SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON TERRORISM (July – 2012)

Terrorist Activities in Pakistan
Suicide Attacks
At least 21 persons were killed and over 40 others injured on June 8 when a powerful bomb ripped through a bus carrying Government employees in Gulbela area on the Charsadda Road in the jurisdiction of Daudzai Police Station in Peshawar, reported The News. The Intelligence reports revealed that a suicide bomber had been tasked to carry out an attack in the city. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

At least two Policemen, identified as Abdul Jabbar (40) and Naheedullah (38), were killed and five others, including three civilians were injured in a suicide attack tar-geting the convoy of Faheem-ur-Rehman, the head of the anti-Taliban Bazidkhel Qaumi Lashkar (Peace Committee) at Bazidkhel Chowk in Badhaber area of Peshawar on June 12, reports Daily Times. Both the Policemen killed in the attack belonged to Bazidkhel village and were members of the Special Force. According to bomb disposal unit, legs of the bomber had been found and he appeared to be a teenager.

At least five students were killed and 53 injured in a suicide attack that targeted a university bus near Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) office on Samungli Road in Quetta on June 18, reports The News. Earlier it was reported that four students were killed. According to the details, a suicide bomber blew him-self up near the bus of Balochistan University of Information Technology (IT) at Samungli Road, killing five students and wounding 53 others, including four policemen and four female students.” Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed the responsibility for the attack. The bus was carrying Shia students. Meanwhile, Members of the Balochistan Assembly criticised the Federal and Provincial Intelligence Agencies for their failure to identify elements behind acts of terrorism in the province, reports Dawn. Referring to the suicide attack on a bus in Quetta the lawmakers condemned the bomb attack and said it was the responsibility of the Government, Police and Intelligence Agencies to protect the people.

Bomb Blasts
At least 15 people, including five children, were killed and more than 48 got injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast outside a madrassa, Jamia Islamia Miftahul Uloom, near Bank Chowk on Sariab Link Road in Quetta on June 7, reported Daily Times. Majority of the victims were students of the madrassa. “A certificate-awarding ceremony was taking place when the bombing occurred. An explosive material was fixed to a bicycle parked outside the religious seminary. Terrorists detonated the explosive using a remote control,” said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Qazi Wahid. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Four children received injuries when an explosive device, planted by unidentified militants, went off in Thang Khatta village of Bajaur Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on June 7, reports Dawn. Locals said that the children of Thang Khatta village were playing in a field when all of a sudden an explosive device, planted there, went off and injured four children. The injured children were identified as Bilal, Ayesha .Bibi, Salma Bibi and Zahirullah.

Separately, two persons including a child were injured when mortar shells fell on several of houses in Baz Garha area of Kamarkhel in Bara of Khyber Agency.

At least 10 people, including one security official, were killed, and 10 others injured when terrorists fired rockets at a security check post in South Waziristan Agency on June 10, Daily Times reported. According to media reports, unidentified terrorists fired eight rockets on the Security Forces’ (SFs) check post in Wana at midnight due to which a security officer was killed and three others were injured. The series of rock firing continued until morning. The SFs in the morning started an operation, against terrorists in Wana Bazaar after blocking all the roads leading towards the area, in which nine people were killed and seven injured. However, it was not known if any civilian was killed. Earlier, it was reported that a security officer was killed.

At least six people were killed and over two dozen people were injured when a remote-controlled bomb hidden in a motorcycle exploded near a bus in the Dringarh area of Mastung District in a suspected sectarian attack on June 11, reports The Times of India. Officials confirmed the death of six persons. Police officials said the intended target of the bombing might have been a bus with Shia pilgrims that passed the area minutes before the explosion. The target of the bomb attack was passenger coaches carrying pilgrims to Iran via Taftan,” a Senior Police Official said, adds Dawn. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Two people, including a com-mander of Aman Lashkar (peace militia), were killed in two separate remote-controlled bomb blasts in the Mastak area of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on June 11, reports Daily Times. According to a Police source, one bomb planted along a road exploded killing an unidentified man and destroying a van completely. Later, when an investigative team reached the scene, another bomb exploded, killing the peace militia commander injuring two security personnel.

At least four students died, while around 30 were injured when a powerful blast occurred near an IT University located in Jinnah Town of Quetta on the morning of June 18. The bomb was planted inside a car parked nearby. The blast occurred when a van carrying students to the university reached the campus.

A tribal elder, Malik Atta Khan, was killed and his ,,nephew, Fauji Khan, critically injured in a bomb explosion in Navagai tehsil (revenue unit) near the Chaharmang area of Bajaur Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on June 19, reported Daily Times.

Kidnappings/Ambush
Unidentified militants abducted a trader, identified as Lal Chand, from Dera Allah Yar area of Jaffarabad District while he was travelling from Sohbatpur to Jacobabad on May 31, reports Daily Times.

At least four Policemen were shot dead in an ambush at Bakra Mandi area of Eastern Bypass, on outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan on June 24, reports Daily Times. According to Police sources, four Police officials were patrolling the area when unidentified armed militants, riding a motorcycle, opened fire on them. Resultantly, three Police personnel died on the spot while the other one succumbed to injuries in hospital. The slain Policemen were identified as identified as Abdullah Mengal, Shahjehan, Abdullah Pirkani and Mumtaz Sarpara. No group had claimed responsibility of the attack until the report was filed.

Targeted Killings
At least three tortured bullet-riddled bodies stuffed in a bag were found in the Ferozabad area of Quetta on May 28, reports Dawn. The bodies were identified as Mehran Khan Kiyazai, Mohammad Khan and Mohammad Nabi Marri. Sources said that Mehran Khan was missing since April 11, 2012. Mohammad Khan Marri and Mohammad Nabi Marri, residents of Sariab, were brothers. Voice for Baloch Missing Persons’ Chairman Nasrullah Baloch told Daily Times that the deceased were on the missing persons’ list and were abducted in April from Zarghoon Road. He said as many as 407 bullet-riddled bodies of Baloch missing persons had been found so far. Separately, two dead bodies were recovered from Pnhinain area of Dera Bugti District. A spokesman for the Baloch Republican Party (BRP). Sher Mohammad Bugti, claimed that the bodies were dumped in the area. He identified the victims as Ali Khan Bugti and Wali Mohammad Bugti, who had been missing since March 12, 2005.

At least two Police officials. identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Abdul Qayyum and constable Muhammad Asif (driver). were killed and another two were injured in an ambush attack on a Police van on Sariab Road in Quetta. Superintendent of Police (SP) Sikandar Tareen said that the vehicle of New Sariab Police was returning from the court when unidentified assailants opened fire on it. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

In another incident, the head-master of a middle school and a part time journalist, Abdul Qadir Hajizai. was shot dead while he was on his way to home in Basima area of Washuk District, reports Dawn. Hajizai worked for a private Balochi language TV channel.

Two cadres of Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal-Jama’at (ASWJ), identified as Mufti Zeeshan and Danish alias Bihari, were shot dead in Zia Colony, Gulshan-e-lqbal area on May 28. In another incident, a youngster, identified as Adnan Rafiq, was shot dead near Clifton underpass within the limits of Clifton Police Station. Further, One person was killed by firing in Jodia Bazar area within the jurisdiction of Kharadar Police Station. Elsewhere, Police found the dead body of a man identified as Saeed Gul alias Afghani (24) near Government Degree College in Korangi, within the limits of Awami Colony Police Station. Gul was abducted before being killed.

Police on May 28 claimed to have repulsed a militant attack on Mullazai Police Station in Tank District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reports Dawn. According to police, a group of 80 to 90 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants holding heavy weapons attacked the Police Station. Policemen fought against attackers for over one hour forcing the latter to flee. Later, security per-sonnel also showed up. They jointly cordoned off the area and began search operation. During the search, a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) exploded after a police van hit it. The explosion injured three Policemen Samiullah, Fayyaz, and Bashir. TTP later accepted responsibility for the attack. According to the TTP spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, told reporters from an undisclosed loca-tion that TTP would continue fighting the Government until Shariah was enforced in the country.

At least 10 persons including Rangers Sub-Inspector (SI) were killed in separate incidents of violence and sectarian killing in Karachi on May 30 and 31, reported Daily Times and The News.

At least eight persons, including two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists, were killed in different parts of Karachi on June 1 and June 2, reports The News.

Former provincial Minister and Kalat District Jama’at Ulema-e-Islam-Faz1 (JUI-F) Chief Attaullah Langoh’s son Hafiz lmdadullah was shot dead near on Spiny Road in Quetta on June 1, reported Daily Times. Superintendent of Police (SP) Malik Arshad said that uniden-tified militants riding a motorcycle opened fire on a car carrying Langoh’s son. He also informed that the Police arrested both the accused and seized two 30-bore pistols from them.

Separately, unidentified assailants shot dead Police constable Riaz Gul at Nawa-e-Killi area of Quetta in an incident of target killing.

Ten more persons were killed while six others were injured in the ongoing spat of violence in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh on June 4, reports Daily Times. Police officials claimed four MQM workers were among the dead while all the six injured also belonged to the MQM. The most-affected areas included Pan Mandi, Kharadar, Kamil Gali, Kaghazai Bazaar, Risala, Garden, Dhobi Ghat, Chippa Gali, Soldier Bazaar and Chakiwara, where five people, including the four MQM workers, were killed and five other party workers were wounded.

