Terrorist Activities in Pakistan
Suicide Attacks
Eight Policemen, three militants and a civilian were killed in suicide attack on the office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police in Loralai District on January 29, reports Dawn. At least 21 others (12 Policemen and nine civilians) also sustained injuries during the attack. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility of the attack adds Daily Times.
Bomb/IED attacks
A tribal elder was killed in an explosion caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Norak area of Mir Ali sub-division in North Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on February 13, reports The News.
Three persons including one levies personnel were injured in a landmine blast in Shamsher Road area of Dera Bugti town on February 19, reports The Balochistan Post. According to the details, a landmine blast injured three men when a motorcycle ran over an already planted landmine near Shamsher Road. No group has claimed the responsibility for the attack yet.
One person was killed and nine others injured in an explosion in the Mazdoor Chowk of Dera Murad Jamali town under same District in Balochistan on February 24, reports Dawn. An improvised explosive device (IED) planted in a motorcycle parked outside a shop in the Mazdoor Chowk area detonated, leaving one person dead and nine others injured, Police officer Hyder Shah said.
Targetted Killings
An Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) leader, Nadeem Yaseen, was gunned down on February 2, near the parking plaza on New MA Jinnah Road in the Saddar neighbourhood of Karachi city (provincial capital of Sindh), reports thenews.com.pk. He was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where he succumbed to his injuries. East Range Police Chief DIG Amir Farooqi said, Yaseen was returning home on his motorbike when three helmeted men on two motorcycles attacked him. The victim had suffered bullet wounds to the face and head. Farooqi said the victim was an ASWJ leader of Liaquatabad Town.
A worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Shakeel, was shot dead while an official employee of a Union Council (UC) was critically injured in a gun attack on a UC office in New Karachi area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, on February 11, reports Dawn. The chairman of UC-6 and other people were present in the “reconciliation committee” room when six assailants riding motorbikes opened indiscriminate fire on them and fled, according to New Karachi Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Irshad Ali Bhutto. The DSP said that the attackers were armed with Kalashnikovs and pistols and managed to escape from the incident site.
Unidentified assailants killed three Pashtun hailing from Bajaur Agency (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) were shot dead while commuting in a three-wheeler near Naudero bypass in Larkana District of Sindh on February 13, reports Express Tribune. Two of the dead trio Waheed Gul Khan and Raees Khan died on the spot. The third victim, Arif Gul Khan, succumbed to gunshot wounds at Chandka Medical Hospital where he was referred from Naudero taluka hospital.
Two FC personnel were killed while a civilian passerby was injured in a firing incident in the Majeed Market area of Loralai bazar (market) in Loralai District on February 16, reports Dawn. “This was a targeted killing”, District Police Officer Nasir Shah adding that the militants managed to escape the scene unhurt.
Two workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) were shot dead in as many incidents in Karachi on February 15, reports Dawn. said on Friday. Shafqat (55) was sitting at his friend’s shop near Rehmat Chowk in Orangi Town when armed pillion riders emerged there, fired at him from close range and rode away. He sustained two bullet wounds on the face and was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH), where doctors pronounced him dead. The victim was a former Policeman and had recently got early retirement after completing 25 years in service. After retirement he involved in property business and worked for PTI. PTI says workers fell prey to targeted killing. His elder brother, Razi, was also a Policeman and had taken part in the Karachi operation during the 1990s and was also gunned down in 1994.
In the second incident, PTI worker Abdul Rehman (27) was shot dead in the remit of the SITE-A Police Station in SITE Town on February 15, reports Dawn. Police said that he was on the way home after closing his mobile phone shop in the Metroville area when armed pillion riders targeted him near Bawani Chali. He sustained critical bullet wounds and was taken to the ASH, where doctors pronounced him dead.
A leader of the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), Abdul Habib (40), was shot dead in a suspected targeted attack near Sakhi Hasan Chowrangi in North Nazimabad Town of Karachi in the evening of November 18, reports Dawn. As Abdul Habib, who was driving a Land Cruiser, came out from a street onto the main road, assailants riding a motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire on him near Serena mobile market and fled, according to Taimuria Police. Habib, who was alone in the vehicle, sustained critical bullet injuries and later succumbed to his injuries. PSP spokesperson Iftikhar Alam said that the victim was a leader of their party. He had also contested the 2018 elections on a PSP ticket for the Sindh Assembly seat of PS-122.
Miscellaneous
Police on January 27 claimed to have busted a gang of robbers who were involved in carrying out burglary in several localities of Karachi, reports Dawn on January 27. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East, Azfar Mahesar at a press conference said three robbers, Samiullah, Abdul Manan and Juma Khan, from the six-member “Afghan gang” were arrested with the help of technology and Police teams have been formed to apprehend the three others. The three suspects “confessed” to committing house robberies in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Ferozabad, Bahadurabad, Aziz Bhatti and New Town areas of the city.
Counter Terrorism Division (CTD), on January 29, arrested a Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) commander, Rehman aka Ustad jee, in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, reports The Nation. The arrested commander was planning to carry out a major terror activity in Karachi.
Security Forces (SFs) foiled a major terror bid, recovering arms, ammunition and explosives hidden underground on January 31 in Ghaibi Neka area of Bara tehsil (revenue unit) in Khyber District, reports Daily Times. During the operation, 22 mortar shells, artillery missiles, 22 anti-personnel mines, 30 anti-tank rounds, three Rocket Propelled Granades-7 and huge quantity of explosives packed in gunny bag and hidden underground were recovered. Security sources said that the recovered arms, ammunition and explosives were to be used in terrorist activities in Peshawar surroundings and to target sensitive locations but timely action foiled the bid.
On February 2, a senior member of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), Arman Luni, was killed in a Police crackdown on a sit-in being held in the Loralai District of Balochistan, reports Pakistan Today. The sit-in is being staged against continued violence and the alleged forced eviction of locals from the area in the backdrop of an attack of January 29. Nine people, including five civilians and three policemen, were killed and 21 others suffered injuries in suicide bombing and firing by militants on the office complex of the Zhob Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in Loralai.
Later, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal on February 3, took notice of the death of Luni and sought a report from commissioner of Zhob District, reports Daily Times. According to an official handout, Kamal has directed that the report be submitted to him within 48 hours.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Sindh Police on February 7 arrested a hit man of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for his alleged involvement in the targeted killing of a former Town Nazim of Liaquatabad, Dr. Perveez Mehmood, from Jamshed Town of Karachi, reports The News. Acting on a tip-off, CTD officials conducted a raid near the Jumman Shah Bukhari shrine and arrested Syed Babar Ali alias Mota. The initial investigation revealed that he was involved in the killing of Mehmood, who was killed along with his friend in North Nazimabad on September 17, 2012. The suspect also admitted his involvement in extortion cases and transportation of illegal weapons.
