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Saudi leaders pay tribute to ‘model of leadership’ as world reacts to death of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and the nation's figurehead for seven decades, has died aged 96. (Supplied/Royal Family)
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Updated 10 September 2022
Arab News
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Saudi leaders pay tribute to ‘model of leadership’ as world reacts to death of Queen Elizabeth II

  • Politicians and officials react and share condolences on the death of the monarch
Updated 10 September 2022
Arab News

LONDON: Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the nation’s figurehead for seven decades, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.

Here is regional and global reaction to the news.

SAUDI ARABIA’S KING SALMAN

“Her Majesty was a model of leadership that will be immortalized in history. We recall with appreciation her efforts in strengthening the relations and friendship between our two countries, as well as the high international status that Her Majesty enjoyed throughout her reign.”

SAUDI ARABIA’S CROWN PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN

“I am saddened by the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who devoted her life in the service of her country. Her Majesty was an example of wisdom, love and peace, and the world remembers today the great impact she had throughout her reign.” 

GCC SECRETARY-GENERAL DR. NAYEF FALAH MUBARAK AL-HAJRAF

Al-Hajraf expressed sincere condolence and sympathy to the Royal Family, government and people of the UK on the death of Queen Elizabeth II after a “rich life she dedicated for Britain and the world at large,” Saudi Press Agency reported.

In a cable, the Secretary General recalled the contributions of Queen Elizabeth II and her role in enhancing the GCC-British relations and friendship and partnership ties binding the GCC and the United Kingdom, underscoring the importance of the distinguished GCC-British relations citing their pivotal role in enhancing security, peace and stability and support for development, wishing the United Kingdom, its friendly people and His Majesty King Charles III every success and best wishes.

UAE PRESIDENT SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED AL-NAHYAN

“I extend my sincere condolences to the family of Queen Elizabeth II and the people of the UK. Her Majesty was a close friend of the UAE and a beloved and respected leader whose long reign was characterized by dignity, compassion and a tireless commitment to serving her country.”

The UAE has declared a three day-mourning period, or until Sept. 12, and all flags in the Emirates and at its embassies abroad will fly at half-mast during the duration.

UAE VICE PRESIDENT SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL-MAKTOUM
“We join the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, a global icon who represented the finest qualities of her nation and people. Her incredible lifetime of service and duty to the United Kingdom is unparalleled in our modern world.”

JORDAN’S KING ABDULLAH II

“Jordan mourns the passing of an iconic leader. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a beacon of wisdom and principled leadership for seven decades. She was a partner for Jordan and a dear family friend. We stand with the people and leadership of the UK at this difficult time.”

KUWAIT EMIR SHEIKH NAWAF AL-AHMAD AL-JABER AL-SABAH

The Emir expressed his and Kuwaiti government and people’s deep sorrow and sympathy for Queen Elizabeth’s death, in a cable sent to the British government. The ruler noted that “the whole world had lost with her death a great leader who was wise, experienced and far-sighted.”

Kuwait’s Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also expressed his “deep sorrow over the demise of Queen Elizabeth II.”

Flags in Kuwait would be flown in half-mast starting for three days to mourn the demise of the queen.

BAHRAIN’S KING HAMAD BIN ISA AL-KHALIFA

The ruler of Bahrain has mourned Queen Elizabeth II’s “passing and emphasized that the world has lost a great source of inspiration and strength whose wisdom and humanity will be missed by all.”

King Hamad has ordered that flags be lowered to half-mast for three days. Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, also sent a cable of condolences to King Charles III.

OMAN’S SULTAN HAITHAM BIN TARIK

The Oman ruler expressed “his heartfelt sympathies to King Charles, his family and people of the UK” and recalled the virtues of the late Queen and the lofty status that she was accorded by world nations.

The Sultan issued orders to fly flags at half-mast in establishments of the public and private sectors and in embassies abroad on Friday, Sept. 9.

IRAQ PRESIDENT BARHAM SALIH

“I feel deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I offer my deepest condolences to the royal family and the people of the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth will be remembered as a great symbol of history who served with grace, dignity and steadfastness.”

IRAQ PRIME MINISTER MUSTAFA AL-KADHIMI

“Our deep and sincere sympathies to the British people and Britain’s Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II was respected and cherished the world over. We extend our condolences to King Charles III,  and stress the continued partnership between our two countries. We offer our condolences to King Charles III and affirm the continuity of the partnership between Iraq and the United Kingdom.”

SAUDI EMBASSY IN LONDON

“The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, on behalf of the people of KSA, wishes to express its deepest condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth on the passing of Her Majesty The Queen.

