(Combined effort of PATHFINDER GROUP Task Force)

Terrorist Activities in Pakistan

Suicide Bombings/Attacks

Four suicide bombers and two soldiers of the Frontier Corps (FC) were killed and 15 others sustained injuries when security forces thwarted a suicide attack on the mosque of the headquarters of the paramilitary Mohmand Rifles in Mohmand Agency early on Dec 5, official sources said. The outlawed militant group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, based in neighbouring Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the audacious attack. It was learnt that the suicide bombers wanted to hit the early morning Fajr prayers at the mosque located in the Mohmand Rifles headquarters in Ghallanai, the main town of Mohmand Agency, to cause maximum number of casualties, but the soldiers quickly engaged them. It triggered a heavy exchange of fire that lasted 40 minutes in which the four attackers were killed. Army sources said two of them were shot dead and the remaining two blew themselves up. Two FC soldiers were martyred in the clash and 15 others were wounded. The soldiers later cleared the camp.

Bomb/IED Blasts

An improvised explosive device (IED) planted in a bicycle went off near the Sindh Agriculture University in Tando Jam town of Hyderabad District on December 9 leaving two persons injured including a Sindh Rangers personnel, reports Daily Times. Officials said that two explosive devices were recovered from the crime scene while a suspect had also been taken into custody.

One Frontier Corps (FC) person al was injured as an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in the Shabqadar area near Mohmand Agency on December 11, reports Tribune. The convoy was targeted when it was on its way from Mohmand to Peshawar. As soon as it reached Dhando Bridge on main Shabqadar road, explosives planted on the roadside went off, injuring Subidar Najab Ali.

One minor girl was killed and three others sustained injuries in a roadside blast in Spinwam tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan on December 12, reports Dawn. Security sources said the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was planted next to Abakhel School gate which. The children were going to the school to play when the bomb planted out side it went off.

A ‘low-intensity’ blast on December 14 targeted a Chinese engineer’s vehicle in the jurisdiction of Patni Police Station in Rohri town of Sukkur District, reports Dawn. The engineer remained unhurt in the explosion. “Unknown accused attacked a Chinese engineer’s vehicle near Rohri. Rescue teams moved [to the location],” said a police statement.

Two persons, riding a motorcycle, were killed by a landline explosion in the Kathan area of Dera Bugti District in Balochistan on December 19, reports Dawn. Levies sources said unknown miscreants had planted the landmine on the roadside to target people travelling on the road.

Targetted Killings

Unidentified assailants on November 26 shot dead two security guards of a gas exploration company near the Pasni area of Gwadar District, reports Daily Times. Levies sources said that the guards were deployed for security of a survey team of Coal Geophysical Company (CGC). The company was conducting a survey for exploration of natural gas in Pasni. A ‘spokesperson’ of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) Gohram Baloch claimed responsibility of the attack, adds Dawn. Assistant Commissioner Mansoor Gichki said, “The guards killed in the firing belonged to a private security company.”

A senior traffic police officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Faiz Ali Shigri, was shot dead while his driver hurt in suspected targeted attack in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Karachi in the evening of November 27, Dawn reports. DSP Shigri was travelling in a chauffeur driven official vehicle when armed pillion riders attacked him when the vehicle slowed down near Balochistan Sajji House (restaurant).

Separately, a member of Ahmadi. Community, Shaikh Sajid Mehmood, was shot dead in suspected sectarian attack in the Gulzar-i-Hijri area in Karachi. This was third such targeting killings in the same vicinity during last several months, said a spokesperson of Jamaat Ahmadiya. Previously, Khaleeq and Daud were shot dead down in Gulzar-e-Hijri.

Unidentified gunmen on November 28 shot dead a member of the Levies force in Bakakhel area of Frontier Region Bannu, reports The News. Police said that the masked gunmen opened fire on Havaldar Noor Zaman in Bakakhel, Frontier Region Bannu. The accused managed to escape.

An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) was killed while two cops and a passer-by sustained injuries when a car of the newly launched City Police Patrol came under militant attack on the Ring Road of Peshawar on November 28, reports The News. According to the officials, ASI Asmat Shah, who was heading the City Police Patrol Team No-8, was killed while Constable Fawad and driver Rab Nawaz were critically wounded. An auto-rickshaw driver Sami-ul-Haq, who was passing through the vicinity, was also wounded in the firing.

The officials of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested a suspected militant and seized explosive materials from him near Dera-Madi Road of Dera Ismail Khan City on November 28, reports The News. They said the CTD officials stopped a suspected person for search near Dera-Madi Road and seized two kilograms of explosives, prima card and electric detonator from him.

Security Forces (SFs) on November 29 killed eight militants and injured scores of others in airstrikes in Koki Khel, a remote area of Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency, reports Daily Times. Sources said that warplanes pounded suspected hideouts of the militants in the Pak-Afghan border area. Two sanctuaries of militants were also destroyed in the air offensive, sources said. The killed militants were stated to be volunteers of the Bara-based defunct organisation Lashkar-e-lslam (LI). However, the casualties could not be independently confirmed due to lack of communication in the area.

One person was shot dead in Federal B Area ‘s Block-2 in Karachi on December 1, reports Dawn. Police said that Noman aka Nomi (38), was shot at by armed motor cyclists after he came out of his home to sit in his car. The victim was a car dealer.

Two persons were shot dead by unidentified armed men riding a motorcycle in Lond Khor area of Mardan city, headquarters of Mardan District on December 3, reports Daily Times. The incident took place in Lond Khor area where Abid and Saddam Hussain, hailing from Mianwali, were returning after attending a wedding ceremony when unidentified persons intercepted them and opened indiscriminate firing on them.

Police arrested 51 suspects and recovered huge illegal arms from them in Phandu area of Peshawar during the Search and Strike operations on December 1, reports Daily Times. Police said that the area was chosen after the martyrdom of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Asmat Ullah in a recent attack on a Police patrol vehicle in Phandu. Police added that the arrested per sons could have cause disaster they were not arrested in time.

Unidentified gunmen on December 2 kidnapped three officials of Customs from Baluchistan’s Gwadar District, reports Dawn. “Gunmen seized the vehicle of customs officials at Zero Point Pasni tehsil of Gwadar,” said Tufail Baloch, Deputy Commissioner Gwadar. Among those kidnapped was Inspector Abdul Malik, Constables Muhammad Yaqoob art Hafeez. Following the kidnapping, security was tightened at all entry and exit points to aid in the recovery of the kidnapped individuals. There has been no claim of responsibility.

Frontier Corps troops on December 5 killed five militants of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) in the village of Huramzai in Pashin District, reports The News. Frontier Corps spokesman Khan Wasay told that LeJ works both with Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda in Pakistan.

Police claimed to have killed Lyari gang ‘commander’ in an alleged encounter in Gaon Godam area of Lyari Town in Karachi on December 6, reports The News. The gang war ‘commander’ is identified as Bilal alias Bhaiya and he belongs to Uzair Baloch group. Bilal was wanted to Police in murder, attempt to murder and other heinous crimes. Police recovered arms and narcotics from him.

Four militants were killed in an encounter with personnel of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in the vicinity of Machike Oil Depot of Sheikhupura District on December 7, reports The News. According to details, the CTD team received credible information of 7-8 terrorists are present in the vicinity of Oil Depot and are planning to attack sensitive installations. The team raided their hideout and ordered them to surrender. The terrorists started firing at the team which defended itself. Four militants were killed and three-four terrorists fled the scene, taking advantage of darkness. The terrorists killed in the shootout were affiliated to the proscribed organizations, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Three kilograms of explosives with detonators, two Kalashnikovs, two pistols, ammunition and two motorcycles were recovered from the site of encounter.

The Rangers and Frontier Corps on December 7 arrested five key suspects with arms, ammunition and explosive material from them in Quetta, reports Daily Times. The suspects were wanted in attacks on Government officials, targeted killings and ransom cases. The security forces recovered eight rocket launchers, eight hand grenades, five mortar bombs, six fuses, four SMGs and explosive material from them.

Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) gunned down four alleged terrorists in Sheikhupura District of Punjab province on December 8, reports Daily Times. The CTD team raided a hideout where they were fired upon by eight suspects. The CID retaliated and gunned down four of the group. The remaining accomplices fled from the scene. The suspects were alleged to be members of a banned terrorist outfit. The CTD also claimed to have recovered three kilogrammes of explosives.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ‘commander’ Fazal Saeed Haqqani and his associate were shot dead in Kurram Agency on December 8, reports The News. Sources said that one of the security guards of Fazal Saeed Haqqani fired at him outside his house in Parachinar as a result the sources said that Fazal Saeed Haqqani and another militant Sher Zaman were killed on the spot. ldrees Afridi, the security guard who shot dead the two men, managed to escape after the firing.

Meanwhile, one militant was killed during an action by the personnel of Frontier Corps (FC) in Lower Kurram Agency on December when suspected terrorists tried to infiltrate into Pakistani territory from the Afghan side, reports Dawn. One SMG along with five magazines and 145 rounds, one SMG bandolier and two hand grenades were recovered from the area.

