Terrorist Activities in Pakistan
Suicide Bombings
AtOn July 26, at least 48 persons were killed and 100 others were injured in a coordinated twin suicide attacks at Parachinar in the Kurram Agency, reports The News. Suicide bombers on motorcycles blew themselves up within a minute of each other outside an Imambargah in Parachinar bazaar. “One suicide bomber blew himself up first in one corner of the bazaar and a minute later the second bomber carried out the attack in another corner, causing widespread destruction,” an unnamed Government official said. Ansarul Mujahideen (AM), a sub-network of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. The spokesman of AM, Abu Baseer, saying that the Shia community members were the target, claimed, “We have planned more similar attacks against the Shia community in Pakistan to seek revenge of the brutalities of Shia on Sunni Muslims in Syria and Iraq.”
Thirty eight persons, including 21 Police officials, were killed and 40 others were injured in a suicide blast at a funeral in the Police Lines area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, on August 8, reports The News. The Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Operation, Fayyaz Ahmed Sumbal Superintendent of Police (SP), Headquarters, Mehrullah Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), in-charge, Shamsur Rehman SP Traffic Mohammad Anwer Khilji Inspector Shakeel Akbar and five personnel of the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) were among those killed. Majority of the injured personnel were from the Balochistan Constabulary, ATF, and Police. According to the sources, Inspector General (IG) Balochistan Mustahq Ahmed Shukera and Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Mir Zubair Mehmood were the prime targets of the suicide attack however, they remained safe as they arrived at the site a minute later. The bomber struck when the officers gathered to pay their respects to Station House Officer (SHO) of City Police Station, Mohibullah, who was shot dead by militants in the Killi Almo area of Quetta earlier in the day. The militants had opened indiscriminate fire on a Police van killing the SHO and injuring six others, reports Dawn.
Meanwhile, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed the responsibility for the killing of SHO Mohibullah and suicide attack on Police Lines, reports Daily Times. “We killed the station-house officer and then we targeted the funeral to kill the other officers,” TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said. Police said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.
Bomb Blasts
Two persons were killed and seven others were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack targeting a double-cabin pickup vehicle in the Kharpati area of Kurram Agency on July 26, reports The News. Meanwhile, a child was killed and four others were injured when a mortar shell exploded in the Kosar village of Khar tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur Agency on July 26, reports Dawn.
Three explosions took place in two different areas of Karachi city on August 6, reports Daily Times. The first two blasts happened within minutes of each other in the Defence area, while the third was in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The blasts in Defence took place on Khayaban-e-Muslim and Khayaban-e-Rahat. Superintendent of Police (SP), Clifton area, Sarfaraz Nawaz said that a young man who had parked a motorcycle near the site of the blast in Khayaban-e-Muslim was taken into custody.
A hand-grenade was lobbed into the house of a senator from Khyber Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Hayatabad area of Peshawar on August 6, reports The News. However, no explosion was reported in the incident. The Police said unidentified militants hurled a hand grenade at the house of Senator Haji Khan from Khyber Agency soon after Iftar. However, the attackers managed to escape.
Separately, there was no casualty in an explosion took place near a sweet shop in Darra Pezu bazaar of Lakki Marwat town (Lakki Marwat District) on August 6, reports The News.
Meanwhile, three bombs recovered from three different places at Miryan in Bannu District in the morning of August 7 (today), reports The News. Police said that one of the bombs was planted at a school, another at Sardar Yusuf Khan’s ‘Hujra’ (sitting room) and the third one beside a road. Bomb disposal squad has defused all three bombs safely, Police said.
A pro-al Qaeda ‘commander’ of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, identified as Ghulam Jan, his uncle, Juma Khan, and three of his close aides Mir Gul, Asmatullah and Kharote were killed in roadside bomb explosion targeting his vehicle in Birmal tehsil (revenue unit) in South Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on August 22, reports Dawn. Jan was believed to be harbouring foreign Uzbek, Tajik and Central Asian militants and was earlier in 2007 ousted from the area by the pro-government Mullah Nazir group. “He was anti-Government and well known for his support to foreigners,” an official said on condition of anonymity. Assistant Political Agent Shahid Ali Khan confirmed the killing of five persons in the blast.
Two people, including an army trooper, were killed, while at least 15 others, including 10 soldiers, were injured in a bomb attack targeting an army truck near Rangers Headquarters in the Korangi area of Korangi Town in Karachi District on August 22, reported Daily Times. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan reportedly claimed responsibility of the blast. Senior Police Official Irfan Bhutto said another bomb was found near the blast site attached to a pylon and a bomb disposal unit defused it.
Targeted Killings
At least seven Pakistan Coast Guards personnel were killed and as many sustained injuries in an attack by unidentified armed militants, in a checkpost located in Sundsar area of Gwadar District in Balochistan on July 27, reports Daily Times.
A worker of a private company, identified as Abdul Rehman (35), was shot dead near Guru Mandir Chowrangi, within the limits of Jamshed Quarters Police Station, in the Jamshed Town area of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh, on July 29, reports Daily Times.
In another incident, a man, identified as Abdul Sattar (40), was killed near Dua Hotel on Mauripur Road, within the limits of Kalri Police Station, in the Kiamari Town on July 29, reports Daily Times.
Separately, a Head Constable, identified as Zafar Iqbal, was shot dead at the Old Muzaffarabad Colony, within the limits of Landhi Police Station, in the Landhi Town on July 29, reports Daily Times.
Elsewhere, an arms dealer, identified as Tanvir Siddiqui (20), was shot dead by a rival group in Swat Colony, within remits of Baldia Police Station, in the Baldia Town on July 29.
In addition, two unidentified dead bodies were found within the remits of SITE-B Police Station in the Baldia Town on July 29, reports Daily Times. Police said that the victims were first abducted and later killed and dumped at an abandoned place.
Two suspected extortionists, identified as Qasim Ali (23) and Qadir alias Siraj (25), were shot dead by unidentified armed assailants near Khadda Chowk in the Gharibabad area of Malir Town in Karachi District on July 30, reports Daily Times. Malir City Police said that the Police suspected the involvement of the victims in extortions because they found a slip in the victim’s pocket on which some names and amount were written.
Separately, a man, identified as Abdul Lateef (22), was shot dead in the Bihar Colony area of Lyari Town on July 30, reports Daily Times. Police suspects Lyari gangster’s involvement in the killing.
In another incident, a man, identified as Ahmed Buksh, was shot dead within the vicinity of Napier Police Station in the Ghas Mandi area of Lyari Town on July 30, reports Daily Times.
Elsewhere, a cadre of the Sunni Tehreek (ST), identified as Rasheed Siraj, was shot dead and his friend Imran Shaukat was wounded when unidentified assailants shot at them within the remits of Bilal Colony Police Station in New Karachi Town on July 30, reports Daily Times.
In addition, two unidentified dead bodies were found within the vicinity of Malir Memon Goth Police Station in the Juma Goth area of Bin Qasim Town on July 30, reports Daily Times.
Another unidentified dead body was found near Dua Hotel situated on the Mauripur Road in Keamari Town on July 30, reports Daily Times. Police said that the victim was abducted before being tortured and killed.
Also, an unidentified dead body of a man was found near Mira Naka flyover in the Keamari Town on July 30, reports Daily Times.
At least three people were shot dead and six others injured in an incident of firing in Jodia Bazaar of Saddar Town in Karachi District on August 1, reported The News. Soon after the incident the market was shut down. According to Kharadar Station House Officer (SHO) Azam Khan, “criminals belonging to Sheraz Comrade and Amin Buledi group opened fire on the Joint Sector in-charge of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Shakeel Shako, who was seriously injured and later died at the hospital”. SHO Khan said while Shakeel was being taken to the hospital his accompaniments opened fire in the crowded market to make their way, resulting in deaths of two passersby, identified as Sohail Amin and one Afghan teenager, and injured six others. SHO Khan said the incident was “a skirmish between activists of the MQM and criminals belonging to the banned People’s Aman Committee (PAC)”.
Separately, an MQM activist, identified as Syed Farhan Kazmi (28) alias Antenna, was killed and his companion Hammad and a passerby named Mustafa were injured when unidentified assailants opened fire on them near Jauhar Chowrangi in Gulshan Town on August 1, reported The News.
In another incident, a head constable of the Sohrab Goth Police Station, identified as Qasim Zakir Hussain (35), was killed and two others, including Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Pervez and a Policeman, identified as Latif, were injured when two unidentified armed assailants intercepted a Police mobile and shot at them near the Akakhel service station in Faqira Goth area of Gadap Town on August 1, reports The News.
The Station House Officer (SHO) of Daudzai Police Station and his driver were killed when unidentified militants ambushed their vehicle on Aryana Road on the outskirts of Peshawar in the night of August 1, reports The Express Tribune. SHO Daudzai Amir Sultan was on a routine patrol on Aryana Road along with his driver Javed and guard Imranullah when militants ambushed their vehicle and sprayed it with bullets. Sultan and Javed were killed on the spot while Imranullah was seriously injured. Sultan is the second SHO to be assassinated in two months.
At least four Policemen, identified as Zulfiqar, Afza and Ghulam Shabbir and Sarwar, were shot dead by unidentified militants near a bridge located at Bagh-e-Korangi area in Shah Faisal Town of Karachi District. The Policemen were on routine snap checking procedure when they were attacked. Separately, the guard of Kharadar Police Station Chief, identified as Gul Khan (60), was shot dead during an exchange of fire near the paper market in Saddar Town on August 2.
At least eight passengers, who were abducted from a moving bus in the Mach area of Bolan District on August 5, were killed on August 6, reports The News. According to levies sources, the bodies of the passengers were found near mountains.
At least three passengers, including a 10 year old child, were killed and several others were wounded on August 5 when a bomb exploded in the Karachi-bound Shalimar Express that was coming from Lahore District in Punjab near Toba Tek Singh District, reports Daily Times. The Railways Minister Saad Rafique blamed the attack on the “extortion mafia”. He stated that the Shalimar Express operator had been receiving threatening telephone calls from extortionists. According to media reports unidentified militants had called the railways officials to demand PKR 50 million as extortion money. The extortionists had threatened to target trains if the extortion money was not paid. Security agencies started investigation and have traced the telephone number. The call was made from Afghanistan, officials said. However, there was no claim of responsibility for the blast.
At least 11 persons were killed and 26 others were injured when a bomb went off outside a packed football ground in the Lyari area of Karachi in the early morning of on August 7, reports The News. Prominent Lyari resident and Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Sania Naz claimed that blast occurred when footballers and the crowd were leaving ground after the Ramazan Football Tournament came to an end. The apparent target of the blast was Provincial Minister for Kutchi Abadis and Spatial Development Javed Nagori. He was also the chief guest at tournament and was reportedly injured in the blast. Explosives material had most probably been planted in a motorcycle. As a result of the blast, minister’s car was also destroyed, and the paving on which it was parked gave way as well.
Separately, three persons including two children were killed and another one injured in an explosion at Goth Pervaiz Domki near Jahan Bukhshpur area of Kashmore District on August 6, reports The News.
