(Combined effort of PATHFINDER GROUP Task Force)
Bombs Blasts/IEDs
Suspected militants blew up a police post at Chato Pul in the limits of Lundkhwar Police Station on Nov 28. The explosion was caused by placing explosives near the rear wall of the police post. However, no loss of life was reported. The blast was heard far and wide. A heavy continent of the police arrived at the spot after the explosion. The police launched a search operation after the attack on the police post, but no arrests were made.
A man was killed and seven other people injured in an explosion outside a grocery store at Pir Wadhai bus station in Rawalpindi on December 4, reports Dawn. The attack was carried out using an improvised explosive device with ball bearings and containing one kilogram of explosive material. The device, fitted with a timer, was placed outside a grocery store where a rickshaw was parked.
At least 25 persons including women and children were injured in a grenade explosion in the Ganj Mandi area of Rawalpindi city on December 13, reports Dawn. The explosion, which took place at around 2pm just a few hundred meters from the Ganj Mandi Police station and close to a water filtration plant, also damaged a car.
Four persons, including two Ranger officials and a security guard, were injured in a cracker attack at the gate of Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre (SZIC) of University of Karachi Main University Road in Karachi, on December 15, reports The Express Tribune. The injured were identified as SZIC security guard Ahmed Din and passer-by Usman, while the identity of the injured Ranger officials are yet to be ascertained, however, they belonged to Rangers Wing 72. Two unidentified suspected militants on a motorcycle had reportedly thrown the bomb, which caused a loud explosion and severe damage at the site. The culprits immediately fled from the scene. Mobina Town Station House Officer (SHO) Shahid Taj stated that the SZIC gate was closed and the militants had tossed the bomb outside it.
Police and security officials defused a bomb planted on the car of a Chinese restaurant owner in Clifton locality near Bilawal House in Karachi, on December 15, reports Daily Times. The car being driven by a Chinese national was the target of the would-be attackers. The occupants of the car informed the police after the incident and evacuated the vehicle. The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was called and managed to defuse the explosive device without any injury or damage to property.
A 20-year-old man, Krishan Kohli, was killed and two women injured after a bomb exploded in Khipro town of Sanghar District in Sindh on December 21, reports SAMAA TV. “The man had found the explosive while he was out with his friends,” a police officer said. “He didn’t know what it was and brought it home with him.” When Krishan Kohli reached home, the bomb blasted. He passed away on spot. The victim’s mother and 13-year-old sister were injured.
Target Killings
Four workers of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) were killed in a target killing attack in Mir Ali tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan District on November 26, reports Dawn. District Police Officer Shafiullah Khan said that unidentified attackers opened fire on a vehicle in Mir Ali, leaving four persons dead on the spot. He said that the slain men were workers of the FWO, a military engineering and construction company. The dead included Zafar Abbas belonging to Dera Ismail Khan, Abid Mahmood from Abbottabad, Ahmad Saeed hailing from Gujranwala (Punjab) and Noor Faraz, resident of Mir Ali.
Four tribal elders were shot dead in an act of targeted killing in Mir Ali Bazaar of North Waziristan District on November 30, reports Dawn. Eyewitnesses said that the assailants came in a vehicle with tinted glass and opened fire at the car in which the four elders of Khaisura area were travelling. The assailants sprayed the car with bullets from a close range and managed to escape. The elders identified as Malik Mir Saddy Khan, Malik Raza, Malik Abid Rehman and Malik Omar Khan died on the spot. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
Unidentified assailants on December 2 shot dead two tribal elders in Laiti area of Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) of Bajaur District, reports Urdu Point. Tribal elders were identified as Malik Saadat Khan and Malik Shazullah Khan. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Meanwhile, one tribal elder, Malik Maulla Khan, was shot dead in a targeted attack in Miramshah town on December 1, reports Dawn. Malik Maulla Khan was purchasing commodities in the market when unidentified assailants opened fire at him. He belonged to Dyoger Saidgei area near the Afghan border.
Unidentified motorcycle borne assailants shot dead a police official on polio duty in Jhandokhel area under the limits of the cantonment police station of Bannu District on December 2, reports Dawn. Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Akhir Zaman was ambushed by assailants when he was returning to the police station after performing security duty with a polio team.
Police found five bullet-riddled bodies of unidentified persons from two separate places of Turbat town in Kech District on December 8, reports Pakistan Today. Three bodies were found from the Tejaban area while two were recovered from the Heronak area.
A local journalist, Qais Javed (37), was shot dead by unidentified assailants inside his house under cantonment police station Dera Ismail Khan in the night of December 7, reports Dawn. The assailants managed to escape from the scene. Javed, who belonged to the Christian faith, worked in a local daily newspaper Ehadnama. Javed had recently started his own web channel.
