Bombs Blasts/IEDs
Two Policemen sustained minor injuries in a grenade attack by unidentified assailants near Mominabad Police Station in Karachi on August 30, reports ARY News. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Fida Hussain said that unidentified assailants hurled a grenade at the gate of Mominabad Police Station, however, the timely response by on-duty officials foiled the attack. The attackers, however, managed to flee from the scene.
Three Policemen were injured when a mobile van of Haya Serai Police Station was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Maidan area of Dir District in the evening of August 31, reports Dawn. Police said the mobile van was on a routine patrol and was partially damaged.
Three Army soldiers were killed and four others sustained injuries when they were targeted by militants while providing protection to road construction teams working on Shaga-Nishpa Road in Ghariom Tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan District on September 3, reports The Express Tribune. Lieutenant Nasir Hussain Khalid (23), from Muzaffarabad, Naik Muhammad Imran (33) from Faisalabad and Sepoy Usman Akhtar (30) embraced martyrdom.
At least four persons were injured in an explosion outside a mosque on Sariab Road in Quetta on September 4, reports Dawn. A video showed worshippers coming out of the mosque as an explosion was heard and plumes of smoke rose from a motorcycle on fire. Quetta Deputy Inspector General Abdul Razzaq Cheema said the nature of the explosion could not be immediately ascertained and Police were investigating if explosives were planted on a bike or if the vehicle caught fire.
A soldier, Sajid (33) was killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion near a Security Forces check post on Boya-Miranshah road in North Waziristan District on September 12, reports ARY News.
A person was injured in an explosion in the Manjhoo Shori area of Azizabad in Naseerabad District on September 17, samaa.tv reports. The blast occurred while a bulldozer was working on a road in the area.
Targeted Killings
The bullet riddled dead body of a man, identified as Ashraf Dadain (50), son of Roden, resident of Buleda, was discovered from the mountains of Kulbar area in Tump tehsil of Kech District in Balochistan on August 28. According to the locals, the man was abducted by unidentified armed persons few days ago.
A transgender activist Gul Panra was shot dead and another injured when unidentified assailants opened fire on them in Palosi neighbourhood of Peshawar on September 9, reports The News. The president of Peshawar-based transgender rights group, Trans Action Alliance Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Farzana Ilyas, said, “In the last four or five years, 1,500 transgender individuals have been raped and 68 murdered since 2015”. In a report last year, Human Rights Watch (HRW), citing the local group Trans Action, said at least “479 attacks against transgender women were reported in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in 2018”.
A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) local leader Tahir Iqbal was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Haripur town (Haripur District) on September 13, reports ARY News. The suspects escaped from the site after killing the PTI leader
Unidentified assailants shot dead a Police constable near Brooks Chowrangi in Korangi Town of Karachi on September 18, reports ARY News. Constable Arif Khan was targeted when he was going back to home from work.
A soldier was killed when militants from across the Afghan border attacked a post of Security Forces (SFs) in Bajaur District on September 22, reports Pakistan Today. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), militants from Afghanistan targeted the security post situated in the border area killing Sepoy Sabir Shah (24).
A lady health worker was shot dead by some unidentified assailants in an incident of targeted killing in Mir Ali tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan District on September 21, reports Dawn. Naheed Gul (25) was returning home after performing her duty at the Basic Health Unit of Nathasi in the Khushali Toorikhel area of Mir Ali, when she was shot dead.
Miscellaneous
Police on August 26, conducted an operation and arrested three militants in Shabqadar area of Charsadda District, reports Daily Times. According to Police, the militants, identified as Luqman Khan, Bakht Rayan and Mohammad Taj, belonged to a proscribed outfit and were plotting terror activities during the holy month of Muharram. Police also recovered explosive material, two IEDs and three hand grenades after their disclosure.
Three soldiers were killed while four other soldiers were also injured on August 29, during a search operation by Security Forces in South Waziristan District reports Geo TV. According to a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the three soldiers were martyred as terrorists fired at SF’s blocking position during the operation. The dead soldiers were identified as Subedar Nadeem, Sepoy Saleem and Lance Naik Musawar.
Police on August 28, arrested three militants during a raid conducted in the Mattani area of Peshawar, reports Samaa TV. Mansoor Aman, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Peshawar said that the arrested militant belonged to a proscribed militant outfit and were involved in several attacks on the law enforcement agencies. Explosives and detonators were also recovered from their hideout during the raid.
The Police on August 30, arrested three people for posting hate material against other sects on social media in Attock District, reports Dawn. Police sources said that three persons were arrested by Bassal, Attock Saddar and Jand Police who uploaded posts carrying defamatory remarks against a particular sect. According to Police, this crackdown was launched as part of an effort to check sectarian posts on social media.
Two Policemen sustained minor injuries in a grenade attack by unidentified assailants near Mominabad Police Station in Karachi on August 30, reports ARY News. The attackers managed to flee from the scene.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on September 8, conducted a raid in the Sariab area of Quetta and arrested one militant, reports ARY News. According to the CTD Spokesperson, the CTD personnel raided the Sariab area and arrested Shah Faisal alias Takri, a key member of a banned outfit. Police also recovered 9mm pistols and ammunition from his possession. The arrested militant was wanted in the incidents of targeted killing, attempted murder and robbery.
The Security Forces (SFs) conducted an Intelligence Based Operation (IBO) in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan District and killed a high-profile militant ‘commander’ Wasim Zakaria, and his four accomplices on September 7, reports Daily Times. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that 10 other militants were arrested. Wasim Zakaria hailed from the Haider Khel area and since September 2019, had been a mastermind of 30 terrorist attacks.
Separately, three Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants were killed in a gun battle with SFs in the Shahsur Kaskai area of Servekai tehsil (revenue unit) in South Waziristan District on September 5, reports Dawn. According to Police, clashes between SFs and militants took place in the Shahsur Kaskai area when militants attacked a military convoy. Three slain militants were identified as Shamsuddin, Rehmatullah and Adil Khan.
Meanwhile, an Army officer and a soldier were injured in an attack on SFs by militants near Hasokhel Bridge in Mir Ali sub-division of North Waziristan District on September 6, reports Dawn. Officials said the militants attacked a military vehicle near Hasokhel Bridge, injuring a Captain Farhan and Naik Asif.
