Terrorist Activities in Pakistan
Suicide Bombings
At least six persons – among them three Chinese engineers were injured in a suicide attack on a bus in the Dalbandin area of Chagai District in the morning of August 11, reports The Express Tribune. The bus carrying Chinese engineers was being escorted by Frontier Corps (FC) troops to the Dalbandin airport from Saindak copper and gold mines when the bomber tried to drive his explosives-laden vehicle in to the bus. “The explosives-laden vehicle exploded near the bus on Quetta-Taftan Highway and as a result three Chinese engineers, two FC soldiers and the bus driver were injured,” an unnamed Levies official said. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Bomb/IED attacks
At least one person was killed and nine others, including three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District in Balochistan on August 12, reports Dawn. Police said unidentified militants targeted a vehicle carrying FC personnel in the Mall Road area of Chaman. The suspects had reportedly planted IED in a motorcycle parked on the roadside.
A Frontier Corps (FC) personnel was killed and three others injured on August 23 after a landmine exploded in the Dand Killay area near the Afghanistan border under Datta Khel tehsil (revenue unit) area of North Waziristan District, reports Dawn. According to Government sources, the blast occurred when the four officers were on a routine patrol in the Dand Killay area. The martyred personnel was identified as Havildar Ahmed Khan; the injured were identified as Mudassir, Aleem and Akram.
Targetted Killings
Two tribal elders Malik Salam Khan and Malik Niaz Khan were shot dead in incident of target killing in Miramshah town of North Waziristan District on July 31, reports Dawn. Family sources said that Malik Salam Khan and Malik Niaz Khan were going from Tappi Village to Miramshah when their vehicle came under fire. Witnesses said that Malik Salam died on the spot while Malik Niaz was taken to the district headquarters hospital in Miramshah where he died during treatment.
Two Police constables were shot dead in Prowa tehsil(revue unit) of Dera Ismail Khan District on July 31, reports Dawn. Officials said that the constables, identified as Ghulam Abbas and Muhammad Bashir, were riding a motorcycle in an area in the jurisdiction of Prowa Police Station when unidentified assailants open fire on them. They both received bullet injuries and died on the spot.
Unidentified assailants shot dead three Policemen at Kargah check post in Gilgit town of Gilgit-Baltistan in the night of August 10, reports The News. Two assailants were also killed when Policemen returned fire.
Two activists belonging to the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) were killed, while another was injured in a targeted attack on August 24 in UP Mor in New Karachi area of Karachi, the provincial town of Sindh, reports The News. According to New Karachi Division Superintendent of Police (SP) Shabbir Ahmed Baloch, the incident took place near UP Mor and Police rushed to the crime scene with a team where they found three critically injured people. They were identified as 40-year-old Mohammad Arshad, 38-year-old Mohammad Saleem and Azam Shabbir. With the help of rescue teams, the injured men were moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where Arshad and Saleem succumbed to their wounds, while Shabbir was said to be in critical condition. Upon investigation, it was learnt that the deceased and injured were residents of Khwaja Ajmer Nagri area and worked as Qaris (religious teachers). They were returning from the mosque in the evening when two armed men wearing helmets on a motorcycle opened fire at them.
Miscellaneous
Senior politician and Awami National Party (ANP) general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain once again received a ‘suicide attack’ threat and he says this time it is ‘serious’, Dawn reported on August 1. He has received the warning about attempt on his life at a time when he himself and his party leaders and workers have announced to take to streets to protest alleged rigging in the elections and demand fair re-elections. “I am concerned as this time there was no mention of my name in any recent Nacta briefings, just like late Haroon Bilour, yet I have received this serious threat alert from all the civil and military authorities concerned. This is what worries me,” Mr. Hussain told Dawn.
Two militants were killed during a clash with Security Forces (SFs) in the Tump area of Kech District in Balochistan on August 8, reports Dawn. The clash took place in Shabap mountain range when militants opened fire on SF personnel. Bodies of both militants were identified as Waleed s/o Muhammad Musa of Phalabad and Naqibullah s/o Rasool Bakhsh of Kohar area.
Meanwhile, police found the body of a man in a house in Absar area of Turbat town in Kech District on August 8, reports Dawn. The body was identified as of Akhtar Hameed.
Terrorists, involved in attack on former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Akram Khan Durrani on July 13, were arrested by Special Police of Bannu District on August 9, reports The Nation. As per details, the alleged terrorists identified as Siddique Ullah and Qadar Ayaz were arrested on a tip-off. Both the alleged terrorists belong to the Akhtar Group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Police revealed that Siddique Ullah came from Afghanistan whereas his facilitator Qadar Ayaz hails from Pakistan. The terrorists also confessed to carrying out a terrorist attack on another person name Shireen. On July 13, at least four people were killed and 35 others injured when a bomb targeted the convoy of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) candidate and former KP CM Akram Khan Durrani in Bannu.
Army troops, along with the officials of local law enforcement agencies, were deployed in Ghizar valley of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) after some militants attacked and torched Police check post in Saingal village on August 19, reports Daily Times. According to sources, the militants torched a seasonal check post and Police camps in Saingal village. Following an exchange of fire with the security officials, the militants managed to escape the venue.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) of Karachi on August 21 sentenced a convict, Ismail Khan, to 10 years in jail for collecting funds for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and their wings fighting security agencies in Mohmand District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reports Dawn. The ATC-X judge, who conducted trial in judicial complex inside the Central Jail Karachi, pronounced his verdict after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides. The judge observed that the prosecution proved its charges against the detained accused beyond a shadow of a doubt and convicted him under Section 11-F(6) and 11-W(2) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The judge awarded him a sentence of five-years rigorous imprisonment in each section with a fine of PKR 100,000. On default, Khan was ordered to undergo additional six-month rigorous imprisonment. Both sentences will run concurrently.
PAKISTAN
Banned outfits adopt new methods to stay under the radar, says CTD
Activists of banned outfits have adopted new methods of reconnaissance, transportation of arms and explosives, and carrying out terror acts, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Junaid Ahmed Shaikh said on July 26, reports Dawn. “The militants now work as drivers, cleaners, guards, cobblers and even garbage collectors in order to conduct reconnaissance and transport arms and explosives,” said SSP Junaid Ahmed Shaikh. The militants have adopted these professions in order to avoid suspicion of area people or law enforcers, added the officer. The CTD has written a letter to Police Stations in the metropolis to keep a vigilant eye on drivers and cleaners of trucks and dumpers, security guards, cobblers and garbage collectors. This emerged during interrogation of three held suspects belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Mohammed Ilyas, Asmatullah and Noor Wali whose arrests were shown by the CTD on July 24.
