Suicide Bombings
Two persons were martyred and six others sustained injuries in a suicide bomb blast in Kamarsar area in Loy Mamond tehsil in Bajaur tribal district on Sunday, Dec 19.
Bomb/IED Attacks
Two Police personnel were injured in a hand-grenade attack at Mubarak Chowk in the Spiny Road area of Quetta in the night of December 6, reports Dawn. Unidentified motorcyclists hurled a grenade at a Police mobile at Mubarak Chowk when it was on patrol duty in the area and the device exploded near the Police vehicle.
A bomb planted in a motorcycle was recovered in the front of Deputy Commissioner office in Gwadar (Gwadar District) on December 6, reports Dawn. Security Force personnel detected the bomb and defused it.
One person was killed and two others sustained injuries in a landmine blast in Kohlu District on December 16, reports The Nation. According to Police, a bike passed over the landmine killed one person on the spot while two others including a woman and child were critically injured.
One person was killed and 10 others injured on December 18 in a bomb blast that took place in Shahrah-e-Iqbal of Quetta city, reports Geo TV. The injured include women and a child. The Police said that cars and motorcycles on Shahrah-e-Iqbal were damaged as a result of the blast.
Targetted Killings
An official of the Sindh Bar Council was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Gulistan-i-Jauhar area of Karachi on November 1, reports Dawn. Irfan Mehar was targeted by assailants when he was driving a car near Chappal Plaza in Block-13 of Gulistan-i-Jauhar. The attackers waylaid the vehicle driven by Mehar and sprayed him with bullets, causing his death on the spot.
A Policeman, identified as constable Nazir Khan, deployed to provide security to polio vaccination teams was killed in Kolachi area of Tank District in on December 12 after an unidentified gunman opened fire, reports Dawn. The gunman managed to escape.
Separately, a Policeman guarding polio teams was injured after a gunman opened fire in Lakki Marwat District on December 12, reports Dawn. Aimal Khan, provincial spokesman for the anti-polio programme, said the gunman opened fire at the team, adding that one of the cops sustained bullet injuries to the leg, but returned fire and managed to injure the attacker.
The Awami National Party (ANP)’s candidate contesting in the election for Dera Ismail Khan city’s mayor was shot dead in Dera Ismail Khan District on December 18, a day before polling for local government seats was scheduled to take place in parts of KP, reports Dawn. According to Police, unidentified attackers opened fire on Umar Khitab Sherani outside his residence in the limits of Model Town police station and fled. Sherani died on the spot.
Miscellaneous
Two soldiers were killed when terrorists attacked a military post in the Datta Khel town of North Waziristan District on November 27, reports Dawn.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on November 28 conducted 29 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the Punjab, reports Daily Times. A spokesman for CTD Punjab said that 30 suspects had been interrogated during these IBOs, out of which six suspects were arrested. Out of the arrested suspects, Sagheer Hussain Shah and Abdul Jabbar of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were arrested from in Okara District of Punjab while explosive material, an improvised explosive device (IED), two grenades, prima cord two feet, electric detonator, a pistol 30-bore and 10 bullets, Rs 5,110 in cash and a motorcycle were recovered from them.
Another suspect Hidayat-Ullah, belonging to the TTP was arrested from Khushab District for advertising his outfit through pamphlets and stickers, whereas 59 stickers of defunct TTP, 22 pamphlets and PKR 10,000 in cash were recovered from him.
Police on December 2 arrested a suspect, identified as Gul Sher, and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition from his possession and confiscated a motorcycle in Chowki Raniyal Police Station area of Rawalpindi city, reports Urdu Point. A Police spokesman said they recovered seven Kalashnikovs, three 12 bore riffles, one pistol of 30 bore and a large quantity of bullets and magazines.
At least five bullet-riddled dead bodies were recovered from the mountainous area of Hanay Tal in the Panjgur District on December 8, reports Samaa TV. The victims were travelling in a car that was destroyed by the militants. The Baloch Republican Army (BRA) claimed responsibility.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on December 12 foiled a major terror plot in Bannu District and arrested two terrorists, reports The Nation. According to CTD, the action was carried out in the Bannu on a tip-off about the presence of terrorists. Two terrorists were arrested. Two SMGs, a hand grenade, three magazines and ammunition were recovered.
