Bomb/IED attacks
Five people including two Policemen were killed and 27 injured in a blast with explosives placed in a motorcycle was near a Police Station near Bacha Khan Chowk in Quetta city on July 30, reports Daily Times. The next day, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the bike blast, reports Dawn.
Two Army personnel, including an officer, were killed while four others critically injured on August 5-evening when a remote-controlled bomb went off by the roadside in Niaga Banda area of Mamond Tehsil (revenue unit) of Bajaur District, reports Dawn. According to officials, the Army personnel were on routine patrol when their vehicle hit a roadside remote-controlled bomb in Niaga Banda area. The dead personnel were identified as Major Saqib and Sepoy Maroof while four injured soldiers were Arif, Sohil, Imran and Niaz Ahmad. No one claimed responsibility for the blast.
One man belonging to the Hazara community was killed and 13 others sustained injuries as an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded inside a shoe market on the Mission Road of Quetta on August 6, reports Daily Times. Quetta Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abdul Razzaq Cheema said a terrorist, pretending to be a customer, bought a pair of shoes and placed the explosive device packed in a box outside the shop. “As he walked away from the Jinnah Shoe Market, the device exploded, killing one Hazara shoe vendor and injuring 13 others mostly belonging to Shia Hazara community.”
At least 10 people were injured on August 7 when an explosive device went off while it was being defused in Azakhel Payan village of Nowshera District, reports Daily Times. The bomb located in Azakhel Payan village exploded when a bomb disposal squad (BDS) personnel tried to diffuse it. Among the injured were five security personnel. The five security personnel were identified as Habibullah Wazir Khan, Arif Noor Habib, Naeem Khan Ghulam Muhammad, Azmat Hashmat Ali and Noorullah Noorzada. The five civilians were identified as Abdul Aziz Azizullah, Waheed Rahmat, Habibullah Rustam, Saeed Nawab Rahmat and Hayat Abdur Rehman.
Two persons were injured in two blasts in different areas of North Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on August 8, reports Pakistan Today. The first blast occurred in Datta Khel Tehsil (revenue unit) in which one Sajjad was injured, while the second took place near a passenger coach in Mir Ali Tehsil, injuring one Qaisar.
The brother of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada was among four persons killed and another 25 sustained injuries in a bomb blast at Al-Haj mosque in Kuchlak area of Quetta on August 16, reports Daily Times. The prayer leader Hafiz Hamdullah who lost his life in the blast, was a younger brother of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. Mullah Haibatullah was not there at the mosque at the time of blast but his son sustained injures. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the blast. “It was a timed device planted under the wooden chair of the prayer leader,” said Abdul Razzaq Cheema, the Chief of Police in Quetta.
At least six persons were killed and 17 others injured on August 18 when a remote-controlled bomb went off near a passenger bus in the Gumadand area of Sheringal tehsil (revenue unit) in Upper Dir District, reports Daily Times. According to District Police Officer (DPO) Mian Naseeb Jan, the bomb was installed in a car. Police said a double cabin bus was targeted in which four passengers died on the spot while two others injured succumbed to injures on their way to hospital. The 17 injured included three Police officials as well.
Separately, two Security Force (SFs) officials were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Laddha tehsil of North Waziristan District in the August 17-night, reports Pakistan Today.
Targetted Killings
Unidentified assailants killed a former militant commander in Akka Khel area under Bara tehsil (revenue unit) in Khyber District on August 2, reports Dawn. Police officials said that two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on Noor Rehman, who was a member of a banned outfit, killing him on the spot. The assailants managed to escape from the scene after the incident leaving behind their motorcycle which was later seized by the local Police. Officials said that Noor Rehman had surrendered to SFs sometimes ago and had also undergone special treatment in a de-radicalisation centre and was only recently released.
Police Sub-Inspector Malik Dost Muhammad Awan was shot dead by unidentified militants in Pishin town (Pishin District) August 6, reports Dawn. Official sources said that unidentified militants entered the official residence of Malik Dost Muhammad Awan in Pishin town and opened fire, killing him on the spot. The attackers managed to escape after the incident. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing.
Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Mir Nawab Amanullah Zehri among four persons were shot dead in Khuzdar town under same District in the night of August 16, reports Daily Times. Zehri’s grandson and two other friends were also gunned down in the incident, Levies personnel said.
Miscellaneous
A driver of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) container sustained bullet injuries when unidentified persons opened fire on a container truck carrying supplies to Afghanistan near Takhta Baig check-post under Jamrud tehsil (revue unit) of Khyber District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on July 26, reports Dawn. Khyber District Police Officer (DPO) Hussain Khan said that the attackers targeted the vehicle from the front and fled before Police reached the site.
Four Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were killed when a contingent of FC troops was fired upon by militants from across the Pak-Afghan border in Turbat District of Balochistan on July 27, reports Dawn. The troops killed include Captain Aaqib, Sepoy Nadir, Sepoy Atif Altaf and Sepoy Hafeezullah. “While the security of the tribal areas has been improved with efforts now focused on solidifying the western border, inimical forces are attempting to destabilise Balochistan, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted adding that “their efforts shall [InshAllah] fail”.
Three Security Forces (SFs) personnel were killed and another was injured in a militant attack on the Malkan SF checkpost in Razmak area of North Waziristan District on August 2, reports The News. The dead soldiers were identified as Naik Abdul Jabbar and sepoys Asif and Nizamuddin. One soldier, Mohammad Ismail, was injured in the attack.
The Pakistan Navy on August 7 seized 1600 kilogrammes of hashish during an intelligence-based operation in the maritime limit of Makran in Gwadar District of Balochistan, reports The Nation. According to Navy spokesperson, the drug worth USD 32 million was handed over to anti-narcotics force for further interrogation.
Four militants were killed during a search operation carried out by Security Forces (SFs) in Kulachi tehsil (revenue unit) of Dera Ismail Khan District on August 16, reports Daily Times. According to a statement issued by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the operation was launched on a tip-off about the presence of militants in the forests near Bacha Abad and its suburbs in the Kulachi tehsil. SFs came under attack from various locations as they combed the forests for the militants. However, the SF personnel remained safe. At least four militants were killed in the counterattack. Two of them were identified as Javed Malana and Abdur Rehman Ustrana. They were wanted in eight different acts of terrorism, including attacks on the SFs and a Police mobile in Parova area.
PAKISTAN
Six Army personnel killed in cross-border militant attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Six Army personnel were killed when militants from across the Afghanistan border opened fire on a border patrolling party near Gurbaz area of North Waziristan District on July 27, reports Dawn. “Terrorists from across the border fire raided on Pakistan Army border patrolling party 6 soldiers embraced shahadat,” a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) read. The deceased soldiers include Havaldar Khalid, Sepoy Naveed, Sepoy Bachal, Sepoy Ali Raza, Sepoy Mohammad Babar and Sepoy Ahsan.
