Suicide Bombings
At least four Policemen were killed and six others injured when three suicide bombers blew themselves up in a Police Station on Circular Road in Peshawar on February 24, reported Dawn. Peshawar City Police chief Syed Imtiaz Altaf said the bombers blew themselves up when their attempt to enter the building after hurling grenades was foiled by the Policemen on duty. According to another official, seven grenades and a damaged Kalashnikov rifle were recovered from the place of the attack.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for the attack. He said that the attack had been carried out by an affiliated group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigade (AAB) to avenge the death of one of its leaders, Badar Mansoor, in a United States drone strike on Feb 9, 2012.
Bomb Blasts
Two soldiers were killed in a roadside blast in the Jogi area of Kurram Agency on January 28, reported Daily Times. Official sources said that a convoy of Security Forces was on its way to its camp when a roadside bomb exploded, killing two soldiers on the spot.
Two boys were injured after one of them stepped on a landmine during a football match in Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel town in the Kohat District on February 2, reports Dawn.
Four persons were killed and several others injured in a car bomb attack on the house of a tribal elder in the Pishtakhara area of Peshawar on February 3, reports Dawn. Cantonment Circle Superintendent of Police Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed said that about 40 kilograms of explosives had been packed in the car and detonated with remote control. He said that the main target was tribal elder Astana Gul but he was not there at the time of blast and his brother Ghazi Khan and his three friends died. He said that the deceased included an Army captain but it could not be ascertained if he was a serving officer or had retired. Astana Gul, who was once associated with the Khyber Agency (FATA)-based militant Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) outfit headed by the Mangal Bagh, joined its rival Ansar-ul-Islam and the blast appeared to be aimed at punishing him and warning for others against leaving Mangal Bagh’s outfit. The blast caused a wide crater near the building and damaged several other houses. LI claimed responsibility for the blast.
Five persons, including a security official, were injured in a bomb blast near a flourmill in Rabee Bairon area in Notal Police Station jurisdiction of Naseerabad District on February 7, reported Daily Times. Notal Station House Officer (SHO) Ghulam Mustafa said that unidentified militants had planted an explosive device to a motorcycle and detonated the device with a remote control. As a result, five men, including a security official, were wounded, the police official said.
Separately, a security guard of a bank was injured and 20 shops damaged in a bomb blast in front of a bank in Liaquat Bazaar area of Quetta. “It was a big blast. The bomb was planted beneath the power generator of a private bank,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG-operations) Nazir Kurd said. About 10kg explosives were used in the blast. No one claimed responsibility for the blast.
Two children, identified as Liaquat Ali and Bashir Ahmed, were killed and 21 others, including Dera Murad Jamali additional Station House Officer (SHO), Rasool, were injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast in Dera Murad Jamali area of Naseerabad District on February 13, reports Daily Times. Baloch Republican Army (BRA) claimed responsibility for the attack. The Police was the target in the attack. The Police van and motorcycle were damaged in the attack.
At least 15 people, including two children, were killed and 38 injured when in a car bomb attack at bus stand on Peshawar-Kohat Road in Peshawar on February 23, reports Dawn. The bomb had been detonated by a timed device. According to Peshawar Police chief Syed Imtiaz Altaf, the bombing appeared to have been carried out in retaliation for a military operation under way in Khyber Agency. “The war on terror is going on and such attacks by militants can be expected anywhere,” Altaf said. Police took two people into custody for questioning. One of the suspects was draped in a blanket and sported beard and long hair.
Targeted Killings
Daily Times reports that a fresh wave of sectarian violence in the city has claimed the lives of four persons, including three lawyers on January 25. In the first incident, unidentified men shot dead three members of the Shia Lawyers’ Forum on Maulana Din Muhammad Wafai Road of Karachi. Police say the victims, identified as Badar Munir Jaffrey, his son Gauhar Shakeel Jaffrey, nephew Kafil Ahmad Jaffrey and their relative Babar Ali Jaffrey, were shot at when they were returning from the city court in a car. Everyone except Babar died on the spot.
In another incident, a member of the Tableeghi Jamaat was shot dead near Hashmi Masjid in of Orangi Town in Karachi. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Tariq Malik said the deceased, identified as Mehtab, was attacked when he was on his way home from a mosque. He said the victim, who was the organiser of processions in Karachi, received six bullets and died on the spot.
A Police constable, identified as Yousuf Ali was shot dead near Kausar Medico, within the precincts of Arambagh Police Station in Karachi while going on his duty on January 27, reported Daily Times.
Three persons were killed when unidentified militants opened fire on a car in the Mashkil area of Quetta on February 2. No one claimed responsibility of the attack. Separately, unidentified assailants shot dead tribal elder and Khuzdar Traders Union former President Muhammad Ramzan Zehri and injured his companion Ahmed Khan in Kanak area of Khuzdar District, reported Daily Times.
Two Police constables, identified as Nadeem Abbasi and Sajjad were shot dead by two assailants on Manghopir Road in Karachi while they were on their way home on February 3, reports The News. Manghopir Police said that Abbasi was posted in the area on intelligence duty, while Sajjad worked at the Gabol Town Police Station. The Police believed that this was a case of target killing as Abbasi maintained a vast intelligence network and helped apprehend criminal groups operating in the area.
