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US confirms incident' over IraqWASHINGTON: A spokesman for the Pentagon confirmed today that there had been an quot;incidentquot; over...

US confirms incident8217; over Iraq

WASHINGTON: A spokesman for the Pentagon confirmed today that there had been an quot;incidentquot; over Iraq, but denied that any US planes were involved. quot;There was an incident of some sort,quot; the spokesman said, but quot;it did not involve US forces.quot; The comment followed Iraq8217;s report that quot;enemyquot; warplanes had attacked an Iraqi air defence installation today.

An Iraqi government spokesman said jet planes had crossed into Iraqi airspace from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Iraqi gunners 8220;responded, forcing the planes to ditch their bombs blindly before they continued on their way,quot; Iraq said. It is the first time Iraq has said its anti-aircraft batteries have opened fire since the US and British raids ended last week.

Alibag scam

MUMBAI: A high-level committee probing the multi-crore forest land scandal in Alibag forest division has indicted 16 senior forest and nine revenue officials for gross indiscipline and dereliction of duty. The committee was set up by the ShivSena-Bharatiya Janata Party Government on September 20, 1997 following a series of reports on the scandal in The Indian Express.Samata crisis

PATNA: Samata Party Bihar unit general secretary Ramsevak Mahato and Students8217; Wing president Raghvendra Singh were expelled on Saturday from the primary membership of the party for six years for anti-party activities.

RPI elections

PUNE: Ramdas Athawale was today elected president of the Republican Party of India RPI at the delegate session of the party, which is holding a two-day convention in Pune. Jogendra Kawade was elected general secretary. Though the election was unanimous8217;, RPI presidium member T M Kamble said the meet was quot;illegal and divisivequot;.

Thakre case

PATNA: A criminal case has been filed against BJP president Kushabhau Thakre and general secretary K N Govindacharya for allegedly publishing defamatory8217; remarks against the Bhumihar community in a booklet, Laloo-Rabri Jungle Raj Khatam Karo8217;. Ramadhar Sharma, alocal resident, filed the case in the court of chief judicial magistrate of Patna.