Suspected militants on December 8 shot dead a Hazara man in Satellite town area of Quetta, reports Dawn. The deceased was later identified as Ali Khan Hazara. Officials have termed the incident as an act of targeted killing.

A deputy superintendent of police (DSP) of the Counter Terrorism Department was killed and his son sustained injuries when gunmen opened fire on them in the Madina Colony in the limits of Faqirabad Police Station in Peshawar on Dec 10, reports The News. DSP Riaz-ul Islam along with his son was on his way for maghrib prayers when he came under attack on the stairs of the mosque. The son of the attacked cop also retaliated as he and his father both were caring pistols and managed to injure one of the attackers. Police have sent the samples of the blood for a DNA test to find about the wounded attacker and his group.

A man identified as Basheer was shot dead near Sindhi hotel in New Karachi area of Karachi on December 14, reports The News.

Miseellaneous

Two suspected militants of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ) were killed and another (also from LeJ) was arrested during a gun battle with law enforcement agencies in the Kanak area of Mastung District, on November 26, reports Daily Times. “Two militants were killed and another arrested in the clash which lasted for more than one hour,” security officials said. The arrested suspect was involved in incidents of targeted killing in Quetta and Mastung, they added.

The officials of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested a suspected militant and seized explosive materials from him near Dera-Madi Road of Dera Ismail Khan city on November 28, reports The News. They said the CTD officials stopped a suspected person for search near Dera-Madi Road and seized two kilograms of explosives, prima card and electric detonator from him.

Security Forces (SFs) on November 29 killed eight militants and injured scores of others in airstrikes in Koki Khel, a remote area of Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency, reports Daily Times. Sources said that warplanes pounded suspected hideouts of the militants in the Pak-Afghan border area. Two sanctuaries of militants were also destroyed in the air offensive, sources said. The killed militants were stated to be volunteers of the Bara-based defunct organisation Lashkar-e-lslam (LI). However, the casualties not be independently confirmed due to lack of communication in the area.

Police arrested 51 suspects and recovered huge illegal arms from them in Phandu area of Peshawar during the Search and Strike operations on December 1, reports Daily Times. Police said that the area was chosen after the martyrdom of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Asmat Ullah in a recent attack on a Police patrol vehicle in Phandu. Police added that the arrested persons could have cause disaster if they were not arrested in time.

Unidentified gunmen on December 2 kidnapped three officials of Customs from Balochistan’s Gwadar District, reports Dawn “Gunmen seized the vehicle of customs officials at Zero Point in Pasni tehsil of Gwadar,” said Tufail Baloch, Deputy Commissioner Gwadar. Among those kidnapped was Inspector Abdul Malik, constables Muhammad Yaqoob and Hafeez. Following the kidnapping, security was tightened at all entry and exit points to aid in the recovery of the kidnapped individuals. There has been no claim of responsibility.

Frontier Corps troops on December 5 killed five militants of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) in the village of Huramzai in Pashin District, reports The News. Frontier Corps spokesman Khan Wasay told that LeJ works both with Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda in Pakistan.

Four militants were killed in an encounter with personnel of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in the vicinity of Machike Oil Depot of Sheikhupura District on December 7, reports The News. According to details, the CTD team received credible information of 7-8 terrorists are present in the vicinity of Oil Depot and are planning to attack sensitive installations. The team raided their hideout and to surrender. The terrorists started firing at the team which defended itself. Four militants were killed and three-four terrorists fled the scene, taking advantage of darkness. The terrorists killed in the shootout were affiliated to the proscribed organizations, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TIP). Three kilograms of explosives with detonators, two Kalashnikovs, two pistols, ammunition and two motor cycles were recovered from the site of encounter.

Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) gunned down four alleged terrorists in Sheikhupura District of Punjab province on December 8, reports Daily Times. The CTD team raided a hideout where they were fired upon by eight suspects. The CTD retaliated and gunned down four of the group. The remaining accomplices fled from the scene. The suspects were alleged to be members of a banned terrorist outfit. The CTD also claimed to have recovered three kilogrammes of explosives.

Police claimed to have foiled a major terror bid in Orangi Town No.11 of Karachi and arrested five terrorists of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan on December 8, reports The News. The militants have been identified as Shahzad, Noor Muhammad, Abdul Mannan, Arsalan Khan and Salman Khan. Police also recovered five Kalashnikovs, one kilogram explosive material, half kilogram ball bearings, five hand grenades, one 9mm pistol and bullets.

A general councilor belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-lnsaf (PTI) was shot at and injured by assailants within the jurisdiction of the Karachi Company Police Station in Islamabad on December 8, reports Dawn. PTI claimed that some “suspected terrorists” were involved in mysterious activities along the wall of a government girls’ college in the area. When Mr. Zeeshan of Union Council 35 in Sector G-9-1 challenged the suspects, they opened fire at him and fled on their motorbike.

Rangers conducted a raid on December 9 and recovered a huge cache of arms from a house in Old Golimar area of Karachi, reports Daily Times. According to Rangers spokesman, the arms and munitions recovered from the house includes nine SMGs, two repeaters, six 32-bore pistols, 16 9MM pistols, nine 30-bore pistols, one airgun, one 30-bore mouser, 76 hand grenades, a bomb, detonators and at least 5,000 bullets.

A team of houbara bustard hunters from Abu Dhabi, led by Prince Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, came under a gun attack by a group of militants in the Gichk area of Panjgur District on December 19, reports Dawn. Two vehicles of the convoy were damaged. According to the Tehsildar of the area, personnel of Frontier Corps and other security men retaliated, forcing the attackers to flee. An unnamed ‘spokesman’ for the Front Liberation Balochistan claimed responsibility of the attack.

PAKISTAN

Militants abduct six Pakistanis working for Polish oil firm in Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Six Pakistanis working for a Polish oil and gas surveying company were abducted near Dera Ismail Khan on November 26, reports Dawn. The six Geofizyka Krakow workers were taken away from their vehicles on a road near the village of Drazinda, about 80 kilometers from the city of Dera Ismail Khan, two officials with security forces in the area said. A Polish foreign ministry spokeswoman tweeted that there were no Polish citizens in the group and that the Polish embassy in Islamabad is monitoring the situation. No militant group has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings. In 2008, a Polish engineer working for the firm was kidnapped by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants near the northwestern city of Attock, and beheaded several months later.

22 suspects arrested in Karachi

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Al- Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and other banned outfit operatives were among 22 suspects arrested by the Sindh Rangers and Police in raids across Karachi on December 2, reports The News. A Rangers spokesman said 19 suspects were picked up in intelligence-based operations, including two LeJ men, an AQIS operative, two activists of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, six extortionists, four Iranian diesel smugglers, two unregistered Afghans and two street criminals. Weapons, ammunitions, and smuggled Iranian diesel were seized in the raids. All the arrested men were later handed over to Police for further legal action. In another operation in the Surjani Town area, the Sindh Police’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested three terrorists associated with a proscribed outfit. As per details, CTD teams conducted a raid on a hideout and after an encounter arrested three terrorists identified as Qari Abid, Qari Nazeer and Zubair Ashfaq. Officials said the men were working for a banned outfit and had been involved in murders, extortion and other crimes. Hand grenades and pistols were recovered from them.

COAS vows zero tolerance against terrorism and directed focused operations against terrorists of all kinds

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa during a visit to Quetta on December 6 vowed zero tolerance against terrorism and directed focused operations against terrorists of all kinds in coordination with Intelligence and other law enforcement agencies, reports Daily Times. Soon after his arrival at Quetta, COAS laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada to acknowledge the sacrifices of all martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country, notably during ·his predecessor’s operation against terror, Zarb-e-Azb.

NWA elders demand compensation for affectees of Zarb-e-Azb

Elders of Utmanzai tribe of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) while addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on November 28 demanded of the Government to compensate the affectees of military operation Zarb-e-Azb in Waziristan Agency, and stop construction of destroyed shops in Miranshah as it, fear to cause civil war, reports Daily Times. The tribal elders led by National Youth Organization (NYO) Chairman Mohsin Dawar said that the tribesmen in 2014 on single call of the Government had vacated their home town and migrated to settled areas of the country, where as some of the families were shifted to neighboring Afghanistan, and didn’t made any resistance. He said it was aimed to make the military assault against militants a success and restore durable peace in the region. Flanked by tribal elders belonging to Utmanzai tribe including Malik Ashraf, Malik Shahzada Wazir, Malik Naik Zali, Malik Darwin, and Shaukat Aman, the NYO chairman Mohsin Dawar said that the tribal families were passing through a difficult time owing to lack of proper shelter and other basic facilities.

Counter terrorism DSP killed in KP

A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Riaz-ul- Islam was killed and his son was injured as militants opened fire on them at Charsadda Road under the Faqirabad Police Station in Peshawar on December 10 evening, reports The Express Tribune. Later, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations, Sajjad Khan confirmed that Riaz-ul-Islam was killed in a terrorist attack. Following the incident, Police cordoned off the area and began search operation in the vicinity. Meanwhile, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack on DSP, Riaz-ul-Islam.

