Suicide Bombings

At least eight people, including five Police officials and three civilians, were killed and 24 others injured in an suicide attack targeting an Elite Force van parked near Gate – 2 of Data Darbar [shrine of Lahore’s patron saint Syed Ali Hajwairi popularly known as {Data Gunj Bakhsh] in Lahore at 8:45am on May 8, reports Dawn. Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz confirmed that five Elite Force personnel were martyred in the blast. Three civilians also lost their lives in the attack. An initial probe has revealed that the explosive contained seven kilograms of explosive material. According to Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Waqas Nazir, 306 Police officials in the city have so far lost their lives in the line of duty.

On night of May 9 security forces (SFs) arrested five suspects believed to be involved in the Data Darbar blast during a raid in Garhi Shahu area of Lahore, reports The Express Tribune. The suspects were picked up after tracing the bomber. Officials said one of the detainees was a rickshaw driver who transported the suicide bomber to Data Darbar. According to officials, investigators have pieced together CCTV footage from across the city to determine the movement of the attacker. Through the clips, the investigators learnt about a tea stall which had opened in the Garhi Shahu area about three months ago and was frequented by the attacker. Other footage showed the attacker getting into a rickshaw that took him to the Data Darbar via the railway station, officials revealed.

Bomb/IED attacks

Three Levies Force personnel were killed and two others injured in an explosion planted near a levies check-post in Shewa tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan District on April 27, reports Daily Times.

At least three people, including a tribal elder named Wali Khan Achakzai, were killed in a blast in Chaman town of Killa Abdullah District in Balochistan on May 8, reports Dawn. Levies forces said Achakzai was returning home from work when the blast occurred, adding that two of his guards were also killed in the explosion while his car was completely destroyed. It was not immediately clear if it was a targeted attack.

Four Policemen were killed and 11 others were injured in a blast near a Police van on May 13 in Mini Market area of Quetta, reports Daily Times. Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan condemned the blast and expressed sorrow over the loss of lives. “Efforts are being made to sabotage peace under a wicked conspiracy,” he said in a statement. Dawn added that Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the blast.

At least three people, including a prayer leader, were killed and 28 others injured in an explosion inside Rehmania mosque during the Friday sermon in Pashtoonabad area of Quetta on May 24, reports The Express Tribune. Quetta Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdul Razzaq Cheema said “At least three people, including prayer leader Hafiz Ata-ur Rehman, have been martyred in the blast, while 28 worshipers have been injured”. The other two worshippers killed were identified as Shahbaz and Sultan. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Operations, Bahram Mandokhail confirmed that up to two to three kilogrammes of explosive material was used in the attack. 

Separately, three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were injured in a bomb blast near the Shella Bagh area of Qila Abdullah District on May 24, reports Dawn. Official sources said that the commandant of the FC’s Chaman Scouts wing Colonel Khurram Javed was on his way to Quetta from Shella Bagh when the blast occurred near the FC convoy. “Commandant Colonel Khurram Javed remained unhurt in the bomb explosion,” a senior Levies official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to media. The explosive device planted in a motorcycle parked on the Quetta-Chaman National Highway was detonated by remote control. No group claimed responsibility for the blast.

Targetted Killings

Unidentified assailants shot dead a journalist Malik Amanullah Khan while he was performing his duty in Paroa Tehsil (revenue unit) of Dera Ismail Khan on April 30, reports Dawn. He was on his motorcycle at around 9am when two assailants who were also riding a bike opened fire on him near Landa Sharif Adda on Multan-Dera Road. He died on the spot. Amanullah Khan is a local reporter who writes for Urdu daily Meezan-e-Adl and chairman of Paroa Press Club and Paroa Tehsil. 

A union council polio officer of the World Health Organization (WHO), Abdullah Jan (35) was killed in the night of May 4 when unidentified assailants opened fire on him in Umary area of Mamond tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur District, reports Pakistan Today. Abdullah Jan was on way to his home when assailants killed him by indiscriminate firing near Umary area and managed to flee the crime scene.

Unidentified assailants shot dead a Police constable in the Mullanpur area of Nishatabad Police station in Faisalabad District on May 5, reports The News. Waqas (36), a constable of Ghulam Muhammadabad Police Station, was sitting at a shop outside his house at Chak 52/JB in Mullanpur, when three unidentified motorcyclists came and shot at and injured him. He was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

Unidentified militants opened indiscriminate fire on labourers working in an agriculture field in the Manjho Shori area of Naseerabad District on May 15, killing three of them and injuring one, reports The Express Tribune. The militants entered Bhusa Mandi in Goth Raees of Manjho Shori targeting labourers working inside. Due to indiscriminate firing, three labourers from Sindh were killed and one received bullet injuries. The deceased were identified as Gangli, Arji and Meer Machi, who came from Tando Adam of Nawab Shah District in Sindh and were daily-wage labourers. The attackers managed to escape.

A prayer leader was shot dead in a suspected ‘targeted attack’ in Sachal area of Karachi on May 24, reports Dawn. Mohammed Arbab (55) was coming out of the Minarul Huda Masjid in Sachal Goth near Murtaza Chowk after offering Fajr (Morning) prayers when unidentified assailants on motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire on him and fled, said Malir Town Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Irfan Bahadur. “It appeared to be a targeted killing incident,” the SSP added. However, he ruled out the possibility of a sectarian motive being behind the murder. He pointed out that the deceased was a prayer leader (Khateeb) of the mosque belonging to the Ahle Hadees school of thought.

Miscellaneous

Pakistan Ranger (Sindh) on April 26 arrested eight suspects, including Lyari gangsters, during raids in different parts of Karachi reports The News. A spokesman for the Sindh Rangers said notorious criminal Shahid Iqbal, associated with the Lyari gang war’s Aziz Baloch group, was arrested in the Kalri area on charges of involvement in a number of extortion cases. In raids carried out raids in Awami Colony, Frere, Ferozeabad and Garden areas, rangers arrested six men, Qaiser Khan, Muhammad Yasir Khan Nabil Shah, Mujahid Ali, Muhammad Zafar and Irfan, for their alleged involvement in a number of street crime and other robbery cases in different parts of the city. In Korangi, Mumtaz Ali Siddiqui, said to be associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London, was apprehended on charges working as a facilitator of criminals.

Further, an alleged hitman belonging to a political party, allegedly involved in the targeted killing of a former Town Nazim, was arrested from Liaquatabad Town of Karachi on April 26, reports The News. The suspect, was identified as Kanwar Imran Ali Khan alias Imran Ejaz, is said to be affiliated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London and was the in-charge of the target killers’ team belonging to the Nazimabad and Gulbahar sector of the party.

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on April 25 convicted four people of attacking two Rangers check posts in Korangi town with explosives, reports The News. The ATC-XIII judge awarded 14 years’ jail terms to Ahmed Hussain Salman alias SP and Ubaidullah Siddiqui alias Habib Kala and 10 years to Salman alias Amya and Kamran Siddiqui alias Kammo. All the four people were found guilty of attacking the Rangers checkpost in Korangi Crossing on March 18, 2016, with hand grenades, injuring three personnel and a civilian, and another checkpost of the paramilitary force was attacked in Korangi 2 _^½ area on March 21, 2016. No casualties occurred in the second attack.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on April 26 arrested four suspected terrorists from near Bahawalpur Bypass area of Multan city under same District of Punjab, reports Daily Times. CTD officials said the accused had made a plan to target sensitive points in the area. Six grenades, ammunition and equipment were recovered from the arrested men. The suspects have been identified as Fazal, Aslam, Gul and Basit.

Two Security Force (SF) personnel were killed and another was injured in separate attacks in North Waziristan District on April 29, reports Dawn. According to official sources, militants opened fire on a checkpost in the Sheen Kandai area of Datta Khel tehsil (revenue unit). As a result, Sepoy Mujahid was killed. In the other incident, security forces exchanged fire with militants along the border in Ghulam Khan tehsil. The sources said that SFs challenged the militants during a search operation in the Meerkhwand top area that led to the shootout. Havaldar Nazeer Meer was killed in the exchange of fire while Naik Qaiser sustained injuries. The militants escaped from the area after the clash.

