Special Emphasis on Terrorism (January – 2016)

Terrorist Activities in Pakistan

Bomb/IED blasts

One man was killed and four others were injured in a remote-controlled blast near a bus terminal in the Lea Market area of Lyari Town in Karachi on November 25, reports Dawn, Senior Superintendent Police (SSP)-City Fida Hussain said that the intended target has not yet been ascertained.

At least three Policemen were injured in Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast targeting a Police vehicle that was on a routine patrol in Qambrani Road area of Quetta on November 25, reports Dawn. No outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.

Two peace volunteers were killed in a roadside blast under Ambar tehsil (revenue unit) of Mohmand Agency in FATA on November 28, reports The Dawn. Sources said that Hazrat Noor and Mohammad Gui were going to Daroo market on a motorcycle when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) placed on the road in the Sanger Khawar area went off. Noor died on the spot. Gui was critically injured and taken to hospital where he died after a while.

Two low intensity blasts hit Quetta’s Chashma Achozai area close to the airport on November 28, reports The Dawn. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by unknown miscreants went off in a deserted area close to the railway track, said officials. Security officials rushed to the site and cordoned off the area after the first explosion. As officials gathered to investigate the site, another blast took place close by.

At least five women were injured in a medium-intensity blast in Mohalla Bajauri Khord of Sarki Gate in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on December 6. A Police official said that a device weighing three kilo­grammes was planted near the house of Amjad Khan, a local con­tractor. The official said the contractor was constantly receiving threats and extortion demands.

Separately, unidentified miscreants on December 5 lobbed a hand­ grenade into the house of Muhammad Rasool in Koza Bandai area in Kabal tehsil (revenue unit) in Swat District, reports The News. However, it caused no casualty.

A security guard was injured when unidentified militants hurled a grenade at the Sargodha Bureau of local television channel Express News on December 7, reports Dawn. However, no loss of life was reported.

At least four security personnel and a child were injured in a bomb blast close to a Frontier Corps (FC) check post at Main Chowk on Brewery Road in Quetta on December 11, reports Dawn.

Naib Subedar Naseer Khan and a taxi driver lost their lives when a planted mine exploded in the Baizai area, some 25 kilometres west of Ghalanai tehsil (revenue unit) of Mohmand Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on December 21, reports Dawn.

In a separate incident in the same tehsil, a roadside bomb exploded near a security convoy Atam village on December 21 left a civilian dead and three security personnel injured, reports Dawn Frontier Corps Lieutenant Colonel Taimur was among the injured.

A roadside bomb attack killed three persons including two children near the Afghan border in the Mohmand Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on December 23, reports Daily Times.

Targetted Killings

The District Coordinator of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), identified as Dr. Yaqoob, was shot dead by unidenti­fied armed assailants in Zaida Bypass area of Swabi District on November 30, reports Dawn.

Two military Policemen, identified as Lance Naik Rashid and Havaldar lrshad, were killed when two unidentified militants opened fire at their vehicle on M.A Jinnah Road near Tibet Centre in Saddar Town of Karachi on December 1, reports Daily Times DIG South Jamil Ahmed told AFP. “This is a very serious incident but we will track the attackers down soon.”

Meanwhile, the sources revealed that weapon used the attack was same that was used in the November 20, 2015 attack on Rangers, reports The News. The sources dis­ closed that a 9mm pistol was used in attacks on Rangers personnel, doc­tors, Policemen and others.

Security Officials recovered the mutilated bodies of three young shepherd boys from Chaghi District on December 3, reports Dawn.

Security officials recovered three mutilated bodies from Muslim Bagh area Killa Saifullah District on December 3, reports Dawn. Multiple bullet injuries and torture marks were visible on the bodies.

Two leaders of the National Party (NP), identified as Ataullah Sajdi and Muhammad Saddiq Samalani, were shot dead when they were traveling to Gerasha from Naal in Khuzdar District on December 8, reports Dawn. However, the two other party men accompanying them were unhurt.

A retired Major of the Pakistan Army, identified as Ahsan Raza (52), was shot dead in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area of Karachi on December 12. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the killing. The Major belonged to the Shia community.

Unidentified assailants opened fire at a car outside MPA hostel in Peshawar, killing Nisar Afridi on the spot while injuring Haji Gul and Kabir on December 12, reports The News. “Nisar was a member of a banned militant outfit. However, he had surrendered and was no more wanted by the Police,” an official quoted an injured Gul as saying. Gul said Nisar was in the city for a court case when assailants opened fire at his car.

A man who was kidnapped three weeks back was found dead in a mountain in Ghaligay area in Swat District on December 13, reports The News. Sources said that acting on a tip-off, the Police reached a mountain in Ghalegay area and recovered the body. The slain man was identified as Salaam Khan, a resident of Ghalegay area.

Unidentified militants shot dead Dr. Shafi Bizenjo, the brother of Chief Minister’s Political Secretary Khair Jan Baloch, in Jhawo area of Awaran District on December 15, reports Dawn. “Dr. Bizenjo was killed on the spot, whereas, one Levies personnel suffered serious bullet wounds,” the official said. However, the assailants managed to escape.

Separately, one Security Official was killed and three others were injured when unidentified militants attacked a Levies check post in Surkhar area of Pishin District on December 15, reports Dawn.

Following the attack, a search operation has been launched in order to arrest the accused involved in the attack.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement activist, identified as Mohammad Akbar, was found dead in Nooriabad area of Jamshoro District on December 10, reports Dawn. Akbar was picked up by unidentified persons on December 6, 2015.

An unidentified assailant shot dead a Police constable Khuda Bux near the Five Star Chowrangi in North Nazimabad town of Karachi on December 24, reports Daily Times.

Miscellaneous

Twelve terrorists, including the commander of the Tehreek-e­ Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Khan Said Sajna, have been killed in a drone strike in Damma area of Afghanistan on November 25, reports The News. According to sources, Naeem Kochi and Kifayat Kochi were also among the terrorists killed in the drone strike. Sources said that over twenty terrorists also sustained injuries in the attack.

Four Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) terrorists, including the founding member of the outfit, identified as Haroon Bhatti, were killed while three Policemen were injured in a Police encounter in Badami Bagh area of Lahore on November 25, reports Dawn. A spokesman from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) said that the Police had brought back Bhatti, along with his four associates, to Pakistan from Dubai with the help of Interpol on October 22, 2015. Police claimed to have recovered a huge cache of arms and explosives, including Kalashnikovs, rifles and hand grenades from the suspected terrorists’ possession.

Security Forces (SFs) foiled a major terror bid and seized a large quantity of arms and ammunition from Chagai District on November 25, reports Dawn. “The weapons were dumped to carry out subversive activities in the province,” said Khan Wasey, a spokesperson for the Frontier Corps (FC). He added that FC personnel conducted a raid in Killi Nafas area of Chagai District after receiving actionable intelligence. The weapons recovered include 15 rockets, 14 sub-machine guns, two AK-47s, two rocket propelled grenades and other weapons and ammunition. “No arrests were made as the militants had left the area before the raid was conducted,” Wasey said, adding, “The weapons were smuggled into Chagai District from neighbouring Afghanistan.”

A soldier and four militants were killed in a clash that erupted after a group of Afghanistan-based militants stormed the Al-Ghazi post in Sheikh Baba Gulono area in Safi tehsil (revenue unit) of Mohmand Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on November 26, reports The News. Twenty-one militants were killed while several others sustained injuries when Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter aircraft carried out bombardment on the suspected militants’ hideouts in the Rajgal Kandow, Kheraba and the adjacent areas in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency on November 27, reports The News.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Police on November 27 arrested the head of Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) – Karachi Chapter, identified as Siham Qamar, from Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town, reports The News. Siham was involved in propagating the ideology of his group in the posh areas and provoked the masses against the Government and the law of the land.

One militant was. Injured when he resisted arrest during a search operation in Tump tehsil (revenue unit) of Kech District on November 27, reports Dawn. The operation led to the arrest of 10 suspects.

Separately, three terrorists were arrested during a search operation in Pat Feeder area of Dera Bugti District on November 27, reports Dawn.

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on November 28 arrested three alleged terrorists, who were planning to bomb Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), reports The Dawn. A CTD team from Peshawar, acting on a tip-off, stopped a car coming from Bannu at Jarma Bridge. Three terrorists belonging to Khyber Agency, who were currently residing in various parts of Peshawar, were arrested. The CTD squad recovered 20 kilograms of explosives stuffed in a gunny bag, a safety fuse, 12-meter­ long detonating cord, a remote controlled bomb receiver and an electric detonator from the vehicle.

Four al Qaeda militants were killed in a joint action by Police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in an operation in Wador area within the limits of Gadani Police Station in Dera Ghazi Khan District on November 30, reports The News. Exchange of fire took place between security officials and the terrorists in which four terrorists were killed. However, militant ‘commander’ Shoaib Cheema and Hanif Muhammad managed to flee during the action.

Frontier Corps (FCs) eliminated four terrorist sanctuaries and arrested seven militants during an intelligence-driven raid in Sanjavi area of Ziarat District on November 30, reports Dawn. 1,000 kilograms of explosives and four AK-47s were recovered. The militants were allegedly planning to smuggle arms and ammunition to the provincial capital Quetta to conduct terrorist activities.

At least five persons, including two Policemen, were injured when two unidentified armed assailants hurled a cracker at the office of, Din News, in Gulberg area of provincial capital Lahore on December 1, reports The News. DCO Lahore also visited the spot.

The Rangers killed three terrorists, including two militants of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, identified as Hazrat Bilal, Siraj Gui and Umer Rana, in Gul Mohammad Lane, Lyari Town of Karachi on December 3, reports Dawn. Hazrat Bilal, affiliated with the TTP Abid Macharh group, was involved in six target killings, street crime and a grenade attack on a Sohrab Goth police chowki, Gadap Town. Siraj Gul, also affiliated with the TTP, was involved in attacks on schools in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), looting arms and ammunition from Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and kidnapping of eight Frontier Corps (FC) personnel. Umer Rana, alias Laptop, was involved in four target killings in 2014 and conducting reconnaissance for various assassinations.