On December 11, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants attacked and killed a security personnel assigned to protect a polio vaccination team in Tank District, reports Geo TV. The incident took place when armed men on a motorcycle attacked the polio security team, killing one security official and injuring another.
One Army soldier was killed when terrorists attacked a post of the Security Forces (SFs) along the Pakistan-Iran border in the Abdoi Sector of Kech District in Balochistan on December 14, reports Daily Times.
Security Force (SF) personnel on December 18 killed three terrorists including an acquaintance of Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, a top leader of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP), in two separate operations in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), reports Dawn. Separately, the ISPR said, two more terrorists were killed in a clearance operation in the Boya area of North Waziristan District.
PAKISTAN
TTP withdraws demand of reversing FATA merger into KP
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has withdrawn its demand of reversing the merger of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) following a tough stance by the Government on the matter, The Express Tribune reported quoting a senior security official privy to the ongoing negotiations. The senior security official, on the condition of anonymity said on November 26 that Pakistan has emphatically rejected two key demands at the very onset of negotiations between the two sides. The official said that the TTP had demanded reversal of former FATA’s merger into KP. Pakistan has rejected the TTP’s demand and made it clear that FATA’s integration into KP is not the decision of a single individual but of the people of the region and the parliament. The group was also told that the Government had spent billions of rupees so far for the region’s merger. The group had also expressed reservations over the ongoing local Government elections in the tribal region
Violent mob lynches Sri Lankan factory manager and burn corpse over blasphemy allegations in Sialkot city of Punjab
A violent mob at the Wazirabad Road in Sialkot city (Sialkot District) of Punjab tortured a Sri Lankan national, Priyantha Kumara, who was working as a senior manager at a leading Sialkot factory that manufactures and exports sports products, to death over blasphemy allegations before burning his body on December 3, reports Dawn. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the “cold-blooded murder” by the mob in Sialkot was “condemnable and shameful”. “Such extra-judicial vigilantism cannot be condoned at any cost,” the ISPR said. The statement added that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had directed all-out support to the civil administration to arrest the perpetrators of this “heinous crime” and bring them to justice.
On December 5, Punjab Inspector-General (IG) Rao Sardar Ali Khan in press conference in Lahore stated that the Punjab police arrested 120 men, including 13 prime suspects, for murdering and burning the body of a Sri Lankan national over alleged blasphemy charges in Sialkot, reports Samaa. Further briefing, Rao along with Punjab Government spokesperson Hassan Khawar, stated that following the December 3 lynching, raids have been conducted in over 200 areas of the city and nearly 120 men were arrested including the 13 suspects whose confessional videos have been circulating on social media. The Police have sent the 12-hour CCTV footage of the attack to the forensics that was obtained from 100 cameras installed at the site.
ATC awards 16-year jail term to 19 TLP men in Punjab
An anti-terrorism court of Gujranwala in Punjab Province has convicted 19 activists of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and awarded them 16-year imprisonment and a fine of PKR 30,000 under four different sections in a case of attacking police during the riots in Hafizabad, reports The Dawn on December 4. The Pindi Bhattian Police had booked 34 TLP workers on the charges of killing a policeman, injuring several others, blocking the roads, snatching the anti-riot jackets and other such offences. Among them, only 15 TLP workers were acquitted by the court. The convicted TLP activists were identified as Rahmat Ali, Tariq Manzoor, Asghar Ali, Tasleem Yasin, Hassnain Badsha, Sheikh Abdul Razzaq, Farasat Ali, Akmal Shahzad, Muzammal Riasat, Amir Shahzad, Saqib Ali, Ghulam Murtaza, Muhammad Abbas, Muhammad Usman, Iftikhar Hussain, Mansab Ali and Yasin.
‘We will only talk to those who respect the Constitution of Pakistan,’ says Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on TTP
Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, while referring to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), reiterated on December 13 that the Government will only talk to those who respect the Constitution and the law of Pakistan, saying “otherwise, we have battled before and will do again”, reports Dawn. His remarks came three days after the TTP announced an end to a month-long ceasefire with the Government and accused it of failing to honour the decisions reached earlier. Addressing a gathering in Lahore, the Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the [Afghan] Taliban government had once again pressed the TTP to abide by the [ceasefire] agreement. “And I think their advice is sane,” he added.