“Her Majesty was a long and steadfast friend to KSA, and she will long be remembered for her endless service to her country and her people. May she rest in peace.”

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER LIZ TRUSS

“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her.”

US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

Biden said the legacy Queen Elizabeth leaves behind will “loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.”

CHINA’S PRESIDENT XI JINPING

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered “sincere sympathies to the British government and people” following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“Xi Jinping, representing the Chinese government and the Chinese people, as well as in his own name, expresses deep condolences,” a statement said, adding: “Her passing is a great loss to the British people.”

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE
“(Our) hearts and our thoughts go to the family members of the Queen, (go) to the people of the United Kingdom ... Our relationship with the people in the United Kingdom, and this is something the president has said himself, has grown stronger and stronger.”

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES
“As the United Kingdom’s longest-lived and longest-reigning Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II was widely admired for her grace, dignity, and dedication around the world. She was a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, including the decolonization of Africa and Asia and the evolution of the Commonwealth.
“Queen Elizabeth II was a good friend of the United Nations, and visited our New York Headquarters twice, more than fifty years apart. She was deeply committed to many charitable and environmental causes and spoke movingly to delegates at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow.
“I would like to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II for her unwavering, lifelong dedication to serving her people. The world will long remember her devotion and leadership.”

MUSLIM COUNCIL OF BRITAIN

“We at the Muslim Council of Britain remember how the Queen devoted her life to public service and sought unity among British communities.

“Her Majesty’s reign saw extraordinary change in our country. Over seven decades, the United Kingdom has seen itself transformed into a multicultural and multi-faith society.

“Her Majesty was the first monarch to engage with newly established Muslim communities here in the UK. Though the first British mosque was seen in the Victorian era, the Queen was the first monarch to visit a UK mosque during her Jubilee celebrations in 2002. Audiences at events and ceremonies hosted by the Royal family reflect the diversity of Britain.

“All of us, of all faiths and none, will remember Her Majesty’s legacy of public service and celebrate her achievements.”

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN

Putin on Thursday offered his condolences to King Charles III following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, wishing the new monarch “courage and resilience” after his mother’s passing.

“The most important events of the United Kingdom’s recent history are inextricably bound with the name of Her Majesty. For many decades Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed her subjects’ love and respect as well as authority on the world stage,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin statement.

PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER SHEHBAZ SHARIF

“Deeply grieved at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Pakistan joins the UK and other Commonwealth nations in mourning her death. My heartfelt condolences to the royal family, people and government of the UK.”

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered as a stalwart of our times. She provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people. She personified dignity and decency in public life. Pained by her demise. My thoughts are with her family and people of UK in this sad hour.”

CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU
“It was with the heaviest of hearts that we learned of the passing of Canada’s longest-reigning Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She was a constant presence in our lives – and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country’s history.”

NEW ZELAND’S PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN

“She was extraordinary,” said Ardern, ordering flags to fly at half-staff and a state memorial service to be held.

“People throughout the world will be feeling an acute sense of loss at this time and New Zealanders most certainly share that grief,” said Ardern.

“The Queen was a much respected constant through unprecedented global change,” she said, as her office stated that “the new king becomes New Zealand's new head of state.”

EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT CHARLES MICHEL
“Our thoughts are with the royal family and all those who mourn Queen Elizabeth II in the UK and worldwide. Once called Elizabeth the Steadfast, she never failed to show us the importance of lasting values in a modern world with her service and commitment.

EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL
“Queen Elizabeth Il’s remarkable reign oversaw key events of the 20th & 21st century. The EU pays tribute to her unique contribution to building peace & reconciliation. While her loss will be felt around the world, our immediate thoughts are with her family & the people of the UK.”

DUTCH KING WILLEM-ALEXANDER
“We remember Queen Elizabeth II with deep respect and great affection. Steadfast and wise, she dedicated her long life to serving the British people. We feel a strong bond with the United Kingdom and its royal family, and we share their sorrow at this time.”

THE ROYAL HOUSE OF NORWAY
“The Royal Family is deeply saddened to receive the news that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away.”

ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER MARIO DRAGHI
“Queen Elizabeth was a major player in world history over the last seventy years. She represented the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth with balance, wisdom, respect for institutions and democracy. She has been the most beloved symbol of her country and has garnered respect, affection and warm feelings everywhere. She ensured stability in times of crisis and kept the value of tradition alive in a society in constant and profound evolution.
“Her spirit of service, her dedication to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, the profound dignity with which she has held office for such a long time have been an unceasing source of admiration for generations.”

