Terrorist Activities in Pakistan
Bomb/IED Blasts
AtOne eight-year-old girl named Beena was killed when she stepped on an Improvised explosive device (IEDs) near a rainwater nullah (stream) in Badni khel area of Tank District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on November 2, reports Daily Times.
Two Policemen were injured after their Police mobile was bombed in Asiabad village of Tump area in Kech District of Balochistan on November 6, reports Daily Times. According to a Turbat Levies official, “The IED was planted by unidentified men and was detonated through a remote controller when the vehicle reached Asiabad”. The injured personnel were identified as constables Mohammed Arif and Mohammed Asif.
A blast outside the house of a lawmaker of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Hazar Khwani area of Peshawar in the evening of November 9 left his daughter injured, reports Dawn. “I was the actual target,” MPA Haji Fazl Ilahi said and added that extortionists had been after him for the past about one month and demanding PKR 10 million from him. He said that the bomb was planted in a motorbike, which was parked beside his house. An official of bomb disposal unit said that it was a time bomb, which weighed about four kilograms.
At least two soldiers were killed and four others were injured in a bombing targeting a Security Force (SF) personnel vehicle near Bannu town (Bannu District) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on November 11, reports Dawn. According to sources, the vehicle was travelling from Bannu towards the Frontier Region of Jani Khel when it was targeted by what appears to be an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
One person was killed and 20 others were injured in an explosion targeting a vehicle carrying Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) Judge Nazeer Ahmed Langove on Double Road in Quetta on November 11, reports Dawn. Judge Langove remained unhurt in the blast. Senior Police Official Imran Qureshi said that the target of the attack was the judge’s vehicle.
Drone Attacks
A United States (US) drone strike killed at least seven militants, including the important ‘commander’ of the Haqqani network, Abdullah Haqqani, in Nargas village of Birmal area in South Waziristan Agency (SWA) on October 30, reports The News. “At least seven militants were killed in the drone strike,” an intelligence official based in Wana said, adding that the dead included four foreigners and Abdullah Haqqani. “Abdullah Haqqani (the commander) was responsible for sending suicide bombers to Afghanistan”.
Six militants were killed and three others sustained injuries in a US drone attack on a house in the Madakhel village of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on November 20, reports The News. Official sources said the drone fired two missiles at a house where local and foreign militants were reported to have been hiding. “As per internal conversations of the militants, six people were killed on the spot and three others injured in the missile strikes,” a security official based in the Dattakhel area of NWA said.
Target Killings
Three persons, including two Lyari gangsters and a Rangers official, identified as Syed Asghar Shah, were killed and another Ranger official, identified as Abdur Rahim, was injured during an encounter with the ‘criminals’ in the Nawa Lane area of Lyari Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, on October 30, reports The Express Tribune. The two gangsters were members of the Uzair Baloch group and were identified as Sarwar Baloch alias Commando and his accomplice Owais Baloch.
Separately, a man, identified as Javeed (25), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants at Murtaza Chowrangi in the Sarafi Goth area of Landhi Town on October 30, reports Daily Times.
In another incident, an auto parts dealer, identified as Mehboob Rehmani (50), was killed by unidentified militants near Noorani Kabab in the Shahrah-e-Quaideen area of Jamshed Town on October 30, reports Daily Times.
Elsewhere, one Jan Muhammad (40) was shot dead in the Qasba Islamia Colony of SITE Town on October 30, reports Daily Times.
In a separate incident, Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Sartaj (48), was killed by unidentified armed assailants in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area near NIPA Chowrangi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town on October 30, reports Daily Times.
In addition, one Abdul Rauf (35), was injured by a stray bullet in Korangi Town on October 30, reports Daily Times.
Three unidentified bullet-riddled dead bodies were found in Khanozai tehsil (revenue unit) of Pishin District on October 31, reported Dawn. “The victims have received multiple bullets from close range,” said a levies official.
Three people were killed and two others injured in separate incidents of violence in Karachi on October 31, reports Daily Times.
A security guard Sohail (28), resident of Punjab Colony, was shot dead by unidentified persons in Khayaban-e-Mujahid, Defence Housing Authority.
In another incident, one Nazeer Balouch (45), who is said to be a former union councilor and a resident of Lyari, was gunned down by unidentified accused on Brohi Chowk, Lyari.
Separately, the beheaded body of a woman aged about 25 was found from Broke Pump, Sohrab Goth.
At least three people, identified as Inayat Baloch, Ijaz Baloch and Shakoor Baloch, and associated with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), were killed and another injured when unidentified militants opened fire in Lyari Town of Karachi on November 5, reported The News. PPP Karachi Division President Abdul Qadir Patel confirmed that all the three deceased were affiliated with his party.
Separately, three unidentified armed assailants shot dead a local journalist, identified as Jeewan Arain, in Khairpur District on November 5, reported The News. According to reports, Arain was on his way to Gambat city of the District from Khohra with a friend on a motorcycle when armed assailants intercepted his bike on Link Road and shot him dead.
Elsewhere, unidentified militants killed one Adnan (25) was killed in Gulzar Hijri area near Sohrab Goth in Gadap Town of Karachi District on November 5, reports Daily Times.
A Lyari gang war criminal, identified as Khalil alias Lalu (20), was killed in a Police encounter at Faqeer Mohammad Road in Nawa Lane area of Lyari Town in Karachi on November 9, reported Daily Times. One TT pistol with 5 rounds was recovered from his possession.
Separately, a man, identified as Liaqat (45), was killed by unidentified armed assailants at Korangi crossing in Allah Wala Town area of Korangi Town on November 9, reports Daily Times.
Elsewhere, an unidentified dead body was found on Raxor Bridge in the limit of Pak Colony in SITE Town on November 9, reported Daily Times.
In a separate incident, a man, identified as Hamid (25), was shot and injured by unidentified armed assailants in Gulshan-e-Noor area of Surjani Town in Gadap Town on November 9, reported Daily Times.
At least two Police Officers were killed and another was injured in a grenade attack targeting their police mobile in Gul Plaza Market on M.A. Jinnah Road in Karachi on November 10, reported Dawn. According to details, one Police Official was killed and two others were injured. Later one of them succumbed to his injuries. The mobile van caught fire after the attack.
Separately, a school van driver, identified as Imran (44), was shot dead by two unidentified armed assailants near Time Square in Surjani Town area of Gadap Town on November 10, reports Daily Times.
In another incident, an unidentified man was shot dead near Chakiwara in Lyari Town on November 10, reported Daily Times.
In a separate incident, a man, identified as Uzair (25), was shot at and injured near Khan Hospital in Baldia Town on November 10, reports Daily Times.
Elsewhere, a girl, identified as Maria (18), was injured after being hit by a stray bullet in Ayesha Manzil area of Gulberg Town on November 10, reported Daily Times.
At least five people, including a Hindu vendor and a teenage boy, were killed while two others were critically wounded when unknown armed assailants opened fire at multiple shops on Usman Road in Balochi Street of Quetta on November 12. According to an official of Gawalmandi Police Station, masked militants on motorbikes opened fire at a barber shop, a tailor shop, and a Hindu vendor in downtown Quetta. The victims were identified as Sunil Jani (the Hindu vendor), Khalid Bila, Irfan, Shakir (14) and Naveed Qureshi. No outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.
Police on November 14 killed five Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants in an encounter in Gulshan-e-Buner area of Landhi Town in Karachi, reported Dawn. Senior Police official Rao Anwar said, “Police asked the militants to surrender, but they opened fire, after which police responded,” he added. “Five terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire,” Anwar said, adding that a large stash of weapons was recovered from the scene.
Separately, at least two Policemen were killed and three others were injured when unidentified armed assailants hurled a hand grenade on a Police mobile van of Preedy Police Station in Lines Area of Jamshed Town on November 14, reported Daily Times.
A Professor of German Department in National University of Modern Languages (NUML), identified as Khalid Bilal Ahmad Khan, was shot dead in an incident of targeted killing near Tarnol in Islamabad on November 17, reports The News. Khan was travelling towards his home with his wife who sustained injuries. The attackers fled towards Rawalpindi.
Miscellaneous
At least 21 terrorists and eight soldiers were killed during a ‘clearance operation’ codenamed Khyber-I in the Spin Qamar area of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on October 29. “Twenty-one terrorists were killed and several others injured during a major clearance operation in Khyber Agency by Security Forces on Wednesday,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
Security Forces on October 28 claimed to have arrested nine suspects in connection with the kidnapping and killing of eight Punjabi labourers in Sakran town of Hub tehsil (revenue unit) in Lasbela District on October 19, 2014, reported Dawn. According to officials, the suspects were detained during an operation launched by police and personnel of other law-enforcement agencies in Sakran and adjoining areas.
At least 20 militants were killed and five militant hideouts were destroyed during targeted aerial strikes by fighter jets in Akakhel, Tirah and other areas of the Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on October 30, reports Dawn. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement said that the fighter aircraft struck militant hideouts as part of ongoing Khyber Operation-1. The details, however, could not be verified as access for journalists is restricted in the area.
At least 20 militants and six personnel of Security Forces (SFs) were killed and three others were injured in an attack against a check post in Lower Orakzai Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on November 1. The militants attacked the Zwan security checkpost, killing six SFs.
Separately, a soldier of Bajaur Levies forces was killed and another was injured in an an Improvise Explosive Devise (IED) explosion while they were on routine patrolling in Qamar Sar area of Mamoond tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur Agency on November 1. Soon after the bomb attack, SFs commenced a search operation in the area. The tribal sources said that between 20 to 25 local people have been detained so far under what the officials claimed territorial responsibilities. The sources added that arrests under territorial responsibilities caused wide range unrest among the tribesmen.
At least five suspected militants were killed and eight others were injured on November 4 as Security Forces (SFs) targeted militant hideouts in the Drewand, Aarinam Wanra, and Zor kaley areas of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), reports Dawn. According to sources, the SFs destroyed four militant hideouts that belonged to the Lashkar-e-Islam (LI).
The personnel of Anti-Extremism Cell (AEC) of the Crime Investigation Department (CID), Sindh, on November 2 foiled a terror bid and arrested five cadres of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi including a bomber in Kanwari Colony of Manghopir area in Karachi, reports The News. During the search of their hideout, the Police recovered 60 kilograms of explosives, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) concealed in a motorcycle, 10 ball bombs, four Kalashnikovs, six locally-made bombs, five TT pistols and hundreds of bullets.
One Policeman and a militant were killed in an exchange of fire on November 6 after militants’ attack a Police van in Mashogagar area of Peshawar, reports Daily Times. The deceased militant was identified as Amir after the police recovered an identity card from his possession. “We have also recovered weapons from the killed militant,” the Police official said.
