SNN - World Wide News Headlines

[Jimmy]

World News - 8th October 2006

Fierce fighting has been reported in N'Djamena, the Capital city of Chad by several news agencies. News first reached SNN this morning as the threatened coup was reaching the Government buildings. This was shortly followed by the arrival of the an International Intervention Force comprising of US and UK Marines securing the City Airport.

The latest we have is that the Marines are preparing to retake the City in an effort to flush the rebels out as quickly as possible.

[Jimmy]

World News - 8th October 2006

Rebel fighters in N'Djamena have sent a message to the world through a captured French news crew this afternoon.

The fighters who all appear to be of non-African origin have called on the Western Forces to 'give up and go back to your homes' because the 'African Alliance is coming'.

No official word from either Whitehall or the Pentagon has been given yet.

[Jimmy]

World News - 9th October 2006

British General, Sir Malcolm Stewart has confirmed that after 24 hours of fighting in the Chad Capital, the city is coming under control.

Key areas of the city have been held and the rebels have been denied the freedom to move between different districts.

The fighting has been fierce and Coalition losses have been reported. No figures were available at the press conference.

Sir Malcolm also refused to confirm unofficial news that General Azear had been caught during an offensive in the current action in N'Djamena.

[Jimmy]

World News - 9th October 2006

The UK commander on the ground in N'Djamena has spoken via videophone to SNN tonight as the fighting continues into its second day.

He was optimistic that by late evening the rebels would be pushed to the outskirts of the city.

Operation Condor, as it has been named has moved quickly to prevent the damage to the City as witnessed recently in Uganda during the coup of Kampala. It appears that the UK and US forces that have been confirmed as 15th US Marine Expeditionary Unit and 45 Brigade Royal Marines have put into practice their co-operative training that they were conducting in Kenya prior to their withdrawal last week.

[Jimmy]

World News - 10th October 2006, Breaking News

General Azear, the most wanted man in the world at present has been captured.

Confirmation has just been received from the Pentagon of his detention during Op Condor on Sunday. The Operation is still ongoing but he has been removed from theatre and now being held on a Navy Warship in the Gulf of Guinea.

Details of his extradition to either Guantanamo Bay or to British control has yet to have been released but this will come as a major blow to his mercenary army that is now in the process of fleeing Chad.

[Jimmy]

World News - 23rd October 2006

Propaganda produced by the UK and US coalition forces now operating in Central Africa has been found as far away as Togo. The leaflets are an attempt to defuse the situation that has arisen since Azear's arrest nearly two weeks ago. Western forces have had difficulty in preventing insurgency attacks and cross border disputes that have claimed many civilian and military lives.

The following example is of British origin from 15 (UK) PSYOPS Group.

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[Jimmy]

World News - 6th November 2006

Attacks on American and British forces have noticeably increased this week. The number of small arms incidents and explosive devices left on vehicle routes have almost doubled leading up to a month on from the battle for Chad and General Azear's capture.

Major Tim Sampson, Press Relations Officer attached to Coalition HQ at Camp Victoria, just outside N'Djamena, Chad, spoke today on the upsurge of violence,

"The rise in attacks this week has been expected and will not deter us from continuing our mission here in Central Africa. We do not believe that this new operational situation draws any parallels with the events from previous years in the Middle East but will draw on lessons learnt from those theatres."

Major Sampson continued,

"No stone will be left unturned in the search for the remainder of General Azear's army. It is important that we deny these people the freedom to operate by working with their communities and giving Africa a proper chance to develop."

[Jimmy]

World News - 8th November 2006

Television cameras have returned to Kampala nearly two months on from the destruction of the city during the coup take over in September. Many key buildings were destroyed as UK and US forces intervened to remove prominent Government figures from the Ugandan Capital.

The leader of the Central African Nations Group, Ade Ansah, has been keen to demonstrate to the world the after-effects of the damage and also the re-developement of the city.

No figures are known of the humanitarian impact that the coup created, many fled the city and an increase in refugees were reported by neighbouring countries.

[Jimmy]

World News - 23 February 2007

SNN Has received unconfirmed reports that Coalition Forces have lost the use of their DH10 spy satellites over the Korean DMZ.

Our source claims that recent satellite imagery showed a massive increase in vehicle movements on the MSR within the de-militarized zone.

Apparantly, 24 hours ago the satellites stopped relaying any images and at present it is not known how this would be achieved. Our source believes that the fact that the DMZ has effectively gone dark proves that the North Korean military has advanced towards the border with the South.

As yet these claims are neither acknowledged or denied by the Government or Ministry of Defence but SNN do have embedded journalists within the South Korean White Horse Division who are stationed along the border of the DMZ.

We will bring you more news as it happens.

[Jimmy]

World News -  25 February 2007, Breaking News

SNN Reporter Tony Collins Reports from Poyang-Ho District in South Korea

"At 0300 hours local time the press camp within the South Korean White Horse Division was rocked by the sound of Artillery explosions which according to nearby troops was within 8 Miles and closing.

