Terrorist Activities in Pakistan
Bomb/IED attacks
A Security Force (SF) personnel was killed and another injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off in Jungle Khel area of Upper Dir District on September 30, reports Daily Times.
Meanwhile, a primary school for boys in Arandu Gol village situated near the Pak-Afghan border in Chitral District was blown up in the morning of September 30, reports Dawn. District Police Officer (DPO) Furqan Bilal confirmed the attack on the primary school in Arandu Gol village, saying it appeared that an improvised explosive device was used to destroy the only primary school in the area.
Further, a Police party escaped another IED blast in the Arandu Gol village, reports Dawn. A second IED had been planted along the road near the school and went off minutes after policemen passed by the spot, the DPO Furqan Bilal added.
Separately, SFs averted an attack in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan District after spotting and disarming a roadside IED planted by the militants, reports Daily Times.
Five Levies personnel were killed and eight others injured in a bomb attack in Pirandar area of Awaran District in Balochistan on October 2, reports Dawn. Official sources said that unidentified militants had placed a bomb at a road side and detonated it by remote control when a convoy of Security Forces (SFs) was passing through the area. The vehicle was damaged by the bomb blast. The dead soldiers were identified as Sakhi, Shad Muhammad, Abdul Rehman, Khaleel Ahmed and Asadullah. The injured were identified as lkram, Ahsan, Alamgir, Shakir, Amir, Farhan, Sabeel and Omer Khan.
Meanwhile, two security personnel were injured when their vehicle was hit by a bomb blast in Tump area of Kech District on October 2, reports Dawn. The explosive device was placed at a roadside. It exploded when the vehicle of SF personnel was passing through the area.
Three soldiers were killed and five others were injured in a roadside bomb blast near the Pak-Afghan border in Makeen tehsil (revenue unit) of South Waziristan on October 11, reports Dawn. The soldiers were reportedly carrying out routine search operations when the explosion took place, local officials said.
Train service remained suspended for several hours between Quetta and the rest of the country on October 19 after twin bomb explosions at the main railway track near the Hirak area of Bolan District in Balochistan, reports Dawn. The Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express narrowly escaped the explosions, which were reportedly planned by unknown militants. Security officials said two explosive devices were planted at the main track between Mach and Hirak stations. The bombs were detonated with brief intervals, destroying the track in the process.
A former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan commander Syed Khan Wazir alias Iqbal was seriously injured as a bomb went off near his vehicle in Miranshah area of North Waziristan district on October 23, reports The Express Tribune. Just months back, Iqbal had surrendered to the SFs.
Targetted Killings
A traffic Police official was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Matka Chowk in Surjani Town of Karachi on October 2, reports Dawn. The assailants fled the scene towards Surjani Town after opening fire at Gulzar-i-Hijri Traffic Police Officer Muhammad Rafiq, son of Ahmed Khan. Police officials said that traffic officials were performing their duty at intersection between Ahsanabad and Surjani Town when armed pillion riders opened indiscriminate fire at them. Another Police official, Abdul Hakeem, saved his life by hiding himself in bushes.
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) leader Maulana Ismail Derwish who was the former Amir of Sippar-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) for District Peshawar, and his Police guard were gunned down by unidentified motorcyclists in Chairman Daftar area on Phandu Road of Peshawar, reports The Express Tribune. One Police official said that Derwish was traveling in a Khyber car along with his guard Ayub when the attackers opened fire at them in Chairman Daftar area, adding that it was clearly a tar get killing incident. Derwish, who was also reportedly contesting by elections from PK-78 as ASWJ can didate, had served multiple times as the party’s provincial chief.
Unidentified armed assailants shot dead journalist Sohail Khan in Hitar area of Haripur District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 16, reports The Express Tribune. Sohail Khan worked for local TV channel, K2. Senior journalist Hamid Mir tweeted Sohail Khan was the fourth journalist killed in the line of duty in Pakistan this year. ”Three were killed in KPK and one in Punjab,” he added. “Sohail Khan submitted an application in DPO office about threats to him and was coming back to home when he was attacked and killed on the spot,” reads Hamid Mir’s tweet.
Four workers of an oil and gas exploration company were shot dead after being abducted from the SpeenWarn area of North Waziristan District on October 23, reports The Express Tribune. The workers including a foreman, a driver, an FC security guard and a labourer belonged to Maripur Oil and Gas Exploration Company. They were shot by unidentified assailants and left to die in a vehicle which was also set on fire. The workers had been abducted while on their way to a field, according to the North Waziristan Deputy Commissioner.
Separately, two Security Force (SF) personnel were injured in when unidentified militants attack a SF check post at Khola tehsil (revenue unit) in North Waziristan District on October 23, reports The Express Tribune. However, there were no reports of any arrest.
Miseellaneous
Four terrorists and two soldiers were killed during an intelligence based operation (IBO) conducted on a terrorist hideout in the Mangochar area of Kalat District in Balochistan on September 26, reports Dawn. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the exchange of fire, which took place in the Mangochar area also resulted in injuries for two soldiers. The operation, the ISPR said, was conducted following intelligence reports that the terrorists were planning to do major terrorism activities in the province. Two suicide jackets, a large quantity of explosives, other weaponry and ammunition were also recovered during the operation. Of the two killed soldiers, Sepoy Muhammad Waris Shaban hailed from Jhang, whereas Sepoy Mir Alam was from Ghizer in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Seven terrorists were killed and three others injured in an exchange of fire with a border post personnel in North Waziristan District on October 2, reports Dawn. According to the statement issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), terrorists from across the Afghan border engaged in a ‘fire raid’ at the check-post, prompting army officials to quickly retaliate. Military sources say due to the extensive fencing along the border, terrorists cannot physically attack and now resort to ‘fire raids’ concerted targeting of Pakistani assets from a distance.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested three suspected terrorists from Toba Tek Singh on October 22, reports Daily Times. A CTD spokesman said that an intelligence-based operation was conducted in Gojra Bypass area in, during which three alleged terrorists were apprehended along with explosives, three detonators and other material used in terrorist activities.