Police on May 2 arrested two suspects persons along with 75 kilogrammes explosives in the limits of Rustam Police Station in Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reports The Express Tribune. According to Station House Officer (SHO) Mudasir Khan received a tip-off from an informer that two people were trying to smuggle explosives in a white sedan. During the general holdup, Police intercepted the said vehicle and recovered 600 sticks of explosive weighing 75kilogrammes, 28 detonators and 500 meters of Prima cords.

Meanwhile, Police recovered weapons and explosives during a search operation in Karakhela area of Kurram District on May 2, reports The News. District Police Officer (DPO) Rahim Shah said that following a tip-off, the Police conducted a search operation and recovered weapons and explosives from a deserted place in Karakhela area. He said the weapons were stuffed in a crate that include four RPG rocket shells, one each fuse and machine gun, explosives and two improvised explosive devices.

Security Forces (SFs) on May 5 recovered huge quantity of arms and ammunition in Sheen Kamr area of Bara tehsil, reports Daily Times. According to officials, SFs acted on a tip-off and recovered weapons from an abandoned area, likely hidden by unidentified militants. The arms and ammunition include a number of mortar shells, rocket launchers and shells of a heavy machine gun.

One soldier was killed and three others were seriously injured in militant’s attack on Security Forces patrolling on the Pak-Afghan border area of Kher Qamar in Data Khel tehsil (revenue unit) in North Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 6, reports Dawn. One soldier, identified as Asif, was killed, while three others Waqar, Fakhir and Arsalan suffered serious injuries.

Police on May 6 arrested five persons, including a reporter of a daily Urdu-language newspaper, for their alleged involvement in sectarian killings in Karachi, reports Dawn. Deputy Inspector General (DIG), East Zone, Amir Farooqi identified the held persons as Syed Matloob Hussain, a reporter of Daily Jang, Syed Imran Haider Zaidi, Waqar Raza, Mohammad Abbas and Syed Mohtasham.

At least five persons including three Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were killed in two separate terrorism-related incidents in Khosat area of Harnai District in Balochistan on May 9, reports Daily Times. As per details, at least two labourers were killed when unidentified militants opened fire on a coal mine in Khosat area. After the incident, FC personnel rushed to the spot and a vehicle carrying the FC personnel collided with landmine. As a result, three FC personnel killed. The killed labourers were identified as Syed Shah and Habib Ullah. The slain FC personnel were identified as Junaid, Shafiq and Khudaye Noor.

Two militants were killed in Boya area of Datta Khel tehsil (revenue unit) in North Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as Security Forces (SFs) carried out military operations against militants on May 9, reports The Express Tribune. According to the District administration statement, SFs carried out targeted operations in Boya area and killed two militants, who had been involved in attacks on military personnel.

The Security Forces (SFs) on May 16 killed nine Islamic State (IS) militants during an hours-long raid in a mountainous area called Qabu Koh-e-Mehran in the Mastung District of Balochistan, reports Daily Times. Four SF personnel were also wounded in the operation. “Nine bodies (of Islamic State militants) have been brought to hospital from Mastung,” Waseem Baig, a spokesman for the Civil Hospital Quetta said. “We acted on intelligence reports of a Daesh hideout. A sizable cache of arms and ammunition, including rocket launchers, and several suicide vests were also recovered during the raid” a senior official of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Balochistan Police said.

Three Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militants, including a commander Shams Qalandrni were shot dead on May 17 during an operation carried out by Security Forces (SFs) in the Dashat-i-Gorran area of Kalat District in Balochistan, reports Dawn. The other deceased militants were identified as Zafar Ali and Shoaib. Security officials said that intelligence agencies, along with Security Forces (SFs), had launched an operation in the Dashat-i-Gorran area after receiving information about the presence of militants there. The militant opened fire on the SFs after which a heavy exchange of fire continued for several hours, killing three militants.

Two militants were killed in a clash with Security Forces (SFs) in Lewanai Pewar village of Lakki Marwat District on May 23, reports The News. An official source said that the SFs stationed at Chega Lar Paakhel were carrying out search operation in Lewanai Pewar village when they learnt about the presence of militants. The soldiers came under militant’s fire when they reach the area, forcing SFs to retaliate. Two militants were killed in the ensuing gun battle. The slain militants were identified as Wazir Zaman, a resident of Haramatala (Lakki Marwat District) and Zubair of Jandola (Tank District).

A suspected militant was killed during an exchange of fire with Security Forces (SFs) in the Tump area of Kech District in Balochistan on May 25, reports Dawn. According to security officials, Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were passing by the Gomazai area of Tump when armed men opened fire on them. The FC personnel retaliated, and heavy exchange of fire continued for a while. As a result, an attacker was killed while the rest managed to escape. Security officials handed over the body to Levies for identification, who was identified as Mehrab Khan.

PAKISTAN

Lahore surpasses Karachi, Islamabad in crime control

The Lahore, provincial capital of Punjab, surpasses Karachi and Islamabad in controlling crime and moves 36 steps down from the 138^th position with crime index 46.9 in 2018 to 174th (42.06) in 2019, reports Dawn. The World Crime Index for 2019 released the periodically updated crime status of 319 mega cities of the world, including three of Pakistan Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Karachi and Islamabad dropped 11 and six notches, respectively, in the list of the cities reporting bad crime rate. According to the periodically updated Crime Index 2019, Islamabad ranks 232 with crime index of 32.88 and Karachi 61 with 58.43 crime index. In 2018, Karachi ranked 50 with crime index 62.20 and Islamabad 226 (38.05) that showed both the cities improved their positions during a period of one year or so. Provincial metropolis, Karachi, Islamabad drop 36, 11 and six notches, respectively on World Crime Index 2019.

Over 900 policemen have lost their lives in Balochistan since 2009, says Balochistan IG Mohsin Hassan Butt

Balochistan Inspector General of Police Mohsin Hassan Butt while talking to the media on April 30 said that since 2009, 911 Police officials across Balochistan have been killed while combating terrorists which include two Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG)s, two Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)s, one Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), 19 Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)s, 23 Inspectors, 75 Sub-Inspectors (SI), 54 Assistant sub-inspector (ASI), 164 Head Constables, 552 constables and 79 class four employees of the Police department, reports Dawn. “Balochistan police have rendered great sacrifices to protect the lives of the people and restore peace to the province. They have never bowed down against terror,” he said.

Three soldiers killed and seven others injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Afghan cross-border attack

Three soldiers were killed and seven others injured when a group of 60 to 70 terrorists from bases in Afghanistan attacked Pakistan Army troops undertaking fencing efforts along the Pak-Afghan border in Alwara area of North Waziristan District on May 1, reports Daily Times. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said “The attack was effectively responded and repulsed by troops in the area. Scores of terrorists were killed and injured. In exchange of fire, three soldiers Lance Naik Ali, Lance Naik Nazeer and Sepoy Imdad Ullah embraced martyrdom. Seven other soldiers were injured”. “While Pakistan’s security forces are solidifying border security through fencing and construction of forts to deny liberty of action to the terrorists, Afghan security forces and the authorities need to have more effective control in border region to support Pakistan’s efforts as well as deny use of Afghan soil against Pakistan,” the ISPR stated. “Pakistan’s fencing efforts will continue despite all such impediments,” it asserted.

Jundullah militant named in CTD’s Red Book arrested from Karachi

The Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) on May 1 arrested a Jundullah militant Khan Badshah, who went by the aliases Umer Farooq, Khan, Maviah, Bacha and Bihari from Paracha Chowk area of Shershah locality in Keamari Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, reports The News. The arrested militant’s name is also mentioned in the Red Book of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). The Rangers spokesman said that the militant had been working with Jundullah’s Haji Mumtaz alias Hamza Group. During the initial investigations, the suspect revealed that he and his accomplices had transported a large cache of weapons to Karachi from Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that the weapons were used against the CTD in a 2007 shootout in Shah Latif Town.

