ISIS chief Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi believed dead in US raid in northwest Syria: Reports
Washington: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the elusive chief of the Islamic State, has been killed in a raid conducted by the US special operations commandos in northwest Syria on Saturday, US media reported on Sunday.
Citing a senior US defence official and a source with knowledge, CNN reported that the final confirmation is pending while DNA and biometric testing is conducted.
"It appears that Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest during the raid," the defense official was quoted as saying. "The CIA assisted in locating him."
Meanwhile, White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said that President Donald Trump will make a major announcement on Sunday morning.
Quoting an administration official, CNN said that the announcement is foreign policy related. "Something very big has just happened!" Trump earlier tweeted, without elaborating. Newsweek first reported that the world's most wanted man was believed to have been killed.
Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed Caliph, has made only one public appearance, in July 2014, in the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, announcing the birth of Islamic State's much-feared "caliphate" across swathes of Iraq and Syria. The mosque was retaken by Iraqi security forces in June 2017.
In April this year, he appeared for the first time in five years in a propaganda video released by the jihadist organisation. In the video, he referred to the battle of Baghouz, which ended in March.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