At least four Policemen were killed and a Station House Office (SHO) was injured on February 12 in an ambush in Maharah area of Parowa sub-district in Dera Ismail Khan District, reports Dawn. District Police Officer (DPO) Dr. Mohammad Iqbal said that suspected militants targeted a Police van patrolling in the area. The DPO said that the Police party retaliated but the alleged terrorists managed to flee from the scene. SHO Tahir Nawaz and two passers-by sustained injuries in the shootout. The slain Policemen were identified as Constable Sarfaraz, Mirbaz, Asif and driver Javed.
A Police officer was killed in an encounter between the Police forces and drug peddlers on February 12 in Old Golimar area of Karachi, reports Daily Times. According to details, two Policemen riding a motorbike were patrolling in Old Golimar area when unidentified drug peddlers opened fire on them. One of the Policemen received bullet injuries and was taken to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. The drug peddlers escaped from the scene via narrow roads and gullies, the officials said. Police recovered eight spent bullet casings of pistol from the crime scene. The deceased Policeman was deployed at Pak Colony Police Station for the last one and half year.
Police and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in a joint raid on February 15 arrested five members of a gang who smuggled drugs abroad from unspecified location of Mardan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reports The News. District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Sajjad Khan said that acting on a tip-off, the Police and ANF officials in a joint raid arrested five members of the gang. The arrested accused were identified as Sajjad, Qaiser, Samiullah, Kamran and Bashir. The DPO added the accused were members of a gang that smuggle drugs Saudi Arabia and other countries. He said the Police recovered PKR 1.3 million in cash, drugs, cell phones and other items during the raid.
Four Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were killed in a militant ambush in Goran area of Panjgur District on February 17, reports The Express Tribune. According to security sources, militants with sophisticated weapons ambushed a security post of Panjgur Rifles 59th Wing at NA-85 China-Pakistan Corridor Highway, martyring four FC soldiers. The security personnel were heading towards the mountains when the ambush took place. Terrorists started indiscriminate firing. The FC soldiers retaliated, but could not fight back, the sources said, adding that the terrorists managed to escape and took their (soldiers) weapons and wireless sets along with them. The deceased were identified as Lance Naik Abdul Rehman, Sepoy Nasibullah, Sepoy Noman and Haq Nawaz.
According to The Balochistan Post, the Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS) have claimed responsibility for the attack. BRAS is an alliance of three Baloch militant groups, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) and Baloch Republican Guard (BRG).
Police on February 20 arrested two cadres of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) over charges of their involvement in the Sehwan blast (February 16, 2017), targeted killings of law enforcers, members of the Hazara and Christian communities in Balochistan, incidents of kidnappings for ransom and the murder of a senior official of a private firm Gadap Town area of Karachi, reports Daily Times. “Malir Police and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) carried out a joint action in Gadap area and apprehended two LeJ suspects”, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) East Amir Farooqi said at a press conference, and described the held suspects Furqan Bungalzai alias Azam and Ali Akbar alias Hajias dangerous terrorists’ The DIG disclosed that the suspects had also joined the Islamic State group. Bungalzai was commander of LeJ’s askari (militant) wing and was involved in several terror acts in Balochistan and Sindh. During an initial probe, he informed the investigators that Mufti Hidayatullah (now killed), Noman and Maqbool had planned the deadly Sehwan blast, while he had carried out reconnaissance of the shrine and passed on information to Mufti Hidayatullah. After the reconnaissance, Maqbool and Noman brought the suicide bomber, identified as Usman, to Sehwan, where he exploded himself on February 16, 2017, resulting in the death of 82 people and injuries to 383 others.
PAKISTAN
‘All terrorists‘ sanctuaries destroyed
ISPR DG Major General Asif Ghafoor has stated that all sanctuaries of terrorists had been destroyed during operation Zarb-e-Azb. He assured locals in North Waziristan Monday, Jan 28 that the shops destroyed during Operation Zarb-e-Azb will be handed over to their rightful owners soon, Geo News reported.
Journalists and anchorpersons from national and international media, including Geo News Hamid Mir, visited Miramshah and Ghulam Khan Border Terminal Sunday along with ISPR director general and interacted with local people.
The ISPR DG had a face to face conversation with locals regarding their issues during the visit. Some of the locals stated that their shops which were destroyed in the operation were to be reconstructed and handed to them but were being allotted to others through a fake database. He, however, assured the locals, you will have the shops before my next visit.
When locals said it should be ensured that a fake database is not released, Major General Asif Ghafoor asked whether there had been progress on the matter since the first time they visited Islamabad.
The locals agreed that there had been progress but raised concerns that reports are emerging regarding a fake database. He responded, “This is why you, the local administration and owners have been included and lists will be scrutinised to make sure that those who have made fake claims are not given the stores and only rightful owners are given”
PM Imran Khan approves draft legislation to criminalize enforced disappearance
Prime Minister Imran Khan on January 29 approved draft legislation to criminalize enforced disappearance and the process of introducing necessary amendments in Pakistan Penal Code would be completed soon, reports Express Tribune on January 30. Imran Khan reiterated that the government was firmly committed to protecting human rights and promotion of rights of minorities and marginalized sections of society adds Daily Times.
Pakistan’s security situation improved in 2018, states UK Home Office
The UK Home Office declared Pakistan as a country where the state of security has significantly improved in 2018 as compared to the previous two years, thenews.com.pk reports on February 1. The Home Office report on Pakistan’s situation praised determination of Security Forces (SFs), especially Pakistan Army, saying that the military-led operations against militants were successful and the overall security situation improved compared to previous years.
Between 2014 and 2017, the total number of violence-related fatalities declined by over 73 per cent, from 7,655 fatalities in 2,014 to 2,057 in 2017; the number of fatalities in the first three quarters of 2018 (930) compared to the same period in 2017 (1,585) decreased by 41 per cent, said the report. The western provinces bordering Afghanistan, Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), remained the areas where most militant and sectarian violence (suicide attacks and targeted killings) occurred, with Sindh (outside of Karachi), and Punjab experiencing the least, said the report.
The report further said that total 66 militant and affiliate supporter organisations were banned from 2001 to 2018. These include Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-i-Muhammad Pakistan, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Jaffria Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi, Tehreek-e-lslami al-Qa’ida, Millat-e-lslamia Pakistan and dozens of other groups.
The report stated, “major source for decline in violence in Pakistan has been the improving situation in Karachi”. Although, the city was once considered a hub for political/ religious militancy and urban crime, Karachi’s security situation has improved dramatically since 2014. Data collected by the CRSS (Centre for Research and Security Studies) annual security report of 2017 confirms these trends.