Earlier on December 9, the TTP declined to extend the month-long ceasefire with the Government, accusing it of failing to honour the decisions reached earlier, reports Dawn. A statement issued by the TTP gave out details of the six-point agreement that it said it had reached with the Government under the aegis of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” (IEA) on October 25, 2021. Earlier in an audio, Mufti Noor Wali Mahsud announced an end to the ceasefire and asked his fighters to resume attacks past 12am. The ceasefire had come into effect on November 9. In the audio, Mufti Noor can be heard as saying that since the TTP has not heard back from the mediators or the government, therefore, past midnight, his fighters reserve the right to resume attacks wherever they were.
Afghanistan – Internal Dynamics
Former Police official killed in Ghor Province
Unidentified gunmen killed a former crime branch chief in Shahrak district, Nasir Ahmad Vakilzadeh,in Ferozkoh, the provincial capital of Ghor Province, reports the Twitter handle of Etilaatroz on November 26.
Former NDS official killed in Kunduz Province
On November 24, unidentified persons killed Bahauddin Khan, the former government’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) official, in Kunduz Province, reports the Twitter handle of Asvaka News.
IS-KP could flourish if the West continues to impose economic sanctions against Afghanistan, says Taliban leader Suhail Shaheen
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) designated representative to United Nation, Suhail Shaheen, has warned the international community that the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-KP) could flourish if the West continues to impose economic sanctions against Afghanistan, reports Ariana News. In an interview with Euro News, Shaheen stated that continued economic sanctions have plunged the people of Afghanistan into poverty and that this could pave the way for IS-KP to recruit fighters.
Three IS-KP militants killed in Nangarhar Province
On November 29, three Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) militants were killed when Taliban Security Forces raided their hideout in Zangoy area under Police District 1 (PD1) of Jalalabad city, capital of eastern Nangarhar province, reports Xinhua. Two more IS-KP militants including Qari Attahuraman sustained injuries, the official said, and two security personnel were slightly injured.
Afghan frozen assets should be unblocked to resolve humanitarian problems, says Russian President Vladimir Putin
On November 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Afghan frozen assets should be unblocked to resolve humanitarian problems, and buy medical equipment, medicines, to support children in Afghanistan, reports Aamaj News. “This money will not go to buy weapons, the more so as the Taliban do not need weapons. The Taliban has weapons worth billions of dollars, which have been abandoned there,” President Putin said.
Former Police official killed in Nuristan Province
On December 6, Unidentified gunmen killed a former police officer Hanifullah Sarjang, on the Kunar-Nuristan highway in the Nangalaam area of Nangarhar Province, reports Hasht-e-Subh.
670 IS-KP militants arrested in the last three months, says Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Afghan interim government has arrested over 670 militants of Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP), during the last three months, reports Anadolu Agency on December 9. During an exclusive interview, the interim government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that 25 hideouts of the terrorist group have also been destroyed in Kabul and Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province.“ Daesh [Arabic acronym for IS] is no longer a big threat in Afghanistan. It was a small group that has now been dismantled in Kabul and Jalalabad,” Mujahid claimed.
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Government maintaining ‘zero tolerance’ policy against terrorism, says State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Choudhry
State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Choudhry speaking at the historic Rash Utsav at Kantajew Temple in Dinajpur District as chief guest on November 26 said that the Government had been maintaining ‘zero tolerance’ policy against all forms of terrorism, reports New Age. He said “We are committed to curbing terrorism in the country and that is why “zero tolerance” policy has been adopted. Wherever there is terrorism, the government is vocal and we have taken legal actions against the terrorists. We are firmly committed to fighting against terrorism.”
Government conspiring against CHT peace accord, says PCJSS President Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma
Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, better known as Santu Larma, President of Parbatya Chattogram Jana-Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) speaking at a discussion the PCJSS organised to mark the 24th anniversary of the signing of the peace accord on December 22 said that the Government and state machineries were patronising criminal and militant activities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) to subdue the supporters of the peace accord, reports New Age.
Five JMB cadres arrested in Nilphamari District
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested five cadres of banned extremist organisation Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from village Majhpara in Nilphamari District on December 4, reports New Age. The arrested are JMB’s Rangpur ‘regional military wing chief’ Ahidul Islam Palash (26), Wahed Ali alias Abdur Rahman (30), Abdullah Al Mamun alias Dr. Shuja (26), Zahidul Islam alias Zobayer (27) and Nur Amin Sabuz (26). RAB personnel recovered an improvised explosive device, huge raw materials and chemicals for making bombs, a pistol with five cartridges and some other goods from them.