Meanwhile, Police foiled a major terrorism bid as it defused explosives weighing six kilogrammes in the area adjacent to Ring Road under Pishtakhara Police Station of Peshawar on November 6, reports Daily Times.
At least 27 militants were killed on November 9, while two soldiers also died as Security Forces (SFs) carried out aerial strikes in Akakhel and Tirah areas of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), reports Dawn. Ten militants’ hideouts and an ammunition depot were also destroyed, an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said, adding that those killed included a key militant commander and two suicide bombers.
Separately, dead bodies of 17 militants were recovered from the Spin Qabar area of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency on November 8, reports Dawn. However, these claims could not be independently verified as journalists have limited access to the restive tribal agency.
Further, one militant was killed and four others arrested during a search operation conducted by SFs in the Mamond tehsil (revenue unit) of Bajaur Agency on November 8, reports Dawn. The SFs also seized large cache arms and ammunition during the search operation.
Meanwhile, with SFs targeting hideouts of Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) in Khyber Agency, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ‘chief’ Maulvi Fazalullah on November 9 announced his group will cooperate with the LI, reports The Express Tribune. “Some of the TTP fighters have already been dispatched to Khyber Agency and others should wait for further instructions. They should arm themselves and start physical and spiritual preparations,” said Fazalullah. The TTP chief also announced the appointment of Commander Mansoor Mohmand as new chief of TTP in Mohmand Agency. Mohmand replaces Omar Khalid Khurasani, who had formed the splinter group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaatul Ahrar in August with some other members including Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former TTP spokesperson.
At least four militants and two soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire during clearance operation near the Afghan border in Gharlamai area of North Waziristan Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on November 10, reports Dawn.
Separately, two persons were killed and two others were injured on November 10 in two separate Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts that took place in the Narai Baba area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency, reports Dawn. According to official sources, the first blast occurred near a peace committee post and left one person dead, who was said to be a peace volunteer of Tauheedul Islam (TI). Two other TI activists also sustained injuries in the explosion. In the second explosion, another peace committee volunteer was killed.
Further, three key ‘commanders’ of Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) surrendered to authorities after laying down their arms on November 10, reports Dawn. Official sources say that the newly appointed ‘spokesman’ of the LI Saifullah Saif, Commander Ilyas and Commander Wajid announced that they were leaving the LI and have surrendered. Saifullah Saif belongs to the Qambar Khel tribe, Ilyas to Sipah area, while Commander Wajid is from the Malik Din Khel tribe.
At least 15 militants and six security personnel injured during a clash between militants and Security Force (SF) personnel in the Shirin Dara area of Orakzai Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on November 11, reports Dawn.
Meanwhile, SF personnel in precise aerial strikes in Daras area of Khyber Agency killed 13 militants including some foreigners on November 11, reports Dawn. “Strikes were carried out on credible intelligence about presence of terrorists involved in Wagah border suicide attack,” said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). During the strikes, fighter jets destroyed three militant hideouts including an ammunition depot. Intelligence sources believe that the mastermind and handlers of Wagah border incident might be among the dead. The information, however, could not be verified independently due to restricted access for journalists in the area.
Further, nine militants were killed and 12 others injured on November 11 in a clash between SF personnel and militants in the Akakhel area of Bara tehsil (revenue unit), reports Dawn. According to sources, four key militant commanders have also surrendered to the authorities following the clash.
Five militants were killed, including a key Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) ‘commander’ Spinbat, in a clash with peace committee members of Tauheedul Islam (TI) in Narai Baba area of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) on November 13, reported Dawn. Official sources said that the militants attacked the peace committee volunteers which led to a gun battle between the two groups. Seven TI peace volunteers were injured in the clash.
At least 19 militants were killed during air strikes in Sandapal and Akakhel areas of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on November 12, reported Dawn. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an important militant ‘commander’ was also killed. Furthermore, the air strikes destroyed at least five militant hideouts and an ammunition depot in the area.
Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif during the 176th Corps Commanders Conference on November 12 decided to further scale up the two major military operations simultaneously underway in North Waziristan Agency and Khyber Agency, in order to derive maximum results before the advent of tough weather, reports Daily Times. According to an intelligence official privy to the meeting’s details, the COAS gave a go-ahead to scale up the military operations in the two tribal agencies in order to secure control of the major part of the respective areas before snowfall in FATA.
At least 30 suspected militants were killed and a number of militant hideouts were destroyed in Dattakhel area of North Waziristan Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on November 14, reported Dawn. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), foreign militants were among the 30 who were killed when jet fighters carried out airstrikes in the area.
Separately, militants beheaded a tribesman in public after accusing him of spying for Security Forces (SFs) in Mehraban Kalay area of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency on November 14, reports Dawn. According to sources, the militants ordered local people not to remove the body till evening.
At least five militants and two Afghan security personnel were killed in a militant attack at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Arandu area of Chitral District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on November 15, reports Daily Times. Two Pakistani civilians, including a woman were injured, while two Pakistani Security Forces (SFs) personnel were also injured in attack. Officials said that the militants targeted Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) on a border post.
At least 34 terrorists were killed during the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb in Dattakhel area of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on November 16, reported Daily Times. According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), some important militant ‘commanders’ and foreign terrorists were among those killed.
Separately, at least 27 terrorists, including key ‘commander’ and foreigners, were killed in an air raid carried out by Security Forces (SFs) on November 17 (today) in Dattakhel area, reports The News. Three soldiers, including an Army officer were also killed in the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Another seven militants were killed in an encounter with SFs during a search operation in Datta Khel area on November 16, adds The News.
A grenade attacked killed two Policemen and wounded another one in the Shabqadar area of Charsadda District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on November 19, reports Dawn. “Two men riding a motorbike threw a hand grenade on a Police vehicle patrolling the area, killing two policemen and wounding another one,” District Police Chief Shafiullah Khan said. He said one of the policemen died on the spot and the second in hospital. ‘Spokesman’ of the Jama’at-ul-Ahrar (JuA) faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued to local media in Peshawar.
Pakistan
Four al-Qaeda suspects involved in airport attack arrested in Karachi
The Crime Investigation Department (CID) Police chief Saqib Ismail Memon on October 28 claimed to have arrested four suspects belonging to al Qaeda and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan accused of providing logistical support, funds and weapons to the attackers involved in the June 8, 2014, Karachi airport attack, reports Dawn. The suspects were identified as Sarmad Siddiqi, Nadeem, alias Burger alias Mullah, Asif Zaheer and Master Essa. They are accused of arranging accommodation in Shah Faisal Colony for the militants.
CID official Raja Umer Khattab said that suspect Zaheer was arrested in the 2002 Sheraton bomb blast case in which French technicians working on a submarine project were targeted. He said he remained in prison for eight years and became a close friend of Ahmed Omar Saeed Shaikh, alias Shaikh Omar, who was convicted of kidnapping and killing United States (US) journalist Daniel Pearl. He said that Zaheer, belonging to Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HuJI), was released from a Hyderabad jail sometime back and then he along with his accomplices allegedly killed jail official Naeem Ghauri.
Three TTP militants killed
Police claimed to have killed three Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants in an encounter in Sohrab Goth area of Gadap Town in Karachi on Oct 31, reports The News. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir, Rao Anwar said that a suicide bomber and amir(chief) of TTP Karachi Chapter Sultan were killed in the shootout. The Police recovered heavy arms, detonators and suicide vest during the encounter.
Three of their accomplices who were planning to attack the main procession during Ashura (10th day of Muharram) were arrested. “These militants were definitely busy preparing for an attack on the main procession at Tibet Centre during Ashura,” SSP Anwar said. One of the escaped militants was identified as TTP’s local ‘commander’ Qari Noorullah.
Quoting a report prepared by the intelligence agencies, Sindh Home Secretary Dr. Niaz Ali Abbasi said the militants are planning on using vehicles belonging to the media, welfare and rescue organisations, such as Police vans, ambulances, fire trucks and oil tankers, for deadly attacks. In a press statement issued on Friday, Abbasi urged the Police and Rangers to monitor such vehicles thoroughly. “The terrorists have planned to hit explosives-laden vehicles to majalis (gathering) and processions,” he said, asking the traffic police to keep an eye on such vehicles.
IS bigger threat to Pakistan than TTP, says Altaf Hussain
Speaking at a press conference in London on October 31, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said that Islamic State (IS) militants are bigger threat to Pakistan than Taliban and al Qaeda, reported Dawn. He said that Pakistan was facing a devastating threat in the shape of IS, citing sudden appearance of its flags in the country specifically from southern Punjab to Islamabad. Hussain said that militants were leaving Taliban outfits to join the new extremist group. “IS is more dangerous than Taliban and al Qaeda,” he said.
Pakistan Army DMO asks ANA to check ‘suspicious’ border activity ahead of Ashura
Pakistan Army’s Directorate of Military Operations (DMO) on October 31 reportedly asked Afghan National Army (ANA) DMO to enhance cross-border surveillance on their side of the international border in order to stop unauthorized cross-border movement ahead of Ashura (10th day of Muharram), reports Daily Times. The demand was made in the backdrop of the purportedly unchecked movement of ‘suspicious’ elements who were allegedly crossing the border and tried to make unauthorised entries from Torkham to Pakistani side of the border but were intercepted by Pakistani officials. According to sources, four cases have been reported recently by the military and Frontier Corps (FC) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa officials deployed at the Pakistan-Afghanistan Khyber Agency-Torkham Border whereby six Afghan people tried to enter Pakistan without any proper documentation. “They did not have passports, identity cards or any other document to prove their identities,” said a security official privy to the matter.
According to the official, the said persons were not stopped by the ANA Afghan Border Police and the immigration authorities from leaving Afghanistan and allowing them to make unauthorised entry into the Pakistani territory. “Strangely, nobody stopped them and that rings alarm bells for us.” The security official said that the people in question were detained by the Pakistani security officials for interrogation. During interrogation, it was revealed that the unauthorised entrants had travelled from Jalalabad to Torkham and wanted to go to parts of Khyber Agency where Khyber-1 Operation was underway. There are three ANA pickets set up from Jalalabad to Torkham in Afghanistan but the suspects were not stopped and checked at any picket, the official added.
60 persons killed and 150 others injured in suicide attack near Wagah international border
Sixty people, including three Rangers officials, were killed and over 150 received injuries when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the third Rangers checkpost, around 500 yards away from the Wagah international border in Punjab on November 2, reports The News. The Director General (DG) Rangers (Punjab), Major General Tahir Javed Khan, confirmed that a suicide bomber had carried out the attack who was trying to enter the parade venue at the border crossing. Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Operations, Dr Haider Ashraf said the crime scene implied that the suicide bomber was carrying around 15 kilograms of explosives and a bag. He ruled out the impression of the use of an explosive device, saying the blast created only a one-inch crater.