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II embodied the British nation’s continuity and unity for over 70 years. I remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted queen who has left a lasting impression on her country and her century.”

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY
“It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. On behalf of the UA people, we extend sincere condolences to the @RoyalFamily, the entire United Kingdom and the Commonwealth over this irreparable loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”

FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR
’We have all lost someone very precious to us and, as we mourn, we should be grateful that we were blessed with such an example of duty and leadership for so very many years.”

* with Agencies

Topics: UK Britain's Queen Elizabeth II Death of Queen Elizabeth II

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2,000 religious leaders attend Muslim World League conference in Kuala Lumpur

Updated 07 May 2024
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2,000 religious leaders attend Muslim World League conference in Kuala Lumpur

  • MWL co-organized international gathering with the Malaysian government
  • Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivers speech during the conference
Updated 07 May 2024
Mohammed Rasooldeen

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 2,000 religious leaders and scholars from 57 countries gathered in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday for a conference organized by the Muslim World League to discuss the role of religion in facilitating dialogue and peace initiatives.

The MWL, an international non-governmental Islamic organization founded in Saudi Arabia in 1962, organized the 2024 International Conference of Religious Leaders with Malaysia’s Department of Islamic Development.

The conference was inaugurated by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and MWL Secretary-General Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa.

“This religious conference will be an annual feature in Malaysia since it has proved successful in building an understanding and affinity among religions in the world, as well as in Malaysia,” Anwar said during his speech.

“In a conference like this, we can observe the things that need to be done and need to be improved among Muslims, Christians, Buddhists or Hindus. We want to listen to your advice, criticisms and suggestions.”

While about two-thirds of Malaysia’s more than 33 million population are Muslims, there are also large Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian minorities in the country.

“Religious leaders should take an active, effective and courageous role in promoting peace and justice. It is the duty of religious leaders to ensure that governance is guided by strong moral and ethical values,” Anwar said.

Al-Issa said the conference seeks to have a tangible impact.

“This international conference was attended by international, religious, political, intellectual, academic and media leaders. It is considered the first nucleus of a major breakthrough through a number of initiatives and programs around the world, aiming to enhance friendship and cooperation between nations and peoples,” he said.

“Our world is most in need of true solidarity, solidarity with a tangible impact, and is most in need of awareness of the threats threatening its global peace and the harmony of its diverse national communities in their religions and races.”

Topics: Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim Muslim World League (MWL)

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US repatriates two dozen Westerners from Syria Daesh camp

Updated 07 May 2024
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US repatriates two dozen Westerners from Syria Daesh camp

  • In a complex operation involving US agencies, Kuwait and pro-US Kurdish fighters, the United States repatriated 11 US citizens
  • The US also facilitated the repatriation of six Canadian citizens, four Dutch citizens, and one Finnish citizen
Updated 07 May 2024
AFP

WASHINGTON: The United States announced Tuesday it had brought back two dozen Western citizens, half of them Americans, from a camp for Daesh prisoners in Syria, its largest-ever repatriation as thousands languish.
In a complex operation involving US agencies, Kuwait and pro-US Kurdish fighters, the United States repatriated 11 US citizens, including five minors, as well as a nine-year-old non-US sibling of an American, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
The United States in the same operation facilitated the repatriation of six Canadian citizens, four Dutch citizens, and one Finnish citizen, among them eight children, he said.
“This is the largest single repatriation of US citizens from northeast Syria to date,” Blinken said in a statement.
“The only durable solution to the humanitarian and security crisis in the displaced persons camps and detention facilities in northeast Syria is for countries to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate and, where appropriate, ensure accountability for wrongdoing,” he said.
The United States has long pushed European governments to bring back nationals who went to fight for the Daesh group — or their children.
Most European countries have done so but slowly and despite initial reservations, especially in countries with a history of jihadist attacks at home such as France and Britain.
Blinken did not identify the people who were repatriated.
The New York Times, quoting unidentified sources, said they included an American woman, whose Turkish husband apparently took the family to Daesh territory and was later killed, and their nine children.
The Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported last week that a man who joined Daesh but then became a valuable informant was seeking the repatriation of two sons, one apparently the non-US citizen, to be raised by their grandparents in Minnesota.
The repatriations remain controversial in the United States as well, with the administration of former president Donald Trump in one prominent case insisting that a young woman seeking to return was not legitimately a US citizen.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) helped US forces crush the Daesh group.
Five years after the extremists were ousted from their last territory, the SDF still holds more than 56,000 detainees with alleged or perceived links to the Daesh group.
Kurdish authorities have been asking foreign governments to repatriate their nationals but Western governments have responded slowly for fear of domestic backlash.