22 Rohingya organisations denounce ARSA
22 Rohingya organisations in a statement on December 7 denounced the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for the latter’s recent activities and criminal associations along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, reports New Age. In the statement, they branded the ARSA, also known as Harakah Al Yakeen, as a criminal group. They also appealed to the Bangladesh government and to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to work together to respond promptly when refugees report imminent threats, to provide immediate and effective protection to those in danger, and to ensure effective protection for those who report incidents. The Rohingya community does not accept the ARSA as a group that represents the ideals and interests of the Rohingya community in or outside of Myanmar, the statement read. It said these criminal activities escalated dramatically in the recent months. On September 29, a prominent Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah was assassinated reportedly by the ARSA followed by the murder of seven more Rohingya refugees in mid-October, it stated. The ARSA, however, dismissed the allegation.
US sanctions RAB and seven top officials of the agency
The United States (US) on December 11 imposed human rights-related sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven current and former top officials of the agency, including Benazir Ahmed, now Inspector General of Police (IGP), reports The Daily Star. Benazir, former Director General (DG) of RAB, and five officials were designated by the Department of the Treasury under the Global Magnitsky sanctions programme in connection with serious rights abuse. The five are RAB DG Choudhry Abdullah Al-Mamun; Khan Mohammad Azad, Additional Director General (Operations) of RAB; Tofayel Mustafa Sorwar, former Additional Director General (Operations); Mohammad Jahangir Alam, former Additional Director General (Operations), and Mohammad Anwar Latif Khan, former Additional Director General (Operations). Besides another former official of RAB Lieutenant Colonel Miftah Uddin Ahmed bared from traveling to the United States.
Abducted PCJSS leader found dead in Bandarban District
Police on December 13 recovered the body of a leader of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) from the hilly area near Krao Amtalipara in Bandarban District, 15 hours after his abduction, reports Dhaka Tribune. The deceased was identified as Pu Shoi Thoai Marma (38), General Secretary of Sadar Upazila committee of the organization. He was abducted by an armed group of criminals from his house on December 12.
India – Internal Dynamics
Maoist posters urge people to ‘attack’ Police, Excise officials in Odisha
Communist Party of India-Maoist posters were found in several villages in Kandhamal District of Odisha on November 30, stoking fear and panic in the area, reports republicworld.com. The posters were claimed to be put up by the ‘Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division’ of the CPI-Maoist. Residents of villages in Barakhama, Midiakia, Bataguda and Rebingia Panchayats in Balliguda Block noticed the posters in the morning, Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) G R Rahgabendra said. The handwritten notes warned people not to venture into forests as bombs and land mines have been planted at many places. It also urged people to attack the joint squad of Police and excise officials who come for destruction of cannabis plants, besides the armed forces deployed in combing operations, the SDPO said. Security personnel “misbehave and torture” women in many instances in a habitual manner during such operations, the posters read
JJMP faction split, a new group named JJSS was formed in Jharkhand
Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), and a banned organization in Gumla District of Jharkhand, has split into two faction, reports prabhatkhabar.com on November 30. The cadres of JJMP have rebelled against their own organization and formed another faction of the organization, and the newly formed faction of the organization has been named Jharkhand Jan Sangram Senani (JJSS), with its two ‘chiefs’ Diwakar and Amar Oraon. Seven cadres, including former JJMP ‘commanders’ Diwakar alias Bahura and Amar, have formed another faction organization by killing JJMP’s ‘platoon commander’ Sukra Oraon. At present, there are 17 armed cadres in JJSS. All these cadres have AK-47, INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) assault rifle, rifles, pistols and LMG. Diwakar and Amar have fled with many sophisticated weapons after killing Sukra. According to the information received from the sources, JJSS has started expanding its organization. The JJSS cadres are making contact with the unemployed youths of the village and harassed by JJMP and are engaged in strengthening the organization. Within 10 days, JJSS has connected 10 youths with the organization. These youths are from Gumla, Chainpur and Ghaghra Blocks.