Miscellaneous
Four militants were arrested during a raid on their hideout in Naseerabad town (Naseerabad District) of Balochistan on November 25, reports Dawn. Acting on a tip-off about the presence of some militants in the area, personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) raided the hideout and arrested four militants. Some weapons, explosives and hashish were also found during the raid. According to CTD officials, the initial investigation has revealed that the militants were involved in the drug business and used the drug money for their militant activities.
A shepherd was killed and another injured in a mortar attack from across the Afghan border in Laittay Bando area of Salarzai tehsil in Bajaur District on December 1, reports Dawn. According to District administration, unknown militants fired mortar shells in Laittay Bando area. As a result, a shell hit two shepherds who were grazing their sheep in the mountainous area. Sherin Khan was killed on the spot and Kashmir Khan got injuries.
A lady polio worker was allegedly subjected to severe torture, kept in illegal confinement and given death threats in limits of Faqeerabad police station of Peshawar on December 3, reports ARY News. According to the details, the incident took place when the lady health worker reached a house in Faqeerabad, to administer police vaccine to children. On being informed, the police rushed to the scene and recovered the lady heath worker and apprehended a girl and her father.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on December 7 arrested two terrorists, identified as Muhib ur Rehman and Usman Ghani, from the Bahawalnagar District, reports ARY News. Sharing details of the raid, the CTD officials said that the alleged terrorist elements were arrested while they were collecting funds for their nefarious activities.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Hyderabad District on December 4 awarded 25 years imprisonment to 12 terrorists belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) found guilty of carrying out explosion and assaulting at Gulistan-e-Jauhar Police Station in Karachi in 2004 which had killed five Policemen, reports Urdu Point. The ATC Judge Ghulam Mustafa A Memon, who conducted the trial inside the Central Jail Hyderabad, found all the 12 terrorists guilty of committing the crime and sentenced each of them to 25 years imprisonment.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on December 8 arrested two suspected militants affiliated with a banned outfit involved in sectarian killings in Karachi, reports Geo TV. The arrested militants were identified as Karar Hussain alias Pathan and Kamran Haider alias Kami. They were trained for using arms, ammunition, suicide jackets, Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), Vehicular Borne IED (VBIED), and counter-surveillance training. Both the suspects, during initial interrogation, confessed to being involved in several sectarian target killings.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on December 10 filed a terror plot and arrested five suspected terrorists from Shahdara area of Lahore, reports SAMAA TV. All the terrorists hailed from Afghanistan. Officials seized explosives, hand grenades, weapons, Afghan currency and videos of sensitive installations. The CTD said the suspects were planning an attack on the Punjab Civil Secretariat building.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Operation-II of police claimed to have arrested a target killer, affiliated with the London faction of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-London), and to have found a TT pistol with loaded magazine in his possession during an operation near Old Sabzi Mandi on University Road in Karachi, on December 16, reports The Express Tribune. CTD Inspector Syed Sarfaraz said, the arrested man, identified as Adnan Marwari alias AD Danish, had been the in-charge of the MQM-London- affiliated dead squad in Lyari, Sector-29. “Marwari has confessed during interrogation to have killed 27 members of the Sunni Tehreek with the assistance of accomplices,” the inspector said.
Parliamentarian and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir was arrested in Peshawar on December 16 on charges of hate speech while addressing a rally in Karachi on December 6, reports The Express Tribune. Peshawar Police said that Wazir was transferred to East Cantt Police Station following his arrest and a case has been registered against him at the Sohrab Goth Police Station. The Police confirmed that after completing legal formalities, the MNA was handed over to Sindh Police.
Security Forces (SFs) arrested a top ‘commander’ and four others of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI) in a raid in Peshawar, on December 18, reports The Express Tribune. The SFs and Police raided a home located in an area under the Bara Police Station in Sipah, arresting Zakir Afridi and his four associates, whose identities are yet to be ascertained. The militants had planned a major terror attack in Peshawar on December 25. As per the SFs, three suicide jackets and six Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered from the possession of the militants. Meanwhile, eight facilitators of the militants were also arrested in a raid conducted in Badaber on the details shared by them. They were shifted to a secret location for further investigation, police said. The identities of the eight facilitators are yet to be established.
Security Forces (SFs) on December 22 shot dead 10 militants during an exchange of fire in Gwargo area of Awaran District, reports Geo TV. The Inter-Services Public Relations said that an intelligence-based operation was conducted in Gwargo which led them to the militants who were also involved in the firing incident that had resulted in Lance Naik Iqbal’s death on December 20 in the Jatt Bazar area.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan seventh most-impacted country, says 2020 Global Terrorism Index report
According to Global Terrorism Index 2020 report, released by the Australia-based Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), Pakistan is the seventh most-impacted country in the world, The Express Tribune reported on November 26. “The 2020 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) has found that deaths from terrorism fell for the fifth consecutive year since peaking in 2014. The number of deaths has now decreased by 59% since 2014 to 13,826,” said the report, entitled ‘Vision for Humanity’.