Religious parties clinch over 9% share of votes in National Assembly
Despite the participation of 12 religious parties in the electoral battle this year, the far-right groups managed to secure only 5,203,285 (9.58 per cent) of the total 54,319,922 votes polled across the country as most of them saw a decline in their vote bank when compared to the 2013 general election, Dawn reported on August 1.The highest votes in favour of religious parties were cast in Punjab (2,704,856 votes) but that contributed to only 7.98pc of the province’s overall vote bank the lowest among all provinces as per the preliminary results released by the Election Commission of Pakistan. As compared to Punjab, their performance was better in Sindh where the religious parties received 1,116,644 votes (10.57pc of the total votes polled). However, religiously-motivated groups dominated the electoral space in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where nine parties collectively secured 18.84pc of the votes polled, followed by Balochistan (16.78pc).
US designates LeT ‘commander’ Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil global terrorist
The United States (US) on August 1 designated a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil a specially designated global terrorist and sanctioned two others as fund collectors for the outfit, reports Dawn. The commander Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil is accused of carrying out attacks in India between 1997 and 2001.The fund-raisers were identified as Hameed-ul-Hassan and Abdul Jabbar, who allegedly worked for Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), which the US regards as a front for the LeT. Separate announcements by the US state and treasury departments claimed that all three were Pakistani nationals. “Today’s designations seek to deny Dakhil the resources to plan and carry out terrorist attacks,” the State Department said. “These Lashkar-e-Taiba financial facilitators are responsible for collecting, transporting and distributing funds to support this terrorist group and provide salaries to extremists,” said Sigal Mandelker, US treasury under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
12 schools burnt down overnight in Gilgit-Baltistan
At least 12 schools were burnt down in night of August 2 in different places of Diamer District in Gilgit-Baltistan, reports Dawn. Diamer Superintendent of Police (SP) Roy Ajmal said that Police had so far received information that 12 schools at least half of which are girls-only schools had been burnt down overnight. He said that in some cases, books had also been thrown outside the schools and set on fire.
On Aug 5 the prime suspect believed responsible for the torching of girls’ schools over a period of two days in Diamer District of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) was killed during a search operation in the Tanger area, reports Dawn. Diamer Police Spokesperson Muhammad Wakeel said Shafiq who has no known association with any organised militant or terrorist outfits, but is referred to as a “militant” and “militant commander” by Police officials was one of the suspects behind the brazen arson attacks targeting girls’ schools in the Chilas, Darel and Tanger tehsils (revenue unit) of Diamer District. Police began conducted raids in various parts of Diamer in the night of August 4 to track down those responsible for the arson attacks. A Police constable, Arif Hussain, was killed and another wounded in a gun battle with armed suspects. 30 people had been arrested during search operations so far.
On Aug 15 local elders in Diamer District of Gilgit-Baltistan handed over to Security Forces (SFs) 15 suspects who allegedly facilitated those involved in the torching of schools in different areas of Diamer, reports Dawn. Diamer Superintendent Police (SP) Muhammad Ajmal said the suspects were wanted for their involvement in terrorist activities, including the burning of schools, and had facilitated other incidents. The suspects had surrendered themselves to the elders and Police during a joint search operation in the mountains of Diamer, the SP Muhammad Ajmal added. He added that the search operation would remain ongoing until more suspects were arrested.
Sindh CTD arrested two accomplices of July 13-Mastung suicide bomber
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on August 10 claimed to have arrested the father and brother of July 13-Mastung suicide bomber and on their pointation two more suspects, stated to be aides of the bomber, were also arrested from Banaras area of SITE Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, reports Dawn. After the deadly suicide bombing at an election rally in Mastung, Balochistan, on July 13 in which over 150 people including election candidate Siraj Raisani were killed, both the suspects went in hiding. Muhammad Nawaz is the father of bomber Hafeez Nawaz, while Haq Nawaz is his brother. During the initial probe, Muhammad Nawaz told police that his three sons including the bomber, his wife and four daughters had moved to Afghanistan on May 29. He told the police that initially his ‘bomber’ son was associated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s Fazlullah group, but later on he joined ‘Daud Mehsud group.’ On pointation of the arrested father and son of the bomber, the police conducted raids in Manghopir area and Old Subzi Mandi and arrested two suspects, Sheeraz alias Saifullah and Wali Ahmed alias Abu Ubaid. “They are accomplices of the suicide bomber,” claimed the CTD official. They belonged to Jaishul Adl outfit based in Afghanistan.
106 terror financing cases filed in Punjab since 2015
The Punjab Police have registered 106 cases of terror financing involving proscribed organisations since 2015, and arrested 144 suspects, 42 of whom were convicted by courts, Dawn reported on August 13. This has been stated in a report which is part of similar narrations three other provinces have prepared for a briefing the Pakistani authorities are scheduled to give to a delegation of the UN Security Council’s Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on August 15 on steps taken to curtail financial and other activities of the organisations proscribed by the world body, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). The report from Punjab was sent to Islamabad on August 12. Since 2015, officials said, 26 accused were convicted of receiving or donating funds and handed more than five years of imprisonment. Figure is part of a report to be discussed with FATF delegation.
Pakistan asked to make terror financing, money laundering extraditable offences
The Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering on August 15 urged Pakistan to enact appropriate laws, enabling local officials to act upon requests of foreign countries to freeze illegal assets and making terrorism financing and money laundering extraditable offences, reports The Express Tribune. Pointing out deficiencies in Pakistan’s legal framework, the visiting APG team pointed out that this could hamper Pakistan’s effective response on requests of mutual legal assistance by foreign countries in money laundering cases, officials said. Stressing the need for strengthening domestic legal framework by October, members of the APG team an on-site inspection would be carried out by the regional body after this period. It also urged the authorities concerned to give predicate offence monitoring powers to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The group’s other areas of concerns were activities by non-profit organizations, narcotics trafficking and proceeds of crimes. The APG team is visiting Islamabad to assess legal and administrative arrangements for implementing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations for curbing money laundering and terrorism financing. The team comprises officials from the United States, Turkey, China and the United Kingdom.