Pakistan playing role to facilitate Afghan peace process, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on July 29 told the National Assembly that regional peace is linked with peace in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan is playing its role in facilitating the Afghan peace process, reports Daily Times. Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Imran kept on saying that peace in Afghanistan was possible only through dialogue. He said the stance of US government towards Pakistan has changed during the 11 months of incumbent government. He said the US has agreed that there is no military solution in Afghanistan, adding that a new journey has started with the US government.
TTP warns against playing music and women going out alone in Miramshah town of North Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan on July 31 warned people against playing loud music, polio vaccination and women going out without being accompanied by a man, saying people defying the warning will face consequences, reports Dawn. The one-page message in Urdu seen by people in Miramshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, cautioned the people: “We remind you [residents] that similar statements issued by Taliban several times in the past had fallen on deaf ears, but this time we are going to take to task those who violate the Taliban order.” The message further said: “There will be no use of DJs, neither inside the house nor in open fields and those ignoring the warning will be responsible for consequences”.
Polio workers have been asked to do finger-marking of children during the vaccination campaign, but told not to administer polio drops to children or be ready to face dire consequences for defying the instruction. “Women shouldn’t go out of their homes alone as it is harmful for our society. There is one informer of Mujahideen in every three people and it was misconception on the part of the people to think we will not get information about non-compliance of our order. Follow the order or be ready to face worst consequences,” the message concluded.
PM Imran Khan asks KP Governor to make contact with Afghan leadership
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on July 31 gave responsibility to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Shah Farman to hold contacts with political leadership in Afghanistan, reports The News. The PM emphasised that better relations at all levels were in the interest of the peoples of the two countries for achievement of common objectives. The Governor called on the PM’s Office during which Shah Farman was entrusted with the responsibility. According to the PM’s Office, the KP Governor would make contacts with his counterparts in Afghanistan for strengthening the mutual relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In this connection, Shah Farman will extend invitations to different Governors of Afghan provinces to visit Pakistan and will also pay a visit to Afghanistan.
Punjab CTD charge-sheeted JuD chief Hafiz Saeed of terror financing in Gujranwala District ATC
Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was declared guilty of “terror financing” by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Gujranwala District of Punjab on August 7. India. Saeed, an UN-designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, was presented before the Gujranwala ATC in high security where he was charge-sheeted of terror financing by the CTD of Punjab Police. A CTD official said that it submitted challan in the ATC declaring Saeed guilty of terror financing. “Since the case is related to Mandi Bhauddin District of Punjab therefore the prosecution requested the court to shift it to Gujrat ATC court (some 200-km from Lahore),” he said. On the prosecution’s request, the ATC Gujranwala shifted the case to the Gujrat ATC. He said next hearing of the case (which is yet to be fixed) will be held in the Gujrat ATC.
Pakistan may redeploy troops from Afghan border to Kashmir, says Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Asad Majeed Khan
Warning that the Kashmir crisis could get worse, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed Khan on August 12 raised the possibility that Islamabad might redeploy troops from the Afghanistan border to the Kashmir frontier, a shift that could complicate American peace talks with the Taliban, now said to be in the final stages, reports Daily Times. In an interview with the New York Times editorial board, Majeed Khan emphasised that the Kashmir and Afghanistan issues were separate and that he was not attempting to link them. On the contrary, he said, Pakistan hoped the American talks with the Taliban would succeed and that Islamabad was actively supporting them. “We are doing all that we can and will continue to do so,” Ambassador Khan said. “It’s not an either or situation.” Nonetheless, the Pakistani envoy said that India’s crackdown on Indian-held Kashmir as it annexed the state “could not have come at a worse time for us”.
Three reviews to determine Pakistan’s place on FATF list
Three separate evaluations currently in progress will determine Pakistan’s possible exit from the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) by the mid of October, Daily Times reported on August 21. A senior Government official told Dawn that Asia-Pacific Group the regional affiliate of the FATF was currently conducting in Canberra (Australia) five-year mutual evaluation of Pakistan’s progress on upgrading its systems in all areas of financial and insurance services and sectors. This round is not directly linked to Pakistan’s performance on its highest-level commitments with the FATF on money laundering and terror-financing, but its assessment report can indirectly impact the country’s position to move out of the grey list. The assessments, represented from Pakistan by State Bank of Pakistan Governor Baqir Reza, will conclude on August 23.
Lahore Police gear up for terror threat in Muharram, says report
Lahore Police are extensively engaging different stakeholders to devise a comprehensive plan to ensure security during Muharram, especially at a time when severe threats are looming large, The Express Tribune reports on August 24. The force is also conducting internal police conferences and mock exercises to gear up for all eventualities. As part of the plan, Lahore Police took Peace Committee Members on board. Two days ago, the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) presided over a meeting held at Police Lines Qila Gujjar Singh. Committees and delegations from different sections of society were present and the purpose of the engagement was to ask them play an active role in maintaining interfaith harmony and reviving active communication.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Security Muhammad Naveed said the police have reinforced the pickets at entry and exit points of the city. He added the force also had a plan to improve and enhance picketing in areas close to the main processions. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ashfaq Ahmad said that on-ground security plan was four layered. This translates into each participant have to go through checking at four various points before being allowed to enter the gathering.
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Four policemen and an Ansar al-Islam cadre injured during a raid in Dhaka city
Four persons including three Policemen and one Ansar al-Islam cadre were injured when Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) team stormed a flat at Rupnagar area in Dhaka city (Dhaka District) on July 27, reports Dhaka Tribune. Based on intelligence information, the ATU team cordoned off a five-storey building at Rupnagar area. Around 2am, Police went up to the third floor, and knocked on the door of a flat, asking the suspected militants to open the door. However, getting no response, Police broke in, whereupon the residents all members of the same family attacked them with sharp weapons. At that time, three Police members were injured. In retaliation, Police fired shots at them. Jakaria, one of the members of the family, was injured during the exchange. Police arrested five members of the family: Ahmed Ali (57); his wife Salma Ahmed (50); their sons Abu Saleh Mohammad Jakaria (24); Abu Saleh Mohammad Kibria (22), and daughter Asma Ferdous Ripa (26), all suspected involvement with the banned militant group Ansar al-Islam. Police recovered a few sharp weapons, liquid chemical substances, explosive making materials, and Jihadi books from there.
Two JMB cadres arrested in Dhaka city
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two cadres of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Dhaka city (Dhaka District) on July 25, reports Dhaka Tribune. The arrestees were identified as Mohammad Azizul Haque alias Aziz (25) and Mufti Abdul Hakim (37). During primary interrogation, both of them admitted that they were the members of the outfit’s invitation branch and had been recruiting fresh members from various parts of the country for JMB.
Three militants arrested from different places of Dhaka city
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two cadres of Ansar al-Islam from Saidabad area of Dhaka city in Dhaka District of Dhaka Division on July 30, reports Dhaka Tribune. The arrestees are Mir Ibrahim (25) and Hemayet Uddin (22). RAB recovered extremist books, video clips, and mobile phones from them.