Separately, a man, identified as Fareed Khan, was shot dead in an incident of target killing at Gali-59 of the Urdu Bazaar Chowk on the Lyari Expressway.
Five persons, including activists of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) the Awami National Party (ANP), and a cadre of Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jama’at (ASWJ), were killed in separate incidents of target killings in various parts of Karachi on February 7, reported The News.
Jama’at Ulema-e-Islam-Ideological (JUI-I) central leader Maulana Abdul Ghani was shot dead in Nayabad area of Chaman of Qilla Abdullah District on February 8, reported Daily Times. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Unidentified militants shot dead an activist of Awami National Party (ANP) identified as Khair Uddin Mehsud near his residence in Hassan Noman Colony in Karachi on February 24, reported Daily Times. His killing sparked violence as people gathered on main Super Highway to stage protest against the incident. They burnt tyres on the road and blocked it for the vehicular traffic and also set two vehicles on fire. Police detained about half a dozen suspects over disturbing law and order situation.
Miscellaneous
Twenty two militants and six soldiers were killed during a clash when Security Forces captured a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan stronghold in the Jogi area of Central tehsil (revenue unit) of Kurram Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on January 25, reports Dawn. According to sources, the clash broke out when security personnel launched a search operation in the Jogi area. Officials said that around 50 TTP militants attacked troops during a search operation in Jogi village. “Six soldiers were killed and four injured in the clash. Troops repelled the attack and killed 17 militants,” said Sher Bahadar Khan, a Government official in Kurram. Officials said the forces captured important hilltops in the area and also managed to consolidate their positions.
Militants killed six soldiers, including a non-commissioned officer, in an attack on a check post of the Frontier Corps (FC) at Kachhi canal area in Dera Bugti District on January 26, reports Dawn. Baloch Republican Army (BRA) claimed responsibility for the attack and said its men had taken away an FC man, along with weapons that included four G-3 rifles, one light machine gun and other small weapons. Calling from an unknown place, BRA spokesman Sarbaz Baloch claimed that the outfit had killed 10 personnel and taken away an FC man alive. “Our men also torched three Government vehicles and snatched weapons,” he added. However, a security official said that six soldiers had been killed by at least 10 militants.
Pakistan Military Academy wall was damaged in rocket attack in Abbottabad town on January 26, reports The News. District Coordination Officer (DCO) Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah said that no casualty took place.
At least 35 militants and eight soldiers were killed in a gun-battle after a newly-established security check post was attacked in Jogi heights in Kurram Agency on January 31, reports Daily Times. Over 100 terrorists attacked the post in Jogi heights in the morning, damaging the post badly. 15 soldiers and scores of militants injured in the attack. The post was established to sever a frequently used route from Tirah Valley into Kurram Agency and North Waziristan Agency by the miscreants,” the military statement said.”
Six Frontier Corps personnel were killed and 13 others injured when some unidentified assailants opened fire on three FC check posts in the Killi Pir Ismail area of Ziarat District on January 31, reports Dawn. The assailants managed to escape.
At least 15 personnel of the Frontier Corps were killed and 12 others were injured when militants belonging to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) attacked four FC check posts near Margat coalmines in Mach area of Bolan District on February 1, reported Daily Times. A BLA spokesperson, who introduced himself as Mirak Baloch, while talking to the local media, said that his organisation had carried out the attack. He claimed that over 30 Security Force personnel had died in the ambush. “It is a reaction to the January 31, 2011 killings of granddaughter and great-grand-daughter of Nawab Akbar Bugti in Karachi,” he said from an unspecified location.
Army fighter jets pounded militant hideouts in the Mamozai area of Orakzai Agency before dawn on February 1, killing at least 20 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants, reports The Express Tribune. “At least 20 Taliban militants were killed in the bombing,” a military official in Peshawar said. Local intelligence officials confirmed the air strikes. The jets targeted at least four hideouts. The hideouts belonged to TTP ‘commanders’ Mulla Toofan and Maulvi Moinuddin, a security official said. Commander Maulvi Moinuddin and six foreigners were among the dead, adds Dawn.
Security Forces pounded militant hideouts with jet fighters, killing at least 15 and injuring eight militants in Khadezai, Mamozai and Torsamant areas of Upper Orakzai sub-division in Orakzai Agency on February 6, reports The News.
Security Forces (SFs) killed 11 militants and injured 19 others in a crackdown in the Mamozai area of Kurram Agency on February 10, reports Daily Times. The military fired artillery shells at three suspected hideouts in the Mamozai area. The death toll could not be independently verified and terrorists often dispute official accounts.
PAKISTAN
Thousands gather at a JUI-F led rally against democracy in Karachi
A huge crowd comprising mostly of youngsters with majority of them in a uniform dress code from different seminaries across Sindh gathered at the first major show of political prowess of the Jama’at Ulema-e-Islam-Fazlur Rahman (JUI-F) at Bagh-e-Quaid on M.A Jinnah Road in Karachi on January 27, reported Dawn. Rahman said that an unjust economic system and getting the country involved in an American-led war had fostered extremism. The gathering rejected subservience to any external force and cautioned the rulers against mortgaging national sovereignty for their narrow vested interests. The Maulana warned that people were getting disappointed with democracy because of interventions and if complete transparency was not maintained, from preparing electoral lists to announcement of results, the consequences could be disastrous. He said that instead of an Islamic welfare state, the country had been turned into a security state by the establishment which was gobbling up 60 per cent of resources. Maulana said his party believed that an economic revolution required that the poor be made real masters of resources. He urged people to reject those who were responsible for the economic imbalance. He said even those who raised the slogan of ‘roti, kapra aur makan’ had failed to improve the life of the poor.