Four militants, including militant ‘commander’ Ihsanullah alias Ihsan Sanray, were killed in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Ghariom area of South Waziristan District on September 13, reports Dawn. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Director-General Major General Babar Iftikhar said in a Tweet that the slain militant was the mastermind behind several terrorist activities. Recently, he had planned terrorist attacks in Shaktu which led to the death of several soldiers as well as officers, including Lieutenant Nasir and Captain Sabih.
The Police and Rangers arrested 23 suspects involved in attacks on the Police, sectarian riots, street crimes and drug peddling in separate operations in the Memon Goth area of Karachi on September 16, reports The Express Tribune. Eight kilograms of hashish, ammunition, weapons and motorcycles were recovered from the suspects’ possession.
Police on September 16 foiled a major terror plot by recovering a huge cache of arms and ammunition from a vehicle during checking in Peshawar, reports The Express Tribune. The recoveries included 278 pistols, 40 guns and 5,000 rounds of ammunition. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Abrar, was taken into custody.
Security Forces (SFs) shot dead four Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) militants during an operation in Raghe Kalan area of Mashkay tehsil (revenue unit) in Awaran District on September 19, reports Daily Times. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the SFs conducted an intelligence-based operation in Awaran District and on confirmation of militants in central Makran range took the action. The SFs during their operation completely destroyed the militants’ hideout including the logistic base while a large cache of arms, ammunition and communication equipment were seized from there.
Police on September 16 foiled a major terror plot by recovering a huge cache of arms and ammunition from a vehicle during checking in Peshawar reports The Express Tribune. The recoveries included 278 pistols, 40 guns and 5,000 rounds of ammunition. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Abrar, was taken into custody.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on September 24, shot dead a target killer, Nauman, in an encounter in Pehlwan Goth area of Karachi, reports Samaa TV. He was involved in at least 11 targeted killings and over 200 other street crimes.
PAKISTAN
Lyari gang ‘chief’ Uzair Baloch indicted for killing rival gangster Arshad Pappu
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on August 26 indicted ‘chief’ of the Lyari gang, Uzair Baloch, for the murder of his rival, Arshad Pappu, reports The News. Pappu, another notorious gangster, was killed along with his brother Arafat and an aide Jumma Shera by Uzair’s gang, known as Peoples Amn Committee, in Lyari and their bodies were desecrated. Brief facts of the case are that on March 16, 2013, Pappu and the other two were picked up by police from their hideout in Defence Housing Authority and later handed over to the Amn Committee which killed them. Pappu himself was allegedly involved in several cases of murders, kidnappings and drug peddling but was never convicted. A year before his death, he was acquitted from the murder of Faiz Muhammad, alias Mama Faizu, the father of Uzair. Uzair faces over five dozen cases related to terrorism. After his arrest, the army had taken him into custody in April 2017 on the charges of espionage and leak of sensitive security information to foreign intelligence agencies. He was handed back to the home authorities recently. During the hearing, he claimed that he never made any confessional statement in court. He asked the ATC to summon the judicial magistrate who presided over the recording of his so-called confessional statement under the Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Panels formed special committees to monitor Human rights situation in all Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has constituted special committees in all districts to monitor human rights situation with the respective Deputy Commissioners heading them, Dawn reported on August 30. A notification issued by the law and human rights department said the Chief Minister had formed the District human rights committees under Section 4 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Promotion, Protection and Enforcement of Human Rights Act, 2014. The committees will be headed by the respective deputy commissioners as their chairpersons and will comprise Superintendent of Police (investigation), Superintendent of Prisons, District officer (male/female) of the Education Department, District Health Officer, District Social Welfare Officer and two representatives of civil society to be nominated by the chairperson.
The committees will monitor the overall human rights situation in the respective Districts, investigate the cases of human rights violations, visit jails for monitoring human rights of inmates, go to hospitals for assessing provision of facilities to visitors, visit places of detention (Police Stations) on complaint of torture, inspect schools, colleges and universities for creating rights awareness, visit orphanages and shelter homes, identify and recommend cases for the relief of the human rights violation victims through the relevant organisations, and mobilise local community and encourage their participation for promotion and protection of human rights.
Lahore ATC convicted three JuD leaders in terror financing
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Lahore on August 28, convicted three leaders of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) in a new case of terror financing registered by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), reports Dawn. ATC-III Presiding Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar, announced the verdict against Malik Zafar Iqbal, Hafiz Abdul Salam and Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki in FIR No 91/2019. They were charged under sections 11-F (2)(5)(6), 11-H (2), 11-H (3) (a) (b), 11-J (2), 11-N of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. The court awarded a collective imprisonment of 16-and-a-half years to Iqbal and Salam while one-and-a-half-year jail term to Makki. As per the breakup of the sentence, Iqbal and Salam have been given one-and-a-half years imprisonment under section 11-F (6) and five years each under sections 11-N read with sections 11-I (2)(b), 11-H and 11-J of the ATA, 1997 along with a fine Rs170,000 on each while Makki has been punished under section 11-F (6) only with a fine of Rs.20,000.
Journalist Bilal Farooqi arrested in Karachi for posting defamatory post on social media against Pakistan Army
Bilal Farooqi, a senior journalist associated with English-language daily The Express Tribune, was allegedly taken into custody from his home in DHA neighbourhood of Karachi by Defence Police in the evening of September 11, reports Dawn. Karachi Police Chief, Additional Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon, confirmed that “Bilal Farooqui of Express Tribune” had been “arrested by the station investigation officer (SIO) of Defence police”. Memon said Farooqi was “wanted in FIR No. 613/2020 u/s 500/505 PPC of Defence police station, dated 9.9.2020”.
According to the contents of the FIR reviewed by Dawn, the complainant, Javed Khan, a resident of Majeed Colony in Landhi, Karachi said that he is a machine operator at a factory in the Landhi area. He said he visited a restaurant in DHA Phase-II Extension on September 9 where he checked his Facebook and Twitter accounts and found “highly objectionable material” shared by Farooqi on the two platforms. The complainant claimed that “highly provocative posts” had been shared by Farooqi against the Pakistan Army and that the same also contained material pertaining to religious hatred. Khan alleged that Farooqi had “defamed” the Pakistan Army and such social media posts may be used by hostile elements for their “nefarious designs”. Therefore, legal action should be taken against him, he said.