The suspect also disclosed that in 2007 he and his accomplices had committed a robbery at a bank located on Rashid Minhas Road and made off with PKR 1.7 million. In 2008 they committed a robbery at another bank and made off with PKR 3 million. During the same year they committed a robbery at a bank’s Malir Halt branch and made off with PKR 3 million, and on resistance they shot a security guard there. In 2010 there was an encounter in Shah Latif Town with the Police in which he managed to escape. In October 2013 he had targeted several persons in the Ittehad Town area and in 2017 he and his accomplices had committed a robbery at a bank’s Liaquat Market branch and made off with PKR 3 million, and on resistance they had murdered a Police official and two security guards. He is also an expert in making bombs.

Pakistan has taken steps to eliminate terrorism, says United States

The United States (US) on May 2 acknowledged that recently both civil and military leaders in Pakistan have taken steps to eliminate terrorism, reports Dawn. At a news briefing, a senior US official told reporters that Washington did not want to get involved in Pakistan’s internal politics but it did expect the country’s civil and military leaders to correct the situation.“ We support the civilian government. We support the nascent democratic system there,” the official said. “We support the fact that Prime Mister Imran Khan says right things and appears to be trying to make some changes within Pakistan,” he added. “But only time will tell if he is successful in doing that. ”The official noted that Pakistan’s military was also supporting these changes.

Iran engaged to curb militants’ cross-border movement, says Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mehmood Qureshi told the National Assembly on May 2 Pakistan had positively engaged Iran to curb the cross-border movement of militants, reports Dawn. Pakistan had a 905-kilometre border with Iran and wanted to keep it peaceful, the FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi said. He said certain elements were trying to hurt the relationship between the two countries by carrying out terrorist activities in both countries. He said he had met the Iranian foreign minister four times twice in Islamabad and one time each in Tehran and Istanbul. In these meetings, they discussed the “border challenges”. “We have cooperated with each other, some steps have been taken. We are increasing some of our Frontier Corps regiments, we are building a headquarters in Turbat so that there is a rapid response, our helicopter surveillance near the border has increased, and we have agreed on the formation of a joint border centre and border fencing,” he said.

Government bans 75 outlawed groups from collecting charity during Ramazan

Government on May 5 banned outlawed organisations from collecting charity during the upcoming holy month of Ramazan, reports Daily Times. It may be pertinent to mention here that extending financial assistance to the outlawed groups in the name of charity has been made a punishable offence under the law. Any person violating the relevant laws could receive a 10-year-sentence as well as fine by a court of law. According to a media report, people in Pakistan donate up to USD 4.5 billion annually to help the poor and needy in the name of charity. Last year, the authorities announced a program to prevent banned militant groups from getting hands on billions of rupees in public donations and charities.

Nine persons including four militants killed in Gwadar Pearl Continental hotel attack in Balochistan

Five persons including a Pakistan Navy soldier were killed in a terrorist attack on Pearl Continental hotel in Gwadar town under same District of Balochistan on May 11, reports Dawn. The Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) statement on May 12 said four militants were killed during the clearance operation in the hotel. Six persons including two Army captains, two Pakistan Navy soldiers and two hotel employees were injured in the incident. According to the ISPR, three terrorists had attempted entry into the hotel with an intent to target or take the guests hostage. The Majeed Brigade of Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed responsibility of the attack, saying in a statement the attack was aimed at Chinese and other foreign investors.

Two militant ‘facilitators’ arrested along with suicide jackets in Karachi

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Sindh Police on May 20 claimed to have foiled a major terror activity by arresting two militant facilitators during a raid conducted on a tip-off at an interprovincial bus stand in Sohrab Goth of Karachi, reports The News. CTD officials said that they arrested facilitators of a banned militant outfit for their alleged involvement in transporting the suicide vests from Afghanistan to Karachi. Two suicide jackets that were confiscated from their possession. According to CTD in-charge Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ali Raza, each of the suicide jackets carried around four and a half kilograms of explosives and they were hidden in two room refrigerators. The jackets were dispatched to Karachi from Afghanistan by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) to be used in major suicide bombings in the city, the DSP added.

BANGLADESH – Internal Dynamics

Former JeI members to float new party not based on religion

A number of former leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) have taken an initiative to form a political party that will not be based on religion, reports Daily Star. “We believe in religious freedom of every citizen. We will not form any religion-based political party,” one of the former JeI leaders involved in the process said.

Unidentified militant killed in explosions at Bosila ‘militant den’

At least one person was killed in explosions at a suspected militant hideout located in Metro Housing Project in Bosila area of Mohammadpur in Dhaka District on April 29, reports Daily Star. Several explosions took place at the tin-shed house between 3:30 am and 4:45am after the members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) cordoned off the house suspecting a militant den, said Mufti Mahmud Khan, Director of RAB’s legal and media wing. RAB has also detained the caretaker of the house and an Imam of a nearby mosque for interrogation.

Three Policemen injured in Dhaka

Two traffic constables and a community policeman were injured in a crude bomb blast in the Gulistan area of Dhaka (Dhaka District) in Dhaka Division on April 30, reports Daily Star. Islamic State (IS) later claimed responsibility, however, Security officials have stated that they are examining the claims.

PBSP ‘zonal commander’ killed in gunfight with Police in Rajshahi Division

A ‘zonal commander’ of outlawed Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party (PBSP) was killed in what a gunfight with Police in Sherpur upazila(sub-District) of Bogra District in Rajshahi Division on May 1, reports The Daily Star. The deceased is identified as Shafi-ur-Rahman Jyoti (65). Police recovered a locally made gun, three bullets, a sharp weapon and a motorcycle from the spot. Shafiur stood accused in 13 cases, including five for murder, filed with different Police Stations. He had been sentenced to 84 years in jail on charges of attacking and looting Natore’s Gurudashpur Police Station.

Saudi-born Bangladeshi IS fighter arrested in Dhaka city

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on May 5 arrested Motaj Abdul Majid Kafiluddin Bepari, a Saudi Arabia-born Bangladeshi, in Dhaka city (Dhaka District) who returned to the country in February after fighting for the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, reports Dhaka Tribune. Police recovered a passport, a Saudi Arabian ID card, Saudi driving licence, an iPhone, and Bangla translations of several essays on Khilafah in Bangladesh was from Motaj’s possession.

Two PCJSS activists killed in separate incidents in Bangladesh

On May 9, a supporter of Parbatya Chattogram Jana Sanghati Samity-MN Larma (PCJSS-MN Larma) was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Sadar Upazila in Bandarban District of Bangladesh, reports The Daily Star. The deceased individual was identified as Joymoni Tongchangya. According to Superintendent of Police (SP) the assailants also abducted a PCJSS member identified as Puladon Tongchangya from Rajbilla area in Bandarban District. Earlier on May 7, another PCJSS member was shot dead at Taingkali Para area in Sadar upazila in Bandarban District of Bangladesh. Uchow Mong Marma, president of PCJSS-MN Larma (Bandarban unit), alleged that Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) of Myanmar, locally known as Mogh Bahini, was involved in the killings.

INDIA – Internal Dynamics

Two SF personnel killed in Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh

Two Security Force (SF) personnel were killed and two villagers injured when cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) fired at District Reserve Guards (DRG) team near Tenguda Police camp in Pamed area in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on April 27, reports The Times of India. Police said that the two constables Arvind Minj and Sukku Hapka were killed in the Maoist attack while firing by the Maoists which also hit a couple of villagers, who sustained injuries. A ‘small action team’ (typically comprising four-five rebels) of Maoists first opened indiscriminate fire at them and later also attacked them with sharp edged weapons, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), anti-Naxal [Left Wing Extremism, LWE] operations, Sundarraj P, said. Later the Maoists fled towards the nearby forest area.