Three suspected militants were killed during an exchange of fire with Security Forces (SFs) in Sariab road area in Quetta on December 5, reports Dawn.

Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on December 7 arrested Ghalib Ata, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Administrative Sciences of Punjab University, for his alleged association with Hizb-ut­ Tahrir (HuT), during a raid in his house in Allama Iqbal Town of Lahore, reports Dawn. Official “Intelligence agencies and the CTD have been directed not to allow HuT to continue its activities,” said official sources. “Ghalib Ata was a clean­ shaven young man when he joined the university. But some years ago, the liberal Ata grew beard, joined a religious organisation and took part in preaching tours,” said one of his unnamed colleagues.

At least five terrorists were killed in an encounter with the Counter Terrorism Department at Qila Mian Singh area of Nankana Sahib District on December 11, reports The News. According to details, when Security Forces (SFs) reached the spot the terrorists opened fire. In retaliatory firing by the SFs five terrorist were killed, while three man­ aged to flee. The terrorists were identified as Attaullah of Khangarh in Muzaffargarh District, Khalid Muavia of Bhakkar District, Bilal of Multan District, and Awais and lrfan of Muzaffargarh District.

Separately, an Afghan Taliban militant was killed while a Policeman was injured during a Police encounter in Safdarabad area of Sheikhupura District on December 13, reports Daily Times.

During the encounter three of his aides managed to flee. A suicide jacket, two hand grenades and a huge cache of arms were recovered from his possession.

Two Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants were killed in a Police encounter in Sohrab Goth area of Gadap Town in Karachi on December 12. In an exchange of fire, two militants were killed while four others managed to escape, claimed Malir Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rao Anwar. One of the militants was identified as Abdullah alias Kobra, a TTP operative.

At least 23 suspected militants were killed in air-strikes carried out by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in Rajgal area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on December 18, reports Dawn. “Six hideouts of terrorists were destroyed while 10 suspected militants were also injured as a result of precise air strikes,” said a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations.

Security Forces (SFs) killed three militants following an exchange of fire in Mashkay area of Awaran District on December 18, reports Dawn. According to official sources, SFs were conducting a search operation in the area when they came under fire. “The militants opened fire on security personnel conducting the search operation. The troops returned fire, killing three of them,” an unnamed security official said.

Separately, six local leaders and workers of the ruling National Party (NP) and Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A) were abducted by unidentified militants from Karkak Dasht area in Turbat District on December 18, reports Dawn. The victims associated with the NP were identified as Muhammad Akbar, the younger brother of Akram Dashti, the Provincial President of NP,

Barkat Ali, Sher Jan and Nadeem. Two local leaders of the BNP-A were identified as Muhammad Imam and Mehmood. They were engaged in election campaign for the BNP­ Awami candidate.

Four well-educated people, including one who had studied at two American universities and was running his 9wn educational institution, were arrested on December 18 for their alleged involvement in the May 13, 2015 , Safoora carnage and other terrorist attacks, according to a Senior Police Officer, reports Dawn. The Chief of Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Raja Umar Khattab, said at a press conference that the wives of two of the arrested suspects, along with their accomplices, used to brainwash educated and rich women through sermons and videos about the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist outfits. The four accused were identified as Khalid Yusuf Bari, Saleem Ahmed, Mohammad Suleman Saeed and Adil Masood Butt.

Rangers recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition during raids in Lyari Town and Bhimpura area of Saddar Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh on December 21, reports The News. According to Rangers spokesman, 24 SMGs, five rifles, eight pistols, 41 home-made bombs, and hundreds of bullets were recovered during the raids.

Three militants were killed in an exchange of fire with Balochistan Frontier Corps (FCs) personnel in the Turbat area of Kech District in Balochistan on December 22, reports The News. A spokesman for the FC said that following intelligence information, FC teams launched a search operation where armed militants hiding in a house opened indiscriminate fire on them. The FC personnel retaliated.

Meanwhile, the FCs on December 22 arrested 14 suspected militants in Bar Aab area of Kech District who were allegedly involved in attacking an FC check-post in Chagai District, reports The News. An FC official said that following intelligence information, they conducted a raid in a Bar Aab area and arrested 14 alleged militants who had entered into Pakistan from Afghanistan to carry out sabotage activities.

Five Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants were killed during an ‘encounter’ with personnel of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Police near the Wador within the jurisdiction of Saddar Police Station in Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab on December 23, reports Dawn. Sources said that the encounter took place early in the morning when law-enforcement personnel were searching an area near the Wador hamlet. The search was launched on reports that terrorists could strike in the city on Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH). The sources said that suspected terrorists were trying to escape on a van when they were intercepted by the CTD and Police personnel. People in the van opened fire which was returned and during the gunfight the suspected terrorists were killed. The sources claimed that the militants were working under the TTP’s groups led by Qari Ziaur Rehman, Qari Ibrahim and Umer.

PAKISTAN

567 militants arrested during past 10 months in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, says CTD report

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa arrested 567 militants during 876 targeted operations that it conducted in various parts of the province in last ten 10 months, a summary report issued by the Department said November 25, reports Dawn. The report, a copy of which is available with Dawn, reveals that the CTD either arrested or killed at least 93 proclaimed offenders (POs) carrying head­ money and wanted in high-profile cases. CTD report said that 10 of the 93 POs were killed by the CTD personnel. The CTD personnel traced 252 militancy-related cases during the time period, said the report. According to the report, the CTD personnel recovered four suicide jackets, 231 hand grenades, 1203 kilogrammes of explosives, 5675 detonators, seven RPG-7 launchers, 71 SMG rifles, 103 pistols and 48 rifles with different bores.

Two policemen killed in an attack targeting Federal Minister Akram Khan Durrani in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

At least two Policemen were killed and five people were injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (JED) _ hit the convoy of the Federal Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani in Bannu town of Bannu District on November 26, reports Dawn. The Station House Officer (SHO) of Baka Khel Police Station said that Durrani, a Jama’at-e-Ulema-lslam-Fazlur Rehman (JUl-F) Member National Assembly (MNA) was on his way to Bannu after holding a political rally in Baka Khel town when his convoy came under attack.

Dawn News DSNG van attacked in Karachi

A staff member, identified as Hassan Mateen, was injured when unidentified militants attacked the Dawn News Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) van in Essa Nagri area of Gulshan Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh on November 27, reports Dawn. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Rana Azeem announced a countrywide protest against the “an attack on journalism “.”I urge all the journalist community to protest against the attack tomorrow after 3 PM,” said Rana Azeem .

Nine LeJ militants detained and seminary sealed under NAP in Punjab

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested nine suspected militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) from the Farooq-i-Azam Madrassah in the Cantonment area of Lahore on November 26, reports Dawn. However, the seminary patron-in­ chief Qari Maqbool Farooqi man­aged to escape from the scene. The suspects were identified as Mubashir Ahmed, Muhammad Sarfraz, Tahir Hasam, Muhammad Firdous, Muhammad Talha, Usman Ghani, Tamseel Ahmed Siddiqui, Aamir Mahmood and Abdul Waheed.

An unnamed senior CTD official said that the seminary was the last stronghold of the LeJ in Lahore and was also involved in various terror­ ism incidents. He said the CTD officials recovered a huge quantity of hate material from the seminary and later sealed it under the National Action Plan (NAP). He said it was the first seminary sealed after launching of the NAP in the country.

Four APS Peshawar attack convicts sent to gallows in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Four convicted terrorists were sent to the gallows in Kohat prison of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 2 for their involvement in the Army Public School (APS) massacre in Peshawar on December 16, 2014, reports The News. “Four militants involved in the attack on the APS School were hanged this morning in Kohat prison,” said a Peshawar security official. On November 30, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif had signed the death warrants of the four convicted terrorists, who included Maulvi Abdus Salam, Hazrat Ali, Mujeeb ur Rehman alias Ali alias Najeeb Ullah, and Sabeel alias Yahya. Hazrat Ali was convicted of involvement in collecting funds to carry out the APS attack. Mujeeb ur Rehman alias Ali alias Najeeb Ullah was found involved in transporting 10 suicide bombers for the attack on a PAF Base in Peshawar and abetment in the APS attack. Sabeel alias Yahya also found guilty of involvement in the PAF base Peshawar attack as well as abetment in the APS massacre, while Maulvi At,dus Salam was found guilty of harbouring suicide bombers who were later used in the APS attack.

Balochistan govt extends policing powers of FC for three months

The Government of Balochistan on December 7 extended the Policing powers of Frontier Corps (FC) in Quetta for another three months, reports Dawn. The Policing powers of FC had expired recently and were extended by the Provincial Government to maintain law and order situation in the city, a Balochistan Home Department source said. Giving details, the source revealed that the extension in powers of FC will be effective till February 16, 2016. “The government decided to grant policing powers to FC to maintain order,” the source said.

However, Balochistan Chief Minister Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, claimed to have achieved more than 60 per cent peace in Quetta as com­ pared to the past. “The number of blasts and incidents of targeted killings have considerably dropped in Quetta”, said Dr. Baloch.

Terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa down by 56 percent After Peshawar APS attack

The incidents of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have come down by 56 percent while casualties decreased by 58 percent since the attack on the Peshawar Army Public School (APS) on December 16, The News reported on December 9 quoting official statistics. The data was compiled by the Central Police Office. The overall law and order situation has witnessed significant improvement during 2015 compared to 2014 that ended with the APS attack that was the worst in Pakistan’s history. According to the parents of the APS victims, 153 people including 22 teachers and staff members were killed in the attack on December 16, 2014.