Anti-Shia protesters march for second day in Karachi
Tens of thousands of anti-Shia protesters and demonstrators rallied in Karachi on September 12, in the second day of protests that have sparked fears of sectarian violence, The Times of India reported on September 13. Vast crowds of men thronged downtown Karachi, many of them waving pro-Sunni flags and chanting Sunni-power slogans.
The rallies follow a raft of blasphemy accusations against Shia leaders in Sunni-majority Pakistan after a broadcast of an Ashura procession last month showed clerics and participants allegedly making disparaging remarks about historic Islamic figures. A security official said crowd in September 12 rally was estimated to exceed 30,000 people. There were no immediate reports of violence. The rally was organised by the Sunni organisation Jamaat Ahle Sunnat and by the hardline Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), which has organised huge and often violent protests over alleged blasphemy in the past.
Federal Government to announce special package for south Balochistan, says Minister Asad Umar
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said on September 14, that the Federal Government is committed to the development of Balochistan, especially southern areas of the province, and would soon announce a special package for development projects, reports Pakistan Today. Asad, who is currently in Balochistan on a two-day visit, said that the Centre would extend full cooperation in completion of the second and third phase of Kachi Canal project. “The federal government is preparing a special package for the development of southern Balochistan,” he said and added that the Government had allocated over 80 billion rupees for various projects in the province.
964 assets of banned JuD and JeM frozen, Federal Interior Ministry informs Senate
The Government has frozen 964 properties of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the Federal Interior Ministry informed the Senate (Upper House of Parliament) on September 16, reports The Express Tribune. The Federal Interior Ministry told the Senate that 907 of the frozen properties belonged to JuD and 57 to JeM. A total of 611 properties of JuD were frozen in Punjab, followed by 108 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 80 in Sindh, 61 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 30 in Balochistan and 17 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Similarly, eight properties of JeM were frozen in Punjab, 29 in KP, 12 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, four in ICT, three in Sindh and one in Balochistan. The frozen properties of the JuD include 76 schools, four colleges, 330 mosques and seminaries, 186 dispensaries, 15 hospitals, 262 ambulances, a funeral bus, three disaster management offices, 10 boats, 17 buildings, a plot, an agricultural land and two motorcycles. The properties of the JeM frozen by the government include 53 mosques and seminaries, two dispensaries and two ambulances. Submitting the Federal Interior Ministry’s written reply to the Senate, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan elaborated that the Provincial Home Departments had frozen the properties of proscribed organisations under the United Nations Security Council (Freezing and Seizure) Order, 2019 issued by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
ATC pronounced death sentence to Abdul Rehman and Zubair Charya in Baldia factory fire case of 2012
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on September 22, pronounced death sentence to Abdul Rehman alias Bhola and Zubair Charya, who were affiliated with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), reports The Express Tribune. At least 260 people were killed in the fire at Ali Enterprises garments factory in Baldia Town on September 11, 2012. The incident was initially deemed as an accident but was later termed an arson attack over non-payment of extortion. The court found that the men set the building ablaze because of a non-payment of extortion money by the garment factory owners. The two-prime accused, MQM’s former provincial minister for commerce and industries Rauf Siddiqui and others were presented in court for hearing. Rauf Siddiqui, however, was acquitted by the court. The verdict was earlier due on September 17, but the court had adjourned the hearing of the case to September 22 without giving a verdict in the case.
Abdul Rehman was arrested from Thailand through Interpol. He was brought back to the country by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and later handed over to the Police for further legal proceedings. In July, the Baldia factory inferno joint investigation team’s (JIT) 27-page report stated that factory incident was an act of organised terrorism. The report said that the factory was set on fire for not paying extortion money of up to PKR 250 million and leaders of MQM – Hammad Siddiqui and Rehman Bhola – were involved in the act. It had further stated that the Baldia factory case was handled in a non-professional manner and from the day it was dealt with in such a way that the group involved in the act of terrorism benefitted.
Afghanistan – Internal Dynamics
30 people killed in separate incidents in Baghlan Province
Taliban killed 20 people, including 10 armed men related to Hezb-e-Islami and 10 Afghan Security Forces (SF) personnel in Baghlan Markazi District of Baghlan Province, Afghanistan Times reports on August 26.
Meanwhile, officials said that more than 10 Taliban militants were killed in the airstrikes conducted by the Afghan SFs in Bikzad village of Baghlan Markazi District in Baghlan Province.
31 Taliban militants killed in Kunduz Province
31 Taliban insurgents were killed in Security Forces (SF) raid at their hideout in Imam Sahib District of Kunduz Province on August 28, reports bakhtarnews.com. Four Taliban ‘commanders’, identified as Mullah Abdullah, known as Hojran, Mullah Khairullah, known as Qari Ahmad, Mullah Jafar and Qaari Hafizullah, were killed in the attack.The attack destroyed a hideout, several vehicles and motorcycles, and dozens of light and heavy Taliban weapons.
38 mines defused in separate incidents in Herat Province
The Police forces discovered and defused 38 mines on September 1, in Shindand and Kashk-e-Robat-e-Sangi Districts, of Herat Province, reports bakhtarnews.com. Zafar Army Corps media office said in a statement that the Taliban tried to set a series of explosions on militaries and civilians by planting mines, but did not succeed.
46 Taliban militants killed in Faryab Province
46 Taliban militants were killed and 37 others wounded in clashes with the Afghan Security Forces in Qaisar District of Faryab Province of Afghanistan, Afghanistan Times reports on September 4. The 209 Shaheen Corps said on September 4, in a statement that Taliban planned to set attacks on Security Forces in Qaisar District of Faryab, with a large number of fighters that the militants recruited in Badghis, Ghor, Baghlan, Kunduz and Helmand provinces. According to the statement, Mullah Nasiruddin, ‘commander’ of Red-Unit of the Taliban, Mullah Khalilullah, the ‘commander’ for Qaisar and Mullah Norulhoda, a key Taliban ‘commander’ were among the killed. “Several stations of the Taliban were destroyed,” the statement said. “Some weapons and ammunition as well as several vehicles were seized by the security forces.” The District has been cleared off the militants, the statement added.
