Bangabandhu conferred ‘FOSWAL Literature Award’ for his trilogy
— March 26, 2023RN Desk: The Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) on Sunday conferred “Special Literary Award” to Bangladesh’s Father of…
Desk Report: More than 300 members of Yemen’s security forces have defec-ted, opposition sources said on Wednesday, which could bolster opponents demanding that President Ali Abdullah Saleh end his 33 years in power.
The defections come amid intensified military attacks by the Yemeni air force and ground troops on what the government says are Islamist militants affiliated with al Qaeda in south Yemen.
The poorest Arab state and a neighbor of the world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, has been shaken by months of protests against Saleh’s three-decade rule, a resurgent al Qaeda and a separatist rebellion in the south. “From the podium of the Square of Change in Sanaa, an announcement has been issued that 150 soldiers from the Republican Guards, 130 Central Security soldiers and 60 policemen have joined the rebellion,” an opposition message said.
No government officials were immediately availa-ble to comment on the report that the defections also included 150 members of the Republican Guards led by Saleh’s son, Brigadier General Ahmed.
Meanwhile, A Yemeni air raid on a convoy of vehicles near the militant-held southern city of Zinjibar killed four civilians and wounded 12 on Wednesday, medical sources said.
The convoy that was hit had left Zinjibar for the main southern city of Aden but was forced to come to a halt when fighting erupted between government troops and the militants, witnesses said.