Terrorist Activities in Pakistan
Suicide Attacks
At least 62 persons were killed and more than 100 were injured in an explosion at the shrine of Shah Norani in Khuzdar District of the Balochistan province, on November 12, reports Dawn. “52 people have died and dozens injured in the incident,” confirmed Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti. The Minister also hinted towards foreign involvement in the attack. It was not confirmed whether the bombing was a suicide attack or a remote detonation. The explosion took place at the spot where the dhamaal (Sufi ritual) was being performed, within the premises of the shrine. “Every day, around sunset, there is a dhamaal here, and there are large numbers of people who come for this,” said Nawaz Ali, the shrine’s custodian. At the time of the blast, there were at least 500 people gathered at the spot to view the performance, said Abdul Hakim Lasi, a senior Edhi official in Khuzdar District. The militant Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack, reported Reuters.
Bomb/IED Blasts
A Pakistan Army Major, identified as Major Imran, was killed and six other soldiers were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in South Waziristan Agency on November 1, reports Daily Times. According to Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR), around 490 soldiers and 3,500 militants have been killed so far in FATA in Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
A soldier died and two others suffered injuries when an Army patrolling jeep drove over a landmine in the Maidan area of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency on November 7, reports Dawn.
A passerby was killed and two Security Force (SF) personnel were injured in bomb attacks in Chaman in Qilla Abdullah District on November 21, reports Daily Times. A bomb was planted under a bridge in Killi Haji Habib in Boghra area when SF vehicles were moving towards the Pak-Afghan border.
At least three Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were killed and seven others were injured on November 21 in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast targeting their vehicle in Bashirabad area of Peshawar, reports The Express Tribune. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan splinter group Jama’at-ul-Ahrar (JuA) claimed responsibility for the attack in an email sent to the media.
A Khasadar force official sustained injuries in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) bombing in Safi Tehsil (revenue unit) of Mohmand Agency official sources said, reports Daily Times. They said militants had planted the explosives in the fields in the Alingar area of Safi Tehsil.
One Khasdar official was killed in a landmine blast at Karkanai in the Safi tehsil (revenue unit) area of Mohmand Agency on November 23, reports Daily Times. The sources said that suspected militants had planted an explosive device near a checkpoint in Karkanai.
Targetted Killings
A polio worker, identified as Fazal Amin, was shot dead by unidentified militants in Jamrud tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber Agency on October 26, reports Dawn.
Five people were killed when unidentified assailants opened fire at a religious gathering of Shias in Karachi’s Nazimabad area on Oct 29. The attackers wearing helmets and riding motorbikes entered a roadside camp set up for majlis outside the residence and opened fire at the participants.
A senior clerk of the Police department, Ibad Ali was shot dead by unidentified motorcyclists in Khazana Payan village of Peshawar on Oct 29.
A Balochistan Levies official was shot dead in the Wadh area of Khuzdar District on November 2, reports The Express Tribune. No outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.
Six persons, including five associated with the proscribed Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) were shot dead in Karachi on November 4, reports Dawn. Three persons, who appeared to be ‘religious scholars’, were shot dead in the Shafiq Mor area of North Karachi, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Muqadas Haider, said.
Further, two persons were shot dead near Fatima Bai Hospital in Patel Para area under Jamshed Quarters Police Station in Jamshed Town on November 4, reports Dawn. An ASWJ spokesman claimed that all the five victims were associated with their group.
Separately, a prayer leader, Shafiq Rehman (30), was shot dead in North Nazimabad area in Karachi on November 4, reports Dawn. Shafiq Rehman was feeding pigeons in Block-H of North Nazimabad when armed pillion riders attacked him.
Unidentified assailants on November 8 killed two Policemen in Dera Murad Jamali area of Naseerabad District in Balochistan, reports Dawn. They were patrolling on motorcycle when they were attacked by armed militants in the area.
A Karachi University student and a Policeman were killed while two others critically injured in a fresh wave of target killing in Karachi, on November 11, reports The News. According to details, unidentified assailants opened fire at three students from KU, who were riding on their motorcycle in Block 4 of Gulistan-e-Jauhar area under Gulshan Town in Karachi. As a result one student identified as Murtaza died instantly while his colleagues Shahid and Ehsan were injured.
Separately, a Policeman, identified as Rizwan, was shot dead near Saleem Centre in North Karachi. The deceased Rizwan was stationed at Crime Branch.
Unidentified armed assailants shot dead a professor of Government College of Science, identified as Professor Rao Altaf Hussain, in a targeted killing incident in Iqbal Town in Lahore on November 15, reports Dawn.
At least five tribesmen, members of the peace committee, were shot dead by unidentified militants in the Kamar Khel area of Bara tehsil (revenue unit) in Khyber Agency on November 16, reports Daily Times. An official of the political administration said that the targeted persons belonged to Zakha Khel tribe, and were on their way back from Tirah Valley when attacked.
At least four Security Force (SF) personnel were killed and a civilian was injured in an ambush on Fatima Jinnah Road in Quetta on November 19, reports Daily Times. Police sources said unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire on the SF personnel deployed there resulting in five injuries – four SF personnel (three Frontier Corps personnel and a police constable) and a civilian.
Unidentified assailants shot at and killed an Afghan national in Shehbaz Town area of Quetta District on November 21.
A police constable of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) was killed, while an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) was seriously injured in an ambush by unidentified militants in the Razar tehsil (revenue unit) area of Swabi District on November 24, reports Daily Times.
Miscellaneous
At least four suspected terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with Security Forces (SFs) in Hazar Ganji area of Quetta in the night of October 27, reports Dawn. “Security forces conducted a raid on a compound in the Hazar Ganji area of Quetta,” said a police official. The security official added that the terrorists fired upon the SFs, after which the forces retaliated. Three security officials were injured after the terrorists lobbed a hand grenade, said the police official.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan Government on October 27 demanded pre-1958 powers under the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) to curb crimes and prevent acts of terror in the province, reports Dawn. “The provincial administration has no legal powers in Balochistan that has become a war zone,” Home Secretary Mohammad Akbar told a meeting of the Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights. Committee members, especially Senator Dr. Jehanzeb Jamaldini of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, criticised both the federal and provincial governments for their failure to stop acts of terror in the province.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) killed three alleged militants in Karachi during an operation at Korangi causeway on October 27, reports The News. According to details disclosed by CTD senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Junaid Sheikh, all three militants who were gunned down belonged to banned outfits.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) killed five alleged militants during an operation in WAPDA Town area of Gujranwala District on October 29, reports The News. Three accomplices managed to escape. According to details given by the CTD spokesperson, eight militants were inside a house in WAPDA Town area, planning a terrorist attack. As CTD officials raided the house, the alleged militants opened fire to which the security officials responded, killing five of them. Two rifles, two hand grenades, two pistols and explosive materials were recovered from the place of operation.
Security Forces (SFs) killed four Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militants, linked to October 24, 2016, attack on Police Training College (PTC), during an intelligence-based raid in New Sariab area of Quetta on October 28, reports Dawn. “A team of anti-terrorist force (ATF) raided the compound and killed four militants after an exchange of gunfire,” said Senior Police Official Abdullah Afridi.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) conducted an operation and killed nine alleged militants in Chichoki Mallian area of Sheikhupura District on November 1, reports The News. Three accomplices managed to flee. The CTD officials recovered six kilograms of explosive materials, five Kalashnikov rifles and five pistols from their possession.
Rangers and Intelligence Agencies personnel unearthed a huge cache of arms during a search operation in Sakhi Hassan graveyard in North Nazimabad Town in Karachi on November 2 reports The News. Sources disclosed that Rangers had conducted the search operation based on information provided by arrested suspects. In addition, Police arrested four suspects in two different raids in Surjani Town area of Gadap Town and Jamshed Quarters area in Jamshed Town on November 1, reports The News.