Separately, RAB arrested a cadre of Hizb-ut-Tahrir from Showari Ghat area of Dhaka city in Dhaka District of Dhaka Division on July 30, reports Dhaka Tribune. The arrestee is Rashed Mahmud alias Mithud (26). RAB recovered a mobile phone, two jihadi books and 110 leaflets from him.
Bomb recovered in Chuadanga District
A bomb weighing 5 kg has been recovered from a jungle at Chandrabas village in Chuadanga District of Khulna Division on August 7, reports Dhaka Tribune. Police said locals spotted the bomb in a packet when they were collecting firewood in the jungle. Police said the bomb was exceptional and made in a shape of coconut which is very new to them. Police is trying to identify those who kept the bomb in the jungle.
Five JMB militants arrested in Dhaka city
Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested five neo Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh militants from Dhaka’s Bashundhara area on August 8, reports Dhaka Tribune.
JMB men on the loose a big concern for law enforcers, say CTTC officials
Many of the Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) men convicted in the August 17, 20005, series bomb blast cases walked out of prison after serving their jail term and it remains a big challenge for law enforcers to keep them under surveillance, say Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) officials, reports The Daily Star on August 17. On August 17, 2005, around 500 bombs went off at 300 locations in 63 out of the 64 Districts across the country. The bombs exploded in half an hour from 11:30am. JMB, a banned militant outfit, carried out the attack and claimed responsibility for it. Some 159 cases were filed in connection with the attack. Investigators pressed charges against 1,072 militants in 142 of the cases. Final reports were placed in the rest 17 cases. According to Police Headquarters statistics, 322 accused were convicted while 358 were acquitted till September last year. As many as 133 accused were on bail. The rest are still facing trial.
Four Allah’r Dol cadres arrested in Dhaka city
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on August 19 arrested four cadres of Allah’r Dol from Hatirjheel area of Dhaka city in Dhaka District of Dhaka Division, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are Ibrahim Ahmed Hiro (46), Abdul Aziz (50), Shafiqul Islam Suruj (38) and Rashidul Islam (28). Mobile phones, pen drives, hard disks, a credit card, and a cheque book were seized from the arrestees.
Rohingyas gun down Jubo League leader in Cox’s Bazar District
Omar Faruk (30), President of ward No 9 unit of Jubo League, the youth wing of Awami League (AL) was gun downed by Rohingyas at Jadimura in Cox’s Bazar District in the Chittagong Division on August 22, reports The Independent. Osman Goni, elder brother of Faruk alleged that a group of Rohingyas picked Faruk up from near his house and gunned him down at a nearby hill.
Meanwhile, hundreds of agitated locals on August 23, stormed a Rohingya camp and vandalised makeshift houses and NGO offices in Teknaf municipality of Cox’s Bazar District following the murder of Omar Faruk, reports Dhaka Tribune. They burned tyres and plastic boxes to block a five-kilometer road from the Teknaf municipality to Leda Point for three hours. The residence of Rohingya leader Noor Mohammad was also torched. Since the 2017 influx, two other locals were also killed allegedly by Rohingyas and there have been reports of attacks on Police and harassment of journalists by the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals. Bangladesh is currently hosting more than 1.1 million Rohingyas who fled from Myanmar over the years.
India – Internal Dynamics
Deadline set for completing India-Bangladesh border fencing, states MoS for Home
The Minister for State (MoS) for Home Nityananda Rai stated in the Parliament that December 2020 has been set as the dead line to complete 4096 kilometre long India Bangladesh border fencing, reports Northeast Now on July 27. Around 2803.013 kilometres have been sealed and 169.64 Kilometres remain to be sealed. A total of 3326.14 kilo meter has been sanctioned for fencing.
Terrorists in prisons radicalising others, say Intelligence agencies
Intelligence agencies fear that the terrorists in the jails across the country are converting the common prisoners into jihadis, reports DNA on July 30. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) decided that soon all the states will be asked to separate the terrorists from the inmates and create a separate jail for the terrorists who are being punished in different jails across the country. To keep common prisoners away from them. The Ministry has decided that a high-security prison will be created in every state and all the terrorists would be shifted to those jails. According to the sources, there have been many such cases in the last few days, in which terrorists are either terrorizing common prisoners or have turned many of them into jihadis.
According to sources, many Khalistan fighters in Punjab prisons have been found to be inciting the other jailbirds against the country and brainwashing them. According to intelligence agencies, Jammu and Kashmir jails are at the risk of the highest radicalisation.
Three persons including a CRPF trooper killed in separate incidents in Chhattisgarh
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres in Bastar District of Chhattisgarh early on July 31, reports The Hindu. The blast took place around 6 am near a camp of 195th battalion of the CRPF at Pushpal in Bastar when one of its patrolling teams was returning after an anti-Naxal [Left Wing Extremism, LWE] operation, a senior Police officer said. The force had launched the operation on Tuesday (July 30) night in the forests along the border of Bastar and Dantewada Districts, he said. A constable-rank trooper, Raushan Kumar (23), a native of Nalanda District in Bihar, was killed in the blast. It was triggered as he accidentally stepped on the IED when the team was passing through a road construction site near Bodli village, the officer said.
Meanwhile, two Maoists were killed in an encounter with the Security Forces (SFs) in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh on July 29, reports Hindustan Times. During search, the SFs recovered a under barrel grenade launcher (UBGL), a country-made gun and other explosives from the Maoist camp. “The encounter took place inside the forest between Kanhaigoda and Balantog area under Konta Police Station. Police had specific input about a Maoist camp in that area and hence a team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) was sent for the operation on Sunday (July 28) night,” Director General of Police (DGP) DM Awasthi said. “The Maoist camp has been demolished by the security forces. We have inputs that a senior cadre were camping in that area but they managed to escape,” said Awasthi.
Seven persons wounded in explosion in Manipur
Seven civilians were wounded on July 30 in a bomb explosion exploded at the residential gate of a vehicle dealer at Thangmeiband Hijam Dewan Leikai in Imphal West District of Manipur, reports The Sangai Express.
Khalistan separatists trying to make UK as its hub, says former Punjab DGP Shashi Kant
The former Director-General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Shashi Kant said that Pakistan-backed pro-Khalistani Sikhs are trying to set up their new bases in the United Kingdom (UK), especially in Birmingham city, reports Business Standard on July 31. Shashi Kant said, “Now, they are trying to get a good foothold in Birmingham where they have been organising rallies.” “There have been demands from India that the Khalistani activists abroad, should not be permitted to hold rallies but the British government has been taking up a different stand citing that as long as they do not indulge in violence, they are unable to take action,” he added. Kant’s statement came at the heels of a surge in anti-India activities by Khalistani Sikhs in major cities of the UK.
Rajya Sabha passes anti-terror UAPA Amendment Bill to declare individuals as terrorists
The Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) on August 2 passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) Amendment Bill after days of deadlock between the Government and opposition parties over the controversial legislation, reports India Today. Out of the total members who voted, 147 MPs (Member of Parliament) were in favour of passing the new changes to the anti-terror bill while 42 voted against it. One of the contentious parts among the amendments is that it will give the Government power to declare any individual as a terrorist.
