Special Emphasis on Terrorism (Jan-2020)

January 10, 2020

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Bomb/ IED Explosions

At least 10 persons were injured on November 29 in an explosion that occurred in a rickshaw in Chauburji area on Multan Road in Lahore, reports Dawn. According to the spokesperson for Punjab’s Counter terrorism Department (CTD), the blast occurred at around 11:25 am. “Ten persons have been injured including the driver of the rickshaw. All sustained minor injuries. All of the injured were walking near the rickshaw at the time of the blast,” he said. A statement released by the CTD spokesperson said that a passenger had boarded the rickshaw and got off at Samanabad after paying the fare. “The passenger was carrying a shopping bag which he probably left in the rickshaw,” said the official, adding that the driver “had not noticed it”. The driver parked his rickshaw on Multan Road and got off to relieve himself nearby. That is when the blast occurred.

At least three Policemen including a Station House Officer (SHO) received severe wounds in a grenade attack of their patrolling van in Gomal area of Tank District on December 13, reports Pakistan Today. The injured SHO was identified as Inayat Khan. Police officials told that the terrorist, equipped with explosive material as well, has been killed in retaliatory firing.

11 persons, including a policeman, were injured in a blast outside the Peshawar High Court in Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 16, reports Daily Times. Police sources said the bomb that exploded outside the court had been planted in rickshaw. Police later, on a tip off, conducted raid at a house in Peshawar and reportedly arrested a rickshaw driver, a key suspect, in injured condition. Police sources said the bomb had been planted in rickshaw of the suspect arrested in the raid. About five to six kilogram mess of explosive material was used in the blast, City Police Officer Muhammad Ali Gandapur said while quoting an initial report prepared by the bomb disposal unit.

One Frontier Corp (FC) soldier was killed and three others sustained injuries in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that took place at Khona Kandaw, Pasad Khel, along the Pak-Afghan border area, in Bajaur District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province on December 19, reports Daily Times. The FC personnel were on routine patrolling in the area when they were hit by IED.

Targetted Killings

A prominent Shia leader, Syed Zahoor Abbas Shah Afgar Bukhari, was shot dead by unidentified assailants after entering his hujra in Mohallah Sayyedan in Lakki Marwat town (Lakki Marwat District) after Isha (Night) prayers in the night of December 11, reports Dawn. Afgar Bukhari was a renowned poet of the Pashto language and known for his romantic poetry across KP.

Separately, unidentified assailants shot dead Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) local leader Advocate Feroz Shah Advocate in Kanju area of Mingora town in Swat District on December 11, reports Dawn. According to Kanju Police, Feroz Shah was going home after offering Maghrib (sunset) prayers that unidentified gunmen who were waiting on him opened fire, leaving him critically injured. His personal guard was also injured in the attack. They both were rushed to the Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital where Shah succumbed to injuries. The deceased was an active leader of the PML-N in Swat and was the candidate of National Assembly in the previous general elections.

Two policemen deployed on security of polio teams were killed as unidentified assailants opened fire at them in Maidan area of Lower Dir city (Lower Dir District) Police said December 18, reports Daily Times. “The policemen were on their way to a basic health unit when they were targeted,” Lower Dir Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Saeedur Rehman said. No officials from the polio vaccination team were hurt as they were at a distance, he said. Around 22,925 teams have been constituted to vaccinate 6.75 million children below the age of five in the five-day polio campaign currently underway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Miscellaneous

A Frontier Corps (FC) soldier was killed and two others injured while two militants were shot dead during an exchange of fire with militants after they raided an FC checkpoint near the Pak Afghan border in North Waziristan District on December 1, reports Daily Times. The dead soldier was identified as Lance Naik Muhammad Imran. The identities of the injured FC soldiers have not yet been disclosed.

One soldier was killed and three others were injured in an exchange of fire with militants in Janikhel subdivision of Bannu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 3, reports Dawn. One wanted militant, Hanif Ullah, was also killed in the gun battle. Hanif Ullah had affiliation with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (Akhtar Mohammad group). The dead soldier was identified as Shah Rukh while three others Bilal, Mohammad Ramzan and Mohammad Kamran received injuries. Arms and ammunitions were recovered from the hideout.

Two Army soldiers and two militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) near Charkhel village of Boya in North Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 5, reports The Express Tribune. “Security forces conducted [an] IBO near village Charkhel, Boya, North Waziristan. Presence of terrorists was reported in a hideout. During operation two terrorists killed,” said Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement. The dead personnel were identified as Havaldar Sher Zaman and Sepoy Muhammad Jawad.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officer, Prosecutor Wasiq Malik, narrowly escaped unhurt in an assassination attempt in Islamabad on December 17, reports Daily Times. Notably, he was attacked near Soan Gardens in Islamabad when unidentified people opened indiscriminate firing on his vehicle. It is pertinent to mention here that he is currently working on a fake accounts case. Earlier on August 10, an assassination attempt was filed after shots of fire were reported outside the house of NAB Deputy Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi in Islamabad Sector I-8. Abbasi made a written request to the police for the registration case which included murder and other provisions.

The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and an intelligence agency in a joint operation busted media cell of the al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)and arrested five senior and important members of the cell in Gujranwala District of Punjabon December 26, reports Dawn. The raiding team recovered a large quantity of media equipment, funds for terror financing, suicide jackets, explosives and deadly arms in the raid. The cell was also involved in financing terrorist operations of the AQIS. The five terrorists arrested by the agencies are identified as Asim Akbar alias Saeed alias Baba alias Bazurg alias Jaffer, a resident of Lahore, Abdullah Umair alias Hanzla alias Basit alias Rab Nawaz, Ahmadur Rehman alias Qasim, Muhammad Yousaf, and Muhammad Yaqoob alias Gora, all four residents of Karachi.

PAKISTAN

Data Darbar bombing facilitator sentenced to death by Lahore ATC

An antiterrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on November 28 convicted and sentenced to death the facilitator of the Data Darbar suicide bombing on May 8 that had left 12 people, including five Elite Force personnel, dead, reports Dawn. The convict, Mohsin Khan, was sentenced to death on 22 counts 11 under the Pakistan Penal Code and 11 under the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) and to life imprisonment under the Explosive Substance Act. Additionally, the convict has been ordered to pay compensation “at the rate of PKR 0.4 million per murder” to the heirs of the deceased and PKR 50,000 to each of the injured in the attack.