Nine people injured as militants attack office of NP in Balochistan

Nine people were injured on December 12 when suspected militants attacked the office of National Party (NP) in Balochistan’s Turbat District, reports Dawn. The attackers lobbed a hand grenade inside the NP office targeting the workers inside. The assailants escaped unhurt from the spot and no one has claimed the attack so far. Security personnel and workers of NP have been frequent targets of attacks in Turbat in the past few years, with several of these orchestrated by Baloch separatists and sectarian outfits.

India left behind: Pakistan test fires cruise missile

Pakistan on Dec 14 conducted a successful test of an enhanced version of the indigenously-developed Babur Cruise Missile. The launching was witnessed by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, senior officers from the Strategic Plans Division, Strategic Forces, scientists and engineers of strategic organisations.

According to an ISPR press release, Babur Cruise Missile is equipped with state-of-the-art navigational technologies of Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) and all time Digital Scene Matching & Area Co-relation (DSMAC), which enables it to engage various types of targets with pinpoint accuracy even in the absence of GPS navigation.

The Babur Weapon System is an important force multiplier for Pakistan’s strategic defence. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee congratulated the scientists and engineers on achieving yet another milestone of great value and significance. He appreciated the technical prowess, dedication and commitment of scientists who contributed to the success of this launch.

Expressing his full confidence over the Strategic Command and Control System and the Strategic Forces’ operational preparedness, the CJCSC stated that this test would further strengthen Pakistan’s deterrence capability.

The president and the prime minister of Pakistan have also congratulated the scientists and engineers on successful conduct of this missile test. All the efforts by India in this regard failed to produce any result.

According to the Indian media, New Delhi is getting ready to test its Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in its final operational configuration from the Wheeler Island off Odisha after two years.

JUl-F opposed extension in military courts

Jamiat Ulema-e-lslam-Fazl (JUl-F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman said on Dec 15 that his party was not in favour of giving an extension to the military courts. “In principle, we are not in favour of giving an extension to the military courts to continue functioning as concerns were raised on the manner in which the cases were dealt with,” he pointed out. He was talking to reporters after offering condolences to the heirs of a prominent religious scholar Sheikh-ul Hadith Maulana Matla-ul Noor in his village in Charsadda district.

The two-year period of the 21^st Amendment to the Constitution is going to expire on January 7 next month. The amendment was signed into law by the president on January 7, 2015 after the attack on the Army Public School, Peshawar, in which 147 persons, including 132 schoolchildren, were killed and scores were injured.

The amendment was aimed at paving the way for setting up military courts to try civilian suspects on terrorism charges. Maulana Fazl said the military courts failed to ensure fair trials and fulfill the requirements of justice. He believed that innocent people were hanged on basis of incomplete investigation into the cases.

“The military courts couldn’t meet the requirements of justice. Strong reservations have been expressed over the dealing of cases by these courts. In some cases innocent people were executed on the basis of incomplete investigation,” he elaborated.

The Maulana also raised serious questions over the National Action Plan (NAP) and claimed that religious seminaries were specifically targeted under the plan. “Religion and people belonging to a specific section of the society are targeted in the NAP. And when a specific section is targeted, it means that the requirements of law and justice have not been fulfilled,” he maintained.

Suicide bomber shot dead in Hyderabad

A would-be suicide bomber on a motorcycle was shot dead by Rangers personnel on Daman-i-Kohsar road in Hyderabad city of Sindh after he lobbed a ‘cracker’ into a nearby grave yard while fleeing on December 16, reports Dawn. His accomplice fled the scene of crime. A Rangers vehicle on patrol near the Amani Shah graveyard signalled for two men on a passing motorcycle to stop. The men stopped and one lobbed a ‘cracker’ into the graveyard. Rangers’ sources said they shot and killed the man who threw the ‘cracker’ into the graveyard. Upon examination, they found he was wearing a suicide vest. The assailant could not be identified, but Rangers sources claimed he appeared to be in his early 30s. The sources alleged the would-be suicide bomber had intended to target the under-construction Imambargah (Shia place of Worship) nearby.

Five terrorists killed in Punjab

Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on December 18 have killed five terrorists in the Choti Bala area of Dera Ghazi Khan District in Punjab, reports The News. The suspects opened fire during CTD raid that was conducted on a tip of about presence of militants in the Choti Bala area. Five of them were killed while four suspects are said to have fled during the exchange of fire. Two of the suspects killed in the operation were identified as Malik Tehseen and Kamran. Arms and explosive material was also recovered in the operation.

700 security personnel killed in Balochistan, says Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Amir Riaz

The Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Amir Riaz on December 20 said that 700 personnel of the Security Forces (SFs) have been killed while fighting for the “stability of the country”, reports Dawn. Riaz added that around 2,000 personnel were also wounded in the province. The commander was speaking at a function organized at the Frontier Corps Headquarters in Quetta. “For the last 10 to 12 years, FC personnel have been fighting against the enemies of Pakistan,” said the senior officer. “You stood firm and defeated the enemy.” Riaz added that some elements in Geneva, Dubai and London were behind acts of terrorism and were involved in the killing of innocent civilians in Balochistan. “Balochistan is part of Pakistan, and will always remain so,” reiterated the commander of southern command.

No presence of Daesh in Pakistan, says PM Sharif

Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif on December 21 said that there was no presence of militant Islamic State group (Daesh) in Pakistan and the country has destroyed safe havens and sanctuaries of al Qaeda and the Taliban, reports The News. The PM was speaking to a delegation of Bosnian parliamentarians where he emphasized on exchange of parliamentary delegations and sharing of their respective expertise.

Taliban not operating from Pakistan: FO

The Foreign Office (FO) dis missed on December 22 Pentagon’s latest assessment that the Taliban and Haqqani network were freely operating from Pakistan and instead accused Afghanistan of being an epicentre of terrorism in the region, reports Dawn. “This is more of a rhetoric than anything else. Afghanistan is infested with most terrorist organisations due to the instability there, which has created space for these terrorist elements,” Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said .

He was reacting to the recent biannual report of the US Department of Defence on security and stability situation in Afghanistan, which had said: “Afghan-oriented militant groups, including Taliban and Haqqani net work’s senior leadership, retain freedom of action from safe havens inside Pakistani territory. The United States continues to be clear with Pakistan about steps it should take to improve the security environment and deny safe havens to terrorist and extremist groups.” Mr. Zakaria recalled the counterterrorism operations undertaken by Pakistani security forces in the tribal areas, which had restored peace there. But he also acknowledged that a large number of terrorists had moved to Afghanistan after the start of the operations.

Seven Pakistanis killed in rocket attack on cargo ship off Yemen

At least seven Pakistanis were reportedly killed in a rocket attack on a cargo ship off the Yemen coast on Dec 22. All the members of the crew of the Iranian ship were Pakistani nationals and an officer identified as Kabir is said to have saved his life by jumping off the vessel as it started sinking after catching fire.

The ship MV Joya was heading to Dubai from Egypt when it came under attack as it was sailing in the Yemeni waters. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack.

Thousands of people have been killed in an ongoing conflict in Yemen between two factions claiming to constitute the government.

Rangers raid offices of former President Asif Ali Zardari’s friend and recovered cache of arms and ammunition

Rangers raided three offices of a known businessman, Anwar Majeed, who is said to be a close friend of former President Asif Ali Zardari, and claimed seizing illegal weapons on December 23, reports the News. The spokesman for the Sindh Rangers said personnel of the force conducted the swoops on intelligence about the presence of weapons and miscreants in two offices on the II Chundrigar Road and at the Hockey Stadium in Karachi. The raids coincided with PPP Co-chairman Zardari’s return to the country from Dubai, 18 months after he had abruptly gone abroad. The crack down led to the detention of five suspects and the seizure of 17 Kalashnikovs, four pistols, 3,225 bullets of different calibers and nine ball bombs. The arms and ammunition had been concealed in secret places in the offices. Some important documents were also seized.

Those detained were identified as Shahzad Shahid, Rajab Ali Rajpur, Ajmal Khan, Kamran Munir Asari and Kashif Hussain.

REGIONAL

Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics

JMB militant killed in gunfight with Police in Bagerhat District

A militant of Jama’at-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh was killed in a gunfight with Police in Mathabhanga area of Bagerhat District on November 27, reports New Age. Identity of the deceased, aged around 42, could not be known. Police also recovered two locally made guns, five bullets, three crude bombs, and sandals from the spot.

Evidence shows deep IS’ role in Dhaka cafe massacre, says Police

A senior Police official who has seen communications between Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and Abu Terek Mohammad Tajuddin Kausar said that evidence shows deep Islamic State (IS)’ role in Dhaka cafe massacre, reports The Daily Star. Before Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, a Canadian of Bangladeshi origin, orchestrated Bangladesh’s worst militant attack, he sought and won approval for it from IS. He was told by his contact in the militant group, Abu Terek Mohammad Tajuddin Kausar, to target foreigners, according to the senior Police official. The back-and-forth between Tamim and Kausar which includes drafts of articles later published in is magazines.

Five HuJl-B militants arrested with arms and explosives in Chittagong District

Five militants of Harkat-ul-Jihad al lslami Bangladesh (HuJl-B) were arrested in Chittagong District’s Pahartali area with arms and explosives on December 8, reports The Daily Star. They were identified as: Taijul Islam, Nazim Uddin, Mohamad Hafez Abu Zafar, Nur-e-Alam, and Ibtisham Ahmed. 22 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), six pistols, twelve magazines, 267 rounds of ammunition, and religiously inciting books in large volumes were recovered from them.