Two Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers were killed and three others injured in an attack on the convoy of the Inspector General (IG) of FC in the mountainous area of Nag tehsil (revenue unit) in Washuk District of Balochistan on October 25, reports Dawn. IG Major General Saeed Ahmed Nagra and Commandant of Panjgur Scouts Shajeeullah Qadri, who was travelling with him, remained unhurt in the attack . Official sources said that the convoy was going from Panjgur to Khuzdar. When it was passing through the mountainous area of Nag tehsil, armed people opened fire on it and fled. Five FC personnel received bullet injuries and two of them died on the spot. The dead FC soldiers were identified as Havaldar Yayha Uddin and Lance Naik Saif-ur Rehman. Though no group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) has been active in the area.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on October 26 arrested two militants of Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan during a raid on a house at Chakri Road in Rawalpindi City (Rawalpindi District), reports Dawn. According to sources, the CTD team carried out the raid on intelligence that the two TTP militants were hiding in the house. The CTD officials apprehended the suspects and registered a case under Explosive Act and section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
PAKISTAN
‘Hitman’ arrested in Karachi for killing six Policemen
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on September 26 claimed to have arrested a suspect for his alleged involvement in targeted killings of six Policemen from Korangi town area of Karachi, reports Dawn. “A police team arrested Shan Sabir alias Don in Korangi Industrial Area ,” said CTD Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Parvez Ahmed Chandio. “The held suspect belongs to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London but in order to save himself he recently joined the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP).” He said that the suspect was a close associate of another held suspect, Raees alias Mama. “He is a dangerous killer who has been involved in targeted killings of police men, encounters with police, murders, arson acts, extortion and was wanted by Korangi Industrial Area , Awami Colony and Landhi police stations,” added the officer.
Terrorism has been effectively contained, says CoAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa
The Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on September 27 said terrorism has been effectively contained with the nation’s support, reports The News. He delivered the keynote address on “Security of Pakistan” in the three-day international conference at the Air University, Islamabad, on “Radicalisation Perceptions, Realities and Challenges of Campus Life”, says an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release. The COAS talked in detail about the security situation of the country and his vision of enduring peace in Pakistan and in the region. Highlighting internal and external challenges to nation al security, General Bajwa said that full spectrum of threat demands comprehensive national response involving all institutions of the state. He underscored Pakistan’s resolve and determination to confront the global phenomenon of terrorism and extremism and cleanse Pakistan of the menace. The COAS said that the army will keep doing all that is required of us for provision of secure environment for sustained socio-economic progress.
Two MQM-L activists jailed for 21 years in 1995 Sindh secretariat attack case
A Karachi anti-terrorism court (ATC) on October 2 awarded 21 years rigorous imprisonment to two convicts said to be associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) and trained by the Indian spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in a case pertaining to an attack on the Sindh Secretariat in 1995. The convicts Mohammad Nasir alias Khaji, and Mohammad Faheem alias Mirchi were found guilty of committing crimes punishable under Section 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 read with Section 6(2) (ee) and 27-A of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and Section 23(i)-A of the Sindh Arms Act, 2013. The ATC judge, who conducted trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, pronounced his verdict, earlier reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides. Forfeiture of their moveable and immovable properties ordered
Notorious Lyari gangster Ghaffar Zikri along with two others killed in Police operation in Karachi
Notorious Lyari gangster Ghaffar Zikri, his three-year-old son and one of his accomplices Chota Zahid were killed during Police operation in Ali Mohammad Mohalla of Lyari Town in Karachi, in the morning of October 2, reports Dawn. According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Javed Odho, two Police officers were injured in the crossfire; one is in critical condition. Police and law enforcement agencies carried out an operation that lasted for more than an hour after receiving intelligence of Ghaffar’s hideout, where his son was staying with him. A crossfire ensued and Ghaffar and Zahid also attacked the Police with hand grenades. Contingents of Police and Rangers surrounded the area following the encounter and search operations were launched in nearby areas. Speaking to the media after the operation, DIG Javed Odho said that Police had also recovered weapons, including rockets, two SMGs, a hand grenade and more than 200 rounds during their search after the shootout.
Pakistan extradites man to UK over 2002 deadly fire
Pakistan extradited a man to the United Kingdom on Tuesday, Oct 2 where he will be tried for murder in connection with a 2002 fire that killed eight members of one family, the West Yorkshire Police said.
Shahid Mohammed was arrested in Rawalpindi in 2015 after nearly 13 years on the run and is scheduled to appear at the Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Mohammed is wanted over a fire in Birkby, a suburb of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire that killed eight members of the Chishti family including five children. He has been held by Pakistani authorities since 2015, when he was arrested after a joint operation launched by British and Pakistani authorities, the West Yorkshire Police said in a statement.
Mohammed is the second man to be extradited by Pakistan to Britain in the past 10 years after Mohammed Zubair in 2016, who was wanted in connection with a double murder in Bradford in 2011.
Pakistan asks 18 world NGOs to leave: ActionAid
Pakistan has ordered 18 international aid groups to shut down operations and leave the country, a spokeswoman for ActionAid said on Thursday, Oct 4 – the latest move against foreign aid groups in the country. ActionAid, which focuses on education, poverty alleviation and human rights and is headquartered in Johannesburg, said it had received an expulsion notice from Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior, but a statement from the group did not say whether the ministry gave any reason for its decision.
Pakistan’s interior ministry did not respond to messages asking about the expulsion orders, and the information ministry said it would check on the matter. The new round of expulsion orders comes amidst complaints by Journalists and editors of increasing constraints on press freedom, continuing what rights campaigners have termed an attack on free expression and activism in Pakistan.
Pakistan has been clamping down on foreign-funded aid groups for several years, with one shutdown notice last year accusing a group of ‘pursuing (an) anti-state agenda”. In December, the previous government of the then-ruling Pakistan Muslim League-awaz (PML-N) issued expulsion notices to 27 international aid groups, mostly those working on human rights issues.
That list also included ActionAid, which appealed the notice, and it was unclear how many of the new expulsion list were also on the previous list of 27.”The immediate victims will be the thousands of ordinary Pakistani families who ActionAid has been supporting to claim their rights and build a better life,” ActionAid said in a statement. “Pakistan’s decision to shut down ActionAid and other International NGOs is a worrying escalation of recent attacks on civil society, academics and journalists,” it said.
Fake accounts case: 150 individuals barred from going abroad
The Ministry of Interior has barred 150 individuals from leaving the country with regard to a case pertaining to money laundering through fake bank accounts. Of these 150 individuals, 78 have been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) and 17 on the FIA’s Provisional National Identification List (PNIL) or ‘stop list’.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari or any of the members of his family have not been named in the list. The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July in connection with the probe.
The former president’s another close aide and Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed were also arrested by the FIA in August. Lawai, Majeed and his son remain under custody.
Investigations so far have revealed that several ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made. The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.
APG urges intensified action to curb terror financing
The Asia Pacific Group (APG), a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) style regional body on money laundering, urged Pakistan on October 8 to intensify actions against the nonprofit organisations suspected of giving financial aid to terrorist groups and bring more transparency in the steps it is taking over proliferation matters, reports The Express Tribune. Technical experts of the APG started the 3rd Mutual Evaluation process of Pakistan that will end on the 19th of this month. The technical experts from the US, the UK, Turkey, Maldives, Indonesia and China have started assessing the steps taken by Pakistan to meet the FAFT recommendations. The purpose of the visit is to gauge the effectiveness of Pakistan’s Anti Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Terrorism Financing (CTF) regime under the FATF effective ness methodology. The APG visit has begun six days before the FATF plenary meeting in Paris from the 14th of this month.
