India/Insurgency: Maoist commander and trooper among seven killed in encounter in Midnapore

Media reported that one trooper and six suspected Maoists, including a rebel commander, were gunned down by security forces in an encounter in Bengal's West Midnapore district, late on Sunday.

Reportedly, the clash began after soldiers raided a rebel base in the Goaltore area in the West Midnapore district.

District Police Chief Manoj Verma confirmed that the local rebel commander killed in the fighting was identified as Sidhu Soren, who was wanted on charges of murder, kidnapping and arson.

Russia/Insurgency: Police officer shot dead in Dagestan

RIA Novosti News Agency reported on Monday that head of criminal investigation department Major Alishab Magomedov was killed in an attack by unknown assailants in his dacha in the town of Kaspiisk in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan.

Earlier on Sunday, two terrorists, who may be involved in Wednesday's bombing of the Baksan hydropower plant in Kabardino-Balkaria, were killed in a special operation.

Police Spokesman said the attackers, who were driving a Volga car, offered armed resistance and were gunned down. The spokesman added that the terrorists, Orshokdugov and Seyunov, were on a wanted list.

The slain terrorists were allegedly, involved in a number of grave crimes, including the bombings of the Baksan plant. Police seized guns and ammunition from the killed terrorists.

A group of at least six gunmen on Wednesday attacked the Baksan hydropower plant in the village of Islamei in the Caucasus republic of Kabardino-Balkaria in northern Russia, killing two security guards.

Paris confirms death of French hostage

French president Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed on Monday morning the death of French hostage Michel Germaneau, which had been announced on Sunday by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)'s leader Abdelmalek Droukdel.

Yemen/Insurgency: Three Al-Qaeda gunmen killed after attacking troops

Yemen's Defence Ministry announced that three of the suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen who attacked a military checkpoint in south-eastern Yemen were killed in a clash with troops on Sunday.

Police Commander of Shabwa province, said that among the slain Al-Qaeda men was senior operative Zaiyd al-Daghari.

According to him, the terrorists were killed in clashes with military soldiers manning the checkpoint they attacked late on Sunday in the al-Oqlah area in Shabwa province, some 570 kilometres southeast of Sana'a. He confirmed that six soldiers were killed in the attack.

Police Commander added that some of the assailants were also among those who attacked a patrol vehicle killing five policemen in Ataq, the provincial capital of Shabwa on July 22. He said an extensive manhunt for the attackers who managed to flee was under way.

France/Mauritania/Terrorism: Al-Qaeda in North Africa kills French hostage

Al Jazeera News Channel reported on Sunday that Al-Qaeda's wing in North Africa, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), said it had killed Michel Germaneau, a French hostage in response to a raid last week by French troops against a base in the Sahara desert.

AQIM Leader Abdelmalek Droukdel said Michel Germaneau was killed on Saturday in revenge for a failed rescue raid by French and Mauritanian troops that left six AQIM members dead.

French Special Forces took part in a Mauritanian military operation against AQIM in Mali on Thursday. The French Defence Ministry said French Army gave technical and logistical support to a Mauritanian operation to prevent an attack by AQIM against Mauritania.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's office in Paris said it had no confirmation of the hostage's death. Sarkozy will hold a meeting on Monday with top officials including his prime minister and interior, foreign and defence ministers.

Retired engineer Germaneau, 78, was kidnapped in April 22 and believed to be in the hands of Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, Leader of one of the two AQIM factions operating in the Sahara.

Last month, the terrorist group had said it would execute him by 26 July unless some of its members were released from prisons in several North African countries.

China/Security: Beijing jails Uyghur journalist for 15 years

Media reported that a Chinese Court on Friday jailed to 15 years Gheyret Niyaz, an Uyghur journalist for critical his writings and comments he made to foreign media after last year's deadly ethnic riots in China's western Xinjiang region.

Reportedly Niyaz, who worked as an administrator for Uighurbiz.net was found guilty of endangering national security and sentenced following a one-day trial in Urumqi.

According to the Uyghur American Association, Niyaz was one of a number of Uyghur journalists, webmasters and bloggers detained after ethnic unrest in energy-rich Xinjiang in July 2009.

On July 5 2009, Uyghurs attacked Han Chinese in Urumqi after taking to the streets to protest against attacks on workers at a factory in south China. Two days later Han Chinese retaliated. 197 people were killed and more than 1,700 injured in Xinjiang’s worst ethnic violence in decades.

Colombia/Insurgency: ELN releases four female hostages

Colombian Media reported on Friday that Colombian guerrilla group the National Liberation Army (ELN) freed four female hostages in the north-eastern border department of Norte de Santander, after 14 days of captivity.