Government is drafting a law to impound assets of war criminals, says Minister for Law Anis-ul-Huq

Minister for Law Anis-ul-Huq on December 11 said that the Government is drafting a law to impound assets of war criminals, reports New Age. He said “Drafting of the law is on process.” In September, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Hague, also said in Parliament that new bill was in the offing to confiscate properties of war criminals. The families of war crimes victims and several organizations, among which are Ekattarer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee and Ganajagaran Mancha, which are demanding the death penalty for all war criminals, have also been demanding a confiscation of war criminals’ properties.

JMB has become active again

Mohamad Shafiq-ul-Islam, Deputy Inspector of General (DIG), Chittagong range, in the divisional law enforcement meeting in Chittagong District on December 19 said that Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), a banned militant outfit and an offshoot of Jama’at-ul- Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), has become active again and is trying to reorganize itself, reports The Independent. “After the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, the old JMB, which was the follower of Bangla Bhai (Siddique-ul-lslam), has become active again we are keeping an eye on their activities. Most of the JMB members who carried out bomb blasts in 63 districts are out of jail. We have launched a hunt for the militants who were named in the charge sheet in the bomb blasts case,’ Shafiq-ul-Islam said.

Most rural students believe in militant propaganda, says NGO Shopner Desh

Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Shopner Desh, which conducted a preliminary research on impact of militancy, on December 20 said that most rural students believe in militant propaganda, reports Dhaka Tribune. Some 20-25% Districts in Bangladesh is at risk of militant activities and the tendency is significant among students of village and rural level educational institutes where some 26% students have received offers to join militant activities, the new study has revealed. The study also found that 87% of the rural students who got offers think that the militant activities are justified.

Two suspected extremists killed during raid in Dhaka

Two suspected extremists were killed during a raid at a suspected den of extremists at a house near the Hajj camp at Ashkona in Dhaka on December 24, reports New Age. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) officials said that one of the deceased, a teenage, was son of banker Tanvir Quaderi, who ‘committed suicide’ during a raid at Azimpur house in Dhaka on September 10, while the other was the wife of suspected extremist Suman. They, however, said that they were trying to confirm the exact identities of the deceased. A four year girl was also rescued and four people were arrested on surrender during the raid at a suspected den of extremists at Ashkona. The Police officials said that they rescued the minor girl injured from the scene during the operation at the ground floor of three-storey Surja Villa on Mosque Road of Ashekona Purba Para, cordoned by the Security Forces (SFs). Monir-ul-Islam, Deputy Commissioner of the DMP’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTIC) unit, said that four people – Jebunnesa Shila, the widow of suspected extremist retired army major Jahid-ul-Islam alias Murad who was killed in an operation at Rupnagar in Dhaka on September 2, and their child, suspected leader of ‘Neo JMB’, an offshoot of Jama’at-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), is inspired by the ideologies of Islamic State (IS). Mayn-ul Musa’s wife Trisha and their child – surrendered to the Police responding to their call. The law enforcers also seized a pistol, six bullets and explosives from the four, he said. Monir-ul said that the two deceased and the four detained were operatives of a faction of JMB. Inspector Shafiq Ahmed of CTIC unit also suffered minor injuries during the operation.

India -Internal Dynamics

Five soldiers injured in ambush in Manipur

At least five Security Force (SF) personnel of Para Special Force deployed along the Manipur Myanmar border sustained injuries when militants ambushed a patrol party at Sajik Tampak area in Chandel District on November 26, reports Morung Express. Sources told lANS that the soldiers were patrolling in the interior areas of Chandel District located along the International Border (IB) when one remote controlled bomb detonated. The militants also opened fire from automat is rifles while the soldiers retaliated. Later the militants are believed to have escaped across the border. Reinforcements have been rushed for launching combing operations in the area. There has been no claim about the attack from any underground organisation.

Armed men attack Nabha jail in Punjab

Five armed men in Police uniform broke into Nabha prison jail in Patiala District of Punjab early on November 27 and took along Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Mintoo, reports The Times of India. Mintoo, who was arrested in 2014 by Punjab Police in November 2014, was wanted in 10 terror-related cases, including the 2008 attack on Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and 2010 recovery of explosives at Halwara Air Force station. Five gangsters including one Vicky Gonder also fled along with Mintoo. State Police have flagged a high alert across the State and on borders of Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir.

Tamil Nadu, followed by Kerala have emerged as the new safe haven for Islamic terrorists. Operating from South India, say senior intelligence officials based in Chennai, Daily Pioneer reports on December 1. They were reacting to the arrests of five suspected Islamic terrorists from various places of Tamil Nadu over November 28-29. Official sources confided that those arrested were conspiring to unleash a series of terrorist activities including assassinations all over India. “We have tracked strong undercurrents of secessionist activities in Tamil Nadu and Kerala spearheaded by various Islamic outfits. All these arrests have been made based on precise information gathered by our moles,” said a senior intelligence official. He said all espionage agencies have increased the intensity of monitoring the suspects. “All suspects are always on our radars and hence there is nothing to panic,” he said.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala are new terror hubs: report

Tamil Nadu, followed by Kerala have emerged as the new safe haven for Islamic terrorists operating from South India, say senior intelligence officials based in Chennai, Daily Pioneer reports on December 1. They were reacting to the arrests of five suspected Islamic terrorists from various places of Tamil Nadu over November 28-29. Official sources confided that those arrested were conspiring to unleash a series of terrorist activities including assassinations all over India. “We have tracked strong undercurrents of secessionist activities in Tamil Nadu and Kerala spearheaded by various Islamic outfits. All these arrests have been made based on precise information gathered by our moles,” said a senior intelligence official. He said all espionage agencies have increased the intensity of monitoring the suspects. “All suspects are always on our radars and hence there is nothing to panic,” he said.

Two AR soldiers killed in ambush in Arunachal Pradesh

Two Assam Rifles (AR) jawans were killed and eight others injured when armed militants, suspected to be from the banned Naga outfit, the Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K), ambushed a convoy of the 16 AR along the India-Myanmar border at Nginu village in Tirap District on December 3, reports Nagaland Post. “Soldiers belonging to the 16 Assam Rifles were returning from a patrol when the heavily armed militants fired at them. While two of them including a JCO (junior commissioner officer) died, eight others were injured,” an AR spokesman said adding the conditions of two of them are stated to be serious.

CRPF jawan killed in Maoist-triggered LED blast in Chhattisgarh

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was killed and another one injured when Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres triggered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast followed by firing in Dantewada District on December 6, reports The Times of India. The incident took place at around 11.15 am when a joint team of CRPF’s 231^st battalion and District Force was patrolling to ensure security to the under construction Aranpur (Dantewada)-Jagargunda (Sukma) road which passes through the restive dense forests under Aranpur Police Station limits, a senior Police official said. When the security personnel were cordoning-off a patch between Kondapara and Kondasawli villages, the Maoists detonated the IED and started firing in which two head constables were injured, he said. “Head constable Kamal Singh succumbed to his injuries while being airlifted to Raipur. Another head constable, Anil Kumar, was shifted to a hospital in the state capital,” the official said, adding that both the personnel belong to CRPF’s 231^st battalion.

Meanwhile, the Maoists triggered two IED blasts targetting the security personnel at a road construction site in Narayanpur District on December 6, reports Indian Express. There were no reports of injuries or casualties.

’70 years of the struggle of Nagas will be politically resolved soon’, says NSCN-IM leader Anthony Ningkhan Shimray

Senior lsak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) leader, lieutenant general Anthony Ningkhan Shimray on December 7 stated that Nagas would be free from Indian political domination and added that the 70 years of struggle of the Nagas will be politically resolved soon, reports The Sangai Express. Anthony Ningkhan Shimray who was imprisoned for more than five years in Tihar jail came to his home town at Ukhrul District headquarters (Manipur) for the first time on December 7 after his release on bail in August to have a public dis course. Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) on behalf of the Tangkhul community accorded a warm welcome to the NSCN-IM leader at TNL ground.

Speaking at the felicitation programme, Anthony asserted that the Naga issue will be resolved on the basis of the unique history of the Naga people and added that the ‘Framework Agreement of 2015’ will override the 16 Points Programme and the Shillong Accord signed earlier. Under this agreement, Naga Nation would be established and the NSCN-IM will create a new history, for under the agreement Nagas will be treated as a separate entity, added Anthony. The Nagas will have a separate flag and a Constitution to govern ourselves, he claimed. Nagas are likely to have an interim administrative set up under Regional Autonomous Territorial Council and in the process a joint commission will be instituted to work out the boundaries of the Naga inhabited areas so as to integrate the Nagas under one administrative roof, further claimed Anthony. Other tribal communities are welcome to be a part of Pan Naga Hoho/Parliament, he said and added that the Nagas will not discriminate the rights of other tribal communities.