NACTA inks accord with HEC to combat on-campus terrorism, extremism
The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) on October 25 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for having effective collaboration on prevention and awareness to combat “on-campus” extremism and terrorism, reports Dawn. The MoU was signed by NACTA National Coordinator Khaliq Dad Lak and HEC Executive Director Lieutenant General (retired) Muhammad Asghar. The scope of the MoU was to establish a sustained and effective collaboration and partnership in order to combat extremism and terrorism in the country through joint research and collaboration. Both the organisations will consolidate existing research work in the areas of counter-extremism and counter-terrorism, which will help in promoting research culture in the public sector as well as improving the policy-making process.
NACTA chief calls for timely implementation of FATF plan
National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) chief Khaliq Dad Lak on October 25 called for qualitative change in investigations and prosecutions of terrorism financing cases, reports Dawn. Speaking at a meeting of NACTA’s national task force on combating terrorism financing, he urged law enforcement agencies to carry out parallel investigations to unearth the financial trail behind terrorist incidents. He also briefed the participants on various guidelines and standard operating procedures, which NACTA had recently issued for financial investigations of terrorism cases and other related matters. During the meeting, it was emphasised that a targeted, organised and wholehearted effort should be made by all responsible stakeholders for timely implementation of the action plan under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The meeting was attended by all 29 members of the task force from federal and provincial governments and other organisations, including the Federal Investigation Agency, Federal Board of Revenue, Anti Narcotics Force, State Bank of Pakistan, Financial Monitoring Unit, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Interior and provincial home departments, as well as counter-terrorism departments.
JuD, FIF no more on list of banned outfits, Islamabad High Court told
The Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-lnsaniyat Foundation (FIF) headed by Hafiz Mohammad Saeed are no more on the list of banned out fits after the presidential ordinance that proscribed them under a UN resolution lapsed, Dawn reported on October 26. During the hearing on October 25 of a petition filed by Hafiz Saeed, his counsel informed the Islamabad High Court that the presidential ordinance had lapsed and it had never been extended. The petitioner had challenged the ordinance under which his organisations had been banned for being on the watch list of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The ordinance that proscribed these organisations under a UN resolution has lapsed. According to a list updated on September 5 on the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA)’s web site, 66 organisations have been banned in the country and JuD and FIF are not among them. However, the two Hafiz Saeed-linked organisations are “under watch by the ministry of interior” under Section 11-D-(1), read with Schedule-II of the ATA
REGIONAL
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Eight JMB militants arrested from different places
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on September 30 arrested eight Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants from different places, reports Dhaka Tribune.
In Natore District of Rajshahi Division, RAB arrested five JMB militants from the Bhabanipur area while they were gathering there for a secret meeting on September 30. The arrestees are Mawlana Zubayer Hossain, Mostafizur Rahman alias Farhad, Ala Uddin alias Abbas, Ashraful Islam and Zakaria Sarker.
In Rangpur District of Rangpur Division, RAB arrested two JMB militants Pepel and Ruhul Amin from the Patgram station area on September 30. A foreign-made gun as well as various jihadi books and leaflets were recovered from their possession.
In Barisal District of Barisal Division, RAB arrested one JMB militant from Ekota Memorial area on September 30. The arrestee is Atikur Rahman Shawon. RAB recovered a foreign pistol, two empty magazines, 6 rounds of bullets, 355 different jihadi leaflets and a huge amount of Islamic jihadi books from him.
ABT ‘chief coordinator’ arrested in Lalmonirhat District
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on September 28 arrested Mehedi Hasan alias Saddam Hossain alias Sabuj (22) ‘chief coordinator’ of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) of Lalmonirhat from a house in the Bhotmari village of Lalmonirhat District of Rangpur Division, reports The Daily Star. A foreign-made gun with two rounds of bullets along with numerous jihadi books and leaflets were recovered from him.
PBCP leader killed in an encounter in Pabna Sadar
The District ‘commander’ of Lal Pataka faction of the Purbo Banglar Communist Party-Marxist-Leninist (PBCP-ML), identified as Abul Hossain alias Abu Nakshal (55), of Purba Raghabpur village in Pabna Sadar upazila (sub-District) was killed in an encounter with Police in Pabna District in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh on October 1, reports The Daily Star. Gautam Kumar Biswas, Additiona l Superintendent of Police (ASP), Pabna, said acting on a tip-off, the Police arrested Abul from his village on September 30 afternoon. During inter rogation, Abu informed Police about their arms den, he said. As per his statement, a Police team took him to Dhopaghata area for recovering firearms and explosives. When the team reached near the Dhopaghata Bridge, Abul’s associates opened fire. At one stage, Abul attempted to flee and was hit by bullets. The others man aged to escape, the ASP said, adding that Abul later succumbed to his injuries. Police claimed to have recovered a firearm and four bullets from the spot. Four Policemen were also injured during the encounter, Police claimed.
Four Allah’r Dal militants arrested in Meherpur District
Police arrested four militants of Allah’r Dal from Meherpur town of Meherpur District in DKhulna Division on October 2, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are Abdul Hamid, 32, Jahidul Islam, 22, Tipu Parvez, 22 and Sahel Rana, 22. Police recovered three petrol bombs, eight cocktails, some bomb making materials, three machetes and leaflets of the organisation from their possession.
Two JMB militants killed in Chittagong District
Two militants of Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were killed in a blast inside a tinshed house when Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members cordoned off a suspected militant den in Uttar Sonapahar of Chittagong District in Chittagong Division on October 5, reports The Daily Star. After the end of the eight-hour drive, RAB recovered an AK-22 rifle, three foreign made pistols, five improvised explosive devices, and a huge amount of grenade-making materials and some documents
PBCP ‘regional commander’ killed in Tangail District
Sharif alias Farhad (33), a ‘regional commander’ of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) Lal Pataka faction was killed in a gunfight with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Dainna Chowdhury Madhyapara area in Tangail District of Dhaka Division on October 15, reports Dhaka Tribune. Two RAB officials were also injured in the incident. A foreign-made pistol, magazine, and four rounds of bullets were recovered from the spot.