Fresh worry for Odisha Police as Maoist activities grow in Saranda forest of Jharkhand
In a fresh challenge to Rourkela Police in Sundargarh District of Odisha, the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has renewed activities in the adjacent Naxal [Left Wing extremism, LWE] hotbed in Saranda forest of Jharkhand, reports The New Indian Express on November 30. All bordering Police Stations in Rourkela are on high alert and even carrying out continuous area domination operations as the banned outfit’s ‘eastern regional command’ will observe the 21st annual ‘People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) week’, slated to be observed by the outlawed organisation from December 2 to 8. After a lull, Maoist activities have increased in Saranda forest, much to the concern of the Security Forces (SFs) in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand and their counterparts in Rourkela. Sources said on November 27, posters and banners were found in Chhota Nagra Police limits in Saranda, around 20 kilometres from Jareikela border in Sundargarh District. The posters and banners read, ‘take a lesson from achievements and success of the two decades of people’s war, ‘establish people’s rule overthrowing the enemy rule’, ‘oppose drone attack in Dandakaranya and deployment of Indian army’ and ‘strengthen people’s fight against Hindu fascism’. However, Rourkela Superintendent of Police (SP), Mukesh K Bhamoo said all eight border Police Stations of Bonai sub-division along with Bisra and Lathikata near Saranda are on high alert.
Naxalites issue decree for the youth of Bastar in Chhattisgarh
The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) have issued a decree for the youth in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, and have asked the youth to demand from the Government for recruitment in teachers, health, agriculture departments and animal husbandry departments, reports bhaskar.com on December 4. Do not join Bastar Fighters. The Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] of the Uttar (North) Bastar Division Committee of the CPI-Maoist said that they should do jobs only in the department that serves the public. Along with this, the youth of Bastar have been asked to take oath to save water, forest and land. The Maoists have written in the pamphlet that Narendra Modi and Bhupesh Baghel Sarkar are planning to loot the precious wealth in the tribal area and attack the tribals by recruiting tribal youths and women in the name of Bastar Fighters. He said that will the tribals attack their own family? The Maoists told the people of Bastar that tribal warriors like Gundadhur, Ball Singh, Sadmek Baburao, Komrao, Umrao Bhim, Birsa Munda, Ayatu Mahara had sacrificed their lives to save the land. In India, the tribals fought against the British saying that the right over water-forest-land is ours. But now after joining Bastar Fighters, will Adani let Ambani rob all the property? The Maoists have clearly forbidden the youth to join the Bastar Fighters.
13 civilians and one SF killed in Nagaland
On December 4, 13 civilians and one security force (SF) personal were killed in a SF operation in place between Oting and Tiru village under Mon District of Nagaland, reports The Hindu. According to Police sources, the firing incident took place when a group of labourers onboard a pick-up vehicle was on its way from Tiru village. Following the inputs about Yung Aung faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland Khaplang (NSCN-K-YA) militants in the area, SFs mistakenly fired at the vehicle thinking as the occupants as militants. Six civilians died on the spot. Meanwhile, the incident enraged the locals who attacked the troops and set two of their vehicles on fire. In self-defence, SFs fired at the locals, killing seven civilians and one SF. Meanwhile, the Army’s 3 Corps headquartered on the outskirts of Dimapur town issued a statement on December 5, owning responsibility for the killing of the civilians and assuring “appropriate action”. The Nagaland Government has ordered a high-level probe into the incident by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Two civilians killed in firing in Mon district as protestors set ablaze the Assam Rifles camp
On December 5, two more civilians were killed and several other injured after locals attacked an Assam Rifles (AR) camp at Oting in Mon District of Nagaland, reports Northeast Now. Following the killing of 13 civilians on December 4 by Assam Rifles, locals protesting against it attacked and set the AR camp on fire. As a result, AR personnel resorted to indiscriminate firing leading to the death of two more civilians. Meanwhile, Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has called for a six-hour bandh across Naga inhabited areas to be commenced on December 6 in protest against the killing of the civilians, reports East Mojo. Ao Senden (Ao HoHo), the apex organization of the Ao Nagas has also called a 6-hour Mokokchung District bandh. The Ao Senden said, “As a mark of solidarity and support towards our Konyak brethren’s who are mourning the death of 13 innocent civilians killed by the Indian security forces at Oting village under Mon district, the Ao Senden hereby order the closure of the Ao morung and declare that there will be no further participation of the Ao contingent at the ongoing Hornbill festival at Kisama with immediate effect till further order.”