6 injured in grenade attack in Manipur

A hand grenade was lobbed by some unidentified assailants at the residence of Akoijam Brojen (40), who is a head constable of Manipur Police, in Singjamei Mayengbam Leikai of Imphal West District where six persons including two minors were injured on December 9, reports The Sangai Express. One of the assailants allegedly involved in carrying out the grenade attack, identified as Mohamad Imran Khan (25) was rounded up by local people, thrashed and later handed over to Police.

Mukhiya shot dead in Jharkhand

The mukhiya (village headman) of Jargo panchayat (village level local self-government institution) in Tamar block in Ranchi District Jeevan Singh Munda (38), was dragged out of his home by unidentified assailants, masquerading a Police, and shot dead on December 11, reports The Telegraph. Communist party of India-Maoist posters found near his body read that Munda was being “punished for being a Police informer” and others should learn a lesson from his death. The forested spot where the mukhiya’s body was found is 25 kilometres from Tamar thana (Police Station) and around 80 kilometres from the State capital, Ranchi. An unnamed local resident claimed that Munda was once a Maoist sympathizer, adding, “But, he parted ways with the rebels three years ago and entered main stream politics. Currently, he did not have any political affiliation and facilitated construction of rural roads to help Police movement in the area.” Rural Superintendent of Police (SP), Raj Kumar Lakra said, “Four Maoist posters found near his body said he had paid the price for being a police informer. But, there is nothing on record to prove that the deceased was an informer. We are also not aware of his past Maoist links.”

NSCN-IM questions government’s assault on rights of Nagas

Taking strong exception to what it described as ‘ongoing incessant assault” on the political and historical rights of the Nagas by the Government of Manipur backed by Central Government, lsak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) on December 12 maintained that as it represents the Naga people and their political aspirations, it would therefore take full authority to claim the responsibility of their wellbeing and protection, reports Nagaland Post. In a press release, ‘Ministry of Information & Publicity (MIP)’, NSCN-IM said declaration of disturbed areas in the hill areas of Manipur and sending the Central Forces has taken the Nagas by surprise and questioned Government of India (Gol) if it was “a sign of sincerity or of seeking peaceful political solution?” Objecting to the creation of seven new districts, out of Naga areas, NSCN-IM expressed its belief that Naga people’s protest under the aegis of the United Naga Council (UNC) against the creation of new districts was “their legitimate historical and political rights.” Further, it described the arrest of UNC by Manipur Police as “not only a cowardly act” but lack of statesmanship in handling political issue.

Neither Hindus nor Muslims of Bangladesh will be allowed to stay in Assam, warns NDFB-IKS

In reaction to the statement of Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain to pass the bill to grant Indian citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis, the l.K. Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-IKS) led by B. Saoraigwra on December 13 called upon the indigenous people of Assam to stand up against the decision of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union Government for protecting and safeguarding indigenous people, reports The Sentinel. In a press statement, the ‘secretary general’ of the NDFB-IKS, B. Ferenga said the strategy of the BJP-led Government, as disclosed by Gohain’s statement on December 12 in Guwahati, was unfortunate and condemnable. He said the NDFB was always with the indigenous people of Assam and it stood against the foreigners. He said, “Our organization was born for the protection of the indigenous people of Assam. Neither Hindus nor Muslims of Bangladesh or those who came after 1951 will be allowed to stay in Assam.”

2 Policemen killed in ambush in Manipur

Two Policemen were killed and six others critically injured in an ambush laid by suspected militant at Lokchao village in Chancel District on December 15, reports The Financial Express. Army sources said that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast was triggered during a combing operation by the commandos. This was followed by firing from light arms by the militants.

3 Policemen killed in separate ambushes in Manipur

Three Manipur Police personnel, identified as Lungrei Charanga (25), Mohammad Ayub Khan (35) and Yengkhom Jiban (50) were killed and eight others injured in two separate ambushes by unidentified militants in Chandel District on December 15, reports The Assam Tribune. The first incident took place at Lokchao area around 6.30 am while the second occurred at Bongyang area around 8 am along the lmphal-Moreh road when two teams of State Police were on road patrol duty.

Village sarpanch’s husband killed in Chhattisgaryh

Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres hacked to death the husband of a village sarpanch (local self-government institution head) on the suspicion of he being a ‘Police informer’ in Dantewada District on December 16, reports Business Standard. Dharmendra Kudami (33) was killed in Kurrempara area of Metapal village under Katekalyan Police Station area, a senior Police official told PTI. Kudami’s wife Ratna Kudami is the sarpanch of Metapal. “A group of Maoists, armed with bow and arrow, axes and knives stormed into victim’s house and murdered Dharmendra in front of his family,” the official said. ‘Though the exact reason for the attack is yet to be ascertained, preliminary investigation suggests the ultras accused him of being a police informer,” he said.

Militants decamp with weapons in Manipur

A group of suspected National Socialist Council of Nagaland lsak Muivah (NSCN-IM) militants attacked a post of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) at Noney District and decamped with large number of weapons, reports Times of India. At least 40 weapons were reportedly snatched from the IRB men. NSCN IM spokesman V Horam denied the involvement of the outfit as suspected. He said, “This is a political conspiracy in Manipur aimed at coming assembly elections.”

US Embassy in India warns its citizens of increased threat from Islamic State

The United States (US) embassy in India warned its citizens in India to remain vigilant and stay away from places frequented by Westerners after certain media reports that the Islamic State (IS/ISIS) terror group may be planning to attack such targets , reports The Times of India on December 22. “As we head into holiday season, please be reminded that recent Indian media reports indicate ISIL’s (Islamic State’s) desire to attack targets in India. The US embassy warns of an increased threat to places in India frequented by Westerners, such as religious sites, markets, and festival venues,” said the US embassy in a statement. “All US citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as detailed in the State Department’s Worldwide Caution of September 9, 2016,” it added.

Monthly Fatalities The following deaths, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during period to Nov 26, 201 6 to Dec 25, 201 6:
	Civilian	Indian Security Personnel	Militant	Total
Assam	04	00	01	05
Manipur	01	03	00	04
Meghalaya	00	00	02	02
Left wing	22	07	08	37
Total	27	10	11	48

Maoists set ablaze 72 vehicles in Maharashtra

The Communist Party of India Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres set ablaze 69 trucks and three JCBs at Surjagad Lloyd Metal’s iron mine, barely five-kilometres from Hedri Police post in Gadchiroli District on December 23, reports Indian Express. Sources said that hundreds of Maoists descended upon the area around noon and they drove out around 300 labourers loading iron ore before setting the vehicles afire. Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Gadchiroli range, Shivaji Bodkhe insisted that the attack was not a reflection on Policing. “Though we have the Hedri police post 5 km away, on the other side is Abujmaad, where about 40 sq. km area has no police presence and hence Maoists find it not so difficult.” He added that the number of attackers would hardly have been 10 to 15. “They drove the labourers away and then had no hurdle and must have gone on set ting the vehicles afire one after the other.” Sources said that Maoists generally recce an area before targeting it, making sure that there is no Police movement. They then split into five-member groups for completing a task in the shortest possible time. “In Surjagad, they must have finished the task within 30 minutes, which means there must have been Maoists and militia members by hundreds on the spot,” said a source.

Nepal -Internal Dynamics

Two held for planting bomb in Saptari district

The Saptari District Police Office on December 3, arrested two persons, identified as Nathuni Yadav (50) and Bhawani Prasad Argariya (30) of Siraha, for their alleged involvement in installing explosives at the District Administrative Office (DAO), around a week ago, reports The Himalayan Times. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dan Bahadur Karki, the duo was arrested from Melath-5 of Saptari District on December 3.The investigation has confirmed their involvement in the case and necessary investigation is being carried out, Police said. On November 27, Police had found a pressure cooker bomb in front of the DAO. It has been learnt that the explosives were planted by the Jaya Krishna Goita-led Janatantrik Tarai Mukti MorchaKrantikari (JTMM-K).

Protests against amendment continue in west and mid-west regions Locals in the western and mid western regions of the country have continued their protests for the sixth consecutive day against the Government’s plan to revise the federal boundaries of Province 5, reports My Republica on December 6. Local market places, Government offices, industrial plants and schools remained closed in various hill Districts as an indefinite strike continues. Locals and cadres of various political parties took to the streets chanting anti-Government slogans. Comer meetings were also organized at various places in these Districts which will be affected by the Constitution amendment bill. In view of possible unrest, Kapilvastu District Administration Office (DAO) has declared certain flashpoints at District headquarters Taulihawa prohibited areas. Locals have been protesting against the Government’s move to split Province 5 and take away the hill Districts. The joint struggle committee in the District had a complete ‘shutdown’ of the District on December 5.

Four cadres of Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN-Maoist arrested for using DEO jeep to ferry bullets in Jajarkot District

As many as 550 rounds of INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) bullet were seized from four cadres of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) party in Chhedachaur of Jajarkot District on December 6. The Himalayan Times reported. A Police team deployed from a local Police post arrested the cadres travelling on a jeep. The arrested cadres have been identified as Milan Shahi from Khagenkot-3, Nain Singh Bista from Dandagaun-7, Dirgha Bahadur Nepali from Pajaru-7 and Dharma Raj Devkota from Tatopani-9. The vehicle belongs to the District Education Office (DEO). The driver, Lal Bahadur Khadka, told Police that he had let the cadres travel on the vehicle after chief of the DEO allowed him for the same. The jeep was travelling to Nepalgunj for an official purpose.

Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics

62^nd birth anniversary of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran celebrated in Jaffna

The 62^nd birth anniversary of slain Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was on November 26 celebrated at the Jaffna University in Jaffna District, reports Daily Mirror. Hundreds of Jaffna University students, academic and non-academic staff gathered at the Kailasapathy Auditorium of the varsity to celebrate the birth anniversary by cutting cakes. They also lit candles and planted saplings in memory of those who were killed during nearly three-decade long civil war which ended in May 2009. The birth anniversary was celebrated despite the Government’s warning that action would be taken against anyone trying to take part in the event.

ONUR expresses concern over rise of hate speech

Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) in a statement issued on November 25 has expressed concem over the rise of hate speech in the recent past, reports Colombo Page. ONUR Chairperson, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said “Hate filled expressions and actions by groups with vested interests, resulting in demeaning, denigrating and inciting violence against fellow citizens of various ethnic, religious backgrounds has no place in Sri Lankan society. The Government is working towards bringing about reconciliation among all communities, making it the highest priority. This is in contrast to the years before 2015 where power brokers in the state fomented communal and ethnic hatred, shielded by a culture of impunity, thereby inciting racism and violence against fellow Sri Lankans.”

Top Tamil Tiger warlord held

Sri Lankan police on Nov 29 arrested a top Tamil warlord on corruption charges nearly two years after the defeat of his main ally, former president Mahinda Rajapakse. Police said the Financial Crimes Investigation Division arrested Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, better known by his nom de guerre Karuna, for misappropriating an unspecified amount of state money and other assets.

“Karuna was questioned about state vehicles and financial transactions,” a police official said on condition of anonymity.

“He was taken before a magistrate who remanded him in custody till December 7.”

The 50-year-old Karuna was number two of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when he led a breakaway faction-and sided with the then-government in 2004.

No truth to the rumours that security in North and East are in danger, says Defense Secretary

Secretary to the Ministry of Defense, Eng. Karunasena Hettiarachchion December 3 asserted that there is no truth to the rumors spread by the extremists that security in North and East are in danger, reports Colombo Page. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the “Nila Mehewara” Mobile Service Programme at the Richard Pathirana Vidyala in Galle District of Southern Province, the Defense Secretary said anyone can visit these areas and verified that the Government has provided suitable livelihood environment for the people in these areas. The Defense Secretary also pointed out that, lands that were acquired by the government forces during the war period is presently being handed back to their legitimate owners not because of international requirement but to fulfill the needs of the people.

UNCAT calls on Sri Lanka to investigate torture

The United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) called on Sri Lanka on December 7 to investigate documented allegations of torture and rape of detainees by Security Forces (SFs) and to rein in broad Police powers, reports Daily Mirror. The UNCAT described continuing. Reports of abductions, deaths in custody, poor conditions of detention and the use of forced confessions in court. The report included recommendations by the panel of 10 independent rights experts citing “consistent reports” from national and UN sources that torture remains common in regular criminal investigations in Sri Lanka. ‘The Committee is concerned that the broad Police powers to arrest suspects without a court warrant has led to the practice of detaining persons while conducting the investigations as a means to obtain information under duress,” it said.

The panel urged Sri Lanka to identify and prosecute perpetrators of “emblematic cases” from a 26-year-civil war that ended in 2009, including the murder of the ”Trincomalee Five” students on the beach and 17 aid workers of Action Contre la Faim, both in 2006. However, there was no immediate response from the Sri Lankan authorities. But the committee’s report said the Sri Lanka’s attorney general, Jayantha Jayasuriya, had told its investigators that his Government had a zero tolerance policy when it came to torture.

‘War against the LTTE cost over USD 200 billion’, says former Indian diplomat Shivshankar Menon

Sri Lanka’s internal war which ended in May 2009 had cost the country around USO 200 billion according to India’s former National Security Adviser (NSA) and Foreign Secretary, Shivshankar Menon, reports Colombo Gazette on December 13. In his book ‘Choices: Inside the Making of India’s Foreign Policy’, Menon says that this estimate does not include the “opportunity cost” to Sri Lanka which was once the fastest growing and the most open economy in South Asia. About deaths, the veteran Indian diplomat turned security expert says that between 1983 and 2009, 80,000 to 100,000 people, including combatants from both sides, lost their lives. Among them were 30,000 to 50,000 civilians, 27,693 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadres, 23,790 Sri Lankan Army personnel, and 1,155 men of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).

The final stages of the war had created a little over 300,000 refugees or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The war had also left 1.6 million land mines in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. But the real casualty of the war was Sri Lanka’s composite society, a something that the LTTE and Sinhala chauvinism are “equally responsible for”, Menon says.” Sri Lanka’s democracy was flawed by is appearances, killings, torture, detention, and widespread human rights abuses committed by all sides in the war. Civil-military relations were skewed, Sinhala society was militarized, and the brutalized remnants of Tamil civil society were leaderless, without direction or hope. Nor was there any sign of an attempt to come to terms with the legacy and result of the war, to undertake real reconciliation,” he observes grimly. Menon points out that LTIE ‘chief’ Prabhakaran had left his Sri Lankan Tamil community “gutted and brutalized” by his war.

Tamils for Obama urges outgoing U.S. President to delist LTTE from U.S. Terrorist Organizations list

Tamils for Obama, a Tamil Diaspora group in the U.S. urged the outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama to delist the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTIE) from the U.S. Terrorist Organizations list, reports Colombo Page on December 21. A spokesman for Tamils for Obama said many Tamils are suffering from the listing of LTIE as it crates pain for many U.S. Tamils when they travel to abroad and when they return to U.S. “They have to go through many hours of interrogation. Some U.S. Tamils have asked us to convince President Obama to help us by removing Tamil Tiger from the list. Obama can give Tamils a little relief by de-listing the Tamil Tiger during this Christmas and giving sea son,” the spokesman said.

INTERNATIONAL

Car bomb kills 10 in Somali capital

A suspected car bomb killed at least 10 people when it exploded at a police checkpoint next to a busy market in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Nov 26, police and witnesses said. Reuter’s witnesses saw several bodies at the scene of the blast near the vegetable market in Mogadishu’s waberi district, where shops and stalls were wrecked and ambulances raced away with casualties.

Pools of blood lay on the ground. The Somali Islamist group al Shabaab often carries out such attacks in the capital, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility by the group.

“The whole market is ruined and people perished. The death toll issuer to rise,” Colonel Abdikadir Farah, a police officer, told Reuters, saying at least 10 people had been confirmed dead so far, while a dozen more were wounded.

Somalia is still battling an Islamist insurgency while it seeks to rebuild after more than two decades of conflict and chaos that have left the nation in tatters.

It is holding a vote at polling centers across the country over several weeks for a new parliament. Some 14,000 people representing Somalia’s federal states have been chosen to pick the 275 lawmakers those members of parliament will choose a new president.

Iraqi forces say 1000 IS fighters killed in Mosul

Iraqi Special Forces battling to clear Islamic State from eastern Mosul have killed nearly 1,000 militants but fighting has slowed as troops face a mobile enemy hidden among thousands of civilians in the city, a top commander said on Nov 28.

Six weeks into a major offensive, Iraqi forces have captured nearly half of eastern Mosul, moving from district to district against Jihadist snipers, suicide attackers and car bombs.

Elite Iraqi troops, known as the Golden Division”, are the only brigades to have entered Mosul from the east, with Iraqi army, federal police and Kurdish Peshmerga units surrounding the city to the north and south.

Militias are trying to complete the encirclement from the west.

The US-trained Counter Terrorism Service unit breached Islamic State’s defence at the end of October, but has been slowed by the militants’ mobile tactics and concern over civilian casualties preventing the use of tanks and heavy armour.

Major General Abdul Ghani al-Asadi, one of the commanders of the Special Forces, said troops had adapted their tactics, surrounding one district at a time to cut off the militants” supplies. He said around 990 militants had been killed in fighting in the east so far. He would not say how many casualties there were among government special forces.

The Iraqi government has asked civilians in Mosul to stay at during the offensive, as humanitarian organisations say they cannot cope with an influx of hundreds of thousands of people displaced from the city.

More than one million people are believed to remain in the he largest in northem Iraq.

Defeating Islamic State in Mosul, Islamic State’s last major bastion in Iraq, is seen as vital to destroying the “caliphate’ declared by the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, from the pulpit of Mosul’s Grand Mosque in July 2014.But commanders have said the battle could take months.

UN calls situation ‘chilling’ in Aleppo

Up to 16,000 civilians have fled strife-torn parts of eastern Aleppo as the rebels lost all of northern neighbourhoods of their stronghold, the UN said on Nov 29, describing the situation as “chilling”.

“The intensity of attacks on eastern Aleppo neighbourhoods over the past few days has forced thousands of civilians to flee to other parts of the city,” UN humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien said in a statement. He pointed to reports from the UN’s humanitarian partners on the ground indicating that up to 16,000 people have been displaced, many into uncertain and precarious situations”.