TLP acting chief arrested in KP
The absconding acting chief of politico-religious party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Dr. Shafiq Ameeni, was arrested from the Umarzai area of Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on February 1, reports Express Tribune. District Police Officer (DPO) Irfanullah confirmed that Ameeni was arrested during a protest rally organised against the acquittal by the Supreme Court of Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy in 2010 and sentenced to death by the court. Ameeni was wanted for leading a motorway blockage and an anti-state sit-in, among other cases relating to rioting and inflicting losses to the national exchequer, according to the Police.
Russia says working with Pakistan to fight terrorism
Russia on February 7 reiterated that it was “closely cooperating” with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and negotiating a political settlement in Afghanistan, Daily Times quoting Radio Pakistan reported on February 8. Russian Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Maria Zhakharova made the comments during a weekly briefing and added that both countries shared common concerns regarding the momentum being gained and the expansion of the Islamic State (IS). “Great contribution is being made by all the countries bordering Afghanistan, and Russia is a reliable partner of those countries in every effort to ensure the security of the borders”, said Zhakharova.
Yemen-based entity put on list of banned organisations
The first addition in the list of proscribed organisations made by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Government has taken the total number of banned outfits to 67, Dawn reported on February 11.The latest addition to the list is Yemen-based Al-Rahmah Welfare Trust Organisation (ARWTO) and the reason for its placement on the list of terrorist outfits is said to be its links with al Qaeda. A Federal Minister when contacted told Dawn that ARWTO was found to be having links with al Qaeda. According to an updated list of proscribed organisations placed by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NCTA) on its website, ARWTO was formally banned on December 13, 2018. The only other addition in the list during that year was that of Jundullah, that had been proscribed on January 31, 2018. Jundullah had been formed by Abdol Malek Regi who had been captured and executed in Iran in 2010.With latest addition, number of proscribed outfits rises to 67; Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) continue to be on watch-list.
Four arrested in over hate speech in Punjab
Four people were arrested in Ali Town of Multan District in Punjab on February 14 for their involvement in delivering hate speech of sectarian nature and defaming members of the Government, reports Daily Times. The action was taken over a speech delivered by one of the apprehended suspects at a mosque in Ali Town on December 28, 2018. In the speech made through a loudspeaker, the primary suspect allegedly incited the audience’s religious emotions by issuing statements of sectarian nature and provoked them against the Government of Pakistan and incumbent rulers, according to the first information report (FIR) of the incident, registered on the complaint of a police official against six named and 40-45 unidentified people. Four out of the six named persons have been arrested. According to the FIR, the nominated persons were spreading “sectarianism and bigotry” along with the main accused and raising slogans against the Government. Two of the suspects recorded videos of the alleged hate speech through their mobile phones and later uploaded them onto Facebook and other social media.
Pakistan releases fact sheet on Kulbhushan Jadhav
Pakistan on February 15 released a fact sheet regarding the hearing of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Daily Times quoting Radio Pakistan reported. The ICJ will hear the case starting from February 18. In the fact sheet, Pakistan has presented evidence obtained from Jadhav after his arrest and during the proceedings. India argues that Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav is an innocent businessman who was kidnapped from Iran, brought to Pakistan, and tortured to confess that he was a Commander in the Indian Navy working with India’s Research & Analysis Wing (RAW). India argues that it was entitled to obtain consular access to Commander Jadhav as soon as his detention was made public by Pakistan on March 25, 2016. India argues that the trial and conviction of Commander Jadhav for espionage and terrorism offences by a Military Court on 10 April 2017 was a farce. India contends that the denial of consular access requires the ICJ to at least order the acquittal, release and return to India of Commander Jadhav, the fact sheet reads.
Rejecting all of India’s assertions, Pakistan points to evidence obtained from Commander Jadhav after his arrest, and during the criminal process leading to his conviction as amply demonstrating his activities in fomenting terrorism and engaging in espionage within Pakistan. Pakistan maintains that it would be incompatible with the international law for someone sent as a spy/ terrorist by a State to be afforded access to officials of that State, as India asserts.
Pakistan also points to an express Agreement on Consular Access dated May 21, 2008, between India and Pakistan, which allows each State to consider a request for consular access ‘on its merits’ in a case involving national security. Furthermore, Pakistan points to the uncontradicted evidence that Commander Jadhav was provided with an authentic Indian passport in a ‘cover’ Muslim name by the Indian authorities, as a clear and obvious link between his conduct and the Government of India. Such conduct being a blatant violation of international law should bar any claim for relief from a court. India refuses to reply on this issue and (unconvincingly) describes it as mischievous propaganda, it continues. The fact sheet also mentions six ‘key points’ which India needs to answer.
NSC orders acceleration of anti-terrorism operations reinstate ban on JuD, charity wing FIF
The National Security Committee (NSC) convened at the Prime Minister’s Office on February 21 for a meeting chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, during which the nation’s top decision-makers discussed the geo-strategic and national security environment in light of the Pulwama incident and its aftermath, reports Dawn. Among key outcomes of the meeting was an order to accelerate anti-terrorism operations in the country to re-establish the state’s writ, and the reinstatement of a ban on the Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its charity wing, the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF).
In February last year, former president Mamnoon Hussain had promulgated an ordinance amending the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATC) with regards to proscription of terrorist individuals and organisations to include entities listed by the UN Security Council. The move had resulted in the declaration of JuD and FIF as proscribed groups. However, the two Hafiz Saeed-linked organisations had slipped off the national list of proscribed organisations after the presidential ordinance lapsed. This time, the two organisations have been notified as proscribed organisations by the PTI-led government itself, through the Ministry of Interior. Before the government’s official ban, the two organisations had been under watch by the Ministry of Interior under Section 11-D-(1), read with Schedule-II of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Simultaneously, the NSC also gave formal authorisation to the armed forces to respond decisively and comprehensively to any aggression or misadventure by India. The statement also quoted the PM as saying that this is a new Pakistan and we are determined to demonstrate to our people that the State is capable of protecting them and believes that monopoly of violence stays with State This will not come with commitment alone. We recognise that terrorism and extremism are top issues in the region and the whole region including Pakistan have suffered, the press release stated. That is why the National Action Plan conceived and issued in 2014, outlined concrete sequenced measures with consensus of all political parties and institutions of Pakistan, it further stated.
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Two JMB militants arrested in Rangpur
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two suspected militants, Islam (30) and Shahnewaz Islam (26), of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in separate raids in Rangpur city, reports Daily Star. RAB recovered jihadi books and leaflets from their possession.