Subsequently, the military operation was intensified in the tribal areas while the Police search and strike operations were also undertaken under the National Action Plan (NAP) that was implemented immediately after the APS attack. Thousands of suspects were rounded up all over the country during these operations. “More than 145,000 suspects were rounded up during search and strike operations and snap checking by the police under the NAP all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the current year,” an official said. Many of those were later released after they were proved innocent. Officials said that significant improvement in the law and order situation was witnessed during 2015 if compared with the last several years. “Compared to the preceding year, terrorist attacks decreased by 56 percent all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the casualties in such attacks plummeted by 58 percent,” an official said. Moreover, murders and extortions decreased by 52 percent all over the province.

ISIS has no roots in FATA, says military official

Rejecting rumours about the presence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) areas, a senior military official Sector Commander Brigadier Wajid Qayyum Paracha on December 9 said that the war against terrorism would continue until the elimination of the last terrorist, reports The News. Speaking as a chief guest at the 20^th passing­ out parade of the Khyber Rifles here, Sector Commander Brigadier Wajid Qayyum Paracha said peace had been restored in the Tirah valley and the Bara tehsil in the Khyber Agency as a result of the sacrifices rendered by civilians and soldiers.

Extra security for schools after threats in Punjab

Commissioner Asadullah Khan during a press conference on December 10 said that educational institutions are on threat alerts and a security strategy has been devised in a meeting with schools’ heads of Multan Division and Security Agencies, reports Dawn. “As there is a background to these threats, we’ve increased the security of educational institutions as we have to fight terrorism,” he said. He said educational institutions would install surveillance cameras and hire trained security guards. He said terrorist elements were using social media to trap the students. He said counseling sessions for students, especially of the BZU, would be held regarding extremism and violence.

Regional Police Officer (RPO) Tariq Masood Yasin said that educational institutions needed to take measures to counter radicalism among students. “Only the head of an institute will take action against the students and faculty members involved in spreading extremism,” he said. He said the police would not take any direct action in any educational institution because of their sanctity. “Action will only be taken if there are intelligence reports or the administration of the institution requests us to do so,” Yasin added.

Sindh leads in execution of terrorists, reveals Federal Ministry of Interior

As per latest statistics collected by the Federal Ministry of Interior, Sindh has over the past five years led in sending terrorists to gallows, followed by the three other Provinces and independent administrative regions, reports Dawn. According to the figures, the Province also has more terrorists awaiting execution than the rest of the country. Until the last week of November 2015, Sindh carried out capital punishment in 106 cases, followed by Punjab with 64 terrorists.

The Islamabad Capital Territory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan each have sent one terrorist to the gallows. Not a single death punishment has been carried out in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Kashmir during this period. Same is the case regarding the number of terrorists awaiting execution. Here, Sindh stands out with 98, Punjab 81 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 25. Balochistan and Islamabad each have one condemned prisoner. There is no terrorist on death row in FATA, Kashmir and GB.

SC rejects review petition of Salman Taseer’s assassin Malik Mumtaz Qadri

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on December 14 rejected the review petition filed against the death sentence of Malik Mumtaz Qadri, who is convicted for the murder of former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, on the basis of non-maintainability, reports Daily Times. The petition was filed by Qadri, who challenged the October 6, 2015, verdict against him. In its remarks the bench said that the court had heard the case from all the aspects and that it was a criminal case. It observed that the blasphemy charge against Salman Taseer could not be proved.

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi had awarded death sentence to Qadri on October 1, 2011 under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 for killing former Punjab governor and leader of Pakistan People’s Party Salman Taseer, with PKR 0.2 million as fine and compensation to the legal heirs of Taseer.

AQIS cadres arrested in Karachi

Security Forces (SFs) arrested a group of al Qaeda cadres in the Indian Sub-continent (AQIS) during a raid carried out in Malir Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh on December 16, reports Daily Times. According to the report, qualified engineers were also among the arrested men who were planning terrorist acts with the help of drones. It said the AQIS group had 10 to 12 members but most of them have been arrested. “Three engineers who were working on anti-drone technology have also been arrested,” the report said, stating that the arrested engineers planned to jam the signals of United States (US) drones and also to bring them down.

Former peace bodies hand over arms to administration in FATA

Former peace committees of Mohmand Agency ‘s Baizai tehsil (revenue unit) voluntarily handed over a huge cache of weapons to the administration in Bahi Daag area of the Baizai sub­ division in the Mohmand Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on December 19, reports Dawn. Assistant Political Agent Abdullah Shah told that the handing over of weapons to the administration marked the phasing out of the peace committees. Heads of former peace committees, Malik Sultan Kodakhel, Malik Sanober Khan, Malik Zar Jan and Malik Sabir Khan, and a large number of tribal elders attended the ceremony. “It is part of the National Action Plan and in accordance with the directives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor and the political administration for handing over heavy weapons to the administration in order to strengthen the writ of the state,” said Shah. He said that for the first time the administration had deployed 300 Levies personnel in the area to secure the border posts and for that purpose the weapons would be given to them. The weapons , which were handed over, included three Rocket Propeller Grenade (RPG)-7, five anti-aircraft guns, eight short-range missiles, two anti-tank mines, thousands of live rounds of different bores and 44 shells of RPG-7 ammunition.

TTP reject Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s claim to be ‘caliph’

Tehreek-e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on December 19 rejected Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al­ Baghdadi’s claim to be the global leader of all Muslims, reports Times of India. The TTP’s statement comes after a similar rejection by the Afghan Taliban following pledges of allegiance from low-level commanders of both lslamist movements to the Middle East-based Islamic State (IS). “Baghdadi is not Khalifa (caliph) because in Islam, Khalifa means that he has command over all the Muslim world, while Baghdadi has no such command he has command over a specific people and territory,” the Pakistan Taliban said in a statement. “Baghdadi is not a Islamic Khalifa because his selection is not according to Islamic rules,” the statement said, adding that the IS leader had little control in Muslim countries like Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan. The TTP operate separately from the Afghan insurgents of the same name, but are loosely aligned with them. Late last year, a few breakaway factions of TTP declared allegiance to Islamic State and ordered militants across the region to join its campaign to set up a global Islamic caliphate

Govt gives two month extension to Sindh Rangers with full Policing powers

The Federal Ministry of Interior on December 22 gave a free hand to the Sindh Rangers in Karachi to continue their policing job under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 without having been influenced by the Sindh Assembly resolution or Provincial Government’s executive order, reports The News. In its letter issued to the Provincial Government following high-level consultations, the Interior Ministry conveyed to the Sindh Government that the powers conferred to the Rangers under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 could not be abridged,customised or made conditional.

Following the Dr. Asim-linked controversy, the Sindh government had recently curtailed the Rangers’ powers and restricted them to operate only against target killers, sectarian killings, extortions and kidnappings for ransom. The Sindh Government had clipped the Rangers’ powers relating to terrorism and terror financing besides stopping the agency from arresting any political figure or raiding any provincial office without the permission of the Chief Minister.

REGIONAL

Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics

JMB’s ‘operational commander’ killed in gunfight in Dhaka

Shahdat Mahfuz Al Bani (35), the ‘operations commander’ of Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh was killed in a gunfight with mem­bers of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police in Gabtoli area of Dhaka city on November 25, reports The Daily Star.

One person killed and three others injured as gunmen stormed Shia mosque in Bogra District

In a second attack on Shia Muslims in just over a month, one person was killed and three others were injured as three gunmen stormed a Shia mosque and opened fire on praying people in Shibganj sub-District of Bogra District on November 26, reports The Daily Star. The deceased is Moazzem Hossain (70), a muezzin (a person who calls for prayer) of the mosque. The injured are Shahinur Islam (35), imam of the mosque Abu Taher (60), a mason and Aftab Hossain (42).

Later, SITE Intelligence Group in a report on November 26 said that the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack on devotees at the Shia Mosque, reports Dhaka Tribune.

Meanwhile, 10 priests in Rangpur District received death threats in a letter on November 25, reports The Daily Star. Unidentified men sent the letter addressing Reverend Barnabas Hemrom, priest of Rangpur Baptist Church Sangha through the post. Reverend Barnabas said “I received the letter on Wednesday evening. The letter contains a list of nine more priests of other Baptist churches in the district. The letter said you will be killed any day or any moment. Eat what­ ever you want.”

Five JMB militants arrested in Dhaka city

Police on November 26 arrested five militants of Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh in Dhaka city for their alleged involvement in various sub­ versive activities including bomb attacks in Dhaka city, reports Dhaka Tribune. The arrestees are Kabir Hossain alias Rashed, Chand Mia, Omar Faruk alias Manik, Shahjalal and Hafiz Kari Ahsanullah Mahmud.

Ansar al-Islam issues death threats against State Minister of Foreign Affairs and seven other eminent personalities

Ansar al-Islam on November 30 released a fresh list of targets issuing death threats against State Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Shahriar Alam and seven other eminent personalities of Rajshahi city in Rajshahi District, reports Dhaka Tribune. A letter carrying the letter­ head of Ansar al-Islam, containing the names of the targets, was sent to the office of the Daily Sunshine, a local daily in Rajshahi city. The other targets are former Rajshahi mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Rajshahi University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mizanuddin, writer Azizul Haque, Rajshahi Police Range’s Deputy Inspector General Iqbal Bahar, Rajshahi Education Board Chairman Professor Dr Abul Hayat, Rajshahi city Awami League General Secretary Dablu Sarkar and the Daily Sunshine’s Editor Yunus Ali.

Six Mujahid of Bangladesh cadres arrested in Dhaka

Police on December 3 arrested six militants of new outfit, Mujahid of Bangladesh, from Motijheel area of Dhaka city, reports Dhaka Tribune. The arrestees are Johirul Islam alias Ansar alias Churanto Lorai alias Johir, Khondokar Rajesh Sobhan alias Raju alias Kacha Marich alias Adar Bepari,Abu Bakkar Siddique alias Abir alias Moumachi alias Niyomer Oniyom alias Ek Tukro Megh alias Shada Pata, Abraham Ahmed Al-Tarek, Morshedul lslami alias King Mor Khan, Kazi Bappi Ahmed alias Sazzad alias Tarique Bin Zia alias Mollah Akhter Mohammad Mansur. Police also recovered a laptop and 10 mobile phones from their possession.