His’ comments came as the Syrian army advanced deep inside the longtime rebel stronghold of east Aleppo, taking several neighbourhoods from the opposition in an onslaught to recapture the entire city.

Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency, told reporters in Geneva Tuesday that a full 10,000 of those fleeing the intense battles in eastern Aleppo have gone to districts held by the government in the west of the city. As many as 6,000 others had headed to the Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood, he said.

O’Brien voiced concern over the “deeply alarming and chilling situation unfolding” across all of Aleppo. ‘The parties to the conflict in Syria have shown time and again that they are willing to take any action to secure military advantage even if it means killing, maiming or starving civilians into submission in the process,” he said.

The situation in eastern Aleppo is dire, with intensified ground fighting and indiscriminate aerial bombardment reportedly killing and injuring many civilians, he said. There are no functioning hospitals leftrand official food stocks are practically finished.” At the same time, indiscriminate shelling on government-held western Aleppo has killed and injured civilians and has displaced more than 20,000 people in recent weeks, O’Brien said.

The World Food Programme’s last warehoused stocks in eastern Aleppo, where some 250,000 civilians have been besieged for months, were distributed on November 13, spokeswoman Bettina Luescher told reporters. The lack of food is “really dire”, she said, warning that the people stuck in the east were in a “slow-motion descent into hell”.

The UN human rights office meanwhile voiced alarm at the dangers facing those attempting to flee the fighting.

More than 300,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since Syria’s conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

Turkish military kills 20 Kurdish fighters in Hakkari

The Turkish military killed 20 fighters from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) after they tried to attack army bases in the south eastern Hakkari province, the military said on Dec 4.

The fighters crossed into Turkey from northern Iraq and attempted to launch attacks on military bases in the mountainous border region, the military said, without giving further details.

Turkey’s mainly Kurdish south east has been rocked by violence since a 2-1/2 year ceasefire between the government and the PKK broke down in July last year.

The PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union and the United States, first took up arms in 1984.More than 40,000 people, most of them Kurds, have died in the fighting since.

Malaysia hits out at Myanmar over ‘ethnic cleansing’

Malaysia accused Myanmar of engaging in the “ethnic cleansing” of its Robingya minority on Dec 3, as former UN chief Kofi Annan visited a burned out village in strife-torn Rakhine state.

Tens of thousands of Muslim Rohingya have fled their homes since a bloody crackdown by the Myanmar army in the western state of Rakhine sparked by a string of deadly attacks on police border posts in early October. “The fact that only one particular ethnicity is being driven out is by definition ethnic cleansing,” Malaysia’s foreign ministry said in an unusually strongly worded statement.

Myanmar has balked at such criticism, saying the Rakhine crisis is an internal issue but international pressure on the country is mounting. Malaysia’s statement noted that hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to neighbouring countries in recent years including some 56,000 to Muslim-majority Malaysia. That, the statement said, “makes this matter no longer an internal matter but an international matter”.

On morning of Dec 2 a convoy carrying the former UN chief arrived outside the Rohingya village of Wapeik, which has seen significant damage from fire.

Non state media journalists were stopped by police from coming close to the convoy or entering the village, an AFP photographer at the scene said.

Myanmar has restricted access to the northern part of the state and says its military is hunting down the militants behind the attacks. But rights groups and Rohingya refugees who have made it to Bangladesh have accused the military of killing civilians and razing entire villages as a form of collective punishment.

The Rohingya have long faced persecution and government restrictions on movement that many have likened to apartheid. Much of Myanmar views the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh even though many have lived there for generations.

Britain facing unprecedented terror threat: spy chief

Britain faces an “unprecedented” terror threat that will not sub side until the Syrian civil war ends, the head of foreign intelligence service Ml6 said on Dec 8. In a rare speech for an intelligence chief, Alex Younger said British authorities had foiled 12 terrorist plots since June 2013 and warned that the “murderously efficient” Islamic State group was still plotting attacks from Syria, despite recent military reverses. The plight of the Syrians continues to worsen. I can not say with any certainty what the next year will bring,” Younger told journalists in his first public comments since taking up the post of “C” in 2014. “But what I do know is this – we cannot be safe from the threats that emanate from that land unless the civil war is brought to an end.” We need to take the fight to the enemy, penetrating terrorist organisations upstream,” he added. “By that I mean as close to the source as possible.”

Younger criticised Russia President Vladimir Putin for prop ping up Syrian President Bashar al Assad and warned that “hybrid war fare”, incorporating cyber-attacks and propaganda, was an “increasingly dangerous phenomenon” that posed a “fundamental threat” to Western democracies.

”The connectivity that is at the heart of globalisation can be exploited by states with hostile intent to further their aims deniably,” he said. Younger played down fears of instability in the wake of Brexit and the rise of Donald Trump, saying he expected “continuity” in Britain’s intelligence relationships with the European Union and the United States. “These relationships are long-lasting and the personal bonds between us are strong,” he said.

IS kills 49 Syrian regime fighters

Islamic State group Jihadists killed 15 Syrian soldiers and allied fighters near Palmyra on Dec 9, taking the governments losses in 24 hours of clashes to at least 49, a monitor said.

The jihadists’ advance brought them to within four kilometres of the desert city, which government forces recaptured in March after IS had wrought huge destruct ion on its famed ancient monuments, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

IS fighters launched simultaneous attacks on several government positions · in the eastern desert of Homs province on Thursday, including areas near the Mahr and Shaar oil and gas fields. It has seized government checkpoints, silos and the village of Jazal, northwest of Palmyra, in the ongoing assault, the Observatory said.

The army has brought in reinforcements and carried out air strikes against IS in a bid to retake lost territory.

The jihadists too have suffered losses, the Observatory said, although it had no immediate figure.

IS once held several key towns in Homs province, including Palmyra. It overran the town in May last year, and systematically destroyed temples and tower tombs at the town’s Unesco World Heritage site, before being pushed out by government forces.

It is still present in parts of the east of the province, and has carried out hit-and-run attacks on government positions in recent months.

But Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the current assault was the first to see IS seize territory since it was pushed out of most of the province.

30 killed in double suicide attack on Nigeria market

Two female suicide bombers struck at a busy market in Nigeria on Dec 9, killing at least 30 people, the military said, in the latest bloodshed to hit the countries restive northeast.

The attack on Madagali, which was recaptured by Nigerian forces from Boko Haram Jihadists in 2015, was the third time the town. has been targeted since December last year when two female suicide bombers killed scores.

“At least 30 people have been killed in the suicide blasts carried out by two female suicide bombers in the market,” military spokesman major Badare Akintoye told AFP.

“Several people have been injured in the attack,” said Akintoye by phone from a military base in the town of Mubi, 100 kilometres away.

While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, the blasts bore all the hallmarks of Boko Haram, which regularly uses women and young girls to carry out suicide attacks in its seven-year insurgent campaign in the troubled region.

Turkey to fight terror ‘to the end’ after attacks kill 38

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Dec 11 vowed to fight terror “to the end” as Turkey mourned 38 people killed in twin bombings that authorities said were likely the work of Kurdish militants. The bloodshed, which took place in Istanbul late on Saturday, Dec 10 saw a car bomb exploding outside the home stadium of football giants Besiktas and less than a minute later, a suicide attacker blew himself up by a group of police at a nearby park. Most of the dead were police officers, who accounted for 30 of the overall toll.

The carnage prompted a sharp response from Erdogan, who defiantly vowed Ankara would “fight the scourge of terror ism right to the end. They should know that they will not get away with it… They will pay a heavier price.”

Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility, officials said initial findings suggested it was the work of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, that has waged a bloody campaign against the Turkish state since 1984.

People gathered outside the stadium to lay flowers, many holding Turkish flags and shouting “Down with the PKK!” and “Our homeland is indivisible!” Thousands later joined a protest march around the stadium, with some ruling party fans kicking the buses of opposition CHP supporters, prompting police to disperse the crowds.

Soylu said 30 police, seven civilians and one person yet to be identified had died in the blasts which had also wounded another 155 people.

Bomb attack kills 25 near Cairo Coptic cathedral

A bomb blast tore through a church near Cairo’s Coptic cathedral during a service on Dec 11, killing at least 25 people in the deadliest attack in recent memory on Egypt’s Christian minority. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing but Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population, have been previously targeted in militant attacks.

At least 31 people were also wounded in the blast, the health ministry said, as the attack drew condemnation from political and religious leaders and led President Abdel Fattah al-sisi to declare three days of national mourning. The bombing hit at around 10:00am at the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church, which is adjacent to Saint Mark’s Cathedral, the seat of the Coptic pope Tawadros II. A bomb made of 12 kilos of TNT appeared to have been behind the explosion, security officials said.

It was the worst attack on the Coptic Christian community since a 2011 suicide bombing killed more than 20 worshippers outside a church in the coastal city of Alexandria.

Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar rushed to the area after the blast and Prime Minister Sherif Ismail called on security services to quickly find those responsible.

Sisi also condemned the attack, saying in a statement: “Egypt will only emerge stronger and more unified from these events.”