JMB militant and key accused in the 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery attack arrested from Chapainawabganj
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant, Sharif-ul-Islam alias Khaled, (27), in the 2016 Holey Artisan bakery attack case, from Haripur area in Nachole upazila (sub-district) on January 25 reports Daily Star. Khaled, a charge-sheeted accused in the case, took part in a meeting of top JMB leaders in Gaibandha in February 2016 when the attack was planned, law enforcers dealing with militancy said. Khaled is also involved in the killing of Prof A. F. M. Reza ul Karim Siddique, a teacher of Raj Shahi University’s English department, on April 23, 2016.
Meanwhile, the arrested JMB militant Sharif-ul-Islam alias Khaled, sent Bangladeshi Taka worth 39 million to JMB leader Sarwar Jahan to fund the café acute; attack, reports Daily Star on January 27. The money came from the Middle East, Mufti Mahmud Khan, Director (legal and media) of RAB, said at a press briefing at the RAB Media Centre in Dhaka on January 26.
RAB detains five members of international drug smuggling gang in Dhaka
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained five suspected members of an international drug smuggling gang from the Kaula area of the capital city on January 28, reports Daily Star. The detainees were identified as Fatema Imam Tania (26), Afsana Mimi (23), Salma Sultana (26), Sheikh Mohammad Badhon alias Parvez (28) and Ruhul Amin alias Saimon (29) Yaba pills (a stimulant comprising a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine), Foreign Currencies and passports were seized from them. The gang operated in multiple countries and has networks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, Mufti Mahmud Khan, RAB’s Legal and Media Wing Director, stated on January 29. The five arrested are linked to a massive haul of drugs in Sri Lanka on December 31, 2018, when Sri Lankan Police seized 272 kilograms of heroin and five kilograms of cocaine during a special operation at a housing complex in Templers Road at Mount Lavinia suburb in the capital city of Colombo.
Four ABT militants arrested in Dhaka suburb
On February 1, four unidentified Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) militants were arrested from Uttara in Dhaka District, reports Bdnews24. According to an alert sent by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), ‘Four active members of the Ansarullah Bangla Team, the militant group involved with the conspiracies to kill eminent figures and online activists, have been detained by RAB-1’.
Two JMB militants arrested
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two suspected militants, Islam (30) and Shahnewaz Islam (26), of Jama’at-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in separate raids in Rangpur city, reports Daily Star. RAB recovered jihadi books and leaflets from their possession.
Arrested ABT militants were planning to attack newspaper editor, states report
The Daily Star reports on February 1 that the militants arrested on February 1 had plans to assassinate an editor of a leading national daily for publishing an article that allegedly criticised the hadith on marriage. The militants belonged to Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and were arrested on February 1 from Uttara suburbs of Dhaka. The arrestees were identified as Shahriar Nafis alias Ammar Hossain, Rasel alias Sajed-ul-Islam Gifari Rabiul Islam alias Nurul Islam and Abdul Malek. According to Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), They had created a cell with 92 people. They had also been looking for arms and a suitable place in Patuakhali for to train themselves. He also added that main plan of the outfit was to ensure the release of their jailed chief Jashim Uddin Rahmani and they were collecting funds to do. Of the arrestees, Ammar joined the ABT in 2017. He was involved with the recruitment of new members to the outfit. He had opened five Facebook groups and kept an eye on secular online activists. He also recruited Rabiul. Rasel, a garment worker, who joined the ABT in 2017. Rasel who had recruited Malek was involved in raising funds and collecting funds.
Ahmadiyya homes come under attack in Rangpur Division
Supporters of three Islamist organisations, Sammilito Khatme Nabuwat Shangrak khan Parishad, Iman Akida Rokkha Committee and Touhidi Janata, attacked and vandalised four houses of Ahmadiyya Muslims in Ahmednagar village of Panchagarh Sadar upazila on February 12, reports Daily Star. Some 500 supporters of three organisations also blocked the Dhaka-Panchagarh Highway in Sher-e-Bangla Park area around 9:00pm. They demanded the cancellation of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat annual conference scheduled for February 22-24, said Golam Azad, Additional Deputy Commissioner (general) of Panchagarh. They also demanded that Ahmadiyya be declared as non-Muslims, he added. At least 40 people, including policemen were injured in the attack.
India – Internal Dynamics
Three IED explosions in Manipur
An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded at Lamphel Sanakeithel area in Imphal West District on January 26, reports Imphal free Press. On the same day, an IED had exploded at Santa Market in Thoubal District. Earlier on January 25, another IED had exploded near Lamphel power in Imphal West District. Later, on January 27, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) claimed responsibility for all the blasts. In a statement issued by the outfit’s ‘publicity and propaganda secretary’, Leibaakngakpa Luwang said the blasts were triggered by its Red Army.
Increased activity of ULFA-I along Assam-Arunachal border, states
The activities of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) is on the rise, particularly in the areas of the State bordering Arunachal Pradesh, reports Assam Tribune on January 27. On the issue of new ULFA-I recruits, security sources said that it is difficult to ascertain the exact number of youths who have joined the ULFA-I in recent times, but it is a fact that the number has increased in comparison to last year.
According to security sources, most of the camps of Assam Rifles (AR) along Myanmar-India border, are located well inside Indian territory and not on the border, which gives an advantage to the militants to sneak through, reports Assam Tribune on January 27. The camps of AR cannot be created right on the zero line because of lack of infrastructure and the militants are taking advantage of the situation.
Two JMB militants arrested in West Bengal
Two Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants, identified as Kadar Kazi and Sajjad Ali, wanted in the 2014 Burdwan blast case, were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Aram Bagh in Hooghly District on January 28, reports New Indian Express. An NIA official stated, they were wanted in the Burdwan blast case. Kazi has also declared a proclaimed offender while Ali was his associate. Official also stated that the duo had returned to West Bengal a couple of months back.
Bengaluru registers maximum number of cybercrimes in 2018
Economic Times on January 31, reports that Bengaluru (Karnataka) registered the highest number of cybercrime cases in 2018. In the year, 5,035 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered in the city. Additionally, according to Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis, 2,945 cases were registered in the state till September 2018 and most of them were in Mumbai. In Delhi, as per Delhi Police, in 2017, only 84 FIRs were registered at the cybercrime cell. In Chennai, as per reports, 5,703 complaints have been received by the cybercrime cell in the past five years.
Two killed in bomb explosion in Manipur
Two civilians (sisters of same family) were killed and one injured in a bomb explosion at Subunglong/ Leishok village in Noney District on February 1, reports Imphal Free Press. The victims have been identified as Gaikhuanliu Kamei and Akhiuna Kamei.