Three suspected militants allegedly affiliated with banned terror outfits were arrested during a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) operation on November 4 from the Korangi, Orangi and Lyari area in Karachi, reports Dawn. The three suspected militants were identified as Mohammad Aziz, who was affiliated with Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Tauseef Zaheer who was affiliated with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), and Abdul Hafeez who was affiliated with Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), said the statement released by the CTD.
Security Forces (SFs) killed three suspected militants, who were allegedly involved in passenger train attacks, in an exchange of fire in Bolan District on November 5, reports Dawn. “All three suspected militants were killed during joint raids of Frontier Corps and security institutions to apprehend the elements involved in attacks on passenger trains,” said spokesman Frontier Corps (FC) Khan Wasey. FC official also claimed to have recovered weapons from the possession of militants.
Frontier Corps personnel arrested six suspected militants in two separate operations conducted in Mastung and Mach Districts on November 6, reports Dawn. An FC spokesperson said that four of the arrested men belonged to the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. They were arrested during a search operation in the Shamsabad area of Mastung District.
Security Forces on November 8 evening foiled a major bid of terrorism by demolishing four camps of alleged militants in Dera Bugti District. “Two suspected militants along with weapons were arrested during the operation, said Spokesman for Frontier Corps (FC) Khan Wasey. “Two alleged militants belonged to an outlawed Baloch militant organisation operating in the area,” Wasey added.
Further, around 202 Baloch separatists belonging to militant organisations surrendered to Provincial Government authorities in Quetta on November 7 and pledged their allegiance to the country, reports Daily Times. Those who surrendered handed their weapons over to the Government authorities at the Chief Minister (CM) Secretariat and vowed to remain loyal to the country during rest of their life. Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri gave them cash prizes and announced that the Government would provide financial support to their families. The CM said that so-called nationalists leaders abroad were enjoying their lives and had pushed the Baloch youth here to take up arms against the State.
Pakistan Rangers Sindh on November 9 night killed three suspected militants in an encounter at Manghopir area on the outskirts of Karachi, reports Dawn. “The paramilitary force had conducted an intelligence driven action on suspected hideouts of banned outfit’s hardcore criminals at Manghopir area who were allegedly involved in terrorist activities,” said Rangers spokesperson. “During the raid the suspects, in an attempt to escape, opened fire on law enforcement agencies. In an ensuing exchange of fire between Rangers and the gunmen, three suspects got killed,” the spokesperson added. Furthermore, Rangers official claimed that one soldier got injured in the alleged encounter and weapons were also seized from suspects’ custody.
The Security Forces (SFs) killed one ‘commander’ of Jundhulla outfit, identified as Arif alias Saqib, during an action in Hub area of Lasbela District in Balochistan in the night of November 10, reports Dawn. According to sources Arif was mastermind of suicide attacks in Karachi and Balochistan. Huge cache of arms and ammunition was seized during the action.
At least two suspects were killed and their accomplice managed to flee during an encounter with Police in Kernal Basti area of PIB Colony in Karachi on November 16, reports The News. Police seized huge cache of weapons from the possession of the accused.
A Daesh (Islamic State, IS, previously Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS) militant shot dead during an encounter in Rawalpindi District on November 17, reports The News. According to details, CTD officials were involved in an alleged encounter with terrorists during which a suspected militant was killed. During the exchange of fire, two CTD officials were also injured. The militant, who has been identified as Ahsan Swati, was killed by the firing of his associates. Bullets, pistols, rifles and IEDs were recovered from the suspected slain militant.
Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Bahawalpur on November 22 arrested a terrorist identified as, Muhammad Yaseen, who had planned to carry out a terrorist activity at an Imambargah (Shia place of commemoration) in Bahawalpur District, reports The News. Officials seized 1,700 gram explosives, detonators, ball bearings and other articles of Improvised Explosive Device from his possession.
PAKISTAN
Malala Government School conceals name following threats in Karachi
The administration of Malala Government Girls Secondary School, located on Mission Road in Bhimpura area of Saddar Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, has concealed the name of Malala inscribed at the façade of the school building due to threats, reports Daily Times on November 3. The administration told that some suspects have threatened the parents of girl’s students to keep them at homes instead of sending to the school. This move has also terrified the students of the school. The enrolment has also decreased after these threats. The school management has informed the concerned authorities about this situation, but Education Department and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) are not taking any concrete steps for the security of the school.
Army major shot dead in Islamabad
A Major of the Pakistan Army, Major Zeeshan Naseem, was shot dead by unidentified assailants, who stormed his residence in Sector I-8/4 in Islamabad, the Federal Capital, on November 3, reports Dawn. Major Zeeshan Naseem’s wife answered the door and found a man standing outside. He pushed her aside and while she tried to intercept him, two more persons entered the house Police quoted the major’s wife as saying. Major Zeeshan Naseem, who was in a nearby room, rushed to the gate after he heard the voice of his wife. One of the men pulled out a pistol and fired on him, the Police added. He suffered a bullet injury in the chest and fell to the floor, bleeding. He was taken to a hospital where he died.
Four persons including two terrorists killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Two terrorists and a Policeman were killed in an exchange of fire in Minai area of Swabi District on the night of November 5, reports The News. Official sources said terrorists attacked a Police vehicle in Minai area and managed to flee. “One of them was shot dead and another blew himself up as Police chased after them,” the sources said. Police also freed four people, including a minor, believed to be taken hostage by the terrorists. A Policeman was also injured in the exchange of fire who later succumbed to his injuries. A Kalashnikov, two hand grenades and ammunition were also seized in the operation.
Separately, a former head of a local Aman (Peace) committee was found murdered in Mulazi area of Tank District on November 6, reports Daily Times. Unidentified assailants had kidnapped him two weeks ago. According to the first information report (FIR) lodged by Sifatullah, a resident of Kiri Wadati, his brother, Habib-ur Rehman, alias Wata had gone missing two weeks ago.
Quetta Police Training college attack mastermind arrested
Security Forces (SFs) on November 6 arrested an important leader of a militant outfit who is allegedly involved in the October 24 attack on the Police Training College in Quetta, reports Dawn. Official sources said that after receiving information about the presence of some militants, security and intelligence personnel launched a search operation in the airport road area of the city and arrested the leader from a house. However, officials did not disclose his name. The SFs personnel seized weapons, computers, army uniforms and Jihadi literature from his possession.
Police raid scores of Karachi seminaries after sectarian killings
Police on November 7 arrested dozens of persons in a crackdown on more than 90 seminaries, following a series of sectarian shootings in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, reports The News. Provincial Police Chief AD Khawaja said that the crackdown was aimed at both Sunni and Shiite seminaries. The arrests prompted protests by Shiites in the Malir area of Karachi, where demonstrators blocked a road and were forcibly cleared by Police firing tear gas, rubber bullets and automatic weapons.
Punjab CTD gets powers to monitor fourth schedulers
The Punjab Home Department issued a notification on November 8 giving powers to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Police to keep an eye on the suspects placed under the Fourth Schedule, reports Dawn. As per the notification, the CTD will look into all the matters pertaining to the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). There are some 1,600 terror suspects on the list of the Fourth Schedule in Punjab. The Fourth Schedule lists contain names of all known suspects belonging to banned militant or sectarian organisations, who by their disposition could pose a threat to public peace and security. Such suspects have to submit an affidavit to the Government, pledging they would no more be associated with any banned organisation in future or engage in any criminal activity.
20 suspects arrested in combing operations in Sindh
More than 20 suspects were rounded up and detained at various Police Stations in what was described as a ‘combing’ operation carried out in different villages around the Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad District of Sindh on November 10, reports Dawn. Sources said that officers and personnel of the District Police and other law enforcement agencies carried out raids on houses, hotels and other places to apprehend suspects late on November 9-evening and the following day. A house-to-house search was also conducted during the operation, Sources added.