Federal Interior Ministry orders action against armed wings of political, religious parties
The Federal Interior Ministry on December 7 ordered Provincial Governments to take effective measures against armed wings of political and religious parties, reports The Express Tribune. A letter issued to the Provinces by the Federal Interior Ministry maintained that various political and religious parties have formed their own militias, wearing uniforms like the armed forces, in violation of Article 256 of the Constitution and the third point of the National Action Plan (NAP). The letter further started that the security situation may worsen if action is not taken, adding that these organisations are setting a wrong example and will create a negative image of the country. The Ministry directed that the Provincial Governments should take immediate notice of the situation, and the Federal Government offered all possible assistance in this matter.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police confiscate 21,154 kilograms of hashish and 20,358 guns during past 11 months
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Inspector General of Police (IGP) held a video-link conference on December 7 with the Provincial Police top brass wherein the departmental performance and law and order situation of the Province of past 11 months was contemplated, reports ARY News. The huddle underscored an apprehension of 21,154.6 kilograms of hashish and 38,017 bottles of liquor by the police in many a raid throughout this period. In over 12,431 search and strike operations in this period, the huddle laid out, about 56,827 suspects were detained for investigations in a number of cases. The Regional Police Officers (RPOs) of KP collectively shared the number of total 67,635 people arrested on suspicions in 71,778 snap checking pickets. It was also shared that as an outcome of all the targeted operation in the province in the said span, about 20,358 weapons were confiscated with 477,875 rounds. RPOs added that about 206 hand-grenades, four stun-guns, and five rocket launchers were recovered in these targeted operations as well. 1,957 detonators, 2,232 dynamites, four bombs were captured as well, the performance report briefed KP IGP.
Terrorist attack on Islamabad Stock Exchange foiled with arrest of three militants in Rawalpindi city of Punjab
Police on December 14 claimed to have foiled a terrorist attack on Islamabad Stock Exchange, the latest target of the cell said to be responsible for multiple bombings in the garrison city of Rawalpindi city of Punjab, reports The Express Tribune. Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed the arrest of three alleged militants from Adyala-Kharakan Road, involved in four bomb blasts in Rawalpindi, the latest being the bombing in the Pir Wadhai area of the city earlier this month. The CTD, in a statement, said, the law enforcers raided the location and managed to arrest the alleged militants along with explosives, detonators, cell phones and other items in their possession. During the investigation, the militants accepted responsibility for the four bombings in Rawalpindi – in January, March, June and December of 2020 – that killed four civilians and injured more than 30. The statement further added that the militants said they were motivated by the proscribed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ideally, however, now they are working for masterminds based in Afghanistan. They further disclosed, according to the CTD statement, that their group leader was receiving funds from Afghanistan for carrying out these terrorist activities, and revealed that they had planned their next attack, with the Islamabad Stock Exchange chosen as a target.
3,800 Police personnel ensured Christmas security in Rawalpindi
To ensure security for the native Christian community during Christmas in the city the Rawalpindi police devised a comprehensive security plan where some 3,800 police personnel will be deployed at churches and other places, The Tribune reports on December 24. With the city witnessing a return of terrorism this year, the official said that security has also been tightened at the entry and exit points to the city with special checking ordered. A police spokesperson said under the security plan, no one will be allowed to park their vehicles near churches. Instead, the City Traffic Police (CTP) will make arrangements for parking vehicles of visitors while parking lots will be set up nearly 100 feet away from the churches. Further, police officials in plain clothes and fully equipped uniformed officials will be deputed at and near churches and public places, he added. Sharpshooters will also be deployed on the rooftops on buildings adjoining churches.
Afghanistan – Internal Dynamics
Afghanistan stays first in Global Terrorism Index 2020 ranking, says report
Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2020 Marks Afghanistan to be the most impacted nation by terrorism, the country was subjected to 26 world’s terrorist attacks out of 50 worst terrorizing incidents, reports The Khaama Press on November 26. According to the report, while deaths caused by terrorism declined in 2019, the Taliban still remains the deadliest terrorist group in the region. According to GTI 2020, peace talks in Afghanistan have a substantial impact on terrorist activity, but still, terrorism is active in the region.
The global economic impact of terrorism in 2019 has cost 26.4 billion, 25% lower than the war expenditures of 2018, 16.7% of Afghanistan’s GDP was impacted by war, making it highest in the rank. No country in the world experienced the cost of terrorism bigger than 4% of its GDP. 10 countries were accounted for deaths from terrorism in 2019, most of the deaths in a single country were recorded in Afghanistan, 41% of deaths connected to a terrorism incident. A very slight improvement since 2018, that the country was accounted for 45% of terrorist-act related deaths.
Leading the rank as the deadliest terrorist group Taliban were followed by Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) as the second deadliest group. As per the report, IS-K faced significant losses in Kunar and Nangarhar Provinces after offensive attacks by the Coalition Forces, despite fall 2019 was still the deadliest year on record.