London Bridge attacker identified as Usman Khan of Pakistani origin

Metropolitan Police on November 30 identified the London Bridge attacker as British national Usman Khan, a 28-year-old male from Staffordshire who is of Pakistani ethnicity, reports Dawn. “We are now in a position to confirm the identity of the suspect as 28-year-old Usman Khan, who had been residing in the Staffordshire area. As a result, officers are, tonight, carrying out searches at an address in Staffordshire,” Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said in a statement issued. Khan stabbed two people to death and left three injured on November 29 in an attack that caused fear and panic across the city as residents revisited the spectre of terror returning to London. “This individual was known to authorities, having been convicted in 2012 for terrorism offences,” Basu said. “He was released from prison in December 2018 on licence and clearly, a key line of enquiry now is to establish how he came to carry out this attack. He added that Khan was shot by specialist armed forces and died at the scene.

According to media reports, Khan a British citizen born in the United Kingdom (UK) left school with no qualifications after spending part of his late teens in Pakistan, where he lived with his mother when she became ill. On his return to the UK, he started preaching extremism on the internet and attracted a significant following. In January 2012, Khan pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism contrary to section 5 (1) of the UK’s Terrorism Act 2006. Khan was among nine men charged with conspiracy to bomb high-profile London targets in the run-up to Christmas in 2010. At the time, the men were described as an al Qaeda-inspired group that wanted to send mail bombs to various targets and launch a “Mumbai-style” atrocity. At the time of his arrest, Khan lived in Stoke on Trent, a city in central England.

Elimination of organised crime is govt’s top priority, says Prime Minister Imran Khan

Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on December 2 expressed his determination to eliminate organised crime from the country and to ensure across-the-board accountability, reports Pakistan Today. Speaking to newly-appointed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General (DG) Wajid Zia, who called on him at PM Office, he said that the Government’s top priority is the elimination of corruption, money laundering, cybercrimes and immigration-related crimes.

US blacklists former SSP Rao Anwar over human rights violation

The United States (US) on December 10 blacklisted former Malir Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rao Anwar for engaging in “serious human rights abuse” by carrying out alleged fake police ‘encounters’ in which scores of individuals including Waziristan native Naqibullah Mehsud were killed, reports Dawn. The US Treasury Department said Anwar is among 18 individuals from six countries that the Donald Trump administration has imposed economic sanctions on for suspected human rights violations. “During his tenure as the Senior Superintendent of Police in District Malir, Pakistan, Rao Anwar Khan (Anwar) was reportedly responsible for staging numerous fake police encounters in which individuals were killed by police, and was involved in over 190 police encounters that resulted in the deaths of over 400 people, including the murder of Naqibullah Mehsud,” the US Treasury said in a statement.

JuD chief Hafiz Saeed along with other leaders indicted in terror financing case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on December 11 indicted Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and other party leaders who were booked in July in multiple cases pertaining to alleged terror financing and money laundering, reports Pakistan Today. Saeed, along with the other accomplices, was presented before the court under strict security protocol. After filing charges, the court summoned the prosecution’s witnesses. ATC-I Judge Malik Arshad Bhutta, who heard the case, adjourned proceedings until December 12.

Earlier on December 8, the court had delayed the indictment owing to the unavailability of one of the suspects in a case registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on charges of terror financing. On July 3, top JuD leadership was booked in nearly two dozen cases pertaining to terror financing and money laundering under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.

However, the JuD leadership denied the allegations as being baseless and a result of international pressure on the Pakistan Government. They claimed that they have been charged in cases by wrongly attributing them as leaders of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The CTD, which registered the cases in five cities of Punjab, declared that the JuD was financing terrorism from the massive funds collected through non-profit organisations and trusts including Al-Anfaal Trust, Dawatul Irshad Trust, Muaz Bin Jabal Trust, etc. These non-profit organisations were banned earlier in April as the CTD, during detailed investigations, found that they had links with the JuD and its top leadership.

Former President General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf gets death penalty

A special court in Islamabad on December 17 found former President General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf guilty of high treason and handed him death penalty under Article 6 of the constitution, reports Daily Times. “Pervez Musharraf has been found guilty of Article 6 for violation of the constitution of Pakistan,” government law officer Salman Nadeem said. A three member bench of the special court headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and comprising Justice Nazar Akbar of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) announced the verdict in the long-drawn high treason case against Musharraf after hearing final arguments on December 17. The verdict was split 2-1, as SHC’s Justice Akbar dissented from the verdict. Musharraf can appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court. If the top court upholds the special court’s verdict, the President possesses the constitutional authority under Article 45 to pardon a death row defendant. The high treason trial of Musharraf for clamping the state of emergency on November 3, 2007, had been pending since December 2013. He was booked in the treason case in December 2013. Musharraf was indicted on March 31, 2014, and the prosecution had tabled the entire evidence before the special court in September 2014. However, due to litigation at appellate forums, the trial lingered on and he left Pakistan in March 2016. Musharraf is currently in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

“Decision has been received with lot of pain and anguish by rank and file of Pakistan Armed Forces”, says ISPR reacting to death penalty to former President Pervez Musharraf

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor in a statement issued following the verdict in the high treason case against former President General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf on December 17 said the “decision given by special court has been received with lot of pain and anguish by rank and file of Pakistan Armed Forces”, reports Daily Times. “An ex-army chief, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and President of Pakistan, who has served the country for over 40 years, fought wars for the defence of the country can surely never be a traitor,” he said. It said that the due legal process seemed to have been ignored including the constitution of a special court, denial of fundamental right of self-defence, undertaking individual specific proceedings and concluding the case in haste. Musharraf was found guilty of high treason and was handed death penalty under Article 6 of the constitution.

APML to challenge verdict of the court which pronounced death sentence to former President Pervez Musharraf

All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), the political party founded by former President General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf, has announced to challenge the December 17 verdict of the special court which pronounced death sentence to Musharraf in high treason case, reports Daily Times. The APML spokesperson said in his statement that the verdict of the special court was ‘unconstitutional’ and the case against Pervez Musharraf was based on ‘political revenge’. The spokesperson maintained that the verdict was surprising as neither the stance of Musharraf was heard despite his repeated requests nor his lawyer was given a chance to defend him. The statement read that the decision for imposing the state of emergency had been made after consultations with the then Cabinet, Chief Ministers, Governors and Corps Commanders. It added that the court has not included facilitators and inciters in the case.

KP Police reviews terror watch list

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Mohammad Naeem Khan, on December 24, said his department would review the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act and would complete the exercise in two weeks, reports Dawn.“We are rationalising Schedule-IV as it has some unwanted names but doesn’t have those, which should be there,” IGP, Khan said. He further said the Fourth Schedule, which had around the names of 3,700 people, including Afghan nationals, would be rationalised in two weeks. All District Police officers would conduct review meetings in their respective areas, while the list would carry only the names allowed by Section 11(EE) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. He added, Section 11 of the law provides for keeping the names of individuals with terrorist and sectarian connections on a list called Fourth Schedule. Giving details he said, the Police had killed 21 high-profile terrorists associated with the Bali Khiara group in Dera Ismail Khan District during the last one year in a well-coordinated operation. The Khiara group had been active in the areas bordering Punjab since terrorist Bali Khiara took over its reins for five years after the elimination of his predecessor in a US drone strike. The group carried out 28 terrorist attacks last year but the ongoing crackdown carried out by Security Forces (SFs) and Police had almost halved the number. Bali Khiara was on the run but the Police would capture him soon.

Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics

Bangladesh is the most successful South Asian country in countering terrorism, says Global Terrorism Index 2019

Global Terrorism Index 2019 said that Bangladesh is the most successful South Asian country in countering terrorism, reports The Daily Star on November 29. “Bangladesh had the largest improvement of any country in South Asia. It recorded 31 terrorist attacks and seven fatalities in 2018, a 70 percent reduction in deaths from the prior year,” the index published by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics & Peace showed. The country was ranked 31 last years, while it was 25th the year before, according to the report.

Four Ansar al Islam cadres arrested in Dhaka city

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on December 1 arrested four cadres of the banned militant group Ansar al Islam from Khilkhet area of Dhaka city in Dhaka District of Dhaka Division, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are Masum Mia (30), Abu Bakar Siddique (19), Rakibul Islam Siam (18) and Abdullah Al Roman (22).

JMB has opted for online platform that allows anonymous communication for recruiting new members, says CTTC

The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Police said that in an attempt to dodge the law enforcers, Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) has opted for an online platform that allows anonymous communication for recruiting new members, reports The Daily Star on December 3. The Ehsar (Permanent) members of the banned militant outfit have been using the TOR (The Onion Router) browser for fresh recruitments, following the same strategy used by international militant outfit Al-Qaeda. The browser is well known for its ability to prevent online surveillance. Currently, the outfit has some 40 Ehsar members and each of them receives a monthly payment of Tk 1,000-1,500. The CTTC revealed the information gleaned from Abu Raihan alias Mahmud, the acting Ameer (Chief) of the JMB arrested on November 25.

Razakars’ list suspended three days after its publication

Amid nationwide outrage and angry protests, the Liberation War Affairs Ministry on December 18 suspended the controversial and flawed Razakars’ list three days after its publication, reports The Daily Star. Many freedom fighters were utterly shocked to see their names on the list of Razakars who collaborated with the Pakistan occupation army in carrying out mass killings and atrocities against the Bangalees during the 1971 Liberation War. The Daily Star found at least 25 freedom fighters or organizers of the war on the list published a day before Victory Day. Following this, freedom fighters and pro-liberation people have been staging demonstrations across the country, demanding cancellation of the list

Hizb-ut Tahrir operatives were using special Smartphone apps to communicate with each other, says CT officials

Officials of Counter Terrorism (CT) unit of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) said that Hizb-ut Tahrir operatives were using special Smartphone apps to communicate with each other to dodge eyes of law enforcing agencies, reports The Daily Star on December 20. CT officials have found, after interrogating 15 operatives of the group including the chief of Chattogram metro unit who were arrested from different areas of the city on November 23.CT officials told, “The men do not use their personnel phone numbers to install apps, in order to avoid being tracked.”

PBCP leader shot dead in Jhenidah District

On Dec 21 Police killed a ‘regional leader’, Badsha Sheikh of the outlawed Jonojuddho, a faction of Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) in Jorapukuria village in Jhenidah District, reports Daily Star. Police recovered firearms and bullets from the spot. Two policemen were also injured in the incident.

Six Allahr Dal militants arrested in Gaibandha District

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on December 23 arrested six militants of Allahr Dal of Harinmari area in Gaibandha District of the Rangpur Division, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees were identified as Babul Khandakar (35), Atoar Hossain (67), Osman Gani (56), Abdul Aziz (39), Hossain Prodhan (35), and Abu Taher Prodhan (50). RAB said Allahr Dal had been actively recruiting members in Gaibandha, “giving invitations” to 1,500 people including 500 women over three years. Of them, over 100 have taken oath to work for them.

Two JMB cadres arrested in Mymensingh District

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on December 26 arrested two cadres of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from an under-construction house from Digarkanda area in Mymensingh District of Mymensingh Division, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are Ayatullah Al Kabir (19) and Abu Abdullah Soyaeb (25). RAB recovered books promoting extremism, two laptops, two mobile phones and leaflets from their possession.

India – Internal Dynamics

Maoists releases letter saying government trying to take over ‘Podu’ land in Telangana

The Communist Party of India Maoist (CPI-Maoist) released a letter conveying that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Government continues to ignore the plea of the Adivasi communities to get rights over ‘Podu’ land in Telangana, reports The Hans India on November 28. The letter bearing the name of the ‘secretary’ of the JMWP (Jayashankar, Mahabubabad, Warangal and Peddapally) Division Committee, Venkatesh said that though the Adivasis have been in possession of ‘Podu’ lands for many years, the TRS Government is refusing to recognise their rights. Instead, the government is resorting to hit the livelihood of tribal communities by damaging the crops in the name of planting saplings under its flagship programme ‘Haritha Haram’. This apart, the Adivasis are subjected to harassment in the hands of forest and Police personnel. The letter also mentions that the TRS Government which failed to fulfill its election promises has given a free hand to people’s representatives, capitalists and landlords to rob the people. The letter further said that since Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained power for the second successive time, it has been promoting Brahminical Hindu fascist agenda. Against this backdrop, the onus is on youth to stem the rot by joining the CPI-Maoist. The letter urged the people to join them in large numbers during the armed wing of CPI-Maoist, People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Week that begins from December 2.

Meghalaya resolution against citizenship Bill

A Meghalaya delegation led by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has passed a resolution to oppose implementation of the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the State, reports The Assam Tribune on December 1. The resolution was passed after a meeting held in New Delhi on November 29 and November 30. The meeting was held between Sangma and stakeholders comprising representatives of the State Government, political parties, autonomous district councils and civil societies. It was decided that the resolution would be handed over to Union Home Minister (UHM), Amit Shah. “The delegation led by the Chief Minister comprising various leaders of political parties, representatives of civil societies of Meghalaya do now urge the Home Minister, Amit Shah to accept the resolution in the interest of the people of Meghalaya,” the resolution read.