Separately, the Rangers on November 10 claimed to have seized 190 bulletproof jackets during a raid near Azizabad area of Karachi, reports The News. Ranger’s official statement said the raid was conducted on a tip off in Federal B Area where the jackets were found hidden at a house. It said the bulletproof jackets were being used by the “militant wing of MQM”. It said the jackets were used as shields during acts of terrorism. The statement didn’t mention whether any arrest was made during the raid.
Meanwhile, Police claimed to have unearthed buried cache of arms in Old Clifton area of Karachi, reports The News. This was disclosed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) AD Khawaja during his meeting with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at CM House,” said a statement issued. The IG said that the Police excavated a piece of land near National Bank of Pakistan and recovered huge cache of arms which include 3695 rounds, 61 magazines, 23 rifles different boars, four pistol, 230 rounds and four magazine, according to the statement.
Pakistan among top five countries hit by terrorism, says report
Pakistan, along with Afghanistan and Syria is among the top five countries most hit by terrorism, The Express Tribune reported on November 16 quoting The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report. According to the report, deaths from terrorism in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries increased by 650 per cent last year despite a marked fall globally as Islamic State (IS)and Boko Haram militants suffered military defeats at home but committed more attacks abroad.
The GTI report said that worldwide there had been 29,376 deaths caused by terrorism in 2015, a drop of 10 percent and the first fall in four years, as action against militants IS in Iraq and Boko Haram in Nigeria cut the numbers killed there by a third. However, the report said the groups had spread their actions to neighbouring states and regions, causing a huge increase in fatalities among OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) members, most of which are wealthy countries such as the United States and European nations.
Federal govt banned JuA and LeJ-Al-Alami
The Federal Government on November 11 banned two more militant outfits, Jama’at-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ) – Al-Alami, for their involvement in terrorist activities across the country, Dawn reported on November 19 quoting an unnamed official of Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs. Referring to a revised list of banned organisations available on the website of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), a senior official in Sindh’s security establishment said: “The two organisations were added to the banned outfits’ list on Nov 11.” The updated list on NACTA website shows a total of 63 outfits that have been proscribed by the Federal Government.
War on terror has cost Pakistan USD 118.3 billion, claims State Bank of Pakistan
A new report by the State Bank (SBP) has said Pakistan’s ‘war on terror’ has cost $118 billion so far, Dawn reported on November 19. The SBP in its annual report on November 17 showed that extremist violence cost the country USD 118.3 billion in direct and indirect losses from 2002 to 2016. “Both economic growth and social sector development have been severely hampered by terrorism related incidents,” the report said. Pakistan became a pivotal US ally in the battle against extremism after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks spurred the US invasion of Afghanistan. A Coalition Support Fund was approved by the US to support Pakistan in the war, with an annual release of around USD one billion since 2002. By last year Pakistan had received a total of USD 14 billion. The SBP said that apart from causing immeasurable human suffering, including casualties and mass displacement, the war had helped drive away foreign investment, stall domestic investment, freeze exports, and slow down trade.
Pakistan shoots down Indian drone near LoC
An Indian drone was shot down by Pakistani security forces on Saturday (Nov 19) evening along the Line of Control (LoC) at the Aagahi post in the Rakhchakri sector, the ISPR said.
The Director General of ISPR, Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa, said in a tweet that the quad copter shot down by the Pakistani troops had intruded 60 meters inside the Pakistani side of the LoC. The drone fell near the Agahi Post and was taken over by the Pakistani troops.
On Friday, the Pakistan Navy said it had pushed an Indian submarine away from the Pakistani waters, as tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals continue to smoulder over unrest in the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK).
Tensions across the LoC reached dangerous levels in September, when India blamed the Pakistani militants for a raid on an army base that killed 19 soldiers. India claimed it had responded by carrying out “surgical strikes” across the heavily-militarised LoC, sparking a furious reaction from Islamabad, which denied the strikes took place.
There have since been repeated outbreaks of cross-border firing, with both sides reporting deaths and injuries, including of civilians.
REGIONAL
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Two PCB cadres killed in gunfight in Pabna
Two cadres of Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) were killed in a gunfight with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Gayeshbari area in Pabna District on October 28, reports The Independent. The deceased were identified as Moyon Uddin (25) and Biplab Bepari (28). RAB recovered some firearms and bullets from the spot.
Two cadres of Naxal Bahini killed in Pabna
Two alleged cadres of an outlawed outfit, Naxal Bahini, were killed in a shootout with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and two pistols were recovered from their possession from Goyeshbari area under Ataikula in Santhia upazila (sub-District) in Pabna District on October 28, reports The Daily Star. One of the killed was identified as Biplab Kumar Bepari alias Bipul (28), son of Abdul Pramanik from Bil Shalangi village and the other was Moyen Uddin (27), son of Motaleb Hossain from Paiksha village under Ataikula of Santhia upazila in the District, RAB said. On a tip-off that members of the outlawed party were holding a secret meeting near Goyeshbari Government Primary School, a RAB team was sent there, Commander of RAB 12, Bina Rani Das, said. In the ensuing shootout two were found dead while their associates escaped, RAB said. The weapons were found in the possession of the dead, said Bina, adding that two members of RAB were slightly injured in the operation. According to RAB, the two killed were wanted for the murder of Shajahan Ali Master, a local Awami League (AL) leader, and each was accused in over a dozen cases filed with Ataikula Police Station.
Four HuJI-B militants arrested in Gazipur
Four suspected militants of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh were arrested along with 14 petrol bombs and four crude bombs Police during a raid in Nandoain area of Gazipur District on October 27, reports The Daily Star. They are identified as Shahidullah (43), and Aminul Haq (49), of Tangail, Khairul Islam (26), of Gazipur, and Golam Kibria Khan (25), of Mymensingh. Harun-or-Rashid, Superintendent of Police (SP) in Gazipur, said the cadres of the banned militant outfit were arrested during a raid at an abandoned cottage inside a forest in Joydevpur around 8:00pm on October 27. The arrestees had gathered there to plan subversive activities.
Indian arms dealer arrested in Dhaka
Police arrested an Indian arms dealer from Gabtoli area in Dhaka on October 31, and recovered several guns and ammunition from him, reports The Daily Star. The arrest was made last night, a text message from Police headquarters said. Ten guns, 35 rounds of bullets and 12 magazines were seized from him, the text said. The arrestee was primarily identified as Khairul, an Indian national, said Masud-ur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Four arms, explosive suppliers held in Dhaka
The Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Police arrested four people in the Darussalam area in Dhaka on November 2, on charge of supplying arms and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to Gulshan café attack ‘plotter’ and slain Bangladesh-origin-Canadian, Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and his ‘missing’ associate, Nurul Islam Marjan, reports New Age. A CTTC team led by senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmedul Islam arrested the four persons-Abu Taher (37), Mizanur Rahman (34), Selim Miah (45), and Towfikul Islam alias Doctor Towfik – hailing from the bordering town of Chapainawabganj– near Apparel Exports Limited at Darussalam area on November 2. They all disembarked an intercity bus, Dhaka Metropolitan Police said. The Police investigators branded the four as the leaders and operatives of outlawed Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and claimed that they had seized a 9mm-pistol from Abu Taher and 787 pieces of detonators from Mizanur Rahman.
Three injured in IED explosion in Rangamati district
Three persons were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion along Bangladesh-Myanmar Border in remote Jarulchhari area of Bilaichhari in Rangamati District on November 5, reports The Daily Star. They are Aung Hlei Khumi, of Kulain para, Rang Nau Mro, of Remakri Prangsha, and Aung Ney Khumi, of Tong Pu para, of Ruma upazila (sub-District) in Bandarban. Though Bandarban Army said the incident took place in Jarulchhari area, locals said the incident spot was in remote Remakri Prangsha area under Ruma upazila. The three entered Myanmar territory through Rangamati to bring a stray cow (locally called goyal) and they were wounded by an IED blast, said Bandarban Brigade Maj Touhidul Islam.