Pakistan does not support any terror activity inside Afghanistan, says COA General Qamar Javed Bajwa
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on August 17 categorically said that there is not support to any terrorist activity inside Afghanistan from Pakistan side, reports Daily Times. “The alleged return of injured/ dead terrorists from Ghazni is incorrect,” said a statement issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor. The statement came after Afghan President alleged that hospitals in Pakistan were receiving and treating Taliban insurgents, who had been injured in the recent fighting with Afghan forces in the south-eastern Ghazni city.
“There are scores of Pakistanis working in Afghanistan in connection with various businesses who periodically fall victim to terrorism acts alongside their Afghan brothers inside Afghanistan. Moreover, different factions of TTP, hiding in many sanctuaries inside Afghanistan under Afghan identities, on becoming injured or dead are transported into Pakistan for medical help, the statement said, adding: “Terming such victims terrorists is unfortunate.” Reiterating his commitment to facilitate peace in Afghanistan, the army chief said that Kabul government needed to look inward as problem resides in Afghanistan. “The solution thus remains on making substantive progress on Afghan reconciliation efforts as well as on speedy implementation of Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Stability (APAPPS),” the statement quoted the COAS as saying. “Pakistan continues to support all initiatives aimed at bringing peace in Afghanistan as there cannot be enduring peace in Pakistan and stability in the region if there is no peace in Afghanistan,” the statement concluded.
REGIONAL
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
BNP-JeI clique will destroy country if they return to power, says Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 27 said the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) clique will destroy the country with their unbridled looting and corruption if they return to power, reports The Daily Star. She said “They won’t be able to give anything to people; they’ll just engage themselves in looting and corruption. This has been proven.”
Meanwhile, officials of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit said that Ansar al-Islam operatives are now secretly training with the separatist Kuki rebels in India, reports Dhaka Tribune on July 28. They gleaned this information from Ansar al-Islam operative Sheikh Abdullah alias Zubayer alias Zayed alias Babed alias Abu Omair, during interrogation. Zubayer was arrested by the CTTC in Chittagong on July 17 as the prime suspect in the 2016 murder of LGBT activists Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, who confessed to being involved in the double murder. CTTC investigators say Zubayer liaised between the Kuki rebels in India and the Ansar al-Islam in Bangladesh on behalf of the militant group’s top leader, sacked armed forces Major Ziaul Haque.
Three JMB militants arrested in Chapapainawabganj District
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested three militants of Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from Gheon village in Chapapainawabganj District of Rajshahi Division on July 28, reports Daily Star. The arrestees are Nazrul Islam (50), Abu Bakkar (38) and Selim Reza (25).
Two militants arrested from Dhaka city
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two militants from Dhaka city on July 28, reports Dhaka Tribune. RAB arrested Sheikh Farid in a raid in the Mugda area. Farid is accused in a case filed with Narayanganj’s Rupganj police station and worked for Ansar al-Islam. RAB arrested Dr. Richard Palash Bishwas in another raid in Tejgaon area. Richard is a militant of Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Many militants visited Richard’s office and discussed their militant activities.
Six JMB militants arrested from different places
Patgram municipality town of Lalmonirhat District in Rangpur Division on August 3, reports New Age. The arrested are JMB’s Lalmonirhat District ameer (chief) Fazle Rabbi alias Robbu (25), its Gayere Ehsar members Shahin Islam (35) and Hasan Masud (27). RAB recovered two foreign-origin pistols with two magazines and five rounds of bullets, a locally-made shooter gun with a live bullet, Jihadi books and leaflets, electronic devices used for extremist activities.
Meanwhile, Police on August 3 arrested three JMB militants with equipment for making arms and bombs in the Rajibpur of Kurigram District in Rangpur Division, reports Dhaka Tribune. The arrested are Tofazzal Hossain alias Tota Mia (30), Rafiq-ul Islam (40) and Abdul Hamid (50). During the raid, a Chinese pistol, two magazines and acid were recovered from them.
US Ambassador’s car attacked in Dhaka city
An official vehicle from the US Embassy in Dhaka city carrying the Ambassador Marcia Bernicat was attacked by a group of armed men, some on motorcycles, in the Mohammadpur area of Dhaka city on August 4, reports Dhaka Tribune. The incident occurred around 11pm on August 4 as the vehicle left the residence of Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, secretary of civil society advocacy group Shujan. The Ambassador and her security team were able to depart the area unharmed. There were no injuries to the ambassador, her drivers, or security staff; however, two security vehicles sustained some damage.
Militant groups are trying to regroup with aim to create anarchy ahead of national elections, alert Intelligence agencies
Intelligence agencies alerted the Home Ministry that militant groups are trying to regroup with the aim to create anarchy ahead of the national elections, reports The Daily Star on August 8. On receipt of a confidential report from the Home Ministry, the Police headquarters has already stepped up monitoring and taken preventive steps to thwart the “regrouping” attempt by radical groups. “The militants are planning to kill popular, progressive and secular Awami League leaders, progressive writers, thinkers and bloggers, foreigners working in development projects and minorities,” states the Home Ministry letter. “There is threat, but we are aware of it and working on it in full swing. So, their activities have been minimized,” Additional Deputy Inspector General (Intelligence & Special Affairs) Mohammad Moniruzzaman told.
Four JMB suspects arrested in Lalmonirhat District
Four suspected members of banned militant outfit Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from Muktijoddha Complex in Lalmonirhat District of Rangpur Division on August 8, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are Apel Hossain (31), Sadique Hossain (26), Mokhlesar Rahman (40) and Jahid Hasan (27).
Four JMB militants arrested in Dhaka city
A team of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit conducted a raid in Dhaka city’s Abdullahpur area and arrested four militants of banned militant outfit Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) on August 12, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are Mohibul Islam (22), Mozzamel Huq (34), Shamim Ahmed (27) and Delwar Hossain (37). Two machetes, 96 detonators, 10 batteries and bomb-making equipment were seized from their possession.
JMB raising funds through robbery, say CTTC officials
Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) officials said that Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) which remained below law enforcers’ radar for many years, has lately been gathering strength through collecting funds mainly by robbery, reports The Daily Star on August 17. JMB militants in jail are also convincing other inmates, who were jailed for robbery and other similar crimes, to share with JMB a portion of their loot, the officers said. A high official of CTTC said “To gain sympathy of robbers, the militants are also spending a good amount of money on helping the robbers to continue their legal battle to get out of jail on bail. There is information that the JMB has managed to send around Tk 17 lakh to some of its leaders in prison, the officer said wishing anonymity. The JMB inspired robbers’ loot is usually split three ways: their personal expense, JMB funds, money for smuggling into jails. They also help the family members of jailed operatives.”