Taliban appoints new Chief Negotiator on eve of Qatar Talks, says report
The Taliban leadership has appointed Mawlawi Abdul Hakim, the ‘chief justice’ of the group, as head of their 21-member negotiating team in Qatar (Doha), making the former chief negotiator Abbas Stanekzai his deputy, Tolo News reports on September 6. Sources close to the Taliban said that most of the fatwa (rulings) of the group, particularly on war, are issued by Abdul Hakim and that he will attend the negotiating table with full authority. Mawlawi Abdul Hakim was a mentor for many high-ranking Taliban members and was a close aide to Mullah Mansour, the former ‘head’ of the group, according to Taliban sources. Out of 21, 13 members of the Taliban’s negotiating team are members of the leadership of the group.
Two persons killed as Vice President Amrullah Saleh’s convoy attacked in Kabul city
Based on initial report, Ministry of Interior confirmed that two people were killed and 12 were wounded in the blast which was targeted at the convoy of Vice President Amrullah Saleh in Taimari area of PD 4 in Kabul city, on September 9, reports Tolo News. According to Saleh’s office the target was Saleh’s convoy, but Saleh survived the attack although three persons, including bodyguards were wounded. However, Taliban issued a statement denying involvement in the blast.
Seven Policemen injured in car bomb attack in Kandahar Province
At least seven police were injured on September 10 in a car bomb blast in Lahori area of Arghandab District in Kandahar Province, reports Tolo News. Kandahar Police Chief Tandin Khan said that a car bomber attempted to target a police checkpoint in the Lahori area of the district, but security forces opened fire and the explosives were detonated before the vehicle reached the checkpoint. Seven Policemen were injured in the blast, Khan said. No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
NDS arrests IS-KP leader who ‘Planned Killings of Kabul Imams’
Obaidullah, who is “head of Daesh [Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP)] operations in the north and northeast of Afghanistan ” and “one of the main masterminds behind the assassination of religious scholars Mawlawi Ayaz Niazi and Azizullah Mufleh,” has been arrested during an operation, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) announced in a statement on September 10, reports Tolo News. He was trained at the Haqqani Network’s Abdullah Ibn Mubarak Madrasa between 2012 and 2014, and also received military training by the network in North Waziristan camps, the statement said. After his graduation, he acted as a trainer for the network. With the establishment of Daesh in Afghanistan, he joined the group with several other colleagues and became the head of Daesh operations in the north and northeast of Afghanistan, according to the statement. During the investigations, he “confessed that he was involved in several attacks in Kabul that were carried out by Daesh,” the statement said. “Before Obaidullah was arrested, he was planning a bombing attack of the Imam Sadiq Mosque in Kunduz city,” according to the NDS.
Intra-Afghan talks begin in Doha
The opening ceremony of the direct talks between the Afghanistan Government and Taliban leaders took place on September 12, reports Tolo News. Abdullah Abdullah, chairperson of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation; Taliban deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar; and US Secretary of State; Mike Pompeo; were the main speakers during the ceremony. Later in the day, both sides (Afghanistan Government and the Taliban) formed their respective Contact Groups. On September 13, the contact groups from the Afghan Government and Taliban negotiating teams held their first meeting where they discussed the agenda, guidelines, scheduling and other issues related to the direct peace negotiations. Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, Nader Nadery, Zarar Ahmad Muqbil, Fawzia Koofi, Enayatullah Baligh, Mohammad Natiqi and Khalid Noor are the seven members of the contact group of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The Taliban’s contact group members are Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, Abbas Stanekzai, Noorullah Noori, Shaikh Delawar and Shaikh Qasim. “There was a positive spirit. There wasn’t any effort to drive the negotiations towards controversial discussions,” the chief negotiator of Afghanistan Masoom Stanekzai said.
50 persons including 30 Taliban militants and 20 SF personnel killed in Nangarhar Province
The Taliban attacked security outposts killing at least 20 Afghan Security Force (SF) personnel, including 12 policemen, three local policemen, and five members of Public Uprising Forces, in Sherzad, Khogyani, and Hisarak Districts of Nangarhar Province on September 17, reports Ariana News.Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor said that in SFs counter-attacks at least 30 Taliban militants were also killed and several more wounded.
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Neo-JMB ‘fundraiser’ arrested in Dhaka city
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit on August 27, arrested a ‘fundraiser’ of Neo-Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (Neo-JMB) from Sabujbagh area of Dhaka city in Dhaka District of Dhaka Division, reports The Daily Star. The arrestee was identified as Sibbir Ahmed (22). A cell phone, five Jihadi books and a bank deposit receipt book were recovered from the arrestee’s possession. CTTC officials said Sibbir was trying to increase the strength of Neo-JMB and carry out subversive activities after collecting funds from different foreign nationals. For this purpose, he contacted members of Islamic State (IS)-inspired militant outfits in the Philippines, Indonesia, United Kingdom, France, and Afghanistan using different online platforms. He also has records of financial transactions with some foreign nationals returning from Syria.
Ansar Al Islam cadre arrested in Rajshahi District
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a cadre of the banned militant outfit Ansar Al Islam from Raghurampur village in Rajshahi District of Rajshahi Division on August 27, reports Dhaka Tribune. The arrested was identified as Ismail Hossain (24). RAB recovered seven books and a leaflet promoting extremism from him.
Four Neo-JMB cadres arrested in Dhaka city
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit on September 10 arrested four cadres of Neo-Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (Neo-JMB) were involved in Paltan bomb blast from Uttara area of Dhaka city in Dhaka District of Dhaka Division, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees were Mamun Al Mujahid, Al Aminalias Abu Jihad, Mujahidul Islam alias Rokon alias Abu Tarik and Sarowar Hossain Rahat. On July 24, the outfit members left an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the capital’s Paltan which exploded later, but no one got hurt.
Prison authorities put on alert following threat by militant outfits to break out their activists from jail
Authorities of all the prisons in the country have been put on alert following a threat by militant outfits to break out their activists from jail, reports Dhaka Tribune on September 15. Inspector General (Prisons), Brigadier General AKM Mustafa Kamal Pasha sent out letters to all the prisons concerned containing 18 specific instructions. The instructions by the chief of prison authorities, include forming special strike forces and keeping a close watch on the movement of all inmates, especially members and leaders of militants’ outfits, notorious criminals, and detainees of sensitive cases. Guards posted at the entrance have been ordered to wear bullet-proof vests, helmets and to use metal detectors to check arrivals, says the letter by the prison’s chief. Armed sentries must be deployed on duty, and the security of weapons and arsenal must be ensured, it added.