3 civilians killed during exchange of fire by Police and Maoists in Chhattisgarh
Three civilians, including a woman were killed and another injured during an exchange of fire between the Security Forces (SFs) and Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres in the forest of Rengaiguda village in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh on February 2, reports Devdiscourse News. Superintendent of Police (SP), Jitendra Shukla said, Investigation revealed that the woman was resident of Godelguda village and not Naxal cadres. They were caught in the crossfire between security personnel and ultras while they had gone to a forest for some routine work. An inquiry has been initiated into the incident. The kin of the victims will be provided necessary assistance by the district administration and police, the SP said. The identities of the slain and injured victims are yet to be established. During a search of the encounter spot, one muzzle loading gun, a bag containing cash INR 9,058 cash, cordex wires, couple of electronic detonators and gelatin sticks along with other Maoist-related material were recovered, the SP added.
JMB militant arrested in Kerala
The Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police (West Bengal) arrested a Jamaat ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant identified as Abdul Motin from Malappuram District (Kerala) on January 31, reports NDTV. The militant hails from Assam’s Barpeta District He was one of the 15 people trained in handling arms and manufacturing improvised explosive devices at Simulia madrasa in Burdwan (Purba Bardhaman District. According to Police, Abdul Motin had left Bengal for Kerala immediately after the Burdwan incident on October 2, 2014, when an explosive accidentally went off on the first floor of a rented house in Khagragarh area. His presence in Kerala came to light after National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two militants Kadar Kazi and Sajjad Ali, from Arambagh in Bengal’s Hooghly District on January 28.
Explosives recovered from Assam-Awadh express train in Assam
Three bags containing detonators and gelatine sticks were found abandoned on a platform at Guwahati Railway Station on February 4, reports The Hindu. Police found 440 pieces of gelatine sticks in 22 packets, 700 pieces of detonators in seven packets and three bundles of fuse wire. Separately, another bag of explosives was recovered from Jagiroad in Morigaon District. The bag contained 160 pieces of gelatine sticks in eight packets and 500 pieces of detonators in five packets. Both recoveries were made from Awadh Assam express. Police are reportedly exploring the possibility of extremist plan for a major strike in Assam.
Separately, a man was arrested with two grenades from a bus at Bokakhat in Golaghat District, reports Northeast Today on February 4. A revolver was also recovered from the arrestee. The arrested individual has been identified as Nirmal Tirki.
Tribal Parties and NGO’s protest against CAB
ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Tripura
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tripura several tribal parties and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) held a massive demonstration in Tripura demanding the withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) on February 8, reports Nagaland Post. Protest was conducted at Manughat in North Tripura District. The agitation was spearheaded by the newly formed Movement Against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (MACAB), a conglomerate of several NGOs and four tribal outfits, including Tripura’s oldest tribal party Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT). The protesting groups also demanded the withdrawal of sedition charges levelled by the state police against three tribal leaders. MACAB Convener Upendra Debbarma and INPT General Secretary Jagadhish Debbarma told the media that their agitation would be intensified if the government did not meet their two demands.
Section 144 imposed in Guwahati ahead of PM Modi’s arrival
Section 144 has been imposed in Guwahati city ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on February 9, reports Northeast Today on February 8. Authorities have informed that arrests will be made if effigies are burnt in the city.
Celebrations as India nationality law fails
Celebrations have erupted in northeast India after a contentious nationality law put forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government failed to pass.
The proposed changes to the 1955 Citizenship Act would have given Indian nationality to Hindus and other minorities emigrating from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The legislation passed by the lower house of parliament in January sparked angry protests in India’s northeast, long riven by tensions between local tribal and indigenous groups, and settlers from outside.
Modi’s ruling alliance failed to present the bill in the upper house, which adjourned on Wednesday after its final session before general elections due by May. Local media reported that celebrations broke out in some half a dozen northeastern states after it became clear the bill would not be passed.
“It is a historic victory for the people of northeast (India). The people of the seven states in the region stood together in opposing the bill forcing the country’s ruling party to give in”, Samujjal Bhattacharyya from the powerful All Assam Students Union told AFP We are very firm in our opposition and are going to oppose the bill if the BJP government comes to power in the future, he added. The region has been plagued by decades of tensions between local tribal and indigenous groups and settlers from outside, including many Muslims and Hindus from nearby Bangladesh.
While some groups there want to block all outsiders, human rights activists also condemned Modi’s Hindu nationalist government for excluding Muslims in the proposed legislation. They say it will be the first-time religion has been a criteria for nationality in India, which is officially secular.
CRPF sub-inspector killed in landmine blast triggered by Maoists in Bihar
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) sub-inspector was killed in a landmine blast triggered by the Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres during a combing operation in the Langurahi forests in Gaya District of Bihar on February 14, reports The New Indian Express. Raushan Kumar, a sub-inspector of CRPF’s 205 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) battalion was badly injured when a landmine laid by the Maoists in the Langurahi jungles went off. Later, while Raushan was flown to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), he succumbed to his injuries.
Maoist posters found in Odisha blame Narendra Modi Government for Pulwama
Several Communist Party of India-Maoist posters found in Budaguda area of Simanbadi Block (administrative unit) under Daringbadi Police Limits in Kandhamal District of Odisha on February 19, blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Narendra Modi Government at the Centre for the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama, reports Odisha Bytes. The Odisha State Committee of the CPI-Maoist attributed the “fascist policies” of the Modi Government for the terror attack.
Monthly Fatalities
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period Jan 26, 2019 to Feb 25, 2019:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Manipur | 03 | 00 | 02 | 05 |
| Left Wing | 12 | 00 | 09 | 21 |
| Total | 15 | 00 | 11 | 26 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
One person arrested with arms in Rautahat District
Police arrested one person in possession of arms and ammunition from Lal Bakiya river banks in Isnath Municipality of Rautahat District on January 29, reports The Himalayan Times. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Armed Police Force (APF) arrested Nakul Patel (47) of Tikuliya under Gaur Municipality in the District. The APF team recovered one Italian-made 9 mm pistol, one home-made gun, one magazine each and 5 rounds of bullets along with other ammunition from the possession of Patel.
War crimes investigations: Nepal extends deadline
Nepal on Wednesday, Feb 6 approved a third extension for commissions tasked with probing crimes committed during its decade-long civil war, promising changes to make the hamstrung bodies effective.
The commissions had initially been given two years in 2015 to probe abuses by government forces and Maoist rebels during the conflict that left 17,000 dead and others missing without a trace.
But even after four years and two extensions, their mandates were to expire on Saturday without resolving a single case. A parliament meeting passed an amendment to the Transitional Justice Act that allowed a year’s extension.
Law minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal said in his parliament address that the terms of the commissions had to be extended to avoid a legal vacuum.
“The government understands that lawmakers are concerned the issues may not be resolved with the existing structure, working approach and speed of the two commissions. we are committed to finding a permanent solution”, he said.
More than 65,000 complaints have been filed to the two commissions one investigating an estimated 3,000 forced disappearances and the other focusing on crimes such as rape and murder. Critics say the truth and reconciliation process has been poorly designed from the outset and stymied by a lack of funding and political will.