UK court turns down India’s appeal to extradite KZF member
The high court in England on December 9 rejected an appeal by Indian authorities seeking permission to appeal against a magistrates’ court order turning down the extradition on human rights grounds of Kuldeep Singh alias Keepa Sidhu (44), wanted in India as an alleged senior member of the banned terrorist organisation Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), reports Hindustan Times. Singh, is charged with conspiring with others to commit terror activities in Punjab dating back to 2015-16, including a plot to assassinate then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Singh is also accused of recruiting youths in Punjab to the banned KZF organisation by offering them money and organising a meeting of separatists in a gurdwara. District judge Gareth Branston, presiding over the extradition case at Westminster Magistrates’ Court here, ruled in January that as the offences carry maximum sentences and “no possibility of a review of such a life sentence with a view to its commutation, remission, termination or conditional release”, it would be contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Singh, who entered the UK illegally in 2005, was on immigration bail when he was arrested at Loughborough Immigration Reporting Centre in eastern England in October 2019.
Monthly Fatalities:
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period November 26, 2021 to December 25, 2021:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Assam | 01 | 00 | 03 | 04 |
| Left Wing | 03 | 00 | 09 | 12 |
| Total | 04 | 00 | 12 | 16 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Pushpa Kamal Dahal has failed to manage ex-combatants, says CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli
Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli addressing the inauguration ceremony of CPN-UML’s 10th General Convention, on November 26 said that the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda has failed to manage the ex-combatants, reports Khabar Hub. Oli accused Prachanda of making bargaining showing the cadres and ex-combatants rather than addressing their genuine concerns. He challenged Prachanda to resolve the problems related to the injured and ex-combatants of the war Maoist Center launched before. Oli asked Prachanda “Why do you not give final touch to the peace process? Why don’t you pay attention to the management and treatment of ex-combatants even though you are in government?” He urged Prachanda to show the power to manage combatants.
Six persons injured in clash between two factions of NC in Sarlahi District
Six persons, including four Police personnel, were injured when a clash erupted over fixing the voting site between two factions of the Nepali Congress (NC) at Balara Municipality of Sarlahi District on November 29, reports The Himalayan Times. A dispute had broken out after NC federal lawmaker Amresh Kumar Singh and Province 2 Minister for Birendra Singh tried to take voting officer Umesh Chandra Jha to their convenient place. While Police tried to rescue Jha from the NC cadres’ attack, they attacked Police personnel. This led to the clash. Police had fired half a dozen tear gas shells to bring the situation under control, said SP Krishna Prasain.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal are ‘the carriers of instability’, says CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli
Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the party’s newly-nominated central members on December 15 has termed Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Socialist (CPN-Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal as ‘the carriers of instability’, reports Republica. Chairman Oli also accused Dahal and Nepal of being the reason behind the country not being able to focus on stability and prosperity. Oli accused Dahal and Nepal of working to create instability in the country. He also said that there is no possibility of uniting with such elements that are pushing the country toward instability.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
Former President Maithripala Sirisena is fully responsible for Easter Sunday attack, says Tourism and Aviation Minister Prasanna Ranatunga
Tourism and Aviation Minister Prasanna Ranatunga on November 26 said that former President Maithripala Sirisena is fully responsible for the Easter Sunday attack and legal action should be taken against him, reports Daily Mirror. “The former president ruined the party and is trying to destroy the current government too. He should be fully responsible for the Easter Sunday attack,” Minister Ranatunga said.
TNA requests US and India to jointly push for political solution in island nation
Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the main parliamentary group representing Tamils of the war-affected north and east, has requested the U.S. and India to jointly push for a political solution in the island nation, reports Ada Derana on November 27. A delegation led by TNA Jaffna legislator M.A. Sumanthiran, with senior legal experts K. Kanag-Isvaran and Nirmala Chandrahaasan, conveyed this at a recent meeting with State Department officials in Washington DC. “With the U.S. returning to the Human Rights Council, we think it is important that Washington advocates a political solution to the Tamil national question, along with pending issues of accountability and justice,” Mr. Sumanthiran told. While in the U.S., Mr. Sumanthiran also met Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, as well as India’s Permanent Representative to the UN T.S. Tirumurti in New York to brief them about the TNA’s outreach to the U.S.