Four striking forces formed to ensure security of Kashimpur Central Jail
Four striking forces have been formed to ensure security of the Kashimpur Central Jail at the directive of the Prison administration, reports Dhaka Tribune on September 18. The striking forces have been formed in all four jails in Kashimpur following a high alert issued by the Prison authorities. Jailer of the central jail will be the head of each striking force, said Ratna Roy, Jail Super of Kashimpur Central Jail-1. The other members of the force include a deputy jailer, a chief prison guard, and five prison guards, she said. On September 15, all prisons across the country were put on high alert after some unidentified miscreants issued threats to snatch militant prisoners by jail-breaking. The threats came over phone and in writing.
India – Internal Dynamics
Five Police personnel injured in petrol bomb attack in Meghalaya
Five Police personnel were injured in a petrol bomb attack on August 25, in Mawlyndep of Ri-Bhoi District in Meghalaya, reports East Mojo. In a statement issued by Superintendent of Police (SP), East Khasi Hills District, one of Police personnel sustained burn injuries and others were injured after their vehicle were attacked with stones and petrol bomb. Following the incident, combing operation were carried out in the areas and broken bottles, one unused petrol bomb and a small quantity of petrol in a plastic bottle were recovered. The incident took place following the meeting between Farmers Association of Lawmei and those opposing Assam vehicles coming to the Lawmei vegetable collection centre and BDO Sohiong and accompanied by OC Lumdiengjri. The BDO had requested for police security in the functioning of collection centre. It was during this interim, the personnel deployed at Lawmei on their way back the police vehicle was attacked.
ASI of Chhattisgarh Police killed by Maoist in Chhattisgarh
An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Chhattisgarh Police was suspectedly killed by Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on August 31, reports Hindustan Times. ASI Nagaiya Kosa went missing on August 30 evening from Kutru area of the District. It primarily appears that the ASI was first abducted by the local militia cadres of CPI (Maoist) and later killed by them.” Meanwhile, District Police have launched a hunt for the Maoists and combing operation in the area is going on.
Police Personal killed in Chhattisgarh
The Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres killed a Head Constable of Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF), identified as Kaneshwar Netam (32), near a rivulet on a forest route between Bodli and Kademeta villages in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh on September 1, reports The Pioneer. The Superintendent of Police (SP), Abhishek Pallava said the Head Constable had left his camp on August 28, without informing anyone and did not return, subsequently his dead body was found along with a pamphlet of the CPI-Maoist East Bastar Division Committee, claiming responsibility for the killing.
AI accuses Indian police of ‘grave abuses’
Delhi police are guilty of “grave human rights violations” during communal riots in the Indian capital earlier this year, and were even “active participants” in the violence, Amnesty International alleged on Friday, Aug 28.
The worst unrest in years between India’s majority Hindus and minority Muslims killed around 50 people, most of them Muslims, over several days of running battles in the city’s northeast in February.
A field investigation by Amnesty “has documented a disturbing pattern of grave human rights violations committed by the Delhi police during the riots”, the rights group said in a statement. “These violations include police officers indulging in violence with the rioters; torturing in custody; using excessive force on protesters; dismantling sites of peaceful protests and; being mute bystanders as rioters wreaked havoc,” Amnesty said.
The group said it spoke to 50 riots survivors, eyewitnesses, lawyers, doctors, human rights activists and retired police officers. It also analysed several user-generated videos.
SFJ launches Google App for ‘Referendum 2020’ voter registration
After India banned ‘Referendum 2020’ voter registration websites, the US-based secessionist group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has launched a voter registration App on Google play store, IANS reports on September 3. The Google App ‘Voice Punjab 2020’ as per the banned organisation is launched to commemorate the 25th martyrdom day of Dilawar Singh, the assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. The mobile app facilitates the user to register as a voter for the anti-India campaign. Citing the UN Charter, the description of the app on the Google play store states that ‘Voice Punjab 2020’ is an App to facilitate voter registration for non-governmental Punjab Independence Referendum 2020 which is being organized under Article 1 of UN Charter which gives all peoples right to “self-determination” making it difficult for India to get the app banned and removed. However, the security agencies with the help of the Information and Technology Ministry and Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) are in the process of getting in touch with Google so that the App can be banned.
SFs recover 18 IEDs in Jharkhand
The Security Forces (SFs) recovered and safely defused 18 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) suspected to have been planted by cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist on a road in a forested area under Goilkera Police Station limits in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on September 3, reports India TV. As per the report, during a search operation, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel detected the IEDs laid on the said area. Later, a bomb disposal squad reached the area and defused the explosives.
UMHA informs Parliament that IS is active in at least a dozen states in India
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) on September 15, has informed the Parliament that Islamic State (IS) is active in at least a dozen states in India, reports India Today. Minister of State for Home, G Kishan Reddy in a reply in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) said that IS is most active in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and a number of other states. “Investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have revealed that the Islamic State is most active in Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir,” Reddy stated. UMHA has stated that the NIA has registered 17 cases related to the presence of IS in the southern states of Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and has arrested 122 accused persons. Further, UMHA has also stated that Islamic State is using various internet-based social media platforms to propagate its ideology. As a counter measure the cyber space is being closely watched in this regard by the agencies concerned and action is taken as per law.
Delhi journalist arrested under OSA for alleged possession of classified defence papers
A Delhi based journalist, Rajeev Sharma, was arrested on September 14 under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) on the charges of allegedly possessing defence-related classified papers, reports The Indian Express. In a statement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, stated that Rajeev Sharma was arrested from Pitampura in North-West District of Delhi for possessing defence-related classified documents. Further investigation is in progress. Sharma previously worked with United News of India, The Tribune and Sakaal Times runs a YouTube channel called ‘Rajeev Kishkindha’ with 11,900 subscribers. Rajeev Sharma was also one of the people who stated in 2019 that he had been alerted about his phones being targeted for surveillance through the Israeli spyware Pegasus.
Maoists put up posters and banners threatening to kill PM Modi in Jharkhand
The Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres put up posters and banners in Tundi area of Dhanbad District of Jharkhand, threatening to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports The Pioneer on September 22. Police found posters at Kolhar, Maniadih and some other locations on both sides of Kolhar-Maniadih road connecting several villages to the Dhanbad-Tundi-Giridih State highway. The posters were put up as part of the ‘foundation week’ that is being celebrated by the CPI-Maoists, commenced from midnight of August 21 and is to conclude on August 27 midnight. Further, one of the posters called people to come out in large numbers and protest the Land Acquisition Act that the organisation has termed as anti-tribal. At same time another poster called for eliminating those who want to capture land of tribals and eliminate them from forests.
