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Indian troops kill 31 suspected Maoist rebels in forest battle

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Indian troops kill 31 suspected Maoist rebels in forest battle

Dantewada, India (DT) — At least 31 suspected Maoist rebels were killed in a battle with Indian troops in central India, police said Saturday.

The fighting erupted on Friday when counterinsurgency troops, acting on intelligence, cornered nearly 50 suspected rebels in the Abhujmaad forest area along the border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts in Chhattisgarh state, said state police Inspector General Pattilingam Sundarraj.

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Sundarraj said the operation was launched on Thursday, and the battle began the next day, lasting about nine hours. He said search operations were continuing in the area and that the troops had recovered some arms and ammunition, including automatic rifles. There were no reports of casualties among the troops.

There was no immediate statement from the rebels.

Indian soldiers have been battling the Maoist rebels across several central and northern states since 1967, when the militants, also known as Naxalites, began fighting to demand more jobs, land and wealth from natural resources for the country’s poor indigenous communities. The insurgents are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.

Years of neglect have isolated many local villagers, who face a lack of jobs, schools and health care clinics, making them open to overtures by the rebels. The rebels speak the same tribal languages as many local villagers and have promised to fight for a better future especially in Chhattisgarh, one of India’s poorest states despite its vast mineral riches.

Authorities say at least 171 militants have been killed so far this year in Chhattisgarh.

Friday’s fighting was the deadliest clash this year.

In April, government forces killed at least 29 suspected Maoist rebels in in Chhattisgarh, three days ahead of the start of India’s national election.

The rebels have ambushed police, destroyed government offices and abducted officials. They’ve also blown up train tracks, attacked prisons to free their comrades and stolen weapons from police and paramilitary warehouses to arm themselves.

SOURCE : AP |  Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |

Iran’s Supreme Leader Calls Attack on Israel ‘Least of Punishments’

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Calls Attack on Israel ‘Least of Punishments’

Tehran, Iran (DT) – In a fiery address earlier today, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, described the recent militant attack on Israel as “the least of punishments” the country should expect for its actions in Palestine.

His comments come in the wake of heightened tensions in the region following a large-scale attack on Israeli cities by armed groups linked to Gaza and Hezbollah.

RELATED NEWS : Tensions rise in the Middle East after Iran’s missile strike on Israel

Khamenei was addressing thousands of worshippers at a collective prayer honoring the slain leader of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.

“What our military forces did was the least of the punishments for the Israeli regime’s aggression,” the top political and religious authority of Iran said at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran.

“The action of our armed forces two or three nights ago was a legal act,” Khamenei added, referring to Tuesday night’s attack with 200 missiles against Israel.

“Every blow to the Zionist regime is a service to all humanity.”

The cleric stressed that “every nation has the right to defend its country and territory against an aggressor,” referring to the killings of Nasrallah and an Iranian general in Israeli strikes in Beirut on Saturday, as well as Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader office shows people cheering for the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, Iran, 04 October 2024. EFE/EPA/IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER OFFICE / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

“Hezbollah and its heroic and martyred leader embody Lebanon’s historical virtues and identity,” he said, referring to the Lebanese group that is one of Tehran’s main allies in the region.

Call for Islamic Unity Khamenei also called on the Muslim world to unite against the enemy, “whose policy is divide and conquer.”

“The policy of the Quran is that Muslim nations must be united,” he said, adding that “the enemy of Iran is the enemy of Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and Yemen.”

He specifically pointed to the United States as a key source of tension in the Middle East. “The United States seeks to control the region’s resources through the Israeli regime.”

Khamenei reiterated his support for Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, deeming it ”a legal and international measure, a legitimate right of the Palestinians.”

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader office shows, Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (C), Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (L), Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (2-L), and Iranian judiciary chief Mohsen Ejeie (R), attending the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, Iran, 04 October 2024. EFE-EPA/IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER OFFICE / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

He affirmed their right to confront any enemy that has “destroyed their home and their life.”