Musharraf will face arrest if returns, says Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
Former President General Pervez Musharraf will definitely be arrested if he returns to the country, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on January 27, reports Daily Times. “In fact, there had been murder charges against him, and there had even been some very grave charges against him, and the Supreme Court had already given a verdict against him,” Gilani was quoted as saying at the Global Economic Forum in Davos. “Certainly when he’ll come back, he has to face those charges and certainly be arrested,” the Prime Minister said.
PESCO officials among 13 abducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
13 persons, including three Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (PESCO) officials were abducted by unidentified militants in Badhber area on the outskirts of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on January 31, reports Daily Times. Sources said that the linemen of PESCO and labourers were repairing a power pylon at Khushal Khwar area when militants abducted them. An official said that a tower had been blown up by militants in the area few days ago and PESCO officials were repairing it to restore power supply but militants did not let them do so. However, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sahibzada Sajjad said that the number of abducted persons was 12 as a tractor driver, Juma Khan, was later released by the militants. The official claimed that Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) was involved in the abduction as the area was close to Bara tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and militants could easily cross the border.
Government and military united on policy towards US, says Pakistan Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman
Pakistan has one united policy towards the United States (US), which has the support of all Government institutions, said Ambassador Sherry Rehman on January 31 emphasizing the need to dispel the impression that Pakistani institutions are divided over the country’s relationship with Washington, reported Dawn. “Pakistan speaks today as one united Government, and we will have one united policy towards the US,” she said, adding, “The elected Government will stand firm in its resolve to protect our military when our soldiers are martyred in the line of duty, as they were on border post of Salala, and the military stands committed to defend our borders from any incursion to the last man.” She noted that the Pakistani military was also strongly committed to defending the current democratic set-up in the country and there’s no threat to the Government from any quarters.
Three SSP militants arrested in Karachi
After the Sindh Government announced a reward of PKR One million for the arrest of sectarian killing suspects, the Anti-Extremism Cell (AEC) of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) claimed to have arrested three suspected militants belonging to Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan for their alleged involvement in killing 10 persons, including five lawyers from Mauripur area. The CID officials also claimed to have recovered three Kalashnikovs, three 9 mm pistols, two TT pistols, five hand grenades, two motorcycles and 150 bullets as well as a hit-list that included the names of the lawyers belonging to the Shia sect.
The suspects were identified as Mohammad Taufeeq Ansari, Salahuddin Israel and Maulana Mohammad Arshad. During the investigation, the accused allegedly disclosed that they had killed Kafeel, Shakeel and Badar Muneer in the Arambagh Police limits on January 25, 2012.The accused also told the police that they had been assigned to kill Maulana Abdul Karim Naqsbandi, and they managed to kill him in 2005 after a failed attempt a year earlier. They also disclosed of having targeted Qari Habib in 2005. They allegedly told the police that they killed Qari Habib because he belonged to the Sunni Tehreek (ST) and used to deliver statements against their organization. Moreover, they allegedly said that they also wanted to kill one Tanveer who used to defend some suspects belonging to the Shia sect in their cases in court.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani seeks international help on Afghan refugees’ repatriation
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, on February 2, said Pakistan wanted the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland with honour and called upon the international community for assistance in this regard, reports Daily Times. Talking to UN High Commissioner for Afghan Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres at the PM’s House, the Prime Minister said it seemed that the international community had forgotten Afghan refugees. The Prime Minister said Pakistan would support any reconciliation process, which was Afghan-led and Afghan-owned and added that its culmination would not destabilise Pakistan. The Prime Minister emphasised that the return of the Afghan refugees was important because the crossing of borders by 30,000 to 40,000 Afghan’s on a daily basis made it impossible to distinguish between a “tourist and a terrorist”. He reiterated that the democratic government had the resolve and capacity to defeat the forces of terrorism and added that the safe return of Afghan refugees to their homeland would help in this pursuit. The UNHCR has thanked Pakistan for its hospitality towards Afghan refugees while praising its continued commitment to finding lasting solutions to the situation.
34 suspects, including four TTP cadres arrested in Karachi
The Security Forces (SFs) arrested nine suspects, including four cadres of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, including the ‘commander’, Mullah Hakeem, during a raid carried out in Toori Bangash Colony of Orangi Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh on February 4, reports The Express Tribune. The ‘commander’ was arrested on a tip-off from TTP cadres. Hakeem was involved in over 100 bomb attacks on schools in Swat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Weapons and jihadi (holy war) literature were recovered from the suspects. The identities of the TTP suspects were not revealed.
Drone strikes kill rescuers and mourners, says Bureau of investigative Journalism report
Dawn quoting a report, compiled by the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ), said that the drone attacks in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) have repeatedly targeted rescuers who rush to the scene of a strike, as well as mourners at subsequent funerals. The BIJ report found that at least 50 civilians had been killed in follow-up strikes after they rushed to help those hit by a drone-fired missile. The BIJ estimated that more than 20 other civilians were killed in strikes on funerals. The findings were published on the BIJ’s website as well as in London’s Sunday Times and the New York Times. The bureau’s findings were based on interviews with witnesses to strikes in the rugged region where reporting is often dangerous and difficult. American officials have questioned the accuracy of such claims, alleging that accounts might be concocted by militants or falsely confirmed by residents who fear retaliation.