Elsewhere, Police shot dead an alleged target killer, identified as Zohaib Rehman, during encounter near Ghazi Kanta in the industrial area of Sohrab Goth on August 6, reports Daily Times. Rehman hailed from South Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
A woman and two children were killed and 21 others sustained injuries on August 7 when explosives planted inside a shopping centre in the Mastung town (Mastung District) of Balochistan exploded, reports Daily Times. According to Police, unidentified militants planted explosives at Owais Shopping Centre, which is famous for shopping among women and children.
Separately, a Balochi language singer, Kachkul Bhar, was shot dead in the Turbat area of Kech District on August 7, reports Daily Times. According to Police, unidentified assailants entered the house of Kachkul Bhar on Panjgur Road area and opened fire.
Further, unidentified assailants shot at a man, Abdul Wahab, in the Nawa Killi area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, on August 7, reports The News. Police said assailants entered the house of Abdul Wahab and opened fire on him.
Security Forces (SFs) on August 11 shot dead six militants in the Machh area of Bolan District, reports Daily Times. These militants were involved in the killing of 14 persons, including three security force personnel, on August 6.
Separately, two suspected militants were killed during a clash between Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and militants in the Ispalangi area of Mastung District on August 11, reports Daily Times. Weapons, detonators and mobile SIMs were recovered from the possession of the deceased militants.
Also, at least one person was killed and three others were injured when a vehicle struck a landmine at Dera Murad Jamali in Nasirabad District on August 11, reports Daily Times. Police said that a family was on its way to Chattar when their vehicle hit a landmine planted on the road.
Further, a tribal leader, Zara Khan, was killed while his two security guards sustained injuries in a roadside bomb blast in the Dera Bugti area of Dera Bugti District on August 11, reports The News.
A man was shot dead and about a dozen people, including Zahid Ladla, brother of Baba Ladla, who is a cadre of the People’s Aman Committee (PAC), were wounded during a clash between two rival groups of gangsters within the remits of Chakiwara Police Station in the Agra Taj Colony area of Lyari Town in Karachi District on August 12, reports Daily Times. Following the incident, tension engulfed various parts of Lyari, and all commercial activities remained suspended for the day.
Separately, two unidentified dead bodies packed in gunny bags were recovered from Pehlwan Goth area of Gulistan-e-Jauhar in the Gulshan Town on August 12, reports Dawn. According to details the two men were abducted on August 11, 2013. The victims were, identified as Ubaid and Sajjad, adds Daily Times.
In another incident, a person, identified as Amjad (23), was found dead within the limits of Kharadar Police Station near Abal Chowk in Lyari Town on August 12, reports Daily Times. Amjad went missing since August 10, 2013. Police suspects Lyari gangsters involvement in the killing.
Another unidentified dead body bearing torture marks was found in the Kharadar area of Lyari Town on August 12, repors Dawn.
Elsewhere, a dead body was recovered from the Naval Colony in the Baldia Town on August 12, reports Dawn.
Also, a dead body of a woman was found in the Baghdadi area of Lyari Town on August 12, reports Dawn.
In addition, an unidentified dead body was recovered from Gulshan-e-Zia area of Orangi Town on August 12, reports Dawn.
A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Qasim Ghauri, and an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of Police, Aslam, were killed while the Station House Officer (SHO) Haider Zaidi and two other constables were injured on August 15 during a six-hour-long operation to arrest a gang of extortionists in the Gulshan Town of Karachi District. The operation was carried out against gangster Zamin Shah Chandio, who was hiding in the settlements of Hussain Hazara Goth and Madho Goth near Safari Park in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of the Town. In retaliation the Police killed Zamin Chandio, along with his three accomplices Ilahi Bux Chachar, Ardillo and Sumbul Ahmed.
According to Police details, Chandio had refused to pay bribe to the Gulistan-e-Jauhar Police Station and allegedly assaulted its Police Constable, Waseem. When the injured constable returned, the Police team went to raid the gangster’s hideout. However, the gangsters opened fire at the Police team killing Police officers. In retaliatory firing the gangster along with his accomplices was shot dead.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Tahir Naveed, who was supervising the entire operation, criticised the Policemen occupying lower ranks in the Department. “Some black sheep of the Police Department were involved in giving permission to some criminals to run their illegal activities in the area,” he pointed out, adding that these Policemen had allowed gambling dens, land grabbing and extortions to take place under their patronage. “These same elements were involved in the Police encounter.”
Awami National Party (ANP) leader Najma Haneef Jadoon was shot dead by unidentified militants inside her house at Phase I in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar on August 16. Soon after the incident, police launched a search operation in the area and arrested some suspects. Her husband, ANP leader, Haneef Jadoon, was earlier killed in a suicide attack in the Swabi District on November 7, 2011.
Unidentified armed riders killed a former unit in charge of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), identified as Sadiq Rafiq, in Ali market of Karachi District on August 17, reports Daily Times. Police suspects that Lyari gangster group has involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, armed riders killed a man, identified as Mohammad Israr, within the jurisdiction of SITE-B Police Station in Karachi District on August 17, reports Daily Times.
Further, a suspected extortionist was killed in a firing by traders in Paper Market in Karachi District on August 17, reports Daily Times. Police stated that two extortionists had come to collect extortion money from a trader of plastic items, when another trader intercepted them and opened fire. The other extortionist, however, managed to escape.
In addition, a bullet ridden body of an unidentified young man was found near Banaras flyover in Karachi District on August 17, reports Daily Times. Police said that culprits first abducted and later killed.
An officer in Anti Narcotics Force (ANF), identified as Zahoor Ahmed Kiyani (46), belonging to the Ahmadiyya community, along with his neighbour, Noorul Wahid, were shot dead in Mujahid Colony within the jurisdiction of Orangi Town Police Station in Liaquatabad Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh, on August 21, reports Daily Times. Ahmadiyya community spokesperson Saleemuddin said that Kiyani had no enmity with anyone, and that he was killed on sectarian basis.
Separately, a man, identified as Yousuf (40), and a teenager, Ata-ur-Rehman, were killed, while a child, identified as Sajid (9), was wounded near Malik Agha Hotel at Super Highway within the limits of Sohrab Goth Police Station in Gadap Town on August 21, reports Daily Times. Initial investigation suggests that the militants belonging to the Wali-ur-Rehman group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan opened indiscriminate firing to create panic and fear in the area.
Two Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) activists, identified as Muhammad Naseem, Farman Aftab, were shot dead while they were having tea at Essa Hotel in Orangi Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh on August 23, reports The News. Naseem was the Party President in Union Council -11 Orangi Town.
Separately, a Shia doctor, identified as Doctor Ghazanfar Ali Zaidi was killed in a sectarian attack near Dak-khana (Post Office) in Shahrah-i-Altaf Barelvi area of Liaquatabad Town on August 22, reports Dawn. “Dr. Zaidi’s murder was a clear case of sectarianism,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Central Amir Farooqui.
Meanwhile, three dead bodies identified as that of Abdul Razzak, Mohammad Aslam, and Irfan Ali were found stuffed in gunny bags from Hub River Road within the limits of Mochko Police Station in Baldia Town on August 23.
At least 11 persons were killed in separate incidents in Karachi on August 24, reports Daily Times. A person, identified as Kamran (25), was killed while four others were injured during armed clashes between two rival groups in Lyari town.
Drone Strikes
Eight militants were killed when a United States (US) drone fired two missiles at a house in the Shawal valley of North Waziristan Agency on July 28, reports The News. Four of the slain militants were suspected to be foreign fighters.
Miscellaneous
Police arrested two alleged terrorists from the Al Saba Chowk area of Gilgit Town (Gilgit District) and recovered a bomb on July 26, reports Daily Times. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ali Zia claimed that the two suspected terrorists wanted to attack a mosque. During interrogation, they both confessed that they belonged to Gilgit and received ‘training’ in the South Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Security Forces killed at least six terrorists, during an attack by terrorists, at a check post Speen Tal area near in Hangu on July 26, reports Daily Times. According to Frontier Constabulary (FC), four FC officials were also injured in the attack.
In addition, terrorists attacked a check post of SFs in Matni area of Peshawar on July 26, reports Daily Times. A civilian was killed and four others sustained injuries when a mortar shell hit a house during the fight.
The residents of Hazara Town in Quetta killed a suspected suicide bomber on July 27, reports Dawn. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Quetta, Mir Zubair Mehmood, said that a suspected suicide bomber travelling on foot was killed by residents of Hazara Town while he was approaching a mosque. Mehmood said a suicide jacket and a hand grenade were recovered from his possession.
Separately, unidentified militants blew up a portion of railway tracks at Musa Colony on Sariab Road in Quetta, temporarily shutting down the railway-link between the Province and the rest of the country on July 28, reports Dawn. However, no casualty was reported.
Elsewhere, an official of the Quetta Afghan Consulate, Muhammad Hashim, was abducted from Satellite Town area of Quetta on July 25, reports Daily Times.
At least four Policemen were injured in a grenade attack by unidentified militants on a Police van in the Hashtnagri area under the jurisdiction of Yakatoot Police Station in Peshawar on July 28, reports Daily Times. According to Police, militants attacked the Police van near Superior Science College for Boys at Nishterabad Bridge.
Eight militants and two Security Force (SF) personnel were killed during clashes between militants and the SFs in the Darra Adamkhel area of Kohat District on July 30, reports Dawn. Military sources said that about 60 militants attacked a check post of the SFs at Sur Gar Range. The SFs retaliated and in the ensuing clashes eight militants and two SFs died, while the rest of the militants managed to escape.
Two unidentified militants shot dead a Police constable, identified as Muhammad Shah, who was guarding a polio vaccination team in the Killi Haiderzai area of Yaro tehsil (revenue unit) in Pishin District on July 30, reports Daily Times.
Four suspected militants were killed during an operation by Security Forces (SFs) in Bakra Peri area of Quetta on July 31, reports Dawn. Two personnel of the Anti Terrorists Force were also said to be injured during the operation. A Police official under the condition of anonymity said that SFs launched a massive pre-dawn operation in Bakra Peri area against suspected insurgents involved in a series of terrorism incidents. SFs also detained four members of the suspected militants’ family including a woman and two children during the operation that lasted over two hours, he said.
Separately, a Hindu trader was shot injured by unidentified assailants on Chakar Khan Road in Khuzdar Town (Khuzdar District), on July 231, reports Daily Times. Munawar Lal was standing near the road when armed motorcyclists opened fire on him and fled from the scene.
Further, unidentified assailants abducted Bolan Medical College Hospital Assistant Prof Dr. Muhammad Ahmed from Airport road in Quetta on July 31, reports Daily Times. Police sources said that the doctor was on his way when the armed men intercepted his vehicle at gunpoint and took him away to an undisclosed location.
Two Rangers personnel were injured when a blast hit their vehicle in Manghopir area of Karachi on July 31, reports The News. According to Superintendent Police (SP) Orangi Chaudhry Asad, the Rangers mobile was on regular patrol when it was targeted by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Manghopir area.
The Security Forces and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Police in a joint operation on August 3 arrested an operations commander of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, identified as Mufti Rehmat, and nine other suspected militants in Nowshera town (Nowshera District), reports The News.