At least two people, belonging to Punjab, were shot dead in a suspected ethnic killing in Mand town of Balochistan on June 4, reports Daily Times. According to Balochistan Levies official Amman Baloch the victims were coming from Iran and were on their way from Mand to Karachi in a coach when unidentified armed men riding a motorcycle intercepted the coach. They took the two persons out of the coach and shot them dead. “It is a case of target killing but it has been con-firmed they belonged to the Punjab province,” the official said.

Separately, a man was killed and another seven, including three security personnel, were injured in a remote-controlled blast in Bismillah Chowk in Panjgur District.

Armed militants shot dead an activist of the MOC of MQM, identified as Raees Ahmed, at Dar-ul-Uloom Road, Korangi within the precincts of Awami Colony Police Station on June 6. Tension engulfed Korangi and Landhi in the aftermath.

Separately, one Waqar Ahmed alias Khurram (30), was shot dead near his home situated in Federal B Area, within the jurisdiction of Jauharabad Police Station.

In another incident, a man’s body, identified as that of Mohammad Yaseen (26), was recovered from a gunny bag aban-doned near Bait-ul-Mukarram Mosque, Gulshan-e-lqbal, within Aziz Bhatti Police remit.

Elsewhere, pillion riders threw a hand grenade near KMC Workshop, Nishtar Road within Eidgah Police limits. Police officials said the grenade did not go off and no casualty was caused.

Meanwhile, the Sindh Rangers on the night between June 6 and June 7 arrested scores of suspects during multiple targeted operations in Karachi, including included Chakiwarda, Jadgal Chowk, Dhobi Ghat, and Kashti Chowk, recovering firearms and ammunition, reports The News.

A Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MOM) activist was killed in Karachi on June 10, reports Daily Times. Unidentified assailants opened fire and killed, Sohail Hussain, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement activist, at Nishtar Basti in PIB Colony near Old Subzi Mandi in Karachi. Soon, tension engulfed Hassan Square, Old Sabzi Mandi, University Road, Nishtar Basti, Jail Road and its surrounding areas. A heavy aerial firing was opened in different areas in which six people were injured. Angry people staged protests again killing and they set ablaze a rickshaw and jeep near Nishtar Basti.

Three people, including the brother of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM’s) ex-Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA). were killed in separate acts of violence in Karachi on June 12, reported Daily Times. Two armed militants shot at two brothers of Syed Shakir Ali, former MQM MPA. Both victims were traders and armed assailants came to Shershah scrap market near Jehanabad Police check-post and killed one brother. identified as Syed Qarar Ali (60). and injured another brother Syed Zakir Ali (42).

Separately, a man, identified as Abdul Waheed (25), was shot dead within the limits of Korangi Police Station while he was going home.

Elsewhere, the dead body of Kachchi Rabita Council (KRC) activist, identified as Moosa Sanghar, was found in a gunny bag near Kharadar Jama’at Khana. Sanghar was abducted on the night of June 11, 2012.

At least 10 more people, including four activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), were killed in separate incidents of target killing, and one person was abducted in Karachi on June 18, reports Daily Times. Three bullet-riddled dead bodies of MQM’s activists were recovered from an abandoned car at Mirza Adam Khan Road with-in the limits of Chakiwara Police Station. The victims were identified as Hassan Raza (35), ljtiba Khan (40) and Atif Usmani (40). All of three them left their homes two days ago to dine with a friend Mubeen at Bakra Hotel, Kharadar before being abducted. The whereabouts of Mubeen could not be ascertained. SSP South Asif Ejaz Sheikh said that a Police party had cordoned off the area for Mubeen’s recovery.

Unidentified armed militants on June 18 shot dead famous Pashtu singer Ghazala Javed along with her father in Peshawar, reports Daily Times. According to reports, Ghazala along with her father was on her way home in Dabgari area when some unidentified armed militants opened indiscriminate fire on her vehicle. As a result, both father and daughter were killed on the spot.

The Vice Principal Mir Nazir Marri of a Government school, Killi Sheikhan High School, was shot dead while he was on his way to the school on Arbab Karam Raod on June 19, reports Daily Times. According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Qazi Wahid, Marri was also a social activist and relative of Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, the Marri tribe chief. No group claimed responsibility for the killing.

A senior cadre of SSP, Imran alias Bata was shot dead while he was standing at a bus stop in Godhra Colony in New Karachi on June 25. He was shot multiple times. Police officials said that his killing was a sequel of the current sectarian violence.

On the same day bodies of two People’s Amn Committee (PAC) cadres were found from Swat Colony and 24-ki-market of Baldia Town in Karachi. The victims were identified as Naveed Hanif (36) and Ghulam Nabi (24). The vic-tims, residents of Lyari, were abducted while on their way to Winder of Balochistan. Police sus-pected that deceased were killed by the Arshad Pappu group. One of their companions was missing till filing of this report.

Miscellaneous
At least 10 militants were killed when Security Forces (SFs) fighter jets pounded various suspected militant hideouts in Mamozai, Jandarkhel and Samaa Bazaar areas of Orakzai Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on May 28, reports Dawn. The bombardment left three suspected militant hideouts completely destroyed.

Separately, two separate US drone attacks killed at least nine militants near Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency. The first, in the early hours of the morning, targeted a militant compound in Hassokhel town, 25 kilo-metres (16 miles) east of Miranshah, killing at least five militants. The second attack targeted a militant vehicle in Datta Khel town, 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of Miranshah, killing four militants.

Elsewhere, three Shias were killed and another six injured when unidentified militants ambushed a Peshawar-bound bus in Charkhel village of Parachinar in Kurram Agency. “Gunmen attacked a passenger bus carrying Shias with hand grenades and firearms, killing three and wounding six others,” a local administration official said on condition of anonymity. The dead were identified as Abid Hussain (driver), Iftikhar Hussain and Spine Ali.

Fourteen militants were killed in air forces’ jet planes-shelling in Mamozai area of the Orakzai Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on May 29, reports Daily Times. Three hideouts of the terrorists were completely destroyed in the action. Separately, Security Forces (SFs) killed seven militants and injured four others in air strikes conducted by the air forces’ jets in Dwa Toai area of Jamrud tehsil (revenue unit) in Khyber Agency.

More than 30 militants were killed in clashes with Security Forces (SFs) in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), on June 2, reports Daily Times. Source said that the SFs launched a massive crackdown in Tirah Valley. Four hideouts and compounds of militants were also destroyed.

US drone attack killed 10 militants in the Birmal area of South Waziristan Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), on June 3, reports Daily Times. Sources said that the drone fired four missiles at a suspected militant hideout in the Birmal area.

Separately, the Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) militants killed two men and a woman in Qambar Khel area of Bara tehsil (revenue unit) in Khyber Agency after accusing them of being involved in illicit affair. A spokesman for the LI, Abu Rasheed Lashkari, told reporters by phone that its activists had caught the three people “red handed” in Qambar Khel area and they had been punished “in accordance with the Shariat”.

Security Forces (SFs) and a tribal lashkar repulsed a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan attack on a check post in Upper Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) from Afghan Province of Kunar, killing six attackers and injuring many, official sources said in the night of June 14, reports Dawn. According to sources, the militants, who had taken shelter in Kunar Province after the military operation in the Malakand division, attacked the Bin Darra check post in Brawal area with rockets and heavy weapons. The SFs and lashkar volunteers countered the attack and inflicted casualties on attackers. This was the first attack in 2012 after the army’s deployment in the border areas of Upper Dir. However, TTP (Swat) denied that militants had suffered any casualty.

At least 13 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants were killed and several others injured when helicopter gunships bombed their positions in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on June 20, reports Dawn. According to security sources, the helicopters destroyed five TTP hideouts in Dwa Thoe and a local militant ‘commander’ was among those killed.

Two people belonging to a pro-government peace force were injured on June 20 in a landmine blast in the Mondrani Pat area of Sui in Dera Bugti District, reports Daily Times. According to sources, unidentified armed militants had attacked a camp of the peace force with sophisticated weapons in the morning. However, no one was injured in the attack. The pace force men were chasing the attackers when they were hit by a land-mine explosion in Mondrani Pat. As a result of the explosion, two of them following the assailants were injured. No outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.

Two Levies personnel, identified as Muhammad Naseer and Muhammad Yousaf were killed and another, Nizamuddin, was injured when four armed motorcyclists attacked a security checkpost in Naag area of Washiq District on June 22, reports Daily Times. The attackers also took away official arms and wireless sets.

PAKISTAN
JUI-F Chief extends political and moral support to the Afghan Taliban

Jama’at-Ulema-Islam-FazI (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on May 28 that his party extended political and moral sup-port to the Afghan Taliban because they had launched a jihad (holy war) against the United States (US) forces in Afghanistan, reports Dawn. He said the Taliban were justified in launching a war against the foreign forces because their objective is to liberate their homeland. He said JUI-F would never allow the reopen-ing of NATO supplies routes and asked the Government to take a decision in light of recommendations of Parliament on the issue. He said it would be a shame for the nation if Pakistan reopened NATO supplies just to get dollars at the cost of national interest.

Sindh approves new force to protect VVIPs
Sindh Government on May 29 approved proposed funding for Special Security Unit (SSU) in forth-coming annual budget 2012-13, which will be spent on procurement of arms, ammunition, arms accessories, vehicles and other equipment’s, reports Daily Times. The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah at the CM’s House. Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that during present situation, it was imperative to protect the lives and properties of the people, and for the purpose all out efforts should be made to com-bat the situation.