India – Internal Dynamics
‘President’ of Shiv Sena Hind attacked by Khalistan sympathisers inside Ropar sub-jail in Punjab
In an attempt to kill, five unspecified Khalistan sympathisers on September 25 attacked Nishant Sharma ‘President’ of Right-Wing outfit Shiv Sena Hind who was sentenced to four years in prison in a fraud case in Ropar sub-jail in Punjab, reports The Times of India. Nishant has been on hit-list of Khalistan sympathisers for his speeches against Sikh radicals and attacking Jagtar Singh Hawara assassin of former Punjab’s Chief Minister Beant Singh. Nishant was stabbed in the early hours of September 25 after attackers broke the lock of his barrack. Afterwards, Nishant was taken to the Ropar Civil Hospital and was bought back to prison after treatment. No arrest had been made and an investigation had been ordered to identify the accused. The barrack was locked from outside, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) (Ropar) Swapan Sharma.
ENPO reaffirms its demand for ‘frontier Nagaland’
Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) has reaffirmed its demand for ‘Frontier Nagaland,’ and asserted that getting statehood was the only means for development of Eastern *Nagas, reports North East Today on October 2. ENPO president T Kekongchim Yimchungru said the demand for Frontier Nagaland that began with endorsement from the people of eastern Nagaland was a legitimate right. ENPO President said ‘We became the citizens of Indian by circumstances and not by choice, Eastern Nagaland has numerous issues and problems like socio-economic, employment, development and discrimination by others in various fields.’ He, there fore, urged upon the people to keep on supporting until the demand was achieved and fulfilled by the Government of India.
Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha Government cheating tribals, says CPI-Maoist
The Communist Party of India Maoist have claimed that Odisha Chief Minister (CM), Naveen Patnaik’s Government is cheating tribals in the State, reports Business Standard on October 3. The Maoists, who held a meeting Visakhapatnam District of Andhra Pradesh on the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) region on October 2, said the Gurupriya Bridge in Malkangiri District of Odisha, which Patnaik claimed will bring development to the region, has caused large-scale losses to tribals. “The Odisha government has constructed the bridge to loot the minerals in the region. To generate surplus electricity from the Balimela reservoir, the Odisha government has been storing more water in the dam. As a result, huge tracks of land under seven panchayats in the area have been inundated and thou sands of farmers have suffered crop losses,” the Maoists said. According to reports, more than 2,000 people attended the meeting which was held on the border abutting Sileru area in Vizag in the Visakhapatnam District. Addressing the tribals, the Maoists also said that if the Odisha Government fails to decrease the water level in the Balimela reservoir, they will support the people’s agitation. Unconfirmed reports suggest top Maoist leader Ramakrishna aka RK also attended the meet.
New political party formed with the demand of ‘Twipraland’
Another political party with an agenda of separate Twipraland has been formed in Tripura and is named Twipra-Ha party, reports Northeast Today on October 9. Twipra-Ha party leader Nakshatra Jamatia stated that ‘People who had joined IPFT on the issue of separate Twipraland have been fooled by IPFT leaders thus we believe that people will join us leaving them and all of us will fight together for a separate Twipraland.”
Meanwhile, Indigenous People’s Front of Twipra (IPFT) has threatened to launch an intensive movement if an Assam-like National Register of Citizens is not implemented in the border state, reports The Shillong Times on October 9 The tribal-based party, which has been spearheading the demand for NRC since a long time along with other indigenous parties, is however sticking to the cut-off date of March 25, 1971 for preparation of the citizens register. Spokesperson Mangal Debbarma stated that ‘We want 1971 as the cut-off year unlike some of the other tribal parties which are demanding 1949 and 1951 as the cut-off years on the basis of which the NRC has to be prepared. Tripura has bore the brunt of illegal influx for too long and if such a citizen’s register is not implemented, we will be compelled to launch an intensive movement’. Ever since Assam had published the complete draft NRC on July 30 this year which saw over 40 lakh not figuring in the draft, the other north eastern states, apprehending influx, have been demanding safeguards, including mechanisms such as ILP (inner line permit). In Tripura, tribal parties such as the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura and the Tripura People’s Front too have been demanding a citizen’s register on the lines of Assam.
Cache of explosive materials recovered during operation in Odisha
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel recovered a huge quantity of explosives from a dump hidden in a rocky terrain during a special search operation in Pravasani Reserve Forest area under Jamankira Police Station in Sambalpur District on October 10, reports Indian Express. The CRPF personnel deployed in anti-Naxal operation recovered 99 gelatine sticks, 95 commercial electric detonators, one 12-volt battery, two torch lights, five pencil batteries, medicines, bandage cotton, 5 metre thin copper wire, 50 metre electric flexi wire, one charger, a plastic container, polythene sheet, and 2 feet iron wire during a two-day long search operation. Police said the quantity of explosives recovered suggested the Naxals might be planning a big attack on Security Forces (SFs).
Three ITBP troopers injured in IED blast in Chhattisgarh
Three Inda-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans (troopers) were injured in an Improved Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by Communist Party of India Maoist cadres in Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh on October 16, reports Free Press Journal . The incident took place around 11 am on the hills near Rajadera and Ramgarh villages when a joint team of Security Forces (SFs) was out on an anti-Maoist operation, Rajnandgaon, Superintendent of Police (SP), Kamlochan Kashyap said. When the patrolling team was cordoning off the hilly area, located around 75 kilometers away the District, the Maoists triggered the IED blast that injured the three jawans, he said. Those injured included a head constable and two constables of the ITBP’s 44th battalion, he added.
Maoists call for boycott of polls in Telangana
The Communist Party of India Maoist, on October 16, called for a boycott of the Telangana Assembly elections scheduled for December 7, reports Newkerala.com. In a statement sent to the media, the CPI-Maoist called upon people not to participate in what it termed ‘fake’ elections and fight for a “democratic Telangana”. Issued in the name of CPl-Maoist’s Telangana State Secretary Hari Bhushan, the statement found fault with the policies pursued by all political parties. Alleging that the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has not fulfilled promises made in the last Assembly elections it said that since public resentment was growing, Chief Minister (CM), K. Chandrasekha r Rao went for early elections by dis solving the Assembly nine months before its term was to expire. Hari Bhushan also slammed the Maha Kutami or Grand Alliance and the Bahujan Left Front (BLF). He said nothing could be achieved with the unity of the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He said he believes that parties like the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) joining hands with the Congress and the TDP in the name of Maha Kutami is tantamount to mobilising votes for bourgeoisie parties. The letter alleged that the Left parties have given up solving people’s basic problems and the revolutionary movement to vie for positions of power.