Earlier, the Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah responded to concerns Opposition had raised with regards to the bill. Shah said that the sole purpose of the UAPA Amendment Bill is to fight terror and it has no other ulterior motive. “This (UAPA) Act is to fight terror and has no other purpose,” he said. The Home Minister also said that it is important to identify terrorists individually and not just terror organisations.
With the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) issuing a notification on August 2, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will now be able to investigate acts against Indians and Indian interests abroad, reports The Asian Age. The notification comes after Parliament cleared amendments to the NIA Act to give additional powers to the agency that also allow it to probe cases of human trafficking and cybercrime. The UMHA notification states, “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019 (16 of 2019), the Central government hereby appoints the 2nd August, 2019, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.” Following these changes in the Act, the NIA will now be able to investigate terror attacks on Indians and their interests abroad apart from cases of human trafficking, counterfeit currency, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, cyber-terrorism, and offences under the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
Grenades and explosives recovered in Manipur
On August 3, Assam Rifles (AR) recovered fourteen Chinese hand grenades, 29 locally made unmarked hand grenades, six mines, 39 detonators and 22 kilo grams of gelatine from an unspecified location along Indo-Myanmar border, reports The Sangai Express. The recovery come s in the run up to Independence Day.
Two ‘police informers’ shot dead by Maoists in Jharkhand
Two youths were shot dead by Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres under Arki Police Station limits in Khunti District of Jharkhand on August 4 night, reports The Pioneer. Superintendent of Police (SP), Alok informed that the incident took place in Badani Village under Arki Police Station around 50 Kilometers away from Khunti District Head Quarter and the spot is last village in Khunti District situated at border of Seraikela Kharsawan District. Arki Police Station in charge Vikrant Kumar, said that the Khunti Police recovered the bodies and sent for postmortem at Sadar Hospital, Khunti. The Maoists alleged through the pamphlets that they were ‘police informer’. Following the killing, the Maoists also set ablaze the youth’s motorcycle, Police said.
NSCN-IM sends letter to Indian PM
In a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) leadership have expressed doubt in the sincerity of the Indian government to solve the Naga political issue, reports Eastern Mirror on August 7. The letter also lamented that the talks that were supposed to take place at the highest level has been reduced to the governor’s level. The letter was written by ‘chairman’ Q Tuccu and ‘general secretary’ TH Muivah. NSCN-IM claimed that the commitment given by successive Prime Ministers that the talk will be at the highest level; venue of the talk will be outside India, in a third country; and without any pre-condition, has been dishonoured.
Three more JMB militants arrested in Assam
On August 3, two Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh) militants identified as Mustafijur Rahman and Danesh Ali were arrested from Chatala in Barpeta District in Assam, reports Assam Tribune.
On the same day another JMB militant identified as Safikul Islam was arrested from Kaplabari in Nalbari District in Assam, reports Assam Tribune. Four JMB militants were arrested the previous week taking the total number of JMB arrestees to seven.
Since 2014, when the activities of JMB came to notice, at least 60 members of the Bangladesh based militant outfit have been arrested in Assam from lower Assam Districts, adds Assam Tribune. Sources said that the Government of India imposed a ban on the JMB after receiving reports that the outfit managed to establish a strong network in Bangladesh within 10 kilometres from the international border in India. So far, majority of the youths who have been arrested for their involvement with outfits like the JMB are from lower middle-class background belonging to semi urban localities. But sources admitted that no one really knows what is going on in the remote char areas, which are virtually out of security radar and there is very little presence of administration in such areas.
Protest outside Indian High Commission in UK
On August 15, violent protest took place outside Indian High Commission in London when protesters carrying ‘khalistani’ and Kashmiri flags tried to push across the Police line and threw objects targeting Indian Diaspora, reports Times of India. The Indian Diaspora was celebrating the Independence Day on August 15. The protesters had arrived in London from Birmingham and Nottingham.
Maoist poster found warning ‘police informers’ and contractors in Odisha
Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres reportedly put up a poster warning ‘police informers’ and contractors at Chatikona village under Bissam Cuttack Police limits of Rayagada District of Odisha, reports Odisha Sun Times on August 24. Through a poster the Maoists threatened the Police to stop arresting the tribals and dalits in name of Maoists at Niyamgiri area. The ‘police informers’ and contractors were warned not to help Police. The Maoists also demanded for immediate release of their leader Sikunu Sikaka of Mayabali village from jail. They also exhorted the villagers to save Niyamgiri.
Ex-AJSU leader killed by JSJMM cadres in Jharkhand
All Jharkhand Student Union (AJSU) leader, identified as Akhilesh Srivastava, was killed by Jharkhand Sangharsh Jan Mukti Morcha (JSJMM) cadres in Latehar District of Jharkhand in the intervening night of August 23 and August 24, reports Hindustan Times. The villagers saw the leader’s dead body with throat slit thrown on the Latehar-Demu road and informed the Police. The JSJMM faction claimed the responsibility for the killing by leaving behind a hand written parcha (pamphlet) near the dead body. JSJMM is a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist. The reason for the murder is yet to be ascertained but the Police confirmed the involvement of the Maoists’ faction in the act.
Monthly Fatalities
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period July 26, 2019 to Aug 25, 2019:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Manipur | 01 | 00 | 00 | 01 |
| Nagaland | 02 | 00 | 01 | 03 |
| Left Wing | 20 | 03 | 19 | 42 |
| Total | 23 | 03 | 20 | 46 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Unidentified group torched ward office in Doti District
An unidentified group has set ablaze the office of Shikar Municipality-7 in Doti District of Province No. 7 on July 27, reports The Himalayan Times. Police after the preliminary investigation suspects the arsonists might have been the cadres of Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Chand).
Four international human rights groups ask Government to stall ongoing nomination process
Three months after the United Nations’ special rapporteurs expressed serious concerns over the selection process of new leadership in the transitional justice commissions, four international human rights groups on July 29 asked the Nepal Government to stall the ongoing nomination process until the existing Transitional Justice Act is amended, reports Kathmandu Post. In a statement, Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Human Rights Watch (HRW), and TRIAL International asked Nepal to adopt a consultative and transparent appointment process, ensure the amendment is in line with international human rights standards and with the Supreme Court ruling, and come up with a plan to take the transitional justice process forward. In their statement, the international rights groups accused the KP Sharma Oli-led Government of failing to take concrete measures in providing justice to the thousands of victims who have been living in hope for more than a decade.
IED defused in Maitighar
An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was defused outside the premises of St Xavier’s College at Maitighar in the capital city, Kathmandu on August 7, reports The Himalayan Times. According to Police, the IED was discovered at around 5:50 am and a bomb disposal team from the Nepal Army and defused the bomb.