More people in West Bengal working for Al Qaeda, says NIA
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found that more people in West Bengal are working for Al Qaeda, an official of the investigating agency said, news18.com reports on September 21. On interrogating the six arrested from Murshidabad District on September 19, the NIA officials have unearthed the identities of two persons from Malda District working in tandem with them, he said. “There are more members spread in other districts of West Bengal as well as other states having links to al-Qaeda. In fact, the two from Malda were present at a meeting at the Murshidabad house on Thursday [September 17] night. They had left the place early on Sept 18 morning and the six were arrested by the NIA on Saturday [September 19]. The two are now on the run and a search for them has started,” the official told.
Monthly Fatalities
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period Aug 26, 2020 to Sept 25, 2020:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Manipur | 03 | 01 | 02 | 06 |
| Left wing | 18 | 07 | 09 | 34 |
| Total | 21 | 08 | 11 | 40 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
27 CPN-Maoist-Chand leaders and cadres arrested from different places
Four leaders of Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Chand) were arrested from a hotel in Radi Bazaar of Western Rukum District in Province No. 6 while they were holding talks, reports Khabarhub on August 6. The arrested are identified as District Secretary Hiramani Rawal (39), District Committee member Ghamand Mahar (28), District Committee chief of party’s student wing Prem Prashan Bohara (19), and cadre Tul Bahadur Gharti (20).
Meanwhile, 13 CPN-Maoist-Chand cadres were arrested from different parts of Province No. 6, including four from Western Rukum District, three from Jumla District, two each from Salyan District and Surkhet District, and one each from Dailekh District and Dolpa District, reports reports Khabarhub on August 13.
Separately, Police on August 20, two CPN-Maoist-Chand leaders from Saptari District of Province No. 2, reports Rising Nepal. The arrested are Central Member Uma Bhujel (41) and district-level leader Suman Singh Poudel (31).
In another incident, eight CPN-Maoist-Chand cadres were arrested on August 30, on charge of abducting a School Principal in Sindhuli District of Province No. 3, reports Nepali News. Principal of Bhimsen Lower Secondary School at Tilpungadada Narayan Bhandari was kidnapped when he was handing scholarships on August 26.A Police team had rescued Bhandari from Khanipakha forest of Layo village.
HRW calls on Government for action against human rights abuses
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) issuing a statement on September 2, called on the Government to act on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)’s findings to ensure accountability for grave human rights abuses carried out by Security Forces, reports Kathmandu Post. The statement read, “The government has failed to comply with repeated Supreme Court rulings since 2015 to amend the transitional justice law to meet international standards, and instead has ignored numerous court orders relating to conflict-era police investigations and prosecutions. “Donors, including the UK government, which gives funding to the Nepal police, should publicly and privately insist that Nepal meets its basic obligation to investigate and prosecute grave human rights violations.”
NCP co-chairpersons bury hatchet and send joint proposal to party’s Standing Committee members
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the two co-chairpersons of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), have buried the hatchet and have sent a joint proposal to the party’s Standing Committee members, reports The Himalayan Times on September 10. In the proposal, Oli has agreed to give full executive powers to Dahal. The proposal states that day to day affairs of the Government will be Oli’s responsibility, but on major issues, the PM should take the party’s consent, a Standing Committee member told. According to the NCP Standing Committee member, Oli and Dahal have also proposed to complete the party unification process by mid-October. They also proposed to bar party leaders and cadres from criticising party leadership on the social networking sites.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
PCoI on Easter attacks summons eight former Ministers and MPs
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the Easter Sunday Bomb attacks of April 21, 2019 has summoned eight lawmakers including former Ministers Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Ranjith Madduma Bandara, to appear before the Police Investigation Unit of the Commission, reports Colombo Page on August 27. Accordingly, former Member of Parliament (MP) Sunil Handunneththi is notified to appear before the Commission on August 28 and former Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam was summoned to be present on August 31. Former Minister Ranjith Bandara and former MP Ashu Marasinghe are scheduled to appear on September 02 while former Minister Mangala Samaraweera and MP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan will be summoned on September 03. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is scheduled to give statements on September 7 and State Minister Dilum Amunugama is scheduled on September 8.
UN expresses solidarity with families of missing persons in Sri Lanka
The United Nations (UN) issuing a statement on the International Day of the Disappeared, on August 30 expressing solidarity with the families of missing persons in Sri Lanka emphasized that the security and safety of families of victims must be safeguarded, reports Colombo Page. The UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Hanaa Singer said “The families and friends of the victims experience the slow mental anguish of not knowing the fate of their loved ones. They alternate between hope and despair, wondering and waiting, sometimes for years, for news that may never come. Therefore, it is vital that those who work in aid of seeking redress for victims continue their important work.”
UNP is opposed to proposed 20th Amendment to Constitution and will fight against it, says UNP Deputy General Secretary Ruwan Wijewardene
United National Party (UNP) Deputy General Secretary Ruwan Wijewardene said that UNP is opposed to the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution and will fight against it, as the party sees it as an attack on democracy, its Deputy General Secretary Ruwan Wijewardene said over the weekend, reports Daily Mirror on September 7. Mr. Wijewardene said “The UNP vehemently opposes this piece of legislation. The Yahapalana Government was able to take several effective steps to ensure the democratic rights of the people through the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. It is the duty of all the people to come together in safeguarding the democratic rights they had won through the 19th Amendment.”
Military occupied lands in North and East which have tactical importance will not be given back to people, says State Minister Sarath Weerasekara
State Minister Sarath Weerasekara on September 10 said that military occupied lands in the North and East, which have tactical importance will not be given back to the people in view of national security as it is directly related to national economy, reports Daily Mirror. He told Parliament that 90 per cent of the military occupied lands have already been handed over to the people and that grounds of tactical importance would never be given back to the people as long as people with separatist agendas like C.V. Wigneswaran were there.