10 people injured in bomb blasts in Dinajpur district

10 people were injured in bomb blasts at Kantaji temple in Dinajpur District on December 5, reports New Age. Police said that thee crude bombs were exploded one after another at around 1:00 am in a canopy where a Jatra was being staged during ongoing Rasmela there.

Three JMB militants arrested in Dhaka city

Police on December 5 arrested three Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh militants from Dhaka city’s Uttara area, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are AHM Khairul Asad alias Sohag, Mir Moazzem Hossain Saifi alias Jarmin and Kafil Uddin Bin Amin. Sohag is a mobile company engineer and used to jam net­ works in areas where JMB Sura members were holding meetings to prevent law enforcers from tracking them. Jarmin and Amin acted as spiritual leaders apart from giving sermons regularly motivating young JMB operatives toward militancy.

JMB regional leader confesses involvement in killing of Japanese man Kunio Hoshi

Masud Rana, a regional leader of Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) on December 8 confessed his involvement in the killing of Japanese man Kunio Hoshi (65) in Rangpur District, reports The Daily Star. On October 3, Hoshi was shot dead by three unidentified assailants in Rangpur District.

Two persons injured as unidentified gunmen attacked Hindu religious function in Dinajpur District

Two persons were injured as unidentified gunmen attacked a Hindu religious function at International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Dinajpur District on December 10, reports New Age. The injured per­sons are Muthun Roy and Ranajit Mohan Roy. They also hurled home­ made bombs which did not explode but triggered a hue and cry.

Six persons injured in bomb ·attack at Naval Base in Chittagong District

Six people were injured in a bomb attack at a mosque inside the Issa Khan Base of Bangladesh Navy at Chittagong city of Chittagong District on December 18, reports Dhaka Tribune. Police said “One person was arrested with three handmade grenades. The grenades were strapped to his body. The arrestee was under Police custody for interrogation.”

Three Christian clerics receive death threats in separate incidents

Two church clerics Bishop Bejoy ND’ Cruze OMI, head Sylhet division and Father Boniface Tolentino CSC, Parish priest of Srimangal Mission received separate death threats through mobile phone text messages in Sylhet division, Daily Star reports on December 23 .

Separately, a Christian priest in Dhaka received a death threat for a second time on December 22 . Jagadish Edward, Academic Dean of Gloria Theological Seminary at Uttara, received the threat. Ali Hossain Khan, officer-in-charge of Uttara Paschim Police Station, said they were investigating the incident. Several members of the Christian community said they have been gripped by an unprecedented sense of insecurity before Christmas due to the death threats and some recent attacks on Christian priests.

PBCP ‘regional commander’ and two associates killed in gunfight with RAB in Tangail District

Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) ‘regional commander’ Omar and two associates Kashem and Saddam were killed in a gunfight with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Omarpur of Tangail District on December 24, reports New Age. Three personnel of RAB were injured during the gunfight. Two Italy-made 7.65mm firearms, a double barrel gun, two magazines and seven bullets were recovered from the spot.

Seven JMB militants arrested in Dhaka city

Seven Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh militants were arrested in a 14-hour-long operation in a building at Mirpur in Dhaka city on December 24, reports New Age. Police said that the building was a den of JMB and three of the seven arrested were high ranking JMB leaders. 17 improvised grenades, explosives with which about 200 such grenades could be made and a sack-full of suicide vests were recovered.

India – Internal Dynamics

Two persons shot dead in Meghalaya

Two persons including a teacher were shot dead by suspected militants on November 25, reports The Shillong Times. According to Police, two persons identified as Sweetbirth D Marak (30) of Rajasimla and Alphius Momin (35), a teacher also from Rajasimla, were shot dead near Konchikol, Rajasimla in East Garo Hills. The motive for the twin killing is yet to be known.

Businessman shot dead in Bihar

Teg Bahadur Rai, a business­man by profession, was shot dead inside his house by two suspected National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants at North Lakhimpur, Rajgarh Dhekiajuli on November 24, reports The Sentinel. According to the sources, the two suspected militants who claimed themselves as NDFB cadres had been demanding money from the victim since a long time but on November 24, he was killed because he allegedly failed to meet their demand.

Islamic State may carry out ‘lone wolf’ terror attacks in India, warns Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijij

Islamic State (IS) may carry out terror strikes anywhere in the country using a single terrorist also known as ‘lone wolf’ to create a mayhem, Union minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju stated on November 26, reports The Times of India. “Challenges are there. We have to accept that it is a reality. The threat is there,” Kiren Rijiju said. In a statement that has a potential to trigger a controversy, Rijiju said Muslims from the southern states were “attracted” more to the IS ide­ ology than their north Indian counterparts. “It is a reality (some south Indian Muslims getting attracted to (SIS). It is a fact. But we should not undermine our vigil in other parts of the country,” he said. Rijiju said some web portals are under watch for their role in spreading the IS propaganda, but it is important to note that the servers of the web portals were not located in India.

Maoist activities on rise in Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Saranda, says CRPF DG

Reviewing anti-Communist Party of India-Maoist operations in Odisha at Rourkela on November 26, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General (DG) Prakash Mishra said Maoist activities have increased in Kalahandi and Kandhamal Districts of Odisha as well as the Saranda forest areas of Odisha-Jharkhand border. He hinted that the situation has further aggravated. Talking to media after the review meeting, the CRPF DG said that more battalions of the CRPF to Odisha are not possible to allocate, but assured that the CRPF would provide all necessary helps to the State Government in a bid to curb the Maoist menace.

Northeast indigenous groups call for strike demanding separate statehood

Various indigenous groups’ of Northeast who have been demanding separate statehood called on a general strike on December 16, reports The Sentinel on November 27. The strike will be observed at various places in the region where the statehood demand is at its peak. Narendra Chandra Debbarma, President of the Indigenous People’s Front of Twipra (IPFT), said that the National Federation for New States has given the bandh call as the Centre has failed to respond to their demand.

Apart from Tripura, bandh will be observed in the areas where people are demanding new States like Bodo/and, Gorkhaland, Karbi Anglong, Kukiland etc. The IPFT is demanding a separate State comprising the areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) which covers almost two third of the State’s total geographical area and habitation of State’s one third population, mostly the tribals. Debbarma said apart from the demand for a separate State they are also opposing the State Governments move to rehabilitate over ten thou­ sand non-tribals in the TTAADC area.

Islamic State IS) cyber jihadists targeting Assam, says report

The Assam Criminal Investigation Department (CID) received complaints from internet users in the State that they were receiving Islamic State (IS/ISIS) sponsored links, videos and photo­graphs in their online accounts, reports The Sentinel on November 29. “We have come across such cases in Silchar and Guwahati. Even women are being targeted,” a CID source said. Most of the complaints are related to Facebook accounts. “The group is using cyber space to spot and radicalize people. Out of curiosity, users often view pages related to ISIS. These users are followed and targeted by the Islamic outfit. Links, videos, messages, photographs – both in English and Arabic – are sent to the targeted users in a bid to radicalize them. Messages are also sent to their online friends,” said an officer. Sometimes, links are also sent to random people. If the person reciprocates or ‘likes’ those con­ tents, they become targets.

Earlier, Director General of Police (DGP) Khagen Sarma had admitted that a lot of interest has been generated in Assam about the ISIS. Moreover, reports suggest that Assam has the second largest volume of internet traffic related to /SIS in the country.

Islamic State (IS) presence in Bangladesh will pose threat to North East India, says report

Efforts by Islamic State (IS/ISIS) to establish bases in Bangladesh may pose a serious security threat to the North East region of India in the days to come, reports The Assam Tribune on November 30. According to reports, security agencies are of the view that the possibility of the dreaded terrorist outfit making attempts to spread towards Assam cannot be ruled out. The IS recently made public its intention of spreading towards Bangladesh and security sources are of the view that if the outfit manages to achieve its goal, the security scenario in the North East will face a serious threat. The fundamentalist forces are already trying to use the ethnic clashes in Assam in 2012 a major issue as the leaders of such forces are mentioning about the riots in their speeches. Under the circumstances, if the IS gets a foothold in Bangladesh, they will definitely try to spread to Assam by making use of the sentiments of the people affected by the riots, sources pointed out.

Sources also pointed out that the IS might try to join hands with forces like Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and as the JMB already has contacts in Assam it will be easier for the IS to use such contacts. The IS, in its monthly mouth­ piece Dabiq mentioned about the plan to expand to Bangladesh. The December issue of the Dabiq devoted a full article entitled “Revival of jihad in Bengal”. By Bengal, the IS meant Bangladesh. The article gave a detailed account of the history of jihad in Bangladesh and stressed the need for revival of jihad in that country. The article said that all the mujahedeens should unite to fight against “oppression of Muslims” in Bangladesh and Burma.

Security analyst and former General officer commanding (GOC) of the 4 Corps of the Army, Lieutenant General (Retd) DB Shekhatkar expressed the view that India should take adequate precautionary measures to prevent the IS from spreading its bases to India. He said that India should also take the neighbouring countries, particularly Bangladesh and Myanmar on board and a coordinated effort should be launched to check the growth of IS before it is too late. The outfits like IS never differentiates international borders and India should not wait for massive explosions to go off and adequate pre­cautionary measures should be taken before it is too late. As the IS mentioned about Bangladesh and Myanmar, the North East region will be trapped in between and there is every reason to believe that the region would not be left out of its operational area by the IS, Shekhatkar said.

UNLF triggers bombs at Tata showroom in Manipur

Militants of United National Liberation Front (UNLF) triggered two powerful Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at a motor showroom. In Imphal on December 5, reports Nagaland Post. The bomb exploded at MGT Tata Motor show­room at Sangaiprou under Singjamei Police Station of Imphal West District, operated by one Kulwan Singh, a resident of Punjab presently residing in Imphal’s MG Avenue. While owning the blasts, UNLF, in a statement, alleged that challenge and cheating by its proprietor Kulwan Singh and his son Dipu to the outfit were behind the attack. Last night attack was performed as a warning to them (proprietor and his son). If the duo and staffs of the showroom continued to challenge and cheat the outfit, more deadly attacks which will root out the business activities of the showroom cannot be rule out, the statement warned.