Meanwhile, three militant outfits claimed the responsibility of the attack. The Jundallah group was the first to take responsibility. It was followed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, the breakaway faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The JuA ‘spokesman’, Ehsanullah Ehsan, claimed a suicide bomber Hanifullah carried out the Wagah attack. “It was a suicide attack and the target were the Pakistani security forces protecting the Shia community,” he said. “We learnt that a so-called militant organisation Jundallah has claimed responsibility but it’s not true. This is not the same Jundallah engaged in targeting the Shia community in Iran. This is a fake group that doesn’t even have a single suicide bomber,” the spokesman insisted. And finally, a group introducing itself as the TTP’s Mahar Mehsud faction phoned reporters to claim responsibility for the attack.
The Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on November 2 said that the Ministry of Interior had issued a warning of a suicide bombing in Lahore and an investigation would be initiated against those who had not taken the necessary steps to avert this tragedy, reports The News. He directed the police and other security agencies to show a high level of alertness on Ashura day. He said that after the Lahore incident, the Army had been called out in 54 cities as around 33,000 Security Force (SFs) personnel had been deployed in different towns and cities to ensure law and order.
24563 civilians and security personnel killed in militant attacks from 2003 to 2014: Punjab Home Department
According to Punjab Home Department, as many as 25,463 civilians and security personnel have been killed in terrorist attacks from 2003 to October 19, 2014 across the country, reports The News on November 2. Punjab Interior Ministry data revealed that in 2014 (till October 19) a total of 1,809 people were killed including 1,369 civilians and 440 security personnel. Data revealed that in 2003, a total of 164 people were killed which included 140 civilians and 24 security personnel. In 2004, 619 people were killed including 435 civilians and 184 security personnel, in 2005 about 511 people were killed including 430 civilians and 81 security personnel.
Data showed that 933 people were killed in 2006 out of which 608 were civilians and 325 were security personnel, in 2007, as many as 2119 people were killed which included 1,522 civilians and 597 security personnel and in 2008, 2,809 were killed out of which 2,155 were civilians and 654 security personnel. Data further showed that 3,315 people were killed in 2009 out of which 2,324 were civilians and 991 were security personnel. It said 2,265 people were killed in 2010 which included 1,796 civilians and 469 security personnel while in 2011 some 3,503 people were targeted which included 2,738 civilians and 765 security personnel.
As many as 3,739 people were killed in 2012 which included 3007 civilians and 732 security personnel while in 2013 some 3677 people were killed out of which 3001 were civilians and 676 security personnel.
Pakistan operation fractured Haqqani network: US
A top US general in command of international forces in Afghanistan on November 6 said that Pakistan’s ongoing military operation in North Waziristan Agency has helped disrupt the Haqqani network’s ability to launch attacks on Afghan territory, reports The News. Lieutenant General Joseph Anderson, a senior commander for US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, noted in a Pentagon-hosted video briefing from Afghanistan on Wednesday that the Haqqani network is now fractured like the Taliban. “They are fractured. They are fractured like the Taliban is. That’s based pretty much on the Pakistan ops (operations) and North Waziristan this entire summer-fall,” he said, while acknowledging the effectiveness of Pakistan’s continuing military offensive known as Zarb-e-Azb. “That has very much disrupted their efforts here (in Afghanistan) and has caused them to be less effective in terms of their ability to pull off an attack here in Kabul,” Anderson added.
US, Afghanistan not cooperating on counterterrorism, says Foreign Office
Accusing Washington and Kabul of lack of cooperation in its ongoing drive against terrorism, Islamabad on November 6 said it does not “object to any countries presence in Afghanistan”. It has also rejected any conditionality on Pak- India dialogue on Kashmir. “At the time of when Operation Zarb-e-Azb began, the Afghans and the Americans were asked to take corresponding action on other side of the border, who may flee. You would have seen the briefings by DG ISPR, confirming the unfortunate fact that we did not receive cooperation which we expected and which would have been in the interest of making safe not only Pakistan but also Afghanistan,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told the journalists in weekly briefing. “In this background, these baseless allegations in report to US Congress are unacceptable to Pakistan,” she said in response to a report from the United States Department of Defence presented to the American Congress on November 4.
Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan rules out the presence of IS militants in Pakistan
Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on November 11 ruled out the presence of Islamic State (IS) militants in Pakistan, reports Dawn. “No organisation of this name exists in Pakistan,” the Interior Minister said. The statement comes days after the provincial government of Balochistan conveyed a confidential report to law enforcement agencies warning of increased footprints of IS, also known by the Arabic acronym Daish, in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, on November 11 Dawn reported that the recent ‘wall chalking’ in support of IS fighting in Iraq and Syria has led the security administration to begin an investigation into the possible presence of the militant outfit in the city. “Police have started a probe into the wall chalking in the city,” said Karachi East Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Munir Ahmed Shaikh.
In connection with the wall chalking, the DIG admitted that such chalking had been seen within the jurisdiction of the Jamshed Quarters and Sohrab Goth Police Stations. It merely stated that IS had arrived in the city, he added. “No concrete evidence has been found so far that could suggest the presence of IS, or Daish, in the metropolis,” he said. Nor any person had been detained for having links with the outfit, added. However, DIG Shaikh said the Police had started a probe into it to know about the possible presence of the outfit.
Islamabad’s Security ‘inextricably linked’ with Afghanistan, says Pakistani Army
Pakistan’s military on November 14 told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who is on his first state visit to Pakistan that the security of the two countries was ‘inextricably linked’, reports Daily Times. A tweet from Major General Asim Bajwa, head of the military’s public relations wing, said Ghani’s trip took place amid a positive atmosphere and that border cooperation was “in focus”. “Tribute to Pakistan sacrifices, Bodes well for region,” he said, adding, “Security, stability a shared goal. Our security inextricably linked.”
Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said discussions between Ghani and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be wide-ranging. “Peace and stability, everything to do with bilateral cooperation, political engagement, economic cooperation, the training program- everything is on the table,” she said.
Zarb-e-Azb has boosted US confidence in Pakistan, says Washington Post report
The Operation Zarb-e-Azb has boosted United States (US) confidence in Pakistan’s commitment to combating terrorist groups operating within its borders on November 14, reports Daily Times, quoting a Washington Post (WP) report. Army chief General Raheel Sharif’s visit to the US will be marked by greater optimism and trust between the two countries, according to the WP report. It said the army chief’s first visit to the US taking place at the invitation of Chairman Joint Chiefs Staff Gen Martin Dempsy cited an improved environment with upward trajectory of Pakistan-US relations, Pakistan’s disruption of militant groups in North Waziristan Agency with its major Zarb-e-Azb Operation as well as improving relations between Islamabad and Kabul.
Referring to the ongoing Zarb-e-Azb operation in North Waziristan, the Post noted that the US officials statements show that the offensive has boosted their confidence in Pakistan’s commitment to combating terrorist groups operating within its borders. The report quoted Lieutenant General Joseph Anderson, a senior commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, who told reporters that the Haqqani Afghan insurgent group “is now fractured”. “That’s based pretty much on the Pakistan operations in North Waziristan this entire summer-fall,” the Post quoted Anderson’s remarks.
Pakistan ranks third in Global Terrorism Index
A new global study by London-based Institute for Economics and Peace has ranked Pakistan third on the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) list, Dawn reported on November 18. The report said Iraq was the country hit hardest by terrorism, with 2,492 attacks that killed more than 6,300 people. It was followed by Afghanistan and Pakistan, with Nigeria and Syria in fourth and fifth place respectively. With 10,000 worldwide attacks in 2013, the report says Pakistan in particular saw a 37 percent increase in deaths and 28 percent increase in injuries since 2012. The report also said that deaths resulting from terror incidents in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Syria account for more than 80 per cent of the total deaths from attacks. The report also says that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan between 2000 and 2013 has claimed 778 attacks, of which 12 percent were carried out by suicide bombers. It also says that the Taliban have the highest number of fighters, estimated to be between 36,000 to 60,000.
REGIONAL
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
JEL Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami sentenced to death for war crimes during Liberation War
Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) ameer (chief) Motiur Rahman Nizami (71) was sentenced to death, on October 29, by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) for mass murder, rape and looting during 1971 Liberation War, reports The Daily Star. Nizami was found guilty on eight of the 16 charges brought against him. Four charges brought him death: he was involved in the killings of intellectuals murders of 450 civilians and rape in Bausgari and Demra killings of 52 people in Dhulaura killings of 10 people and rape of three women in Karamja. Nizami was also sentenced to imprisonment for life on the charges of involvement in the killing of Kasim Uddin, and two others, and Sohrab Ali in Pabna, torture and killing at Mohammadpur Physical Training Centre and killing of freedom fighters Rumi, Bodi, Jewel and Azad at Old MP Hostel in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, protesting the capital punishment of its chief, JeI and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir cadres went on the rampage across the country on October 29, reports The Independent. In Chapainawabganj District, 20 people including two Policemen were injured when JeI-ICS cadres clashed with Police at Shibganj bazar area. In Bogra District, Police arrested 16 JeI-ICS cadres for bringing out processions at different places protesting against the verdict. In Satkhira District, Police arrested 13 leaders and cadres of JeI-ICS for bringing out procession at the Kalibari intersection. In Dhaka city, Police arrested seven JeI-ICS cadres while they tried to bring out processions at Gulshan, Mugda, Moghbazar, Motijheel, Uttara and Mirpur areas.
JeI called for strike on October 30 , November 2 and November 3.
Five JMP militants along with large quantity of bomb-making materials in Sirajganj District
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested the chief coordinator of banned militant outfit Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and his four close aides from Sadar sub-District railway station of Sirajganj District on October 31, reports The Independent. 49 primary detonators, 26 electronic detonators, four time bombs, 10 kg of power gel, 155 different kinds of circuits, 55 jihadi books and a power regulator were also recovered from their possession. The arrestees were identified as JMB chief coordinator Abdun Noor and cadres Noor Islam Sagor, Nuruzzaman Arif, Abul Kalam Azad and Faruk Ahmed. During preliminary interrogation, the JMB operatives confessed that they were planning to carry out large-scale bomb attacks across the country, particularly in Dhaka city.
