First Turkish soldier killed during Syria operation
Akcakale (Turkey): Turkey said Friday that one of its soldiers was killed in northern Syria, the first such fatality in its offensive against a Kurdish militia.
Three more soldiers were injured in the "operation region", the defence ministry said in a statement after clashes with the militia on Thursday. It gave no further details.
Fighting broke out in several locations along the roughly 120-kilometre (75-mile) wide front where operations are focused, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a Kurdish military official said Thursday.
Turkey Wednesday began an air and ground offensive supporting Syrian rebels against the US-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.
Ankara has long opposed US support for the YPG in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group, arguing the militia is a "terrorist" offshoot of Kurdish insurgents inside Turkey.
The ministry's statement comes after shelling from the militia into Turkey and Turkish military strikes in northern Syria, with casualties on both sides.
Seven civilians including a nine-month-old baby were killed in Turkish border towns in Sanliurfa and Mardin provinces. Nearly 70 were injured.
According to the UK-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, at least 29 fighters and 10 civilians have been killed in the war-ravaged country since the start of the assault.
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Air India Express flight from Bengaluru to Kochi makes emergency landing
Bengaluru(PTI): An Air India Express flight from Bengaluru to Kochi made an emergency landing at Bengaluru after a fire was noticed in one of the engines, the Bangalore International Airport Limited said on Sunday.
All the passengers and crew were evacuated and no one was injured, Air India Express said in a statement. According to sources, the fire was noticed minutes after the take off.
The crew members alerted the Air Traffic Controller and a full scale emergency was declared.
Soon after emergency landing at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, the fire was extinguished.
"On May 18, 2024, IX 1132 from Bengaluru to Kochi made an emergency landing at BLR Airport at 2312 hrs, due to a reported fire in one of the engines," a spokesperson of the BIAL, which manages KIA, said in a statement.
A full-scale emergency was declared, and the fire was promptly extinguished upon landing. All 179 passengers and six crew members have been successfully evacuated from the aircraft, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) spokesperson said.
An Air India Express spokesperson said that due to suspected flames from the right engine after takeoff, the Bengaluru- Kochi flight 'elected' to return and carried out a precautionary landing at Bengaluru . The ground services also reported flames, resulting in an evacuation.
"The crew accomplished an evacuation with no injuries to any guests. We regret the inconvenience this has caused and are working to provide alternative arrangements for our guests to reach their destination as soon as possible," it said.
"A thorough investigation with the regulator shall be accomplished to establish the cause,” it said.