But most other studies of drone strikes have relied on sketchy and often contradictory news reports from Pakistan. The bureau’s investigation, which began last year with a study of civilian casualties, involved interviews with villagers who said they saw strikes, wounded people and relatives of those killed. The bureau counted 260 strikes by Predator and Reaper drones since President Barack Obama took office. It said between 282 and 535 civilians had been ‘credibly reported’ killed in those attacks, including over 60 children. American officials said the number was too high, though they acknowledged that “at least several dozen civilians” had lost their lives ‘inadvertently’ in strikes aimed at militant ‘suspects’.
Drone attack is illegal and producing more militants, says Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar
The United States (US) drones hitting targets on Pakistani territory is illegal, and reports of alleged involvement of Inter-States Intelligence (ISI) with the Taliban are not even worthy of comment, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on February 9, reports Daily Times. “Attacks by US drones on Pakistani territory are illegal and cannot be tolerated,” Khar said in an interview to a Russian English news channel, RT. She said the US attacks promote extremist moods in the region. “Drones are not only completely illegal and unlawful and have no authorisation to be used within the domains of international law but even more importantly, they are counter-productive to the objective of getting this region rid of militancy, terrorism and extremism,” Khar said. “Because if one strike leads to getting you target number one or target number three today, you are creating five more targets or 10 more targets in the militancy that it breeds in the fodder that it gives to the militants to attract more people to join their ranks,” the Foreign Minister said.
Islamabad urges Afghan Taliban and other affiliated militant outfits to start negotiating peace
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on February 24 appealed to the Afghan Taliban leadership and other Afghan groups, including Hizb-e-Islami (Hel), to participate in an intra-Afghan process for national reconciliation and peace, reports Daily Times. “It is now time to turn a new leaf and open a new chapter in the history of Afghanistan. It is time to now combine the strengths of the Afghan people in a true spirit of our noble religion, Islam, and in accordance with the glorious traditions of Afghans to build peace and bring prosperity to Afghanistan,” the Prime Minister said, adding, “It is our sincere hope that the Afghan Taliban leadership, Hel and all other Afghan political leaders will respond positively to my appeal and agree to enter into direct negotiations in the framework of an intra-Afghan process for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan”.
Meanwhile, the Hel Afghanistan hailed Prime Minister Gilani’s appeal to Taliban and other militant groups to join Afghan peace process. Hel Political Affairs Head Doctor Ghairat Baheer said that his organisation had also proposed intra-Afghan dialogue “which is the only solution to end the Afghan war”. He said in a statement that Hel wants Afghans to hold talks without any interference from others, adding that Prime Minister Gilani’s statement is similar to the group’s stand. He hoped that other Afghan groups would also give a positive response to the prime minister’s statement.
REGIONAL
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
The Police arrested three activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) in Kotwali of the Dhaka city on January 26, reports The Daily Star. The arrested are identified as Mahidul Islam, Saifullah Ibne Amin, and Asaduzzaman Shakil. The trio was arrested in connection with violence on Jagannath University (JnU) campus on January 24. The Police also detained nine other BCL activists who were later freed at the request of the JnU authorities. Sources said the Police picked up 12 BCL activists while raiding different students’ messes, but some teachers of the university went to the Police station and pressured them to free the nine.
67 firearms recovered in Brahmanbaria District
The Police recovered 67 firearms of liberation war period from an under-construction building adjacent to Bhadughar Bazar of Brahmanbaria District on January 27, reports The New Age. The recovered firearms are 10 rifles, one LMG, three magazines of SMG, two magazines of LMG, and one magazine of SLR in an abandoned condition. Sadar Police Station sub-inspector Abdul Motalib said locals suspected that the rusted firearms were kept hidden by freedom fighters during or after the war of liberation.
25 persons detained for militancy in Kishoreganj District
The Police detained 25 persons from a house in Kishoreganj District Headquarters on January 27 suspecting them to be involved in militancy, reports The Independent. The Police claimed the men to be members of Islami Samaj and were questioning them whether they have any link with the militant outfits.
Law enforcers have strengthened their activities to net members of the outfit after the army at January 19 press conference indicated its involvement in the recent foiled plot to topple the Government.
Three HuT cadres arrested in Munshiganj District
The Police arrested three cadres of Hizb-ut Tahrir (HuT) as they were distributing leaflets among people in Dhaisar area under Sreenagar Upazila (sub-district) of Munshiganj District on February 3, reports The New Age. The arrested cadres were identified as Aminul Islam (32), Mohammad Zakir Hossain (22), and Idris Miah (26).
Two bombs recovered from a classroom in Chaudanga District
Two bombs were recovered from a classroom of Morhum Sirazul Islam Junior High School at Hapania village of the Chaudanga District on February 4, reports The Independent.
Meanwhile, the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) on February 7 accused the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Detective Branch (DB) of Police of abducting their two activists – Mohammad Waliullah, a masters students of Dawah and Islamic studies department and Al Muqaddas, a fourth year student of Al-Fiqh department – from Savar subdistrict of Dhaka District on February 4, reports The New Age.