India needs to take actions to destroy Bangladeshi militants operating from India: PM Hasina Wajed
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed in an interview with Kolkata-based Anandabazar Patrika on October 31 said “India needs to take actions to destroy Bangladeshi militants operating from India much in the same way Indian militants have been obliterated from Bangladesh’s soil.” Hasina’s statement came after Indian intelligence claimed that the two people killed in a recent explosion in a house at Burdwan in West Bengal (India) were Bangladeshis and members of outlawed militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh. Hasina further said “We feel bad when we come to know that taking shelters in the very West Bengal, militants are conspiring against Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Government and the people.”
Three HuJI-B militants arrested in Dhaka city
Detective Branch (DB) of Police arrested three militants of banned outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh from Postogola area in Dhaka city on November 1, reports The Daily Star. The identities of the arrestees were not known immediately. Additional Deputy Commissioner Saidur Rahman said “Among them, two were preparing to go abroad for receiving training.”
JeL-ICS cadres explode 12 crude bombs in Bogra District during its 48-hour countrywide hartal
Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir cadres exploded at least 12 crude bombs targeting Police in Bogra town of Bogra District during its 48-hour countrywide hartal (shut down) on November 5, reports The Independent. Police could not arrest any person from the spot. In Jhenidah District, six JeI-ICS cadres were arrested from different areas of the District. In Chandpur District, Police arrested 11 JeI-ICS cadres during the shutdown for creating anarchy.
HuJI-B top leader arrested in Dhaka city
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on November 6 arrested Maulana Abu Bakar Siddique alias Hafez Selim Hawlader (35), a top leader of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh from Keraniganj in Dhaka city, reports The Daily Star. Siddique is a fugitive death row convict in Ramna Batamul carnage case during the Pahela Baishakh celebrations that killed 10 people in 2001 and also an accused in the August 21 grenade attack case that killed 24 people and injured scores in 2004.
A Dhaka court in June handed the death penalty to eight HuJI-B operatives, including Siddique and life term imprisonment to six others in the Ramna Batamul carnage case.
ABT pages administrator arrested in Dhaka city
The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested the pages’ administrator of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), Mohammad Morshed Alam alias Masum alias Tractor, at his house in Dhaka city’s Kallyanpur on November 5. After arrest of the pages’ administrator the DB said, “As internet has been one of the main tools of communication, ABT is spreading the doctrine of jihad (holy war) through 117 web pages including on Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. The group is disseminating not only militant ideology by uploading provocative contents but also running anti-state and anti-Government propaganda on the platforms.”
ABT spiritual leader arrested in Dhaka city for killing imam Sheikh Nurul Islam Faruqi on August 27
Detective Branch (DB) of Police arrested Mozaffar Bin Mohsin (29), spiritual leader of the militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) in Dhaka city’s Mohammadpur on November 8 in the case filed for killing Supreme Court mosque imam Sheikh Nurul Islam Faruqi on August 27, reports The Daily Star. DB officials said that Mohsin was a regular preacher of Juma (Friday) prayers and often talked against Faruqi’s thoughts. DB has collected a video footage that shows Mozaffar preaching against Faruqui’s ideology and saying that he should be slain for his “blasphemous ideology”.
We are trying to decipher encrypted messages used by militant outfits to communicate with each other on secret websites, say DB officials
Officials of Detective Branch (DB) on November 9 said that as part of the ongoing effort to clamp down on militants, we are trying to decipher encrypted messages used by militant outfits to communicate with each other on secret websites, reports Dhaka Tribune. Assistant Commissioner of DB, AKM Mahbubur Rahman said “We have come to know that militant leaders were using secret IP addresses and encrypted messages to issue commands to sleeper cells.” Joint Commissioner of DB, Monirul Islam also told that internet was now the birthplace of militants, as militants relied on the web to share messages and organize. Analyzing the websites, the Police have already identified the acting chief of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) as well as identifying four other spiritual leaders of the outfit, he added.
JMB suspect arrested in Narayanganj
Police on November 13 arrested Zafar Ahmed, a suspect of the banned militant outfit Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh from Naryanganj District in connection with his alleged links with Sajjid alias Sheikh Rehmantullah alias Masum now detained in India for involving in Burdwan blast, reports Observer.
Trend towards using female operatives in the Islamist militant outfit in the country is alarmingly growing: Police
Detective Branch (DB) of Police on November 13 said that the trend towards using female operatives in the Islamist militant outfit in the country is alarmingly growing, reports Dhaka Tribune. The militant outfits are using their female members as a distraction technique to pull the wool over the eyes of law enforcers. Such tendency is largely adopted by the banned organization Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh. The technique is known amongst the militant outfits as couple module. The JMB planned to set up their den in West Bengal (India) by using this technique. In such module the members of a militant organization make a pair with one female and one male identifying themselves as husband and wife.
Islamist outfits are trying to gather their members for militant activities through social networking sites under the banner of BJG, say Law enforcers
Law enforcers said that some banned Islamist outfits are trying to gather their members for militant activities through social networking sites under the banner of the Bangladesh Jihadi Group (BJG), reports The Independent on November 15. They claimed that some youths who are experts in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are operating several websites as tools of their internal communication.
They have created several fan pages on Facebook, Twitter and other sites for recruitment.
Bangladesh and other countries should enact laws to confiscate financial institutions of radical parties, says US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Ed Royce, Chairman of the United States (US) House Committee on Foreign Affairs while meeting Bangladesh Ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin at Capitol Hill in Washington DC on November 19 said that Bangladesh and other countries should enact laws to confiscate financial institutions of radical parties, reports The Daily Star. The two officials discussed various phenomenon of terrorism and radicalism the world is facing today and links between political parties operating in the name of religion and extremist offshoots around the world.
India – Internal Dynamics
Civilian shot at and injured in Manipur
Unidentified assailants shot at and injured a retired Public Works department employee, identified as Ningthoukhongjam Ibopishak, on October 29 at Mongba Hanba jungle in Imphal East District, reports The Sangai Express.
Pro-ISIS posters appear in Kerala capital
Days after the Kerala Government was warned that the state was turning into a recruiting hub for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), now rechristened as Islamic State, a poster supporting the terror outfit appeared on October 28 near the Thampanoor Police station in the Thiruvananthapuram District, reports International Business Times. The Police immediately removed the poster and are investigating the case.
The poster reportedly carried a message justifying ISIS’s activities in Iraq and Syria.
Maoists kill youth in Odisha
The Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres killed a tribal youth in Malkangiri District on October 30, suspecting him to be a ‘Police informer’, reports The Pioneer. According to reports, a group of 10 to 15 Maoists reached Panimetala village in the night of October 29 and abducted Bhima Madhi (27), whose bullet-ridden body was found lying on the main road near MPV-31 village by the villagers in the early morning of October 30. The villagers also found two Maoists posters near the body. While one poster said that Bhima was killed for being a ‘Police informer’, the other poster was on the call for a Malkangiri Bandh (general shutdown) on October 30, to protest the killing of three Maoists by tribals at Biravaram village on the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh Border on October 19.
Al-Qaeda pamphlet calling or ISIS-style caliphate in Bangladesh recovered in West Bengal
Intelligence officials in West Bengal have found a purported al Qaeda pamphlet, which talks about establishing an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-style Islamic caliphate in Bangladesh which eventually includes several eastern and northeastern Indian states, reports Hindustan Times on October 29. The pamphlet, written in Bangla and being secretly distributed in West Bengal and Assam, says establishing a caliphate in Bangladesh is crucial for intensifying jihad in Indian states on the eastern border. The pamphlet specifically mentions West Bengal and Assam, though intelligence officials suspect Bihar and Jharkhand also feature in the terror group’s plans. The pamphlet, suspected to have been smuggled into the state through Bangladesh, was discovered a few days before the October 2 Burdwan blast in West Bengal.
“If we manage to establish a Syria-like reign here (in Bangladesh) then Muslims from Assam, Arakan (former name of Burma’s Rakhine State) and West Bengal too would be able to come here for hijrat (migration with religious agenda). Simultaneously, anti-India revolts would intensify in seven eastern Indian states. This would be a huge blow for India, one of the key non-Muslim states in the changed situation of the world,” says the pamphlet. A senior officer working with a central intelligence agency on October 29 said, “We have got a copy of the leaflet. We will soon send it to New Delhi. This issue has to be discussed at the top level.”
Territorial Army man killed in grenade attack in Manipur
An engineer of Territorial Army (TA), identified as Lance Naik Jagga Singh of 107 Engineer Regiment, was killed in a grenade attack by militants in Imphal East District on November 3, reports The Sangai Express. The militants had attacked 165 A-company post of the Territorial Army at Koirengei under Heingang police station. Later, Police conducted a search at the blast site and found an unexploded grenade that was later diffused.
JMB wanted to set up women wing in Assam, states Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh was trying to establish a women’s wing in the state, Indian Express reports on November 4. “The JMB was trying to set up a women’s wing in Assam. They have already attracted a number of youth from Assam, some of whom have also gone abroad to train in jihad,” Gogoi said. He also said that Barpeta District in Assam had become a major concentration of jihadi elements. “They are most active in Barpeta District,” Gogoi said. On a question about surveillance on madrasas (Islamic seminary) in the state, Gogoi said not all madrasas are in the radar of the Police. “Just because one of two madrasas have been identified or persons associated with madrasas have been arrested does not mean all the madrasas are involved in jihadi activities. We cannot blame all,” he said.
CPI-Maoist deny links
The Communist Party of India-Maoist has accused the Chhattisgarh Government and Bastar Police of trying to hatch a “conspiracy” to establish Maoists’ links with Islamic extremists and Pakistan’s the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), reports The Hindu on November 4. “The government and police are trying to propagate that the Maoists are in contact with Muslim militants and the ISI. As a part of this conspiracy, the police killed an unknown Muslim youth in Harrekoded village of Bastar on September 19 and declared him a Maoist,” alleged Gudsa Usendi, the spokesperson of the Danda karanya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), in a statement sent to senior journalists based in Bastar. The spokesperson appealed to all Muslims, minority social organisations, Human Rights bodies and the media to make an ‘independent inquiry’ into the September 19 Harrekoded encounter.
19300 detonators seized in Mizoram
Mizoram Police, in November 6, recovered 19,300 detonators from two arrested men identified as Kaphnuna and Rochhingpuia Indo-Myanmar border village of Zokhawthar in Champhai District, reports The Indian Express. On further investigation another individual identified as Lalhmunmawia was also arrested from an unspecified location.
Intelligence agencies warn of ‘lone wolf’ terror attacks on foreign missions in India
Fearing ‘lone wolf’ terrorist attacks on western targets in major metropolitan cities, central intelligence agencies have asked Police forces to take extra measures to secure embassies, consulates and nationals of such countries, especially the US, The Times of India reports on November 7. The target list includes Delhi, Mumbai (Maharashtra), Kolkata (West Bengal), Hyderabad, Bangalore (Karnataka) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu).