Seven civilians killed in a suicide attack Zabul Province
On November 29, at least seven civilians were killed in a suicide attack targeting Ata Jan Haqbayan, head of Zabul’s provincial council in Qalat the capital of Zabul Province, reports Tolo News. 23 others including Ata Jan Haqbayan were injured in the attack.
630 children killed or injured in the first six months, says AIHRC
Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) on December 8 At least 630 children were killed and wounded during the battles in Afghanistan, in the first half of the year 2020, The Khaama Press. “630 children in Afghanistan were among the casualties—225 children killed and 405 more wounded. Of course, the figure will be much higher than this. According to the international conventions on human rights, those people who are not involved in the war, killing them is a war crime,” said Zabiullah Farhan, a spokesman to AIHRC.
15 civilians killed in an IED explosion in Ghazni Province, says Ministry of Interior
The Ministry of Interior Affairs said that at least 15 civilians were killed and another 20 injured in an explosion at a gathering in in Agho Jan village of Gelan District, Ghazni province on December 18, reports Tolo News. The explosives were loaded on a motorbike that was parked near a house in Gelan district where a group of people had gathered to attend a Quran recitation ceremony, the Interior Affairs Ministry’s spokesman Tariq Arian said.
‘Taliban use violence as leverage’, says NATO commander General Scott Miller
The United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Scott Miller, said that the Taliban are using violence as a leverage and that they must reduce the violence because they’re the “instigators” of it, reports Tolo News on December 18. “Clearly, the Taliban use violence as leverage. It’s a tool they’ve used for a long time and it’s one they’re loathe to abandon. We press them pretty hard on violence. You know, we have been pressing them since 1 March 2020,” Miller said. “I’ve been very consistent that the Taliban must reduce the violence. That’s one because they’re the instigators of it, and that’ll bring the violence down all around. But if we don’t, my assessment is that it puts the peace process at risk and the higher the violence, the higher the risk. And I also believe that this opportunity for peace should not be squandered,” Miller added.
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Three Ansar al Islam cadres arrested in Dhaka city
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on November 25 arrested three cadres of banned militant outfit Ansar al Islam from Dhanmondi area of Dhaka city in Dhaka District of Dhaka Division, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are Nahid Mina (27), Salam Hawlader (25) and a 17-year-old hailing from Gazipur.
Police charge baton to disperse protesters against sculptures in Dhaka city
Police charge batons to disperse a procession at Shantinagar in Dhaka city of Dhaka District in Dhaka Division on November 27 that demanded demolition of human sculptures, reports New Age. Witnesses said as the Jumma prayers ended at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the afternoon, several hundred mosque-goers, mostly madrassah students, began to chant slogans. Over one thousand mosque-goers then brought out a protest rally and Police in vain tried to stop it by locking the main gates of the mosque. The protestors broke the Police barricade and stormed out of the mosque onto the street and began to march towards the Shantinagar area after crossing Paltan intersection. Police, at this point, began to blow whistles and began charging batons on the protestors and finally dispersed the rally in a couple of minutes.
Meanwhile Hefazat-e-Islam (HeI) Chief Junaid Babunagari addressing a mahfil in Hathazari, Chattogram District on November 27 threatened to pull down and destroy all the sculptures no matter which party puts those up, reports The Daily Star.
Government is resuming investigations into cases filed over mayhem by HeI activists in 2013, says Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on December 3 said that the Government is resuming the long-stalled investigations into cases filed over the mayhem by thousands of Hefajat-e Islam (HeI) activists in May 2013, reports The Daily Star. He said “The cases remained pending for quite a long time. We have to finish them.” On May 5, 2013, thousands of members of HeI, a Qawmi madrasa-based Islamist organisation, clashed with law enforcers and ruling Awami League men, turning Motijheel and Paltan areas into a battlefield. They set fire to hundreds of shops, vehicles and police outposts and looted stores, including those with Islamic books. Clashes also took place in different other districts in the following couple of days. A total of 83 cases were filed in seven Districts including in Dhaka, accusing 3,416 named and 84,796 unnamed people. Many of the accused were from the HeI, the Jamaat-e-Islam (JeI) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Government warns of tough action against those opposing installation of Bangabandhu’s sculpture
The Government on December 6 warned of tough action against those opposing installation of Bangabandhu’s sculpture after an under-construction sculpture of the Father of the Nation was vandalised in Kushtia District on December 4, reports The Daily Star. Several senior Ministers issued warnings, saying those involved in the vandalism of Bangabandhu’s sculpture will face stern action. Talking to journalists at his office at the Secretariat, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the Government would not allow anyone to create anarchy in the country in the name of opposing installation of Bangabandhu’s sculpture. Without mentioning the name of HeI, he said, “We won’t let anyone create anarchy. If they think they are very powerful, they are wrong.” Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said “Disrespect for Bangabandhu’s sculpture means disrespect for the constitution. Whoever is involved in the vandalism of Bangabandhu’s sculpture must be punished.” Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque said those who were responsible for this would not be spared.