Bomb explodes in Manipur
Unidentified militants triggered a powerful blast at Kangpokpi District in the early hours of October 19, a few hours before Chief Minister (CM) N Biren Singh’s scheduled visit, reports Nagaland Post. The explosion went off at the District head quarters where tightened security measures have been put into place in connection with the visit of CM and his cabinet. No causality was reported in the incident. Imphal Free Press adds that no militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Separately, Director General of Police (DGP) L.M. Khaute on October 19 stated that around 170 arms, 8077 ammunitions and explosives were in the state during past one year, reports Imphal Free Press.
CRPF trooper killed in Manipur
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was killed and another wounded in a grenade attack on October 20, near Nagamapal Phougeisangbam Leikai in Imphal West District, reports Imphal Free Press. The CRPF trooper killed has been identified as Umesh M Helavar while the wounded has been identified as N. Ramarajan. CRPF officials claimed that militant suspected attacked the truck carrying the jawans by hurling a grenade into the truck.
| Monthly Fatalities | ||||
| The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period Sept 25, 2018 to Oct 26, 2018: | ||||
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Assam | 02 | 00 | 00 | 02 |
| Manipur | 02 | 00 | 01 | 03 |
| Left wing | 10 | 02 | 04 | 16 |
| Total | 14 | 02 | 05 | 21 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Nepal’s peace process an inspiration for many, says Prime Minister KP Oli
Prime Minister KP Oli addressing the 3rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on September 27 has said that the conflict transformation in Nepal could be an inspiring success story for the many people longing for peace in different parts of the world, reports Republica. Prime Minister Oli said “Nepal’s ending of the decade-long Maoist conflict through peaceful means is a unique example of peaceful and democratic transition. It is a telling testimony that dialogue triumphs over differences; and ballot triumphs over bullets. It was about peaceful transformation of an armed conflict. It was about restructuring of the State and promoting unity in diversity. It was about making Nepali people truly sovereign and as source of state power. It was about institutionalizing and consolidating all those achievements in a democratic constitution through a popularly elected Constituent Assembly.”
Meanwhile, Mayor of Kalika Municipality, Khum Narayan Shrestha said that plans are ongoing to establish a war museum at Shaktikhor in Kalika Municipality, Chitwan District, reports The Himalayan Times on September 28. He said that the museum would be set up in the then third division of the Maoist combatants by collecting the arms and documents used during the decade long people’s war. He further said that homework has been initiated after the Co-chairperson of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal made an announcement to establish a war museum in Shaktikhor.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
TNA requests Government to release prisoners detained under PTA without further delay
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on September 26 requested the Government to release the prisoners detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) without further delay, reports Daily News. The request was made when Opposition Leader and TNA Leader R. Sampanthan met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees in Colombo to discuss matters pertaining to the prisoners detained under the PTA and the new counter terror legislation. The Opposition Leader had pointed out that these detainees and their family members have suffered very long periods of time. The meeting was also attended by Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorala, Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya and TNA MP M.A.Sumanthiran. During the meeting that extended for about two hours, the Attorney General has agreed to come up with a mechanism within three days to expedite the remaining cases of the PTA detainees.
UN Secretary General assures to support Sri Lanka in its efforts to build reconciliation and strengthen democracy
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres has assured Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena that the UN will continue to support Sri Lanka in its efforts to build reconciliation and strengthen democracy, reports Colombo Page on September 29. President Maithripala Sirisena briefed the UN chief about Sri Lanka’s progress in strengthening democracy, rule of law, media freedom and reconciliation during a meeting at the UNSG’s office at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Secretary General warmly greeted President Sirisena and the Sri Lankan delegation comprising Ministers Tilak Marapana, Champika Ranawaka, Mano Ganesan and Permanent Representative to UN, Dr. Amrith Rohan Perera. Mr. Guterres said he deeply appreciates the difficult and complex challenges faced by Sri Lanka and said the UN would continue to extend support to Sri Lanka’s efforts towards reconciliation. He praised Sri Lanka’s good work in peace building, human rights and UN peace keeping.
Meanwhile, Vavuniya Punthottam Rehabilitation Director Colonel Asela Obeysekera at an event held at the Wanni Punthottam Rehabilitation Camp on September 28 said that only one out of 12,191 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres who surrendered to the military during the last stage of the war remains to be released after rehabilitation, reports Daily Mirror. He said “Nearly 12190 former LTTE combatants, who surrendered to the Army, underwent rehabilitation and were reintegrated into society. Only one still remains in a camp in Vavuniya.” Colonel Obeysekera said those who were integrated into society were provided self-employment opportunities, fishing gear and educational requisites at a cost of SLR 26 million this year alone.
Four former LTTE cadres sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment for conspiring to explode bomb in 2008
Four former cadres of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who pleaded guilty of conspiring to explode a bomb inside a private bus plying from Matale to Kandy near the Polgolla Open University in 2008 were on October 2 sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court, reports Daily News. The four accused were ordered to pay a fine of SLR 20,000 each by High Court Judge Sampath Abeykoon. Three were killed and 20 injured when a bomb exploded inside a bus in 2008. Defence counsel moved court that a lenient sentence is passed against the accused since they were kept in remand custody since 2008, for 10 years.
President sets deadline to release all military occupied land in North and East by December 31
President Maithripala Sirisena on October 3 said the occupied lands in the North and East should inevitably be returned to the rightful owners and instructed the relevant authorities to sort out the problems and complete the process to release the lands before December 31, reports Colombo Page. The President instructed the officials when the Presidential Task Force on Development of the Northern and Eastern Provinces met for the third time at the Parliamentary Complex. The President gave further instructions to prepare a proper timeframe to launch the relevant program and present the progress of the program at the next Presidential Task Force meeting next month. Special attention was focused on releasing military occupied buildings and lands belong to schools in the North and East. The President, noting that people in certain areas of the Trincomalee district, are facing a severe water shortage inquired about the program being implemented to resolve the drinking water issue.
Former State Minister arrested for calling reorganization of LTTE in order to curb rising crime in North
Former State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran has been arrested by the Organized Crime Prevention Division (OCPD) of Police on October 8 for calling reorganization of the outlawed terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in order to curb the rising crime in the North reports Colombo Page. Speaking an event at the Veerasingham Ha in Jaffna on July 2, Maheswara has called for the reorganization of LTTE in order to curb the rising crime in the North. The UNF Jaffna District parliamentarian resigned from her post of State Minister of Child Affairs on July 5 due to the criticism generated by her statement. The Attorney General advised the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara to take legal action under the Penal Code against Maheswaran over her controversial statement on the LTTE
Navy Officer arrested over abduction and disappearance of two Tamilindividuals in 2009
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on October 24 arrested a Navy Intelligence Officer in connection with the abduction and disappearance of two Tamil individuals in Kotahena, a suburb part of Colombo in 2009, reports Colombo Page. The CID arrested Navy Intelligence Officer Lieutenant Commander Sampath Dayananda over the abduction and disappearance of two Colombo Municipal Council workers Vadivelu Pakkili Sarni Loganathan and Rathnasami Paramanandan in Kotahena on January 11, 2009. Lieutenant Commander Dayananda was arrested when he appeared before the CID to give a statement regarding the incident. The Lieutenant Commander is currently an intelligence officer at the Sampur Naval Camp.