Reportedly, the ELN handed over the women to Leonel Pineda, the bishop of Ocaña, a town in Norte de Santander. The guerrilla group had kidnapped Maria Angelica Gonzalez, an official of the Colombian Vice-Presidency working for the “Attention to Communities at Risk” program and Lisbeth Jaimes, Monica Duarte Rodriguez and Nora Guerrero from Fundacion Progresar on July 9.

It was not immediately known if any ransom has been paid to the ELN for the release of the hostages.

Afghanistan/Terrorism: 20 injured in blast targeting Afghan candidate in Mando Zayi

Afghan Officials stated that at least 20 people, including a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, were injured when a bomb exploded at a mosque in Bahramkhail, a village in the Mando Zayi district, central part of the Afghan Khost province on Friday.

General Nawab Khan, commander of the Coordination Body for Afghan and NATO Forces in Khost stated that the candidate Sayedullah Sayed, who was making a speech inside the mosque at the time of the explosion, was seriously injured.

No one had claimed responsibility for the bombing, but authorities believe the Taleban was behind the attack.

Meanwhile, military and government officials said several Taleban figures, including Abdul Hay Motmaen, a former spokesman for the terrorist group, have been captured in raids by coalition and Afghan forces in two villages in Andar district of the eastern province of Ghazni.

France/Mauritania/Insurgency: French commandos target Al-Qaeda

The French Defence Ministry announced on Friday that it took part in a Mauritanian military operation against the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) group, holding a 78-year-old French hostage in the desert Sahel region.

In a statement the Defence Ministry confirmed that French Army gave technical and logistical support to a Mauritanian operation to prevent an attack by AQIM against Mauritania. However, the defence ministry did not give any statement about the fate of Michel Germaneau, a retired engineer kidnapped on April 22 by AQIM.

According to the Ministry, the terrorist group targeted by the Mauritanian army is the one that executed a British hostage a year ago and has refused to give proof of life or engage in negotiations to release Michel Germaneau.

AQIM set a deadline next week to kill Germaneau, who was seized on April 22 in northern Niger, unless its demands for a prisoner swap were met.

It gave France 15 days starting from from July 12 to arrange an exchange and said French President Nicolas Sarkozy would be responsible for Germaneau's life.

Philippines/Terrorism: Seven people injured in grenade blast in Iligan

Philippine Police stated that seven people have been injured when a grenade exploded at a market in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte province, early on Friday.

Senior Superintendent Bernardo Reamon, the Police Chief in Iligan, stated that the hand grenade was lobbed around 3:45 a.m. (local time) near the Palao Market in the city and that the injured persons, who have yet to be identified, were immediately rushed to a hospital for treatment.

No information was released whether the attack was attributed to the members of the militant secessionist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front and no group has claimed responsibility for it so far.

Yemen/Insurgency: Al-Qaeda claims attacks

Media reported that Al-Qaeda's Yemen arm, the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) said on Friday that it stands behind coordinated attacks on security offices in the Arabian Peninsula state and threatened more strikes on Yemeni targets.

On July 14, gunmen on motorcycles stormed police and intelligence offices in south Yemen and opened fire, killing for policemen in Abyan province.

The AQAP said two squads of the Jamil al-Ambari Martyr Brigades carried out attacks on the dens of oppression and aggression- the political and general security buildings in Abyan province. According to the terrorist group, the July attack was in response to the killing of a fighter in Abyan.

The claim of responsibility came after suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen killed five soldiers on Thursday in an ambush in south Yemen. However, the Al-Qaeda did no claim responsibility for the attack so far.

Somalia/Terrorism: Two AU peacekeepers killed in Mogadishu

A spokesman for the African Union (AU) Peacekeeping Force stated on Friday that a gun battle with suspected Somali terrorists in Bondere district in Mogadishu on Wednesday left two AU soldiers dead and about three others injured.

The nationalities of the deceased peacekeepers were not immediately known.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that members of Somalia’s Presidential Guard had defected to the Al-Shabaab, the terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the recent bombings in Uganda that killed more than 70 people.

Reportedly, the Al-Shabaab introduced three former members of the presidential guard at a news conference in Mogadishu, on Wednesday. The soldiers said they quit working for the government because it was being protected by AU peacekeepers, who they accused of killing Somali civilians with indiscriminate shelling.

Venezuela/Colombia/Security: Caracas breaks ties with Bogota putting troops on high alert

Media reported that Venezuela broke off diplomatic relations with neighbouring Colombia and dispatched its troops along the border on alert Friday as the leaders of South America battled to solve the crisis.

Reportedly, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called an emergency meeting of Venezuela's Defence Council after formally breaking ties on Thursday with Bogota over accusations that Caracas has provided a safe haven to hundreds of leftist guerrillas.