‘17 villagers killed by forces in Sarkeguda not Maoists,’ says Judicial commission report

The Judicial commission report into the June 28, 2012, killings at Sarkeguda in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh says there is no evidence that the 17 persons killed were cadres of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), and it has detected “manipulation in probe” after the killings, reports The Times of India on December 2. A joint team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Chhattisgarh Police had gunned down 17 persons at Sarkeguda in the night of June 28. Security Forces (SFs) had claimed they had launched an operation on the basis of inputs about the presence of Maoists in Sarkeguda and killed 17 Maoists. However, locals insisted those killed were not Maoists but innocent villagers, who had assembled for a village meeting. Later, on July 11, 2012, a one-member judicial commission, headed by Justice V K Agrawal, a retired judge of Madhya Pradesh, High Court, was formed which submitted its report to the State Government in November 2019. The Justice Agrawal report doesn’t use the words ‘fake encounter’, but indicates that those killed were not rebels. The panel has pointed out that they killed from “close quarters”, and that one of the victims was gunned down in the morning several hours after the “encounter” took place. There was no firing by the villagers, but the SFs might have “fired in panic”, the report says. The Justice Agrawal report has also noted that the injuries suffered by six SF personnel were due to crossfire possibly by bullets fired by forces. Observing that there was “clear manipulation in the investigation”, the commission also doubted the villagers’ claim that they had assembled for a meeting to discuss a festival.

CRPF trooper injured in IED blast in Chhattisgarh

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was injured while defusing one of the five Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by the cadres of Communist Party of India Maoist near Sagmetta village in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on December 2, reports The Times of India. A Police Official said, the CRPF personnel recovered four of the IEDs that were planted between Sarkeguda and Tarrem villages and the fifth one was detected from a place near Sagmetta village where the device was kept behind a Maoist banner. When the CRPF personnel were defusing it, the device exploded, causing injuries to the CRPF trooper, identified as Madkam Somdu, the Official added.

Arms recovered in Manipur

On December 2, Police recovered weapons from Khabam Chumbreithong area in Imphal West District, reports The Sangai Express. Six modified 303 rifles, twenty.303 magazines, 16 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, machine bow, 17 arrows, samples of arrow heads and two single barrel guns were recovered. The recovery was made from the house of arms smugglers arrested on December 1.

CAB will not be accepted in Assam, stated AASU

All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on December 3 told Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) will not be accepted in Assam, reports The Sentinel. AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya stated that “We have told Home Minister that Assam will not accept CAB as it violates the basic principles of the Assam Accord”. He also added that “In the vision document prepared by BJP ahead of the last Assembly elections, the party told that they will implement all clauses of the Assam Accord. But now there is no talk on Assam Accord… they only want the CAB to get passed,”. He also added that the Government must implement clause 6 of Assam Accord.

Additionally, Assam Sahitya Sabha President Paramananda Rajbongshi on December 3 appealed to all civil society organisations and youths to oppose CAB, reports The Telegraph. Rajbongshi said the apex literary body of Assam was as worried about the bill as any other organisation of the state and would never support the proposed law. He added that “We strongly opposed the bill in front of both the joint parliamentary committee headed by MP Rajendra Agrawal and the select committee headed by MP Satya Pal Singh and during our meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Saturday. We made it very clear that the bill was not acceptable as it would change the demography, culture and linguistic features of Assam and diminish the land and economic space of the indigenous people. We will continue to oppose it,”

Two CoBRA personnel injured in IED explosion in Jharkhand

Two Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion near Piyakuli hills of Tamar town in Ranchi District of Jharkhand on December 8, reports Times of India. The incident took place when the personnel were returning to their base on completion of poll duty. They were identified as Pranay Das (25) and Jignesh Choudhary (25), both were part of a CoBRA team engaged in surveillance during the second phase of election in the Tamar constituency held on December 7.

ULFA-I ‘warns’ Assam Police

United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent ‘vice chairman’ Paresh Baruah on December 11 has issued a warning to the Assam Police against initiating any attack on students staging protests over Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), reports News 18. He stated that “The ULFA-I will not sit idle if a protesting student or any Assamese for that matter is assaulted. We appeal to Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta, Director General of Police (DGP) of Assam Police, not to baton charge people taking to the streets and vehemently opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.”

India seventh-most affected by terror, according to Institute for Economics and Peace

With 350 Indians killed and 540 injured in 748 terrorist incidents in 2018, India is at seventh place in a global think tank’s list of countries most affected by terrorism, according to the annual report by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace, Business Standard reports on November 20. States that the country most affected by terrorism in 2018 was Afghanistan (7,379 killed), displacing Iraq (1,054 killed) as the deadliest country. Iraq, now at second place, is followed by Nigeria, Syria, Pakistan and Somalia, in that order.

Kolkata provides logistical and operational support to Chhattisgarh Maoist, reveals interrogations

In a surprising revelation, the STF (Special Task Force) and IB (Intelligence Branch) officers interrogating five arrested Communist Party of India-Maoist learnt that the Maoist movement in Chhattisgarh is mainly controlled from various parts of the city, reports Deccan Herald on Dec 2. “Kolkata not only provides the logistics, financial and other support to their counterparts in Chhattisgarh but it also arranges for a safe hideout for important national level leaders. As per our information, at least three to four Central Committee members live in the city throughout the year,” a top STF officer told Deccan Herald.

The report states that 8,473 Indians have died since 2001 at the hands of terrorists. However, the 2018 death count was 10 per cent lower than in 2017, and 53 per cent lower than its peak in 2009. The number of terrorist attacks has increased by 14 per cent over the same period, peaking in 2016 at over 900″, states the report. This trend indicates that terror attacks in India are becoming steadily less bloody. In 1998, about 4.3 people were killed in each attack. That dropped to 1.6 deaths per attack in 2008, and 0.5 in 2018. “In 2018 alone, 69 per cent of attacks had zero fatalities and 22 per cent had one fatality”, says the report.

Insurgent movements indulging in terrorism, states Manipur Governor

Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla on December 5 stated that insurgency movement in the state was “indulging in terrorism” in recent times, reports India Express. She stated that “In the recent times, there has been a noticeable change in the insurgent movement, shifting away from the ideology of insurgency and instead indulging in terrorism planting bombs/ IEDs at strategic locations which target innocent civilians, individual residences, commercial establishments and vehicles plying on National Highways, and extortion of money from officials”. The Governor also said that though National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) is under a ceasefire with the Government of India, they are still actively involved in extortion and other criminal activities in Manipur. Similarly, the UG outfits belonging to other tribes, which have entered into Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreements, are also involved in incidents of extortions.

Four cadres of new terror outfit arrested in West Bengal

Four cadres of a new terror outfit named as Greater Coochbehar Liberation organisation (GCLO) were arrested by Crime Investigation Department (CID) in Naxalbari of Silguri District of West Bengal, reports Decaan Chronicle on Dec 8. The suspected terrorists are identified as Nirmal Roy, Kandarpa Das, Ratan Adhikary and Dipi Prasad Roy. Nirmal Roy had posted on social media that he had initiated a new terrorist organisation namely Greater Coochbehar Liberation organisation (GCLO). CID started keeping track and used a decoy to invite him for a meeting.