Muslim extremists’ groups were propagating armed extremism since 2008-09, former SDIG Eastern Province Edison Gunathilaka informs PCoI
Former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Eastern Province Edison Gunathilaka on September 12, informed the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing Easter Sunday attacks that Muslim extremists’ groups were propagating armed extremism since 2008-09, reports Daily Mirror. Gunathilaka said that former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, former Eastern Province Governor M. L. A. M. Hizbullah and politician A. L. M. Athaullah had provided security for these extremist groups that emerged in the Eastern Province. Gunathilaka said that year 2008 marked the beginning of the first extremist groups. “It starts with the name Islamic Centre. These people created various issues in the Eastern Province. They killed people and punished whoever they want,” he said.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena has to take sole responsibility of Easter Sunday attacks, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara informs PCoI
Former IGP Pujith Jayasundara on September 24, informed the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing Easter Sunday attacks (April 21, 2019) that former President Maithripala Sirisena has to take the sole responsibility of the coordinated terror attacks, reports Daily Mirror. Testifying before the Commission, Jayasundara added that after he had received the report about the April 9, 2019, intelligence alert from State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Nilantha Jayawardena, he had forwarded it to SDIG of Western Province Nandana Munasinghe, SDIG Crimes, STF Chief M.R. Latif, DIG Special Protection Range Priyalal Dassanayake and Director of Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) Waruna Jayasundara, and also they had been informed about it over the phone. Mr. Jayasundara said that he also telephoned all SDIGs in charge of the respective provinces. Witness claimed that, though he had given specific instructions about the possible terror attack to all the senior police officers, however, during the investigation he found that all his telephone call records were found deleted.
INTERNATIONAL
Iran’s N-sites
Iran agreed on Wednesday, Aug 26 to allow a UN watchdog the access it has requested to two alleged nuclear sites, as the head of the agency ended his first visit to Tehran.
Armenia said Tuesday that a Turkish fighter jet had shot down one of its warplanes during heavy fighting with Turkey´s ally Azerbaijan, but Ankara fiercely denied the claim.
Armenia accuses Turkey of downing jet; Ankara denies
Direct Turkish military action against Armenia would mark a major escalation after three days of heavy fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh.
Ankara has backed Azerbaijan in the conflict and on Tuesday the Armenian defence ministry said a Turkish F-16 flying in support of Baku´s forces downed an Armenian SU-25 warplane. Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said the Turkish jet was supporting Azerbaijani aviation bombing civilian settlements in Armenia when it shot down the Armenian plane, killing the pilot.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan´s top press aide called the claim “absolutely untrue”.
Terrorist cell in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has said it arrested 10 members of a “terrorist cell”, some of whom underwent military and explosives training at Revolutionary Guard camps in Iran. Tehran on Tuesday, Aug 25 denied the charges.
Christchurch mosque shooter sentenced to life
Christ-church mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant on Thursday, Aug 27 was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. This is the first time such a sentence has been handed down in the country. Tarrant admitted to 51 charges of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist act during the 2019 shooting rampage at two Christchurch mosques which he live streamed on Facebook.
High Court Judge Cameron Mander said in Christchurch that a finite term would not be sufficient. “Your crimes, however, are so wicked that even if you are detained until you die it will not exhaust the requirements of punishment and denunciation,” said Mander in handing down the sentence.
Prosecutors told the court earlier that Tarrant wanted to instill fear in those he described as invaders and that he carefully planned the attacks to cause maximum carnage. Tarrant said through a lawyer in court on that he did not oppose the prosecution’s application for a life without parole sentence.
China urges America to immediately stop provocative actions: US warship sails near tense South China Sea
An American warship sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the US Navy has said, challenging Beijing’s claims on the resource-rich waterway and prompting a warning from the Chinese military.
The Friday (Aug 28) operation came a day after China fired ballistic missiles into the sea as part of ongoing live-fire exercises, inflaming already high tensions between Washington and Beijing. The US regularly conduct “freedom of navigation operations” in the area to challenge Chinese territorial claims. The US Navy’s Pacific Fleet said in a statement that the USS Mustin, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed that “in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands to ensure critical shipping lanes in the area remain free and open”.
The Chinese military on accused the US ship of entering “China’s territorial waters” near the islands “without authorization”. Chinese forces tracked the warship and then warned it to leave, said military spokesman Li Huamin.
ATM blast
Thirty people were injured and a shop partly destroyed when a cashpoint was deliberately blown up in a town outside Paris on Friday, Aug 28 police said. The blast spread debris up to 20 metres from the site outside a supermarket in Mezieres-sur-Seine, northwest of Paris. Four people were transferred to the hospital with minor burns.
Boko Haram kill two in Nigeria
Boko Haram Jihadists on horseback killed two men and seized two others when they attacked farmers outside Maiduguri city in northeast Nigeria, anti-Jihadist militia told AFP on Saturday, Aug 29.
The insurgents rode into fields in Alau village on Friday, seizing four farmers, hacking two to death and kidnapping the others after inflicting machete cuts on them, the sources said.
Israel strikes on Syria kill 11
Israeli strikes on Syria killed one civilian, three government troops and seven allied foreign fighters, a war monitor said on Tuesday, Sept 1 in a new toll.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which had previously put the toll from Monday’s strikes at five, said Iran-backed paramilitary fighters were among those killed in the attack. It said the strikes hit Syrian army positions south of Damascus as well as positions belonging to Iran-backed paramilitaries, including fighters of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, in the southern province of Daraa.
The Israeli army rarely acknowledges individual strikes, but said that on August 3 it had used fighter jets, attack helicopters and other warplanes to hit Syrian military targets in southern Syria. Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah warned on that the group would kill an Israeli soldier for each of its fighters slain by the Jewish state, after one of its combatants was killed in an Israeli strike in Syria on July 20.
UK stabbings
British police on Sunday, Sept 6 declared a “major incident” after several people were stabbed in the centre of the country’s second city, Birmingham. Violence broke out at about 12:30 am (2330 GMT Saturday) in and around the Arcadian Centre, a popular venue filled with restaurants, nightclubs and bars.
Ankara launches anti-terror operation
Turkey has launched a new anti-terror operation in its eastern Van province, Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday, Sept 8. In a statement, the ministry said Operation Yildirim-10 has begun to completely eliminate the separatist terror group (PKK), and neutralise those taking shelter in the region.
Morocco busts IS-linked cell
Morocco on Thursday, Sept 10 dismantled an Islamic State group-affiliated cell that was planning suicide bombings, police said, adding explosive belts had been seized and five men arrested.