Agencies fear that educated youths from different parts of the country, radicalized over the internet by terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (IS), may carry out solo attacks on western targets, sources said. Police have been asked to specifically brief diplomats of US, Australia, Canada and European countries and beef up security in areas frequented by western nationals.
Sources said agencies have picked up chatter on the internet asking youths to “pick Americans and Israelis on the streets and stab them”. After the recent suicide attack across the border in Wagah, agencies are not taking the jihadi threats of similar attacks in India lightly and have stepped up vigil. The alert warns that there are now several cases of educated, young boys being radicalized over the internet in places like Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan.
3 women Maoist cadres killed in Chhattisgarh
3 women Maoist cadres were killed in a fierce gun-battle with security personnel in Potenar forests under Jangla Police Station limits in Bijapur District on November 8, reports Zee News. “The face-off took place in restive Potenar forests under Jangla Police Station limits when a joint squad of District Force and CRPF was carrying out a combing operation in the region,” Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Indira Kalyan Elesela said. Two muzzle loading guns and a 12 bore gun were also recovered from the spot.
Meanwhile, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was on November 9 injured in a gun-battle with Maoists in Bijapur District, reports Zee News. “The face-off took place in restive Kudmel hills under Mirtur Police Station limits when a joint squad of paramilitary personnel and District Force was carrying out combing operation in the region,” Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Indira Kalyan Elesela said.
SF personnel seize 1400 kg of explosives, 1,700 detonators in Jharkhand
Security Forces (SFs) seized 1400 kg of local explosives and over 1,700 detonators during an anti-Communist Party of India-Maoist operation in Bokakhar-Ranidah area of Latehar District in poll-bound Jharkhand on November 10, reports The Hindu. The operation was carried out by Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) troops of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) along with Jharkhand ‘Jaguars’ Police unit. The seized items include1,745 detonators, three gas cylinder based Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) of 50 kg each, a 5kg cane bomb, 400 kg of urea mixed with petrol, 10 kg of gun powder, nitro sulphide weighing approximately 1 kg, two large cutter machines, two drill machines, 400 syringes, tool boxes, electronic gadgets and 200 pressure cookers used to prepare IEDs.
Two Assam Rifles troopers killed in Manipur
The Sangai Express reports that on November 11, two unidentified Assam Rifles (AR) troopers were killed and while three AR men were injured when militants of an unidentified group attacked them at Behiang in Churachandpur District. The militants first set off an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and then opened fire at the troopers. It is suspected that the militants sneaked into Manipur from Myanmar past border pillar number 43 and went back to Myanmar through the same route after the attack
‘JMB planning to carry out terror attacks in India’, says report
Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) allegedly involved in the October 2, 2014 Bardhaman blast, was planning to carry out terror attacks in India, in addition to the outfit’s plans to trigger explosion in the neighbouring country, New Indian Express reports on November 10. According to the sources who questioned Sajid, alleged to be a mastermind of the blast, JMB was trying to set up a terror network in West Bengal, particularly in three Districts of Murshidabad, Nadia, Malda, and in Assam through armed struggle besides having an ‘Shariat’ rule in Bangladesh, official sources said. In the process, the banned terror group was ready to do terror acts to achieve their goal, Sajid, a Bangladeshi national and stated to be the ‘chief commander’ of JMB, is claimed to have confessed before the investigators.
The Times of India adds on November 12 that JMB was to evolve as a disciplined ‘army’ and not a terror outfit. Sajid has revealed that his wife Fatima, an Indian, was tasked with setting up woman’s modules in states of Jharkhand and Odisha.
Sajid went on to claim that women played a very important role in this operation. “Their role was not limited to teaching the Sharia laws or transporting the bombs. We had also advised them to travel to other states and encourage others to join. Some of the women were also told to lay honey traps on government officials to seek information and also favours,” said Sajid Ali.
CRPF asks for better weapons from government
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on November 12 asked the Government to replace its outdated, especially the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) rifles, to avoid casualties at the hands of the Naxals-Left Wing Extremists (LWEs) and other outlaws, reports The Asian Age. Quoting the CRPF Director General (DG) Dilip Trivedi an official said “These are slow in response and often can’t counter the Naxal bullets, putting the jawans in danger.” The CRPF has submitted its proposal to the Union Ministry of Home Ministry (UMHA) for replacement of the old weapons.
Meanwhile, the CRPF DG while addressing the media on the eve of the CRPF’s 75th raising day has termed Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand as the most challenging states when it comes to tackling the LWEs in the country, reports Zee News on November 12. He further said “The major concern is explosives. There has been an improvement in the type of explosives being used by them (Naxals) like pressure bombs and command wires for triggering them. They are obtaining capabilities to detonate a mine from a large distance. We are not bothered about the weaponary that they use but explosives that they possess.” When asked if State Police forces were not taking a lead role in anti-LWE operations he said, “There is some truth in the whole situation.”
Eight illegal guf factories busted
Bihar Police on November 14 busted eight illegal gun factories in Rishikund forest under Bariyarpur Police Station limits of Munger District and arrested one person, identified as Rajaram Paswan, in connection with it, reports Zee News. Paswan, who ran one of these eight factories, has been arrested while the owners of seven other units managed to flee. As many as 19 automatic pistols, two magazines, two crude bombs and a large quantity of equipments used for processing illicit weapons were seized from these factories. During interrogation, Paswan told the Police that Maoists had forced them to run the factories.
Bardhaman terror links spread to Jharkhand, says report
The officials of Central intelligence agencies have unearthed the network of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Bardhaman (West Bengal) terror modules link in Jharkhand, New Indian Express reports on November 15. Sources in the government stated that JMB terrorists had opened two Jihadi Madrasas (Islamic seminary) in Sahibganj District of Jharkhand to recruit and train terror modules. The Bardhaman terror handlers were already operating two separate madrasas in Simulia and Murshidabad, which was primarily focusing on female Jihadis. “The two Madrasas in Sahibganj are linked to Bardhaman terrorists. They were already operating two Madrasas in West Bengal. It appears the JMB terror had become a diffuse movement with recruits in other states that threaten the country,” sources said.
Sources also confirmed that at least 110 Jihadis were trained in all four madrasas, including West Bengal and Jharkhand. They were trained in Improvised Explosive Device (IED), rifle shooting and Jihadi ideology. Sources admitted that with the new revelations, JMB-Bardhaman terror module has emerged as the country’s top terrorism concern.
“The indoctrinated youth remain a threat to Security and Intelligence agencies. Jharkhand has become a fertile ground for Jihadi recruits by Indian Mujahideen (IM) and it appears the JMB’s key handlers have taken advantage of it. A thorough probe is on to find out the Jharkhand madrasas’ handlers and trainers,” sources added.
Down but not out, says CPI-Maoist
Days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh cautioned that the Communist Party of India-Maoist is down but not out, the Maoists have claimed that what he said was right, reports The Times of India. CPI-Maoist’s Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC) general secretary Rupeshji said their silence should not be mistaken for disenchantment of the militia with its ideology. “It could be a part of our strategy that we are not willing to waste our energy, forces and weapons, but an appropriate response will be given to the security forces if they continue with their repression,” he said. Talking exclusively to Times of India on November 15, Rupeshji said though they have been facing difficulties in terms of repression by security forces and covert action of the state-sponsored armed intelligence groups, such actions have made the outfit even more determined. Citing a recent example of villagers in Madanpur area under Aurangabad district of Bihar, who blocked the National Highway (GT road) to protest against atrocities by CRPF personnel, the BJSAC chief said that such protests are going to be commonplace all over Jharkhand and Bihar. “Martyrdom of Kalawati Devi and Ramadhan Bhuinya, killed in police firing during the protest, will not be allowed to go waste and villagers are being trained to rise against the repression of security forces,” he said, indicating towards Saranda, where a mass movement is being planned against the forceful eviction of villages to give mining rights to 19 private companies. “How long can the government succeed if the villagers themselves rise against them?” he argued.
Al-Qaeda ‘seeking’ SIMI help to boost recruitment, according to intelligence inputs
According to intelligence inputs, al Qaeda, which has announced plans to target India, is keen on recruiting youth trained in computers or aeronautics for its terror designs and is taking the help of banned terror outfit Students Islamic Movement of India for this, Oman Tribune reports on November 17. Sources said intelligence inputs shared by central agencies with the Police in some major cities including Delhi, Bangalore (Karnataka), Kolkata (West Bengal) and Mumbai (Maharashtra) talked of al Qaeda not only planning to recruit disgruntled youth but had a target to pick up those familiar with use of computers or having knowledge about aeroplanes. They said that al Qaeda is using Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives in Pakistan to establish contacts with the sleeper cells of SIMI to recruit educated Muslim youth.
“A recruit with some technical skill can prove to be more lethal than others. Al Qaeda wants to add manpower and gain capabilities,” an official said. Sources said that al Qaeda has plans to cause blasts and other disturbances in India.
BSF trooper and civilian driver killed
A trooper of the Border Security Force (BSF), identified as Adil Abbas, and a civilian driver, identified as Himari Rangtor, were killed and a civilian driver Jiten Chhakma was injured on November 17 when suspected National Liberation Front of Tripura militants ambushed their vehicle at them in a remote area bordering Pusparam Para under Vangmoon Police station in North Tripura District, reports The Sentinel. The area is strategically important as militants use it for cross border movement.
Monthly Fatalities
The following deaths related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period Oct 26, 2014 to Nov 25, 2014:
| Civilians | Indian Security | Militant | Total | |
| Assam | 04 | 00 | 09 | 13 |
| Manipur | 00 | 01 | 01 | 02 |
| Meghalaya | 04 | 00 | 02 | 06 |
| Tripura | 01 | 01 | 00 | 02 |
| Left wing | 12 | 02 | 07 | 21 |
| Total | 21 | 04 | 19 | 44 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Maoist threat won’t stop us from issuing constitution, says NC-CPN-UML
On November 9, Prime Minister (PM) and Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala, Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) Chairperson KP Oli jointly organized a press conference in Kathmandu, stressing that a constitution would be promulgated by January 22 deadline is inevitable through a majority-vote process, irrespective of Maoist threat, reports Nepal News. “The Maoists and their front’s strategy of not wanting consensus and not letting others move without consensus will not more work,” said PM Koirala. “No one can prevent releasing a constitution by the deadline even by entering a process. CPN-UML Chair KP Oli said a large number of provinces would not be suitable for Nepal. “That’s why we have put forth the concept of seven provinces.”
Meanwhile, PM Koirala urged Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda to refrain from using the language of threat and intimidation while voicing differences over various proposals floated in the course of writing the new constitution, reports Republica. “It seems it has become his [Dahal´s] habit to threaten and try to intimidate others whenever he finds a proposal unacceptable. I urge him to stop such behavior,” said PM Koirala said at the meeting in Kathmandu on November 9.