INTERNATIONAL
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Friday, Sept 28 it had killed four militants at the Saravan border crossing with Pakistan in southeastern Sistan-Balochestan province.
Sunni militant groups in south-eastern Iran have long carried out periodic attacks on military and civilian targets, aiming to highlight what they say discrimination against Sunni Muslim ethnic groups in mainly Shine Iran.
In a statement published by state broadcaster ‘RIB, the revolutionary guard said: “Iranian forces killed four terrorists and wounded two. Other members of the terrorist-group allegedly fled to the neighbouring country (Pakistan).” No Irarnian forces were harmed in the attack, the statement said. The guards said .the group was linked to the ‘world’s arrogant power”, out elaborating. Tehran accuses the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia of funding the Sunni militant groups, a charge they deny.
The mainly Sunni province of Sistan-Balochestan has long been plagued by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs and separatist militants. Iran says militant groups have safe havens in Pakistan and has warned, it will hit their bases there if Islamabad does not confront them.
Security measures have intensified in border areas after an attack on Saturday at a military parade in south-western Iran in which five gunmen killed 25 people, almost half of them revolutionary guards.
‘US-led fight on IS killed over 1,100 civilians’
More than 1,100 Civilians have been killed in US-led Strikes against Islamic State Targets in Iraq and Syria since the operation began in 2014, the US military said on Thursday, Sept 27.
The coalition fighting Islamic State militants said in a statement that during the month of August it had deter mined that an additional 53 civilians had been killed unintentionally, bringing the total to at least 1,114 civilian deaths since August 2014.
The military’s official tally is far below those of outside organisations. The monitoring group Airwars says at least 6,575 civilians have been killed by coalition strikes. Twenty civilians were killed in a strike on Islamic State “fighting positions,” explosives factory and a command and control center in May 2017 near Mosul, Iraq, the coalition said.
“We continue to employ thorough and deliberate targeting and strike processes to minimise the impact of our operations on civilian populations and infrastructure,” the military’s statement said.
Iran fires missiles into Syria
Iran said it fired missiles on Monday, Oct 1 at Islamic State militants in Syria it blames for an attack on its soil on Sept 22 and said the action shows the government’s readiness to punish the “wicked ness” of its enemies.
Tehran has accused US-backed Gulf Arab states of attacking a military parade in southwestern Iran and killing 25 people, nearly half of them members of the elite Revolutionary Guards. Monday’s strike targeted the bases of “takfiri terrorists” backed by Washington and regional powers in eastern Syria, the Guards said in a statement on Sepah News, their news site.
It killed a number of militant leaders and destroyed their supplies and infrastructure, they said. “Death to America,” and “Death to Israel” were written on one of the missiles shown on the Fars News site.
The strike targeted the last pocket of territory in southeastern Syria held by Islamic State, said an official in the Iran-backed regional alliance fighting in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It is an area where the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a new offensive last month against Islamic State. The US-led coalition confirmed. Iranian forces had conducted “no notice strikes last night”.
The six ballistic missiles used in the attack flew 570-km to hit the tar gets, the Guards said. A map shown on state TV pinpointed Kermanshah in western Iran as the launch site and Albu Kamal in southeast Syna as the target. The missiles were Iranian-made Zolfaqar and Q1am missiles, Fars News reported. “Our iron fist is prepared to deliver a decisive and crushing response to any wickedness and mischief of the enemies,” the Guards, the most powerful military force in the Islamic Republic, said. Seven drones were also used to bomb militant targets during the attack, they said. The Ahvaz National Resistance, an Iranian ethnic Arab separatist movement, and the Islamic State have both claimed responsibility for the Sept 22 attack.
Turkey detains over 200 for ‘illicit money transfers’ to US
Turkish police detained on Tuesday, Oct 2 over 200 people in a major nationwide crackdown on illicit money transfers to individuals of Iranian-origin living in the United States.
An Istanbul court issued arrest warrants for a total of 417 suspects and have so far rounded up 216 in a nationwide operation carried out in 40 cities, the official Anadolu news agency reported. The suspects are facing charges including criminal conspiracy and violating measures to prevent terrorism financing, Anadolu said. There were no further details on who the suspects are. An investigation found that from the beginning of 2017 some 2.4 billion lira had been transferred from Turkey to a total of 28,088 accounts abroad from several banks, it added.
Those conducting the money transfers earned “commissions”, Anadolu said, citing the investigation, while the large majority of the recipients of the funds were people of Iranian origin living in the United States. There were no further details on who these individuals were and if the transfers had an overall aim.
The arrests come as the United States is in the process of reimposing sanctions on Iran after Washington pulled out of a 2015 international deal limiting the nation’s nuclear programme, including on Iran’s ability to use the international financial system and export oil. They also come several months after Turkey-US relations hit a rough patch over the detention of a US pastor, with US President Donald Trump making comments that sent the Turkish lira tumbling. Sanctions busting has also been a source of tension between Washington and Ankara.
Suu Kyi stripped of ‘Canadian citizenship’
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi became the first person to be stripped of honourary Canadian citizenship late on Tuesday, Oct 3 over her refusal to call out atrocities by her nation’s military against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The move was made official after Canada’s Senate voted to revoke the symbolic honour. The lower house had already approved a motion to the same effect last week. The House of Commons granted the privilege to Suu Kyi in 2007, but her international reputation has since been tarnished by her refusal to call on the Burmese army to put an end to the atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslims.
Canadian lawmakers described the violence against them as a “genocide” in a resolution passed in September. The ethnic group are treated as foreigners in Burma, a country that is more than 90 percent Buddhist.
A brutal military campaign that started last year drove more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh, where they now live in cramped refugee camps fearful of returning despite a repatriation deal. Many have given accounts of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arson.
Seven Turkish soldiers killed
Seven Turkish soldiers were killed on Thursday, Oct 5 by an improvised explosive device in southeastern Turkey, the local governor’s office said in a statement.
The governor’s office in the Kurdish majority province of Batman blamed the attack on “terrorists” and said a wide operation had been launched to capture the culprits. The state has been battling Kurdish fighters in the southeast region after the collapse of a two year ceasefire in 2015.
Local authorities had previously said four soldiers were killed and another five injured in the explosion as their military vehicle was passing through the Gercus district. The out lawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984 that has claimed some 40,000 lives.