Assistant Inspector General of Police (SSU) Mushtaq Ahmad Memon in his detailed briefing informed that SSU is responsible for security of VVIPs and VIPs, and keeping in the increasing threats in current wave of terrorism, lack of communication and coordination, initially untrained /unscreened personnel were deployed for the VVIPs duty from various units. He said that the SSU was established on 27th July 2010 on the directives of President of Pakistan, with strength of 1435 personal drawn from various units of Sindh Police and the salary package was equal to the Islamabad Police (i.e. mini-mum of Rs 12000 as risk allowance) Maqsood Memon further said that for establishment of SSU, improved selection criteria of personal, provision of modern arms and ammunition, vehicles and other gadgets and VVIP projection training of related personnel that the esteemed cost of project with-out taxes is PKR 250 million, while estimated prices of mentioned articles (cost including duties and taxes) is PKR 750 million.

World should realise Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism, says China
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on May 29 called upon the international community to realise sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the war on terror and the role it played against terrorists and for peace in the region, reports Daily Times. Jiechi, who arrived in Islamabad on a two-day visit to hold talks with Pakistani civil and military leaderships on regional peace, security and bilateral ties, was addressing a joint press conference along with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. The Chinese Foreign Minister said that Pakistan was playing a positive role for peace and stability in the region, adding that it also played an important role in fighting terrorists. “The world should realise its role and the sacrifices it made in the war on terror.”

Doctor Shakeel Afridi is jailed for helping militant outfit LI and not the CIA, reveals a court document quoting a Pakistani Official
Doctor Shakeel Afridi, who helped the United States (US) find slain al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, was imprisoned because of his close ties to the terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-lslam (LI) and not for his links to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), said a Pakistani officials according to a court document, reports Daily Times. The judgement document was made available to the media on May 30. It is unclear why Pakistani officials first said Afridi was jailed over his links to the CIA. The Government may have wanted to show a largely anti-American public that Pakistan will not tolerate any cooperation with the US spy agency, especially at a time of troubled relations with Washington. While the document said there was evidence that Afridi “has been shown acting with other foreign Intelligence Agencies”, it noted the court in Khyber Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) had no jurisdiction to act on that. But the court recommended that the evidence may be produced before an appropriate court for further proceedings The Doctor’s lawyer, Samiullah Afridi, after reading the verdict said, “These charges against him are very different from the ones we were told earlier. Meanwhile, the US said that it sought clarification from Pakistan on the issue of Doctor Afridi’s sentence, reports The News. State Department’s spokesman Mark Toner said that US sought clarity on the ‘new reason’ being given by Pakistan for sentencing Doctor Afridi. According to the court document, Doctor Shakeel Afridi who helped the US track down Osama bin Laden was jailed last week not for working with the CIA, but for ties to militants. The judgment says the doctor met with commanders of the militant outfit LI, giving them medical treatment and financial help.

US Special Operations soldiers sent to a training site in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
The United States (US) on May 30 sent a handful of military trainers back into Pakistan in a sign the two nations may be able to achieve some low-level cooperation against militants despite a tring of confrontations that have left Washington’s relations with Islamabad in crisis, reports Dawn. Fewer than 10 US Special Operations soldiers have been sent to a training site near the border city of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where they will instruct trainers from Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC) in counter-insurgency warfare, a US official said. The number of American military instructors in Pakistan dropped to zero after US aircraft killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on November 26, 2011.

“I wouldn’t call this a watershed moment (but) it’s not insignificant that this is happening,” the US official said on condition of anonymity. The picture is less encouraging on cooperation between US and Pakistani intelligence, which sever-al American officials said remained dire as Pakistan’s officials resist easing restrictions on issuing visas to US intelligence personnel. “At a strategic level, the relationship is still at a very rough place,” the official said, adding, “There’s a lot more we want to do to improve it, but (the trainers’ return) is an important sign that at least in some areas we’re getting a healthy sense of normalcy.”

Four militants, including one key ‘commander’ and financer of TTP, surrenders in FATA
Ilyas Shinwari, a wanted militant ‘commander’ and key financer of the Abdullah Aizam Brigade of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, sur-rendered to political administration in Khyber Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on May 31, reports Central Asia Online. Shinwari was wanted in connection with attacks on Security Forces (SFs) and other terrorist activities, Assistant Political Agent, Landikotal, Khalid Mumtaz Kundi said. Shinwari abdcuted high-pro-file people and government officials and would use the ransoms to fund the militancy, he said. “I wanted to live the rest of my life in peace that’s why I had opted to surrender,” Shinwari said.

Further, three militants surrendered in Bajaur Agency and pledged to help the agency administration promote peace, an official said. “Three Taliban militants … are under the custody of the political administration and would be set free within three days,” Bajaur Political Agent Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah said. A local jirga persuaded the Taliban members to join peace-making efforts, Shah said.

Six persons killed in Balochistan
At least six persons, including four Shias and a policeman, were killed and another Policeman injured when a group of unidentified assailants attacked a welding shop on Essa Khan Road in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan on June 3, reports Daily Times. Sources said unidentified assailants, riding a motorcycle, opened fire on the shop, killing five people, including a passer-by. “Four of the victims belong to the Shia community and it could be the case of sectarian targeted killing,” Police said. “They [attackers] entered a welding shop when workers were having their lunch and killed five people,” Senior Police Officer Jahangir Shah said, adding that the dead included four members of the Shia Hazara community and a passer-by. The deceased were identified as Haji Abdul Nabi, his son Muhammad Hassan, Muhammad Tariq, Abdul Manan and Naqeebullah, the passer-by.

Further, the assailants were escaping after killing the five people when a Police patrolling team spot-ted the assailants and opened fire at them. Two policemen were injured in the ensuing shootout and one of them succumbed to injuries. Sources said that two attackers were also injured but they escaped in a rickshaw.

Abducted peace volunteer found slaughtered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
A peace volunteer, who was kidnapped on May 19, was found slaughtered in Matani area on the outskirts of Peshawar, the provin-cial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on June 4, reports Dawn. Sherbaz, a member of Bazidkhel Qaumi Lashkar (com-munity militia), was abducted along with another friend on May 19 when he was on way to his home in Ghaziabad locality of Matani. Police said that the body of the peace volunteer was found on a pavement. Ghulam, another worker of the peace body, had also been kidnapped along with him. He was also slaughtered and his body was thrown in Matani area few days ago. “A chit written in Pashto language was found with the body. The chit says that those supporting anti-Taliban forces and volunteers will face the same fate,” sources said adding that names of few other people were also mentioned in the chit.

Meanwhile, six persons, including three US nationals, were detained at the Peshawar Motorway toll plaza after Police dis-covered a large cache of illegal arms from their vehicles. According to Police sources, the “suspicious cars” were stopped for a routine check at the Peshawar Motorway toll plaza when the weapons were discovered. Police sources said that the weapons included 4 M4 assault rifles with 36 magazines and 4 pistols with 30 magazines. US Consul General Mary Richard also reached the Police Station where the Americans were, detained for questioning, urging officials to seize weapons but not to detain the foreigners.

Government negotiating with exiled Baloch leaders, says Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on June 4 asserted that the Federal Government was currently negotiating with the exiled Baloch leaders to help resolve the crisis in the province and to ensure stability and prosperity in Balochistan, reports The News. Addressing an official gath-ering at the Command and Staff College, Quetta, the Prime Minister maintained that nations thrived in the presence of demo-cratic institutions, before adding that all the key state institutions should work within their respective jurisdictions and domains for the good of the people. “Parliament, executive, and judiciary, all have to work well within their given domains for the people’s will,” he said. Prime Minister Gilani said the country had faced long periods of non-democratic rule, and one look at the balance sheet of Pakistan’s political history showed that by providing constitutional, political and economic security, democratically elected Governments had stood the test of time.

US confirms death of al Qaeda second-in-com-mand Abu Yahya al-Libi in drone strike
The United States (US) on June 5 said that al Qaeda number two Abu Yahya al-Libi was killed in a drone attack at Hisokhel, east of Miranshah, the headquarter of North Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on June 4, reports Dawn. Our government has been able to confirm al-Libi’s death,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney, ending a prolonged US tussle with a man who once escaped from a US jail in Afghanistan, and had defied previous attempts to kill him. “It is significant,” another US official said, saying Libi headed al Qaeda operations in Pakistan and had out-reached to affiliates such as Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which has attacked US targets.

News of the killing of Libi fol-lowed reports detailing the scope of the US campaign against global terrorism, including revelations that President Barack Obama per-sonally presides over a “kill list” of top suspects.

Karachi violence kills 740 people in 2012, says HRCP report
At least 740 people have been slain in targeted killings between January 1 and May 31, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on June 6 reports Central Asia Online. Zohra Yusuf, chairwoman of the HRCP, said 107 political activists were among the dead. In 2011, 1,715 people were killed in violent incidents in the city. If the January-May pace holds, this year’s total will be higher, about 1,750. Zohra said people were being killed with impunity while the government seemed to have little control over the situation.

22 persons including four Policemen killed in separate incidents in Balochistan
At least 18 persons, including 13 members of a militant outfit, were killed on June 8 in a fierce gun battle with Security Forces (SFs) in Chagai District, reported Dawn. “The leader of the gang, Mohammad Azam, was killed in the gunfight,” Chagai Deputy Commissioner, Doctor Tufail told the media, adding that the criminals killed in the fierce gunfight were wanted in several heinous crimes. Soon after the incident, Levies and armed tribesmen started pursuing the assailants and surrounded them in a mountainous area of Zarkan. The armed militants opened fire on the Levies personnel and tribesmen, who returned fire, killing 13 militants of the group. Five tribesmen were also killed in the gunbattle which Continued for several hours during which the assailants used heavy weapons, including rockets and RPG. However, Levies personnel remained unhurt in the encounter.