Former IAF cook arrested for possessing ‘secret information’ in Uttar Pradesh

A former cook Shashikant Jha at the Indian Air Force (IAF) Officer’s mess based in Gorakhpur has been arrested on Dec 12 with the possession of confidential information related to the ‘take-off’ schedule of the IAF’s fighter planes based in Air Force Station Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, reports NDTV. Shashikant who is a native of Banka District in Bihar was caught by the IAF officials and was later handed-over to the Police for the investigation, said Inspector Pradeep Shukla of Shahpur Police Station in Gorakhpur. The interrogation revealed that Shashikant worked at Officer’s mess as cook till September 2017 and used to note down the secret information while over-hearing the Officer’s conversation. He [Shashikant] had not ‘entry pass’ to enter the Air Force colony from where he was caught by the Air Force security personnel, said unnamed Police official.

Monthly Fatalities

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

	Civilian	Indian Security Personnel	Militant	Total
Arunachal P	02	00	00	02
Assam	03	00	01	04
Left Wing	15	00	06	21
Total	20	00	07	27

Nepal – Internal Dynamics

Three persons injured in bomb explosion in Kaski District

Three persons were injured when an explosive device went off during a mass gathering of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) in Pokhara of Kaski District in Province No. 4 on November 27, reports The Himalayan Times. The gathering was addressed by Co-chairperson of the party Pushpa Kamal Dahal to talk about the upcoming by-elections. Also present at the event are party leaders Subhash Nembang and Bamdev Gautam, among others.

Conflict victims demand Government to dissolve recommendation committee and start afresh selection process

The victims of the decade-long insurgency on November 28 demanded an immediate dissolution of the recommendation committee formed to recommend office-bearers in the two transitional bodies, reports Kathmandu Post. Organising a press meet in the Capital Kathmandu, they asked the Government to amend the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act 2014 first before starting a new selection process based on the revised Act. “It is evident that no competent people will get appointed in the transitional justice commissions unless the government and the political parties stop their interference. The current selection process should be immediately stalled,” said Suman Adhikari, founding chairperson of the Conflict Victims Common Platform (CVCM). Bhagi Ram Chaudhari, chairperson of the platform “No one can stop the conflict era cases from getting internationalised if the government and the parties don’t correct themselves.” He reminded the Government that around 9,000 cases related to severe human rights violations had been filed at the United Nations which could be tried in the international courts if Nepal fails to conclude the transitional justice process. Under the principle of universal jurisdiction, states may make it possible for their domestic criminal justice system to investigate and prosecute crimes such as torture, committed by any person, anywhere in the world.

Meanwhile, former Maoist child combatants who were disqualified from the Army integration process during verification by the UN on November 29 threatened to launch a legal battle against the Government for their rights, reports Republica. Speaking at an interaction entitled “Use of child soldiers in war: international practices and domestic remedy”, former child soldier, Asim Limbu, who now leads the Discharged People’s Liberation Army Nepal (D-PLAN) Struggle Committee said they are working to take the Nepal government to the Supreme Court. “We have been fighting for our rights for several years now, and will continue to do so. This event is a first step toward filing public interest litigation at the Supreme Court,” said Limbu. In 2007, over 4,008 ex-child soldiers were disqualified by the United Nations in course of integrating and rehabilitating the then Maoist combatants.

Explosions reported during polls in Kaski constituency-2

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) went off at several places near voting centres at Kaski constituency-2, on November 30, reports The Himalayan Times. Locals said a bomb exploded near the voting centre at Saraswoti Tika Secondary School at 7:45 am. Similarly, an IED was detonated near Nawa Prabhat Secondary School Pokhara at 7:30am. Another explosive device went off near Shanti Secondary School at Chhaharepani of Pokhara-16, at 8:00am. A bomb was also detonated near the voting centre at Pokhara-16 at 1:30pm while voting was underway. However, no casualties, have been reported. Explosives had gone off at the voting centres despite tight security. According to Kaski Chief District Officer (CDO), Ramesh Kumar KC, votes were cast at 32 voting booths and 82 voting centres at 11 wards in Kaski constituency-2.

Bomb blast at transport entrepreneur’s house in Dang District

Inseconline.org reports that Janatantrik Terai-Madhesh Mukti Morcha (JTMM), an armed outfit detonated a pressure cooker bomb at a house belonging to Prem Dangi, a transport entrepreneur at Tikari of Tulsipur Municipality-8 in Dang District on Dec 2. The blast, however, caused no human casualty and damage, the Tulsipur Area Police Office said. The next day, on March 8, one person introducing himself as Barud and claiming to be the District coordinator of JTMM, claimed responsibility for the blast.

Three persons killed in bomb blast in Dhanusha District

Three persons including a Police Officer killed in bomb blast occurred in Mahendranagar area of Dhanusha District in Province No. 2 on December 13, reports Republica. The powerful explosion occurred near a house belonging to Rajeshwor Shah. House owner Rajeshwor Shah (46) and his son Ananda Shah (24) died on the spot. Police Inspector Ameer Dahal deployed from Area Police Office, Mahendranagar was injured in the blast and died while undergoing treatment at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. The blast took place immediately after the Police team reached the site. Three others sustained injuries in the same incident are Police constable Rijan Mahato, house owner Shah’s another son Prakash and daughter Anjali. It was not immediately clear about who placed the bomb.

Unidentified group explodes bomb in Siraha District

An unidentified group on December 13 carried out an explosion at the office of Laxmipur Patari Rural Municipality in Siraha District of Province No. 2, reports The Himalayan Times. The explosion shattered the windows and door of the office. There were no human casualties while a search has been initiated for those responsible for the explosion. An agitation has been going on for the last few days at the rural municipality office calling for transparency in the rural municipality funds.

Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics

Bail applications of former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundera postponed till December 17

On November 27 the Colombo High Court decided to consider the bail applications of both former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundera who had been in remand custody for their alleged role in failing to take measures to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks despite receiving intelligence warnings of the attack, reports Colombo Page. The Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige issued notice to the respondents of Fernando’s bail application, Attorney General, the Acting IGP, the Director of the CID and the OIC in charge of the Commercial Investigation Division of the CID to present facts on December 17. Regarding Jayasundera’s application, Judge Aditya Patabendige ordered the respondents including the Attorney General, Director of CID and Acting IGP to present objections, if any, to the court on December 17.