After his speech, Khamenei led his first Friday congregational prayer since 2020, which he had previously conducted following the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, a former general heading the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), by the US in Iraq.

Tuesday’s bombing marked the second Iranian missile attack on Israel since an initial assault in April, which included missile and drone strikes in response to the deaths of seven soldiers in the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

Following the attack, Israel announced it would retaliate, to which Iran responded that it would respond with even greater force. EFE

SOURCE : EFE |  Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |

India’s GAIL and AM Green Sign MoU to Develop 2.5 GW Renewable Energy Projects and Green Chemistry Initiatives

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India’s GAIL and AM Green Sign MoU to Develop 2.5 GW Renewable Energy Projects and Green Chemistry Initiatives

New Delhi, India (DT) – In a major step towards bolstering India’s renewable energy capacity, GAIL (India) Limited and AM Green have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of renewable energy projects totaling up to 2.5 GW. The partnership also aims to advance initiatives in green chemistry, marking a significant leap in the country’s push for sustainable growth.

The partnership covers the long-term supply of carbon dioxide (CO2) for a hybrid renewable energy project, as well as the production and exploration of eMethanol across India.

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Shri Sumit Kishore , Executive Director (Business Development and Exploration & Production), GAIL, and Shri Mahesh Kolli , Chairman, AM Green Group, signed the MoU in the presence of Shri Rajeev Singhal , Director (Business Development), GAIL.

As per the MoU, both parties intend to jointly explore setting up of solar-wind hybrid renewable projects of up to 2.5 GW capacity across India. The solar-wind hybrid projects combined with Greenko’s upcoming pumped storage projects are poised to provide round-the-clock electricity to end users, including the proposed eMethanol project.

Both parties plan to undertake studies for the long-term supply of approximately 350 KTA of CO2 generated by GAIL at its gas processing plants to produce eMethanol, an environmentally friendly fuel that can reduce carbon emissions and promote a circular economy. GAIL will also have the option to invest in the proposed eMethanol project, which will ensure a strategic partnership that will support both companies’ goals of promoting sustainable energy solutions.

Mahesh Kolli , Chairman, AM Green Group : “We are delighted to partner with GAIL on one of the world’s largest carbon-free renewable energy supply contracts.

This partnership demonstrates AM Green’s emerging leadership position as a global clean energy transition solutions platform, while contributing to India’s ambition to become an exporter of reliable, sustainable and low-cost green molecules and its derivatives, thereby accelerating the decarbonisation of industry globally. The production of green methanol will also contribute to the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping, steel, cement etc.”

Rajeev Singhal , Director (Business Development), GAIL: “The signing of this MoU with AM Green underscores our commitment to developing sustainable energy solutions. By facilitating the supply of CO2 for the production of eMethanol, we are taking a proactive approach to reduce carbon emissions and support the development of alternative fuels.

The development of renewable energy projects will help reduce the country’s carbon footprint and advance India’s transition to a greener energy landscape. The partnership between GAIL and AMG is expected to foster technological innovation in India while promoting economic growth and environmental sustainability.”

AM Green’s production of green ammonia at multiple sites in India will accelerate its target of achieving 5 MTPA of green ammonia capacity by 2030, as well as its efforts to achieve net zero targets in India and OECD markets. This will be equivalent to approximately 1 MTPA of green hydrogen, which is one-fifth of India’s green hydrogen production target under the National Green Hydrogen Mission and 10% of the European Union’s green hydrogen import target by 2030.

AM Green will also establish large-scale bio-refineries that will use multiple feedstocks and produce high-value green products enabling global decarbonisation in aviation, fuels, chemicals and other industrial sectors.

SOURCE : AFP/PRN |  Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |

Israeli Airstrike in Central Beirut Kills 9, Injures 14 – Escalation Continues

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Israeli Airstrike in Central Beirut Kills 9, Injures 14 – Escalation Continues

Beirut,  Lebanon (DT) – A deadly Israeli airstrike in the heart of Beirut has left 9 dead and 14 injured, heightening fears of an all-out conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The strike hit a densely populated area in central Beirut, destroying buildings and sending shockwaves through the city.