“The gang has been active in Chagai and other Districts of Balochistan for 20 years,” Doctor Tufail said, adding that it was wanted in a number of cases of murder, looting, attacks on Government and security officials and abduction-for-ransom. A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including heavy machineguns, RPG, rockets, rocket-launchers and other automatic weapons, loaded in two vehicles were seized. A senior Levies officer said one Sardar Ali Mardan had an old enmity with the gang over the killing of a brother of the gang leader sometime ago by people of the Mohammad Hasni tribe.

Militants’ pressure discourages conflict reporting, says report
Ongoing conflicts in different areas of the country are not being properly reported in media due to pressure and threats of different pressure groups and there is a dire need to address this sensitive issue, noted the participants of a roundtable discussion on June 9, according to Daily Times. The roundtable discussion with editors and reporters from print media, and representatives of civil society organisations on “Reporting Conflict” was organised by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF).

The ongoing situation in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is very critical and conflict reporting in these areas has become very difficult, as the reporters there have to face threats and pressures from different sides including military, militants, local administration and political groups. In Balochistan even journalists were asked by the Balochistan High Court not to publish the statements of militant organizations. Local media somehow covers the local issues of conflict areas however, they are often neglected by the mainstream national media.

Due to the sensitive natures of the ongoing conflicts, more and more news editors are opting not to publish even the reports based on real facts due to immense pressure of stakeholders, mainly the law enforcing agencies and militant out-fits. Because of this pressure and threats, many correspondents request their editors not to carry their byline, or change the dateline of their news so as to ensure their safety and security.

Supreme Court disqualifies Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
The Supreme Court (SC) on June 19 disqualified Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, in what was the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year-long clash between judiciary and executive, reports Daily Times. The SC said a bench of seven judges through its judgement dated April, 26, 2012, followed by the detailed reasons released on May 8, 2012, had found Yousuf Raza Gilani guilty of contempt of court under Article 204(2) of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, read with Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 and sentenced him to undergo imprisonment until the rising of the court under Section 5 of the said ordinance, and since no appeal was filed against the judgement, the conviction has attained finality.

“Therefore, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has become disqualified from being a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in terms of Article 63(1) (g) of the constitution on and from the date and time of pronouncement of the judgement of this court dated 26.04.2012 with all consequences, that is, he has also ceased to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan with effect from the said date and the office of the Prime Minister shall be deemed to be vacant accordingly.”

21 persons killed in cross-border attack in Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The Afghanistan-based Pakistan militants attacked a military convoy on June 24 in Upper Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in the killing of at least 21 persons, including 11 militants and 10 soldiers, reports Daily Times. According to reports, militants attacked a military convoy in Upper Dir, killing at least 10 military personnel, while several others were left missing. The sources further said that the Security Forces (SFs) retaliated to attack and killed 11 terrorists.

Meanwhile, the Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik expressed his grievances to Afghanistan over the Afghan militant attack on Pakistani security personnel in Upper Dir area, reports Dawn. Malik contacted the Afghan Interior Minister to submit his complaint over the incident and blamed Afghan authorities for not preventing the cross border movement of militants into Pakistan.

TTP attack television office in Karachi
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants on motorcycles opened fire at the offices of local news channel Aaj TV in Karachi on June 25, injuring two persons, including a security guard, reports Dawn. The TTP claimed responsibility for the shooting, and threatened attacks against other television channels that did not feature the Taliban point of view. “We had informed the management of Aaj TV to include our view on issues, but the channel had become a mouthpiece of the government,” Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesman for the TTP said. “Geo TV is going to be our next target if they do not change their behaviour towards us. They have been using very bad language against the Mujahideen.”

Prime Minister (PM) Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has ordered for pro-vision of security to all TV channels.

REGIONAL
Bangladesh —Internal Dynamics
20 powerful explosives recovered in Sylhet District
The Police in a drive recovered 20 powerful explosives including 10 detonators from the Court area in the Sylhet town of Sylhet District on May 27, reports The New Age. Acting on a tip-off, a team of the Police conducted a drive on the southern side of Collectorate Mosque in the area and recovered 10 powerful plastic explosives and 10 detonators, a device for detonating explosives, 44 in an abandoned condition.

One regional leader of PBCP arrested with arms in Pabna District
The Police arrested a regional leader of the outlawed Purba Bangla Communist Party (PBCP) Lal Pataka faction with firearms and ammunitions from Baoyikula village in Atghoria upazila of Pabna District on May 30, reports The Daily Star. The arrestee was identified as Ashkar Ali (32) son of Dinu Mohammed of the village. The Police recovered a foreign made revolver and 6 rounds of bullets from his possession.

HT gears up activity in S-W Districts, says the law enforcement agencies
The law enforcement agencies said the Hizb-ut Towhid (HT) is trying to reorganise in the south-west-ern Districts after the death of their leader Bayezid Khan Panni, reports The Daily Star. They carry out secret operations in the name of “dawat” (religious discussion) in different parts of the districts and dis-tribute books on jihad and leaflets among the locals. According to law enforcement agencies, at least 12,000 members of the organisation are active in Khulna, Bagerhat, Kushtia, Jhenidah, Meherpur, Khulna and Chuadanga Districts.

Although the organisation is not officially banned, the !aw enforcers from May 6-23 arrested 32 HT cadres, including six female activists, raiding different areas of these districts. Most of the arrestees are madrasa students. unemployed youths belonging to poor families and imams of mosques. The Police also seized books on jihad (Islamic uprising), leaflets and posters from their possession. All the seized books were written by Bayezid Khan Panni, founder of the Islamist organisation.

The Police arrested two members of banned outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) at Phulbari village in Nachole Upazila of Chapainawabganj District on May 31, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are identi-fied as Shakib Rahman (32) and Mainul Islam (35). Local people caught them while the two were dis-tributing leaflets and books of the outfit among the villagers and handed over them to the Police.

Two HT cadres arrested in Chapainawabganj District
Police arrested two cadres of Islamist outfit Hizb-ut Tawhid (HT) at Pathanpara Moholla in the Chapainawabganj District on June 3 while they were distributing books and leaflets on jihad, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are identi-fied as Zahidul Islam (29) and Abdul Gaffar (22). The Police also seized books and leaflets on jihad (Islamic uprising) from their possession.

NE militants still active in Bangladesh camps, say security officials
Though the Government of Bangladesh has launched a crack-down against militants of North East (NE) using the territory of the country as safe haven, the recent arrests of militants by personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) proved that the militants still have a number of camps and bases in the neigh-bouring country, reports The Assam Tribune. Highly placed security sources told that the militant groups, particularly the groups of Manipur, still have camps in the Moulvi Bazar area, while, a number of other out-fits including the hardline faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom are maintaining camps in the jungles in the Bangladesh-Myanmar border areas. Sources said that the militant groups of North East also have some camps in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) area.

Three PBCP cadres arrested from Rajbari and Meherpur Districts
The Police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested three members of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) LaI Pataka faction and recovered firearms from them in Rajbari District and Meherpur District on June 4, reports The Daily Star. In Rajbari District, the Police raided Rail Gate area and arrested Chandan Kumar Biswas with a pis-tol and two bullets. In Meherpur District, RAB in Gangni sub-District raided Muhammadpur village. The team arrested Ruhul Amin and Ratan Ali and recovered a shutter gun from their possession.

Two cadres of HT arrested in Bogra District
Two suspected members of banned Islamist outfit Hizbut Tawhid (HT) were arrested at Nijbalail Bazar in Sarishakandi sub-District of Bogra District on June 6, reports The Independent. The arrestees are identified as Md Ataullah (35) and Rakibul Islam (25). The Police said they were held while distributing leaflets of their organization in the area.

HuT leader’s house attacked, 11 injured in Pirojpur District
Villagers of South Sohagdal under Nesarabad sub-District in Pirojpur District ransacked the house of a suspected leader of the banned Islamist outfit Hijb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) on June 11, reports, The Independent. The victim was identified as Saidul Islam and a total of 11 persons including women and children were injured in the attack. Villagers told that Saidul Islam and his brother tried to involve the locals in the HuT activists for a long time. On June 11, some villagers asked them not to do that work and a quarrel and a hand to hand fight occurred among Saidul and villagers on the issue. Later excited villagers attacked the house and broke it.

Seven HuT cadres arrested in Dhaka
Seven alleged cadres of the banned outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) were arrested in separate drives by Rapid Action Battalion-2 (RAB-2) in Dhaka”s Mohammadpur, Hazaribagh and Dhanmondi areas in the last two days, reports The Daily Star. A team of RAB-2 con-ducted a drive at Mohammadia Housing Ltd in Mohammadpur on June 23 and arrested three HuT cadres. The team conducted two more drives at Jhigatala in Hazaribagh and Dhanmondi on June 24 and arrested four more cadres of the banned outfit. The RAB-2 personnel also recovered a number of books on Jihad, leaflets, a laptop, four personal computers and eight mobile sets from the possession of the arrestees.

India —Internal Dynamics
Civilian shot dead in a clash between Naga militant outfits in Nagaland

Nagalan’d Post reports that fresh clash erupted between cadres of National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang and NSCN-Khole-Kitovi at Zunheboto town claiming the life of a civilian and leaving two others injured on May 29. Police informed that the firing incident took place at around 5 pm at South Point colony and lasted for about an hour. According to an eye witness, the clash erupted when armed cadres of NSCN-K fired on a house where NSCN-Khole-Kitovi cadres were reportedly taking shelter and in the ensuing retaliatory firing, the casualty occurred. According to Zunheboto Police, the deceased has been identified as Toky (20) while the injured have been identified as Kunoto and Ghonito (40). Meanwhile, NSCN-Khole-Kitovi said it was “out-rightly dismayed” over the “surprise ambush” carried out by “unruly” NSCN (K) cadres.