Four Persons arrested for attempting to revive LTTE

On December 8, four non-rehabilitated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres were arrested from Muthur and Sampur areas of Trincomalee District in Eastern Province while trying to rejuvenate the banned organization, reports Daily Mirror. One T-56 rifle, two magazines, 61 live cartridges, one claymore mine, three live grenades, three detonators and 31 live ammunition for 9 mm pistols had been recovered from the four arrestees along with two motorcycles. For further interrogation, the four has been sent to Colombo Terrorist Investigation (CTI).

Separatist activists and LTTE supporters at work in Australia, says Media spokesperson for Sri Lankan Australians in Melbourne

Media spokesperson for Sri Lankan Australians in Melbourne, Nagesha Wickramasuriya said that separatist activists and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam supporters are attempting to lobby support from federal Parliamentarians in Australia into making a statement and to pressurize the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to take action against Sri Lanka, reports Daily News. These activists are trying to mislead politicians across the globe and are posing as human rights activists. These elements have also started a fund raising campaign- One dollar per week. The amount of money they are collecting annually is staggering. “There is a misconception amongst some Sri Lankans that the LTTE have been finished. But internationally they are there in a big way. They have been defeated militarily but their activists are around the world so the terrorist problem is not over. They are active in American, Canada, France, and London and even in Australia,” said Wickramasuriya.

LTTE ideology continues to remain, says Kamal Gunaratne

In a maiden visit to the new Army Headquarters at Sri Jayewardenepura of Colombo District in Western Province, Defence Secretary Major General (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne on December 9 stated that ideology of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam continues to persist despite Sri Lanka’s freedom from terrorism, reports Daily Mirror. Stating the Government’s first priority to be national security, Gunaratne called upon all Army Officers to shoulder the responsibility of national security and ensure the safety of entire nation from repetition of Easter Attacks.

Police Officers to testify before Presidential Commission inquiring Easter Sunday attacks

Several Police Officers were due to testify on December 13 before the Presidential Commission appointed to investigate the terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday, reports Colombo Page. On December 12, Officers of several police stations had appeared before the Commission. Appearing as a witness, Sub-Inspector RM Lahiru Pradeep Udayanga stated that two days after Easter attack, then Colombo North Police Superintendent, Sanjeewa Bandara had asked him to insert a document into the police books which asserted that he had prior knowledge of the attack. Due to his refusal to accept the order of the Superintendent, Udayanga had been transferred to different police stations. Other than Udayanga, police constable AL Nalin Bandara and Inspector AHM Sirisena Abeysinghe also testified before the Commission.

INTERNATIONAL

Four killed in attacks against Ebola response centers in Congo

Militia fighters in eastern Congo killed four people and injured several others in attacks on two Ebola response centers on Thursday, Nov 28 in what the United Nations described as a setback to efforts to contain the disease. Violence and unrest have hampered the health authorities’ response to the second worst Ebola epidemic on record, which has killed 2,199 people since it was announced in August 2018. Mai Mai militia fighters and local residents have attacked health facilities, sometimes because they believe Ebola does not exist, in other cases because of resentment that they have not benefited from the influx of donor funding. In the latest such violence, Mai Mai fighters simultaneously attacked Ebola centres in Mangina in North Kivu and Byakoto in Ituri, according to Jean Jacques Muyembe, head of Ebola response for the Democratic Republic of Congo. “It is a blow to the Ebola response because we were eradicating the disease. These attacks are challenging the efforts to date,” Muyembe told Reuters. The World Health Organization said the dead included a member of a vaccination team, two drivers and a police officer. It said none of its own staff were killed and that most of the five people injured were from Congo’s Ministry of Health.

NATO will prevent ISIS from reviving in Afghanistan, says secretary general for NATO, Jens Stoltenberg

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will prevent reviving of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) caliphate in Afghanistan which they lost it in Syria and Iraq, said Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general for NATO on November 29, reports The Khaama Press. Afghanistan shows the strength of NATO, bringing Allies, partners together, addressing a common challenge to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for international terrorists. And it’s extremely important that we avoid or prevent ISIS to establish themselves in Afghanistan, or to try to re-establish a kind of terrorist caliphate in Afghanistan, which they lost in the Levant, said Jens Stoltenberg. The NATO secretary general also welcomed the ‘contacts’ between United States and the Taliban group in Afghanistan as the peace talks resume. “I welcome that there are contacts, talks between the United States and the Taliban. This is also something which the US is consulting with other NATO Allies on regularly. Secretary Pompeo has discussed, briefed Allies. Ambassador Khalilzad had briefed Allies, discussed this with Allies. And we are consulting all the time, because it’s not only US that is in Afghanistan, but you have to remember that there are also many non-US troops in Afghanistan. And this remains our biggest military operation outside Europe”, he said.

Iraqi protestors set fire to Iranian consulate, again

The Iranian consulate in southern Najaf province of Iraq was torched again amid ongoing protests, security sources said on Sunday, Dec 1. Eyewitnesses said there were no personnel working at the place when the fire erupted. Previously, on Nov. 28, the Iraqi protesters set fire to the consulate. Iraq has been rocked by mass protests since early October against poor living conditions and corruption. The protesters’ demands later spiraled into calls for dissolving Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi’s government. The prime minister delivered his resignation letter to the parliament, which was approved on Sunday. According to Iraq’s High Commission for Human Rights, at least 346 Iraqis have been killed and 15,000 have been injured since protests began Oct. 1.

Netanyahu charges with corruption, becomes first Israeli PM to be indicted

An indictment charging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with corruption was officially submitted on Monday, Dec 2. Israeli Attorney General Avihai Mendelblit publicly released the indictment, allowing a period of 30 days during which the long-time leader may request the parliament to grant him immunity from standing trial. The 77-page indictment charges Netanyahu with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate corruption scandals. According to the indictment, the trial will be held at the Jerusalem District Court. The date of the trial has yet to be published.

The document contains a list of 333 witnesses the prosecution may call to testify against Netanyahu, including Sheldon Adelson, an American Jewish business magnate and one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s major donors, and Arnon Milchan, an Israeli billionaire and Hollywood producer, and other businessmen and politicians. Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, saying the indictment is part of “an orchestrated witch hunt.” He is the first Israeli prime minister who was served with an indictment while being in office.

Turkish backed rebels kill 8 civilians in Syria

More than eight civilians were killed and 10 others wounded on Monday, Dec 2 in shelling by the Turkey backed rebels in the countryside of Aleppo Province in northern Syria, state news agency SANA reported.

The shelling, which targeted the city of Tal Rifat in the northern countryside of Aleppo, is part of the series of confrontations between Turkey-backed rebels and the Kurdish militia and the Syrian forces in the north of the country.