Former PBCB leader shot dead in Khulna District
A former leader of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) was shot dead at Gorurhat area of Tajpur village in Khulna District of Khulna Division on December 18, reports The Daily Star. The deceased was identified as Mollah Hemayet Hossain Lipu (45). Lipu was among 35 outlaws who surrendered to the Home Minister in Pabna in 2019.
India – Internal Dynamics
Posters hailing LeT surfaces in Karnataka
An inflammatory graffiti, hailing terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), surfaced on the compound wall of an apartment in Kadri Police limits in Mangaluru (Karnataka) on November 27, leading to public outrage, reports New Indian Express. The message read, “Do not force us to invite Lashkar-e-Toiba and Taliban to deal with Sanghis and Manuvadis. #Lashkar Zindabad.” A special team is investigating the case and is collecting CCTV footage from nearby buildings, City Police Commissioner Vikas Kumar said.
CRPF officer killed in IED blast in Chhattisgarh
An Assistant Commandant of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF’s) Combat Battalion Resolute Action (CoBRA) was killed and seven others were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast by Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Talmetala area of Sukma District on November 28, reports Hindustan Times.
Arms and ammunition recovered in Bihar
A team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)’s 159 CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) commandos recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, belonging to the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres from an underground bunker in Parariya village under Imamganj Police Station limits in Gaya District of Bihar, reports IANS on November 29. The recovery included twelve country-made pistols, 115 cartridges, seven magazines, two mobile phones, and three rifle holsters and other objectionable items.
SFJ offers USD 1 million to protesting farmers
Amid the escalated protests by farmers against the farm laws passed in the parliament, the banned secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has offered support of USD 1 million to the protestors on November 29, reports Republic World. SFJ’s Chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannu released a video, promising aid to the protestors who are injured or whose tractors have been damaged during the protests.
In an attempt to hijack the farmers’ agitation and provoking the residents of Punjab, Pannu asked the protestors to register their vote for freedom of Punjab from the Union of India. He attempted to mislead the citizens by calling it a “fight between Punjab and Hind”, adding that the solution to it was “Khalistan and Freedom (Azaadi)” and appealed “to support the referendum to free Punjab from India”
India ranks eighth in Global Terrorism Index 2020
India ranked eighth – with a score of 7.353 – on the Global Terrorism Index, 2020, moneycontrol.com reports on November 27. India reported 558 terrorist attacks in 2019, recording 277 deaths, according to the release. “Compared to other countries amongst the ten most impacted, India faces a wider range of terrorist groups, with Islamist, communist and separatist groups active across the country,” the report said. However, the number deaths caused by terrorism as well as the number of terror attacks in India declined by 20 per cent in 2019. The country reported the lowest terrorism-related deaths among the 10 most-affected nations. India also recorded the lowest lethality rate of 0.5 deaths per attack on an average, while the other nine countries reported 2.1 deaths per attack on average, the report showed. 14 of 35 active terrorist groups in India were responsible for fatalities in 2019. “Maoists, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were responsible for over two thirds of the total deaths and almost half of the total attacks,” the report said. In India, Jammu and Kashmir was the most impacted region in 2019, reporting 165 attacks and 103 deaths, followed by Chhattisgarh (85 attacks and 53 deaths). The report said deaths attributed to the JeM increased by 69 percent due to the deadliest attack perpetrated in 2019. The suicide attack carried out on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy along the Srinagar-Jammu Highway in Lethpora, Pulwama, by the JeM was among the 20 most fatal terrorist attacks in 2019.
Maoist posters back in large numbers in West Bengal
At least 30 Communist Party of India-Maoist posters and leaflets, along with large banners with a call to people to celebrate ‘People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) Week’, scheduled from December 2 to 8, were found at several places in Purulia District of West Bengal on November 30, reports The Telegraph. This is the first time since 2011 that such a large number of Maoist posters and banners have appeared in the Jungle Mahal. The printed and handwritten posters and banners were spotted pasted or hung at Madhupur in Bandwan block and Ramsi in Barabazar block which were later seized by Police team. The Maoist posters have surfaced in large numbers close on the heels of the Union Home Ministry (UHM) withdrawing two battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from Jungle Mahal Districts of Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore despite objections from residents and political parties in view of next year’s Assembly polls. In its printed leaflets, the Maoists asked people to celebrate the ‘PLGA Week’. The leaflets also advise Maoist sympathisers how to observe the PLGA’s anniversary and detail the outfit’s purported attacks in the past one year. The handwritten posters asked the people to rise in protest against the Narendra Modi Government’s new farm laws and its policy to hand over land to corporate entities. one of the posters in Bengali read, “Foil the conspiracy of the Centre to hand over the agriculture system to big capital and corporates in the disguise of the farm bill.”