The US on August 6 blacklisted Bahawal Khan, the new leader of Mullah Nazir Group, reports The News. The State Department announced that it had added Bahawal Khan’s name to its list of specially designated global terrorists. Bahawal Khan is reported to be aged 34 and an illiterate former bus driver. That step freezes any assets he may have in US jurisdictions and bars Americans from any transactions with him. The department said that Khan runs the Nazir Group, which has run training camps, dispatched suicide bombers, provided safe haven for al Qaeda fighters and conducted cross-border operations in Afghanistan since 2006.
Eight persons were killed and many others were injured on August 9 during the Eid ul Fitr prayers on Eastern bypass area of Quetta, reports Dawn. According to sources, the militants opened fire on former Provincial Minister, Ali Madad Jattak. While the Minister escaped unhurt, eight persons were killed.
Unidentified militants on August 11 beheaded a Policeman in the Jangal Khel area of Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and torched his motorcycle, reports The News. The sources said that the beheaded body of Suleman was found in Jangal Khel.
Meanwhile, Police shot dead a militant, identified as Muhammad Khan (20), a resident of Bannu, in the Matani area of Peshawar, reports Daily Times. Muhammad Khan, a resident of Bannu was reportedly coming from Kohat to Peshawar. When asked to stop at a checkpost, he opened fire at the Police officers. He was shot in the ensuing gunfight and he died on the spot. A pistol was recovered from his possession.
Balochistan Frontier Corps (FC) personals killed two suspected militants, during a search operation, in Dozan area of Bolan District on August 17, reports Daily Times. An FC spokesman said that patrolling teams were attacked while conducting a search operation in the mountains from where miscreants launched a rocket attack on the Rawalpindi-bound Jaffar Express on August 16.
At least one soldier was killed and two others were injured when two militants opened fire on a checkpoint of the Frontier Corps (FC) at Sariab Road in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, on August 18. FC forces retaliated, killing one of the militants. No outfit has claimed responsibility for the shooting so far.
Meanwhile, former Jama’at Ulema Islam (JUI) Senator, Ismail Buledi, escaped an assassination attempt in Turbat District on August 17. According to reports, the former Senator was going home from the local market when unidentified armed assailants fired upon his car. While he escaped unhurt in the incident, his nephew who was accompanying him was injured in the attack.
Unidentified assailants on August 18 killed a tribal elder, identified as Ajab Khan, at Damadola in the Mamoond tehsil (revenue unit) of Bajaur Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), reports Daily Times.
The Frontier Corps (FC) on August 20 arrested 10 suspects and seized a huge quantity of explosives, including remote control bombs and other material used in making explosives from godown in Satellite Town area of Quetta. Colonel Maqbool of the Commandant Ghaza band Scout, a wing of the FC, said they recovered over 100,000 kilograms of explosive material that included 2,800 kilograms of sulphur 15,000 kilograms aluminum powder and 80 drums of acid.
A clash between Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal-Jama’at (ASWJ) and members of Shia community killed 11 people in Kotla Jam area of Bhakkar District on August 23, reports Daily Times. According to initial reports, a clash between two rival groups resulted in a prolonged exchange of fire, which left at least six people dead and another six injured. However, the death toll increased, as five people, who had been injured in the clashes succumbed to their injuries. As per Police official Abdullah Khan, people were killed on both sides. The conflict started when one of the ASWJ cadres was shot dead by unidentified assailants while he was closing his shop during a rally in the area.
The Security Forces (SFs) seized 12 tonnes of explosives during a raid in the Shakas area of Jamrud tehsil (revenue unit) in the Khyber Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on August 25, reports The News. The explosives put on display near Shakas FC Fort included fuses, detonators, huge quantity of wire, remote controls, circuits, mines, batteries, potassium chloride and RPG bombs. Police said a person was also arrested during the raid.
PAKISTAN
247 inmates managed to escape as TTP militants storm Dera Ismail Khan Prison killing 11 persons
At least 11 persons, including five Policemen, four prisoners and two private security guards, were killed and nine others were injured when the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants, disguised as Policemen, stormed the Central Prison at Dera Ismail Khan (Dera Ismail Khan District) in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on July 29, reports Dawn. The militants carried out 25 explosions during the course of the attack. 247 inmates managed to escape during the attack. Later, curfew was imposed in the area as a search operation was launched to arrest the escaped prisoners.
TTP ‘spokesman’ Shahidullah Shahid claiming responsibility for the attack said that around 100 militants, including a number of suicide bombers, took part in the attack. He said the TTP has achieved its targets and their operation was successful.
According to details, the prison houses TTP militants and militants from other sectarian outfits. Intelligence reports suggest that there were at least 45 high profile militants in the jail but there is no official confirmation about the exact number. An intelligence official, on condition of anonymity, said that the militants were shouting ‘’God is great’’ and ‘’Long live the Taliban.’’
President Zardari asks asks US to prepare ‘Marshall Plan’ for Pakistan
President Asif Ali Zardari on August 1 called upon the international community, especially the United States (US), to step forward and prepare a ‘Marshall Plan’ for Pakistan for strategic economic stability and advancement of the country’s development agenda, reports Daily Times. The President said this during his one-on-one and delegation-level meetings with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the Presidency. The President said that the people of Pakistan have suffered greatly as a result of the ongoing fight against militancy and terrorism and there was need for the international community to give its people the peace dividend by way of massive economic assistance, energy development and greater market access. Spokesperson to the President, Senator Farhatullah Babar, while briefing about the meetings, said that Secretary Kerry congratulated the president on the peaceful and democratic transfer of civilian power in the country and appreciated his overseeing various phases of the smooth transition.
Meanwhile, the Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins will continue the dialogue with Pakistani leaders as Secretary of State John Kerry wraps up a key visit to the country, says the State Department on August 1, reports Dawn. A State Department spokesperson, Marie Harf, told a briefing that Ambassador Dobbins was already in the region for meeting Afghan and Pakistani leaders. Before joining Secretary Kerry in Islamabad, Ambassador Dobbins was in Kabul where he met Afghan President Hamid Karzai. His discussions in the region include “Afghanistan’s coming economic and political transitions, including the 2014 elections, as well as, of course, reconciliation and other topics of regional interest,” Ms Harf said.
US drone strikes targeting the TTP and al Qaeda could end very soon, remarks US Secretary of State John Kerry
United States (US) Secretary of State John Kerry while making a remark in an interview with Pakistan state television on August 1 suggested that US drone strikes targeting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan could end “very soon”, reports Daily Times. It is the first time that such a senior US official has indicated that there could be a definitive end to the programme, which the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has in the past called an effective counter-terrorism weapon.
When asked by the interviewer whether Islamabad could expect an end to the strikes, Kerry said replied, “I think the program will end as we have eliminated most of the threat and continue to eliminate it.” Asked if a timeline was envisaged for ending the strikes, Kerry said, “Well, I do. And I think the US President has a very real timeline and we hope it’s going to be very, very soon.
Meanwhile, during a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on August 1 said that stopping the drone strikes would motivate militants to give up their jihad narrative, reports The Express Tribune. He said that bringing an end to the drone strikes would allow the militants to own their land and stop them from carrying out attacks. He explained that the continued US drone strikes were counterproductive as they not only cost civilian lives but also fuel terrorism.
CIA targeted rescuers at the scene of a previous drone strike, claims London based Bureau of Investigative Journalism
The London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism on August 1 said that its field investigation in Pakistan’s tribal areas appears to confirm that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) 2012 briefly revived the controversial tactic of deliberately targeting rescuers at the scene of a previous drone strike, reports The News. It said the tactic has previously been labelled a possible war crime by two United Nations (UN) investigators. A statement said the Bureau’s research confirmed that five ‘double-tap’ strikes took place in mid-2012, one of which also struck a mosque. In total 53 people were killed, and 57 injured. The new study focused mainly on strikes around a single village in North Waziristan – attacks that were aimed at one of al Qaeda’s few remaining senior figures, Abu Yahya al-Libi. He was finally killed by a CIA drone strike on June 4 2012.
Congressional aides have previously been reported as describing to the Los Angeles Times reviewing a CIA video showing Abu Yahya al-Libi alone being killed. But the Bureau’s field research appears to confirm what others reported at the time – that al-Libi’s death was part of a sequence of strikes on the same location that killed up to 16 people.
If correct, that would indicate that Congressional aides were not shown crucial additional video material. The CIA has rejected the charge. Spokesman Edward Price told the Bureau, ‘The CIA takes its commitment to Congressional oversight with the utmost seriousness. The Agency provides accurate and timely information consistent with our obligation to the oversight Committees. Any accusation alleging otherwise is baseless.’ The Bureau first broke the story of the CIA’s deliberate targeting of rescuers in a February 2012 investigation for The Sunday Times.
ASWJ’s Karachi chief survives assassination attempt
Chief of Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal-Jama’at’s (ASWJ), Karachi Chapter, Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui survived an assassination attempt on August 4 when his motorcade was attacked on Abul Hasan Isphahani Road near Abbas Town in the Gulshan Town area of Karachi District, reports The News. Attackers fled after the exchange of fire with the security guards of the ASWJ leader. However, no casualty was reported.
Islamabad under security blanket after terror threats to attack PAF Headquarters in Punjab
Security in Islamabad, the Federal Capital, was put on red alert on August 4 after intelligence reports that terrorists could attack Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Headquarters, reported The News. According to sources, PAF, Pakistan Navy, and Islamabad Police commandoes mounted a joint search operation in Margalla Hills detaining several suspects. According to sources, the Security Forces (SF) would remain deployed on the Hills till further orders.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations, Dr. Rizwan told Geo News that certain intelligence alerts including a warning regarding a possible terrorist attack on PAF Headquarters prompted these special security measures. “Also this thick security blanket has been laid over the Capital to head off any untoward incident ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr most probably falling on August 9, 2013,” he added.
BLA militants shot dead 14 abducted passengers in Balochistan
At least 14 persons, including three security personnel, were killed on August 6 in an attack by Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militants on five passenger buses in Machh area of Bolan District in Balochistan, reports Daily Times. The buses were on their way from Quetta to Punjab when 200 militants intercepted them in Machh and kidnapped the passengers. The militants killed 13 passengers after inspecting their national identity cards (NICs). The bodies were later recovered from the mountainous area of Bolan. Bolan Deputy Commissioner Abdul Waheed Shah said that the attackers, numbered between 150 and 200, first kidnapped the passengers and then killed them. Waheed said that militants had earlier opened fire on an oil tanker of the Pakistan Air Force elsewhere on the same road, leaving the tanker destroyed. Earlier, it was reported that eight abducted passengers were killed in the incident.
Separately, a dead body was recovered from Killi Gishkori in Mian Ghundi on the outskirts of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan on August 6, reports Daily Times. The deceased was later identified as Saadullah, a resident of Jacobabad.
TTP claims holding former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Haider Gilani
A Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan group on August 6 claimed of holding Ali Haider Gilani, the abducted son of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, reports Daily Times. “The son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is with us and doing well,” the Al-Mansoor Brigade ‘spokesman’ Abu Yazeed Mansur told a journalist on phone in Hangu. The junior Gilani is “well” and the group would release his video after Eid. Ali Haider Gilani was taken away from a political rally from their hometown Multan on May 9. The phone call was apparently made from Afghanistan as the number it was made from had the country’s code.
