FARC shoot down police helicopter

 FARC guerrilla's have been blamed for shooting down a police helicopter in southern Colombia.

Four police officers and a civilian worker were killed when the helicopter, which was delivering money to a bank in the city of Caloto, was fired on. The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing on a nearby football pitch where rebel gunman were waiting. All five aboard were subsequently killed in a fierce exchange of fire while a female passerby died after being hit by a stray bullet. The rebels then made off with an undisclosed amount of money.

According to Colombian News reports, two of the dead included the Commander and Sub-Commander of the city's police force. Regional Police Chief Orlando Pineda has called for more military backup in the area which has seen attacks by FARC guerrilla's increase dramatically over the last month. The Chief went on to blame FARC's 6th Front, which is attached to it's Western Bloc for the attack. The 6th Front is believed to be made up of around 130 fighters. Another FARC mobile-column made up of 50 fighters also operates in the area.

Chechen Commander appeals for new recruits

Chechen Rebel Commander and self-proclaimed underground President of the Chechen Republic, Doku Umarov, has called for more recruits to help drive the Russian Military from the northern Caucasus.

In a video which was released by the Kavkaz Center, Doku Umarov urges young people to join with his forces in the Caucasus Mountains. He also called on existing rebel units in Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria to "intesify operations to eliminate our enemies". He went on to say that rebel attacks would increase as the harsh Caucasian Winter came to an end.

The northern Caucasus has seen an increase in fighting between rebels and pro-Government forces in recent years, with violence in areas like Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria surpassing that of Chechnya. Describing the situation, Umarov said:

"Today there is a total war going on. It is not us who had declared it on Russia, it was Russia who declared it on us. When there is a total war, there are not peaceful people left. If total war has been declare on us, then Allah permits us to fight with them as they fight with us.

Therefore, today we have the right to fight against them the way they are fighting against us. I urge you, fight with them, destroy them."

Yes side confident of victory in Welsh referendum

Voting is complete in the Welsh Devolution Referendum and the Yes campaign are confident of a decisive victory.

Voters were asked the question:


"Do you want the Assembly now to be able to make laws on all matters in the 20 subject areas it has powers for?"

A Yes result would mean that the Welsh Parliament would no longer need the British Parliaments agreement on any bills which are passed. Turnout looks to be low with most areas reporting it at around 35%

Shots fired at police in Northern Ireland

 
An IRA splinter group is believed to have been responsible for a gun attack on a police patrol in Derry, Northern Ireland.

Shots were fired at the PSNI officers as they responded to a call regarding a stolen car in the Glen Road area of Derry at around 11pm tonight. A number of shots were fired although there are no reported injuries. It appears that dissident  republicans attempted to lure the officers into a trap.

Hostilities have all but ended in Northern Ireland were a devolved power-sharing government between Sinn Féin (the political wing of the mainstream IRA) and Ulster Unionists has been put in place. The majority of Irish Republicans have moved into democratic politics however a small number continue to use violence to further their aims.

In 2009 two British soldiers and Police Officer were killed by groups calling themselves the Real IRA (RIRA) and Continuity IRA (CIRA). They were the first deaths suffered by the army or police at the hands of republicans since the mainstream Provisional IRA called a ceasefire in 1997.

Gun attack on US soldiers in Germany

Two US soldiers have been killed and two more injured in a gun attack on their coach at Frankfurt Airport, Germany, today.

The attack, which occurred around 3.15pm, is believed to have been carried out by a lone gunman. Local media sources have identified the individual as a 21 year-old Kosovan man who worked at the airport. Following the shooting he ran into the lobby of Terminal 2 where he was arrested by German police.

The attack has been condemned by US President Barack Obama. It is understood that the soldiers had just arrived from London and where on their way to Afghanistan. It is believed that the bus was easily identified as a US military transport as it had Air Forcet license plates.

US soldiers have frequently been targeted in Europe over the course of the last 30 years. A far-left Communist group known as the Red Army Faction had been responsible for the deaths of six US soldiers and the bombing of a number of barracks in Germany.

US forces apologise for killings of nine children

The US Army has issued an apology after it emerged that it's helicopters had been responsible for gunning down nine children the mountains of eastern Afghanistan yesterday. One other young boy managed to escape.

The US Army confirmed that it's helicopter gunships opened fire on a group of people it believed to be insurgents. However, it has since emerged that the dead, who ranged from ages 9 to 15, were collecting firewood to heat their homes.

The one survivor, 11-year old Hemad, described what happened:

“We were almost done collecting the wood when suddenly we saw the helicopters come. There were two of them. The helicopters hovered over us, scanned us and we saw a green flash from the helicopters. Then they flew back high up and in a second round they hovered over us and started shooting. They fired a rocket which landed on a tree. The tree branches fell over me and shrapnel hit my right hand and my side. The helicopters couldn't see me as I was hidden by the branches. The helicopters shot the other boys one after another.”


This is the third incident in ten days that the US has been accused of murdering civilians.

Four suspected ETA members arrested

Four people have been arrested and a quantity of explosives have been seized in the Basque Country.

The Spanish government has claimed that a major operation targeting suspected ETA members is underway. The two men and two women were arrested in the northern town of Vizcaya earleir today. Up to 200kg of explosives were also seized.

ETA declared a permanent ceasefire in January however this has been rejected by the Spanish government who say they want the group to disband and hand over all of it's weapons.

Victims of ETA violence have called for a new pro-Independence political party to be banned as they believe the party is the new political wing of the armed group. However this has been rejected by the party who say they reject all forms of violence.