Open transitional justice process, urge ICJ, AI, TRIAL
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Amnesty International (AI) and TRIAL International on February 11, called on the Nepal Government to commit to a transparent and consultative Transitional Justice (TJ) process that complied with international law and the judgments of the Supreme Court, reports The Himalayan Times. The Government has extended mandates of the two TJ mechanisms Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Commission on the Investigation of Enforced Disappearance of Persons (CIEDP) for an additional year and their members till April 13. “A further one-year extension will be meaningless if measures are not taken to secure the independence and impartiality of the commissions”, said Frederick Rawski, ICJ Asia Pacific director, in a press statement. This can only be achieved through a transparent selection process driven by a genuine will to combat impunity not just for conflict victims, but for future generations. The three organisations reiterated their view that the process had till date failed to deliver justice, truth or reparation for victims of crimes under international law and gross human rights violations or establish laws and institutional safeguards to ensure that such crimes are never repeated.
One person killed in bomb blast in Lalitpur
One person among the three people who were critically injured when an unidentified group detonated a bomb with the intention of blowing off the Ncell mobile tower at Nakhkhu, Lalitpur on February 22 night, succumbed to his injuries, reports My Republica. Police identified the victim as Singha Prasad Gurung. Gurung, Pratikshya Khadka and Ayusha Manandhar were injured in the explosion, Deputy Inspector General of Police and Chief of the Metropolitan Police Office Ranipokhari, Shailesh Thapa Chhetri, said. Police investigation into the incident is on at the time of the news reporting.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
Police recover explosives from local Islamist radicals in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Police recovered a haul of high explosives stashed near the Wilpattu national park in Wanathawilluwa in Puttalam District of North Western Province on January 17 following the arrest of four men from a newly formed radical Muslim group, reports Economy Next. Police said in a statement that “Following information received by the CID (Criminal Investigations Department), they found 100 kilos (220 pounds) of high explosives and 100 detonators”. Official sources said the discovery was made during investigations into recent hate attacks against Buddha statues elsewhere in the country in an apparent attempt to spark tensions between majority Buddhists and minority Muslims.
“The information we have at the moment is that a radicalised local group of Muslims are behind the explosives seized on Thursday [January 17], an official said. “We are trying to see if they had any links with extremists abroad. There have been no attacks in Sri Lanka linked to foreign Islamist groups despite local media reports that a 37-year old Sri Lankan had been killed in Syria in 2015 while fighting for Islamic State (IS) group. The latest discovery of explosives in the North Western Province of the island on January 17 is one of the biggest finds since the country ended its decades-long war against Tamil separatists in 2009.
Further, Weekly Blitz on January 27 reports that authorities in Sri Lanka have confirmed that the massive explosives seizure at a remote compound in Wanathawilluwa was actually a training camp for the Islamic State (IS) that attempted to detonate multiple high explosive bombs targeting historic Buddhist monuments in the ancient city of Anuradhapura. This is the first actual terror threat from the Islamic State in Sri Lanka, as the CID hunts for over fifty more named suspects across the island connected to this IS chapter. Already an imam, or Mawlawi, from the remote IS training camp has been arrested; he has confessed in an interrogation that the weapons and high explosives belong to an Islamic State chapter in Sri Lanka.
Amnesty International raises concerns over proposed Counter Terrorism Act in Sri Lanka
The proposed Counter Terrorism Act (CTA) intended to repeal its draconian predecessor, needs substantial amendment to be brought in line with international law, Amnesty International said in a statement on January 31, reports Colombo Gazette. Sri Lanka promised to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) when it cosponsored United Nations Human Rights Council (UHRC) Resolution 30/1 in September 2015 and to replace it with anti-terrorism legislation which would be in accordance with contemporary international best practice. Despite their commitment, the Government of Sri Lanka has delayed doing so by more than three years. Amnesty International is concerned that the proposed legislation falls short in many sections from what the Government promised.
The PTA was a temporary measure when it was enacted in 1979. Consecutive governments have chosen to retain it and the Act has in turn became a permanent feature of Sri Lanka’s criminal justice system. It allows for suspects to be held without charge for up to 18 months, special rules of evidence allowing for confessions to be admissible in court, and for the onus to be placed on a suspect to prove to a court that a statement was made under duress. Since the armed conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) erupted in 1983, tens of thousands of Tamils suspected of links to the LTTE have been arrested and detained under the PTA. The Act was also used as a tool to quell dissent against Government.
INTERNATIONAL
Eight civilians killed in Yemen bombing
Eight civilians were killed and 30 others wounded in a “shocking” bomb attack against a Centre for displaced people in Yemen, the UN said on Sunday, Jan 28. The bombing hit the Centre in the Haradh district in the northwestern province of Hajja on Saturday, according to the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Lisa Grande. She did not name the party behind the attack.
The Iran-backed Huthis have battled a pro-government military coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, for control of the impoverished country for four years, triggering what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Both parties are accused of failing to protect civilians. The Saudi-led alliance, which controls Yemeni airspace, has been criticised by the UN for the killing and maiming of children in air raids. Saudi Arabia’s state-run King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) on Saturday accused the rebels of the attack. This organisation also said eight had been killed and 30 wounded.
Grande said dozens of civilians have been killed in Hajja over the past two months and hundreds of families displaced. More than one million people are food insecure in the province, according to the UN official.
The World Health Organisation says the war has killed an estimated 10,000 people since 2015, when Saudi Arabia and its allies joined the government’s fight against the rebels. 24 million Yemenis more than three quarters of the country’s population are now dependent on some form of aid for survival, and the UN estimates more than 12 million are at risk of starvation. More than 1.13 million Yemenis received emergency food aid in December and aid agencies aim to reach an additional 230,000 people in January.
18 killed in twin bomb attack on Philippine’s church
At least 18 people were killed on Sunday, Jan 28 when a double bomb attack hit a Catholic church on a southern Philippine island that is a stronghold of Islamist militants, the military said, days after voters backed expanded Muslim self-rule in the region.
A powerful first blast shattered pews and left bodies strewn inside the cathedral in the Catholic-majority nation’s restive south as mass was being celebrated. Just moments later a second explosion outside killed troops who were rushing to help the wounded in the smoking and heavily damaged church on Jolo, which is overwhelmingly Muslim.
The bloodshed came less than a week after voters’ decisive approval of a plan to give Muslims in the south more control over their own affairs, which sparked hopes of quelling long-time separatist violence.
Five soldiers, a member of the coast guard and 12 civilians were among the dead while 83 other people were wounded, said regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Besana.
The second bomb was left in the utility box of a motorcycle in the parking area outside the church, a military report said.