Kerosene bomb exploded at NCP Province 5 Chief Whip’s residence in Rupandehi District
An unidentified group of people detonated a kerosene bomb in the residence of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Province 5 Chief Whip Bhumiswor Dhakal at Rampur Colony of Rupandehi District in Province No. 5 on August 15, reports The Himalayan Times. Dhakal’s vehicle was damaged in the explosion. Chief Whip Dhakal was not at his home when the incident took place. He has been undergoing treatment at Kathmandu-based Medicity Hospital for the past four days.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli addressing the House of Representatives on August 18 said he would step down only after the next general elections, effectively refuting Co-chair NCP Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s claim that there was a gentleman’s agreement with Oli to let Dahal become the PM after two and a half years, reports The Himalayan Times. “No elected or public officers hold their posts forever and nor will I, but those who want me to go should wait till the next general elections. Old forces are trying to sabotage the new political system. The government has not taken their attempt seriously, but the day they pose a serious challenge, the government will crack down on them,” the Prime Minister said.
Conflict victims oppose plan to amend transitional justice act based on a draft they rejected a year ago
Conflict victims opposed plan to amend transitional justice act based on a draft they rejected a year ago, reports Kathmandu Post on August 23. The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and the Nepali Congress (NC) on August 21 decided to collect feedback from all concerned parties, based on the draft that was made public in June 2018. Gita Rasailee, Chairperson of the Conflict Victims’ National Network (CVNN) said “The government and the major parties are talking about consultations just to show the international community that they are working. The so-called agreement between the political parties goes against the understanding that transitional justice commissions must be established through a fair, independent and transparent process. The series of actions by the parties shows they don’t care about justice for victims.”
Communists in Nepal were acting like maharajahs of yesteryears, says NCP Co-chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Co-chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal at an interaction in Kathmandu on August 23, said communists in Nepal were acting like the maharajahs of yesteryears and that people would vote them out if they didn’t mend their ways, reports The Himalayan Times. He said “Communists across the globe fought and sacrificed for people and won their hearts until they ascended to power. Soon after attaining power, they forget the needs of the people and the nation. Earlier, we used to talk about ‘collective decision, personal responsibility’, but today it has become ‘personal decision, collective responsibility’.”
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
Islamist Terrorists still operating in Sri Lanka, states Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake
Army Commander Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake on July 30 stated in front of Parliamentary Select Committee that there were some Islamic terrorists still operating at various places in the country and the threats they posed were far from over, reports The Island. Parliamentary Select Committee is probing the Easter Sunday Bombing. When asked if the Islamist threat was over, he stated that ‘’We cannot assure that it is over. We are not in a position to say that we can see this problem will be over within six months or six years.’’
Two members of proscribed JMI arrested
Police arrested two 25 years old persons (names not identified), including the Eastern Province leader of the proscribed Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) over the weekend, reports The Island. The JMI was banned in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday attacks. Spokesman, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ruwan Gunasekara, on August 4 said that one of the suspect had functioned as the JMI Eastern Province leader whereas the other, had propagated their violent ideology among students of the Oluvil University.
Muslims rejoin SL cabinet after Easter bombings
Sri Lanka´s Muslim ministers who resigned en masse in the wake of the deadly Easter Sunday bombings have rejoined the government, officials said on Tuesday, July 30 after police cleared them of any involvement with Islamists.
Nearly 100 people linked to a local jihadist group were arrested after the April 21 attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels that killed 258 people.
Nine government legislators, several of them cabinet ministers, resigned in early June after a Buddhist lawmaker demanded their sacking and accused them of terror links. “The ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers who resigned recently were sworn in before the president last night,” a statement from the president´s office said.
A spokesman for the lawmakers said they decided to accept their old portfolios after police cleared them of any links with Islamists involved with the bombings. Muslim leaders had said their community which makes up 10 percent of Sri Lanka´s 21 million population were victims of violence, hate speech and harassment after the attacks.
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem said his community had cooperated with security forces but faced collective victimisation. In the wake of the bombings, anti-Muslim riots spread in towns north of the capital, killing one Muslim man and leaving hundreds of homes, shops and mosques vandalised.
Police arrests three NTJ and JMI terrorists
Ampara Police has arrested three terrorists of the National Thowheed Jammath (NTJ) and Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) on August 5, reports Colombo Page. The arrested terrorists were identified as Mohammed Mansur Saifullah alias Abu Zahid (has attended the Nuwara Eliya camp), Musthak Ali Amher alias Abu Hind (who has attended the Hambantota training camp), and Mohammedu Thahir Hidayatullah alias Abu Thurab (who had attended the Nuwara Eliya camp). It has been revealed that the suspects received weapons training in the Nuwara Eliya and Hambantota camps under the NTJ leader Mohamed Saharan, mastermind of the April 21 Easter suicide attacks.
Earlier, on August 3, Police had arrested ‘Eastern Province military wing’ leader of the JMI, Nauzad Umar, and a 25 year old student of the Oluvil Campus, reports Daily Mirror. SATP had earlier reported based on Island the arrests without names of the individuals and the date of the arrests.
Police arrests three JMI terrorists
Sri Lanka Police have arrested three active members of Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) organization and had close links with the terror group National Thowheed Jammath (NTJ), reports Colombo Page on August 7. The three suspects were Mohideen Bawa Mohammed Ram alias Abu Akran, Mohammed Riyal Mohamed Saeed alias Abu Salman and Mohammed Ramsin Rushdi Ahmed alias Ab Alwakar.
Two terrorists from Sri Lanka slip into the Philippines to prepare for attacks in Luzon
At least two National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), terrorists from Sri Lanka, Mark Kevin Samhoon and Victoria Sophia Sto Domingo, have entered the Philippines to train local militants on making bombs and attacking churches and other soft targets north of the country, reports Strait Times on August 9. A watch list from the Manila International Airport Authority had the duo tagged as “suicide bombers”, with kin in the Philippines.
Sto. Domingo arrived in the Philippines in November 2018. Samhoon followed her, possibly in June this year. Reports suggest that the terrorist might target the main Philippine island of Luzon.
Three NTJ cadres arrested in Eastern Province
Police on August 15 arrested three cadres of the banned organizations National Thowheed Jammath (NTJ) in Ampara District of Eastern Province, reports Colombo Page. The three arrestees are identified as Mohammed Thasim Mohamed Akil alias Abu Sulaiman, Hisbullah Khan Husni Ahmed alias Abu Hamda and Abdul Halim Mohamed Himaz alias Abu Miptha.
Two NTJ cadres arrested in Ampara District
Police on August 19 arrested two cadres of National Thowheed Jammath (NTJ) from Ampara District of Eastern Province, reports Colombo Page. The arrestees are identified as Mohammedu Zaheer Muhammad Ahsan alias Abu Amara (22) and Mohammedu Awutath Anis Mohamed alias Abu Subhehir (24).