India – Internal Dynamics
Maoists attempting to regroup in Bengal, says Central Intelligence Agencies
The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) are attempting to regroup in Jangal mahal region of West Bengal, after about six years, since the death of Maoist leader Mallojula Koteswara Rao aka Kishenji, say officers in central intelligence agencies, reports Zee News on July 29.The officers said that activities of the armed squad led by ‘state secretary’ Akash have recently increased in the villages along Bengal-Jharkhand border in the Districts of Jhargram and Purulia in West Bengal. This squad, which comprises between 12 and 15 cadres, was based in the forests of Jharkhand over the past five years but was spotted along the Bengal-bordering villages of Jharkhand several times over the past couple of months. R R Bhatnagar, the Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), recently confirmed this news during his visit to Kolkata to attend a meeting with the Additional Director Generals (ADGs), Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs) and Inspector Generals(IGs) of the State that falls within the central zone. “Yes, there are reports of Maoists regrouping in Jhargram, which still falls under the worse affected districts,” Bhatnagar said when asked by media reporters on the preparedness to take on the Maoists head-on in Jhargram.
Only 15% of rifles stolen by Maoists found, says Chhattisgarh Police
The Chhattisgarh Police claimed to have killed 247 cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist in last two years but has been able to recover only 15% of the total high-grade automatic assault rifles by rebels since 2001, reports Hindustan Times. State Police record data shows Maoists have looted 750 high grade weapons in Bastar region, which include 550 automatic assault rifles and 190 Self-Loading Rifles(SLRs) from personnel since 2001. The Police, however, claimed that in last three years the recovery rate of graded weapons has improved by engaging Maoists in their core areas. In July, eight Maoists, including six women, were killed in an encounter in Dantewada, in which two INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) assault rifles were recovered. “Earlier, security forces used to engage with lower ranked Maoists and were able to recover 302 bore or 303 bore rifles,” Special Director General (anti-Naxal operations) DM Awasthi said. “Now forces are entering in core Maoist areas and hence the recovery of automatic assault rifles has increased. ”Data show that of the 14 grenade launchers looted by the Maoists, not one has been recovered. Some of the launchers have been used by a Maoist battalion headed by Mandvi Hidma to attack forces in the recent past, admitted an unnamed Police officer. Of the automatic assault rifles taken by rebels, only 100 have been seized.
JCILPS students wing to check entry of ‘outsiders’ into Manipur
The student wing of the Joint Committee on Inner-line Permit System (JCILPS) on August 3 stated that it will start checking the entry of outsiders into Manipur on Saturday following the publication of the complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, reports The Telegraph. Manjit Sarangthem, convener of the students’ wing, said the publication of the complete draft NRC in Assam on Monday has created fear that the four million people excluded from NRC might attempt to enter the neighbouring states. He also added that ‘In order to prevent illegal migrants from entering Manipur, we will start checking along National Highways 2 and 37’. He also added that ‘We will coordinate with other student groups. A joint task force of 20 members will operate check posts on the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Jiribam highways,” he said. “We will carry out screening and verification for 15 days. We believe the Manipur government will play an active role in this regard’.
Eight Chhattisgarh Districts among 30 in country most LWE affected, says Union Home Ministry
Eight Districts of Chhattisgarh are among 30 in seven States which are most affected by Left Wing Extremist (LWE) violence, the Union Home Ministry (UHM) informed on august 1, reports The Pioneer. These 30 Districts contributed 88 per cent of violent incidents and 94 per cent of deaths in 2017, it informed. The eight most affected Districts in Chhattisgarh are Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon and Sukma, the UHM informed. Resolute implementation of the National Policy and Action Plan (NPAP) by the Central and State Governments has resulted in considerable improvement of the situation both in terms of reduction of violence and the geographical spread. The number of violent incidents has come down to 908 in 2017 from a high of 2258 in 2009. The geographical spread of violence has also shrunk considerably, it informed.
AQIS is ‘ideologically inclined’ to carry out attacks in India, reveals UN report
The Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), is ‘ideologically inclined’ to carry out attacks inside India but its capability is believed to be low and is relatively isolated owing to increased security measures in the region, according to a United Nations (UN) report, reports First post on August 14. The 22nd report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team was submitted to the UN Security Council Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee. The report said that AQIS is “relatively isolated owing to increased security measures within the wider region, but the group continues to seek security gaps for opportunistic attacks.” The group is “ideologically inclined to carry out attacks inside India but its capability is believed to be low,” it said, adding that according to member states, the strength of AQIS in Afghanistan is estimated at several hundred people, located in Laghman, Paktika, Kandahar, Ghazni and Zabul Provinces.
Noting that Al-Qaeda still maintains a presence in South Asia, the report said the terror group adapts to the local environment, trying to embed itself into local struggles and communities and is closely allied with the Taliban. According to one member state, although the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as Islamic State, poses an immediate threat, Al-Qaeda is the “intellectually stronger group” and remains a longer-term threat. The report added that some members of the Al-Qaeda core, including Aiman al-Zawahiri and son of slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Hamza bin Laden are reported to be in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border areas. Other members of the Al-Qaeda core may leave for more secure areas, it said.
Two ITBP personnel injured in IED blast in Chhattisgarh
Two personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were injured when a pressure bomb laid by Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres exploded near Mistri village in Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh on August 15, reports The Times of India. The incident took place near Mistri village when a team of the ITBP was out on a search operation in view of the Independence Day celebrations, Police said. Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police (SP), Kamlochan Kashyap said while the patrolling team was cordoning off a forest near the village, located around 150 kilometers from State capital, Raipur, a jawan (trooper) came in contact with a pressure Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Maoists. The IED exploded, causing splinter injuries to two constables of the ITBP’s 44th battalion.
Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are top-most States in FICN recovery, says report
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)’s data presented by the Minister of State for Home Affairs (MoSHA) Hansraj Gangaram Ahir in the Parliament that post-demonetisation i.e. November 9, 2016 to June 30, 2018, around 43 percent of the Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) have been recovered from Gujarat, followed by the Uttar Pradesh (15.8 percent), and West Bengal (14.4 percent), reports The Times of India on August 23. The FICNs worth INR 7.3 Crore were recovered four States sharing a border with Pakistan — Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, whereas the FICNs recovered from the States bordering Bangladesh counts to INR 3.9 Crore and from the States bordering Nepal counts to INR 2.54 Crore. Till August 7, 2018, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was assigned with 31 FICN cases. The judgement has been pronounced in four of the 31 FICN cases and, in three of these, direct Pakistani links have been confirmed; the fourth has thrown up a Bangladeshi link,” highlighted in the research conducted by the South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) of the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP).
Huge explosives haul for Maoists recovered in Jharkhand
A huge cache of explosive materials, including gelatine sticks, ammonium nitrate and detonators, suspected to be meant for Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres was recovered by Police at Shahpur village under Hiranpur area in Pakur District of Jharkhand on August 20, reports Hindustan Times. “Based on a tipoff, our team conducted a raid at around 5.30 am. Around 10,000 detonators along with 10,000 gelatin sticks and 65 bags of ammonium nitrate were found in a hut. The hut belongs to Bhagat Murmu, whose credentials are being probed,” said Shailendra Prasad Barnwal, Superintendent of Police (SP), Pakur.
Insurgency related civilian fatalities highest in Manipur, states Parliamentary standing committee report
According to Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs number of civilian casualties in insurgency-related violence is highest in Manipur, reports The Sentinel on August 20. The Committee observes that despite a decline in the number of incidents, the violent incidents in Manipur accounted for 54 percent of the total number of violent incidents in the entire Northeast during 2017. Moreover, the number of civilian casualties more than doubled during 2017 as compared to the casualties during 2016.
The Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Committee that Manipur accounted for about 48 percent of total violent incidents during 2016, and around 54 percent of incidents during 2017, in the North East. The number of incidents marginally increased from 229 in 2015 to 233 in 2016, this number declined by 28 percent to 167 in 2017. The number of security forces personnel killed came down from 24 in 2015 to 11 in 2016 and 8 in 2017. However, the casualties of civilians increased substantially from 11 in 2016 to 23 in 2017. Within the state of Manipur, Meitei insurgency accounted for about 62 percent of the insurgency incidents in the state.
Monthly Fatalities
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism
occurred during the period July 26, 2018 to Aug 25, 2018:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Manipur | 02 | 00 | 00 | 02 |
| Left wing | 19 | 00 | 08 | 27 |
| Total | 21 | 00 | 08 | 29 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Four UN Special Rapporteurs question several provisions of NIP
Four United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteurs David Kaye, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, Michel Forst and Ahmed Shaheed on July 11 questioned several provisions of the National Integrity Policy (NIP) that the Government is preparing to introduce, reports Kathmandu Post. They have questioned several provisions of the policy, putting them into three major categories: definition and reporting requirements; restriction of scope of activities; and access to funding. The six-page document forwarded to Nepal’s permanent mission in Geneva states that if the policy is adopted in its current form, it may have negative impacts on the activities of organizations and civil society in general as it would severely impinge on the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association guaranteed under international human rights laws.
Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in a statement released on July 25 said the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons and Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act amendment bill doesn’t fully adhere to global practices, reports Kathmandu Post. “Establishing separate units with dedicated responsibility in the areas of truth-seeking, inquiry, reparations, investigations of gross violations of human rights, preparation of the final report, and others as required would useful tool to strengthen the capacity of the commissions to deliver results in the different areas of the mandate,” the statement said.
IED blast in Morang District
An improvised explosive device (IED) went off at the office of Biratnagar Metropolitan Cityin Morang District of Province No. 1 on August 12, reports The Himalayan Times. No human casualty, however, was reported in the incident. The explosion damaged windowpanes of the office and the vehicle used by Mayor Bhim Parajuli. Police have arrested eight persons suspecting their involvement in the incident. Netra Bikram Chand-led party’s cadres are among the arrested. Earlier, Chand-led Maoist party had sent a letter seeking donation to the metropolis.
Meanwhile, embers of Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) Presidium on August 12 met Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and urged him to address their issues including their demands to amend the constitution, reports The Himalayan Times. RJP-N leader Rajendra Mahato said they also told the Prime Minister to withdraw false charges slapped against the leaders and cadres of the party.
IED goes off targeting ward office in Jhapa District
An improvised explosive device (IED) went off at the ward office of Gauradaha Municipality-7 in Jhapa District of Province No. 1 on August 14, reports The Himalayan Times. According to ward chair Balaram Kharel, window panes were destroyed in the blast targeting the office. The blast also damaged the office boundary wall. It may be noted that two cadres of Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) led by Netra Bikram Chand were arrested by the Police from Damak as they were distributing party pamphlets to public. The arrested were Asal Limbu, 25, and Raju Das, 26, Superintendent of Police Bheem Prasad Dhakal said.
Conflict victims demand Government to revise new criminal code
Victims of the decade-long armed conflict have demanded that the Government revise the new criminal code that came into effect on August 17, claiming that it has failed to address the Supreme Court (SC) verdict in relation to enforced disappearance and was not in line with international standards, reports The Himalayan Times on August 21. The SC had on June 1, 2007, issued a verdict stating that enforced disappearance was a continuous crime and crime against humanity and that the government should enact laws criminalising enforced disappearances as per international standards. Ram Kumar Bhandari, founder and director of the National Network of Families of the Disappeared and Missing, said “The code was not applicable with retrospective effect and did not encompass war-era disappearances. This has made our case weaker. It also does not include norms of international enforced disappearance laws.” The victims also demanded that the two transitional justice bodies the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) be reconstituted, as they had failed to fully investigate a single complaint even after three-and-a-half years of their formation. The TRC has so far conducted preliminary investigation into 2,765 complaints out of more than 60,000, while the CIEDP has completed ‘first phase of detailed investigation’ into around 1,100 cases out of over 3,000 complaints.
Former Maoist child combatant Lenin Bista barred from flying to Bangkok
Lenin Bista, a former Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) child combatant, was stopped by immigration officers from flying to Bangkok on August 24 ‘for not seeking permission from any government agency for his travel’, reports The Himalayan Times. Bista, whose trip and accommodation were sponsored by Bangkok-based Asian Resource Centre, was going to participate in a seminar titled ‘Youth in conflict areas: Healing in peace building through social engagement’. Bista, a resident of Kavrepalanchowk District was recruited as a child soldier by the rebels during the conflict and served the Maoist party for seven years before the party signed a peace deal with the government in 2006. He was among 2,973 child combatants declared unfit for integration by the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN).