Eyewitnesses reported scenes of chaos as first responders rushed to the site, where bodies were pulled from the rubble and survivors sought safety.

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As investigations continue, officials have collected DNA samples to identifying the victims of the Israeli bombing that targeted the central Beirut area of Al Bashura.

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, specialists are still “working to complete DNA tests to identify the remains recovered from the site of the attack,” and the final victim count will be confirmed once these tests are completed.

The Lebanese National News Agency (ANN) reported that the strike destroyed a center operated by the Islamic Health Authority, an organization affiliated with Hezbollah responsible for healthcare services.

Smoke rises from a damaged building following Israeli airstrikes in Dahieh, a southern suburb controlled by Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon, 03 October 2024. EFE-EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

They also indicated that “internationally banned phosphorus bombs” were used in the assault.

The strike follows a targeted bombing by Israel on Monday that hit an apartment in the Cola neighborhood in southern Beirut, killing three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Israel’s military has been conducting near-daily airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahye, a key Hezbollah stronghold. Just last week, the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in a bombardment that reverberated throughout the capital.

Last night, Israeli army spokesman for Arab media, Avichay Adraee, warned residents of Dahye to evacuate at least 500 meters from targeted areas due for bombing in several locations on the outskirts.

“A call to all residents of Lebanese villages who have evacuated their homes for their own safety: IDF raids are continuing. For your safety and the safety of your families – do not return home until further notice,” Adraee wrote on X.

Smoke rises from damaged buildings following Israeli airstrikes in Dahieh, a southern suburb controlled by Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon, 03 October 2024. EFE-EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

At least 46 people were killed on Wednesday and another 85 were injured in Israeli bombings against Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said on X.

The casualties occurred in southern Lebanese regions, including Nabatieh, as well as Bekaa and Baalbek in the northeast of the country.

Among those killed Wednesday in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon was an American citizen, Kamel Ahmad Jawad, his daughter, Nadine Jawad, said in a statement.

Since the hostilities began last year, Israeli attacks have resulted in nearly 2,000 deaths and displaced 1.2 million people, primarily from the southern and eastern regions of Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah have been in conflict since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, but violence has escalated to unprecedented levels since 2006.

Two weeks ago, Israeli forces launched a massive bombing campaign that devastated entire towns and villages. EFE

SOURCE : EFE |  Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |

Tunisia’s democratic dream is at risk as the country’s economy struggles

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Tunisia’s democratic dream is at risk as the country’s economy struggles

Tunis/Los Angeles (DT) – Once hailed as the success story of the Arab Spring, Tunisia now faces a grim reality. According to a new study, Tunisia’s democracy, born from the 2011 Jasmine Revolution, is on the verge of collapse.

President Kaïs Saïed, who rose to power in 2019, has increasingly consolidated control, raising concerns that the upcoming October elections will solidify his authoritarian rule.

According to researchers behind a new Berggruen Governance Index (BGI) report, the promise of political reform, which once inspired hope, has failed to deliver economic progress, leaving many Tunisians disillusioned.

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The Jasmine Revolution had brought a wave of optimism. Tunisia ousted long-time authoritarian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and embarked on sweeping political reforms. By 2021, Tunisia had significantly improved in democratic accountability, as shown by the Berggruen Governance Index.

However, these gains were not matched by economic growth. Tunisia’s GDP stagnated, and public goods provision – such as healthcare and infrastructure – remained weak.

President Saïed capitalized on growing public frustration. In 2021, he suspended the parliament in a move critics called an “auto-coup,” and a 2022 constitutional referendum further expanded his powers. Saïed’s crackdown on opposition groups and civil society has drawn widespread criticism, and human rights organizations have documented increasing repression.

Economically, Tunisia’s rejection of a 2023 International Monetary Fund loan, seen by many as a populist move, left the country in deeper financial trouble. Foreign investment, which peaked under Ben Ali’s authoritarian rule, has dwindled, compounding the economic crisis. Rising unemployment, inflation, and food insecurity have further eroded confidence in the government. Emigration has grown steadily.

