US drone strike kills ISIS group leader in Syria
Washington, July 9: A US drone strike killed an Islamic State group leader in Syria hours after the same MQ-9 Reaper drones were harassed by Russian military jets over the western part of the country, according to the Defence Department. Three Reapers had been flying overhead searching for the militant on Friday, a US defence official said, when they were harassed for about two hours by Russian aircraft. Shortly after that, the drones struck and killed Usamah al-Muhajir, who was riding a motorcycle in the Aleppo region, said the official, who was not authorised to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe details of the military operation. The official said al-Muhajir was in northwest Syria at the time of the strike, but that he usually operated in the east. It was not immediately clear how the US military confirmed that the person killed was al-Muhajir; no other details were provided. (AP)
Nine shot in downtown Cleveland
Cleveland (US), July 9: An early morning shooting in a nightclub area of downtown Cleveland sent nine people to the hospital, but no fatalities were reported, authorities said. Police said preliminary information indicates that someone opened fire toward a group of people in the Warehouse District at about 2:30 am Sunday, about the time the clubs were closing. The suspect then fled the scene. Officers assigned to the district’s weekly detail arrived quickly and rendered medical aid, police said. Authorities reported that nine gunshot victims were taken to MetroHealth Medical Centre, where their conditions weren’t immediately available. No arrests were immediately reported. (AP)
SL Navy arrests five Indian fishermen
Colombo, July 9: The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 15 Indian fishermen on board two trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country’s territorial waters, according to an official statement on Sunday. “The Sri Lanka Navy and coast guard conducted a special operation to chase away Indian trawlers engaged in illegal fishing in Sri Lanka on the night of July 8,” the Sri Lanka Navy said in a statement. The operation off the Delft Island in Jaffna led to the arrest of 15 Indian nationals. (PTI)