Five SF personnel injured in ambush in Chhattisgarh

Five security personnel, including two Special Task Force (STF) troopers, were injured on December 8 when the Communist Party of India­ Maoist cadres ambushed a team of Security Forces (SFs) around Kistaram area in Sukma District, reports The Indian Express. Police also claimed to have gunned down at least 15 Maoists in the encounter although no bodies were recovered from the spot. “The exchange of fire took place between a joint team of Special Task Force (STF), state’s District Reserve Group (DRG) and rebels when security forces were out on an anti-Naxal operation in Kistaram area,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), (anti-Naxal operations), Deepanshu Kabra said

CAF trooper killed in Chhattisgarh

A Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) trooper – Ashwini Singh Rajput – was on December 10 killed when the Communist Party of India­ Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres attacked him near a Police camp in Narayanpur District, reports The Pioneer. As per preliminary information, a group of armed Maoists opened fire on a team of security personnel while they were patrolling outside the CAF’s camp at Amdai village coming under Chhotedongar Police Station limits. The firing by Maoists led to a gun-battle between the two sides, according to Narayanpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Meena.

Meanwhile, five security personnel were injured when Maoists ambushed a team of Security Forces (SFs) in Sukma District, reports The New Indian Express. “The exchange of fire took place between a joint team of Special Task Force (STF), state’s District Reserve Group (DRG) and rebels when security forces were out on an anti-Naxal operation in Kistaram area,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), (anti-Naxal operations) Deepanshu Kabra said.

Another Indian to be deported back to India after deserting IS, says report

A youth hailing from Tamil Nadu, suspected to have been in touch with Islamic State (IS) recruiters and propagandists, is set to be deported back to India on December 11, said sources in central intelligence agencies, dnaindia.com reports on December 11. Although, the agency officials are tight-lipped about the country where he came under the scanner of law enforcement agencies, sources pointed out that he was moved to a third country from where his deportation has been planned. “This is good news for us as it shows that the youth are get­ting disenchanted and disillusioned from the ISIS after seeing its actual character from close quarters. They are also feeling the pain of extreme racism at the hands of their Arab handlers that goes totally against the egalitarian approach of Islam. We hope to see more such desertions,” said sources.

Law enforcement agencies in India are not registering case against youths, who have been deported from abroad on charges of radicalisation. Instead, they are put under 24×7 surveillance and counselled by officials if they are not highly radicalised and could be de-radicalised and brought back into the mainstream society. But, before that any suspected radicalised youth is questioned at length to ascertain about the level of involvement with the IS recruiters and propagandists.

No compromise on demand for Bodoland, says NDFB-P chief

The ‘president’ of Progressive faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFP-P), Dhiren Bora, said the outfit will not compromise on its demand for a separate Bodoland state in its ongoing peace talks with the Centre, reports The Times of India on December 11. Dhiren Bora said he had approached former Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga to help the outfit in its negotiations with the Centre. Zoramthanga will place the outfit’s demands before the central leadership, he added. Nothing short of a separate Bodoland state would be acceptable to the indigenous people of the region, Bora said. He also demanded that the Centre upgrade the talks to the political level.

The NDFB-P, currently in truce with the Government, has been demanding a separate Bodoland state by carving out the Bodo-inhabited areas of Assam. The ceasefire agreement between NDFB-P and the Centre was signed in 2005. Since then, many rounds of talks have been held but a solution remains out of reach.

Maoists kill tribal man in Andhra Pradesh

Cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist allegedly killed an adivasi (tribal), identified as V. Satya Rao, (55), in G. Madugula mandal in Visakhapatnam District of Andhra Pradesh on December 21, after branding him a police informer, reports The Hindu. The killing also marked the beginning of the week­ long bandh (general shutdown strike) in the Agency area from December 21, called by the Andhra­ Orissa Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the CPI­ Maoist, protesting against the Government move to mine bauxite in the Jerela area. As per reports, a team of the Maoists picked up V. Satya Rao from Madathakonda village under G. Madugula Police Station limits in the previous night and reportedly killed him after taking him to some interior part in the Agency area. Before leaving the village, the Maoists branded him as police informer and warned the villagers to stay away from the Police and officials who were supporting bauxite mining in the Jerela area. According to Police, the body of Satya Rao was sighted between Madigaruvu and Kilamkota village in G. Madugula area, but it was yet to be recovered. “The body will be retrieved on Tuesday morning,” said a senior police officer, engaged in combing operation in the region.

Constable arrested for his alleged nexus with GNLA in Meghalaya

A constable of sixth Meghalaya Police Battalion posted in North Garo Hills, identified as Sanjib Marak was recently arrested for leaking information about the movement of the Police to Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) leader Philliport Shira, said a Police official on December 22, reports The Shillong Times. The arrested constable is currently under judicial custody. Police believed that a number of Police operations failed in North Garo Hills as GNLA came to know about the movement of Police in advance.

Monthly Fatalities

The following deaths related to ongoing ins urgencies and acts of terrorism occurred dur ing the period Nov 26, 2015 to Dec 25, 2015:

	Civilian	Indian Security Personnel	Militant	Total
Assam	02	00	01	03
Manipur	01	00	00	01
Meghalaya	05	01	02	08
Nagaland	01	00	01	02
Left wing	12	01	07	20
Total	21	02	11	34

Govt exploring options to monitor social media, according to Minister of State for Home

The Union government is planning to establish a situation room to analyze social media in real time. Minister of State for Home Haribhai Chaudhry informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) on December 23 about the initiative, which comes against the backdrop of social media being used by terror organisations for recruitment and creating communal tension, reports Hindustan Times. Chaudhry said a committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary (internal security) Ashok Prasad in the home ministry had been set up to prepare an approach paper in this regard. Members from ministries of information technology, external affairs and central intelligence agencies are among the members of the panel that will look into the. Feasibility of setting up a multi-agency social media analysis centre.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs officials say social media platforms are not only being used for terror recruiting and provoking communal tension but also for mobilising people. However, the government feels that it needs to take into account privacy concerns before it begins monitoring social media. “The government is closely monitoring the situation and has directed the intelligence and security agencies to keep surveillance on them. The cyber space is also being closely monitored in this regard.

Nepal – Internal Dynamics

Nepal arrests 38 during strike against ‘Indian border blockade’ Police in Nepal arrested 38 protesters on Sunday, Nov 29 for trying to enforce a strike against neigh­bouring India, which is accused of orchestrating a weeks-long border blockade that has caused crippling fuel shortages. Many shops were closed in the capital Kathmandu and traffic was thin on the roads after the strike called by a small hardline opposition Communist party.

Protests at the border over Nepal’s new constitution have led to crippling fuel shortages in the land­ locked Himalayan nation, while medicines are also running short. Nepal is heavily dependent on giant India for fuel and other sup­ plies, but little cargo has crossed their main checkpoint since protests broke out in late September.

Movement across other border checkpoints has also slowed to a crawl, prompting Nepal’s government to accuse India – which has criticised the new constitution of retaliating with an “unofficial blockade”.

New Delhi has denied the charge and urged dialogue with the protesters, who belong to the Madhesi ethnic minority and share close cultural, linguistic and family links with Indians living across the border.

Demonstrators from the Madhesi community say the constitution adopted in September leaves them politically marginalised. “Our strike is against India’s blockade and its interference in Nepal,” said Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma, a spokesman for the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). How long will people of Nepal suffer? India must back down.”

On Sunday 13 Indian border security officers crossed into Nepal chasing smugglers in the southeast­ ern district of Jhapa, prompting reports in India that the officers had been detained. Nepal’s Armed Police Force spokesman Pushpa Ram KC denied the reports. “The officers are not under our custody… the locals were agitated so we brought them to safety. Process is underway to send them back,” he said.

On Thursday Kathmandu asked New Delhi to investigate claims that Indian police had crossed over and opened fire at four Nepali men.

Three policemen as agitating UDMF cadres’ hurl petrol bombs at Policemen in Banke District

Three Policemen were injured as agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) cadres’ hurled petrol bombs at Policemen in Jamunaha border in Nepalgunj town of Banke District on December 2, reports The Himalayan Times.

Meanwhile, the tripartite talks among the ruling coalition partners, the main opposition party and the agitating UDMF scheduled for December 2 were postponed indefinitely with the government and the agitating parties blaming each other for the postponement, reports The Himalayan Times. Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said “Today’s tripartite talks were scheduled on Monday in consulta­ tion with the leaders of agitating Madhes-based parties. However, PM Oli cancelled the talks after he was informed that the agitating par­ ties have assigned their second­ rung leaders for the talks while their top leaders are out of valley to take part in a mass meeting.” Tara i Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) leader Sarvendra Nath Shukla, however, said “The leaders were miffed at the three major parties, as they did not come up with any concrete proposal to resolve the crisis in Monday meeting. Postponement of today’s talks shows that major parties want to tire us out.”

CPN Maoist cadre arrested in Nepal

Police on December 5 arrested a village Secretary of Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M), identified as Sankha Narayan Shrestha for arson attack on a truck at Kalu Pandey road in Dhading District during a general strike on November 29, reports Kathmandupost.

Dish home office attacked in Lalitpur district

An unidentified assailant hurled petrol bomb at Dish Home Control Unit office in Bhaisepati in Lalitpur District early on December 16 morning, reports The Kathmandu Post. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pitambar Adhikari informed that the incident occurred at 6:15 am, when motorcycle-borne assailants sprinkled petrol on the transmitting unit of the control office and set it on fire. Though the motive remains unknown, Police suspects that the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-chand) might have carried out the attack on the television network for airing Indian news channel. No arrests have been made relating to the attack.

