Suicide Bombings
Bomb/IED Blasts
On April 5, unidentified persons threw a hand grenade killing three people in Kot Kundian area under Kulachi tehsil (local unit of administrative division) of Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, reports Dawn. The victims were identified as Rozi Khan (25) and his relative, Mohammad Ayub (40), and Abdul Sattar.
Five Policemen were killed in a rocket attack carried out by terrorists on a Police van near Chowk Yadgar of Kulachi area in Dera Ismail Khan District on April 11, reports ARY News. Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Kulachi Fazal Subhan sustained serious wounds. According to the Police officials, terrorists fired a rocket on the Police van and later resorted to heavy firing. The terrorists managed to flee from the scene after the fierce attack, added Police.
At least three people were killed and two others were injured in an explosion in Meetranwali village of Daska tehsil (revenue unit) in Sialkot District of Punjab on April 11, reports ARY News. Though the explosion caused by explosives material but the nature of explosion yet to be ascertained.
Targetted Killings
Two Excise and Narcotics Control Department officials shot dead by unidentified assailants at Darazanda Bypass of Dera Ismail Khan town (Dera Ismail Khan District) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on April 8, reports ARY News. The slain officials, identified as Inspector Rukhsar and ASI Waseem, were targeted in the gun attack during duty hours.
Miscellaneous
Security Forces killed four terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in the area of Jhallar Fort in North Waziristan on the night between March 27 and March 28, reports Daily Times. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted on the basis of the reported presence of terrorists in the Jhallar Fort’s general area. It added that weapons and ammunition were found in the possession of the killed terrorists.
Four terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation jointly launched by personnel of Police and Pakistan Army in Sheri Khel area of Lakki Marwat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on March 28, reports Dawn. One terrorist was arrested during the operation. The four deceased terrorists had carried a head money of PKR 3 million. They were identified as Sajid (leader of the group), Aleem, Aftab and Fazl-ur-Rehman. Huge quantity of weapons was recovered from the possession of the terrorists including AK-47 assault rifles, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher (RPG 7), an improvised explosive device and ammunition.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on March 30 said that six soldiers were martyred after security forces foiled three terrorists attempt to enter a military compound in the Tank area of Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reports The News. In a statement, the ISPR said the security forces, during the encounter, responded in an efficient manner, encircled and killed the three terrorists thereby foiling the attempt to enter the military compound.
Separately, the ISPR on March 30 said that two soldiers were martyred during an exchange of fire between the security forces and terrorists in Makin, South Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reports The News. According to the military’s media wing, “an intense exchange of fire took place between the security forces and terrorists,” to which the Pakistani troops responded in a befitting manner. As a result, four terrorists were killed, while Captain Saad Bin Amir (25) and Lance Naik Riaz (37), were martyred fighting gallantly.
Four terrorists belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were arrested for allegedly trying to target political gatherings in the capital Islamabad on March 29, reports Dawn. According to the first information report (FIR), station house officer (SHO) of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Police Station got a tip about the presence of some suspects with explosives in Shakarparian and that they were planning a terrorist attack. The SHO along with other policemen was on surveillance duty at Srinagar Highway near Zero Point at that time and shortly reached the area, the FIR said, adding that five suspects were spotted there. Four of them were caught while one managed to escape, the FIR said, adding that the four suspects were residents of different areas of the capital. During search, a shopping bag was recovered from them that had explosives weighing 500 grams, two detonators, iron nails of different sizes and ball bearings weighing 450g.
Two suspected terrorists were killed in a clash with Security Force (SF) personnel in the Dojana area of North Waziristan District on April 3, reports Dawn. Officials said the exchange of fire between the terrorists and SF personnel took place after troops spotted suspicious movement in the area. The deceased terrorists were identified as Waseemullah and Amjid Khan.
Five Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation in the Zindi Falak Sher area of Bannu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the night of April 9, reports Dawn. A Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) official said that CTD commandos assisted by a contingent of Police launched the operation on information that a group of terrorists affiliated with TTP had gathered for carrying out subversive activities.
Seven soldiers were killed when terrorists ambushed a vehicle of Security Forces in Data Khel tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan District on April 15, reports Dawn. Officials said the terrorists attacked a moving vehicle of the SFs in Data Khel near the Afghan border. The terrorists used a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and assault guns in the attack.
Four terrorists were killed in the ensuing encounter after terrorist ambushed a military convoy near the Afghan border in Data Khel tehsil (revenue unit) on April 15, reports ARY News. Earlier it was reported that seven soldiers were killed in the ambush. An operation was launched in the area to clear it of terrorists.
Security Forces (SFs) killed two militants, identified as Khalil and Ehsan, belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan-TTP (Gandapur group) during an intelligence-based operation in Gara Guldad area of Kulachi tehsil (revenue unit) in Dera Ismail Khan on April 16, the Police said. Two Kalashnikovs, two grenades and five magazines were recovered from the site.