Monthly Fatalities
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period Nov 26 to Dec 25, 2020:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Manipur | 03 | 00 | 02 | 05 |
| Left wing | 12 | 02 | 08 | 22 |
| Total | 15 | 02 | 10 | 27 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Two CPN-Maoist-Chand cadres arrested in Udayapur District
Two cadres of outlawed Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Chand) were arrested on November 25 on the charge of carrying out the explosion in Tapli Rural Municipality of Udayapur District of Province No. 1, reports The Himalayan Times. The arrested are Gaur Bahadur Devkota and Rita BK.
Teacher shot to death in Morang District
A teacher was shot to death at Miklajung Rural Municipality in Morang District of Province No. 1 on December 8, reports Republica. The teacher was identified as Rajendra Shrestha (54). Police said that the teacher was killed by the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Chand) cadres.
Police and CPN-Maoist-Chand cadres exchange fire in Sankhuwasabha District
Police and cadres of the outlawed Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Chand) exchanged fire at Chainpur Municipality in Sankhuwasabha District of Province No. 1 on November 16, reports Khabarhub. Sankhuwasabha Police Chief Nawaraj Malla stated the cadres fled from the scene following the exchange of fire at around 11 am. Malla said there was no loss of life due to gunfire on both sides.
Army defuses two IEDs in Humla District
A team of Nepal Army soldiers defused two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted at the main entrance of the Agriculture Development Office at Simkot Rural Municipality in Humla District of Province No. 6 on November 20, reports Khabarhub. Local authorities said that it is still unclear who planted the IEDs on Government office building premises
Army chief directs all units to remain alert as CPN-Maoist-Chand ramps up activities
Chief of the Nepali Army Purna Chandra Thapa on December 14 directed all units to remain alert and minutely investigate activities of the outlawed Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Chand), reports The Himalayan Times. During his field trip to various brigades and barracks across the country, Thapa directed army personnel to be more vigilant saying that the Chand-led group have declared people’s Government in Kalikot, bombed various places and killed innocent people including school teachers. “Let us not be surprised by some unwanted activities of the group led by Netra Bikram Chand, so be prepared,” said the chief of Army.
President dissolves House of Representatives
President Bidya Devi Bhandari on December 20 endorsed the KP Sharma Oli Government’s recommendation for the dissolution of the House of Representatives, reports Kathmandu Post. The Office of the President said in a notice that President Bidya Devi Bhandari has approved the recommendation, pursuant to Article 76 (1) and (7) and Article 85 of the constitution, of the Council of Ministers to dissolve the House of Representatives. The President has also approved the Cabinet’s recommendation for holding general elections on April 30 and May 10, 2021. Oli’s move of dissolving House comes on the heels of a deepening crisis in his Nepali Communist Party (NCP) where he has slid into the minority with the opponent faction led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal demanding his resignation for failing on the governance front and to abide by party decisions.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
Sri Lanka bans Tamil remembrance of war dead
Commemorations for Tamil Tiger rebels killed in Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war were banned on Friday, Nov 27 after court petitions by the government of strongman President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka’s 37-year conflict began in 1972 when Tamil Tigers waged a bloody war against government troops in a campaign for a separate homeland for their ethnic minority group. Rajapaksa was defence chief when the Tigers were finally defeated in 2009 while his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa was president, winning them the adoration of many in the Sinhala majority population.
For years, Tamils were not allowed to commemorate their war dead, but a ban on “Heroes’ Day” ceremonies at cemeteries was lifted after Mahinda was voted out of office in 2015. The Rajapaksa brothers returned to power last year however when Gotabaya was elected president. His government petitioned courts in the Tamil-majority north of Sri Lanka this week and obtained prohibition orders against the commemorations, the attorney general’s office said. The main Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), protested against the ban on Friday.
Police said they had already arrested four people “for posting Heroes’ Day-related messages on social media”. The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) declared in the late 1980s that November 27 would be their “Heroes’ Day” in memory of self-styled Tiger Lieutenant Shankar, their first combatant killed by security forces in 1982.
Priest arrested for organizing LTTE Heroes’ Day commemorations in Jaffna District
A priest who organized a celebration with the image of former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Vellupillai Pannirabhakaran at a religious place in Jaffna District of Northern Province to commemorate Maaveerar Naal (Great Heroes Day) which falls on November 27 has been arrested, reports Colombo Page.
Easter Sunday Attack was conspiracy led by foreign group, says former President Maithripala Sirisena
Former President Maithripala Sirisena concluding his testimony to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the Easter Sunday Attack on November 25 said the April 21, 2019, suicide bomb attack on the churches and hotels was a conspiracy led by a foreign group in Sri Lanka, reports Colombo Page. Former President Maithripala Sirisena said he suspected a powerful foreign hand was behind Saharan Hashim, the mastermind of the Easter Sunday attack and the suicide bomber.