Suspected leader of BCP killed in Khulna
A suspected leader of Biplobi Communist Party (BCP) leader was killed in a ‘gunfight’ between Police and the party operatives at a bamboo garden at Garakhula under Phultala in Khulna District early on November 8, reports New Age. The deceased was Billal Hossain (35), of Jugnipasha village of Phultala. He was wanted in at least 14 cases filed only with Phultala Police Station, said Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Md Asmot Ali, the duty officer of the Police Station. He said that a team of Phultala Police, on secret information conducted a raid at Garakhola area. As soon as the police team reached near a bamboo garden at the area, the outlaws opened fired on police at about 1:30am, he said. He said that Police also retaliated by firing.
Hindu house torched in Brahmanbaria district
On November 13, a Hindu house at Nasirnagar sub-District in Brahmanbaria District has come under arson attack despite patrolling of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Police, reports Daily Star. The fresh arson, fifth of its kind in the sub-District, took place amid a massive outcry over the October 30 hate attacks on Hindu houses and temples centering a Facebook image “hurting sentiments of Muslims”. “Unidentified people set fire to a room where fishing nets were kept in the house of Chhottu Lal Das at Paschim Para under Changapur around 5:15am,” Officer-in-Charge of Nasirnagar Police Station Abu Jafar said, adding locals doused the fire. Brahmanbaria Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman said the latest arson is the continuation of the October 30 hate attacks.
India – Internal Dynamics
Maoists threaten to target Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh, says report
Two days after a major strike by the elite forces in the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) area, in which 28 Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres were killed, the Andhra Pradesh State Committee of the CPI-Maoist has termed it a “fake encounter” and threatened to take “revenge” against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh, reports The Hindu on October 27. In a press release sent to the media and signed by CPI-Maoist Andhra Pradesh State committee official spokesman Shyam on October 26, the Maoists said the AOB encounter was a major covert operation, in which 6,000 Police personnel were used. He alleged that Police utilised the services of some covert operatives to lace the food served to the Maoists with sedatives, and gunned down the leaders and dalam (squad) members after they fell unconscious. In the five-page release, the Maoists said they would also eliminate former Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists (LWEs)] who joined hands with the Police. “The AOB encounter is a planned attack by the State and Central governments. In the name of law, Constitution and democracy, police are protecting ‘political fraudsters’ and killing Maoists with an eye on awards,” Shyam alleged. The banned outfit said Greyhounds commando Abu-Bakr did not succumb to bullet wounds as claimed by Police, but accidentally slipped into water during the operation. The Government cooked up the ‘exchange of fire’ story only to misguide people. “The police parties caught some Naxalites and killed four of them the next day,” the Maoists said and demanded that the Police hand over the remaining dalam members to the locals. Further, The Maoist party said that in the name of development, the Government was trying to take over the forests, tribal lands, hills and natural resources. The Government was ignoring even the Supreme Court’s guidelines to hold grama sabhas(village meetings) before taking up any project or development programme.
Two CoBRA jawans injured in Maoist blast in Chhattisgarh
Two jawans of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) battalion were injured in a pressure bomb blast triggered by Communist Party of Indian Maoist cadres in Bijapur District on October 28, reports The Times of India. The incident occurred at around 11:45am when a team of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action’s 204th battalion was carrying out a search operation in Basaguda police station area, said a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official. “Security forces were out for the operation since morning to the interiors of Basaguda, located around 450 kms away from here (Raipur). While they were cordoning off a forested patch near Sankanpalli, about 8 kms away from Basaguda, two jawans inadvertently stepped over a pressure Improvised Explosive Device (IED) connection, triggering the blast that left them injured,” he said. Constable Kishore Behera is critically injured whereas the other constable Nandan of the battalion has sustained minor injuries, the official said.
New militant group formed in Assam
A new militant “revolutionary organization” of the Karbi people calling itself the People’s Democratic Council of Karbilongri (PDCK) was formed on October 27, reports Morung Express. A press release from the PDCK stated that the Karbi “had enjoyed sovereignty and independence since time immemorial in their own land without interference from alien rulers,” but “have now become enslaved under Indian colonial exploitation, oppression and suppression.” The statement informed that the “First Preparatory Congress” was held on October 17 and 18 during which a five-member Central Committee was formed to lead the organization under the leadership of Jeksai Kangtang Lijang as ‘Chairman’, Nongme Tungjang as ‘General Secretary’ and ‘Captain’ David Mukrang as ‘Chief of Army Staff’. Stating its objectives, the PDCK statement maintained that it has been formed “to free our people from Indian occupation, colonialism, exploitation, oppression, and suppression.”
The Karbi, an indigenous people of Sino-Tibetan origin of Mongoloid stock, speaking a Tibeto- Burman language, inhabit the Karbilongri, Dima Hasao (erstwhile United Mikir hills and North Cachar hills), some parts of Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal, Assam and Sylhet division of Bangladesh, the PDCK statement claimed.
I.K. Songbijit trying to set up base in Karbi Anglong, says Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay
Amid reports that most-wanted militant leader I.K. Songbijit has formed a new militant outfit detaching himself from the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), Director General of Police (DGP) Assam, Mukesh Sahay maintained that the dreaded leader still enjoys allegiance with his parent outfit, reports The Assam Tribune on November 1. Sahay, however, conceded that Songbijit is desperately trying to set up a strong base in Karbi Anglong under the banner of the United National Liberation Front of Western Southeast Asia (UNLFW), the umbrella organization of a number of militant outfits including the Independent faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I) and Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (HSCN-K). “We are aware of their design and appropriate measures are being taken in the hill district,” said Sahay.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that a new armed outfit named People’s Democratic Council of Karbilongri (PDCK) was recently formed in Myanmar with I.K. Songbijit as its head. Police sources meanwhile divulged that although the formation of the new outfit is more or less confirmed, the actual leadership is yet to be ascertained. Songbijit, a Karbi by birth, has taken over the reins of I.K. Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-IKS) after the arrest of Ranjan Daimary, who is charged with masterminding the October 30, 2008 serial blasts in the State. However, unconfirmed reports kept cropping up about Songbijit no longer being the leader of the outfit.
Civilian and a Policeman killed in Chhattisgarh
Armed Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres allegedly killed a man at Naamgaon village of the Sukma District on November 5, reports The Pioneer. The deceased was identified as Shyam Nath Baghel, a resident of Naamgaon village under Umakoli Panchayat (village level local self government institution) at the border of Darbha and Tongpal police stations. According to Police, the residents of Naamgaon were against the Naxal [Left Wing Extremism (LWE)] ideology and did not support the guerrillas. An armed group of Naxals reached the village and stormed in the house of Shyam Lal Baghel and killed him while warning the locals not to engage in anti-naxal movement.
Meanwhile, an assistant sub-inspector of Police identified as Narbad Boga was killed by suspected Maoists in Rajnandgaon District on November 6, First Post near Chirchari village under Baghnadi Police Station limits on Raipur-Nagpur National Highway. Boga and two other Policemen had been sent there from Baghnadi after a report of road accident on the Highway was received. Two motorcycle-borne men fired on them and fled inside the forest.
Two SFs personnel killed in Chhattisgarh
A Police jawan was hacked to death by suspected Communist Party of India-Maoist in Bijapur District on November 10, reports Business Standard. Assistant Constable Rahul Raidu (27), posted at Bhairamgarh Police Station, was attacked by suspected Maoists close to his workplace, Bijapur Superintendent of Police (SP), K L Dhruv said. Raidu, who joined the Police Force in 2011, was also the nephew of former Congress (Bijapur) District President, Ajay Singh, a native of Bhairamgarh town, Police said. Raidu was reportedly playing cards with some villagers in Sanjay Para area, located on the outskirts of Bhairamgarh town, when a group of men armed with axes and knives arrived there and after an altercation with the jawan, they attacked him several times leaving him critically injured.