Indigenous Muslims in Assam demand ‘original inhabitants’ status fearing an identity crisis

Fearing an identity crisis due to large scale inclusion of Bengali-speaking Muslims in the complete draft National Register of Citizens, the indigenous Muslims have demanded the State Government to accord the ‘Original Inhabitants’ (OI) status to the community, reports The Sentinel. “The Indigenous Muslims of Assam are often confused with the Muslims of East Pakistan and many times considered Bangladeshis. The indigenous Muslim groups are either converts from local communities or war prisoners of the Mughal-Ahom wars. So we have a completely different identity and such an identity must be safeguarded,” eminent lawyer and social activist Nekib ur Zaman said.

Retired Police officer arrested in Delhi for providing arms to pro-Khalistani militants

A retired Delhi Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) was arrested on April 24 from an unspecified location in Delhi for providing arms pro-Khalistan militants, reports Time of India on April 30. The arrestee identified as Sunderlal Parashar was arrested by NIA. He was sent to judicial custody on April 30 till May 14. NIA alleged that the retired Police officer had exchanged 250 calls with another a terror suspect in the case identified as Harpal Singh. He was active on social media, by calling for a separate Khalistan and attempting to revive the militancy, according to National Investigation Agency (NIA). Harpal Singh was arrested on December 2, 2018 by Pune Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). NIA also allege that the accused were planning jail breaks to free Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militants. Also arrested in the case in December was Delhi resident identified as Mohiuddin Siddiqui. It was alleged that in November 2018 Siddiqui had handed over the illegal weapons to Harpal Singh through another individual.

IS names new emir in ‘Bengal’ and warns of strikes in India and Bangladesh

Islamic State (IS) affiliate group on April 30 named one Abu Muhammad al-Bengali as its new emir in ‘Bengal’, and further issued a direct threat to carry out terror strikes in India and Bangladesh, reports Times of India. “If you think you have silenced the soldiers of the Khalifa in Bengal and Hind and you are certain about that then listen we men are never to be silenced And are thirst for revenge is never to be faded away (sic),” the IS poster released in Bengali, English and Hindi reads.

Maoists warn Government, contractors not to hold developmental work

A day after Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres killed 15 personnel of the C-60 commandos in a landmine blast, Maoists operating in the forests of Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra, bordering Chhattisgarh, once again made their presence felt by putting up banners and posters warning the Maharashtra Government, private contractors and firms against building roads and bridges in the region, reports The Pioneer on May 3. The CPI-Maoist cadres through its local Divisional Vigilance Committees (DVC) put up posters and banners in villages on May 2, thus warning the State Government, private contractors and firms to desist from taking up vital infrastructure projects in the area. The posters and banners – prepared in red and white coloured sheets and clothes said that water, land, forests and mines belonged to all the people and by building roads and bridges, these were being to be handed over to a few industrialists for their profiteering. The banners also accused top industrialists and their agents of indulging in the ‘chamchagiri’ (stooges) of “(Prime Minister Narendra Modi)” and (Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to get such projects for their ‘vikas’.

Three SOG personnel sustain injuries in Landmine explosion in Odisha

Three personnel of Special Operations Group (SOG) were injured when a landmine allegedly triggered by Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres exploded in Maithili area in Malkangiri District of Odisha on May 11, reports Ommcomnews.com. According to Police, the SOG personnel had planned a combing operation in the area after having received information about a meeting that had been convened there by Maoists of Bastar division last night (May 10). Over 30 Maoists had reportedly planted the landmine suspecting movement of Security Force (SF) personnel in the region. Following the explosion, an exchange of fire also took place between the SF personnel and Maoists. While one trooper was admitted in Malkangiri District Headquarter Hospital (DHH), the other two critically injured SF personnel were immediately air-lifted to Vishakhapatnam District Hospital in Andhra Pradesh, after their condition deteriorated. Combing operations have been intensified in the area following the incident, Police added.

11 persons including NPP MLA killed in ambush in Arunachal Pradesh

On May 21, 11 people including the National People’s Party (NPP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Tirong Aboh and his son were killed in an ambush at 12^th mile in Khonsa-Deomali road in Tirap District in Arunachal Pradesh, reports Arunachal 24. The fatalities include two Personal Security Officers (PSO’s) and MLA’s son. Two, including one PSO have been wounded in the attack.

Indian Express reports National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) militants are suspected to be behind the attack. The ambush occurred when the convoy of MLA was returning from Dibrugarh in Assam to Khonsa in Tirap District. The MLA was seeking re-election in the State Assembly election and was vocal against NSCN-IM targeting political workers in the area in his election campaign. He had also spoken against violence had had stated in a gathering that ‘Politicians who do not have the guts to fight elections on their own merit should not use underground elements’.

Two Assam Rifles personnel killed in an encounter in Nagaland

Two Security Force (SF) personnel belonging to the Assam Rifles (AR) were killed and four others sustained injuries, after suspected militants ambushed an AR patrol in Mon area in Mon District of Nagaland along the Indo-Myanmar border on May 25, reports NDTV. According to PTI, the patrol was passing that way in two vehicles when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off around 1:30 pm. The blast was followed by a fierce exchange of gunfire between SF personnel and the suspected militants, which resulted in the two deaths. The two AR personnel killed included one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO). No militant outfit has owned responsibility for the attack, yet.

Congress leader hacked to death by Maoists in Chhattisgarh

A congress leader was hacked to death by Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres at Kistapar under Bhairamgarh Police Station in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on May 25, reports India Today. The deceased has been identified as Sahadev, who was dragged out of his house and hacked by the Maoists just a few kilometres away from the local Police Station.

Monthly Fatalities

The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period Apr 26, 2019 to May 25 2019:

	Civilian	Indian Security Personnel	Militant	Total
Arunachal P	09	02	00	11
Meghalaya	02	00	00	02
Left Wing	18	17	13	48
Total	29	19	13	61

NEPAL – Internal Dynamics

NHRC might withdraw its representative from recommendation committee to put pressure on Government, says report

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) could withdraw its representative from a recommendation committee formed to select new officials for the two transitional justice bodies as a last resort to put pressure on the Government to revise the amendment bill to the National Human Rights Commission Act 2012 and to initiate the process to amend the existing transitional justice Act, reports Kathmandu Post on May 3. A member of the commission said Prakash Osti, who is representing the commission in the recommendation committee, could be recalled if the Government did not promptly take positive steps to address the commission’s concerns. Govinda Sharma Paudyal, who heads the publicity department at the commission, said the constitutional watchdog’s decision will depend upon the move of the Government. “Voices to call our member Osti back from the recommendation committee are getting stronger. If the government doesn’t correct its mistake, a decision to that effect is possible,” he told the Post.

Two Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN cadres arrested in Tanahun District

Police on May 7 arrested two cadres of Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) from the Tanahun District of Province 4, reports Republica. The arrested are Shiva Shankar Adhikari and Tek Bahadur BK alias Bibek. Adhikari is said to be the head of the District-level parallel Government whereas BK is the member of the District Committee.

CPN-Maoist-Chand cadre arrested in Jajarkot District

Police arrested a cadre of Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Chand) from Jajarkot District of Province No. 6 on May 14, reports The Himalayan Times. Kailash Pun, also known as Deep Lama, was arrested from his own residence located at Karkigaun of Chhedagad Municipality-13 on the charge of being directly or indirectly involved in Government banned activities.

One person injured in bomb attack in Saptari District

Shyam Goit, uncle of Balan Bihul Rural Municipality chair Daya Nanda Goit, sustained minor injuries in a bomb attack at the residence of the Rural Municipality chair in Saptari District of Province No. 2 on May 17. Meanwhile, Coordinator of Akhil Terai Mukti Morcha, Jaya Krishna Goit, contacted media persons and claimed responsibility for the incident. He said the blast was carried out as a warning. He cited financial irregularities by the Rural Municipality chair and lack of support towards their cause as reasons behind the explosion.