Appointment of Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva as Sri Lanka Army commander negates all the Government’s pledges, says HRW
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on August 20 said the appointment of Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva as Sri Lanka Army commander negates all the Government’s pledges toward accountability, reconciliation, and reform, reports Colombo Page. The HRW said Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed a General whose forces have been credibly accused of war crimes as the commander of the national army confirming the fears of those like Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who, back in March, supported the United Nations Human Rights Council’s extension of its 2015 resolution on Sri Lanka. The extension, which Sirisena and other top officials openly opposed, seeks justice and accountability for violations committed during the 26-year civil war that ended in 2009. “The sad reality is, then, that there are those who oppose any measure to achieve accountability and reconciliation, because they don’t want justice,” HRW quoted Mangala Samaraweera. “They want victor’s justice.” The appointment of Major General Shavendra Silva as army commander suggests he was right, HRW said.
Meanwhile, a Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Sri Lanka expressed concern that the appointment of Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva as the new Army Commander sends a worrying message to the victims and survivors of the war, reports Colombo Page on August 20. Issuing a statement in agreement with the Embassies of Germany, Italy, Netherlands, the UK High Commission, the Embassies of Norway and Switzerland, the EU delegation shared the serious concerns expressed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet over Sri Lanka’s commitments to the UN Human Rights Council.
Separately, responding to the international concern mounted over the appointment of the new Army Commander, Sri Lanka on August 20 said the appointment of the Army Commander of Sri Lanka is a sovereign decision by the Head of State, reports Colombo Page.
INTERNATIONAL
14 killed in Jihadist attack in Burkina Faso
Armed men described as Jihadists raided a village in Burkina Faso´s restive north, killing 14 people, plundering and burning shops and motorbikes, local and security sources said on Saturday, July 27.
The raid took place on the night of Thursday to Friday with “around 20 individuals attacking the village of Diblou and killing 14 people,” a security source said. “The terrorists burnt shops and motorcycles. Almost the entire market was looted,” a local resident said.
“Almost all the inhabitants fled to neighbouring areas.” The poor Sahel state has been battling a rising wave of Jihadist attacks over the last four years which began in the north but have since spread to the east, near the border with Togo and Benin. Most attacks in the former French colony are attributed to the Jihadist group Ansarul Islam, which emerged near the Mali border in December 2016.
Five doctors killed in Libya
Five doctors were killed in an air strike by forces of Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar on a field hospital near the capital, the health ministry of the UN-recognised government said on July 28.
Haftar´s self styled Libyan National Army launched an offensive in April to try to wrest Tripoli from forces of the Government of National Accord which is based in the capital.
Pro GNA forces have weathered the initial onslaught and since then fighting has remained deadlocked on the outskirts of the city, with both sides resorting to air strikes.
North Korea puts ‘guided rocket launcher’ on show
North Korea on Thursday, Aug 1 released heavily pixellated images of its latest weapons test, describing it as a new guided rocket launcher and fuelling concerns that it could be used to target a key US military base in South Korea.
Pictures carried by the North´s state television showed leader Kim Jong Un supervising on Wednesday´s launch from what appeared to be a mobile command post, and a silhouette of him watching the weapon rising into the sky.
But in an unusually secretive move, some of the images were heavily pixellated and the official KCNA news agency did not release photos of the test. That suggested Pyongyang had not previously displayed the system at one of its military parades and was trying to hide some of its characteristics.
Following the launch, Seoul on Wednesday said it involved two short range ballistic missiles that travelled 250 kilometres before coming down in the sea. But KCNA described it as a “newly developed large caliber multiple launch guided rocket system”.
The system would have a “main role in ground military operations”, KCNA said, quoting Kim as saying it would cause “inescapable distress” to the forces which became its “fat target”. Pyongyang has long possessed the ability to devastate Seoul which is only around 60 kilometres from the border with artillery fire.
Dutch ban on burqas in public places takes effect
The Netherlands banned the wearing of a face covering veil, such as a burqa or niqab, in public buildings and on transport from Thursday as a contentious law on the garment worn by some Muslim women came into force.
The Dutch legislation was passed in June 2018 after more than a decade of political debate on the subject. The far right politician Geert Wilders had proposed the face covering veil ban back in 2005.
“From now on the wearing of clothing which covers the face is banned in educational facilities, public institutions and buildings, as well as hospitals and public transport,” the Dutch interior ministry said in a statement.
It added that it was important in such public places to be recognised and seen, which besides the burqa, also bans a face covering helmet or hood. A person could be fined 150 euros.
Faked FB accounts linked to S Arabia, ME region
Facebook on Thursday, Aug 1 said it derailed a pair of shady online influence campaigns in the Arabic-speaking world including one linked to the Saudi Arabian government. The campaigns appeared to be separate efforts, but both involved “coordinated inauthentic behaviour” on Facebook and its Instagram image centric social network, according to head of cyber security policy Nathaniel Gleicher.
Gleicher said that 217 Facebook accounts, 144 Facebook pages, five groups, and 31 Instagram accounts were removed due to their involvement in deceptive, coordinated behaviour originating from Saudi Arabia and focused primarily on that country and North Africa.
Page administrators and account owners typically posted in Arabic about regional news and political issues, including on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the conflict in Yemen, according to Facebook. “They also frequently shared criticism of neighbouring countries including Iran, Qatar and Turkey, and called into question the credibility of Al-Jazeera news network and Amnesty International,” Gleicher said .
Although the people behind the activity tied to conceal their identities, “our review found links to individuals associated with the government of Saudi Arabia,” he added. Those involved in the campaign posed as local residents in targeted countries, using fake account identities and masqueraded as local news outlets. The campaign spent approximately $108,000 in advertising, paid for in US and Saudi currency, according to Facebook.
Qaeda attack kills 19 soldiers in Yemen
Al-Qaeda gunmen killed 19 soldiers in an attack on an army base in southern Yemen on Friday, Aug 2 security officials said, a day after deadly assaults by rebels and a Jihadist bomber.
The gunmen stormed Al-Mahfad base in Abyan province and remained inside for several hours before military reinforcements came, three security officials told AFP, adding that the soldiers were killed in clashes with the Jihadists.
“The Qaeda gunmen took advantage of what happened on Thursday in Aden and launched an assault on Al-Mahfad base and clashed with soldiers,” a government security official said. “Military reinforcements were sent and the gunmen were killed while others were driven out with air support from the Saudi-led coalition, in an operation that lasted hours,” the official said. “At least 19 soldiers were killed and others wounded.”
The other two officials confirmed both the details and the death toll. Security analyst Aleksandar Mitreski said the attacks “seem opportunistic”. “Al-Qaeda has neither the capability nor the strategic appetite to open a new front in south Yemen,” Matreski who is also a researcher at the University of Sydney told AFP. “We may see other sporadic attacks in the future motivated by al-Qaeda’s desire to remain a relevant actor in the Yemeni conflict.”
The Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Islamic State group and other Jihadists have flourished in the chaos of the civil war between the government and the Huthi rebels.
US, Russia rip up Cold War-era INF missile treaty
The United States and Russia ripped up a Cold War-era missile pact on Friday, Aug 2 in a move that raised the spectre of an arms race between the global powers.