Authorities said the notorious Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group could be behind the blasts. The remote island of Jolo is a base of the Abu Sayyaf, which is blamed for deadly bombings, including an attack on a ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 that claimed 116 lives in the country’s deadliest terror assault.
The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network, and has earned millions of dollars from banditry and kidnappings-for-ransom, often targeting foreigners.
UN expert to probe Khashoggi’s murder
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday, Jan 29 met with a UN judicial expert who is looking into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi as Ankara calls for an international inquiry.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and Saudi regime critic, was murdered on October 2 in Turkey in what Riyadh called a rogue operation, tipping the kingdom into one of its worst diplomatic crises.
Turkish authorities have called for an international probe into the killing which took place at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, complaining of Saudi Arabia’s failure to cooperate. Met with AgnesCallamard, UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions, who is in Turkey to investigate the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter, sharing a picture from his meeting in Ankara.
Nearly four months later, the whereabouts of Khashoggi’s body remains unknown and Turkish officials accuse Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of orchestrating the killing an allegation Saudi authority categorically refute. Earlier this month a trial of 11 accused in the murder opened in Saudi Arabia with the attorney general seeking the death penalty for five defendants. During her mission, Callemard is due to meet with Justice Minister Abdul-hamit Gul and Istanbul chief prosecutor Irfan Fidan, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
Pope fears bloodbath in Venezuela
Pope Francis said on Monday, Jan 28 he was terrified the political crisis enveloping Venezuela would descend into a “bloodbath”.
“What am I afraid of? A bloodbath”, the first Latin American pontiff told journalists aboard a plane on his return trip from Panama, adding that the problem of violence terrifies me. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido have been locked in a power struggle since Guaido proclaimed himself “acting president” Wednesday amid fierce protests over economic woes.
The standoff has split the international community between nations that recognize Guaido as president, including the United States and a dozen countries in the region, and those that still recognize Maduro, including Russia and China.
DPRK unlikely to give up all N-arms: US Intel chief
North Korea is not likely to give up all of its nuclear weapons even if President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate a deal with Pyongyang bear fruit, US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said on Tuesday, Jan 29.
The report, an annual assessment of threats against the United States from the entire US intelligence community, said North Korea’s leaders see having a nuclear weapons capability as Critical to regime survival.
It said Kim Jong Un, who is planning a second summit with Trump possibly in late February, is wooing China and South Korea to support its push for Washington to loosen sanctions pressure without making significant nuclear concessions.
Kim has also sought to align the region against the US-led pressure campaign in order to gain incremental sanctions relief, and North Korean statements have repeatedly indicated that some sanctions relief is necessary for additional diplomacy to occur, the report said.
And Kim continues to demonstrate openness to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Coats said in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee. Having said that, we currently assess that North Korea will seek to retain its WMD capabilities and is unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons and production capabilities because its leaders ultimately view nuclear weapons as critical to regime survival, Coats said.
Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption probe ends with dozens detained
Saudi Arabia announced late on Wednesday, Jan 30 the end of a high-profile anti-corruption probe that boosted the state coffers by more than $100 billion and has left dozens detained.
The crackdown on graft launched in 2017 saw hundreds of elite princes, ministers and businessmen held at the luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Many were detained for weeks in the upmarket hotel, but most were released after agreeing significant financial settlements.
The corruption investigation concluded Wednesday with the approval of King Salman, according to a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency. “The public prosecutor has refused to settle the cases of 56 individuals due to already existing criminal charges against them”, the statement said. An additional eight people have seen their cases referred to the public prosecutor after they refused to reach settlements.
“Settlements were reached with 87 individuals after their confession to the charges against them”, SPA said. During the probe more than 400 billion Saudi riyal ($107 billion) were recovered by the state “in the form of real estate, companies, cash, and other assets”.
The figure matches that announced a year ago by the attorney general, who at the time said 56 suspects remained in custody. Saudi’s anti-graft sweep led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been labelled by some critics as a shakedown and power grab, but authorities have insisted the purge targeted endemic corruption.
Eight killed in Philippines
A “fierce firefight” on Saturday, Feb 2 killed five Philippine soldiers and three militants suspected of this week’s deadly cathedral bombing in the nation’s restive south, the military said.
The soldiers battled the Abu Sayyaf militants on the southern island of Jolo, which is the group’s stronghold as well as the site of dual bomb attack on January 27 that killed 21 people at Sunday mass.
After the cathedral bombing, President Rodrigo Duterte singled out the kidnap for ransom group which has previously been blamed for some of the Philippines deadliest attacks and ordered the military to “crush” them. “It was a fierce firefight, regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Besana told AFP, confirming the death toll”. It went on for nearly two hours.
Philippine officials have theorised in public that the cathedral attack was the work of at least one suicide bomber, but have also conceded they have not been able to confirm their suspicion.
Bomb threat shuts Australian airport
One of Australia’s busiest international airports was locked down after a man brandished a knife and made a bomb threat at a food court, prompting travellers to flee in panic, officials said on Sunday, Feb 3
Queensland state police said they evacuated Brisbane Airport’s international terminal late on Saturday after finding a suspicious device when they responded to reports of the 50-year-old man, who spoke Arabic, threatening a woman.
Terrorism was later ruled out as the cause and the man was charged with domestic violence offences, falsely claiming to destroy or damage an aviation facility, and making a hoax bomb threat.
The device was found to be “inert”. but Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said its complex appearance “indicates just the extraordinary lengths that a person has gone to create perception of risk, threat and fear”.
The device looked like a small, black safe with wires sticking out of it, according to a photograph released by police. The man, who was taken into custody by police, is due to face court on Monday. The terminal was reopened after two hours. There have been growing fears of terror-linked attacks by radicals inspired by Islamic State and other groups, with a foiled effort to target an Etihad flight with a crude bomb in Sydney.
IS has not been defeated in Syria, still poses huge threat: UN
The Islamic State group has not been defeated in Syria and continues to pose by far the most significant threat of any terror group, UN sanctions monitors said on Wednesday, Feb 6 contradicting President Donald Trump’s claims that IS is nearly wiped out.
There are between 14,000 and 18,000 IS militants in Syria and in Iraq, including up to 3,000 foreign fighters, according to a report by the sanctions monitoring team presented to the Security Council.
“ISIL has not yet been defeated in the Syrian Arab Republic, but it remains under intense military pressure in its residual territory stronghold in the east of the country”, said the report, using the acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Other acronyms for the group are IS, ISIS and Daesh.
“It has shown a determination to resist and the capability to counter-attack”. Trump stunned Western allies on December 19 by announcing that the United States would pull its 2,000 troops out of Syria, declaring that IS had been defeated.