Suicide bomber and Security Guard killed in Islamabad
A major terrorism attempt was foiled on August 9 when a suicide bomber was shot dead at Imambargah (Shia place of worship) in Bara Kahu village, on the outskirt of Islamabad, the Federal capital of Pakistan, reports Dawn. Police officer Nasir Mehmood said, “A suicide bomber targeted a Shia mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad in Bhara Kahu area but could not explode himself due to timely interception by a private security guard.” Another Police official, Majeed-ur-Rehman, said a guard was killed in an exchange of fire with the bomber before he was shot dead.
Armed man holds Islamabad in terror demanding imposition of Sharia’h in Pakistan
Holding Islamabad in terror for six hours an armed man, identified as Muhammad Sikandar, along with his wife and two children, opened fire in the high-security Red Zone of Islamabad on August 15, demanding the imposition of Sharia’h (Islamic Law) in Pakistan, reports Daily Times. Sikandar was reported to be carrying two automatic weapons – a Kalashnikov rifle and an SMG. He was later shot and wounded by Police during a standoff in the capital city. The Security Forces (SFs) later arrested him on the directives of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar.
Later on August 16 Islamabad Police registered a case against Sikandar at Kohsar Police Station under Section 6 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), reports Dawn. His wife, Kanwal, was also named in the First Information Report (FIR).
Criminal gangs work in tandem with terrorists, Police officers tell Senate Standing Committee on Interior
Police officers of the four provinces and Gilgit Baltistan told the Senate Standing Committee on Interior on August 21 that the crime was becoming organised as various criminal groups had associated themselves with terrorist organisations like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). “We are heading for a situation like Mexico where drug lords and street criminals are operating like a corporate firm,” said a senior official of the National Police Bureau. “The more serious problem in Pakistan is that terrorists and anti-state elements are getting aligned with all kinds of criminals.”
Senator Shahi Syed of the Awami National Party alleged that terrorist organisations like the TTP and BLA operated with the help of local criminals in Lyari and other parts of Karachi. “It may look odd but we have seen it. If you catch a small fish involved in crime his backing comes from the TTP whose field operators in Karachi are criminals belonging to Waziristan or Afghanistan,” he said. Shahi Syed even accused personnel of Intelligence Agencies, Rangers and Police of conniving with criminals. He cited an example that persons belonging to a terror outfit came to the forefront after complaints were lodged to the officers of an Intelligence Agency against some criminals.
The Committee’s Chairman Senator Talha Mehmood suggested that Police should use strong-handed techniques to curb the crime rather than waiting for the outcome of court cases against criminals. “The number of known gangs involved in murders, kidnappings-for-ransom, car lifting and other criminal activities has been increasing. The general impression is that police cannot even touch these criminals,” he regretted.
REGIONAL
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Three HuT cadres arrested
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested three alleged operatives of banned Islamist outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir (HuT) in Dhanmondi area of Dhaka city on August 1, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are Tarek Ahsan, a student of soil science department at Dhaka University Rashedul Alam, a student of an electrical and electronics engineering department at United International University and Muhamad Saifullah, a computer science student at State University. A large number of leaflets and books on the organisation, seven cellphones and a laptop were seized from their possession.
PBCP-J arrested
A cadre of the Janayuddha faction of the Purbo Banglar Communist Party, identified as Liton Hossain, was shot dead at Suti-Durgapur village in the Sadar sub-district of Jhenaidah District on August 4, reports Daily Star. Liton was killed by rival party men.
Meanwhile, Detective Branch (DB) of Police detained a suspected terrorist, Mohammad Aslam Hossain along with two revolvers, a shutter gun and nine bullets, from the Shalgaria bypass area of Pabna District on August 5.
PCJSS leader shot at and injured in Khagrachari District
‘Vice general secretary’ of the Khagrachari District unit of MN Larma faction of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PJCSS), Samanananda Chakma (30), was shot at in College Para area of Dighinala sub-District on August 5 night, reports Daily Star. He was admitted to Chittagong Medical College and Hospital in critical condition.Prasanta Chakma, assistant press and information secretary of the faction, blamed the cadres of PJCSS- Santu Larma faction for the attack.
Meanwhile, RAB on August 5 arrested a member, Mohammad Rabbi, (23), of a gang which produces Fake Bangladeshi Currency in the Dhaka’s Demra area and seized around Tk 400,000 (counterfeit bank notes) and materials for the production of fake bills, reports Daily Star. Information gleaned from Rabbi led to the discovery of around Tk 1.4 million (counterfeit bank notes) in a room in Shishu Market area of Fatullah in Narayanganj District.
ICS cadre killed
A cadre of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), was killed when Police chased them during picketing at Jatrabari area in Dhaka city (Dhaka District) on August 14 (today), reports The Daily Star. The incident occurred around 7:00am when nearly 20 ICS cadres brought out a procession near Dania College in Jatrabari area and started to vandalise vehicles. At one stage, Police chased the pro-hartal activists and while fleeing the scene, the ICS cadre falls on the road and sustained severe injuries on head. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The identity of the ICS cadre could not be known immediately. A cameraman of private television channel Bangla vision also sustained injuries during the incident.
Meanwhile, at least 50 people, including 10 Policemen, were injured as JeI-ICS cadres clashed with Police at Garadob Bazar of Meherpur District on August 13, reports UNBconnect. The clash broke out when Police tried to disperse a procession brought out by JeI-ICS cadres. JeI-ICS cadres hurled brickbats at the law enforcers while Police fired 47 rounds of bullet and lobbed 13 round tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. Police arrested four JeI-ICS cadres from the spot.
JMB is still trying to reorganize: RAB Legal and Media Wing Director
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Legal and Media Wing Director ATM Habibur Rahman on August 16 said that the Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which grasped the spotlight as a hardcore militant organisation after exploding 459 time bombs across Bangladesh (in 63 Districts out of 64 Districts in Bangladesh) on August 17, 2005, leaving two persons dead and 50 others injured, is still trying to reorganize, albeit on a “very small scale”. He stated, “With its whole network dismantled, the banned militant outfit has almost no strength left to carry out any subversive activity. Some JMB members were recently caught printing leaflets and posters, suggesting that they were active…but they will never succeed as Rab members across the country are always on alert to arrest them.”
One JeI-ICS cadre killed and two others injured in a blast while making bombs in Noakhali District
A cadre of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI)-Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) was killed and two others were injured in a blast while making bombs at a house in the Companiganj sub-District of Noakhali District on August 18, reports The Daily Star. The deceased was identified as Ismail Hossain Sumon (28). Police arrested two JeI-ICS cadres Shamsuddin Manik (22) and Jamal Uddin (32) in this connection.
Meanwhile, at least three Policemen and a media person were injured in violence unleashed by the JeI-ICS cadres’ at Badurtala in Chittagong District on August 18, reports The Daily Star. Police fired 18 shots in the air to disperse the crowd. The JeI-ICS cadres fled the area exploding seven homemade bombs. Police arrested 61 JeI-ICS cadres after the incident.
Separately, Police arrested 10 JeI-ICS leaders from Dhaka city (Dhaka District) on August 17 on charge of planning subversive activities, reports The Daily Star. Police also seized a huge number of anti-Government documents, leaflets and booklets from them. Police said the seized documents reveal that the JeI leaders were planning to commit further sabotage in the capital.
8 HuJI-B suspects remanded in Jhalokati District
The Jhalokati District Magistrate Court on August 18 remanded eight suspects of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh in custody for six days for interrogation, reports New Age. The Police on August 14 arrested nine suspects at Kademul Islam Qaumi Madrassah mosque of Nalchity sub-District while they were allegedly participating in a training session. The arretessed were identified as Mashiur Rahman Talukdar, Moallem Qari Sirajul Islam, Nurul Islam, Jubayer Haoladar, Abul Bashar Mridha, M A Azim, Muhamad Sohag, Minhazul Abedin and Baki Billah. The court didn’t put accused Baki Billah (17) on remand as he is an examinee of the coming degree (pass) examinations.
PBCP-J cadre killed by rivals
A cadre of the Janajudha faction of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-J) was killed by his rivals in the Gangni sub-District of Meherpur District on August 24, reports The Daily Star. The deceased was identified as Nizam Uddin (50). Nizam was accused in several cases, including two for murder.
India – Internal Dynamics
Perform or suffer career setbacks, Maoist area Police officers told
Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami on July 25 warned that the State as well Central Police officers posted in a Communist Party of India-Maoist-hit Districts will have to perform or suffer career setbacks, reports The Times of India. He said that a Superintendent of Police (SP) posted in a Maoist-hit District may not be considered for deputation in a central organization if the Union Home Ministry is not happy with his performance. Similarly, performance of officers of Central Forces will affect their promotion and annual confidential reports (ACR). Goswami was speaking at the two-day workshop organized by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) for Superintendents of Police (SPs) of 26 Maoist-hit Districts and Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs) of Special and Central Armed Police Forces deployed in extremism-hit zones.
The meeting also decided to bring front organizations of the CPI-Maoist firmly in the legal loop. “We will collect evidence on activities of these front organizations, meant to help Maoists either directly or indirectly, compile them into a dossier and move for registration of FIR against their members,” said an unnamed senior MHA official.
15 persons injured in grenade blast in Assam
15 persons were injured as militants carried out a grenade blast at Paltan Bazar in the Guwahati city area of Kamrup (Metro) District on July 28, reports The Telegraph. Although no outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack, Police suspects involvement of the Independent faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-Independent) in the incident.
Meanwhile, ULFA-I ‘chairman’, Abhijit Barman released a video cassette to commemorate the 22nd ‘Sahid Divas (Martyr’s Day)’ of the militant outfit on July 27, reports Times of India. The cassette, sent through an e-mail to the media, has been directed by Barman himself and pays tribute to 15000 ULFA members who laid down their lives for a “sovereign” Assam. The outfit has been observing July 27 as ‘Sahid Divas’ since 1991.
Maoists kill minister’s cousin
Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres killed a cousin of Chhattisgarh Forest Minister Vikram Usendi late on July 31 night at Solangi village in Kanker District, reports The Times of India. Kanker Superintendent of Police Rajendra Das said “The rebels went to Sumat Usendi’s house late in the night and shot him dead. Sumat, 40, is a former member of Kanker Zila Panchayat.” While the Police are trying to ascertain the motive behind the killing, it is suspected that the Maoists had found the Minister’s close relative a soft target.
LeT radicalises Rohingyas to wage war against India, confirms Bangladesh Govt
The Bangladesh government has confirmed to India that terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba have instigated Rohingyas to avenge 2012’s sectarian violence in Myanmar, Hindustan Times reports on July 2. For the first time, senior government sources said, the presence of several thousand Rohingya refugees in India was discussed by senior Home Ministry, Police and intelligence officials at the Independence Day security coordination meeting on July 30. According to the Bangladesh government, umbrella organization like Jamaat-ul-Arakan and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization are running terror training camps in remote areas of Bandarban District of Bangladesh adjoining the Myanmar border.
IPFT demands separate State for Tribals in Tripura
The Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) renewed its demand for a State comprising the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), reports The Telegraph on August 2. IPTF ‘General Secretary’, Aghore Debbarma said that a massive rally will be held in Agartala on August 23 to press for the demand.