The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty limited the use of medium range missiles, both conventional and nuclear.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Washington’s formal withdrawal in a prepared statement at a regional forum in Bangkok, minutes after Russia pronounced the treaty void.
Both sides had signalled their intention to pull out of the treaty for months, trading accusations of breaking the terms of the deal. “Russia is solely responsible for the treaty’s demise,” Pompeo said in a statement issued at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers’ meeting.
Shortly before Pompeo’s announcement, Russia’s foreign ministry in Moscow said the deal had been terminated “at the initiative of the US”. Later the ministry said that Washington had made a “serious mistake” in ditching the treaty, insisting that the US had abandoned the agreement for its own gain rather than because of alleged Russian violations.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also urged the US to implement a moratorium on deploying intermediate range nuclear missiles after leaving the INF. Washington has for years accused Russia of developing a new type of missile, the 9M729, which it says violates the treaty claims that Nato has backed up.
The missile has a range of about 1,500 kilometres according to Nato, though Moscow says it can only travel 480 kilometres. The INF treaty limits the use of missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometres.
Blast kills 31 regime fighters at Syria airbase
A munitions blast killed 31 regime and allied fighters at a military airport in central Syria on Saturday, Aug 3 a war monitor said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in Britain and relies on a network of sources on the ground, said it was unclear what had caused the deadly explosion at the Shayrat airbase in Homs province.
But state news agency Sana reported that a “technical fault during the transport of expired ammunition” had killed an unspecified number of victims.
The Shayrat airbase is one of the regime’s most significant installations in the centre of the country. Iranian fighters who support the regime in Syria’s ongoing civil war are based there, according to the Observatory.
In 2017, US air strikes hit the base in response to a suspected sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun in northwest Syria that killed more than 80 people. According to the Pentagon, US intelligence had established that the base was the launch pad for the alleged chemical attack.
Syria’s war has killed more than 370,00 people since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
Iran seizes third ship
Iran has seized a foreign tanker in the Gulf, state media said on Sunday, Aug 4 in what would be the third such seizure in a month amid heightened tensions with its foe the United States.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “seized this ship around Farsi Island which was carrying around 700,000 liters of smuggled fuel”, said a Guards statement quoted by the official news agency IRNA.
Seven foreign crew were arrested in the operation carried out on Wednesday night, said Fars news agency, which is considered close to the Guards. Tensions between arch-enemies Iran and the US have soared this year after Washington stepped up its campaign of “maximum pressure” against Tehran. Ships have been attacked, drones downed and oil tankers seized since May, a year after the United States withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and began reimposing biting sanctions against the country.
At the height of the crisis, US President Donald Trump called off air strikes against Iran at the last minute in June after the Islamic republic’s forces shot down a US drone. The seizure of the latest tanker would be the third by Iran in less than a month in Gulf waters a conduit for much of the world’s crude oil.
On the diplomatic front, officials in Iran said Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif had been hit with US sanctions after turning down an invitation to meet Trump in Washington. The New Yorker magazine reported that Republican Senator Rand Paul met Zarif in the US on July 15 and had Trump’s blessing when he extended an invitation to the Iranian minister to go to the White House.
Officials in Iran confirmed the report and heaped scorn on the Trump administration for claiming to want dialogue with Iran while slapping sanctions on its top diplomat. The sanctions announced on are aimed at freezing any of Zarif’s assets in the United States or controlled by US entities, as well as squeeze his ability to function as a globe-trotting diplomat.
One hurt in Norway mosque shooting, suspect arrested
A gunman armed with multiple weapons went on a shooting spree in a mosque in a suburb of the Norwegian capital Oslo on Saturday, Aug 10 injuring one worshipper before being arrested, police and witnesses said.
The head of the mosque described the assailant as white and said he was wearing a helmet and a uniform. The shooting occurred at the al-Noor Islamic centre in the town of Baerum, an Oslo suburb.
Police said there was no indication that more people were involved. They said they had no information about the suspect, other than he was described as “white”.
Public broadcaster NRK reported that police had found multiple weapons inside the mosque, and that someone in the building had managed to subdue the suspect before police arrived on the scene.
The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) said it was monitoring the situation. There has been recent spate of white nationalist attacks in the West, including in the United States and in New Zealand where 51 Muslim worshippers were killed.
Car bomb kills two in Benghazi
A bomb-laden vehicle exploded on Saturday, Aug 10 outside a shopping mall in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi, killing at least two UN security staff, health officials said. The attack came even as the country’s warring sides said they accepted a ceasefire proposed by the UN aimed at halting combat in the capital Tripoli during an upcoming Eid holiday.
The officials said the blast took place outside Arkan Mall in the Hawari neighbourhood, where people were gathering for shopping a day before the Eid ul Azha holiday begins. The Benghazi municipal council said the attack targeted a convoy for the UN Support Mission in Libya.
The site of the attack is close to offices of the UN support mission in Libya. The officials said the two dead hailed from Libya and Fuji. The blast also wounded nine people, including a 3 year old child and a UN staff member from Jamaica, the health officials said.
Footage circulated online shows what appears to be burnt UN-owned vehicles, as thick smoke bellows into the sky.
Yemeni separatists stage coup in Aden, 45 killed
At least 45 people, both combatants and civilians, were killed in clashes overnight at the Fourth Brigade camp in Aden. Another five civilians were killed in the surrounding Dar Saad neighbourhood. Military and security sources said southern separatists gained ground across Yemen’s second city Aden on Saturday, Aug 10 and surrounded the presidential palace amid fierce battles with loyalist forces.
The deadly fighting reflects deep divisions between secessionists and forces backing the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, experts say.
The clashes have been raging since Wednesday, pitting unionist fighters against a force which is dominated by combatants seeking renewed independence for the south.
The force, known as the Security Belt, overran three military barracks belonging to unionist forces on Saturday and were surrounding the presidential palace, sources close to the force said. Fierce clashes were also taking place in several other parts of the city.
Southern Yemen was an independent state until 1990 and the north is widely perceived to have imposed unification by force.
The latest clashes “threaten to tip southern Yemen into a civil war within a civil war,” the International Crisis Group think tank warned. “Such a conflict would deepen what is already the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and make a national political settlement harder to achieve,” it said.
Car bomb shakes Somali mly base
Militant Islamist group Al Shabaab struck a Somali government military base on Wednesday, Aug 14 with car bombs and gunfire in a battle that both sides said caused multiple deaths to the other. Witnesses said some local residents were also killed by stray crossfire during the mid-morning attack on the base in Awdheegle, 70 km (43 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu.
Al Shabaab is fighting the weak, UN-backed Somali government and its international allies in a quest to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law. The Horn of Africa nation has been riven by civil war since 1992, when clan-based warlords overthrew a dictator, then turned on each other.
General Yusuf Rage Odowa, commander of operations in Somalia’s army, said troops had repelled the jihadists in Awdheegle. “The forces knew the cunning of the militants and so they foiled the attack,” he said, adding that various of the attackers’ corpses lay at the scene while others were captured.