Meanwhile, a District Reserve Group (DRG) jawan was killed in pressure bomb blasts triggered by Maoists in Bijapur District on November 10, reports The Hindu.
Three army jawans killed in militant ambush in Assam
Three Army jawans were killed and four others injured in an encounter with suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) terrorists near Digboi in Tinsukia District on November 19, reports Northeast Today. “They (the militants) had planted an improvised explosive device (IED) on the road. When the IED exploded, the convoy stopped. Then the militants fired indiscriminately,” said Defence Public Relation Officer (PRO) Lieutenant Colonel Suneet Newton said. Newton added that, the incident happened during an IED blast at Pengri, Tinsukia. The search operation against the suspected ULFA terrorists, who are believed to be responsible for the incident, is on.
End atrocities of innocent people in the name of search operation, says AASKSU
The District committee members of All Assam Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union (AASKSU) on November 22, has urged upon the State Government and the authorities concerned to prevent insensitive atrocities on the common people of Muluk Gaon in the name of carrying out search operations to arrest the militants who perpetrated the heinous and cold blooded attack on the Army jawans at Pengaree on November 19, reports The Sentinel. The president of AASKSU, Debananda Seleng, stated that in view of the ongoing search operations by military personnel, people of Muluk Gaon were living in distress due to unnecessary harassment meted out on them. He called for the immediate suspension of the same to save innocent people from such atrocities, a press communiqué stated. Seleng further urged upon the State Government to ensure the safety and well-being of the indigenous village residents while carrying out such search activities. The AASKSU president through the press communiqué cautioned the Government against jeopardizing the life and property of such innocent people by any outside agencies.
Monthly Fatalities
The following deaths, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during period to Oct 26, 2016 to Nov 25, 2016:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Assam | 04 | 02 | 01 | 07 |
| Manipur | 03 | 00 | 01 | 04 |
| Madhya P. | 00 | 01 | 01 | 02 |
| Meghalaya | 04 | 00 | 02 | 06 |
| Left wing | 12 | 02 | 35 | 49 |
| Total | 23 | 05 | 40 | 68 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Govt to intensify talks with agitating forces
The Government is planning to hold consultations with ruling parties and the main opposition Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) on November 4, with a view to introducing the constitution amendment bill in Parliament by November 15, reports The Himalayan Times. In the latest talks between the Government and agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) and the Federal Alliance (FA) on October 30, Prime Minster (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal assured UDMF and FA leaders that the Government would introduce the bill by November 15. “Prime Minister Dahal is planning to hold consultations within the ruling parties and the main opposition CPN-UML immediately after the Indian president’s visit concludes. The government will work with the target of registering the bill in Parliament by November 15,” said Chakrapani Khanal, political adviser to PM Dahal. UDMF and FA leaders reiterated their demands and told the PM that they would respond to the proposed contents of the amendment bill after the Government brings the draft proposal. “The PM, during the Sunday’s talks, sought suggestions from the agitating parties. Then we said we will respond after the government brings the draft,” said Sadbhawana Party (SP) leader Rajendra Mahato.
13 CPN-N cadres arrested in Kathmandu
Police arrested 13 Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) cadres, including its ‘politburo member’ Anil Sharma, during demonstrations at Shanti Batika in Kathmandu on November 4, reports The Himalayan Times. They were demanding the recall of Nepali nationals working in the Indian Army from risk-prone areas and closing the Gurkha Recruitment Centre. Spokesperson at the Metropolitan Police Range, Superintendent of Police (SP), Pradyumna Karki said 13 were arrested during the demonstration. He said they were arrested in consideration of peace and security situation. CPN-M central member Gunraj Lohani said Police arrested Akash Bhetwal, Prakash Dahal, Rabi Gole, Sahash Bhatta, Tanka Joshi, Dhruba Adhikari, Prakash Adhikari along with ‘politburo member’ Sharma.
Police arrest 169 protesting former Maoist child soldiers
Nepal Police in the morning of November 8 arrested 169 former Maoist child soldiers who had been picketing the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist Center) party head office, Parisdanda since November 7 demanding ‘justice’ for their contributions during the People’s War, reports Myrepublica. About 169 former Maoist child soldiers, who were discharged from the Maoist cantonments after finding them ‘ineligible’ for integration into the national army, had been protesting outside the party office causing obstruction to the day-to-day operation of the office. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bikram Singh Thapa, chief of Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, said, “It is unlawful to occupy others’ properties and disrupt the operation of the office. So we detained all of them.” But we released all of them on condition that such activities would not be repeated again, he added.
Earlier on November 7, over 300 discharged Maoist child soldiers had entered the Maoist party office demanding that the party, which is also heading the government, should back their demands. They had claimed that they were not ‘treated fairly’ by the party and the state despite their noteworthy contributions in the past. In their seven-point demand, the discharged former Maoist combatants have also sought equal status as that of the voluntarily-retired Maoist combatants from the party. Stating that their child rights were violated by both the Maoists and the state, they have also demanded justice as per the international laws. Similarly, the discharged combatants have also asked for social and financial packages from the government for their livelihood and education. After their release from the police custody, the former combatants said that their protest would continue until their demands are fulfilled.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
Police arrest two suspected members of Aava gang
Sri Lanka Police arrested two suspected members of the ‘Aava’ sword gang in Jaffna in Northern Province on October 30, reports Colombo Page. The Jaffna Police said two people suspected to be the members of sword carrying ‘Aava’ gang were arrested while they were traveling on a motorcycle along a by-road in Jaffna. Two swords in their possession were also recovered, the Police said. The suspects have claimed the swords were used for practices of a drama but the Police say swords were larger and not the ‘prop’ kind used for dramas. However, the Police said the swords were quite similar to the ones discovered in several locations in Jaffna in searches during the last week. The Jaffna Police are on alert after two police detectives were attacked last week with swords in Chunnakam by sword wielding masked individuals on motorcycles. The ‘Aava’ gang claimed responsibility to the assault on two policemen saying that they attacked the policemen to avenge the death of two Jaffna University students on October 21.
A terror gang, believed to be backed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and inspired by South Indian films, is reportedly operating in Sri Lanka’s Tamil-dominated Northern District of Jaffna, prompting Police to launch a crackdown. Acts of violence have recently increased in Jaffna suburbs such as Manipay, Kopay and Chunnakam by the sword-wielding Aava Group, Police sources said. It is believed this group was being backed by some politicians and former members of the LTTE. The group is also said to draw inspiration from South Indian films. The group has been accused of murder, plunder of property and assault of people and people fear it due to its attacks which have caused serious injuries to the victims that include two state intelligence operatives
President Maithripala Sirisena hands over 100 houses to displaced families in Jaffna
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on October 31 handed over 100 houses newly constructed by the military to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Jaffna in Northern Province and released another 454 acres of land that was seized by the military in war time to the original owners, reports Colombo Page. President Sirisena vested with the public the Kankasanthurai, Keeramalai, Nallinakkapuram village, consisting of 100 houses, which is constructed under the first phase of the project to resettle 971 families in 31 welfare centers in Jaffna. The President said that the Government is committed to prepare a new constitution that strengthens national reconciliation considering the views and proposals of all ethnic groups.
Torture is routine, practiced island wide in Sri Lanka police detentions: Human Right Commission report
The Human Right Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) said that based on the statistics at the Commission’s disposal, the Commission recognizes torture to be of routine nature that is practiced all over the country, mainly in relation to police detentions, reports Colombo Page on November 1. In a report submitted to the United Nations (UN) Committee against Torture (CAT) for the review of the 5th Periodic Report of Sri Lanka, the HRCSL said the complaints received by the Commission illustrate that torture is routinely used in all parts of the country regardless of the nature of the suspected offence for which the person is arrested.