14 civilians killed in DR Congo machete attack
Machete-wielding attackers killed at least 14 civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s restive North Kivu province, a local official said on Sunday, Oct 7 in a wave of violence plaguing the mineral-rich region. A further nine people were injured in the assault near the village of Rubaya some 60 kilometres north of the province’s capital Gama, regional governor Cosmas Kangakolo said.
Saudi Arabia got nothing free from US: MBS
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has brushed aside US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric that the oil-rich kingdom’s leadership might not last “two weeks” without American military support, saying his country existed decades before the US. In an interview with Bloomberg, an American news service, MBS underscored that Riyadh “will pay nothing” to Washington for Saudi Arabia’s security.
The interview took place at the royal palace in Riyadh on Wednesday Oct 3; however, the news service circulated it on Friday.
“You know, you have to accept that any friend will say good things and bad things,” when MBS was asked for his reaction to Trump s harsh comments. You cannot have 100 percent friends saying good things about you, even in your family. You will have some misunderstandings. So we put that in that category,” he said.
Prince Salman’s interview came a day after Trump told a crowd of supporters at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi, that Saudi King Salman would not last in power unless the US provided military support for the kingdom. On Saturday, Trump said at a rally in West Virginia that although the Saudis had got trillions of dollars, ‘we don’t get what we should be getting from them’. He also stressed that with the support of Washington, Saudi Arabia was totally safe, but without US, who knew what’s going to happen.
Pressed on how he would regard Trump’s humiliating rhetoric against Saudi Arabia, the crown prince said, “Saudi Arabia was there before the United States of America. It’s there since 1744; I believe more than 30 years before the United States of America, And I believe, and I’ m sorry if anyone misunderstands that, but I believe President (Barack) Obama, in his eight years, he worked against many of our agenda not (only) in Saudi Arabia, but also in the Middle East. And even though the US worked against our agenda we were able to protect our interests. And the end result is that we succeeded, and the United States of America under the leadership of President Obama failed, for example in Egypt. So Saudi Arabia needs something like around 2,000 years to maybe face some dangers.”
Chemical attack in UK getting ‘closer’
The possibility of a terrorist attack involving chemical or biological weapons is getting closer, Britain’s security minister and top counter-terrorism police officer warned on Tuesday, Oct 9.
“I see plots where the only limit to the ambition of our adversaries is their imagination,” Ben Wallace told a security conference in London. “As I speak, terrorists continue to explore new ways to kill us on our streets: chemical and bio logical weapons are marching in closer. They have developed and worked on a better arsenal. We have to be prepared for the day that might come to our streets here.” Last year, Britain suffered five attacks that the authorities blamed on terrorism that killed 36 people, four of which were carried out by Islamist militants.
In addition, police say another 17 plots were foiled and the nation al threat level remains at “severe”, meaning an attack is considered highly likely.
“These things have been used on the battlefield and what’s used on the battlefield will eventually be adapted to be used on domestic soil,” Neil Basu, the UK police lead for counter-terrorism, said when asked about Wallace’s comments on chemical and biological weapons.
“So I think he is as concerned as I am that these are the kind of threats we’ve got to take very seriously and we have got to make sure we have the right preparations to counter that threat.”
British security services, like those across Europe, have been worried about those who left the UK to fight on behalf of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, returning home and bringing back the knowledge they learned on the battlefields there.
Wallace said about 900 Britons had gone to fight in Syria and Iraq and just under half had returned while more than 150 had been killed.
Basu also repeated a warning from police that failure to strike a deal with the European Union that allowed Britain to continue sharing and receiving intelligence with their European colleagues would harm the fight against terrorism.
“UK policing currently utilises 32 European law enforcement and national security measures on a daily basis,” he said.
Yemen raids kill 79 rebels
Saudi led coalition air strikes in Yemen have killed almost 80 Huthi rebel fighters over 48 hours in Hodeida, military and medical sources said on Tuesday, Oct 9.
The strikes on Hodeida, site of a vital port and target of a renewed coalition offensive, also left seven civilians dead, they said. Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen at the head of a military coalition to sup port the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after the Huthis ousted it from the capital Sanaa and swathes of the country’s north.
The coalition has used air power to oust the Iran-backed rebels from much of the country’s south. But the Huthis continue to hold Sanaa and the key Red Sea port of Hodeida. Following the collapse of United Nations-backed talks in September, the coalition announced it was relaunching an assault on Hodeida city and its port.
The port is the main conduit for aid and commodities into Yemen, which is teetering on the brink of famine. The fighting has since eased and the coalition has focused its raids on the city limits and other parts of the surrounding province.
However, in the past 48 hours, coalition raids have hit two farms, two rebel training camps and an area close to the city’s port, according to rebel military sources. Rescue personnel and medical sources have confirmed that 79 rebel fighters were killed and their bodies taken to hospitals in the Province. Yemen’s war has left 10,000 people dead, mostly civilians, since the coalition intervened in 2015, and triggered what the UN has labelled the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Threats from drones to US ‘steadily escalating’
FBI director Christopher Wray told a US Senate panel on Wednesday, Oct 10 that the threat from drones “is steadily escalating” even as Congress gives agencies new tools to address threats.
Wray told the Senate Homeland Security committee that the FBI assesses that “given their retail availability, lack of verified identification requirement to procure, general ease of use, and prior use over seas, (drones) will be used to facilitate an attack in the United States against a vulnerable target, such as a mass gathering.”
Wray made his comments days after President Donald Trump signed into law legislation that gives the Department of Homeland Security (OHS) and the FBI new powers to disable or destroy drones that pose a threat to government facilities.
The new law also requires OHS to conduct several assessments to evaluate emerging threats that drones may pose to state or private critical infrastructure entities and domestic air ports. Wray said the risk has “only increased in light of the publicity associated with the apparent attempted assassination of Venezuelan President Maduro using explosives-laden” drones.
Wray noted the FBI had disrupted a plan in the United States to use drones to attack the Pentagon and the Capitol building. In 2012, Rezwan Ferdaus was sentenced to 17 years in prison for attempting to conduct a terrorist attack.
75 bodies found in mass grave near Libya’s Sirte
A mass grave containing 75 bodies has been found near the former jihadist bastion of Sirte in western Libya, an official said on Wednesday, Oct 19.
Mohamed al-Amial, the coastal city’s municipal council spokesman, told AFP the mass grave was uncovered in an agricultural area of Al-Daheir, west of Sirte. “Seventy-five decomposed bodies were recovered” in the presence of the public prosecutor, Sirte’s security force and the Red Crescent, he said.