Arson and vandalism continues in Karbi Anglong District of Assam
On August 4, violence in the Karbi Anglong District continued for the fifth day over the demand for a separate state, reports Assam Tribune. Government offices and properties of political leaders were set ablaze by protesters. The protests in the District started after Congress Working Committee gave its nod to the formation of a separate State of Telangana on July 30. District administration re-imposed the curfew, in effect since July 31, after relaxing it between 8 am and 12 pm on August 4, adds Telegraph. “During the past five days, altogether 60 buildings were damaged in different parts of the district,” a Karbi Anglong Administration source said.
Also, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and Dima Hasao Autonomous Council (DHAC) have decided to jointly press their demand for an autonomous State, reports Assam Tribune on August 4.
GNLA militants trigger IED blast in Meghalaya
The Shillong Times reports that Garo National liberation Army (GNLA) militants triggered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast targeting six Police personnel, travelling in a bullet proof truck, at Nengkhra in the East Garo Hills District on August 7. “It was a claymore IED put on the roadside of the culvert. Two IEDs were placed but one did not explode. Our vehicle sustained slight damage but is in running condition,” said Superintendent of Police J F K Marak. Police retrieved another such device which failed to explode. Around 30 meters of fuse wire used to charge the firing mechanism was also retrieved from the site of the ambush.
The IED blast was reportedly undertaken by a special militant team of the GNLA under direct operational command of its ‘chief’ Sohan D Shira reportedly to avenge the death of a senior leader and ‘deputy area commander’ Pilon M Sangma alias Markus of its central command who was shot dead in a Police operation on July 19. The Independent faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I) is suspected to have supplied the IED to the GNLA for operational use.
State Police Forces fail to prevent LWE attacks on SFs and politicians, says Central Government
The Central Government has held the State Police Forces responsible for attacks on Security Forces (SFs) and politicians in Naxal [Left Wing Extremism (LWE)]-affected areas, reports The Times of India on August 8. It has blamed their lack of preparedness and failure to stick to Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for casualties on the side of the State. This is probably the first time that the Union Government has openly criticized State Governments for failure to prevent LWE attacks.
Minister of State for Home Affairs R P N Singh said in Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) on August 7, “An analysis of recent Naxal attacks discloses that the attacks could succeed mainly due to failure of adherence to basic Policing tactics and practices by some of the State Police Forces.” He went on to stress that attacks could have been anticipated and measures taken to prevent them but States failed to do so.
Till July 15, 2013 the country has witnessed 630 incidents of LWE violence that have claimed the lives 149 civilians, 68 SFs and 59 LWEs.
11 Northeast India based militant outfits call for boycott of Independence Day
11 militant outfits based in India’s Northeast, six from Manipur, three from Assam and one each from Meghalaya and Tripura, have jointly called for a boycott of Independence Day (August 15, reports Times of India on August 12. The outfits include Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), Progressive faction of PREPAK, Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) and United National Liberation Front (UNLF) of Manipur, which operate from one platform called Coordination Committee (CorCom), Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) of Meghalaya, Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), Independent faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I)of Assam and National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) of Tripura. These groups now describe northeast as “Western South East Asia (WESEA) region”.
Three CAF troopers and a Maoist killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh
Three Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) troopers including a head constable and a Communist Party of India-Maoist cadre were killed in an hour long encounter between the Maoists and security personnel at Kushalnagar of Bastar District on August 13 afternoon, reports The Times of India. Director General of Police (DGP) Ramniwas said it is estimated that nearly 5-6 Maoists were killed and their bodies were dragged into the forests by other companions. Body of one Maoist was recovered from the spot. Additional forces were rushed to carry out search operations in the region and flush out the Maoists. The deceased have been identified as Sonbahadur Thapa, Manoj Kumar and Mahendra Singh. The patrol party of 60 troopers was returning to their base camp at Jharaghati (Bastar District), when the Maoists in an ambush, opened indiscriminate firing when the troopers of CAF battalion 16 reached Maharana forests (Bastar District).
Explosions reported in Manipur
On August 15, a bomb exploded at around 8.15am in front of the row of furniture houses located at Yaiskul, just a few meters away from 1st Manipur Rifles’ (MR) parade ground in Imphal East District, reports The Sangai Express.
Another, bomb exploded in front of DIC office along Imphal East DC Road at about 4.05pm, reports The Sangai Express.
Meanwhile, suspected militants attacked troops of 9th Assam Rifles (AR) using guns and bombs at T Minou, about 10 kilometers North East of the border town of Moreh in Chandel District, at around 9am on August 16. A team of 9th AR had just reached a water source at T Minoi when a bomb already planted there exploded suddenly. The AR troops also came under heavy firing and they retaliated immediately.
Militants also attacked the Machi post of 20th AR located about 50 kilometers North West of Tengnoupal Police station in Chandel District at about 1.30am.
However, no casualty was reported in any of theses incidents.
8 injured in blast in West Bengal
At least eight persons were injured when an explosion took place inside a bus at Barobisha in the Jalpaiguri District on August 18, reports The Times of India. About 50 passengers, mostly Bhutanese nationals, were travelling inside the bus, which departed from Gelephu (Bhutan) at 12.30pm, stopped at the Mahalaxmi Hotel at Lebukundu on NH-31C just after crossing Kokrajhar District in Assam and entering West Bengal at around 2.30pm. The explosion took place when most of the passengers had alighted from the bus. The National Liberation Force of Bengalis claimed responsibility for the blast.
NDFB-PTF reiterates its demand for Bodoland State
The Pro-Talks faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-PTF) on August 18 said it wanted statehood and was not willing to settle for anything less, like a Union Territory, reports The Telegraph. In a statement issued to the media, NDFB-PTF ‘general secretary’ Gobinda Basumatary said, “We are sticking to the demand for Bodoland. We have been demanding creation of the state in accordance with the provisions of Articles 2 & 3 of the Constitution for the past seven years during our dialogue with the government of India.” Basumatary also criticized a section of the press for making a “deliberate attempt to spread misgivings among people about NDFB-PTF’s stand by stating that he had scaled down the demand for statehood to that for a Union Territory. In an interview to the same newspaper published on August 12, NDFB-PTF Basumatary had ‘dared’ the Centre to grant Union Territory status to Bodoland.
Further, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) on August 17 demanded a formal invitation from the Centre for tripartite talks on a separate Bodoland state, reports The Telegraph on August 17. ABSU’s president, Promod Boro, said, “We want a formal invitation from the government. There is no question of withdrawing our agitation till then.” He added that they would continue demonstrations and rallies for another 10 days.
Karbi Anglong based Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS), ‘conveyer’ Laurence Teron said that Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had asked them to submit details of the team members who would be taking part in the talks, reports Nagaland Post on August 18. JACAS has put the preparation for an ‘intense movement’ for the achieving statehood in abeya
Monthly Fatalities
The following deaths related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period July 25 to August 26, 2013:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Arunachal P | 00 | 00 | 02 | 02 |
| Assam | 05 | 00 | 09 | 14 |
| Manipur | 00 | 00 | 01 | 01 |
| Meghalaya | 02 | 00 | 04 | 06 |
| Nagaland | 02 | 00 | 01 | 03 |
| Left-wing | 09 | 05 | 07 | 21 |
| Total | 18 | 05 | 24 | 47 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Bomb goes off at NC office in Siraha district
A bomb went off at the Nepali Congress (NC) party office in the Siraha District headquarters on August 1, reports Kantipuronline.com. The blast caused minor damages to the office. Eastern Militia Commander of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, Jaya Mukti, phoned media persons and owned up the incident. The bomb has been detonated at the NC party office since the hill-dominated regime including some Madhes-centric parties were exploiting the Madhes and the Madhesi people by entrenching their presence in the Madhes, Mukti said on the phone about the reason behind the attack.
Meanwhile, the Young Communist League which had called Chitwan District bandh (shutdown) on August 1 to protest the arrest of its cadres held for extortion, resorted to vandalism and didn’t even spare an ambulance carrying patients for ‘flouting the bandh’, reports The Himalayan Times. Bandh enforcers attacked a Nepal Red Cross Society ambulance while it was carrying three patients to Bharatpur city. Windscreen of the vehicle was damaged in the attack.
5 members of SJMM arrested for bomb attack in Kathmandu in February 2012
Police arrested five members of Samyukta Jatiya Mukti Morcha (SJMM) on August 2 who were accused of carrying out a bomb blast at Babarmahal in Kathmandu on February 27, 2012 that had killed three persons and injured several others, reports Nepalnews.com. The arrested persons are Birendra Tamang, Nima Sherpa, Bhani Nath, Sun Bahadur Pariyar and Santosh Majhi. Police also recovered explosive materials and detonators from them. They were arrested from Kathmandu.
Meanwhile, Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda, on August 2, proposed 586-member Constituent Assembly (CA), increasing its strength by 95 seats from the agreed upon strength of 491, reports The Himalayan Times. The proposed strength is only 15 less than the previous CA. The Nepali Congress (NC) and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), however, have expressed reservations against the proposal, stating that it would hamper the November 19 polls, as it requires backtracking from the March 13 agreement and issuance of the presidential decree again to adjust the changes.
NYPVO secretariat member Bijay KC arrested in Lalitpur District
Police on August 11 arrested secretariat member Bijay KC, a leader of the poll-opposing Mohan Baidya-led Communist Party Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Baidya)’s sister wing known as the National Youth People’s Volunteer Organization (NYPVO) from Dhapakhel village of Lalitpur District for attempting to target Chure Bhawar Party leader Bhumiraj Niroula, reports Nepal News. It was the second case of an attempt to black-shoot Niroula by the Maoists. Only two weeks ago, Maoist cadres had attempted to black-shoot Niroula after making him get down from a motorcycle he was riding on.
Meanwhile, the Matrika Yadav-led Communist Party Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) on August 11 walked out of the 33-party alliance led by CPN-Maoist-Baidya, reports Myrepublica.com. Accusing the CPN-Maoist-Baidya of trying to forge an alliance with the former royalists, CPN-Maoist Chairman Yadav announced to quit the alliance amidst a press meet in Kathmandu. He also said, “Both the 11-point agreement and the 25-point ordinance on removing constitutional difficulties should be scrapped as they are unconstitutional.”
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
President orders appointment of commission to probe disappearances during the 30 years of conflict
President Mahinda Rajapaksa on July 26 directed Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga to appoint a commission to look into the incidents of disappearance that have taken place during the 30 years of conflict, reports Colombo Page. Announcing the President’s order, the President’s media unit said his move to appoint such a commission is a clear indication of his unwavering commitment to ensure that Human Rights are well protected in the country.
Attorney General files charges
Attorney General of Sri Lanka on July 30 filed charges against six former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadres at Colombo High Court over the attack on a Navy vessel, SLNS Sayura, in 2006, reports Colombo Page. The SLNS Sayura was attacked in the seas near Negombo city of Western Province. The ship was instrumental for Sri Lanka military in their battle against the LTTE.
Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapaksa on July 30 said his stance on the issue of distribution of Police and land powers to Provincial Councils has not changed and reiterated that the powers will remain with the Federal Government, reports Colombo Page. The President said Police and land powers were not implemented since the introduction of the Provincial Council system to the country and he doesn’t consider that the issue should be given special attention now.