As Tunisia prepares for the 2024 elections, many fear that Saïed’s authoritarian tendencies will undermine the democratic institutions that were painstakingly built after the revolution.

According to the report, which was conducted by researchers from the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), the Los Angeles-based Berggruen Institute and the Hertie School, a university in Berlin, Germany, the country’s experience highlights a critical lesson: Political reform must be accompanied by economic progress, or democracy itself may crumble.

SOURCE : AFP/DNA |  Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |

Gunmen burst into a Mexican drug rehab center and kill 4 men and wound 2 others

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MEXICO CITY (DT) — Assailants shot to death four men and wounded two others in an attack at a Mexican drug rehabilitation center, officials said Wednesday.

Officials in the north-central state of Guanajuato said the killings occurred late Tuesday in the city of Salamanca. There was no immediate information on the conditions of those wounded in the attack.

Mexico’s privately run drug rehabilitation centers are often abusive, clandestine, unregulated and underfunded. They have been the targets of similar attacks in the past.

The industrial and agricultural state of Guanajuato has for years been the scene of a bloody turf battle between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and a local gang, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel. Guanajuato has the highest number of homicides of any state in Mexico.

In 2020, gunmen shot to death 27 people at rehab center in another city in Guanajuato, Irapuato. In 2010, 19 people were killed in an attack on a rehab center in Chihuahua, a city in northern Mexico. More than a dozen other attacks on such facilities occurred in the decade between those massacres.

The Mexican government spends relatively little money on rehabilitation, often making the unregistered centers the only option available for poor families.

In addition, addicts and dealers who face attacks from rivals on the streets sometimes take refuge at the rehab clinics, making the clinics themselves targets for attack.

Mexican drug gangs have killed suspected street-level dealers from rival gangs sheltering at such facilities in the past.

SOURCE : AP |  Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |

UNRWA chief says he did not know a suspended teacher was Hamas’s leader in Lebanon

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UNRWA chief says he did not know a suspended teacher was Hamas’s leader in Lebanon

Geneva, Switzerland (DT) — The head of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) on Monday denied knowing that its employee Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin was a Hamas commander in Lebanon, and called on states to push back against Israeli attacks on the agency’s reputation.

The head of Hamas’s Lebanon branch, Abu el-Amin was killed along with family members in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, the Palestinian terror group said on Monday. A statement from the terror group identified him as a “successful teacher and excellent [school] principal.”

RELATED NEWS : Australia charges woman for flying Hezbollah flag at anti-Israel protest

Abu el-Amin was suspended from his job at UNRWA in March following allegations concerning his politics, Philippe Lazzarini told reporters in Geneva.

“The specific allegation at the time was that [he was] a part of the local leadership… I never heard the word commander before,” he said. “What’s obvious for you today, was not obvious yesterday.”

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said el-Amin had been on administrative leave without pay since March — “as soon as UNRWA received information about his possible involvement with Hamas at a senior level” — and had never been reinstated.

Hamas leader and UNRWA teacher Fateh Sherif abu el-Amin speaks at a protest in Beirut, Lebanon, on Mar. 27, 2024 after he was suspended, sparking protests. (Collin Mayfield/Sipa USA)

“As soon as information was received — in this case, from the Israeli government — action was taken,” Dujarric told reporters. “Every time UNRWA has received information beyond just a name, action has been taken.”

“Anyone who works for the UN and engages in terror, terror-like activity is unacceptable and outrageous and an insult to all UN staff members around the world,” he said.

In a statement to the Times of Israel, UNRWA said Sherif was undergoing an investigation following allegations that UNRWA received about his “political activities.”

Lazzarini, who briefed the press after meeting with UN member states earlier on Monday, said he asked them to “push back on all the reputation attack on the agency and the ongoing drafting of bills which could be adopted in Jerusalem.”