Chhattisgarh Government bans PLFI and TPC for Naxal activities

Chhattisgarh Government has banned for a year the two break-away faction of the Communist Party of India-Maoist the Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI) and Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), for their alleged involvement in Naxal activities, sources said on May 29, reports punjabnewsline.com quoting PTI. The State Government under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Safety Act, 2005 has banned these organisations through a notification from immediate effect for a year, they said. According to sources, the State Home Department has said that if any office-bearers of these organisations want to go into appeal against the ban, they can do so before the Advisory Board of the Chhattisgarh High Court in Bilaspur on June 12 by remaining present in person.

Two ZUF cadres killed in encounter in Manipur

The Sangai Express reports that two cadres of the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) were reportedly killed while another sustained injury following a heavy gunfight with rival National Socialist Council of Nagaland-lsak-Muivah cadres at a jungle in between two villages in Nungba area of Tamenglong District in the morning of May 30. The two cadres of ZUF killed in the battle were identified by villagers of the nearby villages as Diluanthai (21) of Taosang vil-lage and Pellimon of Khoupum village, both under Khoupum Police station, Tamenglong District. A Police source con-firmed that there was heavy exchange of fire between armed cadres of ZUF and NSCN-IM, but there has been no official confirmation of the total casualty, though it has been learnt through sources that ZUF cadres suffered casualty.

Policeman killed in militant attack in Meghalaya
The Shillong Times reports that a Police constable was killed and three others were injured in an attack by a group of militants near Gasuapara in South Garo Hills border in the night of May 29, Police informed on May 30. While Constable Pearson Sangma was killed in the firing, three other Policemen, identified as Gopal Rai, Jopline Kharkongor and Dilip Marak sustained injuries. A Police official said that the four police constables who were patrolling on foot were fired upon from a hillock by a group of militants at around 11:40 pm. Police are yet to ascer-tain which militant group was involved in the attack.

There is presence of both Garo National Liberation Army and United Liberation Front of Asom in the bordering areas of Gasuapara where the incident took place. Police have denied rumours that the constables were attacked in a case of mistaken identity by another group of armed constables on duty.

Sub-Inspector of Police arrested for diverting ammunition in Nagaland

Nagaland Post reports that in connection with the case of diverting ammunition belonging to Nagaland Police department and subsequent recovery on April 20 in and around Sukhovi area, Special branch, Dimapur on May 30 arrested an Armed Branch Sub-Inspector (ABSI) identified as Sashitsungba, who is currently under suspension. A Denmark made medium machine gun (MMG) with three magazines was recovered from him. Sashitsungba was planning to sell the machine gun for INR 700,000.

On April 20, Assam Rifles and Dimapur Police seized huge cache of Nagaland Police ammu-nitions while it was in the process of being supplied reportedly to an underground group. Following the incident, three Police officers including senior Superintendant of Police (SP) Wokha S. Sejongmong Sangtam was placed under suspension.

Ranvir Sena chief shot dead in Bihar
The Hindu reports that Ranvir Sena Chief Brahmeshwar Singh was shot dead by unidentified gun-men in Bhojpur District early on June 1 morning, Police said. Singh was on a morning walk when he was accosted by gunmen who pumped several bullets into him, killing him on the spot at Katira Mohalla under Nawada Police Station, they said. Singh alias Mukhiyaji, who was earlier facing life imprisonment in various carnage cases, was acquitted and released from jail in April this year.

Chief of Ranvir Sena, a private militia of upper caste landlords, is allegedly responsible for perpetrating several killings including Laxmanpur Bathe massacre of 61 Dalits way back in December 1996. His hand was also suspected in carnages that took place in the districts of Jehanabad, Aurangabad and Nawada in 1990s.

Cache of arms and explosives recovered in West Bengal
Security Forces (SFs) recovered a cache of arms and explosive from Bagjhapa village in Kolaboni area in Jhargram sub-division in West Midnapore District on May 31, reports Zee News. Acting on a tip off, the Forces raided the village, and dug out from a field 17 landmines, 12 detonators, 33 kilogrammes explosives, 9 socket bombs, two pistols and 30 live cartridges, suspected to be hidden by the Communist Party of India-Maoist.

Three persons injured in bomb blast in Manipur
Kanglaonline reports that two Manipur Rifles (MR) personnel and a civilian were left injured in a grenade explosion at around 6:30 pm at the residence of the Manipur Development Society Director identified as Yambem Ningthem under Heingang Police Station on June 3. The three injured have been identified as Waikhom Dhanchandra, SK Rocky Lamkang and Thongam Dinesh.

Meanwhile, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detected near the residential gate of Andro Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Thounoujam Shyamkumar at 1:15 pm on June 2.The IED was found fitted along with a Nokia Handset at the Moirang Purel residence of the Trinamool MLA by the locals. The IED was safely diffused later.

Maoists kill Salwa Judum leader in Chhattisgarh
The Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres killed Chika Mazi, a Salwa Judum (an anti-Maoist vigilante group) leader outside his house at Gangapur village in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on June 5, reports Daily Pioneer. Mazi was taking a walk outside his house located near a crowded market when some armed Maoists fired at him, killing him on the spot, Additional Superintendent of Police BPS Rajbhanu said. “Mazi had actively participated in Salwa Judum movement in Naxal strong-hold of Bastar and had built a good rapport with the villagers,” Rajbhanu said.

Naxalites attack Security Forces at two places in Gadchiroli in Maharashtra

Two different teams of Security Forces (SFs) carrying out anti-Naxalite [Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)] operations in jungles were ambushed in Gadchiroli in intervening night of June 5 and 6, reports The Times of India. SFs have sustained no casualty, but in one instance forces have claimed of injuring a few Naxalites in encounter.

CRPF trooper and two Maoists killed in an encounter in Bihar
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper of the 159th battalion and two Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres were killed and nine Security Force (SF) personnel injured in an encounter between the SFs and armed Maoists in Balthar forests in Gaya District of Bihar on June 10, reports Outlook India. The encounter took place between the SFs and the armed Maoists after the CRPF’s Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) troopers, Special Task Force (STF) and Gaya District Police launched a joint combing operation in Balthar forests following a tip-off, Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Headquarters, Ravindra Kumar said. The armed Maoists opened fire and triggered several land mine blasts to stop the advancing SFs, who retaliated, triggering the gunbattle.

15 civilians abducted in Assam
Suspected Karbi Peoples’ Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants on June 10 abducted fifteen civilians working with P Das & Company, at the site of Longlit hydropower project under Manja Police Station in Karbi Anglong District, reports The Sentinel.

CPI-Maoist has established at least seven arms manufacturing units, reveals Maoist top leader
Daily Pioneer reports that the Communist Party of India-Maoist top leader Sadanala Ramakrishna alias RK, arrested in Kolkata on February 29, revealed on June 10 that the CPI-Maoist has established at least seven arms manufacturing units including in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Karnataka and West Bengal. The Maoists had formed Central Technical Committee (CTC) in 2001 which is a seven-member body headed by Ramakrishna and works directly under the control of Central Military Commission (CMC) of the CPI-Maoist. Production of weapons on large-scale is undertaken by it on sub-contract basis to a number of lathe works companies. The pro-duction units working under the CTC were named in code words like S1 for Andhra Pradesh State Committee, S2 for North Telangana Special Zonal Committee, S3 for Dandkaranya Special Zonal Committee, S4 Bihar, S5 for Karnataka, S6 for West Bengal and S7 for Maharashtra.

NNC accuses NSCN-IM of killing Nagas
Naga National Council (NNC) has accused Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah of killing Nagas in large number on the excuse of one thing or the other, reports Sangai Express on June 9.An NNC press communiqué issued by one victor said, “They (NSCN) killed at first in the name of Naga sovereignty and then they killed, tortured and taxed without the concrete stand in the names of greater Nagalim, Special Relationship with India, Naga Integration, 31 point Charter of demand, Supra State (Christmas gift), Alternative Arrangement with-in Manipur State, boycott of Manipur ADC election and whole-hearted involvement in Manipur State Assembly election 2012 by killing and torturing the Southern Naga public without any true colour like chameleon. Then what will be the next? And what will be the next wicked action against the innocent Naga public? Nobody knows”. NNC said that NSCN-IM had killed over 3000 Nagas on the pretext of Naga sovereignty.

Monthly Fatalities : The following deaths, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism, occurred during the period May 26 to June 25, 2012:
	Civilian	Indian Security Personnel	Militant	Total
Assam	12	03	09	24
Manipur	03	00	09	06
Meghalaya	00	00	04	04
Nagaland	02	00	02	04
Tripura	02	00	02	04
Left-wing	11	03	13	27
Total	30	06	36	72

New militant group floated in Meghalaya
The Shillong Times reports that a new outfit, Hynniewtrep People’s Liberation Front (HPLF), has reportedly been floated in Khasi-Jaintia Hills Districts. Sources informed that the HPLF has been formed by certain sur-rendered Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council members. Sources also informed that the outfit is being led by Joplang Lyngdoh as the ‘chairman’, Thrang Marwein as ‘general secretary’ and DL Sawkmie as ‘infor-mation secretary’. Sources also alleged that the group is recruiting new members from all over Khasi and Jaintia Hills Districts. Presently, the group boasts of strength of about 25 to 30 members. According to sources, the group is in possession of various weapons including one AK-56 rifle, over ten .9mm pistols, five revolvers (.38 caliber), hand grenades and others.