While the number of complaints of torture has been declining in the last three years from 600 complaints in 2013, the Commission has received 420 complaints in 2015 and 208 so far this year. The HRCSL said the prevailing culture of impunity where those accused of torture is concerned is also a contributing factor to the routine use of torture as a means of interrogation and investigation.
‘Aava’ gang was a creation of former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, says Health Minister Rajitha Harischandra Senaratne
Cabinet spokesman, Health Minister Rajitha Harischandra Senaratne on November 2 said the underworld gang “Aava” active in the North was a creation of former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and certain top military officers, reports Daily Mirror. He said though there may be some rationale to use them against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the war, in the peace time they are only a bunch of criminals and thugs who should be apprehended at once and brought before the law. The Minister Senaratne said it was obvious that the same officials who fed and bred them were once again active and instructed the terror group to create troubles and disrupt peace in the North for their political advantage. “For a moment you can justify the action taken by former Defense Secretary and military officers to form this underworld group because the LTTE was also an illegal terror group. But why it is active in the peace time? What they expect by creating a fear psychosis among the civilians in the North?” he questioned and added all members of the Aava group were Tamils.
Minister Senaratne dismissed the suggestion that this underworld group was a creation of the Tamil Diaspora and said Aava was active in the North during the war and the armed forces were aware of that and added he could even reveal the name of the Brigadier who acted as the god father of the ‘Aava group’ during the war. The Defense Ministry has given clear instructions to the police and intelligence services to apprehend them as early as possible and take legal action against them, he said.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka on November 2 sacked its spy chief amid suspicions that a notorious sword-wielding gang, ‘Aava Group’ operating in the northern Jaffna peninsula was being backed by a section of the military, creating unrest in the Tamil-dominated area, reports Deccan Herald. The Defence Ministry announced the removal of head of military intelligence Suresh Sallay and replaced him with Brigadier Vijendra Gunatillake.
Police arrest six members of Aava gang in northern province
Sri Lanka Police arrested as many as six suspected members of the ‘Aava Gang’, who are terrorizing the people in the North, in Jaffna in Northern Province, Police sources said, reports Colombo Page on November 6. The Terrorism Investigation Division of Sri Lanka Police arrested two brothers suspected to be members of the gang at Uduvil in Jaffna on November 5 night, while four others were arrested earlier on November 5, report said. Police are on the hunt for the members of the sword-wielding motorcycle gang who claimed responsibility for the attack on two police detectives in Jaffna recently. The Security Forces (SFs) and the Police in the North have already identified the members of the Aava gang and they will be arrested soon, the State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene said.
The Minister said that, Sri Lanka’s SFs and Police have the necessary strength to restrain any armed group and no external party will be allowed to take the law in to their hands. He added that after the end of the three decade long war the Government has taken strict measures to beef up security in the country. He rejected the allegations made by some elements that the Government has political and military connection with the Aava group in the North.
IGP stresses cross-border cooperation of security agencies to combat terrorism
Sri Lanka’s Police chief Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundera on November 7 stated combating terrorism is not an easy task and cooperation of law enforcement agencies under different jurisdictions is essential, reports Colombo Page. “Although Sri Lanka is now free from conventional terrorism, we are very much mindful of the threat of its citizens joining foreign terrorist organizations. It was recently revealed that a Sri Lankan national was killed in Syria in the year 2015,” IGP Jayasundera said.
TNA not striving to divide the country, says TNA and Opposition leader R. Sampanthan
No one should entertain any fears about the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) because it is not a party striving to divide the country, said TNA and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan in Jaffna on November 6, reports Daily News. He was addressing a meeting held to mark the launching of a newspaper named Kalai Kadeer started by Nadeshapillai Vidyadaran of the unregistered Tamil National Liberation Front comprising former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) members. Sampanthan said even though certain people in the south were somewhat reluctant to visit the north fearing a tense situation, they should visit the North without fear as there is no such problem. He said the TNA had no truck or connection whatsoever to certain unlawful acts taking place in the North today. Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran said he had to seek extra security from the government against threats to his life because he had been misreported by certain sections of the media. He said he had to seek extra protection because the media in the South had misreported him saying he had ordered the removal of Buddhism and Buddha statues from the North.
Thawheed Jamaat secretary arrested
The Sri Lanka Police on November 16 arrested the Secretary of the hardcore Muslim organization Sri Lanka Thawheed Jamaath (SLTJ), Abdul Razik, Colombo Page reports. Maligawatte Police reportedly arrested Razik on charges of inciting religious disharmony by speaking against other religions in an offensive manner during a protest campaign held in Maligawatte on November 3. SLTJ recently protested against the Sri Lankan government’s decision to amend the controversial Muslim Personal Law in order to comply with international conventions on women and children rights. SLTJ charged that the government is changing the law accepting the conditions set by the European Union to grant the GSP facility back. He was later ordered to be remanded till November 29 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Chandana Kalansuriya for allegedly making derogatory remarks on Buddhism and hurting the sentiments of the Sinhala-Buddhist community in the country, adds Daily News. Apart from this case, six members of SLTJ are being prosecuted at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court for making derogatory remarks on Buddha and hurting the sentiments of the Sinhala-Buddhist community in the country.
32 Sri Lankans have joined IS in Syria
Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapakshe on November 18 told parliament that 32 well-educated Sri Lankan Muslims of four families have joined the Islamic State in Syria, Colombo Page reports. Citing reports by some unnamed foreign intelligence agencies, the Minister said those who have joined the IS and left the island are well-educated, individuals of well-respected families. “All these (Muslims) are not from ordinary families. These people are from the families which are considered as well-educated and elite,” Reuters quoted Rajapakshe as saying. He also said the government was aware of some foreigners coming to Sri Lanka on tourist visas to spread Islamic extremism in the guise of delivering religious seminars at Muslim schools. “There is a greater fear among the public about ISIS… If somebody tries to spread extremism in this country, we will not allow for that from today. The law of this country is no different to Buddhist monks or ordinary people.” Explaining that some social media sites are inciting racial and religious disharmony, the Minister said the government will not hesitate to take strict action against those who abuse the freedom. He further told the Parliament, “Though the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is not in operation at the moment, it seems that the situations developing in the country would pave the way to enact it again,” Daily News adds.
INTERNATIONAL
School children among 26 dead in Syria raids
Air strikes on Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province hit a school and the surrounding area on Wednesday, Oct 26 killing at least 26 civilians including many children, a monitor and activists said. The Observatory, a British-based war monitor, said warplanes struck several locations in the Haas village, including an elementary and middle school, killing at least one teacher as well as the children.
A report on Syrian state TV quoted a military source as saying a number of militants had been killed when their positions were targeted in Haas, but did not mention a school.
Syria’s civil war pits President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and militias from Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan against an array of mostly Sunni rebel groups including some backed by Turkey, Gulf monarchies and the US. Idlib, near Aleppo in northwest Syria, contains the largest populated area controlled by rebels, both nationalist groups under the banner of the Free Syrian Army and Islamist ones including the former al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.
The high death toll from strikes by the Syrian military and Russian air force in rebel-held areas has prompted criticism from Western countries and international human rights groups. A leading opposition group condemned the raids.
The Istanbul-based National Coalition said Russian and regime warplanes “targeted children in their schools, deliberately and intentionally hitting civilians with high-explosive material.”
Idlib province is controlled by the Army of Conquest, an alliance of rebel groups and jihadists including the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking off ties with al-Qaeda earlier this year.
Syrian and Russian warplanes regularly bomb Idlib, but air strikes have intensified in recent weeks, according to the Observatory. Seven days of air strikes across the northwestern province had left more than 75 civilians dead and another 150 wounded, it said.
