[ gunfire ] >> iraq's army launches a military operation to retake western anbar province from isil. ♪ hello, i'm in doha. also ahead on the program. a month after attacking a university in northeast kenya al-shabab gunmen return to the area. and they begin exhuming bodies from a mass grave near the thai border.

and we meet with smugglers who go fishing off of the beaches of togo. ♪ hello, iraq has launched a military operation to retake anbar province from isil. shia militia are involved in the operation. and by the large mostly sunni province in iraq's west isil took control of ramadi last week sending iraqi troops running. ramadi lies just 115 kilometers from the capitol of baghdad. our correspondent imran khan reports on the edge of anbar province. iraqi security forces gather on the edge of ramadi preparing to retake the city which fell to rights from the islamic state of iraq and the levant more than a week ago. it's likely to be a long operation. is there are reports of isil fighters preparing to meet government security forces. they will lead the operation

with backing from shia militia many of which are supported by iran and air strikes from a coalition of countries lead by the united states. the iraqi army is also gearing up for other operations. it is feared that isil fighters could push into baghdad. to prevent that happening, this man is securing the outskirts of the capitol. the town just under 30 kilometers from baghdad is being fortified. >> translator: we're fighting a psychological war. isil have been effective media campaign against us. we have been accused of retreating. we are not. we are now backing up our troops here and preparing for the fall of ramadi. >> reporter: the forces here are mainly shia militia. each militia has its own identity, but all fight under this banner including this sunni fighter group.

fortifying baghdad comes with unique challenges. this is the bridge the last safe place to cross from anbar into baghdad. with the operation now underway it's likely we'll see more scenes like this. >> translator: as like as we sunnis are marginalized the fight will take a long time. i will join the fight if the government accepts us. >> reporter: iraqi security forces have opened and closed this bridge at random. and they is only increasing the tension in the capitol and elsewhere. there is no doubt iraq has a huge challenge on its hands, but it's not just within anbar province it's also securing baghdad as well. many people say if baghdad falls then isil have won, but there are other significant challenges including finding homes for

these people fleeing the fighting. a retired iraqi army brigadier general says crucial changes need to be made on the ground. >> [ inaudible ] is so crucial in order to achieve the success required in the operation, so why we need command and control. many many sources. that's what you have just mentioned are resources for the operation, and these resources have to be managed by one command and control headquarter and also to designate the responsibilities for each and every quarter or each and every unit formation that will be fighting in the operation. this is very crucial that air support, that iraqi security forces take part as well as the popular mobilization forces that

will be integrated with the local fighters. this is so crucial that to make guarantees there would be no violations, no sectarian acts will be a taking place after achieving the victory in ramadi. the syrian news agency is reporting that the military has carried out an attack against an isil hold. several people have been injured after syrian government planes dropped barrel bombs on the refugee camp home to some 6,000 syrian refugees. the syrian government allegedly continues to use barrel bombs against civilian targets, defying a u.n. resolution to stop their use. kenya's interior ministry says a policeman has been killed

and four others by suspected al-shabab fighters. the police were ambushed by fighters in a village. the spokesman for the kenyan interior ministry says securing the entire country is a huge challenge. >> what happened yesterday evening, there was some police officers were on patrol within the area and they were ambushed by al-shabab militia. there was extensive fire and in the process some were injured and they came in to rescue them and they were ambushed by the same group. but ultimately what happened is by the time the whole thing was over two officers were injured and three were [ inaudible ] but today one of the [ inaudible ] passed away.

[ inaudible ] almost on a daily basis basis, so the kind of war that we're dealing with one or two individuals will go on raid somewhere, so you can't have police officers in all corners of the country. but what is happening has been a systemic effort to secure the area, and there are quite a number of attempts that are prevented or thwarted. the first hearing has ended in the trial of a "washington post" journalist in iran. he is charged with spying collaborating with hostile governments and spreading propaganda. the united states has appealed for the release, but iran says the law must take its course. a taliban gunmen are tacking a police headquarters in southern afghanistan. 13 policemen and 7 soldiers have already been killed in the siege

in hellmann province the district police chief has appealed for immediate help from the afghan government. >> reporter: afghan officials tell us fighting is going on in three areas of hellmann's province. in one area the standoff has been particularly difficult, going on for many hours, the taliban taking at least three army check on its and surrounding the district headquarters, at least 20 army and police have been killed so far. local officials have called for reinforcements and the interior ministry says they have sent them. the phone system seems to be down in the area. there's a siege going on in kandahar where two gunmen are on top of a roof they are surrounded by afghan forces. they have killed one woman so far. in another province we saw four

suicide gunmen attack the local courts. they have been killed along with two policemen killed in that attack. and in northern afghanistan, the fighting continues there are sporadic attacks there. we have seen in some of the areas, local people taking up arms and fighting against the taliban because the afghan forces just aren't in place. this spring fighting season which is just about a month old right now, under tremendous pressure by the tell ban in at least 11 provinces in the last 24 hours a particularly large about of attacks across the country. malaysia police are continuing the process of exhuming dozens of trafficking victims in mass graves on the border of thailand.