Seven IS suspects arrested from different places
The Colombo Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) on November 29 arrested seven suspects from different places for having direct links with Islamic State (IS) and spreading extremist ideologies through the internet, reports Daily News. The suspects were arrested in Polonnaruwa town of Polonnaruwa District, Kattankudy town of Batticaloa and Wellampitiya town of Colombo District and are being questioned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
IGP testifies against former IGP in Easter Sunday Attacks case
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana. Wickramaratne on November 29 appeared before the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar where he testified in the case filed against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara over the latter’s alleged failure to take action to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks on April 21, 2019, reports The Morning. When questioned about the responsibilities of the IGP regarding national security, he said that as a member of the National Security Council, the IGP has the powers to maintain law and order. “It is a heavy responsibility. It cannot be confined to a framework. The IGP has a huge responsibility regarding national security,” he said. However, he stated that the actions taken by him as the IGP in any case may be different from the actions taken by the previous IGPs. He added that there was no rule that the actions taken by one IGP should be taken by all other IGPs. Meanwhile, when queried as to whether the information provided by the State Intelligence Service (SIS) to the IGP should be 100% complete in order for an investigation to be commenced, Wickramaratne said that there was no need for the information to be 100% complete. “The IGP should investigate and act on the information received. The IGP should always think that there is an invisible side and therefore, make decisions in consultation with other officers. There are also times when individual decisions have to be made. The IGP should be prepared for such,” he said. The case is to be taken up again on January 18, 2022.
Another suspect who had links with mastermind of Easter Sunday attacks arrested in Kegalle District
Another person who had links with Zahran Hashim, the alleged mastermind and the suicide bomber of the Easter Sunday attacks was arrested on December 2 in the Hingula area of Kegalle District, reports Colombo Page. Anti-Terrorism Investigation Unit arrested the 25-year-old suspect following further investigations into the Easter Sunday attack, the Police said.
INTERNATIONAL
Russia spy chief says Ukraine invasion plan ‘malicious’ US propaganda
Russia has no plans to invade Ukraine and suggestions to the contrary are malicious US propaganda, Moscow’s foreign intelligence chief said on Saturday, Nov 27.
US, Nato and Ukrainian officials have raised the alarm in recent weeks over what they say are unusual Russian troop movements near the border with Ukraine, suggesting that Moscow may be poised to launch an attack.
Russia has repeatedly said it is free to move its troops on its own territory and that such movements should not be a cause for concern. “I need to reassure everyone. Nothing like this is going to happen,” Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s foreign intelligence agency, said in an interview broadcast on state television, referring to comments on Russia’s alleged invasion plans. Everything that is happening around this topic right now is of course malicious propaganda by the US State Department.”
Naryshkin spoke a day after the State Department’s top US diplomat for European affairs said all options were on the table in how to respond to Russia’s troop buildup near Ukraine’s border and that Nato would decide on the next move after consultations next week.
EU, Nato vow action against hybrid threats on Baltic visit
EU and Nato leaders on Sunday, Nov 28 vowed to step up cooperation against hybrid threats on a visit to Lithuania dominated by talks on the Belarus migrant crisis and Russia’s military build-up near Ukraine.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also repeated his call on Russia to “de-escalate” its military build-up on the border with Ukraine and warned of “costs and consequences” if it used force. The visit by Stoltenberg and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen comes ahead of a meeting of Nato foreign ministers including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Latvia this week. A hybrid threat is a security challenge combining traditional military means and non-military tactics such as disinformation.
Pressure mounts on Syria, Russia over chemical weapons
Syria and Russia faced renewed pressure to come clean over alleged chemical weapons use as the global toxic arms body met in The Hague on Monday, Nov, 29.
Damascus was still failing to declare its chemical weapons and admit inspectors, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) chief Fernando Arias said. The nerve agent poisoning of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in Russia meanwhile continues to pose a “serious threat” to world efforts to eradicate chemical armaments, Arias added. Syria denies the use of chemical weapons and insists it has handed over its weapons stockpiles under a 2013 agreement with the US and Russia, prompted by a suspected sarin gas attack that killed 1,400 in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta.
But Syria was stripped of its OPCW voting rights in April after a probe blamed it for further poison gas attacks, and they will remain suspended until it has fully declared its chemical weapons and weapons-making facilities.
UK to stop Iran becoming N-power
Britain will work “flat out” and keep “all options on the table” in order to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, foreign minister Liz Truss vowed on Monday, Nov 29. Truss met her Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid for talks in London on Monday, where he will also meet with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Serbia jails four ex-officers over journalist’s murder
A Serbian court on Thursday, Dec 02 jailed four former intelligence officers for up to 30 years over the brutal 1999 murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija, a fierce critic of late strongman Slobodan Milosevic.