SRI LANKA – Internal Dynamics

One person arrested with 46 swords and suicide west in a Mosque in Sri Lanka

A person was arrested along with 46 swords in the Slave Island area in Colombo in Western Province on April 25, reports Colombo Page. The arrest was made during a search operation, carried out by Police commandos. The stock of swords was found hidden under the bed of the Moulavi of Kadil Jumma Mosque near the Defence College in Slave Island. In addition to the swords, a suicide west without explosives was found in the same mosque.

Meanwhile, 20 camouflage military uniforms were recovered from another mosque in Kollupitiya, near Temple Trees in Colombo in Western Province on April 25, reports Colombo Page. One suspect, a student of a higher education institute at Malabe was taken into custody along with the stock of military uniforms, security sources said.

15 persons killed in Sri Lanka

Fifteen dead bodies were found at a house where several explosions took place in Kalmunai in Ampara District of Eastern Province on April 26, reports Colombo Page. Among them were bodies of six males, three females and six small children. Another five persons were also injured in the explosions. According to Sri Lanka Army Media Spokesman, two terrorists, suspected to be from an Islamic terrorist organization were among the 15 dead after the shootout. The Security Forces (SFs) had come under gun attack when they attempted to search the house at Saindamarudu area in Kalmunai on April 26. According to the Army, the troops on intelligence tip-off given by the Police were proceeding towards to check a safe house of suspected terrorists when they triggered three explosions and began firing towards the troops. Troops retaliated and raided the safe house where a large cache of explosives had been stored.

Meanwhile, troops at Nintavur detected a brand-new unregistered van, suspected to be belonging to the National Towheed Jamat (NTJ)’s leader, Saharan’s brother-in-law, named Niyas, reports Colombo Page. Following detection of two ID cards, initial reports confirmed the said van had been bought in Akkaraipattu on cash on April19, 2019.

Also, Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara on April 26 said that 80 suspects had been arrested so far on suspicion of having links with the recent terror attacks, reports Daily Mirror. Police on April 26 arrested 10 suspects during the search operations carried out island wide.

Huge cache of explosives and Islamic State’s uniforms, flags recovered in Sri Lanka

Security Forces (SFs), during a raid, recovered a huge cache of explosives and Islamic State (IS) uniforms, flags from a house in Sammanthurai in Ampara District of Eastern Province on April 26, reports Colombo Page. SFs recovered IS uniforms, flags, 150 sticks of explosive Gelignite, about 200,000 ball bearings, batteries, wires, a drone camera and various items for manufacturing bombs, including urea and other chemicals. The place was identified as the location where the photos of National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) suicide bombers pledging their leader were taken. Sources said that it was the place where the NJT leader, Mohamed Hashim Mohamed Zahran had recorded the video footage of the suicide bombers pledging their leader, which had been sent to the media two days ago. The IS’s black uniform, the shoes as well as the flag in the background of the video were among the items found in the raid on April 26.

106 suspects arrested in connection with Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Police and Security Forces (SFs) have so far arrested 106 suspects in connection with the deadly Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks on churches and hotels in the country that killed 253 persons, reports Colombo Page on April 27. The Police said that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has questioned a number of the suspects.

The Police Media Spokesman’s Office on April 27 said that 20 suspects were arrested during the preceding 24 hours. Kattankudy Police during a raid arrested seven suspects including the driver of Zhahran Hashim, the leader of the April 21 suicide bomb attackers. In a joint operation conducted by the Kalpitiya Police and the Navy, a suspect, who was in the possession of 50 SIM cards and other incriminating items, was arrested. The 40-year-old suspect is a Tamil medium teacher at a school in Horana area. Police also seized a laptop, seven CDs and two smart phones. The special attention of the Police is focused on why the suspect was in the possession of 50 SIM cards.

In a special joint operation conducted by the Army and Police in Vavuniya town, 10 suspects were arrested. On information received, main roads were blocked and search operations were carried out for nearly three hours. Security has already been confirmed in the area.

Meanwhile, two suspects were arrested in Damgedara area in Galle during a search conducted on information received of a school managed by the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ). One of the suspects is the principal of the school; and the other is a doctor who has served as an instructor. The Galle Police are conducting further investigations.

Face veils banned in Sri Lanka from April 29

Muslim women in Sri Lanka will not be allowed to wear face veils in public from April 29 under the emergency regulations, reports Colombo Page. President Maithripala Sirisena has taken steps under the emergency regulation to prohibit the use of face coverings of all sorts which is an obstacle to ensure the identity of the people and a threat to national and public security, the President’s Media Division said. The order clarifies that the key criterion for establishing the identity of a person is the need to clearly expose the face. The President has taken this decision to establish a peaceful and cohesive society which does not inconvenience any community people as well as ensure national security.

New laws will be introduced against extremism, says Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on April 28 said that introducing legislation against extremism is a priority for the Government and new laws will be introduced to eliminate jihadism from the country, reports Colombo Page. The Prime Minister said the anti-terrorism draft bill tabled in parliament last year should be debated and passed urgently. He said during the week a number of facts about the attack have been uncovered and many of those who participated in the attack were identified and arrested. “The suspect in connection with the jihadist attacks should be identified and produced before the law promptly. The government, President, the cabinet and I have given the orders to end this jihadi terrorism. We do not expect another 30-year war,” he said.

Four persons arrested with 600 units of military fatigues in North Western Province

Police on April 29 arrested four persons with 600 units of military fatigues found from two houses in Kurunegala District of the North Western Province, reports Daily Mirror. Among the other items recovered were four swords, two Kris knives, one air rifle, several accessories of a walkie-talkie and five rolls of fabric used in sewing military fatigues. The Police also found 21 fake rubber seals which they allege were meant to be used in preparing fraudulent documents for overseas travel. They suspect these items were arranged by Muslim fundamentalists for an impending attack.

12 kilograms of high explosives recovered in Northern Province

Police Commandos had detected 12 kilos of high explosives and electronic devices from a forest area in Shanthipuram area in Mannar District of Northern Province, reports The Island on May 6. More suspects had been arrested along with weapons and other military and propaganda material, Police Spokesperson, SSP Ruwan Gunasekera said.

Anti-Muslim riots lead to killing of a person in North-Western Province

Mobs attacked and killed an unidentified Muslim man at his carpentry workshop in Puttalam district, reports The Hindu. The incident happened despite a nationwide curfew imposed on May 13 night after anti-Muslim riots spread to three districts. Police said there were sporadic incidents of mobs throwing stones and torching shops, motorcycles and cars owned by Muslims. Mobs set ablaze at least three shops in Hettipola town. Following the riots, a nationwide curfew was announced on May 13 adds Colombo Page. Sri Lankan authorities have temporarily curbed the use of social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.

INTERNATIONAL

22 Syrian govt troops killed in attacks

Attacks by two Jihadist groups killed at least 22 Syrian government troops and militiamen in the northern province of Aleppo early on Saturday, Apr 27 a war monitor said.

Thirty others were wounded in the assaults by Al-Qaeda’s former Syria branch, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and its ally Hurras al-Deen, which remains affiliated to the global Jihadist network, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The attacks in the southern and southwestern countryside of Aleppo province were launched shortly after midnight and triggered clashes that continued until dawn, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. He said the fighting subsided after Russian aircraft struck Jihadist positions in the area, prompting the fighters to pull back.

Eight Jihadists were killed, he added.

Russia aircraft also carried out strikes in neighbouring Hama province early on Saturday, killing five civilians, the Observatory said. On Friday, Russian strikes killed 10 civilians in Idlib province, the hub of territory held by the Jihadists of HTS in northwestern Syria.

The latest Russian air raids came after two days of talks on the Syrian conflict between Turkey, Russia and fellow government backer Iran in Kazakhstan earlier this week.

The three governments expressed concern over the growing power of HTS in Idlib and parts of adjacent provinces, and determination to cooperate to eliminate the Jihadist group.