RAB arrested HuJI leader from Jhenidah District
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested an alleged operative of banned outfit Harkat-ul Jihad Islami from Pabahati village in Sadar sub-district of Jhenidah District on February 13, reports The Daily Star. The arrestee, Shaheen Mahmud (46) is a Khulna regional leader of the outfit. The RAB members seized 20 books on jihad, 13 leaflets, a foreign ID card and a passport from his possession. The arrestee was involved in serial bomb explosions on 21 August.
India – Internal Dynamics
Four SFs and three militants killed in separate incidents in Manipur
Nagaland Post reports that at least four Security Force (SF) personnel and three militants were killed in two separate clashes at various places in Manipur on January 26. In the first incident, two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and two others injured when a column of CRPF on election duty in Ukhrul District was ambushed by a group of militants in Aishi village.
CPI-Maoist cadres from Tamil Nadu have infiltrated to Karnataka, says report
The Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres from Tamil Nadu have reportedly infiltrated Karnataka and are strengthening the hands of their comrades in Agumbe region of Udupi District, according to a recent intelligence report, Deccan Chronicle reported. According to Police sources, there has been no new recruitment of local people in the CPI-Maoist in Karnataka. “We have been keeping track of villagers in the Naxal-affected districts and no one in the last two years has gone missing or has been abducted by the Maoists,” said an officer from Udupi. On January 6, in a fire exchange between the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) and the Maoists in Barkana Falls region near Agumbe in Udupi District, the ANF for the first time found Maoist literature in Tamil from the site where the Maoist cadres were camping in the forest. Till then, the Police believed that a majority of the Maoist cadres in Karnataka were from the Malekudiya tribe from the Kudremukh National Park area.
Congress leader shot dead by Maoists in Maharashtra
Communist Party of India-Maoist struck a blow to the Zilla Parishad polls in Gadchiroli by killing the Bhamragarh Panchayat Samiti Chairman and Bhamragarh tehsil (revenue unit) Congress Unit Chief Bahadurshah Alam on January 28, reported Indian Express. Three members of Maoists’ Quick Action Team came to a tea stall in the town square where Alam was having his morning tea and shot him dead from close range, said the Police. They ran away shouting, “Alam Murdabad, Lal Salaam Zindabad”. “He was reportedly warned by the Naxals not to contest. We had also recovered pamphlets that called him as a traitor,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Veeresh Prabhu.
GNLA claims responsibility for executing a villager over suspected Police links in Meghalaya
The Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) on January 28 claimed to have killed a villager in Zikzak area of West Garo Hills for allegedly colluding with Police and working against the outfit on January 27, 2012, reported The Shillong Times. The GNLA area commander Ampati Rahul claimed, “We executed a villager from the village yesterday (January 27) because he was the main Police informer operating against us for so long.” The militant outfit questioned the Meghalaya Police over its tactics of using villagers to work for them in lieu of compensation which is never paid to them.
Three Policemen killed in Jharkhand
Three Policemen, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector, were killed and five others got injured when Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres triggered a landmine blast near an under-construction diversion on National Highway-99 close to Balumath Police Station in Latehar District around 6pm on February 1, reports The Times of India. The Policemen were going in two jeeps from Chandwa to Balumath, around 75 kilometres from Ranchi. Since it was dark and the Maoists continued to fire at regular intervals it was difficult for the Security Forces (SFs) to launch a rescue operation. The condition of one of the injured is said to be serious.
Training Schools for spies and cops
To counter the increasing threat of terrorist and anti-state activities the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved several proposals for paramilitary forces, ranging from setting up a ‘detective training school’ to procuring huge numbers of high-tech ‘radio sets’, reports Times of India. A school to train spies – Central Detective Training School (CDTS) – will be set up in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D). Besides officials of central armed police forces (CAPF) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), police personnel from states and Union Territories will also get training in the school which is likely to start functioning next year. The MHA also plans to buy and wet-lease helicopters for internal security duties.
Civilian killed in Assam
The Times of India reports that suspected militant belonging to Anti-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom killed a businessperson, identified as Ikramul Hussain (32), at Alu Chauka chowk of Mongoldoi in Darrang District on February 3. Another civilian, identified as Pankaj Sahoria (25), sustained bullet injury on his hand when he tried to help the deceased businessperson. Refusal to pay extortion money is believed to be the reason behind the killing.
Two Policemen killed in landmine blast in Chhattisgarh
Two Policemen were killed in a landmine blast, allegedly carried out by the Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres, in Polampalli area in Sukma District, recently carved out of Dantewada District, on February 9, reports The Hindu. The Policemen were returning to Dornapal in a Sumo which became the target of the blast. While Constable Surya Kartam (30) and Police driver Suryaprakash Sonvani were killed, two others Nanda Sinha and Rajaram were injured, when the Maoists fired on Police after the blast, and Police retaliated.