10 persons injured

Eight United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) cadres were injured in Police firing as clashes erupted between Police and UDMF cadres in a mass assembly organized by the later at the Nawalpur section of the East-West Highway in Sarlahi District on December 3, reports Republica. The injured are Gudu Yadav, Shival Paswan, Manohar Ray Yadav, Manoj Mahato, Nagendra Thakur, Pappu Kumar Mahato, Surendra Prasad Sah and Jagdev Raut.

Meanwhile, two persons were injured as cadres of UDMF man­ handled staffs of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and torched a vehicle they were riding in Sarlahi District on December 3, reports Republica. NHRC members Indira Dhungana and Bhiwa Dhungana suffered injuries in the assault by the UDMF cadres. The vehicle was also completely destroyed in the fire.

Sri Lanka – I nternal Dynamics

Posters requesting everyone to celebrate LTTE’s ‘Mahaviru Day’ put up in Jaffna District

Posters have been put up within the Jaffna University premises in Jaffna District requesting everyone to celebrate Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)’s ‘Mahaviru Day’ that falls on November 27, reports Daily Mirror on November 25. Posters with the message, ‘Tamil People’s desire is Tamil Eelam,’ ‘Our aim is Tamil Eelam’ and ‘Let’s Celebrate Mahaviru Day’ were seen in several places within the university premises.

Police Media spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said that since LTTE is a banned terrorist organization, any activity related to the outfit is illegal under the terrorism prevention laws of the country, reports Colombo Page on November 26. He said that anyone celebrating the banned terrorist group or the leader will be considered as an act of terrorism and a crime, he added.

Govt will set up special war crimes court soon to probe alleged war crimes committed during last stage war, says former President Chandrika Kumaratunga

Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga while addressing a media briefing on December 1 at the head of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation which has been established to lead, facilitate, support and coordinate matters related to national unity and reconciliation in Sri Lanka said that the Government will set up a special war crimes court soon to probe the alleged war crimes committed during the last stage of the three­ decade long ethnic war, reports Colombo Page. She said, “Enormous amount of work has been done and the special court should start its work by the end of this month or by early January.”

Four rehabilitated LTTE cadres released in Punthottam District

Four rehabilitated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres were released in Poonthottam District, reports Colombo Page on December 4. The reintegration ceremony for rehabilitees was held under the patronage of Rehabilitation Commissioner General’s Bureau, Brigadier N.I. de Silva at the Poonthottam District Rehabilitation Centre. The four rehabilitated LTTE cadres have been handed over their relatives. Certificates were awarded to ex-combatants who received computer training. Officials at the Rehabilitation Camp say that over 12,000 ex-LTTE cadres who had undergone rehabilitation have already been entrusted to their relatives.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on December 2 said that there are no new secret detention centers operating in the country now and asked to keep the Government informed if there is information relating to new secret detention centers so that an independent investigation could be initiated, reports Colombo Page. He further said that the Government is taking the matter of Tamil detainees seriously.

INTERNATIONAL

Tunisia leaders urged to rethink anti-Jihad strategy

Tunisia’s leaders faced calls on Nov 26 to rethink their strategy in the fight against extremism following a suicide bombing by the Islamic State Jihadist group of a busload of presidential guards.

The North African nation’s struggle against lslamist violence has taken on added urgency following three major attacks this year by IS, which has made Tunisia one of its main tar­gets. The authorities closed the border with strife-wracked Libya for 15 days, imposed a nationwide state of emergency and a night-time curfew in Tunis after 12 presidential guards were killed in Tuesday’s blast.

On Thursday, the interior ministry identified the suicide bomber, based on “final biological analysis”, as Hussam ben Hedi ben Miled Abdelli, a 26-year-old travelling salesman from Manouba near the capital.

The bombing comes after 60 people were killed, all but one of them foreign tourists, in two separate IS attack s earlier this year in the Mediterranean resort of Sousse and at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis.

The response has been criticised by some politicians as insufficient. “Our people expect more,” leftist lawmaker Ahmed Seddik said in parliament.

18 killed in Boko Haram attack in southeast Niger

Eighteen people were killed and 100 homes torched in an attack in the dead of night by Nigeria’s Boko Haram fighters on a village near southeastern Basso, local authorities told AFP on Nov 26.

“The toll is 18 dead, 11 hurt, almost 100 homes burned down” in the village of Wogom late Wednesday, the mayor of Bosso, Sako Mamadou, told AFP.

A humanitarian worker said the lslamists came from Nigeria and crossed the Komadougou Yobe River, the border between Niger and Nigeria.

Damascus hit

One person was killed and 30 wounded on Nov 28 in rocket and mortar attacks on two neighborhoods of the Syrian capital separately blamed on rebels and government forces, state media and a monitor said.

The fatality and three of the injuries occurred when a rocket hit the mostly Christian neighbourhood of Bab Tuma in the Old City of Damascus, state news agency Sana reported, blaming “terrorists”, the regime word for rebels.

Meanwhile, 27 people were wounded by regime mortar rounds fired into the northeastern rebel­ held Qabun neighbourhood, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Some of them were seriously injured, said the Britain-based monitoring group. It was not immediately clear if Saturday’s casualties were civilians.

Rebels frequently fire rockets on Damascus, which is largely in regime hands, from positions on the outskirts of the city. They often hit residential areas, causing dozens of deaths.

Gunmen kill four Egypt policemen south of Cairo

Masked gunmen on a motorcycle shot dead four Egyptian police­ men south of Cairo on Saturday, Nov 28 the interior ministry said. The gunmen opened fire on a police vehicle, killing those inside, in an area between the famed Giza pyramids west of Cairo and the Saqqara pyramids to the south, the ministry said in a statement.

The attackers’ affiliation was not immediately clear.

lslamist militants have killed scores of policemen and soldiers, mostly in the Sinai Peninsula, since the army overthrew lslamist president Mohamed Mursi in 2013. Attacks have also targeted policemen and government buildings in the capital, several of them claimed by an Islamic State group affiliate.

The extremists often claim that their attacks are retaliation for a police crackdown on lslamist pro­testers, which has killed hundreds and left thousands in prison since Morsi’s overthrow.

Spain arrests three suspected Jihadists

Spain’s interior ministry said on Saturday, Nov 28 it had arrested in two men suspected of trying to recruit people for Islamic Jihad, or “holy war”, as well as a woman ready to go to the conflict zone. The men of Moroccan origin, aged 32 and 42, were arrested in Barcelona, the ministry said in a statement without specifying the date.

They are suspected of having used “different virtual platforms and social media to spread the extremist ideals of Daech (Arab acronym for the Islamic State group) and attract followers to send them to the conflict zones,” the statement said. A 24-year-old Spanish woman was arrested in a town northeast of Barcelona who had been radicalised and was ready to leave to join the extremist groups, said the ministry, which declined to name what country she was heading for.

Spain has been under a high security alert – level 4 out of 5 – since June and has arrested some 95 people in its investigation of suspected Jihadist cells since the start of the year.

Gunmen ambush Burundian commander

Gunmen wounded a senior army commander in western Burundi, a military spokesman said Sunday, Nov 29 with at least four killed in following clashes.

Colonel Serge Kabanyura was shot when gunmen opened fire in an ambush as he was driving on Saturday to the capital Bujumbura, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the city, said army spokesman Gaspard Baratuza.

The area is a stronghold of the former rebels from the 1993-2006 civil war, the National Liberation Forces (FNL), many of whom now oppose the third term in power of President Pierre Nkurunziza.

Burundi descended into violence in April after Nkurunziza launched his now successful bid for a third consecutive term in office, despite concerns over the legality of such a move.

Army officers said four insurgents had been killed as troops hunted the attackers, although insurgent sources denied they were responsible for the shooting.

While insurgents have repeatedly targeted the police including in regular grenade attacks, they have largely refrained from attacking the army, seen by many as being more neutral in the crisis.

Belgium calls for ‘European CIA’ after Paris attacks

Belgium called for the creation of a European intelligence agency Monday, Nov 30 to counter the threat of jihadist violence in the wake of the Paris attacks. Prime Minister Charles Michel told French radio RTL that “we must quickly put in place a European intelligence agency, a European CIA” to collate information on suspected radicals and “unmask those with hostile intentions”.

His call comes after the Paris attacks earlier this month – carried out by an extremist cell partly operating out of Belgium -exposed failings in information sharing between several European intelligence agencies. Michel warned that one of the major problems facing security services was that information was being shared only between individual countries with no similar Europe-wide protocols.

“If intelligence services were able to share information without fail there might never be another attack,” he said, but no system had been put in place to regularise these exchanges. On Friday, European Home Affairs commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos also called for a pan­ European spy agency, but Michel admitted they faced an uphill battle to have the idea accepted. Despite the Paris attacks in which 130 people died, he said France’s Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was “very hesitant about the proposition”.

Germany too has not hidden its scepticism about a European CIA.

Syrian govt denies using chemical arms

Syria on Monday, Nov 30 denied ever using chemical weapons in its four-year-old civil war, telling a global watchdog it was cooperating fully with the destruction of its toxic stock­ pile. Damascus’s rebuttal comes amid growing accusations it is not being transparent with the world’s chemical watchdog and UN efforts are stepped up to track down the perpetrators of deadly chlorine gas attacks in the war-torn country last year.

Damascus rejected “the false accusations against Syria with respect to its supposed use of chlorine as a weapon in military operations,” he added, speaking in Arabic through an interpreter.

But Western countries including the European Union (EU), the United States and Canada have lambasted Syria, raising doubts whether President Bashar al-Assad’s regime is truly committed to ridding the country of all chemical arms.

There are “many uncertainties regarding the dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons programme, notably the gaps and contradictions contained in Syria’s declarations,” EU representative Jacek Bylica told the meeting, attended by delegates from the OPCW’s 192 states.

Meanwhile, Russian air strikes in support of the Syrian government have killed more than 1,500 people, a third of them civilians, since they began two months ago, a monitor said Monday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian raids that began on September 30 have killed 419 Islamic State group fighters as well as 598 from al-Qaeda affiliate al Nusra Front and other rebel groups. But the raids also killed 485 civilians, including 117 children and 47 women, the Britain-based Observatory said.