Maoists kill civilian and a Police constable in Chhattisgarh
The Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres killed a civilian in Sukrpa district of Chhattisgarh in the night of June 23, reports new-strackindia quoting IANS. Local Police say that roughly 20 Maoists stormed into the house of Marvijoga, a tribal civilian in Arlampalli village on Saturday night and took him away in a nearby forested area where they beat him to death on charges of spying for Police and revealing vital information about activities of local Maoists.

Meanwhile, Maoists hacked to death a newly recruited Police con-stable in Manpur area in Rajnandgaon District in western parts of the state, Police said.

Nepal — Internal Dynamics
President yet to take decision on fresh election of Constitution Assembly

President Ram Baran Yadav is yet to take his decision on the Government announcement to con-duct fresh election of the Constituent Assembly, following the unexpected demise of the Constitution Assembly (CA), reports Nepal News. President is set to consult with legal experts before taking the decision.

Meanwhile, Unified Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has described the Government’s decision to hold fresh election of the Constituent Assembly as “constitutional and democratic step taken out of compulsion, which is in line with the Supreme Court’s verdict-. He has also urged the parties to be ready for national consensus Government.

Unidentified assailants shot dead Supreme Court Judge in Nepal
Unidentified assailants shot and killed a Supreme Court judge, Rana Bahadur Barn, as he headed to work at Lalitpur District of Kathmandu, on May 31, reports New York Times. The judge had been accused of taking bribes from suspects in 2010 in exchange for light sentences. The Judiciary Council was investigating him. The bodyguard and a passenger accompanying the judge in the car were also wounded in the attack. Meanwhile, Dawn quoting Kathmandu Police spokesperson Rabi Raj Shrestha said that a previously unknown group calling itself the Nepal Vad Party leaflet was found at the the scene of crime.

Bomb blast near Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun programme
An improvised explosive device (IED) went off near Anada Higher Secondary School in Jalbire of Sindhupal chowk District, where Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun was attending a programme organized by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal- Moist on June 2. No one was hurt. The reason and the intention of blast have not been confirmed yet.

Meanwhile, the Government on May 31 formed a probe committee under the coordination of Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Kuber Singh Rana to inquire the murder case (May 31) of Supreme Court Justice Rana Bahadur Bam, reports Himalayan Times. All the courts across the country have remained closed on June 3, as a symbolic protest against the murder of Supreme Court’s justice Rana Bahadur Barri, reports Nepal News.

Former CA members demand reinstatement of the dissolved assembly.
A group of nine former Constituent Assembly (CA) members of the Nepali Congress (NC), who have been demanding rein-statement of the dissolved assembly, called on President Ram Baran Yadav and briefed him about their demand on June 4, reports Nepal News. They insisted that reinstatement of the CA would be a welcome move.• However, President. Yadav said broad understanding among the parties is necessary in the current situation and that he was ready to move ahead as per political consensus. Some 61 former-CA members have demanded reinstatement of the CA.

Meanwhile, the Broader Madhesi Front (BMF) on June 4 asked President Ram Baran Yadav to oust Prime Minister so as to give an outlet to the current political stalemate. A delegation of eight smaller parties associated with the Front, which is led by Upendra Yadav, called on President Yaday. It also demanded a roundtable conference for reaching consensus among the parties.

Opposition leaders warn of stern movement to remove Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai
Opposition parties including Nepali Congress (NC) and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) have warned of a stern protest movement to remove Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, accusing the Government of moving ahead in unilateral and unconstitutional way, as reported on June 8, by Nepal News. NC President Sushi! Koirala accused Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist of showing despotic manners by taking unilateral decisions_ CPN-UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal said the aspirations of Nepali people to draft new constitution were shattered due to the ambition of the UCPN-M to impose autocratic rule. He said election cannot be held In the current scenario.

NA defuses socket bomb in Parsa District
Inseconline.org reports that a team of Nepal Army (NA) has defused a bomb placed on Main road in Birgunj in Parsa District in the afternoon of June 9. The bomb was placed in front of the New Chandrika Trading, near the Indian Consular Office.

Separately, Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist cadres assaulted a constable, Shiva Pariyar, of Armed Police Force in Gorkha Municipality-3 on June 10. Nepal News reports. According to Pariyar, he was beaten when he tried to stop the vehicle carrying UCPN-M cadres who were heading towards Masel VDC for a meet. Police had recovered 39 sets of iron rods from the bus. Police said that about 50 UCPN-M cadres were on board led by former CA member Amar Tamu and member of Tamuwan State Committee Lekh Bahadur Thapa.

Terai based insurgent leader shot dead in Raxaul in Bihar
Nepal News reports that a local leader of Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM)-Bhagat Singh group, a Terai-based underground armed outfit, was shot dead by unidentified persons in Raxaul in Bihar, bordering Birgunj District of Nepal on June 18. The deceased has been identified as Mohit Yadav of Sukhipatara VDC in Parsa District. According to Police, two bike-borne assailants shot at him near Mansamai Temple of Raxual. Yadav was on his way to his room on a motorcycle with central treasurer of the party, Birendra Yadav, as a pillion rider. According to the Police, the assailants had used a bike bearing Nepali number pate and the police has started search for them.

Sri Lanka —Internal Dynamics
North of country is not a predominantly Tamil area: Defence Secretary

Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has said it is not appropriate to view the North of the country as a predominantly Tamil area, reports Daily Mirror. “If you are a Sri Lankan citizen you must be able to go and buy the proper-ties from anywhere. I’m not talking about the forced settlements, I’m talking about the freedom for a Sri Lankan to live anywhere in this country,” stated Rajapaksa.

Meanwhile, Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe said that military was gradually reducing its presence in Jaffna and are being replaced by the Police since civil administration had been established in Jaffna.

Boy killed in bomb blast in Jaffna
A 15 year old boy was killed in a bomb blast in the Nainathivu islands of Jaffna District on June 4, reports Colombo Page. According to Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), the bomb is called Arul bomb’, which was manufactured by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Police are conducting further investigations into the incident. In another incident, a school boy was injured due to a blast believed to have occurred from anti personnel mine on the Chalai-Chundikulam lagoon in Mulathivu on June 2.

Meanwhile, on June 1, a group of 36 asylum seekers that included 28 Tamils returned to Sri Lanka on a special charter flight from London after the British Government rejected their asylum requests. The ground for rejection is not known. However, Britain court granted a last-minute reprieve to 40 other asylum seekers who were to be deported by the British Government after the court has heard testimony from their lawyers raising concerns that deportees will be tortured when they reach Sri Lanka.

Government demands release of vital UN report on the war

The Government is demanding the release of a vital UN report on the war, mentioned in the UN Secretary General’s Panel of Experts (PoE) report on accounta-bility issues in Sri Lanka, as the number of deaths due to war con-tained in the document runs counter to claim that over 40,000 people perished in the final stages of the war from January to May 2009, reports The Island. The vital UN report had placed the number of people killed due to fighting between August 2008 and May 13, 2009 at 7,721 including the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam combatants. The UN estimated the number of wounded persons at 18,479. The UNSG’s panel has made specific reference to what it calls the United Nations Country Team, which carried out the survey in the Wanni region during the war, but it has stopped short of revealing the contents thereof in detail. Though, the UN has made available all findings of its Country Team to the PoE it has not made it public.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan-born Channel 4 TV channel, journalist Shirani Sabaratnam and her husband, also a Director London based Channel-4 TV station, Stuart Cosgrove, who managed to enter Sri Lanka on June 3 despite being blacklisted, were detained and deported back to UK, reports Daily Mirror. Shirani Sabaratnam was detained on her arrival and deported the same day on June 3. However, her Husband Stuart Cosgrave was detained and deported on June 5. Shirani Sabaratnam, alleged to be a former LTTE member, had arrived with her British husband from Britain via Dubai. Authorities believe that the husband and wife were visiting Sri Lanka to do another documentary critical of the Government. They are reportedly playing a major role in Diaspora activities against Sri Lanka.

Military presence further reduced in Northern Province

Sri Lanka military on June 6 said that it had further reduced the number of military personnel deployed in the former war zone of Jaffna Peninsula in the Northern Province, reports Colombo Page. “The number of troops in the Jaffna Peninsula, at present has been further reduced to around 15,000, a reduction of over 60 percent troops deployed at the beginning of the humanitarian operation,” said Military Spokesperson Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya.

Sri Lankan Minister cancels function due to LTTE protest threats in Tamil Nadu

Sri Lankan minister Reginald Cooray had to cancel his participation in a function on June 7 and leave due to a planned protest by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam supporters in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, reports Colombo Page. The Police had reportedly received information on the planned protest by the supporters in the city and advised the Minister to leave the city. Unaware of the Minister’s departure, around 50 LTTE supporters staged the protest shouting slogans in front of the hotel where the Minister was staying. The Police arrested all the activists.

Former LTTE militant involved in Canadian murder case, says the Police

The murderers of Andrew Mahendrarajah Anthonipillai, a Canadian of Sri Lankan origin, who was killed at Kaagncheepuram lane, near Paranthan junction, on May 3, have been arrested, reports The Island. Police have arrested five persons, including a former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam militant, identified as A. Akilan (member of military wing) for their alleged involvement in the killing. All five were produced before the Kilinochchi Magistrate’s Court on May 24 and remanded pending further inquiries. A. Akilan had under-gone rehabilitation in Vavuniya town (Vavuniya District) in Northern Province at the conclusion of conflict in May, 2009. Having interrogated the suspects. the Police recovered a laptop. iron bars, an axe and a hand phone.