Ankara orders detention of 73 air force pilots
Turkish authorities ordered the detention of 73 air force pilots as part of the probe into the group blamed for July’s failed coup, state media reported on Thursday, Oct 27. At least 45 had already been detained after police operations began on Thursday across the country including the central Konya province and the capital Ankara, the official Anadolu news agency said.
The pilots are suspected of links to the group led by Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Muslim preacher whom Turkey accuses of ordering the July 15 putsch attempt. Gulen, living in self-exile in Pennsylvania, strongly denies the allegations.
The accusations listed in the warrants for the pilots include “violating the constitution”, being part of “an armed rebellion against the Turkish Republic” as well as “acting on behalf of the (Gulen) organisation”, Dogan news agency reported.
Searches continued for some of the pilots at the Konya 3rd Main Jet Base Command where dozens have been detained in connection with the group since July, Anadolu said.
Last week, Turkish media said 47 military officers stationed at the base were detained for alleged links to the movement. Dogan reported 29 of the 47 officers were later placed under arrest.
Over 35,000 people have been arrested since July as part of the investigation into the group while nearly 26,000 have been released into “judicial control”.
Tens of thousands of people in the judiciary, military, education sector and media have also been suspended or sacked for alleged links to the Gulen movement. The purges and arrests have caused concern in the West over their extent and speed, with many European leaders urging Ankara to act within the rule of law. Turkey insists it is doing so while stressing that it is dealing with an extraordinary threat which requires emergency measures.
IS using tens of thousands as human shields in Mosul
Islamic State forces in Iraq have abducted tens of thousands of men, women and children from areas around Mosul and are using them as “human shields” in strategic sites in the city as Iraqi troops advance, the UN human rights office said on Friday, Oct 28. The hard-line Sunni militants, known as ISIL, killed at least 232 people on Wednesday, including 190 former Iraqi troops and 42 civilians who refused to obey their orders, it said.
Earlier, UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani cited “credible reports” that ISIL militants have forced “tens of thousands of people from their homes in sub-districts around Mosul and have forcibly relocated numbers of civilians inside the city itself” since the government assault began on Oct 17th. This was to “use them as human shields, to be able to keep them close to military installations to try to frustrate the military operation against them,” she told a briefing.
Nearly 8,000 families, of roughly six people each, were abducted in four sub-districts including Shura, she said. “Many of those who refused to comply were shot on the spot”.
The reports, from people who have fled and aid groups, have been corroborated by the United Nations, Shamdasani said.
Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups are about to launch an offensive on Islamic State positions west of Mosul, assisting in the military campaign to take back the city, a spokesman said on Friday.
Zeid has voiced deep concern at reports that some individuals in the areas south of Mosul have “embarked on revenge killings and have vowed on television that there would be ´eye-for-eye´ revenge against those who sided with ISIL”, Shamdasani said.
Yemen rebel missile shot down near Makkah
Yemeni rebels launched one of their longest-range strikes against Saudi Arabia, firing a ballistic missile that was shot down near the holy city of Makkah, the Saudi-led coalition fighting them said on Friday, Oct 28.
The coalition has been carrying out a bombing campaign against the rebels since March last year and there have been rebel strikes towards the bases from which the coalition mounts air raids. Saudi Arabia has deployed Patriot missiles to intercept the rebel fire.
Huthi rebels launched the missile “toward the Makkah area” on Thursday evening from their Saada province stronghold just across the border, a coalition statement said. “The air defence was able to intercept and destroyed it about 65 kilometres from Makkah without any damage.” The rebels´ sabanews website said their ballistic missile targeted the international airport in Jeddah, the Red Sea city in the sprawling Makkah region.
25 dead in Central African clashes: UN
Twenty-five people were killed, six of them gendarmes, in two days of violence around the town of Bambari in the troubled Central African Republic, the UN force MINUSCA said on Oct 29. Six police and four civilians were killed in an ambush by armed men on morning of Oct 28, while on Oct 27, 15 people died in fighting on the town’s outskirts between the former Muslim Seleka militia and Christian vigilante groups known as “anti-balaka” (anti-machete), it said in a statement.
In a further incident, anti-balaka fighters attacked eight members of MINUSCA as they were heading to Bambari airport, the force said. A seven-year-old child was injured.
The UN force said there had been a “rise in tension in certain regions,” citing “confrontation between armed elements of the ex-Seleka and anti-balaka” groups. It called on the armed groups to end “the cycle of attack and reprisal.”
Bambari lies in central CAR, about 250 kilometres northeast of the capital Bangui. The bloodshed is the latest bout of violence to strike the CAR, a former French colony that is one of the world’s poorest countries. It occurred in the run up to the formal end on Monday of a French military mission, Operation Sangaris, sent to help the UN stabilise the country.
MINUSCA is seeking to support the administration of President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who was elected in February. The CAR´s descent into sectarian bloodshed began after the March 2013 ouster of president Francois Bozize, a Christian, by the mostly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance.
This triggered revenge attacks and a spiral of atrocities between Christian and Muslim groups in which thousands were slaughtered and around a tenth of the population of 4.5 million were displaced.
Earlier this month, 30 people were killed and 57 wounded when Seleka fighters staged an attack in the central town of Kaga Bandoro.
Journalist killed every 4.5 days, says Unesco
One journalist is killed every four-and-a half days, according to a shocking report released by Unesco on Wednesday, Nov 2.
During the last decade, 827 journalists have been killed while on the job, the Unesco director-general’s report said. The worst hit areas were Arab States including Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya. Latin America is the next worst affected region, the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity report said.
Unsurprisingly, most deaths — 59 percent over the last two years of the 2006-2015 report happen in conflict zones. During that period, 78 of the 213 journalists killed 36.5 percent were in Arab States.
Perhaps most alarming was the increase in journalist deaths in Western Europe and North America, up from none in 2014 to 11 last year.
Local journalists are far more at risk than foreign journalists, accounting for 90 percent of the victims.
But there was a huge spike in foreign journalist deaths in 2014 with 17 killed compared to an average of four in previous years. Last year saw a massive increase in online journalists being killed, with 21 compared to two in 2014. Almost half of those were Syrian bloggers.
The report found that more than 10 times as many men are killed than women — 195 to 18 in 2014/15 — while television journalists have overtaken print hacks as the most vulnerable.
Three US troops shot dead in Jordan
Three US troops were killed in a shooting outside a military training facility in Jordan on Friday, Nov 4 a US official said. “A total of three US service members died today in the incident in Jordan,” the official said in Washington.
“The service members were in vehicles approaching the gate of a Jordanian military training facility, where they came under small arms fire,” the official added.
“Initial reports were that one was killed, two injured. The two injured service members were transported to a hospital in Amman, where they died.”
“We are working with the Jordanian government to gather additional details about what happened.” Earlier, the Jordanian army said the shooting took place at the gate of Al-Jafr base in southern Jordan after the car carrying the US trainers failed to stop.
It said that a Jordanian officer was also wounded. “An exchange of fire occurred on Friday morning at the gate of the Prince Feisal Air Base in Al-Jafr when a car carrying trainers attempted to enter the gate without heeding the guards´ orders to stop,” it said in a statement, quoting a military source. The army said an investigation was under way to determine the causes of the shooting.
An American defence official described the incident as “green on blue”, a military term for when friendly forces attack US personnel. “But we can’t say for the moment if it was a deliberate” act to kill US personnel or “some kind of misunderstanding,” the official told AFP.
The death of three American troops in Jordan could prove very embarrassing for Amman, a key recipient of US financial aid and member of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in neighbouring Syria and Iraq.
25 soldiers dead in Somalia fighting
At least 25 soldiers died in weekend fighting between rival Puntland and Galmudug regional forces in the divided Somali town of Galkayo, military officials on both sides said on Monday, Nov 7. “We have lost 12 men and there are more than 10 wounded,” said Puntland commander Jumale Jama Takar, while his Galmudug counterpart Abdirahman Qoje said: “We have lost 13 soldiers and nearly 20 others wounded.”