The civil war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it began with the bloody repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has not ruled out a situation where Syrian forces, backed by Russian air power, would launch a full-scale assault against terrorists in Syria’s northern province of Idlib.

Around 90,000 militants are estimated to be holed up in Idlib, which has a population of some three million.

Pope appeals for evacuation of refugees in Libya

Pope Francis called on Sunday, Apr 28 for the evacuation of refugees held in detention camps in Libya, particularly women and children, as fighting there escalates.

“I make an appeal that especially the women, children and sick can be evacuated as soon as possible through humanitarian corridors,” Francis said at the Sunday prayer at the Vatican. Their situation “which is already very serious, has become even more dangerous due to the ongoing conflict,” he said.

A group of around 140 refugees is expected to arrive in Rome from Libya on Monday. Humanitarian groups and international organisations are alarmed at the situation of thousands of migrants trapped in detention centres in Libya, as fighting rages between forces loyal to the Tripoli-based government of national unity and those loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar.

Libya, long a major transit route for migrants desperate to reach Europe, is home to around 6,000 migrants who are held in official detention centres, according to the International Organisation for Migration. Hundreds more are held by armed groups elsewhere in the war-hit country.

Suspect in Iran cleric’s murder ‘shot dead’ by police

A man accused of murdering a cleric in western Iran was killed in a shootout with police on Sunday, Apr 28 the semi-official news agency ISNA reported.

Behrouz Hajilouyi, a “thug with a criminal record,” allegedly shot Mostafa Ghasemi twice using a Kalashnikov rifle in front of the seminary where the cleric worked in Hamedan province on Saturday, ISNA said. Hajilouyi confessed to the crime in a now-deleted post on his Instagram account, the Fars news agency reported.

Authorities are yet to put forward a motive for the killing. Two police officers were injured by Hajilouyi in the 20-minute shootout, he added. Hajilouyi’s Instagram account shows photos of him posing with pistols, shotguns and automatic rifles. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reacted to the killing by calling on the police to crack down on firearms trade online.

UAE spy suspect found ‘hanged’ in Turkish prison

A suspected Emirati spy who was detained by Turkish authorities 10 days ago has killed himself in prison, a Turkish government source and state media said on Monday, Apr 29.

The suspect was found dead in Silivri prison, on the outskirts of Istanbul, state news agency Anadolu reported. A Turkish justice ministry source confirmed the report to AFP. Istanbul prosecutor’s office later said the suspect was found hanged on Sunday.

The man was taken into custody with another alleged spy as authorities probed whether they were tied to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October in Istanbul. The suspect was later formally charged with “military and political” and “international espionage”, according to Anadolu.

Khashoggi was killed and dismembered on October 2 after he went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain paperwork ahead of his upcoming marriage. While the kingdom initially denied having any knowledge of what happened to the former insider turned critic, Riyadh later blamed rogue Saudi agents for his killing. The Saudi public prosecutor has charged 11 people with Khashoggi’s murder.

Gunmen kill pastor, four others in Burkina church attack

Gunmen killed four worshippers and a pastor in the first Jihadist attack on a church in Burkina Faso, security and local sources said on Monday, Apr 29 in the latest violence to rock the formerly peaceful west African nation.

Sunday’s raid took place in the small northern town of Silgadji near Djibo, the capital of Soum province. “Unidentified armed individuals have attacked the Protestant church in Silgadji, killing four members of the congregation and the main pastor,” a security source told AFP.

“At least two other people are missing,” the source added. It was the first attack on a church since Jihadist violence erupted in Burkina Faso in 2015. Former colonial ruler France has deployed some 4,500 troops in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in a mission codenamed Barkhane to help local forces try to flush out Jihadist groups.

“The attackers were on motorbikes. They fired in the air before aiming at the members of the congregation,” the witness added. Burkina Faso has suffered from increasingly frequent and deadly attacks attributed to a number of Jihadist groups, including the Ansar ul Islam group, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.

The raids began in 2015 in the north before targeting the capital Ouagadougou and other regions, notably in the east. A total of 350 people have been killed since 2015 -mainly in hit-and-run raids according to an AFP tally. The Jihadist groups regularly target both Muslim and Christian clerics, mainly in the north.

Iran arrests 32 over support for cleric’s alleged killer

Iran has arrested 32 people who had expressed support online for a man accused of murdering a cleric, semi-official news agency ISNA reported on Tuesday, Apr 30.

Behrouz Hajilouyi allegedly shot Mostafa Ghasemi on Saturday outside the seminary where the cleric worked in the western Hamedan province. He had confessed to the crime in a now-deleted post on his Instagram account, Fars news agency reported.

“Thirty-two people who had left messages of support for Behrouz Hajilouyi on his personal Instagram page were identified and arrested,” Hamedan police chief Bakhshali Kamrani told ISNA. Hajilouyi’s Instagram account shows photos of him posing with pistols, shotguns and automatic rifles. He was shot dead in a firefight with police on Sunday after his car was tracked, according to Kamrani who has not put forward a motive for the cleric’s killing.

Boko Haram kills 21 in Nigerian village attack

Boko Haram fighters killed 21 people when they stormed into a village in northeastern Nigeria and set it on fire, residents said on Tuesday, Apr 30.

The militants, packed into four trucks and flanked by gunmen on motorbikes, swept into the village of Kuda in northeast Nigeria’s Adamawa state late on Monday afternoon, firing as they came.

Villagers fled the attack, but returned on Tuesday to bury the dead left amid the charred wreckage of their homes. “They opened fire on residents, killing 21 people,” said community leader Maina Ularamu. “They burnt several homes.” Ularamu lost three brothers-in-law in the attack.

Many villagers were terrified and were still hiding in surrounding bush, and those who came back did so to give funerals to those killed, he added. The village of Kuda lies in the Madagali district of Adamawa state, some 285 kilometres north of the state capital Yola. There was no immediate official response from the army or police. The attack is the latest in a long line of massacres carried out by Boko Haram in the area, who have hideouts in the dense forests nearby.

Cyber spying activity

Russia and China are stepping up “worrying” cyber spying activity, including last year’s plot to hack the world chemical weapons watchdog, the Dutch intelligence service warned on Tuesday, Apr 30. Moscow’s expanding conventional and nuclear forces are also a threat to the Netherlands and all of Europe, the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) said in its annual report.

“Offensive (cyber) activities, in particular by Russia and China, are worrying,” the MIVD report said, adding it had uncovered “various digital espionage attempts” in 2018.

In April 2018 the Netherlands expelled four alleged agents from Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency for trying to hack the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. The Dutch broke with their usual practice of keeping such operations secret and exceptionally revealed details of the plot in October, in coordination with US and British authorities. “That was necessary to increase the resilience of society, because less naivety means greater alertness to possible unwanted influences,” MIVD chief General Onno Eichelsheim said.

Iraqi premier warns IS weakened, not defeated

Iraqi Premier Adel Abdel Mahdi said on Tuesday, Apr 30 the Islamic State group had been militarily weakened but not defeated as the recent deadly Sri Lanka bombings had shown.

An IS propaganda video released Monday with a purported appearance by the Jihadist group’s elusive supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi showed him in what appeared to be a “very simple and isolated” location, Mahdi said on a visit to Berlin.

“One and a half years ago Daesh controlled large areas in Iraq and Syria, and now Baghdadi appears in an isolated, unknown location,” he said about the world’s most wanted man, using another name for IS.

“He did not seem to be among his followers like the first time in Mosul”, he said, referring to a 2014 video in which Baghdadi announced the birth of IS’s much-feared “caliphate” across swathes of Iraq and Syria.

After losing its last remaining territory in the Syrian town of Baghouz in March, “IS has not completely disappeared but suffered painful blows”, the Iraqi premier said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Mahdi cautioned that IS “will try to rebuild trust among its fighters, will try to launch further operations” like the Sri Lanka April 21 attacks which killed more than 250 people. “Daesh was broken, but if little cells are left, it could reactivate and resurface and commit painful attacks,” he added, according to interpreted remarks.