Venezuela's Foreign Minister issued a 72-hour deadline for Colombia to withdraw its diplomats from Venezuela and shut its embassy. According to him, Venezuela will also close its embassy in Bogota.

Meanwhile, Colombian diplomats alleged before the Organization of American States that some 1,500 rebels fighting the Bogota government were operating in more than 80 camps in Venezuela and called for an international commission to investigate.

Mauritania/France/Terrorism: Six terrorists killed in raid on Al-Qaeda base

Mauritanian Officials stated on Friday that six suspected terrorists were killed and several others wounded when Mauritanian troops attacked an Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) group in a desert region in northern Mali. The French Defence Ministry also confirmed that it had taken part in the military operation.

According to French Officials, the group targeted by the Mauritanian army had executed a British hostage, Edwin Dwyer one year ago and is currently holding 78-year-old Michel Germaneau, a French aid worker kidnapped on April 19.

According to a Mauritanian source, the raid was aimed at freeing Germaneau, but following the failure of the operation, he might be now facing execution.

Mexico/Organised Crime: Eight suspects killed in clash with in Chihuahua

The Federal Public Safety Department stated on Thursday that eight suspected drug gang gunmen died in a battle with Mexican soldiers in the remote mountains of northern Chihuahua State.

Reportedly, the clash took place near the rural town of Madera, about 230 kilometers south of the U.S. border.

Federal Police Spokesman said a group of about 100 soldiers were on patrol in the mountainous area near Madera, northwest of Chihuahua when they were fired upon by a group of armed gunmen.

Police Spokesman confirmed that eight of drug gang gunmen were killed in the shootout. According to Salinas, the Mexican military did not suffer any casualties.

Iraq/Terrorism: Rocket attack kills three in Baghdad Green Zone

The U.S. Embassy announced on Thursday that rockets fired into the heavily fortified International Zone in central Baghdad killed three people and wounded 15, including two Americans, all of whom worked for Triple Canopy, a private Security Company contracted to the U.S. Government.

Reportedly, those killed were two Ugandan nationals and one Peruvian.

Triple Canopy is a firm based in Herndon, Virginia, founded by U.S. Special Forces veterans, that guards the security checkpoints for the embassy and the U.S. military facilities in Iraq.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Venezuela/Security: 21 police officers arrested for Mexican narco escape

Venezuelan Attorney General's office stated that authorities on Wednesday arrested 21 police officers accused of helping two alleged Mexican drug traffickers escape from prison.

According to investigators, the two escapees, Roberto Avila and Carlos Izabal Martinez, belonged to northern Mexico's Juarez cartel, which is engaged in a brutal turf war that has claimed thousands of lives near the U.S. border. They fled a jail in Cojedes in central Venezuela.

Reportedly, Avila and Izabal were arrested last year in central Venezuela after landing a plane at a clandestine runway. The 21 accused police officers were detained in the same jail they allegedly helped the two men flee.

Afghanistan/Terrorism: Police instructor and two NATO soldiers killed in attacks

Afghan Interior Ministry stated that an Afghan police instructor was killed by unidentified gunmen in the Loy Wiyala area of Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday.

Separately, two soldiers with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were killed on Wednesday in a terrorist attack in southern Afghanistan.

According to the British Ministry of Defence the dead soldiers were members of its forces deployed to the southern province of Helmand. They were killed by small arms fire during a cordon operation in the provincial capital Lashkargah.

Earlier on Wednesday, suspected Taleban terrorists beheaded six Afghan Police Officers during an assault on government buildings in Baghlan province.

Colombia/Insurgency: Antioquia FARC attacks leave 3 dead

Colombian Media reported that three people have been killed and other nine wounded in two separate attacks against members of the armed forces in the central Colombian department of Antioquia.

Reportedly, the first incident took place in the north-west of the department when a patrol of soldiers and policemen were travelling to the rural area of Anori to deactivate a bus bomb, allegedly planted by the 36th Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas. A solider was killed and other six injured when a landmine in the area was detonated.

The second attack occurred in the municipality of La Caucana de Taraza, in the Bajo Cauca region, when a group of coca crop eradicators were attacked by guerrillas believed to belong to the FARC's 18th Front. According to police officials, two people and four of the rebels were killed in the attack, while three others were injured.

Kyrgyzstan/Security:  Ousted Kyrgyz President's brother arrested In Jalal-Abad

Local Media reported that Kyrgyz Authorities have detained the younger brother of ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Achmat Bakiyev, in the southern city of Jalal-Abad on Wednesday.

According to the police, Achmat was armed, but did not show resistance at the time of his arrest.

The current Kyrgyz government has accused the Bakiyev family of instigation to violence during the clashes that took place between the Kyrgyz majority and the Uzbek minority in the south of the ex-Soviet state in June, leaving nearly 2,000 people dead.