Russia has long been a staunch ally of Syria’s President Bashar al­ Assad and has backed him through­ out the uprising that began in March 2011. It stepped up its support with an aerial campaign that it says targets IS Jihadists and other “terrorists “.

Syrian opposition forces accuse Moscow of targeting moderate and lslamist rebels rather than Jihadists.

Iran rejects Kenya ‘attacks’ plot

Iran’s embassy in Kenya on Tuesday, Dec 1 denied any links to two Kenyan men police said were allegedly recruited by an Iranian group to plot attacks in the east African nation. Police chief Joseph Boinett on Saturday said they believed the two arrested men had travelled to Iran several times, identifying them as Abubakar Sadiq Lauw, 69, and Yassin Sambai Juma, 25.

“We have irrefutable evidence they were recruited into an Iranian spying ring,” Boinett said, claiming “the mission of that ring was to mount terror attacks in Nairobi, not only targeting Western interests but targeting our people as well.”

But the Iranian mission said it “denies any relation” with the pair, and added it was “ready to cooperate” with Kenyan officials.

Iranians are treated with particular suspicion in Kenya, which is a close ally of Israel.

In May 2013, a Kenyan court sentenced two Iranians to life in prison on terror-related charges, including possessing explosives allegedly to be used in bomb attacks.

Israeli businesses in Kenya have been targeted in the past, including the al-Qaeda claimed bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa in 2002, in which 18 people died, as well as a failed missile strike on an Israeli charter plane at the same time.

Australia passes anti-terrorism law to strip citizenship of dual nationals

Australia’s parliament has passed legislation to strip dual nationals of their citizenship if they are convicted of terrorism offences or found to have fought with banned groups overseas, despite concerns about deporting Jihadists. Attorney-General George Brandis said the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) Bill, passed late on Thursday, updated existing law to reflect “the new age of terrorism”.

“The legislation will strip Australian citizenship from dual citizens who are involved in terrorist conduct overseas or convicted of a terrorism offence in Australia,” he said on Friday, Dec 4. It will also ensure terrorists who are dual nationals are prevented from returning to Australia and dual nationals who engage in terrorism within Australia can be removed where possible.” Brandis said the changes were necessary given the current threat around the world and in Australia – where the risk of a terror attack is deemed by officials to be “probable”.

Canberra has been increasingly concerned about the flow of fighters to Iraq and Syria to join extremist groups such as Islamic State, with some 110 Australians currently fighting in the region. As many as 45 have died in the conflict.

The Attorney-General said the new laws, which will not render individuals stateless, will apply in “very limited circumstances”. They cover people who engage in terrorist acts, including training, recruitment and finance, and are convicted of a terrorist offence and sentenced to at least six years in jail. Those who fight for a declared terrorist group also automatically lose their citizenship.

The legislation, which has opposition Labour Party backing, raised concerns in the Senate about the possibility of those deported committing further acts once overseas. But Brandis told the chamber that such people would be placed “into the hands of the government of the other nation of which they are dual citizens”. “It will be for that government to deal with them and to take whatever action, according to its domestic law, it seems appropriate to take,” he said.

Female shooter pledged allegiance to IS leader

Investigators believe the female shooter in California, Tashfeen Malik, posted on Facebook during the deadly attack, pledging allegiance to Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, US media reported on Friday, Dec 4. One US official familiar with the investigation said Malik had posted on Facebook under an account with a different name. The officials did not explain how they knew Malik was responsible for the post, CNN reported.

Malik and her American husband, Syed Farook, burst into a year-end party in San Bernardino, California on Wednesday and opened fire on a roomful of Farook’s co-workers, killing 14 and wounding 21.

“At this point we believe they were more self-radicalised and inspired by the group than actually told to do the shooting,” an official told the New York Times, which also reported that Malik had pledged allegiance to IS in a Facebook posting but that there was no evidence the group directed the woman.

CNN said Farook had been in contact with known terror suspects overseas and had become radicalised after marrying Malik in Saudi Arabia last year, although an imam at a local mosque he attended said Farook showed no signs of that.

Triple suicide attack kills 30 on Lake Chad Island

At least 30 people were killed and more than 80 wounded on Saturday, Dec 5 in a triple suicide bombing on an island in Lake Chad, a security source said in the capital N’Djamena.

“Three suicide bombers blew themselves up in three different places at the weekly market on Loulou Fou, an island in Lake Chad,” the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. He said the explosions had “killed 30 people”, including the attackers, and wounded more than 80.

N’Djamena on November 9 declared a state of emergency in the Flashpoint Lake Chad region, which also straddles Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger and is frequently targeted by Boko Haram lslamists who this year declared allegiance to the Islamic State.

The decree granted the governor of the remote region the authority to ban the circulation of people and vehicles, to search homes and to seize arms.

In recent months, Boko Haram lslamists have stepped up attacks and suicide bombings on Chadian villages in the lake that lie close to the frontier with Nigeria. The deadliest attack on Chad’s side of the lake took place on October 10, another triple suicide, which killed 41 people at Baga Sola, according to N’Djamena.

Since the start of the year, the Chadian army has been on the front line of a regional military operation against Boko Haram, whose attacks have spread from northeast Nigeria, its traditional stronghold, to the country’s three Lake Chad neighbours.

Boko Haram has been hit hard by the offensive, losing territory, but has launched a wave of attacks and bombings in response.

Blocking Muslim refugees supports terrorism: Guterres

Countries that reject Syrian refugees because they are Muslims are fuelling Islamic State and other militant groups and contributing to the threat of terrorism, UN refugee chief Antonio Guterres said on Monday, Dec 7.

At least one of the men who carried out suicide attacks in Paris last month came through the Balkans to western Europe posing as a Syrian refugee, counter-intelligency and police sources have said.

But before the Paris attacks, many European countries were already talking about closing their borders to refugees or actually doing so – because of the sheer weight of numbers.

Much of the rhetoric connecting refugees and acts of violence has come from the United States, where Ben Carson, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate, likened Syrian refugees to “a rabid dog running around your neighborhood,” and said admitting them would put Americans at risk. His rival candidate Donald Trump suggested shutting mosques to prevent Muslims in the United States from becoming radicalised.

Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal, said he was sympathetic to governments’ impulse to rely on counter-terrorism strategies, but it would be an illusion to think that counter-terrorism and military action alone would solve the problem.

Attacks in Europe may be linked to one or two people who had entered with the huge refugee influx, but it was essentially a home grown problem that would not be solved by closing borders, he said.

Foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria have doubled

The number of foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria has more than doubled since last year to at least 27,000, a report by an intelligence consultancy said on Tuesday, Dec 8 highlighting the global dimension of the conflict.

The figures, compiled by The Soufan Group, indicate that efforts by countries around the world to stem the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria and blunt the appeal of violent organisations such as the Islamic State group (IS) appear to have made little impact.

In all, between 27,000 and 31,000 foreign fighters from 86 countries have travelled to Iraq and Syria, The Soufan Group said, com­ pared to a figure of around 12,000 foreign fighters in Syria when it last published a similar study in June 2014. The largest number travelled to the two countries, across which IS controls a swathe of territory, from the Middle East and the Maghreb, with around 8,000 foreign fighters each. Around 5,000 made their way from Europe, with a further 4 ,700 from former Soviet republics.

The Soufan Group added that between 20 and 30 percent of foreign fighters were returning to their home countries, creating major challenges for domestic security agencies as IS in particular looks to carry out an increasing number of attacks overseas.

The IS group claimed responsibility for a massive attack in Paris last month that left 130 dead, and its fighters have been held responsible for violence in a litany of countries ranging from Iraq to Bangladesh.

The threat of returning foreign fighters has sparked widespread debate, particularly in Western countries, many of which have criminalised travel to Syria to fight in the country’s years-long conflict.

In the wake of the Paris attacks, American lawmakers have also called into question a programme that allows Europeans to travel to the United States without a visa.

Trump’s call to ‘ban Muslims’ sparks anger in Asia

Religious leaders in Asia on Thursday, Dec 10 condemned Donald Trump’s inflammatory comments on Muslims, warning that the US presidential hopeful was helping the Islamic State group’s cause and diminishing America’s global stature.

In Bangladesh and Indonesia, together home to more than a third of the world’s 1.5 billion followers of Islam, anger at the bouffant billionaire’s incendiary proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States ran high.

Leading Bangladeshi cleric Fariduddin Masud told AFP the remarks fed IS propaganda that sought to depict a grand war between Islam and the West. “By uttering such a hate-spreading statement, Donald Trump has com­mitted a crime by indirectly helping the cause of so-called global lslamist militants such as Islamic State,” the chairman of the Jamiatul Ulama Bangladesh, an Islamic scholars council, told AFP.”

The Republican frontrunner’s remarks came after an apparently radicalised Muslim couple shot dead 14 people at a workplace party in the Californian town of San Bernardino this month. Trump’s demand for a moratorium on Muslims entering the United States until politicians “can figure out what was going on” was roundly condemned, although fellow Republican contender Ted Cruz and some conservative commentators praised the call.

In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, Zuhairi Misrawi, an Islamic scholar from Muslim organisation Nahdlatul Ulama, said the call was “a step backwards for American democracy”. The controversial candidate’s latest outburst came two weeks after he proposed creating a data­base system in the United States to track Muslims. Trump’s presidential bid has met with widespread ridicule, with the mainstream media struggling to take the former reality TV star seriously and doubting whether he could succeed at the ballot box, despite his popularity in the polls.

In India, home to nearly 200 million Muslims, an opinion piece in the leading Times of India newspaper on Thursday invoked a warning not to underestimate the business­ man, pointing out that Adolf Hitler was an elected leader. It also called for New Delhi to refuse Trump entry to the country.

Fight against terrorism ‘absolute priority’

Tunisia’s National Dialogue Quartet, which on Thursday, Dec 10 picked up its Nobel Peace Prize at a formal ceremony in Oslo, said the fight against terrorism was an “absolute priority”.