Topics: Daesh United States of America (USA) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

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Putin starts new six-year term with challenge to the West

Updated 07 May 2024
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Putin starts new six-year term with challenge to the West

  • Putin is sworn in for fifth term
  • US and many EU states stay away
  • Putin says he’s not ending dialogue with West
Updated 07 May 2024
Reuters

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was up the West to choose between confrontation and cooperation as he was sworn in for a new six-year term on Tuesday at a Kremlin ceremony that was boycotted by the United States and many of its allies.
More than two years into the war in Ukraine, Putin said he wanted to “bow” before Russia’s soldiers there and declared in his inauguration speech that his landslide re-election in March was proof the country was united and on the right track.
“You, citizens of Russia, have confirmed the correctness of the country’s course. This is of great importance right now, when we are faced with serious challenges,” he told dignitaries in a gilded Kremlin hall where a trumpet fanfare sounded to greet his arrival.
“I see in this a deep understanding of our common historical goals, a determination to adamantly defend our choice, our values, freedom and the national interests of Russia.”
At 71, Putin dominates the domestic political landscape. Leading opposition figures are in prison or exile, and his best known critic, Alexei Navalny, died suddenly in an Arctic penal colony in February.
Yulia Navalnaya, the late dissident’s wife, urged supporters in a video on Tuesday to keep up the struggle against Putin. “With each of his terms, everything only gets worse, and its’ frightening to imagine what else will happen while Putin remains in power,” she said.
On the international stage, Putin is locked in a confrontation with Western countries he accuses of using Ukraine as a vehicle to try to defeat and dismember Russia.
Putin told Russia’s political elite after being sworn in that he was not rejecting dialogue with the West, including on nuclear weapons.
“The choice is theirs: do they intend to continue trying to restrain the development of Russia, continue the policy of aggression, incessant pressure on our country for years, or look for a path to cooperation and peace?” he said.
With Russia’s troops advancing gradually in eastern Ukraine, the top US intelligence official said last week that Putin appeared to see domestic and international developments trending in his favor and the conflict was unlikely to end anytime soon.
It remains unclear how far Putin will seek to press the war and on what terms he might discuss ending it — decisions that will depend in part on whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump wins the US presidential election in November. Ukraine says peace can only come with a full withdrawal of Russia’s troops, who control nearly 20 percent of its territory.
Western absentees
Putin, in power as president or prime minister since 1999, will surpass Soviet leader Josef Stalin and become Russia’s longest-serving ruler since 18th century Empress Catherine the Great if he completes a new six-year term. He would then be eligible to seek re-election again.
He won victory by a record margin in a tightly controlled election from which two anti-war candidates were barred on technical grounds. The opposition called it a sham.
The United States, which said it did not consider his re-election free and fair, stayed away from Tuesday’s ceremony.
Britain, Canada and most EU nations also decided to boycott the swearing-in, but France said it would send its ambassador.
Ukraine said the event sought to create “the illusion of legality for the nearly lifelong stay in power of a person who has turned the Russian Federation into an aggressor state and the ruling regime into a dictatorship.”
Sergei Chemezov, a Putin ally, told Reuters before the ceremony, that Putin brought stability, something which even his critics should welcome.
“For Russia, this is the continuation of our path, this is stability – you can ask any citizen on the street,” he said.
Nuclear tensions
Russia’s relations with the United States and its allies are at their lowest point since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the world came to the brink of nuclear war.
The West has provided Ukraine with artillery, tanks and long-range missiles, but NATO troops have not joined the conflict directly, something that both Putin and Biden have warned could lead to World War Three.
Underscoring the rise in nuclear tensions, Russia said on Monday it would practice the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise, after what it said were threats from France, Britain and the United States.
One of the decisions awaiting Putin in his new term will be whether to seek to renew or replace the last remaining treaty that limits Russian and US strategic nuclear warheads. The New START agreement is due to expire in 2026.
In line with the constitution, the government resigned at the start of the new presidential term. Putin ordered it to remain in office while he appoints a new one which is expected to include many of the same faces.

Topics: Russia President Vladimir Putin

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Modi, Gandhi urge more Indians to vote as election reaches halfway mark

Updated 07 May 2024
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Modi, Gandhi urge more Indians to vote as election reaches halfway mark

  • Voter turnout in the first 2 phases of election was lower than in 2019
  • With phase 3 complete, half of voters should have already cast ballots
Updated 07 May 2024
Sanjay Kumar

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his chief opponent Rahul Gandhi called on voters to cast their ballots on Tuesday, as India’s massive general election reached its halfway mark with a turnout lower than expected.