LTTE banned in every country in Europe, says Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena addressing the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Foreign Affairs in Parliament said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a banned organization in every country in Europe as it has not given up on violence and terrorism, reports Daily News on December 1. The Minister stated that his Ministry and the Government, is fully aware of the matter and is acting with a diplomatic outlook.
Former female LTTE cadre and husband arrested with claymore mine in Kilinochchi District
A former female Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre and her husband were arrested while transporting a claymore mine with their child, in a bus plying from Jaffna to Kandy in a joint operation by the Police and the Army in Paranthan town of Kilinochchi District in Northern Province on December 2, reports Daily News. The couple had revealed that the LTTE network is preparing to carry out claymore attacks on two targets in the North and East. It has been revealed that a LTTE network operating from Switzerland was planning to launch terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. According to the intelligence sources, this is the 15th attempt made by the LTTE to launch an attack following the end of the war.
Anger grows in SL over forced Muslim virus cremations
Outrage is mounting in Sri Lanka after at least 15 Muslim coronavirus victims, including a baby, were cremated against family wishes and in contravention of Islamic tradition. Authorities in Sri Lanka insist all victims must be cremated — even if they are Muslims, who traditionally bury their dead facing Holy Makkah.
The order issued in April came amid alarm raised by influential Buddhist monks that burying bodies could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus.
After the families of 19 Muslims refused to claim the bodies of relatives from a Colombo morgue, last week, the attorney general ordered their remains cremated.
So far at least 15 have been including a 20-day-old baby named Shaykh and despite the pleas of his parents. Over the weekend members of the public tied thousands of white ribbons to the gates of the cemetery housing the crematorium, which authorities removed on Monday, Dec 14 morning.
INTERNATIONAL
Air strikes kill 19 fighters in Syria
Air strikes likely carried out by Israel killed at least 19 pro-Iran militia fighters in war-torn eastern Syria, a war monitor said on Thursday, Nov 26. The early morning strikes hit positions of Iran-backed militias outside the town of Albu Kamal in Deir Ezzor province, killing fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Syrian state media did not report the attack and Israel rarely acknowledges individual strikes, but the Observatory has accused the Jewish state of launching at least two other aerial attacks against pro-Iran forces in Syria since Saturday.
13 dead in Yemen clashes
Thirteen fighters were killed in an exchange of artillery fire between pro-government forces and separatists in the southern province of Abyan, military sources told AFP on Saturday, Nov 28.
The Southern Transitional Council lost eight men, including two officers, and six others were wounded late on Friday in the latest outbreak of violence between the nominal allies in Yemen’s civil war, an STC source said.
A military source on the Yemeni government side said that five fighters from its ranks were among the dead.
The STC is a separatist organisation that wants the south to secede from the rest of the country, even while it is allied with the central government in a fight against their common foe, the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, in Yemen’s civil war.
Protests over security law as France reels from police violence
Dozens of rallies are planned on Saturday, Nov 28 against a new French law that would restrict sharing images of police, only days after the country was shaken by footage showing officers beating and racially abusing a black man.
The case shocked France with celebrities and politicians alike condemning the officers’ actions, and has brought debate over President Emmanuel Macron’s law to boiling point.
Macron on Friday called the incident an “unacceptable attack” and asked the government to come up with proposals to “fight against discrimination”.
One of the most controversial elements of the new law is Article 24, which would criminalise the publication of images of on-duty police officers with the intent of harming their “physical or psychological integrity”.
It was passed by the National Assembly last week although it is awaiting Senate approval provoking rallies and protests across France.
Rally organisers are calling for the article to be withdrawn, claiming that it contradicts “the fundamental public freedoms of our Republic”. “This bill aims to undermine the freedom of the press, the freedom to inform and be informed, the freedom of expression,” one of Saturday’s protest organisers said.
Trade unions are expected to join the demonstrations, with members of the yellow vests whose sometimes violent protests in 2018 and 2019 shook the country also expected.
In Paris, the authorities had demanded that organisers limit the rally to a single location, but on Friday evening officials authorised a march.
And in a sign that the government could be preparing to backtrack, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Friday that he would appoint a commission to redraft Article 24. The government says the provision is intended to protect officers from doxxing and online abuse, but critics say it is further evidence of the Macron administration’s slide to the right.
But media unions say it could give police a green light to prevent journalists and social media users from documenting abuses.
Northeast Nigeria massacre claims at least 110 lives
A weekend attack on farm workers in northeast Nigeria blamed on the Boko Haram militant group left at least 110 dead, the UN humanitarian coordinator in the country said on Sunday, Nov 29. “At least 110 civilians were ruthlessly killed and many others were wounded in this attack,” Edward Kallon said in a statement, after initial tolls indicated 43 and then at least 70 dead from Saturday’s massacre by suspected Boko Haram fighters. “The incident is the most violent direct attack against innocent civilians this year,” Kallon said, blaming “non-state armed groups” without naming Boko Haram.