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
LTTE ideology is still a threat, says Former Inspector-General of Malaysian Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan
Former Inspector-General of Malaysian Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan in an exclusive interview with Bernama News in Kuala Lumpur said Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)ideology is still a threat, reports Daily Mirror on July 31. The LTTE in Sri Lanka may have been defeated, but its ideology and sympathizers still exist around the world posing a threat, Hassan has said. Musa said the threat of the LTTE should not be taken lightly as the United States and the United Nations listed them as a terrorist group and it was also banned in Malaysia and 32 other countries.
Ex-LTTE cadre arrested in Germany
German authorities on August 1 arrested a Sri Lankan man suspected of involvement in killing captured Government soldiers as a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group a decade ago, reports Daily Mirror. Federal prosecutors said a judge ordered the 36-year-old, identified as Sivatheeban B. because of German privacy rules, detained pending a potential indictment. He was arrested in the Duesseldorf area, suspected of committing war crimes and membership in a foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors say he belonged to the LTTE from 2006-2009. They allege that, in 2008, he tied up 16 soldiers and guarded them as they were driven to a site where they were shot.
JO charges Government of tapping phones
The Joint Opposition (JO) on August 8 charged that the desperate Government is tapping phones, reports Daily Mirror. In a last minute attempt of survival, the Government had started listening in to phone conversations of, not only its political opponents but also Ministers, who were criticizing the Government, the JO charged. JO National Organiser Dullas Alahapperuma said “A special Police Unit headed by a DIG had been established by the Government to tap into people’s phone conversations and latest hi-tech equipment had been brought down from Japan for the purpose. The Unit is based in Nugegoda and it has been directed to tap into phone conversations of JO MPs, Heads of Media institutions and even some Police personnel.” He further said “In our Parliament, the Opposition Leader post has been given to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a party which has only seven per cent of seats in Parliament. The JO has more than 30 per cent of seats, but still the Speaker hasn’t given us the post of Opposition Leader.”
Sri Lanka arrests intel officer over killings
Sri Lankan police on Tuesday, Aug 14 arrested a navy intelligence officer in connection with atrocities committed during the island’s bloody civil war, including the assassination of a prominent Tamil politician.
Lieutenant commander Sampath Hettiarachchi was wanted in connection with the abduction and illegal detention of 11 young men between 2008 and 2009, police said, the final phase of the war between government forces and ethnic Tamil separatists. The 11 men are believed to have been killed while being illegally held by the navy. Their bodies were never found. The then-navy spokesman D.K.P. Dissanayake is also a suspect in the case. He was arrested last year and is currently on bail.
There have been persistent allegations that senior military personnel and members of the former regime of strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse were responsible for a number of high-profile killings.
Several military intelligence officers are facing prosecution in connection with the assassination of a prominent anti-establishment newspaper editor, and for orchestrating attacks on other journalists and dissidents during Rajapakse’s rule that ended in January 2015.
The former leader and several members of his family are also being probed for large-scale financial fraud and murder during his decade as president. Rajapakse successfully crushed the separatist rebels, known as the Tamil Tigers, but the government offensive also sparked allegations of widespread abuses, including the killing of 40,000 minority Tamils by the ethnic Sinhalese-dominated armed forces.
Missing persons during war since 1983 could be about 20,000, says OMP
Office of Missing Persons (OMP) on August 23 said that they were yet to finalise a list of missing persons during the war in Sri Lanka since 1983 but it could be about 20,000, reports Daily Mirror. OMP Chairman Saliya Pieris PC said they had several reports compiled by the commissions and institutions on the number of missing persons in the country. “We have data of previous reports released on missing persons. The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) says it is about 16,000 people including 5,100 military and police personnel. The Paranagama Commission says 21,000 people have gone missing while the government had received 13,000 complaints through Grama Niladharis on missing persons. These numbers may overlap. The interim report will be released on August 30, the International Day of the Disappeared, and will be handed over to the President and the Prime Minister,” he said.
INTERNATIONAL
Egyptian court sentences 75 to death over 2013 sit-in case
An Egyptian court on Saturday, July 28 sentenced 75 people to death for participating in a 2013 protest against the overthrow of the country’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Mursi.
They are among more than 700 people accused or convicted of illegal protest or murder over a 2013 sit-in that ended in the deaths of hundreds of Brotherhood supporters and dozens of police when security forces broke it up violently.
Those convicted face potential sentences ranging up to life in prison and execution.
Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took power in 2014, authorities have justified a crackdown on dissent and freedoms as being directed at terrorists and saboteurs trying to undermine the state.
Death sentences have been handed down to hundreds of his political opponents on charges such as belonging to an illegal organisation or planning to carry out an attack. The dispersal of the sit-in at Rabaa Adawiya square in August 2013 came weeks after Sisi, as military chief, ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi after protests against Brotherhood rule.
Rights groups have criticised the trial of so many people in the same case, saying they include journalists and many peaceful protesters.
Egyptian law requires any capital sentence to be referred to Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam, Egypt’s highest Islamic legal official, for an opinion before executions can take place.
The 75 cases referred to the Mufti include those of senior Brotherhood leaders Essam al-Erian and Mohamed Beltagi and prominent Islamist preachers Safwat Higazi and Wagdi Ghoneim, judicial sources said.
Forty-four of the accused are in prison awaiting their sentence, and 31 have been tried in absentia. The Mufti’s decision is not legally binding, but is rarely ignored by the courts.
Trump seeks to revive ‘Arab Nato’ to confront Iran
The Trump administration is quietly pushing ahead with a bid to create a new security and political alliance with six Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Jordan, in part to counter Iran’s expansion in the region, according to US and Arab officials.
The White House wants to see deeper cooperation between the countries on missile defense, military training, counter-terrorism and other issues such as strengthening regional economic and diplomatic ties, four sources said. The plan to forge what officials in the White House and Middle East have called an “Arab Nato” of Muslim allies will likely raise tensions between the United States and Iran, two countries increasingly at odds since President Donald Trump took office. The administration’s hope is that the effort, tentatively known as the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), might be discussed at a summit provisionally scheduled for Washington on Oct 12-13, several sources said.