By first light it had become clear that the town was under a large scale assault and Military Commanders ordered all press and other non combatants to be escorted to the rear command, 12K south of Poyang-Ho. At 0800 hours twelve of us boarded a large Military transport truck to evacuate the immediate area. As we were leaving the town it was plain to see that there was indeed a large scale assault taking place and we could see street battles taking place with the North Koreans bringing heavy armour alongside ground infantry troops.
Upon arrival at the rear command section we were advised very strongly to consider departing the country all together.

At this point i was able to make brief contact via SAT phone with an SSN colleague of mine, Nick Billany, who is stationed 40 Miles East along the border in Ko-Hong who was able to report a similar situation at his location. During the call i could hear explosions and what sounded like small arms fire at his end. Before being cut off, he told me that local Military commanders are reporting heavy losses of South Korean Forces in the region."


We will bring you more news as it happens

Tony Collins SNN

[Jimmy]

World News - 27 February 2007, Breaking News

SNN Reporter Tony Collins Reports from South Korean White Horse Division Rear HQ

"In the last 24 hours, the Town of Poyang-Ho Defended by the South Korean Military has fallen under control of the invading North Korean Forces.
I myself was embedded within the White Horse Division in this town until two days ago, but am now being told that almost no one else made it out alive. My sources say that the North Koreans showed no mercy in their advance. I also have reports from nearby regions saying that as South Korean soldiers surrendered, enemy troops ignored their pleas and shot them on the spot.

Several other press agencies have pulled their reporters out of the South altogether but SNN and myself have pledged to stay and bring these events to you as and when we can. At this time i don't know just how often that will be as the Military are enforcing total media blackout most of the time."

Tony Collins SNN

[Jimmy]

World News - 08 March 2007

It is with great sadness that SNN bring you news of the death of one of our own Reporters. 20 Year veteran, Nick Billany was killed during fierce fighting in the city of Ko-Hong, South Korea.

Billany, 48, was killed on March 1 but due to the sporadic media Blackout across South Korea, news of his death only reached the UK yesterday. It is believed that Billany, who was last heard from at the beginning of the North's Assault on Ko-Hong on Feb 25 had stayed in the city chasing a story concerning the alleged execution squads of the North Korean Army. He managed to stay hidden within the town as the battle had raged around and eventually passed him. At the time of his death he was in the company of four US Special Forces soldiers who had entered the city looking for local Government officials who may have survived the battle. They found him hiding in the cellar of a large Government archive building on the outskirts of the city.

The US soldiers called for Helicopter extraction at a secure location, but before they could move Billany to the pick up, the archive building and surrounding area came under heavy rocket and mortar attack. The barrage left Billany, plus three of the four US Soldiers dead and the fourth badly wounded but able to escape.

Billany, From Manchester, UK had been an SNN foreign correspondent for 17 years and had covered wars all over the world. He had been stationed in Korea covering the present conflict since the start of the troubles two years ago.

He leaves a wife and three children.

[Jimmy]

World News - 10 March 2007

Government pressure leads to press move.

It has been announced today that all remaining press correspondents in South Korea are to relocated. Within the next 24 hours all in country reports will come from the newly established press zone within the town of Suwon, a small town south west of the capital city Seoul.

[Jimmy]

World News - 11March 2007, Breaking News

The Ministry of Defence has today announced the deployment of more UK troops to South Korea. In a press release this morning MOD press officer, Gordon Sullivan, revealed that a Company of Royal Green Jackets will spearhead the first stage of a major support operation by UK Forces. It is thought these troops will work alongside the South Korean Capital Defence Forces and US Army Rangers already operating in trouble hotspots across the country.

Sullivan said at the press conference in Whitehall this morning that one major aim of the UK troops will be to protect key installations such as the Suwon Rail system which is vital to nationwide fuel transportation.

The first troops are expected to begin flying out to South Korea within 48 Hours and depending on how the current situation plays out, will dictate how long they stay.

[Jimmy]

World News - 12 March 2007 Breaking News

In a further press release today, the Ministry of Defence has announced the deployment of more UK troops in addition to the Royal Green Jackets heading to South Korea.

As announced yesterday, a Company from 1st Battalion Royal Green Jackets based at Blackpool will now be joined by an undisclosed number of troops from the 209th Signal Squadron based at Catterick and 35th Engineer Regiment based at Paderborn, Germany. It is believed that they will deploy as part of a rapid response force within the next 24 hours.

Gordon Sullivan, spokesman for the MOD, said earlier today "Due to the escalating situation in the Korean theatre, we feel it is necessary to commit troops in aid of the South Koreans as the North are confirming the Western World's fears and making a concerted effort to push on Seoul. This scenario is deemed unacceptable across the globe and in the eyes of the British government."


In further news today, SNN correspondent in South Korea, Tony Collins has arrived in the new press zone established in SuWon. His first report was via email due to teething problems with the new sat phones in that area. He reports a mass of activity in the town as US Army Rangers prepare to move closer to Seoul with the South Korean Capital Defence Forces. It is thought a small number of Rangers will remain in SuWon to brief the British element which is due to arrive any day.