“Today we are in a great need of dialogue between civilisations, and peaceful coexistence … Today we need to make the fight against terrorism an absolute priority,” said Houcine Abassi, the secretary general of the Tunisian General Labour Union, one of the four members of the Quartet.

Abassi also denounced the “barbaric and heinous terrorist acts” in recent months in Tunisia and around the world, citing attacks in Paris, Beirut, Sharm el­ Sheikh and Bamako.

The head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Kaci Kullmann Five, meanwhile said the international community needed to present a united response to the attacks.

“Because the threat is essentially the same to us all, we must stand together to combat it,” she told the specially-invited guests, including Norway’s King Harald, gathered under heavy security at Oslo’s City Hall. The Quartet is made up of the Human Rights League, General Labour Union (UGTI), the Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), and the Order of Lawyers.

It was honoured with the Nobel Prize for helping to save Tunisia’s transition to democracy at a sensitive moment in 2013 when the process was in danger of collapsing because of widespread social unrest.

87 killed in Burundi clashes

Burundi’s army said that 79 “enemies” and eight soldiers were killed during the bloodiest day in months of unrest late on Friday, Dec 11 which left the streets of the capital strewn with bodies, many bearing gunshot wounds. The violence began with coordinated attacks by unidentified gunmen on three military installations, which triggered a fierce riposte from the security forces. Several witnesses described the police and army going door-to­ door in opposition strongholds in the capital Bujumbura, dragging out young men and executing them.

Army spokesman Colonel Gaspard Baratuza said all those killed were either “enemies” of the state, soldiers or policemen.

The army had given a much lower toll after the assault Friday on two military bases and a military training college, saying that 12 rebel gunmen had been killed and 21 captured in the attacks. But on Saturday morning horrified residents of different neighbourhoods awoke to find at least 39 corpses scattered in the streets. “Fighting continued into the night and the corpses found in these neighbourhood’s this morning are enemies,” Baratuza declared.

Several witnesses accused the security forces of extrajudicial killings, describing officers breaking down doors in search of young men and shooting them at close range. Some of the victims had their arms tied behind their backs, they said.

The army spokesman declined to comment on the details of the fighting and deaths. One witness in Nyakabiga, a hotspot of anti-government protest in recent months, described the victims as “kids” and said they had been shot execution­ style “through the top of the skull”.

But government supporters were in triumphant mood, holding marches Saturday in Bujumbura and other towns under police protection to celebrate what they described as “the victory of our valiant army over the enemy.”

IS suicide bomber kills six on Iraq-Saudi border

A suicide bomber struck an Iraqi position on the border with Saudi Arabia, killing six guards, officials said on Saturday, Dec 12 an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The bomber detonated an explosives-rigged truck at a border post in Iraq’s vast Anbar province on Friday and also wounded 14 guards, an army lieutenant colonel and a local official said.

IS issued a statement claiming the attack, which it said was carried out by a bomber identified as Abu Ali al-Ansari. The statement was accompanied by photos, some of which were apparently shot from a drone.

One showed a truck trailed by a long cloud of dust approaching a small outpost in the desert, while another pictured a massive column of smoke tinged with fire almost completely obscuring the position.

Other shots showed fighters with machineguns and a mortar who were said to have supported the attack.

The truck itself was shown swathed in home-made armour that covered all but a small window for the driver and an air intake for the engine.

IS has overrun significant territory in Anbar province, which stretches from the borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to the western approach to Baghdad, including provincial capital Ramadi.

IS used dozens of car and truck bombs in the operation in which it seized Ramadi in May, and explosive devices are a key aspect of the Jihadists’ offensive and defensive tactics. Iraqi security forces have been fighting to close in around Ramadi for months. and succeeded in retaking a large area on the southwest side of the city last week.

Car bomb in Syria kills 16

A powerful car bomb exploded near a hospital in the central Syrian city of Homs on Saturday, Dec 12 killing 16 people and wounding dozens, the provincial governor and a monitoring group said.

Talal Barazi said the blast near the Al-Ahli hospital, in the Al-Zahraa neighbourhood where most residents belong to the same Alawite sect as President Bashar al-Assad, killed 16 people. Another 54 were wounded, some seriously, and being treated at hospitals throughout the city.

The vehicle used in the attack, which has yet to be claimed, had been carrying at least 150 kilo­grammes of explosives , Barazi added. There was no immediate information available on the situation inside the hospital, but the facades of many buildings appeared to have been severely damaged.

44 die in Yemen

At least 44 people have been killed in Saudi-led coalition air raids and fighting between Yemeni loyalists and rebels ahead of a possible ceasefire, medical and military sources said on Sunday, Dec 13. The latest deaths come ahead of UN-brokered peace talks set to take place between the warring parties in Switzerland on Tuesday.

A government-proposed seven­ day ceasefire is expected to coincide with the negotiations.

Air strikes by the Arab coalition on the Haradh area of the northern province of Hajja hit six homes, witnesses said. Haradh, on the border with Saudi Arabia, is among the northern strongholds of the Huthi rebels who control Yemen’s capital. Along with their allies, the Iran­ backed Huthis have been targeted by the coalition since March.

The Huthis, allied with renegade troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, claimed on their sabanews.net website to have fired a missile at the Saudi Khaled bin Abdulaziz base in the kingdom’s south, causing damage.

The rebels frequently make such claims, and Saudi authorities did not confirm the incident.

A truce is much needed in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest nation where an estimated 80 percent of the population of 26 million needs aid.

The UN says more than 5,800 people have been killed in Yemen, about half of them civilians, and more than 27,000 wounded since March.

Gunmen kidnap 26 Qataris in Iraq

Gunmen kidnapped at least 26 Qatari hunters in southern Iraq, officials said on Wednesday, Dec 16 the second high-profile abduction of foreigners in the country in three months.

Turkey, which like Qatar is at odds with various Iraqi groups over regional issues, had 18 of its citizens abducted in Iraq in early September. They were eventually released unharmed.

Qatar’s foreign ministry has contacted the Iraqi government to obtain “details about the kidnapping of the Qatari citizens and to work to release them as quickly as possible”, it said in a statement carried by the official ONA news agency.

Assistant Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Mohammed al­ Rumaihi, has been dispatched to Baghdad to coordinate with Iraqi authorities “to ensure the safety of the Qatari nationals”, it said.

The hunters entered Iraq with an “official permit” from the interior ministry, the Qatari statement said. Wealthy citizens of Gulf States venture to countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq to hunt with falcons without the bag limits and conservation measures restricting the killing of certain species that they face at home.

UAE says seizes Iranian ship smuggling drugs

United Arab Emirates security authorities have seized an Iranian ship that was smuggling drugs and people, the state WAM news agency said on Tuesday, Dec 22.

WAM said the ship’s captain was trying to smuggle “big amounts of drugs and two Iranian nationals through the Khaled port in the emirate of Sharjah”.

Turkish forces kill 55 Kurdish militants.

Turkish security forces have killed 55 Kurdish militants during a major operation to root out Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rebels from two urban centres in the troubled southeast, security sources said on Friday, Dec 18. With the crackdown now in a fourth day, a Turkish soldier was killed in intense clashes with the PKK, the first fatality suffered by the army in the operation, the security sources told AFP.

The operation in the towns of Cizre and Silopi began on Tuesday, with 25 militants killed in first two days. But the latest figure more than doubled the number of casualties, implying a heavy toll during Thursday’s fighting inside the towns.

The vast operation, which is now in its fourth day and reportedly involves some 10,000 troops, is centered on two towns in Kurdish-dominated Sirnak province where the military has imposed blanket curfews.

The state-run Anatolia news agency said 49 militants had been killed in Cizre and 6 in Silopi. The dead soldier was killed in Cizre.

The government says the operation is needed to eliminate militants who were effectively taking over the towns by building barricades and digging trenches. But Kurdish activists have accused the army of acting with impunity and pounding large parts of the towns to rubble.

The operations mark a new escalation in five months of fighting with the PKK since a two-and-a-half year truce collapsed in July. The curfews in Cizre and Silopi are the latest in a succession of such measures across the southeast that have angered activists.

75 killed in Ethiopia: HRW

At least 75 people have been killed during weeks of protests in Ethiopia which have seen soldiers and police firing on demonstrators, Human Rights Watch said on Saturday, Dec 19.

“Police and military forces have fired on demonstrations, killing at least 75 protesters and wounding many others, according to activists,” HRW said in a statement.

There was no immediate response from Addis Ababa, but it has previously put the toll at five dead.

Government spokesman Getachew Reda said the “peaceful demonstrations” that began last month had escalated into violence, accusing protesters of “terrorising the civilians”.

The protests began in November when students opposed government proposals to take over territory in several towns in the Oromia region, sparking fears that Addis Ababa was looking to grab land traditionally occupied by the Oromo people, the country’s largest ethnic group.

Demonstrations have taken place in the towns of Haramaya, Jarso, Walliso and Robe among others.

Pictures have appeared on social media, apparently showing bloodied protestors and armed police firing tear gas at student demonstrators.

Current Threat Levels

City/Region                                          Threat Level

Islamabad                                              Level 2                          **

Karachi                                                   Level 2                          **

Lahore                                                    Level 2                          **

Punjab                                                    Level 2                          **

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa                            Level 3                          **

Peshawar                                               Level 2                          **

Quetta                                                    Level 2                         ***

Upper Balochistan                                 Level 3                         ***

Lower Balochistan                                 Level 2                          **

Upper / Rural Sindh                               Level 2                          **

Gilgit and Northern areas                      Level 3                          **

Tribal areas, close

to Afghan border                                    Level 3                          ***

Index to Threat Level References

Threat Level 1                                                                               *

No threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required.

Threat Level 2                                                                                 **

No specific threat to foreigners, however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised, especially if traveling.

Threat Level 3                                                                                 ***

Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Foreigners should rehearse plans for evacuation.

Threat Level 4                                                                                 ****

Indicates complete breakdown of civil administration and law and order leading to possible anarchy. All foreigners 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.