15 killed in northern Nigeria

A fleet of 150 gunmen on motorbikes rode into two villages in northern Nigeria, murdering at least 15 people, stealing cattle and torching houses, police said on Thursday, May 2. The gang attacked two villages, Gobirawa and Sha Ka Wuce, in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state late on Tuesday night.

12 killed in pro-regime attacks in Syria

Attacks by Syrian regime forces and their Russian allies killed 12 civilians in the country’s northwest on Friday, May 3 in the latest violation of an eight-month-old truce, a war monitor said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said four women were among the 12 people killed in shelling and airstrikes on several towns and villages in Idlib and neighbouring Hama province. “The attacks have been continuously escalating for four days,” Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman told AFP.

An AFP correspondent saw intense bombardment of southern Idlib on Friday, when warplanes dropped bombs that sent huge plumes of grey smoke billowing into the sky. Idlib and nearby areas have been protected from a massive regime offensive since a September deal inked by Damascus ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey.

But the region, currently harbouring some three million people, has come under increasing bombardment since the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took full control of it in January. The escalation has killed 200 civilians and displaced nearly 140,000 since February, according to the UN. Abdul Rahman said shelling and airstrikes in recent days have primarily targeted positions and bases belonging to former al-Qaeda affiliate HTS and other armed groups.

Militants kill 18 Mali civilians

Armed men killed 18 civilians in two ambushes in Mali’s restive central region, officials said Friday, May 3.

Twelve were killed on Wednesday as they went towards a blast that killed a soldier, a local official told AFP. When did these 12 did not return, six members of their community set out to look for them on Thursday, only to be killed by the same group. The bodies of the first 12 had been booby-trapped with explosives, a security source added, though it was not clear whether this was how the second group had died.

The deadly series of events were unleashed when a Malian army vehicle transporting rations exploded near the village of Tigula, killing a soldier, on Wednesday. “Having heard the explosion, villagers went towards the scene when terrorists intervened to execute them,” said a local official from the Mondoro commune of which Tigula is part.

Tension escalates as 16 killed in Israel’s Gaza strikes

Israel carried out waves of retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, May 5 after Palestinian rockets hit Israeli cities, in a deadly escalation that has shown no signs of slowing and raised fears of war.

Gazan authorities reported 16 Palestinians killed, including at least six militants, by Israeli strikes in the fighting that began Saturday with massive rocket fire from the strip. Israel however disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant woman and a baby, blaming errant fire from Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the enclave. Three people were killed in Gaza rocket and missile strikes on southern Israel on Sunday. Two were confirmed as Israeli, the army said.

The flare-up came as Hamas sought further concessions from Israel under a fragile months-old ceasefire. The Palestinian dead included a commander for Hamas´s armed wing who Israel said it targeted due to his role in transferring money from Iran to militant groups in the Gaza Strip. It was a rare admission of a targeted killing by Israel´s army.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed the military “to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip.” He said he had also ordered “tanks, artillery and infantry forces” to reinforce troops already deployed near Gaza.

Guns, explosives seized in Sudan raid

Sudan’s controversial paramilitary force said its troops on Monday, May 6 seized several guns, explosives and ammunition during a raid in Khartoum, not far from where thousands of demonstrators are holding a sit-in.

The Rapid Support Force, Sudan’s counter-insurgency unit, said the raid on a house in the capital’s eastern district of Al-Taif followed reports of “strange activity” there. The RSF had “thwarted an attempt to sabotage the security and stability of the country, and seized large quantities of weapons, ammunition and explosives”, it said, adding that several arrests were made.

It did not specify the quantity or type of guns and explosives seized. The raid comes as thousands of protesters remain camped outside the military headquarters in Khartoum, about seven kilometres away.

The RSF, formerly made up of militiamen accused by rights groups of abuses in the conflict-wracked Darfur region, now forms part of the Sudanese armed forces. It was formed in 2013 under the rule of ousted president Omar al-Bashir to fight rebels in Darfur.

 

Gunmen kill six during Catholic mass in Burkina Faso

Gunmen killed a priest and five churchgoers during mass on Sunday, May 5 in an attack on a Catholic church in Dablo, northern Burkina Faso, security sources and a local official said.

“Towards 9.00 am, during mass, armed individuals burst into the Catholic church,” the mayor of Dablo, Ousmane Zongo, told AFP. “They started firing as the congregation tried to flee.”

The attackers between 20 and 30 according to a security source managed to trap some of the worshippers, Zongo added. “They killed five of them. The priest, who was celebrating mass, was also killed, bringing the number of dead to six.”

The gunmen then set fire to the church, several shops and a small cafe before heading to the local health centre, which they looted, burning the chief nurse’s vehicle. “There is an atmosphere of panic in the town,” said Zongo.

The attack came two days after French special forces freed four foreign hostages in the north of the country in an overnight raid that cost the lives of two soldiers. The operation was ordered to free French hostages Patrick Picque and Laurent Lassimouillas who disappeared while on holiday in the remote Pendjari National Park in Benin on May 1.

Malaysia foils IS-linked plot, seizes explosives

Malaysian police said on Monday, May 6 they have arrested four militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group who were in possession of explosives and planned to attack non-Muslim places of worship.

The suspects a Malaysian who led the group, two Rohingya from Myanmar and one Indonesian were detained last week in raids around Kuala Lumpur and in eastern Terengganu state.

Malaysia’s national police chief Abdul Hamid Bador described them as an “Islamic State cell” and said they planned to “assassinate high-profile individuals and attack Hindu, Christian and Buddhist places of worship in Malaysia”.

He did not give any details about who the high-profile individuals were. Police also seized six improvised explosive devices, a pistol and 15 bullets, he said. The planned attacks were to avenge the high-profile death of a Muslim fireman during riots at an Indian temple outside Kuala Lumpur last year, police said.

Police are hunting for three more members of the suspected terror cell who allegedly planned to attack entertainment outlets. Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia regularly announce IS-related arrests but it is rare for police to seize explosives or weapons.

Malaysia practices a moderate brand of Islam and has not seen any notable terror attacks in recent years. But security forces are on alert for militants from Malaysia and other parts of the region heading to the country after IS lost the last of its territory in the Middle East. Authorities say scores of Malaysian radicals flocked to fight with the Jihadists in Iraq and Syria. 

America orders non-emergency embassy staff to leave Baghdad, Arbil

The US on Wednesday, May 8 ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Arbil, as tensions mount between the United States and Iraq’s neighbour Iran.

Washington has ramped up pressure on Tehran in recent days, accusing Iran of planning “imminent” attacks in the region, and bolstering the American military presence in the Gulf. A State Department advisory announcing the partial embassy closures warned of numerous terrorist and insurgent groups active in Iraq, including “anti-US sectarian militias” who could “threaten US citizens and Western companies throughout Iraq.”

The US last year shut its consulate in the protest-hit southern Iraqi city of Basra, blaming “indirect fire” by Iran-backed forces. Tensions have sharply escalated between arch-rivals Washington and Tehran since US President Donald Trump withdrew last May from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who has made rolling back Iranian influence in the region a top priority last week paid a surprise trip to Baghdad in a move to bolster ties with Iraq.

Pompeo told reporters he had made the trip because Iranian forces are “escalating their activity” and said the threat of attacks were “very specific.” The top US envoy met with Iraq President Barham Saleh and Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, and spoke to them “about the importance of Iraq ensuring that it’s able to adequately protect Americans in their country.” 

KSA accuses Iran of ordering drone attack on oil pipeline

Saudi Arabia’s deputy defense minister on Thursday, May 9 accused Iran of ordering an attack on Saudi oil pumping stations that Yemen’s Houthi militia has claimed responsibility for. The attack “proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran’s regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda,” tweeted Prince Khalid bin Salman, a son of King Salman.

“The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts.”