Captain Hussein Ali, a military officer from a nearby town, said soldiers behind sandbags had successfully stopped the car bombs from reaching the base, in an agricultural district along the Shabelle River, by firing to detonate them.
“There are casualties from Shabaab and government forces, but we have no exact figure,” he said.
The Al Qaeda-linked group said it had killed 50 soldiers and only suffered two losses of militants who drove the car bombs. Army vehicles were burned, it also said.
Rebel attack on Myanmar elite mly college leaves 15 dead
Myanmar insurgents killed at least 15 people on Thursday, Aug 15 most of them members of the security forces, in attacks on an elite military college and other government targets in the country’s north, an army spokesman said.
The Northern Alliance, a collection of armed groups in the region, claimed responsibility for the unprecedented attack on the Defence Services Technological Academy in Pyin Oo Lwin in western Shan state, where army engineers are trained, and attacks at four other locations.
Army spokesman Tun Tun Nyi said soldiers were fighting insurgents in Naung Cho township near the Gokteik viaduct, a towering railway bridge built under British colonial rule and a tourist hot spot.
Another bridge across the Goktwin valley had been destroyed by insurgents who also burned down the township’s narcotics police office, he said.
Fighting was reported at a toll gate on the highway to Lashio, the largest town in Shan state.
Pyin Oo Lwin, a military town and former British hill station outside the city of Mandalay, had until Thursday been unaffected by clashes in the region, which have mostly taken place in rural areas. A months-long ceasefire agreement that ended in June was recently extended until Aug 31.
A spokesman for the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, one of the groups in the Northern Alliance, said it was responding to recent army action in ethnic areas.
Houthi rebels appoint ‘ambassador’ in Iran
Iran-linked Houthi rebels have appointed an “ambassador” in Tehran, a step condemned by the internationally recognised government as a breach of international laws.
The Islamic republic made no announcement about accepting the appointment of an ambassador for the Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital Sanaa and much of the north.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said that a “presidential decree was issued appointing Ibrahim Mohammed al-Dailami as an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary for the republic of Yemen to the Islamic republic of Iran.”
Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi severed diplomatic relations with Iran in October 2015, accusing Tehran of providing military aid to the rebels. Tehran has denied the accusation but publicly offers strong political backing to the Houthis. The Yemeni government denounced the naming of an ambassador.
“The exchange of diplomatic relations between Tehran regime and the Houthi militias breaches the international laws and norms and contravenes United Nations Security Council resolutions related to the Yemen crisis,” the government said in a statement on Twitter.
Pentagon chief confirms death of Hamza bin Laden
US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper has confirmed the death of Hamza Bin Laden, the son and designated heir of Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden.
“That’s my understanding,” Esper said in an interview late Wednesday (Aug 21) with Fox News, when asked if Hamza bin Laden was dead. “I don’t have the details on that. And if I did I’m not sure how much I could share with you,” he added.
US media reported at the beginning of August that bin Laden was killed during the last two years in an operation that involved the United States, citing US intelligence officials.
But President Donald Trump and other senior officials have refused to confirm or deny it publicly. “I don’t want to comment on it,” Trump told reporters when asked.
The 15th of Osama bin Laden’s 20 children and a son of his third wife, Hamza, thought to be about 30 years old, was “emerging as a leader in Al Qaeda franchise”, the State Department said in announcing the reward.
Sometimes dubbed the “crown prince of jihad”, he had put out audio and video messages calling for attacks on the US and other countries, especially to avenge his father’s killing by US forces in Pakistan in May 2011, the department said.
Tehran displays domestically built missile system
Iran displayed what it described as a domestically built long-range, surface-to-air missile air defence system on Thursday, Aug 22 at a time of rising tension with the United States.
Iran shot down a US military surveillance drone in the Gulf with a surface to air missile in June. It says the drone was over its territory, but the United States says it was in international airspace.
State television showed President Hassan Rouhani attending an unveiling ceremony for the mobile Bavar 373 system, which Iranian media have described as a competitor to the Russian S-300 missile system.
“With this long range air defence system, we can detect targets or planes at more than 300 km, lock it at about 250 km, and destroy it at 200 km,” Defence Minister Amir Hatami told state television.
The system’s unveiling came on Iran’s National Defence Industry Day. Iran has developed a large domestic arms industry in the face of international sanctions and embargoes that have barred it from importing many weapons.
Myanmar troops show ‘genocidal’ intent for Rohingya: UN
Sexual violence committed by Myanmar troops against Rohingya women and girls in 2017 indicated the military’s genocidal intent to destroy the mainly Muslim ethnic minority, United Nations investigators said in a report released on Thursday, Aug 22.
The panel of independent investigators, set up by the UN Human Rights Council in 2017, accused Myanmar’s government of failing to hold anyone accountable and said it was responsible “under the Genocide Convention for its failure to investigate and punish acts of genocide”.
A military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state that began in August 2017 drove more than 730,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. Myanmar denies widespread wrongdoing and says the military campaign across hundreds of villages in northern Rakhine was in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents.
“Hundreds of Rohingya women and girls were raped, with 80 per cent of the rapes corroborated by the Mission being gang rapes. The Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) was responsible for 82 per cent of these gang rapes,” the report said.
At a news conference in Myanmar on Friday, military spokesman Major-General Tun Nyi called the accusations “groundless” and based on “talking stories”. “I cannot read out what they mentioned in their report, because it is not suitable to say in front of women in polite society,” he said. Myanmar has laws against sexual assault, he added, and soldiers were warned against it at military schools.
The Myanmar government has refused entry to the UN investigators. In an August 2018 report, the investigators laid out five indicators of genocidal intent by the Myanmar military: the use of derogatory language; specific comments by government officials, politicians, religious authorities and military commanders prior, during and after the violence; the existence of discriminatory plans and policies; evidence of an organized plan of destruction; and the extreme brutality of the campaign.
Current Threat Levels:
City/Region Threat Level
Islamabad Level 2 **
Karachi Level 2 **
Lahore Level 2 **
Punjab Level 2 **
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Level 3 ***
Peshawar Level 2 **
Quetta Level 2 ***
Upper Balochistan Level 3 ***
Lower Balochistan Level 2 **
Upper / Rural Sindh Level 2 **
Gilgit and Northern areas Level 3 ***
Tribal areas, close to Afghan border Level 3 ***
Index to Threat Level References
Threat Level 1 *
No threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required.
Threat Level 2 **
No specific threat to foreigners, however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised, especially if traveling.
Threat Level 3 ***
Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Foreigners should rehearse plans for evacuation.
Threat Level 4 ****
Indicates complete breakdown of civil administration and law and order leading to possible anarchy. All foreigners to remain indoors and confined to their own city. Families and staff not required to be evacuated retaining only a skeleton staff.
Threat Level 5 *****
Indicates complete breakdown of law and order, enemy action/hostilities, invasion/ occupation by enemy.