Swiss prosecutors to question 25 senior ranks LTTE members in money Laundering case

According to a Colombo Page report, Swiss prosecutors have planned to interview the head of finance of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who is imprisoned in Netherland. They have also planned to question some 25 senior ranks LTTE members some of whom are currently imprisoned in Sri Lanka. They are investigating into suspected money laundering by 12 members of the Swiss LTTE to the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. The prosecutor office suspects that the Tamils used fake pay slips of Sri Lankans resident in Switzerland to obtain loans ‘of $7,000 – $104,000. Once obtained, the cash was couriered to Sri Lanka where it was laundered locally and eventually used to finance the purchase of weapons during the civil war, the prosecutor believes. The investigations in Sri Lanka come after the Swiss Prosecutor’s Office made an official request to Sri Lankan authorities in 2011, which was granted. The names of the LTTE members and date of arrest is unknown.

Sri Lanka experiences the largest year-on-year improvement in Global Peace Index

According to the 2012 Global Peace Index (GPI) released on June 12, Sri Lanka has achieved great improvement in the GPI. Sri Lanka’s GPI score experienced the largest year-on-year improvement of the 158 nations surveyed and it climbed 27 places to 103rd position overall and 17th in the Asia Pacific region ahead of India (142) and Pakistan (149), reports Colombo Page. The GPI indicator of the number of deaths from organised (internal) conflict fell sharply in response to the fact that there were no casualties in 2010, compared with 15,565 in 2009. There were related declines in the homicide rate, the frequency of terrorist acts and the Political Terror Scale. The level of internal conflict nevertheless remains “moderate”, reflecting signs of intermittent violence and reports of continued abductions and disappearances. Military expenditure has declined in 2011 as a proportion of GDP amid pressures to cut the country’s deficit but the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) predicts a possible rise in defence spending in 2012, justified by secu-rity officials to repay loans on military hardware acquired to fight the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

INTERNATIONAL

UN backs probe into US drone civilian casualties in Pakistan

The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on June 7 called for a UN investigation into US drone strikes in Pakistan, questioning their legality and saying they kill innocent civilians, reports Daily Times. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay made the remarks at the end of a four-day visit to Pakistan. “Drone attacks do raise serious questions about compliance with international law,” Pillay told a news conference in Islamabad. “The principle of distinction and proportionality and ensuring accountability for any failure to comply with international law is also difficult when drone attacks are con-ducted outside the military chain of command and beyond effective and transparent mechanisms of civilian or military control,” she said. She said the attacks violate human rights. “I see the indiscriminate killings and injuries of civilians in any circumstances as human rights violations.” The UN human rights chief provided no statistics but called for an investigation into civilian casualties, which she said were difficult to track. “Because these attacks are indiscriminate it is very, very difficult to track the numbers of people who have been killed,” she said. “I suggested to the government that they invite the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Summary or Arbitrary Executions and he will be able to investigate some of the incidents.”

13 killed in suicide attack on Yemen rebels

A suicide attacker on Friday, May 25 drove his bomb-laden vehicle into a post held by Shiite Zaidi rebels in north Yemen, killing 13 people, including three children, a tribal chief and wit-nesses said. Thirteen people were “killed in a suicide attack using a bomb-laden car that stormed a post held by Huthis (Zaidis) in Al-Jawf” province, the tribal chief said. Among those killed were four passersby, a woman and three children, he said. Witnesses confirmed that a car stormed a school in the town of Hazm in Al-Jawf, which the rebels have turned into a base. Since late last year, sectarian clashes between the rebels and Sunni Salafists trying to take over towns in the north have left dozens killed. An explosion near a government administration complex held by the rebels in Al-Jawf killed two people in August. Yemen’s mountainous northern region is a stronghold of the Zaidis, also known as Huthis, who from 2004 fought six wars with central government forces before signing a truce in February 2010. The rebellion has claimed thou-sands of lives.—AFP

Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria are released

A group of Lebanese Shiites who were kidnapped in Syria were released in good health on May 25, three days after Syrian rebels abducted the men as they returned from a religious pilgrimage, officials said. The kidnappings fueled fears that Lebanon is getting drawn into the bloody conflict in neighboring Syria. In the hours after Tuesday’s abductions, protests erupted in Beirut’s Shiite-dominated southern suburbs, where residents burned tires and blocked roads.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati confirmed the men were released, saying they were “in good health and on their way to Beirut.” The pilgrims were believed to have been returning from a pilgrimage to holy sites in Iran when they were abducted. The hostages were believed to be 11 Lebanese and one Syrian driver. Lebanese and Syrian officials have blamed Syrian rebels for the kidnappings. Sunnis form the backbone of the Syrian revolt, which has unleashed seething sectarian tensions. Syrian President Bashar Assad and the country’s ruling elite belong to the tiny Alawite sect, which is an offshoot of Shiism.

25 children among 90 killed in Houla’
Syrian regime forces have “mas-sacred” more than 90 people, including 25 children, in the town of Houla, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on May26. Deadly shelling on Friday contin-ued late into the night, the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. “Many people are fleeing Taldau village in Houla,” the Observatory said, adding that residents feared new attacks on the town, in the central province of Horns. Regime forces pounded the edges of Houla on Friday, Abdel Rahman said, adding that this caused residents of the town’s out-skirts to flee towards the centre.

Amateur videos posted on You-Tube showed horrifying images of children lying dead on the floor, with some of their corpses badly mangled. At least one child had part of his head blown off. The Britain-based watchdog condemned the Arab and international communities, describing them as “complicit with the Syrian regime in the Houla massacre.” The international community was “silent in the face of the mas-sacres committed by the Syrian regime,” it said. Earlier, the opposition Syrian National Council urged the UN Security Council to act after regime forces “massacred” what it said was more than 110 people in Houla.

Britain warns of all-out civil war in Syria
Britain warned on May 29 that failure by the two sides in Syria to implement UN envoy Kofi Annan’s peace plan could lead to “all-out civil war and collapse” in the violence-torn country. “It is not as if the alter-natives in Syria are the Annan plan or the Assad regime retaking control of the country,” Hague said after talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

“The alternatives are the Annan plan or ever increasing chaos in Syria and the descent closer and closer to all-out civil war and col-lapse.” Hague said he urged Russia to put more pressure on the government of its Soviet-era ally to keep to the terms of Annan’s six-point proposal. “It is urgent to make every effort to start the political process and to encourage — of course, we must all encourage — the Assad regime to implement the plan they have not yet implemented. —AP

US denies parachuting troops in N Korea
On May 20 the US military vehe-mently denied a media report that , special forces had been parachuted into North Korea on intelligence-gathering missions, saying a source had been misquoted. Current affairs magazine The Diplomat quoted Brigadier General Neil Tolley, commander of Special Forces in South Korea, as saying soldiers from the US and South Korea had been dropped across the border for “special recon-naissance” missions. But Colonel Jona than Withington, public affairs officer for US Forces Korea, said some reporting of the conference had taken Tolley “completely out of con-text”. “Quotes have been made up and attributed to him,” he said, denying that any US or South Korean forces had parachuted into the North.

“Though special reconnaissance is a core special operations force(SOF) mission, at no time have SOF forces been sent to the north to conduct special reconnaissance,” he said in a statement. The Diplomat quoted Tolley as saying that the North had built thousands of tunnels since the 1950-53 Korean War. “The entire tunnel infrastructure is hidden from our satellites,” the magazine reported him as saying at a press conference in Florida last week.—AP

German abducted in north Nigeria killed
A German engineer kidnapped in northern Nigeria about five months ago and presumed held by al-Qaida-aligned terrorists has been killed during a failed rescue attempt, officials said on May 31. Meanwhile, authorities said that an Italian national had been abducted on May 28 in Kwara state, part of an increasing number of abductions targeting expatriates working in Nigeria’s Muslim northern and central regions.

Kano state police commissioner Philemon Ibrahim Leha said the oper-ation to free Edgar Fritz Raupach happened in the early hours of Thursday in the state capital of Kano, but did not immediately provide further details. A military official told The Associated Press that five people, including a woman, were killed in the operation to free Raupach. It was unclear whether Raupach was killed before or during the rescue operation. In Berlin, a Foreign Ministry spokes-woman said the ministry could not currently confirm that the hostage was killed, and that the ministry’s crisis unit and the German Embassy in Abuja were working to clarify the situation. She spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department rules. Gunmen kidnapped Raup ach in January from Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city, where he worked for Dantata & Sawoe Construction.

16 dead in Baghdad bombings
A spate of bombings in Baghdad on May 31 killed at least 16 people and wounded dozens more, shattering a relative calm with the capital’s deadliest violence in weeks. Roadside bombs and explosives-packed cars detonated across a half-dozen neigh-bourhoods in the north, south and west of Baghdad, underlining persistent security concerns even as international energy companies met in the centre of the capital to bid on nation-wide oil and gas exploration blocks.

Overall, 16 people were killed and at least 56 others wounded in the attacks, according to an interior ministry official and two medical sources. Thursday’s deadliest attack took place in the north Baghdad neighbourhood of Shuala, where a car bomb killed at least 13 people and wounded 32 others, medical officials said.

A police first lieutenant in Shuala said the car was driven by a suicide attacker. The explosion badly damaged nearby shops, and windows in several adjacent buildings were shattered, an AFP journalist at the scene said. Dozens of people in the area were crying and emergency responders were still at the scene more than an hour after the attack.