The Houthis, which have been battling a Saudi-led military coalition for four years, said they carried out Tuesday’s drone strikes against the East-West pipeline, which caused a fire but Riyadh said did not disrupt output or exports.

The head of the Houthis’ Supreme Revolutionary Committee denied that Iran directed the strike and said the movement manufactures its drones locally. Tehran also denies providing arms to the Houthis. “We are not agents for anyone,” Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said. “We make decisions independently and do not take orders for drones or anything else.”

Other Saudi officials fired off similar tweets, ratcheting up pressure on the kingdom’s regional archenemy amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran over sanctions and US military presence in the Gulf.

Boko Haram militants kill 13 villagers in east Chad

Boko Haram Jihadists have killed 13 villagers in eastern Chad, where they have become increasingly active, local authorities told AFP on Friday, May 10. Armed militants targeted the village of Ceilia early on Thursday morning, killing the local chief and his family and setting fire to homes before killing another nine people on their way out, said Dimouya Soiapebe, a Lake Chad province official. Soldiers did not arrive in time to stop the killings. The attackers “came very early in the morning to surprise the villagers in their sleep”, during the holy Muslim month of Ramazan, said Soiapebe.

Gunmen kill 19 in DR Congo

At least 19 people were killed when gunmen attacked a fish market in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo near Lake Albert, local officials said on Sunday, May 12.

No group has claimed responsibility, but the region around Ituri province has been hit in the past by intercommunal violence between militias from the Hema and Lendu communities.

“Nineteen corpses were found in the village of Tara on the edge of Lake Albert, and eight others were wounded,” said Pilo Mulindo, a local community leader in Djugu territory. “The attack happened on Wednesday when armed bandits attacked a group gathered on the beach to set up a market,” the official said.

Blast hits Egyptian tourist bus

An explosion struck a tourist bus on Sunday, May 12 near Egypt’s famed pyramids, injuring 17 people including foreigners, security and medical sources said.

South Africans and Egyptians were among those injured when an explosive device went off, hitting the bus in Giza, according to the sources. No deaths were reported. Images circulating online showed some of the bus windows shattered.

Sunday’s incident comes after three Vietnamese holidaymakers and their Egyptian guide were killed when a roadside bomb hit their bus as it travelled near the pyramids outside Cairo in December.

Authorities have gone to great lengths to lure tourists back, touting a series of archaeological finds and a new museum next to the pyramids, as well as enhanced security at airports and around ancient sites.

The industry has slowly picked up, with tourist arrivals reaching 8.3 million in 2017, compared with 5.3 million the previous year, official statistics showed. But that figure was still far short of the record influx of 2010 when more than 14 million visitors flocked to see the country’s sites.

Trump threatens ‘official end’ of Iran amid tension

US President Donald Trump made a fresh threat against Iran in a tweet Sunday, May 19.

“If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran,” Trump tweeted on Sunday afternoon. The president’s new tweet is an escalation of his tough stance on Iran.

In an interview the Fox News that aired on Sunday, Trump said that he will not let Iran have nuclear weapons. “I don’t want to fight. But you do have situations like Iran, you can’t let them have nuclear weapons you just can’t let that happen,” he told Fox News host Steve Hilton.

Over recent weeks, Washington has ratcheted up pressure against Tehran with a series of sanctions, designations and military threats, following Washington’s year-long campaign against Iran after the US exit from the landmark Iran nuclear deal in May last year.

Also on Sunday, the US Navy announced that it had conducted training exercises in the Arabian Sea. The exercises included air to air training, steaming in formation and maneuvering, and establishing joint communications to rapidly enable a command and control environment, according to the Navy.

The chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said here on Sunday that the Islamic republic is ready to fend off the US war threats against the country.

Turkey orders arrest of 249 foreign ministry staff

Turkish authorities on Monday, May 20 ordered the arrest of 249 past and present foreign ministry personnel suspected of ties to the group blamed for a failed 2016 coup, the prosecutor’s office said.

At least 78 have already been detained, the office in the capital Ankara said. The latest crackdown is part of a probe in 42 cities into alleged irregularities in the foreign ministry entrance exam in favour of members of a movement led by US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen.

The suspects joined the foreign ministry between 2010 and 2013, according to the prosecutor’s office. Fourteen are currently serving in the ministry, while the rest had already been removed from their posts, a judicial source told AFP.

Ankara blames Gulen and his followers for orchestrating a failed coup in 2016 aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The movement denies the allegations and insists it is a peaceful group promoting education and moderate Islam.

Iran warns US of ‘painful consequences’

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif warned the United States on May 20 of “painful consequences for everybody” if there is an escalation in tensions with the Islamic republic.

Zarif also accused the US of “playing a very, very dangerous game” in an interview with CNN aired on Tuesday. “There will be painful consequences for everybody if there is an escalation against Iran, that’s for sure,” he said.

Tensions have risen between Washington and Tehran as the US has deployed a naval carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over unspecified alleged Iranian “threats”. “Having all these military assets in a small waterway is in itself prone to accident particularly when you have people who are interested in accidents. So extreme prudence is required and we believe the US is playing a very, very dangerous game,” Zarif said.

US President Donald Trump further stoked the fire in a tweet on Sunday that suggested Iran would be destroyed if it attacked US interests. On Monday Trump appeared to play down the immediate threat posed by Iran and said he was ready to talk if Tehran takes the first step.

But Zarif said that Iran is “not going to talk to people who have broken their promises.” He was referring to Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal last year and reimposition of sanctions that had been lifted in exchange for Iran scaling back its nuclear programme.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech on Tuesday that whenever Trump’s administration threatens Iran, international and domestic pressure means “they regret it in less than two hours”.

“All those with the responsibility of the world on their shoulders tell the White House that this was a very dangerous thing to say and the Pentagon’s pressure makes the president apologise and say we don’t mean to wage war or attack,” he added.

Saudi media accuses Yemen rebels of missile fire at Makkah

Saudi-owned media accused Yemeni rebels Tuesday, May 21 of targeting Islam´s holiest city Makkah after Riyadh and its allies said they had intercepted two missiles over the kingdom.

The exiled Yemeni government, which is based in Saudi Arabia, echoed the claim but the Huthi rebels denied any such attack. Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said two missiles were shot down between Jeddah and Taiz districts of Makkah province on Monday but did not elaborate on the suspected target or who fired them.

However both satellite news network Al-Arabiya and pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat said the missiles were fired by Yemen´s Huthi rebels at Makkah. They said it was the third such launch by the Huthis targeting the holy city since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in the war in Yemen in March 2015.

The Huthis denied any such missile fire, adding that they would have claimed responsibility if they had been behind a launch. “We wouldn´t be embarrassed to claim any operation to defend our people and land,” a rebel spokesman said in a tweet. 

Armed group kills 26 in CAR: UN

More than 26 people were killed on Wednesday, May 22 and many were wounded when an armed group attacked two villages in northwestern Central African Republic, the UN’s peacekeeping mission said.

The massacre took place in the villages of Koundjili and Djoumjoum, Mankeur Ndiaye, head of MINUSCA, said in a tweet on Wednesday. Ndiaye said MINUSCA “utterly condemns” the killing, and vowed: “The authors of crimes such as these will be sought, arrested and brought to justice.”

The slaughter was the biggest single loss of life since the government and 14 militias signed a deal in February aimed at restoring peace to one of Africa’s most troubled countries. A UN source said the killings were carried out by a group called 3R, which hosted a meeting with the villagers and then gunned them down indiscriminately.

The militia was one of the 14 groups that signed that February 6 peace accord a controversial arrangement under which the government gave out key positions to warlords and would set up mixed units of regular troops and militiamen.

The head of 3R, Bi Sidi Souleymane, also known as Sidiki, was appointed one of three “special military advisors” to the prime minister, in charge of setting up the combined unit. The CAR has been struggling to recover from the bloodletting that erupted when former president Francois Bozize, a Christian, was overthrown in 2013 by mainly Muslim Seleka rebels. 

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.