Amial said the find was made “a few days ago” and that the bodies were believed to be of Islamic State (IS) group members, although there was no confirmation. Forces of Libya’s UN-backed unity government expelled IS from the coastal city in December 2016 after eight months of deadly combat. The group has since pulled back to desert outposts.
It claimed responsibility for a suicide attack last month on the Tripoli headquarters of Libya’s National Oil Corporation that killed two staffers as well as an assault in May on the country’s electoral commission in which 14 people died.
Turkish paper names 15 Saudis in Khashoggi case
Turkish pro-government news-paper Sabah said on Wednesday it had identified a 15-member intelligence team it said was involved in the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi was last seen a week ago entering the consulate in Istanbul to get documents related to his forthcoming marriage. His fiancée, waiting outside, said he never emerged and Turkish sources said they believe Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Saudi policies, was killed inside the mission.
Saudi Arabia has dismissed as baseless accusations that it killed or abducted Khashoggi. Saudi authorities have so far not commented on the 15 nationals reported to have come to Turkey. A Turkish security source had previously told Reuters that a group of 15 Saudi nationals, including some officials, arrived in Istanbul and entered the consulate on Oct 2, the same day Khashoggi was there, and later left the country. Sabah newspaper published the names and years of birth of 15 Saudis it said arrived at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport on Oct. 2. Twelve of them arrived early on the Tuesday, based on photos captured at pass port control which it published.
The 15 departed at four different times, Sabah reported. It did not say how it obtained the pictures and data. The report also said that the Saudis stayed at the Wyndham and Movenpick hotels in Istanbul, in the same neighbourhood as the Saudi consulate. Both hotels declined to comment on the report.
Iran fires missiles into Syria
Iran said it fired missiles on Monday, Oct 1 at Islamic State militants in Syria it blames for an attack on its soil on Sept 22 and said the action shows the government’s readiness to punish the “wicked ness” of its enemies.
Tehran has accused US-backed Gulf Arab states of attacking a military parade in southwestern Iran and killing 25 people, nearly half of them members of the elite Revolutionary Guards. Monday’s strike targetes the bases of “takfiri terrorist backed by Washington and regional powers in eastern Syria, the Guards said in a statement on Sepah News, their news site.
It killed a number of militant leaders and destroyed their supplies and infrastructure, they said. “Death to America,” and “Death to Israel” were written on one of the missiles shown on the Fars News site.
The strike targeted the last pock et of territory in southeastern Syria held by Islamic State, said an official in the Iran-backed regional alliance fighting in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It is an area where the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a new offensive last month against Islamic State. The US-led coalition confirmed Iranian forces had conducted “no notice strikes last night”.
The six ballistic missiles used in the attack flew 570-km to hit the targets, the Guards said. A map shown on state TV pinpointed Kermanshah in western Iran as the launch site and Albu Kamal in southeast Syria as the target. The missiles were Iranian-made Zolfaqar and Qiam missiles, Fars News reported. “Our iron fist is prepared to deliver a decisive and crushing response to any wickedness and mischief of the enemies,” the Guards, the most powerful military force in the Islamic Republic, said. Seven drones were also used to bomb militant targets during the attack, they said. The Ahvaz National Resistance, an Iranian ethnic Arab separatist movement, and the Islamic State have both claimed responsibility for the Sept 22 attack.
Erdogan asks Riyadh to ‘prove’ Khashoggi left consulate
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, Oct 8 asked Saudi officials to prove their claim that missing journalist and Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. “Consulate officials cannot save themselves by saying that he left the building. Don’t you have cam era?” Erdogan told a news conference. “If he left, you have to prove it with footage. Those who ask Turkish authorities where he is should ask what happened.”
Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, vanished last Tuesday after entering the consulate to receive official documents ahead of his marriage to a Turkish woman. Police said at the weekend that around 15 Saudis, including officials, arrived in Istanbul on two flights on Tuesday and were at the consulate at the same time as Khashoggi. A Turkish government source had told AFP that the police believe the journalist “was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day”. Riyadh vehemently denies the claim and says Khashoggi left the consulate.
Turkey on Monday sought per mission to search the consulate premises, Turkish TV reported. The move came after the foreign ministry summoned the Saudi ambassador for a second time Sunday over the journalist’s disappearance.
Chemical attack in UK getting ‘closer’
The possibility of a terrorist attack involving chemical or biological weapons is getting closer, Britain’s security minister and top counter-terrorism police officer warned on Tuesday, Oct 9.
“I see plots where the only limit to the ambition of our adversaries is their imagination,” Ben Wallace told a security conference in London. “As I speak, terrorists continue to explore new ways to kill us on our streets: chemical and biological weapons are marching in closer. They have developed and worked on a better arsenal. We have to be prepared for the day that might come to our streets here.” Last year, Britain suffered five attacks that the authorities blamed on terrorism that killed 36 people, four of which were carried out by lslamist militants.
In addition, police say another 17 plots were foiled and the nation al threat level remains at “severe”, meaning an attack is considered highly likely.
“These things have been used on the battlefield and what’s used on the battlefield will eventually be adapted to be used on domestic soil,” Neil Basu, the UK police lead for counter-terrorism, said when asked about Wallace’s comments on chemical and biological weapons.
“So I think he is as concerned as I am that these are the kind of threats we’ve got to take very seriously and we have got to make sure we have the right preparations to counter that threat.”
British security services, like those across Europe, have been worried about those who left the UK to fight on behalf of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, returning home and bringing back the knowledge they learned on the battlefields there.
Wallace said about 900 Britons had gone to fight in Syria and Iraq and just under half had returned while more than 150 had been killed.
Basu also repeated a warning from police that failure to strike a deal with the European Union that allowed Britain to continue sharing and receiving intelligence with their European colleagues would harm the fight against terrorism.
“UK policing currently utilises 32 European law enforcement and national security measures on a daily basis,” he said.
Boko Haram kills 12 farmers
Boko Haram Jihadists on Saturday, Oct 20 hacked 12 farmers to death as they worked on their fields in the volatile northeastern Nigerian state of Barno, civilian militia told AFP.
They came in two trucks and attacked the farmers with machetes outside Kalle, a remote village 17 kilometres outside the state capital Maiduguri, the birthplace of the Boko Haram movement.
35 IS fighters killed in Syria
An offensive by US-backed forces against the Islamic State group’s last redoubt in eastern Syria killed 35 Jihadists on Saturday, Oct 20 a Britain-based war monitor said. Twenty-eight IS members were killed in air strikes by the US-led coalition around the town of Hajin, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Another seven Jihadists were killed inground fighting with the Syrian Democratic Forces, who launched a coalition-backed offensive against the IS-held pocket in the Euphrates Valley last month.
Fighting has killed 414 Jihadists and 227 SDF fighters in total since the assault began on September 10.
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.