Separate bombings also struck Al-Amriyah, Ghazaliyah and Yarmuk in west Baghdad, and Dora and Saidiyah in the south of the capital, all Thursday morning. A series of roadside bombs in Al-Amriyah killed two people and wounded at least seven, officials said, while a car bomb near the home of an official in Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s office killed one passerby.

The latter attack in Yarmuk left the official unharmed. Thursday’s violence was the worst to hit Baghdad since April 19, when attacks in and around the capital killed 17 and wounded 106, unrest claimed by Al-Qaeda’s front group in Iraq. And in north Iraq on Thursday, a policeman was killed in a firefight with smugglers near the Iraq-Syria border, the interior ministry said in a statement on its website.

The bombings came on the same day foreign firms congregated in central Baghdad for an auction of energy exploration blocks, a sale that had been hoped to boost Iraq’s role as a key global supplier of oil and gas, but which ended with just three of 12 blocks awarded.—AFP.

Hundreds in Cairo protest over Mubarak conviction
Hundreds of demonstrators were occupying Cairo’s Tahrir Square on June 3 in a protest against sentences handed down the day before to former president Hosni Mubarak and his security chiefs. Some of the demonstrators had slept in tents or out in the open overnight in the iconic square, epicentre of an anti-regime revolt that ousted Mubarak in 2011 after three decades of autocratic rule.

Around 20,000 people had taken to the vast intersection on Saturday after a judge sentenced Mubarak, 84, and his interior minister Habib al-Adly to life for their role in the deaths of more than 800 pro-testers during last year’s revolt, but acquitted six security chiefs on the same charges.

Corruption charges against Mubarak’s sons, Alaa and Gamal, were dropped because of the expiry of a statute of limitations, and the ousted leader was acquitted in one of the graft cases. A senior member of Mubarak’s defence team told AFP the former president would appeal. Mubarak, the only autocrat toppled in the Arab Spring to be put on trial in person, could have been sent to the gallows as demanded by the prosecution. Both the toppled dicta-tor’s defence team and lawyers rep-resenting his victims said the verdict could easily be appealed.

The verdicts prompted outrage inside and outside the courtroom, with protesters staging rallies in Cairo, Alexandria and other Egyptian cities.

Khamenei: West talks of nuclear Iran to hide own problems
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on June 6 accused the United States and its allies of lying about the threat of a nuclear Iran to cover up their own economic problems, state television reported. In a fiery address marking the 23rd anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, Khamenei also warned Israel against any attack on Iran, saying it would receive a “thunderous blow”.

Khamenei – who has total command over Iran’s nuclear policy -has publicly forbidden the development of nuclear weapons, but Western nations suspect that
Tehran is developing in isolation each of the components required for an atomic bomb capability. “What Americans and Westerners do is idiotic. They magnify the nuclear issue to cover up their own problems,” Khamenei said, refer-ring to the economic gloom in the U.S. and Europe.

“They are deceitfully using the term nuclear weapons,” he added. Iran’s supreme leader said Israeli talk of military strikes showed it felt vulnerable after the fall of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a U.S. and Western ally, last year. “If they take any miscalculated action, they will receive a thunderous blow.”

Earlier a senior military commander said Iranian missiles could reach all parts of Israel and threatened U.S. bases in the region if Iran was attacked. Away from what is common-place fierce rhetoric by Iranian officials, Iran held negotiations with world powers in Baghdad on May 23-24 in an attempt to reach agreement over concerns about its nuclear program.—AP.

UN investigator Christof Heyns urges Obama administration to justify policy of assassinating rather than capturing al Qaeda or Taliban suspects
A United Nations (UN) investigator, Christof Heyns, on June 19 called on the US President Barak Obama administration to justify its policy of assassinating rather than capturing al Qaeda or Taliban suspects, increasingly with the use of unmanned drone aircraft that also take civilian lives, reports Daily Times. Heyns, UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in a report issued overnight to the United • Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), urged Washington to clarify the basis under international law of the policy. The US military has conducted drone attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, in addition to conventional raids and air strikes, according to Heyns. “Disclosure of these killings is critical to ensure accountability, justice and repara-tion for victims or their families,” he said in a 28-page report.

“While these attacks are directed at individuals believed to be leaders or active members of al Qaeda or Taliban, in the context of armed conflict (example in Afghanistan), in other instances, civilians have allegedly also perished in the attacks in regions where it is unclear whether there was an armed conflict or not (example in Pakistan),” he said. Human rights law requires that every effort be made to arrest a suspect, in line with the “principles of necessity and proportionality on the use of force”, the investigator said.

Citing figures from the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, he said US drone strikes killed at least 957 people in Pakistan in 2010 alone. Thousands have been killed in 300 drone strikes there since 2004, 20 percent of whom are believed to be civilians. “Although figures vary widely with regard to drone attack estimates, all studies concur on one important point – there has been a dramatic increase in their use over the past three years,” Heyns said.

NJ Muslims file federal suit to stop NYPD spying
One of the Obama administration’s go-to civil rights groups in its efforts to build relationships with American Muslims is suing the New York Police Department over its surveillance programs, some of which were paid for with federal money. Eight Muslims filed a federal lawsuit on June 6 in New Jersey to force the NYPD to end its surveillance and other intelligence-gathering practices targeting Muslims in the years after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The lawsuit alleged that the NYPD’s activities were unconstitutional because they focused on people’s religion, national origin and race.

It is the first lawsuit to directly challenge the NYPD’s surveillance programs that targeted entire Muslim neighborhoods, chronicling the daily life of where people ate, prayed and got their hair cut. The surveillance was the subject of series of stories by The Associated Press that revealed the NYPD intelligence division infiltrated dozens of mosques and Muslim student groups and investigated hundreds. The Muslims suing the NYPD are represented by Muslim Advocates, a California-based civil rights group that meets regularly with members of the Obama administration.

One of the lawsuit’s plaintiffs stopped attending one New Jersey mosque after learning it was listed in an NYPD file. The mosque, like and dozens of others along the East Coast and listed in NYPD files, was not linked to terrorism either publicly or in the confidential police documents. Syed Farhaj Hassan, a specialist in the U.S. Army Reserves, said he worried that if his name, or the name of one of his mosques, turned up in a police intelligence dossier, it could jeopardize his military security clearance or job prospects.

“Guilt by association is a career stopper, it’s a show stopper, it’s an ender,” he said.

China denies missile shipment to N Korea
China said on Wednesday, June 13 its companies were not involved in shipping missile launch vehicles to North Korea last year, denying a Japanese news-paper report that accused it of breaking UN resolutions. The Asahi Shimbun report — based on Japanese government sources — is the most strident of recent claims that China has been involved in helping to arm its way-ward ally Pyongyang. “China has been strictly implementing relevant Security Council resolutions and its own laws and regulations on non-proliferation export control,” foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said in response to a question on the report. “Chinese companies did not export items that are banned by relevant Security Council resolutions or Chinese laws and regulations.”

Asked whether China may have exported the vehicles through companies from third countries, Liu refused to comment further. The sale of weapons systems to nuclear-armed North Korea is banned under resolutions passed by the UN Security Council, of which China is a veto-wielding permanent member. The Asahi report said a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. — affiliated to the Chinese military — last August exported four trucks capable of transporting and launching ballistic missiles to North Korea. The vehicles were probably those on show at a huge military display in Pyongyang in April marking the centenary of the birth of the state’s founder Kim II-sung, the report said.

Two Palestinians killed by Israeli driver
Two Palestinians were shot dead by an Israeli truck driver after they tried to steal his vehicle in the south Hebron Hills on Sunday (June 17) morning, Israeli police said.
Palestinian officials confirmed the two deaths but had no information about the circumstances of the shooting which took place at the Shani junction near Al-Samua, in the southernmost part of the West Bank.

Israel police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the incident occurred after the two men tried to attack the truck driver. “Two Palestinians where shot when an Israeli truck driver opened fire at two or three attackers who tried to steal his vehicle,” he told AFP.

“Before he opened fire, the driver was seriously wounded by his attackers who hit him on the head. The hospital has since informed us that the two Palestinians were killed,” he added. Yatta Mayor Zaharan Abu Qbeita confirmed the two died after being hit by several bullets in the neck area, with the bodies taken to Yatta hospital.—AFP.

Anti-Al-Qaeda Yemen general killed in suicide attack
A suicide bomber on June 17 killed the army general spearheading a blistering offensive against Al-Qaeda in South Yemen, throwing himself on the officer’s vehicle as he blew himself up, officials said. President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi blamed Al-Qaeda for the attack and vowed to “cleanse the country from the evil of terrorists,” the official Saba news agency reported.

The attack on General Salem Ali Qoton came as Al-Qaeda fled its last bastion in Yemen’s restive southern and eastern provinces in the face of the military’s month-long withering assault aimed at destroying the jihadist network. Qoton, chief military commander in south Yemen, was attacked while on his way to his office in the port city of Aden, witnesses said.

According to a report on Yemen’s defence ministry website, a military official said the bomber, a “Somali national … threw himself on (Qoton’s)’ vehicle and then detonated his explosives,” as the general drove through Aden’s Mansura neighbourhood. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the explosion “killed the general and two of his aides.”

President Hadi said the bombing was carried out by “the defeated terrorist Al-Qaeda elements.” Hadi also vowed to “continue to cleanse the country from the evil of terrorists and maintain security and stability,” Saba reported.—AFP •

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.	*****