Four BSF personnel killed in Maoist ambush in Odisha
The Hindu reports that four personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) including a commandant were killed in an ambush by the cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist in Malkangiri District on February 10. Two other BSF personnel and two officials of the Irrigation Department (ID) were also injured in the attack, which came a day before the first phase polls of the panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) elections. The four BSF personnel were Commandant J.K. Khaswan, Deputy Commandant Rajesh Saran, Subedar Ashok Yadav and Assistant Sub-Inspector Jitendra Sahu. The driver of the vehicle, Subhendu Kundu, and the Personal Security Officer of the Commandant, Bishnu Pani, were injured. The two ID officials injured were Srikant Behera and Govind Chandra Ray. According to the District Police, the BSF personnel were on their way to Chitrakonda from the BSF camp at Balimela. They were travelling in a SUV to oversee security arrangements for the polls. At 1 p.m., their vehicle overturned in a landmine blast about nine kilometres from Balimela. No one was seriously injured or killed, but the personnel fell victim to indiscriminate firing by Maoists hiding in the nearby dense forest.
Israeli diplomat among four persons injured in a car bomb blast in Delhi
The Hindu reports that an Israeli embassy official Tal Yehoshua Koren, who is also the wife of Israel’s defence attaché, sustained serious injuries when a bomb fixed to her Innova car went off at 3.15 p.m., less than 500 metres from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s official residence on February 13. The other injured persons are her driver and two locals who were driving behind the van. Delhi Police Commissioner B.K. Gupta said eyewitnesses confirmed that “a device had been affixed to the vehicle by a motorcyclist” who passed the car.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah for the attack and vowed vengeance. However, intelligence sources in New Delhi said there had been no specific intelligence of a planned attack on the country’s diplomats in India and no immediate leads on possible perpetrators.
| Monthly Fatalities The following deaths, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism, occurred during the period Jan 25,2012 to Feb 26, 2012: | ||||
|  | Civilians | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total |
| Assam | 01 | 00 | 04 | 05 |
| Manipur | 02 | 00 | 03 | 05 |
| Meghalaya | 04 | 01 | 05 | 10 |
| Nagaland | 00 | 00 | 06 | 06 |
| Left-wing | 13 | 28 | 09 | 50 |
| Total | 20 | 29 | 27 | 76 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Low intensity bomb explosion reported in Badiya District
Samyukta Madheshi Mukti Morcha (SMMM) detonated a bomb at KP Store belonging to Kul Prasad Kandel (35) at Radha Krishna Chowk of Gulariya Municipality-8 in Badiya District on February 1, reports Inseconline.org. The explosion caused minor damage to the counter and property worth NPR 35,000 was damaged in the blast, proprietor Kandel said, adding that no human casualty occurred as the bomb went off during night.
Revolt brewing in Madhesh, warns Information and Communications Minister Jaya Prakash Gupta
Kantipuronline reports that Information and Communications Minister Jaya Prakash Gupta on February 7 warned that the Madhesh region could sever its relationship with the State if the issues of the region are not addressed. He claimed that a revolt is brewing in the Madhesh due to the haughty attitude of the major parties towards the region.
Further, cadres of the Maoist youth wing Young Communist League who have been demanding facilities at par with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) combatants, obstructed the road in Talbandi connecting 7th division cantonment to disrupt the discharge of the combatants choosing voluntary retirement.
Moreover, amid reports of the YCL closing down the UCPN-M party offices demanding same assistance package provided to the voluntarily retiring combatants, the UCPN–M decided to provide assistance to them through its own sources.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
LTTE suspect of bomb blast in Wilpattu National Forest arrested after six years
A suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre alleged to have been involved in a bomb blast in Wilpattu National Forest on May 27, 2006, that killed seven people, was arrested by the Police, Colombo Page reported on January 25. Police said the suspect has been identified as a resident of Mannar and he was involved in LTTE activities during the war.
LLRC implementation getting off to good start, says External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris
External Affairs Minister G L Peiris on January 26 said that Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) implementation getting off to good start, according to Daily News. “The government has made a good start to implementing the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). Within the next two months, the process of implementing the LLRC recommendations will get fully underway,” Peiris said. He said the Government will not present the LLRC report to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as it was a report commissioned by the President Mahinda Rajapakse to investigate internal issues.
Government should not talk to the Tamil party
The Head of the Patriotic National Movement (PNM), an ally of Sri Lanka’s governing United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera says that the Government should not hold discussions on finding a political solution with the major Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) reports Colombo page. He blamed TNA for representing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ideology of separatism and pushing for Tamil Eelam. He also demanded for the legal action against TNA as well as immediate action against the comments made by some of the government ministers who have defecting from the main opposition United National Party (UNP).
PSC for internal conflict solution, says President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on February 5 said that the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) was the best forum to resolve the national question and asked all parties to participate in the PSC rather than relying on imported solutions and foreign influences reports Sunday Observer. The President cautioned against conspiracies and propaganda of terrorists based overseas aimed at destabilizing the motherland. “They hope to achieve in Sri Lanka certain results similar to those in some other countries. The fuel for this struggle in Sri Lanka comes from separatism which is active in foreign lands.” He told the nation that the country would neither benefit by trying to please selfish groups, nor implementing the proposals of extremist groups. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has said that all are responsible for this problem. Therefore, we have already started implementing what was in the Commission report. He also addressed various issues like economic and agricultural development along with future challenges and expectations.
In an another event, Opposition and United National Party (UNP) Leader of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe has called on the people to rally to safeguard democracy in the country reports Colombo Page. Government has failed to establish democracy, the opposition parties would work towards it together with the people. He further stated that democracy law and order have collapsed in the country while there was no independent police, public service, electoral system or free education and health services. He asserted that democracy plus is the need of hour, which will in turn help to find a solution to 13 plus policy.