Separately, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran on July 30 alleged that some of its candidates contesting for the Northern Provincial Council elections have been intimidated by military personnel, reports Colombo Page. He said the Army had intimidated two candidates soon after they had filed their nominations on July 29. The military personnel had gone to the residences of S. Sayanthan, a TNA candidate from Chavakachcheri town of Jaffna District and Ananthi Sasitharan, the wife of the LTTE’s former Trincomalee political wing leader, Elilan, and had questioned them on their political activities. He claimed that the President had promised TNA leader, R. Sampanthan, that he would ensure free and fair polls without interference from military personnel in the Northern Province.
Former LTTE cadre reveals detail about massacres committed by the outfit during their reign in the North and East
A former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre has revealed details about the massacres committed by the outfit during their reign in the North and East, Colombo Page reports on August 4. The LTTE cadre, who is in Police custody, has revealed information on ‘detention and execution’ of over 80 captives, including a Tamil inspector of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) of Police and an Army Captain. The former cadre disclosed to the Police how the LTTE held the captives in illegal prisons named ‘Alpha-05’ and ‘Alpha-02’ at Vallipuram in Pudukuduirippu before they were uted and has also revealed the location where the victims were burnt after they were killed. His account of the utions has been confirmed by three other former LTTE cadres in custody currently.
Meanwhile, Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, Security Forces’ Commander of Jaffna rejected a claim made by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on the troop strength in the peninsula, Colombo Page reports on August 4. Major General Hathurusinghe, responding to the allegation by the TNA Spokesperson and Jaffna District Parliamentarian, Suresh Premachandran, that 150,000 Security Forces are present in Jaffna, said even during the peak time of the war in 2008, there were only 43,000 security personnel in Jaffna. The troops have been gradually transferred out from Jaffna and at present there are only 13,150 security service personnel in Jaffna, the Commander said. According to the Jaffna Commander, 77 houses and 20 blocks of land have been given back to their original owners through the Jaffna District Secretary Office. He said that steps have been taken to hand over 90 percent of the private lands and houses occupied by the security forces in Jaffna to their legitimate owners. The Commander said that some owners living overseas have requested the Army not to vacate their properties while others have indicated that the security provided by the Army is needed to maintain peace.
Premachandran had said, “Jaffna is only a part of the entire Northern Province, where one million people live. However, there are 150,000 Security Forces personnel present in Jaffna. But, the government says there are only 13,000 troops stationed in Jaffna.”
Curfew imposed in Colombo
Sri Lankan police clamped a fresh curfew on a Colombo neighbourhood Sunday, Aug 11 a day after a Buddhist-led mob vandalised a mosque in an incident that raised religious tensions and US concern. Police announced that a 13-hour curfew would be reimposed, starting at 6:00 pm across the residential and commercial areas of Grandpass district, which remained under tight security following Saturday’s attack that left four people wounded. Witnesses reported scattered stone-throwing in the neighbourhood Sunday as authorities deployed more police and paramilitary commandos.
The government held lengthy talks with Muslim leaders and the clergy on both sides and announced what Technology Minister Champika Ranawaka described was a “just solution” acceptable to all sides.
Soldiers armed with automatic rifles were deployed at key junctions in the upscale area of the capital where the discussions were held after a day of tense clashes between Buddhist and Moslem mobs. Local Buddhists had objected to the setting up of a mosque that replaced an older place of worship which the government had earmarked for demolition in line with city development work.
Muslim ministers in the ruling coalition, including Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem, said failure to take stern action against those responsible for similar attacks in the past had brought about a breakdown in law and order.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s coalition includes the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, the country’s largest Muslim political party.
The US embassy in Colombo expressed concern at the violence and urged authorities to prosecute those responsible. “This incident is particularly troubling in light of a number of recent attacks against the Muslim community in Sri Lanka,” the embassy said in a statement. “Targeting any place of worship should never be permitted and we urge calm from all sides.”
The US, which in March initiated a UN Human Rights Council resolution against Sri Lanka over alleged war crimes against Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009, also urged Colombo to ensure religious freedom. Local Islamic clerics expressed concern in the wake of Saturday’s attack. “We were surprised because we thought things were settling down,” Fazil Farook, spokesman for the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, Sri Lanka’s apex body of Islamic clerics, told AFP. “With this attack, we are worried again and we see this (anti-Muslim) trend continuing. We condemn this attack.”
Farook noted that the latest violence came five months after the torching of two Muslim-owned businesses just outside the capital. Three Buddhist monks and 14 others who were arrested in connection with the arson attacks in March were later freed when police and the victims did not press charges.
In another incident, radical Buddhists recently forced Islamic clerics to withdraw halal certification from food sold locally, claiming that it offended the majority non-Muslim population.
Residents said temple bells summoned dozens of men who stormed the mosque Saturday and started throwing stones and beating up worshippers. Several homes in the area were also damaged, they said. Seventy percent of Sri Lanka’s 20 million population follow Buddhism, while Muslims are the second largest religious minority with just under 10 percent after Hindus who make up about 13 percent. Others are Christian.
Representatives of TNA meet US State Department officials
Representatives of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on August 12 met with officials from the United States (US) Department of State in Washington DC, reports Colombo Page. TNA leader R. Sampanthan and parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran met with officials from the US State Department. Details of the meetings in Washington have however not been reported. There was no official announcement from the State Department and it is not known which officials the delegation met in Washington.
Meanwhile, the Government on August 15 began an investigation on four university faculty members who reportedly attended an ‘Eelam’ seminar in London (United Kingdom) while on academic leave, reports Colombo Page. Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne said that the Ministry is conducting a speedy investigation regarding the report that four university professors attended an Eelam seminar and participated in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam activities in London. Chief of Defense Staff General Jagath Jayasuriya on August 14 revealed that four professors of Jaffna, Peradeniya and Uva-Wellassa universities had left for the UK after obtaining government leave from their work claiming to participate in a special training from August 12 to 20 in London. However, the four academics have, according to the military chief, had attended a conference on establishing a Tamil interim government and participated in LTTE activities.
Do not internationalize Sri Lanka’s problems, says President Mahinda Rajapaksa
President Mahinda Rajapaksa on August 19 told his political rivals not to internationalize Sri Lanka’’s problems and instead look to settle them internally, reports Times of India. Rajapaksa said, “Some go to India and utter different things while others go to US and do same. People must engage with the government in order to look for solutions and not clash with it.” He was referring to the visit to India by the main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on a tour of the US.
Meanwhile, the TNA candidate of the Jaffna District Anandi Elilan on August 19 said that she would meet the UN Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay to brief her experiences of last stage of war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, reports Colombo Page. Anandi is the wife of LTTE political wing leader of Trincomalee District Elilan. She claimed that Elilan surrendered to the military following the end of the war and he was taken in a bus before he disappeared.
INTERNATIONAL
Rebels killed 123 civilians in Syria
Syrian state media accused insurgents on Saturday, July 27 of killing 123 people, the majority of them civilians, during a rebel offensive this week to take the northern town of Khan al-Assad.
A two-year revolt-turned-civil war has left more than 100,000 people dead and both forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebels are accused by rights groups of war crimes.
State news agency SANA said that “armed terrorist groups “committed a “massacre … mutilating the bodies of the martyrs and throwing them in a big hole on the outskirts of the town, in addition to incinerating a number of (their) bodies.”
The accusations come a day after a rebel group, calling itself the Supporters of the Islamic Caliphate, posted a video on YouTube of around 30 bodies of young men piled up against a wall who they said were pro-Assad militiamen.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an anti-Assad monitoring group, cited activists on Friday in Khan al-Assal who said that more than 150 soldiers were killed on Monday and Tuesday in and around the town, including 51 soldiers and officers who were executed.
Having won Western support in the early stages of the revolt, the opposition has since succumbed to infighting between moderate and hardline Islamist groups.
Meanwhile, Assad has been able to rely on Iran, Russia and Lebanon’s Hizbullah group to support his crackdown. Islamist militants fought with ethnically Kurdish units on Saturday near the border with Turkey in part of an ongoing territorial dispute. The war – pitting Sunni majority rebels against Assad’s own Alawite sect and Hizbullah has descended into sectarian hatred.
‘Rowhani halted nuclear programme’
Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani personally stopped the development of a clandestine nuclear weapon in 2003, a former ambassador to the country said on Saturday, July 27.
Writing in the International Herald Tribune newspaper, Francois Nicoullaud, France’s ambassador to Iran from 2001 to 2005, said he believed Rowhani was the “main actor” in persuading the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to halt the secret programme. Rowhani, who led the nuclear negotiating team under reformist former president Mohammad Khatami from 2003-2005, will take power on August 3 after his election on June 15. “Based on conversations that I had at the time, as French ambassador to Tehran, with high Iranian officials close to the matter, I firmly believe that Rowhani was the main actor in the process,” Nicoullaud wrote. “Of course, Iranians could not admit to a foreigner that such a program ever existed, and I cannot name the officials I spoke to.”
Nicoullaud went on to describe a meeting with a “high-ranking official” after Iran had agreed with Western powers to suspend enrichment in October 2003. After this agreement, the official “confided to me that … Rowhani issued a general circular asking all Iranian departments and agencies, civilian and military, to report in detail about their past and ongoing nuclear activities. “The official explained to me that the main difficulty Rowhani and his team were encountering was learning exactly what was happening in a system as secretive as Iran’s.
“A few weeks after, I heard from another official, a close friend of Rowhani: ‘The Rowhani team is having a hard time … People resist their instructions … But they will prevail’.”
After Nicoullaud advised the official to give researchers more time to archive their work, his source later replied: “I conveyed your message … It worked!” The retired diplomat confirmed to AFP Saturday he now believes that the project Rouhani’s team was working on was the Revolutionary Guard programme.
“Uranium enrichment was the visible part of it but there was a hidden section, the manufacture of a nuclear device — once they had produced enriched uranium, how to put it on the head of a missile and how to deliver it to ‘friends’ in the region — that’s the programme Rouhani stopped,” the former ambassador said.
Brotherhood defiant after bloodshed
Supporters of Egypt’s ousted president Mohammed Mursi pledged on Sunday, July 28 to press ahead with their protests, a day after bloody clashes at a Cairo sit-in killed over 150 Muslim Brotherhood members. Sporadic violence was reported in several towns early on Sunday, with two dead in separate incidents. The Sinai also saw unrest, with security forces killing 10 militants and arresting 20 others, state news agency MENA said.
Saturday’s violence drew international and domestic condemnation, including from Washington, a key backer of Egypt’s army. Following the clashes near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque where Mursi loyalists have been camped for weeks, the interior minister pledged to disperse the protests “soon”. But the violence and the warning did not appear to have thinned the ranks at the Cairo demonstration, where a core group of several thousand protesters remained. And Gehad El-Haddad, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, said demonstrators were angry but “hugely defiant” after Saturday’s deaths.
“There are feelings of agony and anger, but also a very strong feeling of determination,” he told AFP. “People are hugely defiant. “For us, if we die, we meet our creator and we did so for a just cause… Either we die or we succeed.”