Morocco arrests three
Moroccan police said on Friday, Dec 4 they have arrested three men in the northern city of Tetouan suspected of “terrorist plots” and links to the Islamic State group.
The three had recorded a “video in which they pledge allegiance to the supposed emir of (IS) and specify the main objectives of their terrorist plans”, the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations said.
The suspects had already conducted “several exploratory visits to identify the targets” they intended to attack with explosives or through methods similar to “Daesh”, the statement said, using the Arabic acronym for IS. Among the items seized during the operation were chemicals used to make explosive devices, an IS banner and several firearms, it added.
Sudan govt opposes army chief decree
A move by Sudan’s army chief to create a new body with broad powers has put him at odds with the country’s transitional government.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan heads Sudan’s sovereign council, a military-civilian body established in August last year. It is Sudan’s highest executive authority and is overseeing a fragile three-year transition to civilian rule after the April 2019 ouster of veteran strongman Omar al-Bashir.
Vessel attacked off Yemen coast
A vessel was attacked off the coast of war-torn Yemen, a UK-based maritime organisation said on Saturday, Dec 5 days after an explosion rocked an oil tanker docked at a Saudi port.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), citing reports from ships in the vicinity, said it was aware of an attack late Friday against a merchant vessel, without giving further details. It later released a statement the incident was over. “Incident is now complete. Vessel and crew are safe.”
Indonesian police shoot dead six
At least six supporters of a firebrand Indonesian Muslim cleric were shot dead on Monday, Dec 7 as they tried to reach a police station where their leader was to be questioned, Jakarta’s police chief said on Monday.
Fadil Imran said police were forced to defend themselves when 10 supporters of Rizieq Shihab attacked them at a toll road some 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of the capital Jakarta. “When our officers were following the cars of followers, they came closer and attacked us using guns and sharp objects,” Imran told reporters. Police officers shot in response, leaving six people dead, he added. Four others managed to escape during the early morning shootout.
Norway accuses a Russian of attack on Parliament
Norway’s domestic spy agency on Tuesday, Dec 8 blamed a Russian hacker group linked to Moscow’s military intelligence for a cyberattack on the Norwegian parliament earlier this year. The Norwegian intelligence agency (PST) said the likely perpetrators were the Fancy Bear collective a group regularly accused of attacks including on the US election but there was not enough evidence to pursue charges.
A “vast” cyberattack on August 24 gained access to the emails of some MPs and parliamentary employees, officials announced at the time, without speculating on the identity of the attackers.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide later accused Russia of being behind the attack, and PST investigators have now strengthened her claims. “The investigation shows that the network operation which the Storting (Norwegian parliament) was subjected to was part of a broader national and international campaign that has been going on since at least 2019,” PST said in a statement.
“Analyses show that it is likely that the operation was led by a cyber actor known as APT28 or Fancy Bear. This actor has ties to GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency.”
Over 80m displaced: UN
Despite calls for ceasefires and compassion amid the Covid-19 pandemic, violence and persecution have continued to force people from their homes, with record numbers now displaced, the UN said on Wednesday, Dec 9. By the end of 2019, 79.5 million people were living uprooted and displaced, including nearly 30 million refugees more than one percent of the world´s population.
Syria’s war death rises to 387000
The overall death toll for Syria´s civil war has crept up to 387,000 following the least deadly of 10 years of conflict, a monitor said on Wednesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a wide network of sources inside Syria, said the new figure included almost 117,000 civilians, among them more than 22,000 children.
27 die in Niger
Jihadists from the Boko Haram group killed at least 27 people in an attack of “unprecedented savagery” in southeast Niger, local officials said on Sunday, Dec 13. Other people were wounded and some more reported missing in the assault on Saturday evening in the village of Toumour in the Diffa region, said a senior local official.
Record number of journalists jailed in 2020
A record number of journalists were behind bars this year, a US-based watchdog said on Tuesday, Dec 15 accusing governments worldwide of suppressing the media and fueling misinformation amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The annual report by the Committee to Protect Journalists found that 274 journalists were imprisoned in 2020 the highest number since the non-profit organization began its survey in the 1990s.
Suicide bomber kills three in Nigeria
A teenage girl killed at least three people when she blew herself up in a crowd in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state, militia and humanitarian sources told AFP on Saturday, Dec 19.
“We evacuated three dead bodies and two people who were seriously injured from the scene,” said aid worker Abubakar Mohammed. The attack happened in the town of Konduga, about 38 kilometres (24 miles) from the regional capital Maiduguri.
The attacker set off her explosives among a group of men at a hangout next the local chief’s home, said Ibrahim Liman, an anti-jihadist militia leader who gave the same toll.
Konduga and surrounding villages have been repeatedly targeted by suicide bombers from Boko Haram, which typically attacks soft civilian targets such as mosques, markets and bus stations, often using young women as bombers.