Sri Lanka to be Trilingual
In a move for future solidarity, the Government of Sri Lanka on February 6 implemented a programme to make Sri Lanka trilingual and every child of the country should learn Sinhala, Tamil and English to accomplish this mission reports Daily News. Speaking in Tamil, the President Mahinda Rajapaksa pointed out that he has never forgotten the Motherland though a certain segment is engaged in a futile attempt to deter the ongoing development drive by resorting to various tactics.
North is not militarized, says Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
Commenting on the charges by Tamil national Alliance (TNA) of heavy militarization in the north and insisting that the troops “are maintaining absolutely essential presence” and there would be sizeable military presence to ensure that the “past does not revisit,” the Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa completely rejected the charges as “unfair assessment,” reports Daily News .
Canadian Tamil charged of supporting LTTE
According to a Colombo Page report, a Canadian Tamil man on February 8 pleaded guilty in a United States district court to charges of conspiring to provide material support to Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a proscribed organization in the U.S. The United States State Department in 1997designated the LTTE as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the LTTE therefore may not legally raise money or procure equipment or materials in the United States.
INTERNATIONAL
11 Iranian pilgrims kidnapped
Iran’s official IRNA news agency says gunmen in Syria have kidnapped 11 Iranian pilgrims traveling by road from Turkey to Damascus. The report on January 29 says a bus with 49 Iranians was stopped after leaving the town of Halab on the same day. It says gunmen abducted 11 young men from the group but let go the other passengers, who included women, elderly men and three children.
IRNA says thieves later attacked the rest of the group, stealing their money and valuables. Iranian pilgrims routinely visit Syria Iran’s closest ally in the Arab world to pay homage to Shiite holy shrines. Last month, 7 Iranian engineers building a power plant in central Syria were kidnapped. They have not yet been released.
Tehran has staunchly backed President Bashar Assad during Syria’s 10-month-old uprising.
33 more killed in Syria rebel town
Syrian government forces killed at least 33 people in a rebel town near the Lebanese border in the last few days in an attack to dislodge army defectors and insurgents, activists and residents of a nearby town said on January 29. Rankous, a mountain town of 25,000 people, 30 kms (19 miles) north of Damascus, has been under tank bombardment since Wednesday, when it was besieged by several thousand troops led by the elite Fourth Division, under the command of President Bashar al-Assad’s brother Maher, they said.
A resident of the nearby town of Sednaya, who did not want to be identified, said the 33 were killed since the last five days and that no casualty figures were yet available for Sunday. A tented army camp has been set up near the entrance of Rankous. Most of the town’s residents have fled to nearby villages,” he added. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian authorities. It was the second major attack on Rankous since November when it was stormed by troops after a demonstration demanding Assad’s removal was broadcast on the Arab news channel al-Jazeera, activists said.—AFP
3 Iraqi soldiers killed in blast
A bomb blast north of Baghdad killed three Iraqi soldiers on Jan 31, hours before the nation’s parliament is to reconvene after Sunni-backed lawmakers ended their boycott to protest persecution of Sunni officials. Police spokesman in Diyala province, Maj. Ghalib al-Karkhi, says a parked car bomb detonated near a military patrol in Baqouba, killing three soldiers and wounding three others.
Baqouba is a former al-Qaida stronghold, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad.
Four policemen killed in Nigeria
Gunmen shot dead four policemen on Feb 20 near the home of Nigeria’s police chief in the northern city of Kano where Islamists killed dozens last month, a police source and a medic said.” Four policemen have been killed in an attack this morning by unknown gunmen on a police checkpoint not far from the IG’s house,” the source said, referring to the police Inspector General’s home.
A hospital source said four bodies of men in police uniform were taken to a hospital morgue after the attack. An AFP reporter saw the bodies of four policemen with gunshot wounds inside the mortuary.” All the four policemen were brought in this morning. As you can see they all have gunshot wounds,” a morgue attendant at Kano’s largest government hospital, Murtala Mohammed, said. In a statement, Kano State police spokesman Magaji Majia said “unknown gunmen on four motorcycles attacked our policemen on foot patrol. As a result of the attack, two died on the spot while two were injured.
The Islamic sect Boko Haram, which staged coordinated gun and bomb assaults in Kano on January 20, killed at least 185 people in what was the deadliest of a string of recent assaults in northern Nigeria. There have since been several smaller attacks in the city. On Wednesday gunmen attacked a military checkpoint in Kano and shot and killed two policemen in central Niger state.
Nuclear activities non-negotiable: Iran
Iran said on Feb 22 it views its nuclear activities as a non-negotiable right, but confirmed they will be discussed in mooted talks with world powers aimed at defusing a crisis containing the seeds of a new Middle East war.” The issue of our country’s peaceful nuclear activities will be on the agenda of talks between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany),” foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters in a televised briefing.” Our main demand is recognition of our right to possess the (nuclear) technology for peaceful purposes,” Mehmanparast said.” That right has been achieved, and we don’t think there is a negotiable issue regarding our nuclear activities.” Mehmanparast’s comments came on the second day of a two-day visit by officials from the UN nuclear watchdog for talks focused on “possible military dimensions” of the nuclear programme.