CPN-Maoist warns of fresh insurgency
Party secretary Netra Bikram Chand, leader of a faction of Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) on November 15, threatened to launch another round of armed insurgency should it be excluded from the country’s political process, reports The Hindu. Chand said they would go for revolution if mainstream parties continue to bypass them in the overall political process, Xinhua reported. At a press conference after a secret meeting of the party, Chand said the party needed its own army and organisations to fight for the welfare of the people. “The state has already raised the weapons so it would be legitimate for us to launch revolt for establishing people’s rights,” Chand said.
Meanwhile, a meeting of top leaders from the ruling coalition partner Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and the main opposition party Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist on November 16, could not find any common ground for settling the major disputes in the constitution-making process, reports Republica. Leaders from the two parties held a meeting at Baneshwar, Kathmandu in an effort to end the protracted deadlock at the Constitutional Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (CPDCC) of the Constituent Assembly (CA). The CPDCC meeting on November 14, was convened with a view to improve inter-party relations, was deferred for November 17, as lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties were sharply divided whether or not the joint proposal of the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML should be forwarded to the full CA.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
LTTE cadre returning from Qatar arrested in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Police’s Terrorism Investigation Division (ITD) on November 2 arrested a suspected member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, identified as Somasundaram Wasantha Kumar who returned from Qatar, reports Colombo Page. Police media spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajith Rohana said that the arrested Sri Lankan expatriate was an ethnic Tamil and the suspect tiger cadre has not been rehabilitated after the end of war. Wasantha Kumar has migrated to Qatar and worked there for a long time after the end of civil war in Sri Lanka. Reports also said that the suspect was noted in the immigration records as a wanted person. Ajith Rohana added that the suspect had closely associated with three LTTE terrorists, identified as Gobi, Appan and Thevian who were killed April, 2014 in Weli Oya, Mullaithivu District in Northern Province as they were trying to revive the now defunct terrorist organization. TID is now questioning the suspect, the spokesman said.
PCICMP holds public sittings in Mullaitivu District again
The Presidential Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons (PCICMP) started conducting public sittings to hear cases of missing Mullaitivu District in Northern Province again from November 2 till November 5, reports Colombo Page. The PCICMP is hearing cases of disappearances and abductions in Mullaitivu District for a second time due to the large number of complaints it received from the District. Public sittings commenced at the Maritimepattu Divisional Secretariat. The commission was scheduled to hear 57 complaints on the first day but only 42 were attended by the complainants. The Commission will hold sittings at the Oddusuddan Divisional Secretariat on the November 4 and 5.The Commission is scheduled to hear 231 cases of missing persons in the four-day sittings.
Rehabilitated LTTE cadre killed
A rehabilitated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre, identified as Krishnasami Naguleswaran has been killed by unidentified gunmen in front of his house at Wellankulam in Mannar District on November 12, reports Colombo Page. According to the local Sinhala daily The Divaina, the slain former cadre of the LTTE was a fighter who had participated in a number of attacks against the Army. Mannar Police are investigating the incident.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa accuses Norway of funding LTTE
President Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 15 accused that Norway has funded the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the island’s three-decade civil war and demanded an investigation into the involvement of the former Norwegian Government, reports Colombo Page. The President said that “They (Norway) gave money to the LTTE. The Norwegian Government must investigate. We have evidence on how they funded the terrorists”. He charged that the former Norwegian peace envoy Eric Solheim has supported the LTTE and now the former Norwegian Minister is getting ready to testify against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) led investigation.
INTERNATIONAL
Lebanon’s Tripoli licks wounds after army-Islamist clashes
The Lebanese army on Monday, Oct 27 took control of a Tripoli district where thousands of civilians fled deadly clashes between Islamist militants and the army in the country’s second city. The fighting was the fiercest bout of Syria-related violence in the northern port city since the 2011 outbreak of the civil war in Lebanon’s neighbour, leaving 11 soldiers and five civilians dead between Friday and Sunday.
It was also the first to pit Islamists against the army in Tripoli.
An AFP correspondent saw major damage to the impoverished district of Bab al-Tabbaneh, which Islamists accused of ties to al-Qaeda had used as their stronghold.
On Monday morning, the army was in full control of the Islamist bastion as troops moved in without facing any resistance, a military spokesman told AFP. The army, taking full control of Bab al-Tabbaneh for the first time, issued a statement appealing on militants still at large to turn themselves in.
An AFP correspondent who was briefly allowed to accompany troops into the district said no militants were sighted and that the streets were largely deserted. The soldiers carried out house-to-house searches and made several weapons seizures.
A 72-year-old resident of Bab al-Tabbaneh told AFP she had never before been forced to flee her neighbourhood, “not even during the civil war” that raged in Lebanon from 1975 to 1990.
“The violence was unprecedented,” she said. Thousands of civilians poured out of the neighbourhood, which is home to some 100,000 residents, during a lull in fighting late on Sunday.
Egypt to set up military trials for civilians
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday, Oct 27 enacted a decree allowing military trials for civilians suspected of attacking state infrastructure, after a string of deadly strikes on soldiers. The decree came after Sisi promised a tough response to what he called an “existential threat” to Egypt posed by militants, following an attack on Friday on an army checkpoint in the Sinai that killed at least 30 soldiers.
It places state infrastructure including electricity towers, major thoroughfares and bridges under military protection for two years, allowing the army to try anyone suspected of attacking the public facilities.
Egypt has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since the army, then led by Sisi, ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi from power in July 2013. Morsi’s ouster also unleashed a deadly police crackdown on his supporters that has left hundreds dead and thousands in jail. The government has cracked down on protests after Morsi’s overthrow, passing a law that banned all but police-sanctioned demonstrations. The military was already empowered with trying civilians for attacks on the army, but Sisi’s decree considerably expands its powers by defining state infrastructure as “military facilities”.
“The law will remain in effect for two years after its enactment,” the decree said.
Sisi’s spokesman, Alaa Youssef, told AFP the decree was not meant to target protests but would deal only with “terrorism”. The law, he said, was aimed at “protecting public installations and utilities from terrorist attacks.”
A military tribunal sentenced seven militants to death last week for a series of attacks on soldiers and police in Cairo and the Nile Delta. Other militants who attacked only policemen have been tried before civilian courts.
Rights groups say military trials can carry swift and harsh verdicts.
An end to civilians appearing before military tribunals was a core demand of the revolutionaries who spearheaded a 2011 uprising that overthrew veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak. Following Mubarak’s ouster, thousands of people accused of a range of crimes were tried before military courts during an army-led transition before Morsi’s election in mid-2012.
US warplanes bomb IS
US warplanes renewed air strikes against the Islamic State jihadists near the Syrian town of Kobane, as Iraqi peshmerga soldiers prepared to reinforce their fellow Kurds in the border area, the US military said on Wednesday, Oct 29.
US fighter jets and bombers on Tuesday and Wednesday carried out eight air raids near Kobane, targeting six vehicles, a building and several IS fighting positions over the past 24 hours, said the military´s Central Command, which oversees the air war in Iraq and Syria.
In Iraq, American unmanned drones and fighter jets conducted six bombing raids, including three near Sinjar in the north and three around Fallujah, west of Baghdad, Central Command said in a statement.
The latest air strikes came as heavily armed peshmerga forces were poised to cross the Turkish border into Kobane to help the local Kurdish militia that has held out against a relentless assault by IS militants for weeks. Free Syrian Army rebels crossed from Turkey to Kobane earlier on Wednesday. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Washington has seen the reports that FSA fighters were crossing the border.
”We welcome the support they would provide to Kobane´s defence,” Psaki told reporters, adding it would be up to officials on the ground to confirm when the process was completed.
Under heavy pressure from the United States, Turkey announced last week it would allow fighters from Iraq´s autonomous Kurdish province to cross its territory to join the fight for Kobane. Iraqi Kurdish officials said up to 200 fighters would be sent.
US forces have carried out dozens of strikes around Kobane over the past week in support of the Kurdish fighters, who hold most of the town.
Meanwhile, Syrian government aircraft dropped barrel bombs on a camp for displaced people in the northwestern province of Idlib on Wednesday killing at least 10 people, a monitoring group said.
The strikes came as a car bomb wounded at least 37 people, including children, in a government-controlled neighbourhood of the central city of Homs, state television reported. The two barrel bombs also wounded dozens of people in the camp near Habeet, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Most of the camp´s residents had fled fighting in the central province of Hama, the Britain-based group added.
Rebels capture central Yemeni city
Rebels on Wednesday, Oct 29 seized a city in central Yemen seen as a strategic link to the south, security and tribal source said, further expanding the territory under their control.
And nine people were killed when a bomb exploded near a rebel office in the capital, overrun by the insurgents last month, police said.
Yemen has fallen deeper into turmoil since an uprising ousted strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2012 after a year of unrest, with rivals, including the Huthi rebels and al-Qaeda, battling each other.
The Huthis captured Radmah — on a road linking Sanaa with the main southern city Aden — after 24 hours of fighting against local tribesmen, a security official told AFP.
Radmah is in Ibb province, where the rebels have been locked this month in battles with tribesmen.
After easily overrunning the capital in September, the Huthis moved on to the Red Sea port city of Hudeida as well as Dhamar and entered Ibb, the provincial capital.
The rebels, from the mountainous north, are seeking greater political clout in impoverished Yemen, which is located next to oil kingpin Saudi Arabia and key shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden.
Ukraine’s rebels prepare for ‘war’
As winter approaches in Ukraine’s eastern countryside, pro-Russian rebels and Kiev forces eye each other uneasily across a ragged frontline. Despite signing a truce, both seem to be digging in for the long haul.
“We are repairing this tank after it was hit by mortar shells on Oct 31. The war will be long. If Kiev wanted peace it would have finished a long time ago,” a rebel commander of a checkpoint near the village of Lukove said.
The commander, who calls himself Starshina (Sergeant) points across the harvested sunflower fields to Ukrainian positions three kilometres away, about 65 kilometres south of the rebel hub Donetsk.
“You can see their tanks and mortar launchers to the right, and to the left are the Grad multiple rocket launchers. And everywhere, they are digging shelters and reinforcing their positions,” he said.
In the no-man’s land between the rebel and Ukrainian lines lie fields and a small river. A boy of five shows off a chunk of mortar, as big as his hand, which he found in the fields.
Behind him, two soldiers are busy repairing the tank’s broken turret. A little further out, two armoured vehicles stand hidden in the bushes. He and several members of his unit are originally from Slavyansk, a former rebel hub of the Donetsk region which the army took over in July, forcing the rebel command to relocate to Donetsk.