He was referring to a move by Israeli parliament to declare the organization a “terrorist body,” which has already received preliminary approval. Such a move would be “absolutely unconscionable,” he added.

UNRWA has been in hot water for the past year over evidence of members’ involvement in terror activities. Israel has alleged that at least 12 of UNRWA’s employees were directly involved in Hamas’s October 7 atrocities, another 30 assisted or facilitated those crimes, and as much as 12 percent of the organization’s staff in Gaza — over 1,000 people — are affiliated with terror organizations.

According to the military, Sherif was responsible for coordinating Hamas’s activity in Lebanon with Hezbollah, as well as Hamas’s “force build-up efforts in Lebanon, in the field of recruiting operatives and procuring weapons.”

Sherif’s suspension in March sparked demonstrations and strikes by teachers demanding his reinstatement.

The Palestinian Refugees Portal news site reported in early June that Sherif was set to be reinstated, citing a press release from a Damascus-based group representing Palestinian refugees in Syria and Lebanon that said an arrangement had been found to drop the probe and end the teacher strike.

UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) was established in 1949 and provides relief to Palestinians considered refugees across the Middle East, including in Lebanon where it says up to 250,000 reside.

The only UN refugee agency established for a specific people, it has come under criticism for bestowing the status not just on those who lost their homes in 1948, but to all their descendants as well — a practice unheard of elsewhere. Israel and its supporters say this encourages an enduring victimhood mentality and narrative in Palestinians and increases their dependence on aid.

SOURCE : REUTERS/TTI |  Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |

Australia charges woman for flying Hezbollah flag at anti-Israel protest

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Australia charges woman for flying Hezbollah flag at anti-Israel protest

Sydney, Australia (DT) — A 19 year old woman has now been charged in Sydney as part of investigations into the alleged display of prohibited symbols of Hezbollah at a weekend rally.

She was arrested and charged with publicly displaying the symbol of a prohibited terrorist organization, said New South Wales Police.

RELATED NEWS : Tensions rise in the Middle East after Iran’s missile strike on Israel

Other attendees at the anti-Israel protests, which took place in Sydney and Melbourne last week, also waved other terror-supporting signs, including flags of Palestinian group Hamas and placards with slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Other attendees at the anti-Israel protests, which took place in Sydney and Melbourne last week, also waved other terror-supporting signs, including flags of Palestinian group Hamas and placards with slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The protest has divided politicians, police and community leaders on what constitutes free speech or illegal activity.

Authorities remain on high alert ahead of two planned anti-Israel protests this week that will mark the one-year anniversary since Hamas’s October 7 massacres in Israel that triggered the Gaza conflict, which has spread to Lebanon and beyond.

A man waves a Palestinian flag as protesters confront police outside the Land Forces 2024 arms fair in Melbourne on September 11, 2024. (William West/AFP)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday that the two protests — set for October 6 and 7 — should not go ahead and that any demonstration would be seen “as incredibly provocative.”

“It would not advance any cause. It would cause a great deal of distress,” he told national broadcaster ABC. Albanese added he would attend a vigil instead.

Police have indicated they would seek to stop the demonstrations from going ahead.

New South Wales Police said Tuesday that despite discussions with organizers, they were “not satisfied that the protest can proceed safely” and had decided to apply to the NSW Supreme Court to prohibit them.

The matter will be heard in court later this week.

Protest organizers, the Palestine Action Group Sydney, said the police action was “an attack on fundamental democratic rights.”

“We intend on defending our right to protest and are determined to continue standing for justice for Palestine and Lebanon,” the group said in a statement.

Antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment have risen in Australia since Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw thousands of terrorists burst across the border into Israel, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.

In September, anti-Israel protesters and police clashed outside a defense exhibition in Australia’s second-largest city of Melbourne, with police using sponge grenades, flash-bang devices and irritant sprays to control parts of the hostile crowd.

In August, anti-Israel demonstrators marched through the streets of Sydney condemning the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah terror chiefs Ismail Haniyeh and Fuad Shukr and the ongoing war in Gaza.

