by Pakistani troops was first detected by some residents in early May 1999, say they are looking forward to relive the moment when the troops unfurled the Indian flag after some of the fiercest battles of the conflict.