About thirty kilometres from Starshina’s barricades towards the town of Novoazovsk on the Azov sea, AFP journalists were stopped by the rebels and prevented from going any further.
The reason given is that Ukrainians are shooting at Novoazovsk and nobody is allowed through.
Iran foils bid to sabotage N-water tanks
Iran has foiled an attempt to sabotage tanks used for transporting heavy water, which is needed to run some nuclear reactors, and blames a “foreign country” for the incident, a senior official was quoted by local media as saying.
The Islamic Republic is at odds with the West over suspicions it is covertly using its declared civilian atomic energy programme to develop a nuclear arms capability. It denies this and has repeatedly accused certain Western states of trying to cripple the programme through acts of sabotage.
Army takes power in Burkina Faso
The head of Burkina Faso’s armed forces took power on Friday, Oct 31 after President Blaise Compaore resigned amid mass protests against an attempt to extend his 27-year rule. Compaore, a taciturn former soldier in office since a 1987 military coup, had sought to defy popular pressure for him to step down after a day of violent unrest on Thursday in which demonstrators stormed parliament and state television.
Impoverished Burkina Faso under Compaore had emerged as a key mediator in the turbulent Sahel and his departure robs the region of an elder statesman — though one whose rights record was often criticised.
The landlocked nation is also a key ally in Western operations against al-Qaeda-linked groups in West Africa and the crisis was being closely watched by the United States and France, which has a special forces base there. Demonstrations erupted on Thursday when parliament had been due to vote on plans to change the constitution to allow Compaore to seek reelection next year.
At least three people were shot dead and dozens wounded. With hundreds of thousands packing the Place de la Nation in the capital Ouagadougou for a second day on Friday, and with no sign of international support — particularly from former colonial power France — Compaore bowed to public pressure.
A heavily-armed convoy believed to be carrying the former president was seen travelling towards the southern town of Po near the border with Ghana, which is home to a large military base, diplomatic sources and local media said. The departure of the 63-year-old — who until recently was seen as one of West Africa’s most invulnerable Big Men — will send ripples across a region where several long-standing rulers are nearing the end of their terms amid rumbling discontent. Crowds danced, cheered and blew whistles in Ouagadougou’s dusty streets after Compaore’s statement was broadcast.
Under Burkina Faso’s constitution, the head of the National Assembly should take office if the president resigns but parliament was dissolved by Traore on Thursday under short-lived martial law, leaving a power vacuum into which he stepped. It was the seventh time that a military officer had taken power since the country declared independence from France in 1960, when it was known as Upper Volta.
There was no immediate reaction from the leaders of the fragmented opposition to the announcement by Traore, regarded by many as a Compaore loyalist. He was named military chief in the wake of a failed 2011 uprising in which soldiers took part, with a mission to shake up the armed forces. In the Place de la Nation, the epicentre of the demonstrations, many people called for a transition led by retired General Kouame Lougue, a popular former defence minister accused of trying to topple Compaore in 2004.
Foreign Jihadists flock to IS despite air strikes
The Islamic State group is recruiting foreign Jihadists on an “unprecedented scale” despite international efforts to stem the tide, according to experts and extracts of a UN report published by Britain’s Guardian newspaper.
Latest US figures show that around 1,000 foreign fighters are flocking to fight in Iraq and Syria every month, and experts warn that the newest militants may be more extreme than early recruits.
The number of Jihadists travelling to fight since 2010 exceeds the cumulative total of those joining other global extremist organisations over the 20 preceding years by “many times”, the UN Security Council study said, according to the Guardian.
Russian fighters constitute the biggest single fighting force from a non-Muslim country, numbering over 800, and the US-led air strikes will only strengthen their resolve, according to a local expert.
Malashenko said the air campaign against IS Jihadists had failed to put off new recruits.
The Central Intelligence Agency estimates there are around 15,000 foreigners fighting with the Islamic State (IS) and other hardcore militant groups, although Saltman suggested the number may be closer to 16,000.
Previous figures showed there were 7,000 foreign Jihadists fighting in March, and 12,000 in July suggesting 1,000 a month increase, despite the launch of air strikes against IS combatants three months ago.
According to the Soufan Group think-tank, the highest numbers of foreign jihadists were from Muslim countries, including 3,000 from Tunisia and 2,500 from Saudi Arabia.
Boko Haram says kidnapped schoolgirls ‘married off’
Boko Haram has claimed that the 219 schoolgirls it kidnapped more than six months ago have converted to Islam and been “married off”, shocking their families and confirming their suspicions about a supposed ceasefire and deal for their release.
The Islamist group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, made the claim in a new video obtained by AFP on Nov 1 in which he also denied government assertions of an agreement to end hostilities and peace talks.
The mention of the girls, who were abducted from the remote northeastern town of Chibok on April 14, is the first by Shekau since May 5, when about 100 of the teenagers were shown on camera. Then, the girls were seen wearing the Hijab and reciting verses from the Koran.
The militant leader said then that not all had converted.
But he indicated that all of those held had now become Muslims and married, chiming with testimony from former hostages who say forced marriage and conversion is commonplace in Boko Haram camps.
Shekau previously threatened to sell the girls as slave brides and also suggested he would be prepared to release them in exchange for Boko Haram prisoners.
Nigeria’s government said on October 17 that they had reached a deal to end five years of deadly violence in the countries far northeast, as well as agreement to release the Chibok girls. But violence has continued unabated, including a triple bomb attack on a bus station in the northern city of Gombe on Friday, which killed at least eight and injured dozens more.
Last weekend, about 30 children — some of them girls as young as 11 and boys aged 13 upwards — were abducted from another village in Borno state. At least 40 women were abducted the previous weekend not far from Chibok.
Human Rights Watch said in a report published this week that upwards of 500 women and girls had been abducted since 2009, although some put the figure at more than 1,000. Forced conscription of boys and young men is also a common tactic.
Syrian regime escalates barrel bomb attacks
With global attention focused on the fight against jihadists, Syria´s regime has in recent weeks stepped up its use of deadly barrel bomb strikes, killing civilians and wreaking devastation. In less than a fortnight, warplanes have dropped at least 401 barrel bombs on rebel areas in eight provinces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group.
Activist Yassin Abu Raed, from the town of Anadan in northern Aleppo province, has seen his house hit three times in barrel bomb attacks. The latest strike destroyed it completely. ”Death is all around us, and nobody cares,” he told AFP via the Internet.
”Barrel bombs kill those we love most, they destroy houses, dreams and memories, and leave us without any hope that the killing will ever stop.” ”All this, and no one has even heard of us, no one feels for us.”
The Observatory, which documents casualties and strikes, relying on a broad network of activists and doctors across the war-torn country, said at least 232 civilians have been killed in regime air strikes, including barrel bomb attacks, since October 20. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the number of barrel bomb attacks is now “much higher” than a fortnight ago.
The regime began using barrel bombs in late 2012, but stepped up its attacks this year, with a wave of raids in February alone killing hundreds of people.
Barrel bombs are typically constructed from large oil drums, gas cylinders or water tanks filled with high explosives and scrap metal.
On Nov 1, helicopters dropped four barrel bombs on a camp for displaced people in the northwestern province of Idlib, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens, according to the Observatory.
Egypt journalists defy editors on freedoms
About 200 Egyptian journalists have rejected a recent policy declaration by newspaper editors pledging near-blind support to the state and banning criticism of the police, army and judiciary in their publications.
In a statement posted on Nov 2 on social media networks, the journalists said fighting terrorism was both a duty and an honor but has nothing to do with the “voluntary surrender” of the freedom of expression.
“Standing up to terrorism with a shackled media and sealed lips means offering the nation to extremism as an easy prey and turning public opinion into a blind creature unaware of the direction from which it is being hit or how to deal with it,” said the statement.
Security officials confirmed the authenticity of the statement, saying the journalists who signed it represented the full spectrum of ideologies. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Last week’s statement by editors pledging support to the government came in response to President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s call on Egyptians to rally behind him and his government in the face of terrorism following the killing by suspected militants of 30 soldiers, the deadliest attack on the Egyptian army in decades.
Spain arrests 10 for ‘terrorist’ Twitter, Facebook posts
Spanish police arrested 10 people accused of glorifying terrorism and inciting attacks by the Basque group ETA in Twitter and Facebook messages, authorities said on Thursday, Nov 6.
The suspects are accused of “using social networks to commit suspected crimes of glorifying terrorism by ETA and of humiliating the victims of terrorism”, the interior ministry said in a statement.
Police detained them in various regions of central and northern Spain, seizing their mobile phones to check them for messages, it said. Two of those detained are minors while the others are aged between 19 and 62.
They posted messages “calling for ETA to resume its attacks, praising attacks already carried out and glorifying convicted ETA terrorists”, with some urging attacks on particular individuals, the ministry said.
ETA in 2011 declared an end to its armed activity after four decades of bombings and shootings that left 829 people dead in a campaign for an independent Basque homeland.
Police arrested 20 suspects in similar raids in April after vowing to crack down on incitement to violence online.
US denies telling Yemen ex-president to leave country
The United States on Thursday, Nov 6 denied delivering any threats to Ali Abdullah Saleh over what Washington suspects is his role in destabilising Yemen.
An official source at Saleh’s General People’s Congress (GPC) party said on Wednesday that the US ambassador to Yemen had delivered a message through a mediator for Saleh to leave the country by 5 o’clock (1400 GMT) on Friday or face international sanctions.
“The GPC statements about threats to Saleh from the US are untrue,” the State Department said in a statement emailed to Reuters. “There have been no meetings between the ambassador and GPC officials at which any such statements have been made.”
The GPC official said Washington had delivered the ultimatum ahead of sanctions that the UN Security Council is expected to impose on Saleh in line with requests by Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the US State Department.
Saleh stepped down in 2012 under a US-backed Gulf power transfer deal that followed months of pro-democracy protests against his 33 years in office. The accord gave him immunity against legal action over any of his decisions prior to his resignation.
But the United States says the former president has continued to undermine efforts to extract the country from long-running political turmoil.
Last week, Washington requested the UN Security Council impose an asset freeze and global travel ban on Saleh and two leaders of the Houthi group which controls Sanaa, on the grounds that they threatened the peace and stability of Yemen and obstructed the political process.
Saleh has denied seeking to destabilise Yemen and his party warned after a meeting on Thursday that any sanctions on the former president or “even waving such a threat would have negative consequences on the political process”.