At Rabaa al-Adawiya, thousands of protesters at a time staged mini demonstrations to keep the mood buoyant. “On January 2011, (former president) Hosni Mubarak was strong, but he fell in a peaceful way,” said Khaled Khalil, a sociology professor. “God willing, Sisi will fall in the same peaceful way,” he added of army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led the coup that ousted Mursi.
The violence early on Saturday was the bloodiest incident since Mursi’s July 3 ouster following huge demonstrations against his rule. The deaths came after rival protests both for and against Mursi on Friday.
The health ministry said 72 people were killed in Cairo on Saturday, along with nine dead in second city Alexandria a day earlier. Sporadic violence continued early on Sunday, with a security source reporting two people killed in clashes between Mursi supporters and opponents in Port Said and northern Kafr El-Zayat. Both clashes came at the funerals of Mursi supporters killed in Cairo. In Menufiya, in the central Delta region, Mursi opponents set fire to the Brotherhood headquarters, causing no injuries, MENA said. Mursi supporters on Saturday accused security forces of using live fire against unarmed protesters, but the interior ministry insisted that its forces had fired only tear gas.
Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, speaking at a police graduation ceremony on Sunday, sounded a firm line. “We will not allow any mercenary or person bearing a grudge to try to disrupt the atmosphere of unity, and we will confront them with the greatest of force and firmness,” he said. On Saturday, he warned that pro-Mursi demonstrations would be dispersed “in a legal fashion” and “as soon as possible,” urging protesters to “come to their senses” and go home. The violence prompted international condemnation, with Human Rights Watch accusing Egyptian authorities of “criminal disregard for people’s lives”.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, whose country contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in military and economic aid to Egypt, expressed Washington’s “deep concern”. In a statement, Kerry called on the authorities to “respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression”.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has infuriated Egypt’s interim administration by maintaining his support for Mursi, denounced what he described as massacres.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged the authorities to “cease the use of violence against protesters, including live fire, and to hold to account those responsible”.
The violence also prompted domestic criticism, with Vice President Mohammed ElBaradei, a former opposition activist who joined the transitional government, denouncing “excessive use of force” by the authorities. The head of Al-Azhar, Egypt’s top Sunni Muslim authority, called for an “urgent judicial investigation”.
But the National Salvation Front coalition of leftist and liberal groups said Mursi’s Brotherhood bore some of the blame for its “provocative approach”.
Protests Rage against Tunisian Islamists
Police fired tear gas on Sunday (July 28) at protesters as opponents and supporters of Tunisia’s Islamist-led government clashed outside parliament after the burial of the second opposition figure slain this year.
Mohamed Brahmi’s cold-blooded murder on Thursday outside his home has stoked tensions in the North African nation where the Arab Spring began. Many Tunisians blame the government for not reining in Islamists accused of a wave of attacks since strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled in a popular uprising in 2011.
Opposition figures are calling for the government to resign and the powerful General Union of Tunisian Labour (UGTT) was due to convene Monday “to decide the fate” of the country, its secretary general Sami Tahri said.
Salafists close to the al-Qaeda-linked group Ansar al-Sharia, blamed by the authorities for Brahmi’s murder, denied any involvement in an online statement on Sunday. Brahmi was gunned down in the Ariana suburb of Tunis, his body riddled with 14 bullets, almost six months after the murder of opposition politician Chokri Belaid. Authorities say the same gun was used in both killings, and blamed jihadists close to Ansar al-Sharia. But in a Facebook statement, the group denied responsibility for what it called “a political assassination, part of attempts to push the country toward chaos”. Brahmi’s murder “only profits remnants of the former regime and lackeys of the Zionists and Crusaders”, it said.
Hundreds of thousands of mourners thronged the streets of Tunis on Saturday in an emotionally charged funeral to El-Jellaz cemetery where Brahmi was buried next to Belaid. Slogans vowing to “avenge” Brahmi and Belaid rose from the sea of mourners. After the burial, protesters calling for the fall of the government marched on the Constituent Assembly and clashed with riot police who fired tear-gas to disperse them, an AFP reporter said.
Nine Iraqi cops killed
A suicide bomber killed nine Kurdish policemen in northern Iraq on Sunday, July 28 while five people died in other attacks, officials said. With the latest attacks, violence has killed more than 730 people in July and over 3,000 since the beginning of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
The suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle near a police convoy in the town of Tuz Khurmatu in Salaheddin province, also wounding nine officers, district official Shalal Abdul Baban told AFP. A doctor and police confirmed the toll.
The town is part of a swathe of northern territory that Iraqi Kurds want to incorporate into their three-province autonomous region over the strong objections of the federal government in Baghdad.
Lawmakers See ‘Momentum’ against NSA Snooping
With momentum building against NSA surveillance on Americans, attention converges Wednesday (July 31) on the US Senate, where lawmakers will grill Intel leaders about the value of programs many want to see curtailed. US lawmakers have homed in on the controversial issue ever since former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked details in June about an agency program that gathers vast amounts of phone data on nearly all Americans.
The leak’s aftermath is providing what is likely the best chance since the attacks of September 11, 2001 to rein in surveillance that a growing number of lawmakers—including veteran Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy who chairs the Justice Committee which holds Wednesday’s hearing—say abuses constitutional rights. The session, featuring senior figures from three Intelligence agencies as well as the Justice Department, will be the first since the House of Representatives narrowly rejected legislation that would scale back the domestic spying.
The White House and congressional leaders from both parties had to scramble to prevent the measures passage, but even so, scores of Democratic and Republican rank and file members ignored top party brass and voted to defund the NSA program that several lawmakers have decried as unconstitutional. “To have that momentum going into discussions that we’ll have this week is very helpful,” Senator Ron Wyden told AFP on Monday. We’re going to pull out all the stops. And our cause and support for it have clearly grown significantly since the vote in the House.”
Wyden is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and while limited to what he could say because of secrecy rules he has subtly warned for years of the effects of too much information-gathering. In an opinion piece in Sunday’s Washington Post, he and another fellow Democrat long suspicious of NSA overreach, Senator Mark Udall, said it was time for President Barack Obama to scale back the “dragnet” collection of American phone records and focus on national security operations that better protect Americans’ right to privacy.
“We believe that, when presented with all the facts, most Americans would agree with us that the White House should end the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records and instead obtain this information directly from phone companies, using regular court orders based on individual suspicion.”
Ukraine ‘Dangerous’ for Asylum-Seekers: UNHCR
Ukraine is a “dangerous” destination for asylum seekers, the Kiev office of the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday, July 30 after the high-profile disappearance of a Russian activist who was allegedly kidnapped by the security services and sent back home. “If your request for refugee status is not satisfied then you are not only facing extradition, but also possible disappearance,” the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) regional representative for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, Oldrich Andrysek, told reporters.
In October last year, Russian opposition activist Leonid Razvozzhayev sought to obtain political asylum in Ukraine, but he was captured by unknown persons and then resurfaced in Russia.
Opposition supporters accuse the Russian and Ukrainian special services of abducting him. The Ukrainian authorities have also rejected applications by several other members of the opposition to Vladimir Putin seeking asylum in Ukraine. “If people had not disappeared here, then we could say that Ukraine is a safe country for a refugee,” said Andrysek. “But it is not so. Ukraine is a dangerous country for refugees. We advise the European Union not to return people to Ukraine,” he added.
The UNHCR said Ukraine needs to offer better protection for asylum-seekers and to improve the fairness and efficiency of the hearings process. According to the Interfax Ukraine news agency, Ukraine has in recent weeks denied refugee status to Russian activist Alexei Devyatkin, journalist Jenny Curpen, and opposition campaigner Mikhail Maglov.
They have challenged this refusal in Ukrainian courts and say they fear being prosecuted in Russia over an anti-Putin rally in the eve of his Kremlin inauguration for a third term in May 2012. Andrysek said another anti-Putin Russian activist, Philipp Galtsov, had also just had his asylum application rejected by the Ukrainian courts in the last days and would appeal.
The UNHCR warning comes after feminist group Femen said three of its activists and their photographer had been “abducted” shortly before a planned protest against Putin’s visit to Ukraine at the weekend. Femen, known for their bare-breasted protests, said the four were beaten up, bundled into a car and spirited away in an operation coordinated by the Ukrainian special services. Police insisted it was a routine arrest.
Snowden Given Russia Asylum, leaves Airport
Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden on Thursday, August 1 left the Moscow airport where he was marooned for over five weeks, after Russia granted him one year’s asylum in a move that risks infuriating Washington. Snowden slipped out of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport in a cloak-and-dagger operation overseen by his Russian lawyer but unnoticed by the hordes of media trying to follow his every move.
The former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor was whisked away in a taxi to an undisclosed location, leaving his lawyer to reveal that Snowden had received temporary asylum in Russia just two weeks after making an application.
“Snowden has left Sheremetyevo airport. He has just been given a certificate that he has been awarded temporary asylum in Russia for one year,” lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told AFP. A spokeswoman for Sheremetyevo confirmed he had left the airport after 2:00 pm (1000 GMT). A grainy still image published by Rossiya 24 television showed a young man with a rucksack — apparently Snowden — about to get into a car outside the airport.
Snowden, 30, is wanted on felony charges by the United States after leaking details of vast US surveillance programmes, but Russia has refused to extradite him.
In a statement released by the WikiLeaks anti-secrecy website, Snowden thanked Russia for giving him asylum and slammed the administration of US President Barack Obama for having “no respect” for international or domestic law. “But in the end the law is winning,” Snowden said.
Kucherena, who had held several meetings with Snowden and helped him make his asylum application on July 16, added his new place of residence would be kept secret for security reasons. “His location is not being made public for security reasons since he is the most pursued man on the planet. He himself will decide where he will go,” Kucherena said, adding Snowden was now in a “safe place”. Interviewed by Rossiya 24 television, Kucherena held up a scanned copy of Snowden’s certificate granting him a year’s temporary asylum in Russia. The name “Snowden Edward Joseph” appears in the asylum document shown on television next to the black and white photo of the bespectacled fugitive. It was issued on July 31, valid until July 31 of 2014, and is complete with his fingerprint. Kucherna said that Snowden would eventually emerge into public view and give interviews to the press. But he said Snowden first required an “adaptation course” after so long in the transit zone.
Snowden has been staying in the transit zone of the Sheremetyevo airport north of Moscow since he flew in from Hong Kong on June 23. Until now, he had never formally crossed the Russian border.
His awarding of asylum status in Russia came two days after US soldier Bradley Manning was convicted of espionage on Tuesday for leaking US secrets to WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks, which has supported Snowden, said on Twitter Snowden was still “under the care” of WikiLeaks British staffer Sarah Harrison who flew in with him from Hong Kong and is believed to have been with him ever since. “They departed from the airport together in a taxi and are headed to a secure, confidential place,” WikiLeaks said. The sudden awarding of asylum to Snowden risks a diplomatic row with the United States, which had previously described such a prospect as “deeply disappointing”.
Arms Depot Blast kills 40 Syrians
Rockets slammed into government-held districts on Thursday, August 1 in the central Syrian city of Homs, setting off successive explosions in a weapons depot that killed at least 40 people, an opposition group and residents said. The blasts came hours after state TV showed President Bashar Assad making a rare visit to a former rebel bastion near the capital, Damascus, to mark Army Day.