the government is investigating whether local forestry officials were involved in the smuggling. florence looi has been to one of the camps. >> reporter: malaysia police have begun exhuming bodies discovered in graves in an area close to the thai border. police took to an area a burial site which they say have about 37 suspected graves. the forensic team was there digging up one body. one body was wrapped in a cloth, indicating that the person could have been buried in accordance with muslim rights. not from away was a camp. police say it had been abandoned by the time they found it but they believe the camp could have been about two year's old. much of the structure was already falling down but we could still make it out it was a

camp that was probably big enough to hold at least 200 people. is there were traces of human activity. there were plates crockery thrown into an open pit, pieces of cloth hanging, a water tank indicating that the people who ran these camps probably knew that they were going to be in these camps for sometime and there were also traces of barbed wire on the ground, indicating that human trafficking syndicates intended to keep their cargo there. by now we know that this is how human trafficking syndicates work they bring people from bangladesh from myanmar, saying we'll get you jobs in malaysia they are trafficked through southern thailand into northern malaysia, and then they are held in camps where family members and friends are made to pay a ransom before they can be

released. 12 people have been arrested for a fire at an elderly home in china. adrian brown reports from central china. >> reporter: this is all that remains of the happy and healthy garden care home where so many perished. almost all of the building was destroyed, suggesting cheap materials were used in its construction. this is one of the poorest areas in china. the evening meal had been eaten and most of the residents had gone to bed, some were very frail and would have had little chance of escape from the flames and smoke. many made it to safety but by tuesday night, rescue crewed were involved in an operation to recover bodies that for the most part had been burned beyond recognition. it's only two years since 11 people died in a fire at another home for the elderly.

the cause of the latest blaze is still not known. but china's president has on dered an investigation, promising anyone found responsible will be punished. adrian brown, al jazeera, central china. we're going to take a quick break now here on al jazeera, but when we come back green peace is under threat in india, as the government cracks down on foreign-funded ngo's. and this serbian leader was allowed to return home but now international prosecutors want him back.

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hello again, you are watching al jazeera, a reminder of our headlines now. iraq has launched a military operation to try to retake anbar province from isil. shia militias are involved in the operation which some fear could raise sectarian tensions. kenya's interior ministry says a policeman has been killed and four others injured by suspected al-shabab fighters. a group earlier claimed to kill 25 police officers. malaysia police are continuing the grim task of exhuming the bodies of dozens of suspected trafficking victims from shallow graves in the jungle. 139 graves were discovered. now for decades ethnic rohingya have been persecuted from myanmar. wayne haye reports from new

zealand where some rohingya have found better lives. >> reporter: these rohingya men and their families have come a long way, and been through a lot. this man and his brother escaped from myanmar 20 years ago, and after were granted residency in new zealand, but the people they left behind are never far from their thoughts. >> it's like they are living in a open-space prison. they have no rights to go out, and they have no rights to study. >> reporter: if they had stayed in their hometown this is where they would likely be with four of their brothers and sisters in camps. since 2012 more than 100,000 people mainly rohingya muslims have been forced from their houses because of a tax lead by buddhists and can't go back home. there has been tension for decades, but the issue has hit the headline again in recent weeks because of a new wave of

refugees escaping in boats. and researchers went to myanmar and found what they termed early warning signs of genocide. >> we're talking about the 1948 u.n. convention on genocide and that talks about group targeted violence and targeting a pap lags based upon their religious, ethnic or national characteristics. >> reporter: others agree, and believe there is enough evidence to take legal action against the government and individuals. >> there needs to be argent political action to myanmar in terms of to change. so i'm not just talking about dealing with the people who are flying now, but in terms of a long-term strategy. >> reporter: there is no doubt in the minds of this man, friends and family believe those still in myanmar are in a lot of danger. this is a big test for the

international community not just for myanmar's neighbors in southeast asia but also from western nations who have rushed to engage with the government of myanmar after it returned to partial democracy five years ago, the plight of the rohingya shows just how far it has to go. government leaders in burundi say they won't wow to international criticism of the controversial pid -- bid by the president for a third term. >> reporter: they know this won't protect them from bullets and tear gas, but protesters in burundi say there is little they can do so they keep going, and then in a matter of seconds, they are dispersed. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: but they haven't

gone far. they are waiting for the police to move on. [ gunfire ] >> translator: the police are shooting at us. they are arresting people. they are just shooting and shooting. >> reporter: they sing no to the president's running for a third term. >> translator: i don't want pierre nkurunziza at all. we say no to him. >> reporter: the police seem to know what the protesters are planning. as soon as the riot police arrived, people ran away they are now slowly coming back on to the streets. they say they want to march into the city center but the police are .toing them. it has been a month of back and forth. on monday at least one person was shot and killed during a protest in the south of burundi. the president says he won't give up plans to run for a third term, which is against the constitution. now an agreement has been