Al-Qaeda kills ‘dozens’ after formation of new govt in Yemen
Al-Qaeda claimed its militants killed “dozens” of rebels in Yemen on Saturday, Nov 8 hours after the formation of a new government intended to take the strife-torn country out of crisis.
The cabinet was formed shortly before the UN Security Council slapped sanctions against influential former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and two rebel commanders for threatening peace. And in apparent retaliation on Saturday, Saleh’s General People’s Congress party sacked from its leadership Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, following accusations he solicited the sanctions.
Yemen has been dogged by instability since an Arab Spring-inspired uprising forced Saleh from power in February 2012, and the Huthi rebels and al-Qaeda have sought to step into the power vacuum.
In the latest violence, al-Qaeda claimed twin attacks that it said killed “dozens” of Huthis in the central region of Rada, where the Jihadists have halted a rapid territorial advance by their rivals.
The new government was formed as part of a UN-brokered peace deal under which the Huthis are supposed to withdraw from the capital Sanaa, which they seized control of in September.
Though the Huthis, who are also known as Ansarullah, are not directly represented in the new government, six of their members are considered close to the insurgents.
Washington, which sees Hadi as a key ally in the fight against al-Qaeda, welcomed the new cabinet and encouraged the impoverished Arab nation to overcome partisan politics after the weeks of turmoil.
The US National Security Council called on all political actors “to continue to cooperate in the new government,” according to spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan.
On November 1, the main parties signed an agreement brokered by UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar for the formation of a government of technocrats.
Under the accord, representatives of the rebels and their rivals, the Al-Islah (Reform) Islamic party, mandated Hadi to form a government and committed to support it.
In the wake of the new agreement, Benomar warned in an interview with AFP that without the rapid formation of a government, tensions between Shias and Sunnis were likely to increase, sinking the country deeper into crisis.
Syrian rebels capture key town
Syrian rebels and Al-Qaeda seized the southern town of Nawa on Sunday, Nov 9 from troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad after months of intense fighting, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Both local rebel groups and Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front claimed credit for the opposition advance.
”Al-Nusra Front, Islamist rebel brigades and (moderate) rebel brigades took over the whole of Nawa town,” the Britain-based monitor said. Local rebel groups issued a statement claiming that “now Nawa has been completely liberated”.
Activists distributed amateur video showing rebel fighters shooting in the air, riding tanks and stamping on the Syrian flag that they consider to represent the regime they are fighting.
Al-Nusra Front also distributed via the Internet photographs showing their black and white flag raised over Nawa.
US troops in Anbar as anti-IS campaign expands
A team of US troops was on the ground in Iraq´s Anbar province on Tuesday, Nov 11 as Washington steps up efforts to help Iraqi forces battle the Islamic State Jihadist group.
The Pentagon confirmed about 50 military personnel were at Al-Asad air base to prepare the way for a larger contingent of advisers and trainers to assist Iraqi security forces.
President Barack Obama has announced plans to double the number of American troops in Iraq to up to 3,100 as US-led efforts against the Jihadists enter what he called a “new phase”.
Parts of mainly Anbar province have become a stronghold for IS, which has seized control of major parts of Iraq and Syria, and some of Baghdad´s forces who were hard-pressed by the Jihadists fell back to Al-Asad air base.
The sprawling desert airfield was hub for American troops and aircraft from 2003 to 2011.
A string of battlefield defeats for Iraqi forces in Anbar has led to warnings that the province, which stretches from borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to the western approach to Baghdad, could fall entirely.
Some of Anbar´s powerful tribes are battling the extremist group, and have played an important role in keeping more of the province from falling.
Parliament speaker Salim al-Juburi visited tribal leaders from Anbar at Al-Asad base on Tuesday to “raise morale” and “urge the government to provide a large amount of… weapons and equipment to face the danger of terrorism,” he told AFP.
Sheikh Ashur Jabr Hamadi, one of the tribal leaders at Al-Asad, said the lack of ammunition was a problem, but the “most important thing we need is air cover”.
West Bank mosque torched
Israeli settlers torched a West Bank mosque on Wednesday, Oct 12 Palestinian officials said, as the US top diplomat headed to Jordan to discuss the spiralling violence.
Months of unrest have escalated in recent days, spreading from annexed east Occupied al-Quds to the occupied West Bank and Arab communities across Israel, and raising fears of a new Palestinian uprising.
In a televised address late on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered a raft of additional security measures nationwide to tackle escalating Arab protests.
The pre-dawn arson attack on a mosque near the Jewish settlement of Shilo came after separate Palestinian knife attacks on Monday killed a settler in the southern Western Bank and an Israeli soldier in Tel Aviv.
Also overnight, a molotov cocktail was thrown at an ancient synagogue in the Arab Israeli town of Shfaram, causing minor damage, police said. The structure is not currently used for worship.
The attack on the mosque came with Palestinian anger already running high after Israeli troops shot dead a protester in the southern West Bank on Tuesday.
The death of the 22-year-old near al-Khalil came as troops tried to disperse about 150 Palestinians who were hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails at passing cars close to the Kiryat Arba settlement, the army said.
Seven Syrian children killed
Two rockets fired at a school in the central Syrian province of Hama killed seven children on Wednesday, Nov 12state media reported, blaming “terrorists” for the attack.
“Terrorist organisations have fired two rockets at a primary school in the town of Karnaz, killing seven children, wounding others and causing major damage to the school,” said SANA news agency, quoting a police source.
Sinai militants kill five as Egypt probes sea attack
Militants shot dead five Egyptian conscripts in the Sinai Peninsula on Thursday, Nov 13 as the army searched for eight servicemen missing after an attack on a navy boat in the Mediterranean.
The military carried out air strikes in Sinai, killing three members of the Islamist militant group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, security officials said.
Egypt has been hit by a wave of attacks since the army overthrew Islamist president Mohammed Mursi last year, infuriating his supporters.
In Cairo, 16 people were injured on Thursday in a panicked crush on a Cairo metro train after a small bomb exploded during rush hour.
The attacks in Sinai, in which two police conscripts and three soldiers were taken out of their vehicles and shot dead, bore the hallmarks of Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which often sets up impromptu checkpoints in the lawless peninsula.
The ambushes came a day after an unprecedented assault on a navy boat wounded five servicemen and left eight lost at sea.
The military, which said late on Wednesday it was still conducting search and rescue operations for those missing, has called the incident a “terrorist” attack. But a day later the identities and goals of the assailants remained unknown. A security official said that dozens of suspects rounded up at sea after the assault were still being interrogated.
It was not immediately clear whether they were “terrorists” or drug and weapons smugglers who frequent that part of the sea, he said.
Four boats used by the assailants were destroyed, according to the military. Former French admiral Alain Coldefy told AFP that the attackers could have been militants or illegal migrant traffickers.
Jordan battles IS in mosques
Jordan is cracking down on firebrand preachers and online extremism to tackle Jihadists after joining US-led air strikes on the Islamic State group. The desert kingdom shares borders with conflict-hit Iraq and Syria, and is struggling to cope with hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, adding to its own problems with homegrown Islamists.
Its decision in September to join the anti-IS coalition has put Jordan in even graver danger, but authorities insist its borders are secure and have launched a sweep against Jihadists that extends to the Internet.
“Jordan is waging a war against Jihadist ideology and amended the anti-terrorism law… because the Internet has become the main tool for mobilising and recruiting” militants, said analyst Hasan Abu Haniyeh.
Since joining the anti-IS fight, “130 IS sympathisers have been arrested, most of them members of Salafist groups,” said defence lawyer Mussa Abdalla, referring to adherents of a strict interpretation of Islam. “Only 50 of them have been brought to trial before the state security court… while the rest are still awaiting prosecution,” Abdalla told AFP.
But for those already convicted or facing trials at military tribunals, the charge has often been the same: spreading the ideology of a terrorist group on the Internet.
Wary of Salafists, authorities have also moved to bring some of the country’s nearly 6,000 mosques under tighter control by weeding out preachers who deliver fiery pro-Jihadist sermons.
As in many other Arab countries where fears are mounting over the growing influence of Salafists, Jordan’s ministry of Islamic affairs appoints imams, pays their salaries and monitors their sermons.
Preachers must promote moderate Islam and refrain from making political statements as well as saying anything that could undermine the sovereignty of the state or fan civil unrest.
Bomb threat at British parliament
The part of the British parliament housing the offices of many lawmakers was briefly evacuated on Monday, Nov 17 due to a suspicious package before staff were allowed to re-enter the building. A spokeswoman for London’s Metropolitan Police said Portcullis House, an office building opposite the Houses of Parliament and above Westminster underground station, was evacuated while police investigated.
Police on the scene said the station had also been closed, and police motorbikes could be seen blocking cars and members of the public from entering the road. Britain’s security threat level was raised to its second-highest level in August due to risks posed by Islamic State fighters returning from Iraq and Syria. Security analysts say foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria now number in the thousands.
Last month, armed soldiers were deployed at a top tourist attraction in the heart of London’s government district as a precautionary measure after an Islamist gunman attacked the Canadian parliament.
Nato warns Russia
Nato warned on Tuesday, Nov 18 of a “very serious” build-up of Russian soldiers and weapons inside Ukraine and on the border, as Germany´s foreign minister urged Kiev and Moscow to respect a tattered peace plan. The West is keeping up intense pressure on Russia over Ukraine following a bad-tempered G20 summit in Australia at the weekend which Russian President Vladimir Putin left early.
In Brussels, Nato´s head Jens Stoltenberg issued a stark warning to Moscow over the seven-month conflict in Ukraine´s east which has killed over 4,100 people and plunged relations between the West and Russia to a post-Cold War low. He warned of a “very serious build-up” of troops, artillery and air defence systems inside Ukraine and on the Russian side of the border as he arrived to meet European Union defence ministers in Brussels.
At the same time, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier saw Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk in Kiev, ahead of a crunch meeting later on Tuesday in Moscow with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov — the first such visit by a senior European minister since July. Germany is playing the lead role in mediating the crisis with Russia.
Steinmeier said the peace plan agreed in Belarus in September, and its ceasefire, which has been frequently violated, “were not perfect but they do form a basis. We have to fulfil the agreements.”
As the unrest in eastern Ukraine drags on into the ex-Soviet state´s harsh winter, Ukraine´s military said on Tuesday that fresh clashes over the past 24 hours between government forces and rebels killed five of its soldiers. The latest deaths came despite the nominal truce that has halted fighting along much of the frontline but failed to stop bombardments at key flashpoints.
Russia rejects claims that it provides military backing for the heavily armed separatist rebels in the east. It also denies that it supplied the anti-aircraft missile which downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in July, killing 298 people, an incident which sharpened the West´s focus on the unrest.
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/ Ruler 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.