The ministry spokesman said the aim of the visit by officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency was not inspections but to talk about “a framework to pursue dialogue and cooperation between Iran and the IAEA.” An IAEA visit to Tehran late last month was inconclusive. Tensions have risen dramatically this year over Iran’s nuclear programme, which much of the West suspects includes research to develop atomic weapons. Israel has provoked increasing speculation it is poised to launch air strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, raising the possibility of a wider conflict being triggered that could draw in the United States, EU nations, and Saudi Arabia. Iran also announced its military was holding exercises to boost air defences around its nuclear facilities.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Al-Qaeda claims deadly Iraq attacks
Iraq’s al-Qaida branch has claimed responsibility for the latest wave of bombings and other attacks that killed dozens in Baghdad and across the country in a single day, raising concerns over the government’s ability to provide security after the U.S. troop pullout.
The Islamic State of Iraq said in an Internet message late on Feb 19 that it targeted security forces and government officials in “revenge for the elimination and torture campaigns that Sunni men and women face in the prisons of Baghdad and other cities.” Iraq’s Shiite-led government has executed at least 68 prisoners so far this year, a rate that has alarmed human rights watchdogs.
Additionally, last fall Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, ordered detentions of hundreds of former Saddam Hussein loyalists, most of whom were believed to be Sunni. The attacks killed a total of 55 people and wounded 225, raising concern of a new surge in sectarian violence two months after the American military pulled out.”
These operations were synchronized and their targets were accurately surveyed and chosen, including security headquarters, military patrols and senior security, judicial and administrative officials,” al-Qaida said in the statement, posted on militant websites.
The violence now is nowhere as frequent as it was during the tit-for-tat sectarian fighting that almost pushed Iraq into civil war a few years ago. But the attacks appear to be more deadly than they were before American military’s withdrawal in late December. Days after the American military left, a wave of bombs targeting Shiites killed at least 69 people.—AP
Yemen’s Saleh to hand power to successor
Veteran Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is to hand power to his successor Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, the elec-toral commission said, before the results of a single-candidate presidential poll have even been announced. The handover will put the seal on a hard-won November transfer of power deal, under which Saleh agreed to step down in return for a controversial promise of immunity from prosecution over the deaths of hundreds of people during 10 months of protests against his 33-year rule.
Hadi “will take the oath of office in parliament on Saturday, February 25, and the inauguration will follow on Monday, February 27, in a ceremony at the presidential palace.—Agencies
Saudi renews call for Taliban to renounce Qaeda
A senior Saudi official on Feb 24 called on the Taliban to lay down their arms and renounce Al-Qaeda as preconditions for Saudi-mediated peace talks with the Afghan government.
The Taliban, leading a 10-year insurgency against Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government, have denied reports of planned peace talks in Saudi Arabia, despite claims by Afghan officials that the two sides would hold talks in the kingdom separate from those planned in Qatar. Taliban negotiators have begun preliminary discussions with the United States in Qatar on plans for peace talks aimed at ending the decade-long war. They have also announced plans to set up an office in Doha.
3 Palestinians hurt in Israeli strike
Three people were wounded on morning of Feb 24 in an Israeli air strike on Gaza, medical sources said, hours after another strike injured one man. According to the sources, the latest air strike, which targeted a home in the al-Tufah neighbourhood in Gaza City, left the three in moderate condition. The earlier strike, which took place late Saturday night, targeted a workshop in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Zeitun. The medical sources said all four casualties were civilians.
The Israeli army confirmed the attacks, with a spokeswoman telling AFP its aircraft “targeted a terror activity site and weapons manufacturing site in the northern Gaza Strip in response to the rockets fired at Israel.” Direct hits were confirmed on both targets,” she said. Earlier in the day, the military said that four rockets had hit southern Israel over the past two days, including one Grad that struck south of Beersheba on Saturday. None of the rockets caused casualties or damage.
In addition, a rocket fired at Israel a day earlier by Palestinian militants hit a house in the Gaza Strip, but there were no casualties, witnesses in Gaza said. It apparently exploded prematurely, damaging the house, the witnesses said, without being able to provide further details. In another incident, the military said an anti-tank rocket was fired at Israeli soldiers on Friday evening, but damaged the security fence separating Gaza from Israel. Troops who responded with tank fire also neutralised an explosive device at the scene.
| Current Threat Levels : | ||
| City/Region | Threat Level | |
| Islamabad | Level 2 | ** |
| Karachi | Level 2 | ** |
| Lahore | Level 2 | ** |
| Punjab | Level 2 | ** |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Level 3 | *** |
| Peshawar | Level 2 | ** |
| Quetta | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper Balochistan | Level 3 | *** |
| Lower Balochistan | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper/ Rural Singh | Level 2 | ** |
| Gilgit and Northern Areas | Level 3 | *** |
| Tribal Areas, Close to Afghan Border | Level 3 | *** |
| Index to Threat Level Perceptions | |
| Threat Level 1 Indicates there is no threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required | * |
| Threat Level 2 Indicates there is no specific threat to foreigners; however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised if traveling. | ** |
| Threat Level 3 Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Level dictates that foreigners should rehearse plans for evacuation. | *** |
| Threat Level 4 Indicates complete breakdown of civil administration and law & order leading to anarchy. All foreigners advised to remain indoors and confined to their own city. Families and staff not required to be evacuated retaining only a skeleton staff. | **** |
| Threat Level 5 Indicates complete breakdown of law and order, enemy action/hostilities, invasion /occupation by enemy. | ***** |