The White House confirmed it was working on the concept of the alliance with “our regional partners now and have been for several months”.
Saudi officials raised the idea of a security pact ahead of a Trump visit last year to Saudi Arabia where he announced a massive arms deal, but the alliance proposal did not get off the ground, a US source said.
Sources from some of the Arab countries involved also said they were aware of renewed efforts to activate the plan. Officials from other potential participants did not respond to requests for comment.
The spokesperson declined to confirm that Trump would host a summit on those dates and sources cautioned that it remains uncertain whether the security plan will be finalised by mid-October.
Washington, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi accuse Iran of destabilising the region, fomenting unrest in some Arab countries through proxy groups and increasingly threatening Israel.
The alliance would put emphasis on Gulf heavyweights Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates working closer together with the Trump administration on confronting Iran.
Boko Haram kills 11 troops in NE Nigeria
Boko Haram fighters killed 11 troops and seized weapons in a raid on a military post in the latest such attack in northeast Nigeria, residents and a military source said on Sunday, July 29.
Gunmen in five trucks and on motorcycles stormed the checkpoint in Bunari village near the garrison town of Monguno in Borno state late on Friday, leading to a fierce battle. “They came around 6:30 pm (1930 GMT) and attacked the military checkpoint and soldiers responded with fire,” resident Amadu Sheriff told AFP.
“The attackers overpowered the soldiers who took up positions in the trenches dug round the checkpoint from where they fought the Boko Haram gunmen,” he said. Three civilians, including a woman and her child, from a nearby settlement, were killed by stray bullets, he said.
He said residents of the nearby settlement evacuated on Saturday and moved to Monguno for fear of renewed attacks. Sheriff had no idea of military casualties but saw “two ambulances carrying dead soldiers” being taken to Monguno, eight kilometres away.
A military source who confirmed the attack said 11 troops were killed. “Four (military) vehicles including an APC (armoured personnel carrier) and a gun truck were carted away by the terrorists,” said the military source who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak on the incident.
The attackers were repelled with the help of reinforcements from Monguno, he added. News of the attack was slow to emerge due to poor communication in the area where Boko Haram has destroyed telecoms infrastructure in the last three years.
Man jailed in Australia over terror plot
A man was jailed for 17 years on Tuesday, July 31 for plotting a terrorist attack in Australia after being prevented from travelling to Syria, with the judge saying he continued to hold extremist views. Agim Kruezi, 25, was arrested in 2014 and pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court to one count each of preparing for terrorist acts and planning a foreign incursion.
The court heard Kruezi, reportedly an Australian-born Albanian, planned to travel to Syria to fight with an al-Qaeda-affiliated group but was stopped by customs officers and his passport was cancelled. He instead turned his attention to an attack on home soil.
Broadcaster ABC said police found a loaded semi-automatic sawn-off rifle, two balaclavas, two machetes, a photocopy of a book titled Jihad, and an Islamic State flag pinned to his bedroom wall when he was arrested.
Instructions to carry out beheadings were also discovered on his computer and in the days before his arrest, he purchased 10 litres of petrol and attempted to buy glass bottles suitable to make molotov cocktails, it added.
Justice Roslyn Atkinson said it was necessary for counter-terrorism police to arrest him when they did to prevent a “public attack”. “If not imminent, it was at least planned to the point you had obtained weapons,” she said, according to Brisbane´s Courier Mail.
HRW urges probes into ‘rampant’ use of torture in Iraq
Human Rights Watch called on Tuesday, July 31 for investigations into the “rampant” use of torture against people arrested on suspicion of belonging to the Islamic State group.
“Torture is rampant in Iraq´s justice system, yet judges lack instructions for responding to torture allegations,” the watchdog´s deputy Middle East director, Lama Fakih, said. “Defendants, including ISIS suspects, won´t be able to get a fair trial so long as the security forces can freely torture people into confessing,” she added. Around 20,000 people were arrested in the three-year battle by Iraqi forces to drive out IS, which had seized swathes of western and northern Iraq in 2014.
HRW found that in 22 of the 30 cases it reviewed in Baghdad, judges had refused to consider allegations of torture. In several cases, judges ordered forensic medical examinations and found signs of torture, “but did not necessarily order a retrial or investigation and prosecution of the abusive officers”, the group said.
52 Jihadists killed in Egypt’s Sinai
Egypt’s army said on Sunday, Aug 5 its forces have killed over the past few days 52 Jihadists in the Sinai Peninsula where the military is conducting a vast operation against militants.
Egyptian forces launched operation “Sinai 2018” in February to rid the peninsula of Islamic militants who have been waging a bloody insurgency. “Over the last few days, the operations have led to… the elimination of 52 extremely dangerous takfiri individuals,” the military said in a statement referring to extremists.
During these operations in North Sinai and the centre of the peninsula 49 militants were also arrested in joint raids conducted by the armed forces and the police, the statement added. More than 250 Jihadists and at least 30 soldiers have been killed since the military launched the operation, according to official figures.
Jihadists launched an insurgency in Sinai after the 2013 military overthrow of Egypt’s Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, who was forced out in the face of mass protests against his rule.
29 children killed in strike on Yemeni bus
A strike on a bus in rebel-held northern Yemen killed at least 29 children on Thursday, Aug 9 the Red Cross said, as the Saudi-led coalition faced a growing outcry over the attack.
The coalition said it had carried out what it called “legitimate military action” in the area targeting Huthi rebels responsible for a deadly missile attack on the Saudi city of Jizan on Wednesday. But the International Committee of the Red Cross said the strike hit a bus filled with children in the Huthi stronghold of Saada, causing dozens of casualties. “A hospital supported by our team in Yemen received the bodies of 29 children under the age of 15 and 48 wounded, including 30 children,” the ICRC said on Twitter.
A spokesman for the Red Cross in Sanaa told AFP the toll was not final as casualties from the attack were taken to several hospitals. “Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected during conflict,” the ICRC said as alarm grew among international aid agencies.
‘US sanctions would be declaration of economic war’
Russia warned on Friday, Aug 10 that if the US followed through with threats to impose further harsh economic sanctions it would be seen as a “declaration of economic war”.
The warning by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev came after Washington unveiled a raft of new sanctions against Russia over its alleged use of the Novichok nerve agent against a former double agent which Britain has blamed on Moscow.