The commanders blamed each other for starting the fight. The disputed town, about 700-km northeast of the capital Mogadishu, has seen repeated clashes in recent weeks. However Sunday’s fighting is the deadliest yet and marked the collapse of a short-lived peace agreement between the two semi-autonomous Somali states.
In September, the US was drawn into the rivalry when Galmudug authorities accused Puntland of duping United States forces into carrying out an air strike on its soldiers, killing 13. Residents said the toll from the weekend clashes may be higher than the rival parties admit and included civilians as well as soldiers.
Somalia is in the process of selecting a new parliament, upper house and president in a limited franchise election that involves 14,000 delegates from all regional states — including Galmudug and Puntland.
Political tensions have been rising and threats from the al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab militants have increased in the run-up to the delayed vote, originally due in August. The Shabaab has fought to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu since 2007, losing control of the capital in 2011 before losing other bastions.
But the United Nations last week warned that the Shabaab were still capable of launching large-scale attacks despite claims that they were weakening after the deaths of at least three senior leaders in a series of drone strikes.
Yemen war death toll surpasses 7,000: WHO
Yemen’s 20-month-old war has left more than 7,000 people dead and nearly 37,000 wounded, the World Health Organisation announced in its latest toll update. As of October 25, “more than 7,070 people have been killed and over 36,818 injured, according to health facility-based data,” the WHO said in a statement late on Sunday, Oct 6.
Another 21 million people are in need of urgent health services, said the UN health agency.
Yemen has been rocked by fighting between Iran-backed rebels and government forces supported by a Saudi-led coalition since March 26, 2015.
In addition to the fighting, international organisations have warned in recent weeks of a spread of disease and growing rates of malnutrition in the country, which was already the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest even before the war erupted.
The WHO said in its statement released from the rebel-held capital Sanaa that 2.1 million people have been internally displaced by the conflict.
More than half of all health facilities across the country have been shut or are partially functioning, it said. Attempts by the United Nations to convince the warring parties to commit to a ceasefire and resume peace talks have so far failed.
Assad’s forces kill 25 civilians in Aleppo
Syrian government air strikes and shelling killed 25 civilians in eastern districts of Aleppo on Thursday, Nov 17 a monitor said, on the third day of a wide-ranging regime assault on rebel-held areas. The bombardment hit at least six rebel-held neighbourhoods, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.
At least 65 civilians have been killed in east Aleppo since the start of a regime offensive on Tuesday, the Observatory said. The renewed bombardment has shattered a month of relative calm in the devastated east of the divided northern city.
An AFP correspondent in the eastern districts said explosions from barrel bombs dropped by aircraft had been heard since 10:00 am (0800 GMT).
One of the air strikes targeted a civil defence centre in the Bab al-Nayrab neighbourhood with no reported casualties, the correspondent said. The Observatory said rebels responded with shelling of the city’s government-controlled western neighbourhoods.
Once Syria’s economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been roughly divided into a regime-controlled west and a rebel-held east since 2012. No aid has entered the city’s eastern neighbourhoods since government troops surrounded them in mid-July, and humanitarian organisations said this week food aid stockpiled there had all but run out.
The recent bombardment has ended a period of relative respite in east Aleppo, where regime ally Russia halted air strikes on October 18 ahead of a series of brief ceasefires.
Moscow said it had not carried out any raids on the city since that date. But Russia said on Tuesday it was launching a major operation against the Islamic State and former al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, including in the northern province of Idlib.
Pupils among dozens killed
A barrel bomb killed a family of six in rebel-held eastern Aleppo early on Sunday, Nov 20 and rebel shelling killed eight children at a school in the government-held sector almost a week into one of the heaviest government bombardments of Syria’s civil war.
Two medics said the al-Baytounji family had suffocated to death because the barrel bomb, which fell in the Sakhour district at about midnight, had been laced with chlorine gas.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, confirmed the bombing but could not confirm that chlorine gas was used.
Damascus has denied use of the gas, which would contravene the international Chemical Weapons Convention.
Rebel shelling killed at least eight children, aged from six to 12 years, among 10 deaths in the Saria Hasoun school in al-Farqan district, the Observatory and Syrian state television reported.
Hundreds of people have been killed since Tuesday as the government and its allies attempt to quash resistance in Aleppo’s rebel-held eastern zone.
Syria’s military and Russia’s air force had paused their bombardment of eastern Aleppo, except for on the frontlines, for two weeks after a month-long offensive from late September to late October, but recommenced strikes on Tuesday.
The plight of civilians in eastern Aleppo was underscored on Saturday when the World Health Organisation reported that bombing had put all the hospitals in the besieged district out of operation.
Suicide truck bomb kills about 100 in Iraq
A suicide truck bomb killed about 100 people, most of them Iranian pilgrims, at a petrol station in the city of Hilla, 100 km south of Baghdad on Thursday, Nov 24 police and medical sources said.
Islamic State (IS), the ultra hard-line Sunni militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement. The group is also fighting off a US-backed offensive on its stronghold Mosul. The pilgrims were en route back to Iran from the Iraqi city of Karbala, where they had commemorated Arbaeen, the 40th day of mourning for the killing of Imam Hussein, the medical sources said. The gas station has a restaurant in its premises that is popular with travellers. Five pilgrim buses were torched by the force of the blast from the explosives-laden truck, a police official said.
Myanmar pursuing ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Rohingya: UN official
Myanmar is engaged in “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya Muslims, a UN official has said, as reports emerged on Friday, Nov 25 of troops shooting at villagers as they tried to flee.
Thousands of desperate Rohingya have flooded over the border into Bangladesh in the last few days, bringing with them horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and the systematic killing of their stateless ethnic group. The violence has forced up to 30,000 Rohingya to abandon their homes in Myanmar, desperate to leave after soldiers poured into the strip of land in western Rakhine state where they live.
Dhaka says thousands more are massed on the border, but has refused urgent international appeals to let them in, instead calling on Myanmar to do more to stop people fleeing.
“It’s very difficult for the Bangladeshi government to say the border is open because this would further encourage the government of Myanmar to continue the atrocities and push them out until they have achieved their ultimate goal of ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority in Myanmar,” John McKissick, head of the United Nations refugee agency in the Bangladeshi border town of Cox’s Bazar, said.
As the allegations of indiscriminate killing and rape by Myanmar’s military have continued to mount, thousands of Muslims across Asia took to the streets on Friday. More than 5,000 Bangladeshi Muslims demonstrated in the capital Dhaka, despite an earlier pledge by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan that any Rohingya entering the country would be treated humanely.
Amnesty International described the actions of the Myanmar army as “collective punishment” against the Rohingya population for attacks on police posts last month. “Instead of investigating and arresting specific suspects, the army carried out operations amounting to collective punishment,” said the group’s South Asia director Champa Patel.
Myanmar’s new civilian government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected the allegations. It has also severely restricted entry to Rakhine state making it independent verification difficult.
The London-based International State Crime Initiative (ISCI) has described the situation in Rakhine state as the early stages of genocide.
Another ISCI researcher, lawyer Thomas MacManus, likened the behaviour of the Suu Kyi government to “the military dictatorship-era tactics of blanket denial”. “Only enormous pressure on the Myanmar government will succeed in halting the devastation. The Rohingya are staring death in the face,” he said.
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 *
Indicates there is no threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required.
Threat Level 2 **
Indicates there is no specific threat to foreigners, however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised, especially if traveling.
Threat Level 3 ***
Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Level dictates that Foreigners should rehearse plans for evacuation.
Threat Level 4 ****
Indicates complete breakdown of civil administration and law 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.