reached in nigeria to end fuel shortages there. the shortages have forced motorists to form long queues at petrol stations. businesses hospitals and airlines have had to scale back on operations. but now the government has agreed to pay money they say is owed to them. while nigerians have had to go without fuel some of the petrol is being sold across the border. >> reporter: these containers are filled with fuel from nigeria. boats arrive nearly every day. the smugglers throw the containers overboard, and the tide brings them in. this is on togo's border. we have to film in secret

because the people here don't want outsiders to see this. traders come from all over to buy fuel here. in the capitol they sell it along the roadside. bike riders are the main customers. it's the way most people get around in togo. on a third day this fellow says he can take home $40. he doesn't want us to show his face. >> translator: i know it's it legal, but if it weren't for this maybe i would be on the streets or an armed robber. my life would be good for nothing. at least now i'm focusing on my own business. >> reporter: his customer tells us it's not just because of the price that he buys from the roadside. >> translator: at the fuelling stations they cheat you. i prefer to buy from the roadside because i can see the amount of fuel i'm getting for my money. >> reporter: this is how many

people buy fuel. from time to time, the police come and seize all of the seller's goods, but it doesn't deter them. one of them says it's also about convenience, because in some parts of the country, it's hard to find a fuel station. >> translator: from the border there are no fuel stations. if a car runs out of fuel the driver must push his vehicle to a town. this is why you will find people selling prohibited fuel. go to some districts and villages in the center of the country, and you won't see fuel stations at all. >> reporter: the government wants them to pay taxes. they say they would rather stay underground and make money this way. lawyers for green peace india have gone to court to challenge the government's

decision to block its bank accounts. the judge has postponed his ruling until wednesday. the government says green peace india violated foreign funding rules and is acting against the country's interest. >> reporter: coal helps india meet more than 50% of its energy needs and the government wants to mine more of it. but this activist from green peace india is concerned about environmental and human rights violations. earlier this year the government barred her from travelling to london to speak against plans by a british-based company. they wanted to open a coal mine in the central indian state. >> what we were trying to amplify were voices of indian citizens against foreign corporate registered in a foreign country, so how can you say what we were doing is anti-national? >> reporter: the government claims green peace india has broken the rules governing ngo's

which receive foreign funds in an attempt to clamp down on work that it says is against india's industry they froze green peace's bank accounts. >> those doing bonafied work based on following all of the rules in terms of foreign contributions, there are no questions about them. there are some 22,000 ngo's. and the surprising part is the vast, almost of majority of them don't file their annual reports. >> reporter: the executive director says the organization will stick to it mandate. >> we are environmental watchdogs, so we believe the issues we are working on will continue. >> reporter: india needs energy to speed up economic growth the government sees lots of

potential in coal. with the fourth largest coal reserves in the world, india is set to double comp sun shun shun -- consumption over the next 20 years. they fear the latest tussle between ngo's like green peace india and the government is a worrying sign of things to come. this is a senior advocate of the supreme court of india, he says these are the hallmarks of paranoid governments. >> there may be a technical breach every organization will have some breach or the other, but to be so totally disproportionate in your response, that is essentially to send a message. you are using a hammer to kill a fly. >> reporter: some of the organizations on sthefing end of this message, say this is not only a matter of government policy but also their survival.

an extreme heat wave has killed more than 500 people across india, most died in the southern states. the heat wave could continue for another two weeks. a major air defense exercise is underway in southern russia. 12,000 soldiers and 250 aircraft are testing their combat readiness. the four days of maneuvers are preparing for a larger drill planned in september. that coincides with fighter jet exercises in sweden, norway they are testing military operation in the nordic region of the russian territory. the chief prosecutor of the international tribunal is ordered to belgrade to explain

why he has ordered a serbian leader back to the hague. he was sent home from the try bu nan six months ago after being diagnosed with cancer. sonia guy ag go has more. >> reporter: he gets a hero's reception. the 60-year-old was temporarily released last year on humanitarian grounds. serbian doctors say he suffers from cancer of the colon which has spread to his liver. he himself has insisted he will not return to the netherlands unless he is forced to. this footage shows him at a siege that ended in the massacre of hundreds of civilians.

he has always denied all of the charges. >> translator: in the last 12 years the laying tribunal failed to prove any link between me and the atrocities. >> reporter: his trial only got underway four years after his arrest. the verdict is due sometime this year, and serbia has guaranteed that he will be sent back to the netherlands for that. in march judges ordered him to return saying he breached the term of his release. in recent months he has defiantly appeared at anti-western rallies. his influence in serbia remains strong and any move to extradite him could prove divisive. a volcano on one of ecuadors

ga lap gus island has erupted. lava was seen pouring down the side of the volcano on isabella island. severe flooding washes away homes and leaves people stranded in texas. helicopters and boats helping people evacuate. hundreds of houston rockets fans spend the night at the arena trapped because of the flooding. and the trial begins in iran in secret for an american journalist accused of spying. ♪