Gunmen killed seven in Nigeria
Gunmen have killed two policemen and five farmers in two separate attacks in northern Nigeria, police said. Armed gangs, called bandits by locals, regularly raid villages in central and northwestern Nigeria, killing and kidnapping people as well as looting and burning homes.
A gang of around 100 gunmen dressed in army camouflage stormed a police station in the town of Gidan Madi in Sokoto state on Thursday, Sept 10 killing two officers and injuring another, police spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said. Residents in Gidan Madi told AFP that the attackers carted away weapons from the police station before withdrawing into the bush.
World at a most dangerous moment in history: Chomsky
Noam Chomsky warned that the world is at the most dangerous moment in human history owing to the climate crisis, the threat of nuclear war and rising authoritarianism. In an exclusive interview with a media outlet, the 91-year-old US linguist and activist said that the current perils exceed those of the 1930s, foreign media reported.
“There’s been nothing like it in human history,” Chomsky said. “I’m old enough to remember, very vividly, the threat that Nazism could take over much of Eurasia, that was not an idle concern. US military planners did anticipate that the war would end with a US-dominated region and a German-dominated region. But even that, horrible enough, was not like the end of organised human life on Earth, which is what we’re facing.”
Chomsky was interviewed in advance of the first summit of the Progressive International (18-20 September), a new organisation founded by Bernie Sanders, the former US presidential candidate, and Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister, to counter right-wing authoritarianism. Chomsky warned: “We’re at an astonishing confluence of very severe crises. The extent of them was illustrated by the last setting of the famous Doomsday Clock. It’s been set every year since the atom bombing; the minute hand has moved forward and back. But last January, they abandoned minutes and moved to seconds to midnight, which means termination. And that was before the scale of the pandemic.”
Chomsky added that “[Donald] Trump has accomplished something quite impressive: he’s succeeded in increasing the threat of each of the three dangers. He’s greatly increased the development of new, dangerous, more threatening weapons, which means others do so too, which is increasing the threat to all of us. “On environmental catastrophe, he’s escalated his effort to maximise the use of fossil fuels and to terminate the regulations that somewhat mitigate the effect of the coming disaster if we proceed on our present course.” “On the deterioration of democracy, it’s become a joke. The executive branch of [the US] government has been completely purged of any dissident voice. Now it’s left with a group of sycophants.”
Chomsky described Trump as the figurehead of a new “reactionary international” consisting of Brazil, India, the UK, Egypt, Israel and Hungary. He added: “[Narendra] Modi is destroying Indian secular democracy, severely repressing the Muslim population, he’s just vastly extended the terrible Indian occupation of Kashmir. In Europe, the leading candidate is [Viktor] Orbán in Hungary, who is creating a proto-fascist state. There are other figures, like [Matteo] Salvini in Italy, who gets his kicks out of watching refugees drown in the Mediterranean.”
Having lived through 22 US presidential elections, Chomsky warned that Trump’s threat to refuse to leave office if defeated by Democratic candidate Joe Biden was unprecedented. Chomsky urged US leftists to vote for Biden in this November’s presidential election and to press him to pursue a progressive agenda.
Yemeni rebels attack Saudi village
A projectile fired by Yemen’ s Huthi rebels hit a village in Saudi Arabia’ s southern Jizan province, wounding five civilians, state media reported. The civilians had been rushed to hospital after suffering “minor injuries” from flying shrapnel, the official Saudi Press Agency reported late on Saturday, Sept 10.
Three cars were also damaged in the border village, it said, without naming the village. The Iran-backed Huthis have so far not claimed responsibility for the attack. The rebels have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent months, mainly targeting southern provinces along the long border between both countries, as well as Riyadh.
Saudi King sacks two royals over corruption
Saudi King Salman has sacked two royals over corruption allegations and referred them to the anti-graft watchdog for an investigation, according to the state media. In a royal decree issued early on Tuesday, Sept 1 King Salman removed Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as commander of joint forces in the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, and relieved his son Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd of his post as deputy governor of al-Jouf region.
The decision was based on a missive from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to Nazaha, the anti-corruption committee, to investigate “suspicious financial transactions at the defence ministry,” reports the international media. Four other military officers were also placed under investigation. The announcement marks the latest government crackdown on what officials say is endemic corruption in the kingdom.
Turkey detains top IS member
Turkey captured a top member of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group responsible for operations on its territory, the interior minister announced on Tuesday, Sept 1. The Jihadist group has claimed responsibility for a spate of deadly attacks in Turkey, including an assault on an upscale Istanbul nightclub during New Year’s Eve festivities just minutes into 2017, which left 39 people including tourists dead.
Saudi Arabia opens its skies for all Israeli flights
In another breakthrough for Israel’s rapprochement with the Arab Gulf, and a major boon for Israeli air travel, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, Sept 2 announced that it will henceforth allow flights from “all countries” to cross over its airspace on flights to or from the United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan stressed on Twitter that the opening of Saudi airspace to flights between Israel and the UAE does not change “the Kingdom’s firm and established positions toward the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people.” He said that Riyadh “appreciates all efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative” a plan that envisions full normalisation between Israel and the Arab world in return for Israel’s withdrawal to the 1967 lines and the creation of a Palestinian state.
Saudi dissidents launch party
A group of Saudi dissidents exiled in countries including Britain and the US announced on Wednesday, Sept 23 the launch of an opposition party, the first organised political resistance under King Salman’s rule. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy that does not tolerate any political opposition, but the formation of the National Assembly Party on the kingdom’s national day comes amid a growing state crackdown on dissent and freedom of expression.
The party is headed by prominent London-based human rights activist Yahya Assiri, and its members include academic Madawi al-Rasheed, researcher Saeed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, US-based Abdullah Alaoudh and Canada-based Omar Abdulaziz, sources close to the outfit told AFP. The development is unlikely to unseat the Arab world’s most powerful monarchy, but the development poses a fresh challenge to Saudi Arabia’s rulers.
Palestinians quit Arab League
The Palestinians have stepped down from a key Arab League role in protest at the regional bloc’s failure to take a stand against Israeli-Arab deals, an official said on Sept 24. Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki announced the decision to resign from the rotating presidency of the Council of the Arab League, after its failure to agree a draft resolution condemning a normalisation accord between the UAE and Israel.