The incident, which took place in Salisbury in southern England in March, triggered a major diplomatic crisis despite Russia’s denial of any role. Announced late on Wednesday, the first set of sanctions, which will take effect in just under two weeks, impose a ban on the export to Russia of “national security sensitive” US technologies.
Until now such exports had been previously allowed on a case-by-case basis, with a senior State Department official saying the move could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of exports to Russia.
The ruble fell further Friday morning, reaching its lowest level since August 2016, before rebounding slightly. The central bank in a statement said it was following the situation and had the necessary instruments to react.
It said the situation was a “natural reaction of the financial market to news about new potential sanctions”. Previously, similar periods of volatility were “temporary in nature,” it said. A second round of sanctions that could go into effect 90 days later would cut far deeper, including blocking all American bank loans to Russian entities, an outright ban on US exports to Russia, and suspension of diplomatic relations.
Egypt security forces thwart church bombing
Egyptian security forces have thwarted a suicide bomb attack on a church just outside of Cairo, state television said on Saturday, Aug 11. A militant wearing a suicide vest was prevented from approaching a church in Qalyubiyah, a governorate north of Cairo, and detonated the vest about 250 metres from the church, killing himself but no one else, state news agency MENA reported.
A spokesman for the health ministry said that a foreign object had exploded leading to the death of one person but no injuries, without elaborating on whether it was an attempted attack on the church.
Islamist militants have claimed several attacks on Egypt´s large Christian minority in recent years, including two deadly bombings on Palm Sunday in April 2017 and a blast at Cairo´s largest Coptic cathedral in December 2016 that killed 28 people. The most recent attack came last December, when a gunman fired on worshippers at a Coptic Orthodox church in a Cairo suburb, killing 11 in an attack claimed by Islamic State. The country has fought an insurgency led by Islamic State in the Sinai Peninsula that has killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the Egyptian military overthrew President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2013.
Four security personnel, three militants killed in Jordan shoot-out
Security forces pulled the bodies of three suspected militants from the wreckage of a building in a central Jordanian city on Sunday, Aug 12 following a shoot-out in which at least four security personnel were also killed, the government said.
In a huge security operation, Jordanian forces laid siege to the building in a residential part of Salt on Saturday night in search of those responsible for a bomb attack on a police van on Friday.
The police vehicle had been maintaining security near a music festival in the majority Christian town of Fuhais, near the capital Amman and 15 kilometres from Salt. Four security personnel were killed during the operation after the suspected militants sought sanctuary in the multi-storey building in Salt, a hillside city, the government said.
The side of the building partially collapsed, possibly because of a blast from a suicide bomber inside, a security source said. Security forces had seized automatic weapons in a “continuing operation”, government spokeswoman Jumana Ghunaimat told Reuters.
No group has claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack on the van in Fuhais in which one policeman was killed and six others were injured. Militants from Islamic State and other radical Jihadist groups have long targeted the US-allied Jordan and dozens of militants are currently serving long prison terms.
20,000-30,000 IS fighters left in Iraq, Syria: UN
Between 20,000 and 30,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria despite the Jihadist group’s defeat and a halt in the flow of foreigners joining its ranks, according to a UN report released on Monday, Aug 13.
The report by UN sanctions monitors estimates that between 3,000 and 4,000 IS Jihadists were based in Libya while some of the key operatives in the extremist group were being relocated to Afghanistan.
Member-states told the monitors that the total IS membership in Iraq and Syria was “between 20,000 and 30,000 individuals, roughly equally distributed between the two countries.”
“Among these is still a significant component of the many thousands of active foreign terrorist fighters,” said the report. The sanctions monitoring team submits independent reports every six months to the Security Council on the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, which are on the UN terrorist blacklist. IS once controlled large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, but last year it was driven out of Mosul and Raqa the twin seats of power of the Sunni extremist group.
Russian journalists shot in Africa targeted in ambush
Three Russian journalists killed in Central Africa last month as they reported on Russian mercenaries there were targeted in an ambush, a media organisation that was backing them said on Thursday, Aug 16.
The claim contradicts the version of events put forward by the Kremlin, which said initial evidence suggested the journalists were killed after resisting robbers.
The men reporter Orkhan Dzhemal, director Alexander Rastorguyev and cameraman Kirill Radchenko were killed on July 30 shortly after arriving in the war-torn country to report on a private army known as Wagner Group.
“The version of a simple theft as the criminals’ main motive is contradicted by many factors,” said the MBK media organisation, owned by exiled former oligarch and Kremlin foe Mikhail Khodorkovsky. “The criminals were waiting for the very car carrying Dzhemal, Rastorguyev and Radchenko,” the organisation said in a statement on its website, after sending investigators to the region. MBK said it “does not exclude the involvement of Russian mercenaries” in the alleged ambush.
In an earlier interview with CNN, Khodorkovsky rejected the theft-gone-wrong theory. Wagner’s soldiers have fought in conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, according to Western and independent Russian media reports as well as foreign governments. Russia officially has military and civilian instructors in CAR to train local troops and experts have suggested they could be part of Wagner.
Iran to boost mly might, unveils new fighter jet
Iran said on Tuesday, Aug 21 it would boost its military might and also unveiled a new fighter jet amid increased tensions with the United States and with regional rivals over conflicts in the Middle East.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the Islamic Republic’s military prowess was what deterred Washington from attacking it, adding that under President Donald Trump the United States was becoming isolated even from its own allies.
Khamenei has rejected Trump’s offer of unconditional talks on a new nuclear deal, prompting Trump to tell Reuters in an interview on Monday: “If they want to meet, that’s fine, and if they don’t want to meet, I couldn’t care less.”
Relations between Washington and Tehran worsened further after Trump in May took the United States out of an international deal that curbed Tehran’s nuclear programme in return for an easing of economic sanctions.
Trump branded that 2015 deal as flawed because it did not address Iran’s missile programme or involvement in conflicts in Syria and Yemen, and he has reimposed US economic sanctions. Rouhani compared the sanctions on Iran with the US trade war with China and its new tariffs on some imports from Turkey and European countries.
“It’s not only us who do not trust America. Today even Europe and China do not trust them; even American allies like Canada have lost their trust,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday Rouhani attended a ceremony, broadcast by state TV, that included the fly-past of a new home-made fighter jet called Kowsar, which is capable of carrying various weapons, and will be used for short aerial support missions.
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.