SANA said most of the shelling victims were women and children, adding damage was caused to the infrastructure in the city. The rebels’ shelling came when school children were leaving their schools, according to the state news agency.

The death toll is likely to rise as several people were critically wounded, it said.

In October, Turkey and its allied Syrian rebel groups launched an offensive against the Kurdish forces in northern Syria near the border between the two countries.

Despite the halt of all-out assault as a result of a Turkish-Russian agreement, shelling by the Turkey-backed rebels has continued.

ISIS members relocating to former USSR states: experts

Islamic State (IS) terrorists defeated in Syria and Iraq are actively moving to the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Head of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center Andrei Novikov said on Tuesday, Dec 3.

“There is a diffused penetration of militants, including in migration flows, as well as through so-called returnees,” TASS news agency quoted Novikov as saying in an interview.

According to Novikov, this type of infiltration is a direct result of an IS project called the New Migration.

It involves the resettlement of committed IS supporters in the so called Caliphate lands territories that are either already located in or in the future may fall under the IS protectorate, Novikov said.

Threats from the international terrorist organization remain the focus of the security agencies, special services and law enforcement bodies of the CIS member states, Novikov noted.

Between 2015 and 2019, the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center helped to find and detain about 200 people wanted for crimes of a terrorist nature, as well as to identify more than 300 people involved in the financing of terrorism, he added.

Pentagon mulls sending 6000 additional troops to ME

The Wall Street Journal broke the news earlier, citing sources that the US Department of Defence (DoD) was considering to authorize the deployment of additional 14,000 troops to the Middle East along with various military hardware to deter alleged Iranian threat in the region – the news which was later denied by DoD spokesperson.

The Pentagon, nevertheless, still reportedly has plans to build up its US military presence in the Middle East, Fox News reported Thursday, Dec 5 citing two US defence officials familiar with the matter.

According to the sources, cited by the US broadcaster, Defence Secretary Mark Esper has “not made any decision” but the plan reportedly envisages the deployment of up to 7,000 additional soldiers to the Middle East to counter what they claim to be an alleged threat from Tehran.

Late on Wednesday, The New York Times reported, citing US intelligence sources, that Iran had allegedly taken advantage of the ongoing protests in Iraq to stockpile short-range ballistic missiles in the neighboring country a move treated as potentially dangerous for US forces in the region. US military officials, cited by the NYT, refused to name certain types of Iranian rockets allegedly smuggled and stockpiled in the hidden arsenal in Iraq but they claim that these particular missiles are able to strike Israel, changing the balance of power in the region.

Since Spring, the DoD has reportedly deployed over 14,000 additional forces half aboard warships to the Middle East to join over 60,000 American troops currently stationed in a region referred to by the Pentagon as Central Command, an area stretching from Egypt through Afghanistan, Fox News said.

In May, the US military ratcheted up its reinforcement in the Middle East on the one-year anniversary of the Trump administration’s unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA), also known as Iran nuclear deal.

Tensions in the Persian Gulf rose further after mysterious attacks on oil tankers, including off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, as well as drone strikes on Saudi oil fields on 14 September. The Trump administration blamed Iran for the incidents. Tehran has denied any wrongdoing.

North Korea resumes attack on Trump

North Korea renewed its verbal attacks on President Trump, after he threatened military action. The foreign ministry said if Mr Trump was confrontational, it “must really be diagnosed as the relapse of the dotage of a dotard”. The North first called Mr Trump a dotard, meaning old and weak, in 2017.

It is the first time in over a year that Pyongyang has been openly critical of Donald Trump, the BBC’s Korea correspondent Laura Bicker said.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a dotard as “a person whose mental faculties are impaired, specifically, a person whose intellect or understanding is impaired in old age”.

Dotage, meanwhile, is defined as “having impaired intellect or understanding in old age”, or in general use as “old age”. The two men held face-to-face talks in Singapore in June 2018, and in Vietnam in February this year, aimed at denuclearisation.

But talks have stalled since then, and despite another impromptu meeting at the demilitarised zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea in June, the North has restarted testing of short-range ballistic missiles.

In recent months the hostile language has also come back. Pyongyang has set Washington an end-of-year deadline to offer it new concessions and has said it will adopt a “new way” if that does not happen.

At the Nato summit in the UK on Tuesday, Mr Trump referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as “rocket man”. In a statement carried by North Korea’s state news agency, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui warned that the “war of words” from two years ago may be resuming.

Niger: 70 cops killed in attack on military camp

Suspected militants attacked a military camp in western Niger, killing at least 70 soldiers, authorities said late Wednesday, Dec 11 according to local media. The overnight attack took place in the village of Inates near the border with Mali, where fighters linked to Islamic State have long been active.

Reports attributed the heavy death toll to explosions from ammunition and fuel.

The attackers reportedly bombarded the camp with shelling and mortars. It was the second attack in two days against the army.

The latest attack occurred a few days before French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to meet in the southwestern French town of Pau with five presidents from the Sahel to discuss security in the region.

Niger’s president is among those invited to next week’s summit, which is expected to discuss the future of the French mission in the region.

According to reports, Macron wants the West African leaders to indicate their clear position on France’s military presence following some anti-French protests.

Niger is part of a five-nation task force known as the G5 established in 2014 with Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Chad in the wake of militant attacks.

Baghdad mob kills teen gunman and strings up his corpse

An angry mob killed a 16-year-old and strung up the corpse by its feet from a traffic pole after the teen shot and killed six people Thursday, Dec 12 including four anti-government protesters, Iraqi officials said.

The violence underscored the growing fears and suspicions swirling around the 8-week old protest movement, which engulfed Iraq on Oct. 1 when thousands took to the streets to decry government corruption, poor services and scarcity of jobs.

A string of mysterious acts of bloodshed by unknown groups has put anti-government protesters on edge and eroded their faith in the ability of state security forces to protect them. Last Friday, 25 protesters were killed when gunmen in pickup trucks opened fire in Baghdad’s Khilani Square. That same week, mysterious knife attacks targeted over a dozen anti-government protesters in Tahrir Square, the hub of the protest movement.

Thursday’s bloodshed began when the young gunman opened fire in Baghdad’s Wathba Square, killing two shop owners and four protesters.. Security officials said the teen was wanted by police on drug-related charges and was running from security forces at the time.

An enraged mob beat the young man to death, security and health officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. At least eight people were wounded, the officials said. Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called those who killed the teen “terrorists” and warned that if they were not identified within 48 hours, he would order his militia to leave the square. Members of Saraya Salam, or Peace Brigades, are deployed in the square to protect protesters. Protesters refer to them as the “blue hats.”