48 soldiers in Yemen attack

Forty-eight Yemeni soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group in the southern port city of Aden, officials said on Dec 11 in an updated casualty toll.

The bomber detonated his explosives belt as hundreds of troops had gathered to collect their monthly pay at a barracks in Al Sawlaban near Aden’s international airport. “A martyr from the Islamic State denotated his explosives belt in Al-Sawlaban military camp in Aden during a gathering of the Yemeni army,” the IS-affiliated Amaq news outlet said.

Yemeni authorities have for months pressed a campaign against Jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the war-torn country.

IS and its Jihadist rival al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and the Huthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemenis second city and head quarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port from the Huthis last year.

UAE to end banking secrecy in tax matters

Expatriates in the UAE have been alerted about the implementation of a new global transparency policy that seeks to fight cross-border tax evasion and put an end to banking secrecy in tax matters.

Countries around the world have been looking for ways to track down and monitor tax-delinquent residents overseas. Offshore tax abuse is reportedly costing America alone $100 billion a year.

This has resulted in the launch of the common reporting standard (CRS), also referred to as the glob al FATCA, which stands for Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act in the United States (US).

FATCA is a similar but separate piece of legislation which is directed mainly at American citizens residing abroad. CRS, on the other hand, is being spearheaded by the Overseas Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and includes European Union and other signatory states, such as the UAE, India, United Kingdom, Canada, Lebanon, Indonesia, Turkey and Mexico, among many others.

CRS aims to foster an exchange of information between countries regarding expatriate or individual bank accounts, interest, dividends or incomes earned outside their home country.

Putin himself involved in US election hack: report

US intelligence officials now believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin was personally. Involved in hacking during the American election campaign as part of a vendetta against Hillary Clinton, NBC News reported on Dec 13.

Putin personally instructed how material hacked from US Democrats was leaked and other wise used, the US television net-work said, quoting two senior officials with access to this information. The officials said they had a “high level of confidence” in this new assessment, NBC reported.

Last weekend ‘The Washington Post’ reported a CIA evaluation that Russia had hacked the emails of US persons and institutions as a way to sway the election in favour of Republican Donald Trump, who eventually did beat Clinton on November 8. Putin is said never to have forgiven Clinton then secretary of state for publicly questioning the integrity of parliamentary elections in 2011 in Russia, and accused her of encouraging street protests.

The intelligence officials told NBC that Putin’s goals in the alleged hacking began as revenge against Clinton. But they transformed into a broader effort to show that the world of US politics was corrupt and to, in the words of one official, “split off key American allies by creating the image that other countries couldn’t depend on the US to be a credible global leader anymore.”

In preparation for possible retaliation, US intelligence agencies have intensified probing ·of Putin’s personal wealth, NBC said, citing US officials. Trump, who has spoken warmly of Putin, has dismissed as “ridiculous” the allegation that Russia was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and people close to Clinton. Leading US law makers have called for a formal congressional investigation into the hacking.

Suicide car bombing kills 13 soldiers in Turkey

Thirteen Turkish soldiers were killed and dozens more wounded on Dec 17 in a suicide car bombing targeting off-duty conscripts blamed on Kurdish militants, the latest in a string of attacks to rock Turkey in recent months.

The government said all signs so far suggested the the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was behind the bombing in the city of Kayseri, a usually calm industrial hub in Anatolia.

Forty-eight soldiers were wounded in the attack which struck when the soldiers were being take'” from their barracks by bus on a weekend shopping trip, the army said in a statement.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soy w said a total of 55 people were wounded, six seriously.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirir said that the attack was carried out by a “suicide bomber”, without giving further details. The army said that the bus carrying low-ranging privates and non-commissioned officers was attacked after leaving the commando head-quarters in the city.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the “acts of terror” Turkey were “aiming at all 79 million of our citizens together with our soldiers and police.”

Turkey has seen a spate of deadly bombings in a bloody 2016 blamed both on Jihadists and Kurdish militants that have left dozens dead and put the country or daily alert.

Bin Laden’s son denied entry to Egypt

Osama bin Laden’s son Omar was refused entry to Egypt on Dec 17, airport sources said, giving no reason why his name was on a list of people banned from the country.

Omar, 34, Osama bin Laden’s fourth-eldest son, was travelling with his British wife Zaina al Sabah from Doha, and they asked to be sent to Turkey, the sources said.

The couple, who lived in Egypt for several months in 2007 and 2008, were previously denied entry to the country in 2008. Omar bin Laden broke with his father in 2001 after living in Afghanistan for much of 1996 to 2001.

In an interview with Reuters in 2010, Omar said he was working with Saudi Arabia and Iran to end his separation from a group of brothers and sisters that dates back to the chaos in Afghanistan following the al- Qaeda attacks of Sept 11, 2001.

Canadian tourist among seven dead in Jordan attacks

Gunmen killed seven people including a Canadian tourist and police officers on Dec 18 in southern Jordan where security forces were hunting down the unidentified attackers. The shootings took place in Karak, a tourist destination known for one of the biggest Crusader castles in the region, around 120 kilo-metres south of the capital Amman.

Jordan’s general security department said four policemen, a female Canadian tourist and two Jordanian civilians were killed in a series of shootings. Several other people were reported wounded.

The first attack took place when a police patrol went to check on a fire that had broken out in a house in Karak, the department said. Shortly afterwards, gunmen opened fire on another patrol without causing any casualties. At the same time, gunmen holed up in the Crusader castle opened fire on the Karak police station, “wounding several policemen and passers-by” who were rushed to hospital, a statement added.

Jordan is a leading member of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in neighbouring Iraq and Syria. It has carried out air strikes targeting IS, and also hosts coalition troops on its territory.

Maaz al-Kassasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, was captured by the Jihadists when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014, and he was later burned alive in a cage. Karak is Kassasbeh’s home town.

In June, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed seven border guards near the Syrian frontier.

According to sources close to lslamists, almost 4,000 Jordanians have joined Jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, and an estimated 420 have been killed since 2011.

48 Yemeni soldiers killed in bombing

A suicide bomber from the Islamic State group killed at least 48 Yemeni soldiers in Aden on Dec 18, the latest in a string of deadly attacks against recruits in the country’s second city.

Military officials and medics said dozens more were wounded in the attack that targeted a crowd of servicemen who had gathered to collect their salaries near a base in northeastern Aden.

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who blended in among soldiers crowding outside the house of the head of special security forces in Aden, Colonel Nasser Sarea, in Al-Arish district, near Al-Sawlaban base.

The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing at Al Sawlaban claimed by IS killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.

Yemeni authorities have fought a months-long campaign against Jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.

IS and its Jihadist rival al Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemen’s Huthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two extremist groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemen’s second city and headquarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port city from the Huthis last year.

Russian ambassador shot dead in Turkey

The Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot in the back and killed as he gave a speech at an Ankara art gallery on Dec 19 by an off-duty police officer who shouted “Don’t forget Aleppo” and “Allahu Akbar” as he opened fire.

The Russian foreign ministry confirmed the death of envoy Andrei Karlov, calling it a “terrorist act”. Relations between Moscow and Ankara have long been strained over the conflict in Syria, with the two support opposing sides in the war.

Russia is an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its air strikes helped Syrian forces end rebel resistance last week in the northern city of Aleppo. Turkey, which seeks Assad’s ouster, has been repairing ties with Moscow after shooting down a Russian warplane over Syria last year.

The Ankara mayor said on Twitter the gunman was a 22-year old police officer. Two security sources told Reuters he was not on duty at the time. The attacker was smartly dressed in black suit and tie and stood, alone, behind the ambassador as he made a speech at the art exhibition, a person at the scene told Reuters.

A video showed the attacker shouting: “Don’t forget Aleppo, don’t forget Syria!” and “Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest) as screams rang out. He paced about and shouted as he held the gun in one hand and waved the other in the air.

“We regard this as a terrorist act,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. “Terrorism will not win and we will fight against it decisively.”

It was not clear whether the gun man was a lone operator, driven per haps by popular discontent over Russian action in Syria or affiliated to a group like Islamic State or Daesh, which has carried out a string of bomb attacks in Turkey in the last year.

57 journalists killed in 2916

At least 57 journalists have been killed around the world in 2016 while doing their job, Reporters without Borders said on Dec 19. The Press Freedom group said 19 were killed in Syria alone, followed by 10 in Afghanistan, nine in Mexico and five in Iraq.

Almost all of those killed were locally-based journalists.

Although it was fewer than the 67 killed in 2015, the group put the decrease down to’ “the fact that many journalists have fled countries that became too dangerous, especially Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan and Burundi”.

It said the withdrawal of reporters from these conflict-ridden countries had created “news and information black holes where impunity reigns”.

Nine bloggers and eight media workers have also been killed this year.

Reporters without Borders said the fall in deaths was also the result of the “terror” imposed by what it called “press freedom predators” who close media outlets arbitrarily and gag journalists.

In countries such as Mexico, this led to journalists self-censoring to avoid being murdered, the group said in its annual report.

In Afghanistan, all of the 10 journalists killed were deliberately targeted because of their profession.

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.

Special Emphasis on Terrorism (January-2017)

Suicide Bombings/Attacks

Targetted Killings

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