Protesters waved Palestinian flags and held signs showing Haniyeh.

In October 2023, a few days after the unprecedented onslaught, Jewish Australians who were holding a vigil outside the Sydney Opera House were faced with antisemitic protesters who chanted “F*** the Jews” and “Gas the Jews,” although law enforcement later claimed that they were chanting, “Where’re the Jews” and not “Gas the Jews.”

SOURCE : AFP |  Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |

Tensions rise in the Middle East after Iran’s missile strike on Israel

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Tensions rise in the Middle East after Iran’s missile strike on Israel

Some 181 missiles were launched in the strike, according to Israeli officials

Jerusalem/Tehran (DT) — In a dramatic escalation of hostilities, tensions have surged in the Middle East after Iran launched a missile strike on Israel. The attack has sparked fears of a wider conflict, potentially drawing in other regional powers.

In response, Israel has mobilized additional troops to reinforce its military presence along its northern borders, particularly in southern Lebanon.

RELATED NEWS : 5 killed, 57 wounded in Israeli strike on Houthis in Yemen

Analysts warn that this incident could destabilize the already fragile situation in the region, with implications for security and diplomacy moving forward. As both nations prepare for potential retaliatory actions, the international community is closely monitoring developments, urging restraint from all parties involved.

Iranians hold Iranian and Hezbollah flags as they celebrate after Iran launched a missile attack on Israel, next to the British embassy, in Tehran, Iran, 01 October 2024. EFE-EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

The Middle East edged closer to a long-anticipated regional war following Iran’s missile barrage aimed at Israel. Earlier this week, Israel announced it had initiated limited ground incursions into Lebanon to target the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Israel’s response to Iran’s missile attack

Soon after the attack, which was largely unsuccessful, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran that it had made “a big mistake” and “will pay for it.”

Some 181 missiles were launched in the strike, according to Israeli officials. The Israel Defense Forces said that it intercepted “a large number” of them.

Israel may respond to Iran’s major Tuesday ballistic missile attack by striking strategic infrastructure, such as gas or oil rigs, or by directly targeting Iran’s nuclear sites, media reports said on Wednesday, citing Israeli officials.

Axios reported that targeted assassinations and strikes on Iran’s air defense systems are potential responses.

An assault on Iranian oil facilities could severely impact the country’s economy, and any of these actions could escalate tensions further, nearly a year into the ongoing conflict that began when Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.

SOURCE : TIMES OF ISRAEL |  Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |

45 migrants dead as 2 boats sink off Djibouti coast, dozens missing

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45 migrants dead as 2 boats sink off Djibouti coast, dozens missing

Nairobi, Kenya (DT)— At least 45 migrants died after two boats carrying more than 300 people from Yemen capsized in the Red Sea off Djibouti’s coast, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The IOM, via a message on X, confirmed its support for Djiboutian state emergency services in ongoing search and rescue operations. It initially reported 45 deaths and 32 survivors.

RELATED NEWS : 9 dead, 50 missing after migrant boat capsizes off Spain’s Canary Islands

However, Djibouti’s coast guard updated the figures, saying that 115 people had been rescued and 44 confirmed dead.

The coast guard said 61 migrants remain missing, though the fate of other passengers aboard the boats remains unclear.

According to the IOM, the eastern migration route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen and the Gulf States is among the most dangerous in the world. Nearly 400,000 migration movements were recorded along this route in 2023 alone.

In the same year, nearly 700 people, including women and children, died attempting to cross the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, with the ultimate goal of reaching Saudi Arabia. This brings the total number of deaths on the route to almost 1,000 since 2014, according to data from the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.

Migrants embark on these perilous journeys in search of better job opportunities, or to escape conflict, insecurity, and the devastating effects of climate change.

However, they often face life-threatening risks such as hunger, disease, and exploitation by human traffickers.

Many who fail in their attempt to reach their destination must endure these dangers again when trying to return home, primarily: to Ethiopia or Somalia.

Source : EFP |  Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |

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