More than 968 million people have been registered to vote and the polls are held in seven phases from April 19 until June 1. Some of India’s 28 states and eight federally governed territories complete the process on a single day, while others spread it out.

The first two phases of the election were held on April 19 and April 26 in 190 constituencies, with a voter turnout of 66.1 percent and 66.7 percent respectively — about 4 percent lower than in 2019.

In the third phase on Tuesday, citizens from 94 constituencies in 12 states went to the polls, including in Modi’s home state of Gujarat.

“Urging all those who are voting in today’s phase to vote in record numbers. Their active participation will certainly make the elections more vibrant,” the incumbent prime minister said on X after casting his ballot.

Modi is eyeing a rare third straight five-year term in power, targeting 400 seats for the National Democratic Alliance led by his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been in power since 2014.

He is challenged by an alliance of two dozen opposition parties — the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA, led by the Congress Party, which has ruled the country for close to 45 years since its independence in 1947.

Gandhi, Modi’s key contender and Congress leader, is the son of Rajiv Gandhi, a grandson of Indira Gandhi, and a great-grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru — all of whom had served as prime ministers of India.

Congress plunged to a historic low when it was swept out of power by the BJP in the 2014 election, and won its second-lowest number of 52 seats in 2019.

As the turnout showed a declining trend in the first and second phases of the ongoing poll, Gandhi also took to social media to ask voters to show up.

“I request all of you to come out in large numbers and vote to protect your rights,” he said. “Remember, this is not an ordinary election, it is an election to protect the democracy and constitution of the country.”

More than 498 million people were eligible to vote in the first three phases, or 60 percent of all registered voters. The total number of parliamentary seats up for grabs is 283 out of 543.

The party or coalition that wins at least 272 seats will form the government.

Although surveys suggest Modi will win a majority in parliament easily, analysts say a repeat of his landslide victories in 2014 and 2019 is unlikely.

“I think the election has not gone very satisfactorily for the ruling party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The results may be well below their expectations,” said Anand K. Sahay, a columnist and commentator based in Delhi.

“My own broad sense is that the government is in the doldrums.”

He said Modi was repeating his previous strategy of mobilizing voters through majoritarian Hindu sentiment, omitting the voters’ main concerns, which pre-poll surveys have identified as unemployment and inflation.

“The prime minister of India is holding on to one single narrative, that is ranting against the Muslims of India. A man who regards himself as a very successful prime minister for 10 consecutive years is not talking about issues and the records of the governance. There is a deafening silence on that front,” Sahay told Arab News.

Apoorvanand Jha, a public intellectual and professor at the University of Delhi, said voters were now “weary” of the rhetoric propagated by the BJP, but it was not clear whether that would result in a regime change.

“What people have realized now is that it is only political rhetoric and, actually, there is no governance, so that has created a feeling of unease even in the supporters of this regime,” he said.

“One does not know whether that will lead to a major change or not. But this is a major shift. The myth of the invincibility of Narendra Modi is broken and the myth of the popularity of Narendra Modi is also something that people have started questioning.”

Topics: India Narendra Modi Rahul Gandhi

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Two suspected Kashmir rebels killed in clash with Indian forces

Updated 07 May 2024
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Two suspected Kashmir rebels killed in clash with Indian forces

  • Firefight between suspected rebels, soldiers takes place amid national elections in disputed territory
  • Divided between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan since 1947, Kashir is claimed by both countries in full
Updated 07 May 2024
AFP

SRINAGAR, India: Two suspected rebels were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir during a firefight with soldiers, police said Tuesday, at a time when campaigning for national elections is underway in the disputed territory.

Scores of soldiers besieged a residential area in southern Kulgam district, some 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Kashmir’s biggest city Srinagar, on Monday after armed militants were suspected to be present inside a house.

Two bodies of the suspected rebels “were recovered so far” from the site, police said in a statement posted Tuesday on social media platform X.

Images from the area showed smoke billowing from a house after it caught fire during the skirmish.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, with both claiming the Himalayan territory in full.

Rebel groups opposed to Indian rule have for decades waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir, demanding either independence or a merger with Pakistan.

The conflict has left tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and militants dead.

Violence and anti-India protests have drastically reduced since 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government canceled the Muslim majority region’s limited autonomy.

But clashes between security forces and rebel groups have increased since voting began last month in India’s six-week election.

Three suspected rebels were killed and a police officer and three soldiers wounded in three separate clashes across the territory in April.

Militants ambushed a military convoy in Kashmir’s south on Sunday, killing one Indian air force corporal and wounding four other troops.

Topics: India Kashmir

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