His assertion has collided with the assessment of his own national intelligence director, Dan Coats, who described the jihadist group as a potent threat in the Middle East and to the West.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a 79-nation meeting in Washington on Wednesday that the United States remained committed to crushing IS but added that the approach could change in an era of decentralized jihad.
The sanctions monitors, who reported on the threat from IS, al-Qaeda and other groups blacklisted as terror groups by the United Nations, said the Islamic jihadists ranked as the most.
IS leadership has been reduced to a dispersed group and is directing some fighters to return to Iraq to join the network there with the aim to survive, consolidate and resurge in the core area, said the report. If successful, ISIL may be expected to revive its focus on external terrorist operations, but for now the ISIL core lacks the capability to direct international attacks, it added.
The extremist group that once controlled large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria remains a global organisation even if the number of external attacks dropped in 2018 compared to 2017.
The report by the UN analysts draws mostly on information provided by UN member states and covers the period from July to December 2018.
US-led strike kills seven children in Syria
US-led coalition air strikes on the last jihadist pocket in Syria on Monday, Feb 11 killed 16 civilians, including at least seven children, a war monitor said.
Eight women and one elderly man were also among the civilians killed while trying to flee towards the Iraqi border, said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The coalition was not immediately available for comment, but has repeatedly said it does its utmost to avoid targeting civilians. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Saturday announced the final push to expel hundreds of diehard jihadists from their last patch of territory in eastern Syria on the Iraq border.
The SDF estimates that up to 600 IS fighters could still remain inside, most of them foreigners. Nineteen IS fighters were killed in clashes with the SDF on Monday, the monitor said.
Nato chief warns Europe
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday, Feb 12 warned Europe against thinking it can manage without the transatlantic alliance, after France and Germany committed themselves to a future joint European Army.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed in a treaty last month to contribute to the creation of a European army drawing stinging criticism from US President Donald Trump.
While Nato supports efforts to get European countries spending more effectively on defence, it is keen to stress that the EU’s work must not duplicate or compete with the alliance. We need to avoid any perception that Europe can manage without Nato Stoltenberg said on the eve of a meeting of Nato defence ministers.
Because two World Wars and a Cold War taught us we need a strong transatlantic bond to preserve peace and stability in Europe. With Britain, the EU’s main military power alongside France, set to leave the bloc on March 29, Nato will become even more important for European defence, Stoltenberg said.
Especially after Brexit it’s obvious that EU efforts cannot replace Nato, because after Brexit 80 percent of Nato’s defence expenditure will come from non-EU members. Trump has repeatedly demanded European Nato countries spend more on their defence but he has mocked the idea of a separate European army. Stoltenberg has said that done properly, recent EU initiatives to better coordinate and harmonise defence spending could help answer some of Trump’s criticisms.
War kills over100,000 babies a year
Germany: At least 100,000 babies die every year because of armed conflict and its impact, from hunger to denial of aid, Save the Children International said on Friday, Feb 15.
In the 10 worst-hit countries, a conservative estimate of 550,000 infants died as a result of fighting between 2013 and 2017. They succumbed to war and its effects, among them hunger, damage to hospitals and infrastructure, a lack of access to health care and sanitation and the denial of aid.
It said children face the threat of being killed or maimed, recruited by armed groups, abducted or falling victim to sexual violence. Almost one in five children are living in areas impacted by conflict more than at any time in the past two decades, said the charity’s CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt in a statement.
The number of children being killed or maimed has more than tripled, and we are seeing an alarming increase in the use of aid as a weapon of war, she said on releasing the report at the Munich Security Conference.
Save the Children said a study it had commissioned from the Peace Research Institute Oslo had found that 420 million children were living in conflict-affected areas in 2017. This represents 18 percent of all children worldwide and was up by 30 million from the previous year.
Egypt police kill seven militants in Sinai
Egypt’s army said on Saturday, Feb 16 seven suspected Jihadists were “eliminated” and 15 soldiers killed or wounded in an attack in the Sinai Peninsula, where troops are fighting the Islamic State group.
Security forces responded to the attack on a checkpoint in restive North Sinai with an “exchange of fire”, army spokesman Tamer el-Refai said in a statement.
An officer and 14 non-commissioned soldiers were killed or wounded, he added, without giving a precise number for the dead. Medical sources in North Sinai told AFP that 11 soldiers were killed in the attack.
Five Boko Haram, four soldiers killed in NE Nigeria
Five Boko Haram fighters and four soldiers were killed in fighting in northeast Nigeria, the military said on Sunday, Feb 16 in the latest clashes between troops and Jihadists.
Army spokesman Sagir Musa said five rebel fighters met their Waterloo as they attempted to overrun a military base in Buni Yadi, in Yobe state, at about 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Saturday.
An officer and three soldiers have lost their lives during the encounter. While five soldiers were wounded are stable and receiving treatment in the Brigade Field Ambulance, he added. Musa said the heavily armed militants were in four-gun trucks and two armoured vehicles. Troops seized weapons and ammunition, he added. In January, two military sources told AFP the Islamic State-allied faction of Boko Haram killed four soldiers and were repelled after air support was called in.
Twin bombing kills 24 in Syria
A double bomb attack killed 24 people, including 10 civilians, in Syria’s Jihadist-held city of Idlib on Monday, Feb 17a war monitor said.
The first blast was caused by a bomb planted under a car in the main city of the Idlib region, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. After ambulances arrived at the site, a motorcycle bomb then detonated, the Britain-based monitoring group said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which the Observatory said also wounded at least 25. Idlib, the last major part of Syria still outside the control of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, is held by an alliance led by Syria’s former al-Qaeda affiliate.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took administrative control of the whole of the region last month, after overpowering smaller Turkey-backed factions. The Islamic State group also has sleeper cells in the area. A local office of the Salvation Government. an administrative body created by HTS, is located on the street targeted by Monday’s attack.
Idlib has been protected from a massive regime offensive since September by a buffer zone deal agreed by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. But it has been hit by sporadic government shelling. Eight years into the conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people, Assad’s government controls nearly two-thirds of the country.
Current Threat Levels:
City/Region Threat Level
Islamabad Level 2 **
Karachi Level 2 **
Lahore Level 2 **
Punjab Level 2 **
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Level 3 **
Peshawar Level 2 **
Quetta Level 2 ***
Upper Balochistan Level 3 ***
Lower Balochistan Level 2 **
Upper / Rural Sindh Level 2 **
Gilgit and Northern areas Level 3 **
Tribal areas, close
to Afghan border Level 3 ***
Index to Threat Level References
Threat Level 1 *
Indicates there is no threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required.
Threat Level 2 **
Indicates there is no specific threat to foreigners, however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised, especially if traveling.
Threat Level 3 ***
Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. 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.