The twin developments showed that rebels fighting to oust Assad are still able to strike back despite significant advances by the military that have bolstered the confidence of the regime. One resident in Homs said the blasts, which sent a massive ball of fire, thick smoke and dust into the sky, were so strong they cracked the walls of some buildings and shook the ground. The blasts sent a massive ball of fire into the sky and caused widespread damage and panic among residents, many of whom are supporters of President Bashar Assad.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which closely monitors the fighting via a network of activists on the ground, said 40 people were killed and 120 were wounded some critically when rockets struck the arms depot and ignited the fire. A resident of Homs corroborated that account, saying he heard blasts for more than an hour after the first explosion. He said they could be heard from the overwhelmingly pro-regime districts of Wadi Dahab and al-Walid, where the regime is known to keep arms depots.
An official at the governor’s office in Homs said six people were killed and 130 wounded when about 10 rockets slammed into the neighborhood of Zahra and the nearby sports stadium. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release the information.
Nine persons killed in suicide attack near Indian Consulate at Jalalabad in Afghanistan
At least nine Afghans, including at least eight children, were killed, and another 24 were wounded in a suicide attack intended to target the Indian Consulate at Jalalabad, the capital of the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan, on August 3, reports The Times of India. The three attackers were also killed. All Indian officials in the Consulate were safe. Nangarhar Province Police Chief General Sharifullah Amin confirmed that the consulate was the intended target of the blast.
India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin stated, “This attack has once again highlighted that the main threat to Afghanistan’s security and stability stems from terrorism and the terror machine that continues to operate from beyond its borders. This was clearly an attack not just against India but an attack against the efforts to help the Afghan people overcome the tragic hardships they have endured due to several decades of war.”
Interpol issues global terror alert following jail breaks across nine countries
Interpol on August 4 sounded a global terror alert advising its members to increase their vigilance against terror attacks, reports The Times of India. According to the Security Agency, the alert comes following a series of jailbreaks across nine countries, including Iraq, Libya and Pakistan. The agency has advised increased vigilance in August, 2013 which marks the anniversary of terror acts in Mumbai (India), Glubokiy (Russia), Jakarta (Indonesia) and the 15th anniversary of the United States (US) Embassy bombings in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. With suspected al Qaeda involvement in several of the prison breakouts which led to the escape of hundreds of terrorists, Interpol has called for assistance from its 190 member countries to determine whether the “recent events were coordinated” as part of a larger terror plot. “They are requested to alert the relevant member country and the secretariat headquarters if any escaped terrorist is located or intelligence developed which could help prevent a terrorist attack,” it said.
US gives seal of approval to Egypt’s new leaders
The United States gave its strongest endorsement yet to Egypt’s new army-installed government, saying the military had been “restoring democracy” when it drove Islamist President Mohammed Mursi from office last month. The Muslim Brotherhood decried the comments by US Secretary of State John Kerry and said their supporters would carry on with protests calling for Mursi’s reinstatement.
Thousands gathered at two Brotherhood camps in Cairo and prepared for a potential confrontation with security forces after the government warned they should give up or face action. International diplomats, rights groups and Egyptian religious leaders appealed to authorities to avoid bloodshed. Almost 300 people have died in political violence since Mursi was overthrown on July 3, including 80 of his supporters killed by security forces in clashes on July 27.
Mursi, who became Egypt’s first freely elected president in June 2012, had faced weeks of demonstrations against his rule. Many Egyptians were frustrated by his failure to get to grips with social and economic problems and feared he was leading the country towards stricter Islamist control. Mursi is now in custody at a secret location. The turmoil has left Egypt more polarised than at any time since US-backed autocrat Hosni Mubarak was toppled in 2011.
Kerry also called on the authorities to respect the right of peaceful protest, including the pro-Mursi rallies. Washington had previously given mixed messages about events in Egypt, long a bulwark of its Middle East policy, although it studiously avoided calling Mursi’s overthrow a “military coup”. Such a description would have triggered a cut-off in the $1.3 billion a year the United States gives Egypt’s military. Stepping up diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis, US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns will arrive in Cairo on Friday night and meet interim Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy. It was not known whether he would also hold talks with army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the man who ousted Mursi.
Mohamed Ali Bishr, a senior Brotherhood leader and a minister in Mursi’s former government, said the movement was disappointed by Kerry’s statement.
European Union envoy Bernardino Leon, who is in Cairo trying to calm tensions, said on Thursday, Aug 1 the EU would not easily accept the use of violence to break up the protest camps. Human Rights Watch said the government should halt any plans to disperse the Muslim Brotherhood vigils by force.
Political sources said there had been intense debate within the cabinet on the wisdom of sending in the security forces to clear the protesters.
Army spokesman Colonel Ahmed Ali said the military wanted no political role but was acting “to support the Egyptian people in their revolution”. In an interview with the London-based newspaper Asharq AlAwsat, he said people had the right to demonstrate peacefully but that Mursi supporters had acted violently. At the Brotherhood’s main Rabaa al-Adawiya camp, young men wearing crash helmets and brandishing sticks mounted a first line of defence behind barricades of sandbags and bricks. Blood from last Saturday’s shooting stained the ground.
Indonesia Temple Bomb ‘Response to Screams of Rohingya’
A bomb that exploded at a Buddhist temple in the Indonesian capital Jakarta bore the words “we are responding to the screams of the Rohingya”, the place of worship said Monday, August 5. It appeared to be the latest outburst of anger in Muslim-majority Indonesia at the plight of Rohingya Muslims, who have been fleeing in their thousands from sectarian violence in Myanmar, where most of the population is Buddhist.
The low-intensity bomb, containing pieces of iron and ball bearings, went off late Sunday inside the Ekayana Buddhist temple as hundreds of worshippers prayed, lightly injuring one person who received cuts to an arm and leg. A second bomb was also set but only emitted smoke and failed to go off, according to police. The attack caused only minimal damage.
Temple official Ponijan Liaw told AFP that CCTV footage showed a man wearing a white shirt entering the temple and placing two green packages with the bombs inside next to two doors before leaving. The blast happened shortly afterwards, he said.
One package bore the words “we are responding to the screams of the Rohingya”, Liaw said, adding the footage had been handed over to police. National police spokesman Ronny Sompie said authorities were still investigating the motive behind the attack and could not comment on who might be responsible.
Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said the bombing “was a provocation aimed at pitting Muslims against Buddhists. “I’m sure Muslims and Buddhists will not be affected. Relations between Muslims and Buddhists are good and as far as I know, there’s never been a conflict between Muslims and Buddhists in Indonesia.”
Security Minister Djoko Suyanto condemned the perpetrators for ruining “the peace of Ramadan”, the Muslim holy month which comes to an end later this week with the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
35 Killed in Nigerian clashes
Nigeria: Clashes between Nigeria’s military and Islamist extremist group Boko Haram in two northeastern towns have left at least 35 people dead, most of them insurgents, the army said Monday, August 5.
The clashes broke out after attacks on soldiers and a police station, according to the military, and occurred as security forces wage an offensive in the region aimed at ending a four-year Islamist insurgency.
A clash in the town of Bama sparked by an attack on a police base “led to the death of one policeman and 17 Boko Haram terrorists,” a military statement said. Fighting in the town of Malam Fatori after an attack on troops “led to the death of two soldiers and 15 Boko Haram terrorists,” it said. Both clashes occurred on Sunday.
According to the military, the insurgents were armed with “sophisticated weapons” and explosives during the attacks. Both Bama and Malam Fatori are located in Nigeria’s Borno state, Boko Haram’s home base.
The statement said soldiers had recovered weapons including 10 AK-47 rifles, bombs and three RPG tubes, among others, after the clash in Bama. “The situations in both places have returned to normal,” the statement said. Borno, badly hit by insurgent attacks as well as heavy-handed military raids, is one of three states currently under a state of emergency while security forces pursue the offensive.
The military has claimed major successes, saying troops have pushed out the insurgents. The number of attacks has appeared to have dropped since the offensive began, but violence has nevertheless continued. The military’s version of events has been difficult to verify since the security forces cut phone networks in the northeast, and access to remote areas is increasingly limited.
The military says it has restored phone connections to a number of areas, but service remains spotty. Violence in recent weeks in the northeast has included three deadly school attacks as well as a clash between insurgents and a vigilante group that recently formed with the encouragement of the military.
There have also been recent attacks outside the areas covered by the state of emergency. Bomb blasts ripped through a mainly Christian area of Kano, the largest city in northern Nigeria, a week ago, killing at least 24 people and shattering a recent lull in insurgent attacks there.
US evacuates staff from Yemen
The United States evacuated dozens of diplomatic staff from Yemen on Tuesday, August 6 amid region-wide fears of an imminent al-Qaeda attack. Washington has closed two dozen US embassies in the Middle East and North Africa after its spies intercepted militant communications, reportedly including an attack order from al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
While the closures span capitals across the Arab world, the focus of fears has been on Yemen, where US forces are fighting a drone war against Al-Qaeda’s powerful local wing. Some 75 non-essential staffers at the US embassy in Sanaa were evacuated aboard a US military plane, a US official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The plane, accompanied by a support aircraft, flew to the US air base in Ramstein, Germany, the official said.
“We are concerned about a threat stream indicating the potential for terrorist attacks against US persons or facilities overseas, especially emanating from the Arabian Peninsula,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
The State Department warned US citizens not to travel to Yemen and strongly urged any already there to leave “immediately.” Separately, Pentagon spokesman George Little said: “The US Department of Defence continues to have personnel on the ground to support the US State Department and monitor the security situation.”
New York Reports Biggest ever Haul of Illegal Guns
More than 200 firearms, from .22 caliber pistols to a submachine gun, have been seized in what New York called on Tuesday, August 20 the biggest seizure of illegal guns in the city’s history. In a statement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration hailed the undercover operation as proof its hard line on guns — and controversial stop-and-frisk police tactics — work. “New York is the safest big city in the nation,” said Bloomberg, an outspoken advocate for tougher gun laws across the United States. “But year after year, illegal guns flow into our city from states that don’t have common-sense laws that keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” he said.
The guns seized originated from the southern states of North Carolina and South Carolina — a 12-hour drive to New York along Interstate 95. No permit is needed to buy a rifle or shotgun in either state, and South Carolina doesn’t require permits for a handgun either. Sales of assault rifles in both states are unrestricted. Among the weapons seized included a fully automatic Cobray nine-millimeter submachine gun with 30-round high capacity magazine and three assault pistols with flash suppressors and high-capacity magazines that hold 30-plus rounds. Also taken off the streets was a 7.62 x 39 millimeter assault rifle manufactured by Chinese arms conglomerate Norinco. Resembling the iconic AK-47 rifle, it sells for around $400 through online gun brokers in the United States.
Of the 19 people charged, three were already in custody on unrelated charges. The others were picked up in New York, North Carolina and South Carolina in a series of arrests from August 2. Stung by the rejection of New York’s controversial stop-and-frisk law last week by a federal judge who deemed it unconstitutional, Bloomberg’s administration stressed how one suspect expressed jitters about the tactic in a phone call picked up by an court-authorized wiretap.
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 Sindh | 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.