Ex-Sudan strongman al-Bashir gets 2 years for corruption

A court in Sudan convicted former President Omar al-Bashir of money laundering and corruption on Saturday, Dec 14 sentencing him to two years in a minimum security lockup. That’s the first verdict in a series of legal proceedings against al-Bashir, who is also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide linked to the Darfur conflict in the 2000s.

The verdict comes a year after Sudanese protesters erupted in revolt against al-Bashir’s authoritarian rule. During his three decades in power, Sudan landed on the U.S. list for sponsoring terrorism, and the country’s economy was battered by years of mismanagement and American sanctions.

The Sudanese Professionals’ Association, which was the backbone of the protest movement, welcomed Saturday’s verdict as a “moral and political conviction” against the former president and his regime. Under Sudanese law, al-Bashir, 75, will be sent to a state-run lockup for elderly people who are convicted of crimes not punishable with death. But he will remain in jail amid an ongoing trial on separate charges regarding the killing of protesters in the months prior to his ouster.

Defense lawyer Mohammed al-Hassan said Saturday’s verdict was expected and that an appeal would be filed before a higher court, adding that the ex-president’s “morale is high.”Al-Hassan also said security forces detained al-Bashir’s second wife, Widad Babakr, last week for questioning about her alleged bank accounts and assets. That’s part of a wider corruption-related investigation into the al-Bashir family’s wealth. Babakr had been under house arrest in Khartoum since al-Bashir’s overthrow.

Prosecutors had questioned al-Bashir last week over his role in the Islamist-backed military coup which brought him to power in 1989. Anti-government demonstrations erupted last December over steep price rises and shortages, but soon shifted to calls for al-Bashir to step down. Security forces responded with a fierce crackdown that killed dozens of protesters in the months prior to his ouster and arrest.

Millions of U.S. dollars, euros and Sudanese pounds were later seized in al-Bashir’s home. In August, al-Bashir told the court he had received through his office manager $25 million from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Rebels in eastern DR Congo kill at least 32

At least 22 people were killed overnight by rebel fighters in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, police and a civil society group said Sunday, Dec 15.

Suspected rebel fighters from Uganda’s Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on Saturday evening attacked the village of Ntombi, located around 40 kilometers northeast of the city of Beni in North Kivu province, they said.

“Among the victims were 15 men and seven women, mainly farmers. They were killed with machetes and bullets,” Patrick Musubao, president of the civil society in Beni’s Mayimoya district, told reporters.

The attack came a day after the rebels killed six civilians in the Rwangoma area of Beni, according Musubao.

Earlier this month, 26 people were killed in separate attacks one in the village of Mantumbi and two others near the town of Kamango, according to local authorities.

More than 150 people have been killed by rebels since October, according to a local human rights organization known as CEPADHO.

Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo launched operations against armed groups in the eastern part of the country at the end of October, triggering retaliatory attacks on civilians by the ADF.

The country’s army in November killed one of the top leaders of the ADF, Mouhamed Mukubwa, during fighting in Mapobu forest in Beni.

In November, angry protests broke out in Beni and neighboring towns, with residents storming UN facilities in Beni.

The protestors accused UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO and government forces of failing to protect civilians following numerous massacres by rebels.

US slams ICC probe into

U.S. secretary of state on Saturday voiced opposition to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe into alleged Israeli war crimes committed in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.

“We firmly oppose this and any other action that seeks to target Israel unfairly,” Mike Pompeo said in an official statement. “By taking this action, the Prosecutor expressly recognized that there are serious legal questions about the Court’s authority to proceed with an investigation,” he added.

The American top diplomat also said that Washington did not believe the Palestinians qualify as a “sovereign state”, hence it should not be able to “obtain full membership, or participate as a state in international organizations, entities, or conferences, including the ICC.”

“The United States remains deeply, firmly, and consistently committed to achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The only realistic path forward to end this conflict is through direct negotiations,” he concluded.

ICC on Jan. 16, 2015 had opened a preliminary examination over alleged war crimes committed by Israel in Palestine.

“I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation into the situation in Palestine,” ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement on Friday, Dec 20.

French forces kill 33 militants in Mali

French forces killed 33 militants on Saturday, Dec 21 in Mali near the border with Mauritania, French President Emmanuel Macron said. “This morning, thanks to an engagement by our soldiers and the Barkhane forces, we were able to neutralise 33 terrorists, take one prisoner and free two Malian gendarmes who had been held hostage,” Macron said during in a speech in Ivory Coast. France, the former colonial power, is the only Western country with a significant military presence waging counter-insurgency operations in Mali and the wider Sahel, an arid region of West Africa below the Sahara desert. French army command confirmed the death toll in the operation, which it said took place overnight near the Mauritanian border about 150 km (90 miles) northwest of the town of Mopti in Mali. The location was a different area of Mali to where 13 French soldiers died last month in a helicopter crash.

Ex-Sudan strongman al-Bashir gets 2 years for corruption

A court in Sudan convicted former President Omar al-Bashir of money laundering and corruption on Saturday, Dec 14 sentencing him to two years in a minimum security lockup. That’s the first verdict in a series of legal proceedings against al-Bashir, who is also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide linked to the Darfur conflict in the 2000s.

The verdict comes a year after Sudanese protesters erupted in revolt against al-Bashir’s authoritarian rule. During his three decades in power, Sudan landed on the U.S. list for sponsoring terrorism, and the country’s economy was battered by years of mismanagement and American sanctions.

The Sudanese Professionals’ Association, which was the backbone of the protest movement, welcomed Saturday’s verdict as a “moral and political conviction” against the former president and his regime. Under Sudanese law, al-Bashir, 75, will be sent to a state-run lockup for elderly people who are convicted of crimes not punishable with death. But he will remain in jail amid an ongoing trial on separate charges regarding the killing of protesters in the months prior to his ouster.

Defense lawyer Mohammed al-Hassan said Saturday’s verdict was expected and that an appeal would be filed before a higher court, adding that the ex-president’s “morale is high.”Al-Hassan also said security forces detained al-Bashir’s second wife, Widad Babakr, last week for questioning about her alleged bank accounts and assets. That’s part of a wider corruption-related investigation into the al-Bashir family’s wealth. Babakr had been under house arrest in Khartoum since al-Bashir’s overthrow.

Prosecutors had questioned al-Bashir last week over his role in the Islamist-backed military coup which brought him to power in 1989. Anti-government demonstrations erupted last December over steep price rises and shortages, but soon shifted to calls for al-Bashir to step down. Security forces responded with a fierce crackdown that killed dozens of protesters in the months prior to his ouster and arrest.

Millions of US dollars, euros and Sudanese pounds were later seized in al-Bashir’s home. In August, al-Bashir told the court he had received through his office manager $25 million from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.