The special court sentenced Serbia’s former secret police chief Radomir Markovic and the head of Belgrade’s intelligence branch Milan Radonjic to 30 years in prison, the Beta news agency said. Two other intelligence officers, including one sentenced in absentia, were handed 20-year sentences, the agency reported.
Finnish police arrest five on terrorism charges
Five people suspected of “planning a terrorist act” will appear before a judge in southwest Finland on Friday, Dec 03 police said.
The suspects, who were arrested on Tuesday, all live in Kankaanpaa in the southwest, police said, adding that there was no danger to the public. In an update in March, Finland’s security services Supo said they would keep the terrorist threat at “elevated”, the second-lowest level on a four-point scale. However, they warned that the risk from far-right extremism was “more worrying” than in the previous year.
Nine killed in Yemen
An air strike in the battleground Yemeni province of Taez killed five rebel fighters and four civilians, a local official and a medical source said on Saturday, Dec 04.
Madagascar coup plot
A trial will begin on Monday, Dec 06 in Madagascar for 21 people accused of planning a coup d’etat, including two French men and their wives. Arrested on July 20, Paul Rafanoharana, Philippe Francois and their wives are accused of endangering the security of the state, criminal conspiracy and a plot to assassinate President Andry Rajoelina.
Two explosions hit UN camps in Mali
Two explosions hit UN camps in the northern Mali city of Gao on Sunday, Dec 05 causing damage but no casualties, AFP journalists at the scene said.
The blasts which occurred at 0545 GMT shook the barracks of the United Nations mission in Mali, called MINUSMA, forcing the occupants to take refuge in shelters for two hours. The French army said there was only material damage, but did not provide details about any possible origin of the blasts.
The latest violence in the West African country comes after 31 people were killed in an attack on Friday by suspected jihadists near the central town of Bandiagara. Mali has been struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that first erupted in the north in 2012 and has since claimed thousands of military and civilian lives. Despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops, the conflict has engulfed central Mali and spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.
‘Record number of journalists jailed in 2021’
The number of journalists jailed around the world hit a new record in 2021, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said on Thursday, Dec 09 with Myanmar having put a quarter of the 293 media workers behind bars. In its annual report, the CPJ listed 50 journalists imprisoned in Burma, 25 in Egypt, 23 in Vietnam and 19 in Belarus.
Three Hamas members shot dead in Lebanon
Three members of Hamas died on Sunday, Dec 12 when shooting erupted at the funeral procession for a member of the Islamist movement in a south Lebanon Palestinian refugee camp, the group said. Hamas official Raafat al-Murra said militants from the rival Fatah movement “shot at the funeral procession” of a Palestinian killed in a blast on Friday at the Burj al-Shemali camp, outside the port city of Tyre.
Six people were wounded, he added. Hamas and Fatah, the secular party led by Mahmoud Abbas, have been at odds since 2007 when the Islamists seized Gaza after a week of deadly clashes.
Three die in Sicily blast
Three people were killed and six were missing after an explosion caused multiple residential buildings to collapse on the Italian island of Sicily, authorities said Sunday, Dec 12.
Six killed by IS in Syria’s Al-Hol camp
Six people, including four women, were killed in Syria’s Al-Hol camp for displaced persons by the Islamic State group in December, a Britain-based war monitor group said on Sunday, Dec 19.
Current Threat Levels:
City/Region Threat Level
Islamabad Level 2 **
Karachi Level 2 **
Lahore Level 2 **
Punjab Level 2 **
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Level 3 **
Peshawar Level 2 **
Quetta Level 2 ***
Upper Balochistan Level 3 ***
Lower Balochistan Level 2 **
Upper / Rural Sindh Level 2 **
Gilgit and Northern areas Level 3 **
Tribal areas, close
to Afghan border Level 3 ***
Index to Threat Level References
Threat Level 1 *
No threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required.
Threat Level 2 **
No specific threat to foreigners, however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised, especially if traveling.
Threat Level 3 ***
Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Foreigners should rehearse plans for evacuation.
Threat Level 4 ****
Indicates complete breakdown of civil administration and law and order leading to possible anarchy. All foreigners to remain indoors and confined to their own city. Families and staff not required to be evacuated retaining only a skeleton staff.
Threat Level 5 *****
Indicates complete breakdown of law and order, enemy action/hostilities, invasion/ occupation by enemy.