Three Policemen were killed in a gun attack by unidentified assailants at Bara Ajab Talab check post in Khyber District on April 20, reports ARY News. Police said that one attacker was also killed in retaliation after a check post came under attack from the assailants. Police added that another Policeman and two civilians also sustained injuries in the gun attack.
Four terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation in a mountainous area of Ping Omerzai in Bannu District on April 20, reports Dawn.
Separately, unidentified assailants opened fire on a Policeman who was on duty at Akori Chowk in Nowshera District on April 21, reports Dawn.
Meanwhile, a Policeman, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Rahim Shah, was killed when unidentified assailants opened fire at a check post in Sarband area of Peshawar on April 21, reports Dawn.
PAKISTAN
Terror outfits are regrouping in Balochistan, says Interior Ministry
The Interior Ministry on March 28 said that anti-Pakistan terror outfits are regrouping in Balochistan, reports Dawn. This was revealed in a written reply submitted to the National Assembly (NA) during the question hour in response to a query posed by PPP MNA Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro. She asked if it was true that “anti-Pakistan terror outfits are regrouping in Balochistan via Sistan, and if yes, details thereof along with action plan thereof, if any”. In its response, the Interior Ministry stated: “Yes, anti-Pakistan terror outfits are regrouping in Balochistan via Sistan.”
President dissolves NA on Prime Minister’s advice
President Dr. Arif Alvi on April 3 dissolved the National Assembly (NA) on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s advice under Article 58 of the Constitution, reports Dawn. “The president of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, has approved the advice of the prime minister of Pakistan to dissolve the National Assembly under the Article 58 (1) read with Article 48 (1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” according to a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat.
JuD chief Hafiz Saeed sentenced to 33 years in jail
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) awarded a combined sentence of 33 years imprisonment to Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed on April 7 in two cases of terror financing registered by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), reports Dawn. ATC Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar handed down the guilty verdict in two FIRs from 2019 under various sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997. In one of the cases, the judge awarded five-year imprisonment each under sections 11-H (2), 11-I, 11-J (2), and 18 months jail under section 11-F (2) of the ATA. In the other case, the judge awarded a five-year sentence each under sections 11-N, 11-I, 11-J (2) and an 18-month jail term under section 11-F (6) of the ATA. The judge imposed a collective fine of PKR 340,000 on Hafiz Saeed in both cases. All the sentences will run concurrently.
TTP using Afghan soil to attack Pakistani border check posts, claim Foreign Office
Pakistan Foreign Office on April 17 claimed that the terrorist elements including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been using Afghan soil to attack Pakistan’s border security posts, resulting in martyrdom of several Pakistani troops, reports Samaa TV. Responding to media queries regarding the recent incidents along the Pak-Afghan border, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said the terrorists are using Afghan soil with impunity to carry out activities inside Pakistan. These attacks are detrimental to our efforts of maintaining peace and stability along Pak-Afghan border, said Iftikhar. FO spokesperson said Pakistan and Afghanistan have been engaged for past several months through institutional channels for effective coordination and security along long-shared border. Pakistan requests the Afghan government to take actions against individuals involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan in the interest of peace and progress of the two brotherly countries, Iftikhar said.
ATC sentences six persons to death in lynching of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Gujranwala District of Punjab on April 18 awarded death sentences to six accused over their role in the lynching of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara at a Sialkot factory, reports ARY News. Priyantha Kumara (49) was lynched by a mob of workers at a factory on December 3, where he was working as a manager, under the charges of blasphemy. As per details, the verdict was announced after hearing of the high-profile lynching case concluded at the Kot Lakhpat prison. Statements of more than 60 suspects were recorded in the lynching case. ATC in its verdict in the Priyantha Kumara case awarded death sentences to six convicts, 14-year-jail to seven others and two years of punishment to the other 76 accused of their alleged role in the case. The Punjab Government and the prosecution team in December decided to conduct the jail trial of the high-profile case due to security concerns.
Afghanistan – Internal Dynamics
Taliban bars private television stations in Afghanistan from airing VOA and BBC news programs
The Taliban have barred private television stations in Afghanistan from airing Voice of America (VOA) and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news programs, reports Voice of America on March 28.
11 Taliban and two NRF fighters killed in Baghlan Province
11 Taliban fighters and two National Resistance Front (NRF) cadres, killed in heavy clashes between Taliban and the NRF in Andarab District of Baghlan Province, reports Aamaj News on March 28. This was claimed by Sibghatullah Ahmadi, the NRF spokesman. Taliban has so far not commented on the issue. Local sources in Baghlan province have reported that for the past three days, there has been a heavy clash between Taliban and the NRF in the villages of Kasa Tarash and Qasan Dara.
Two persons killed in Herat Province
On April 1, at least two people were killed and eight others injured in a car bomb blast in Jibril town in the Police District (PD) 13 of Herat city, the provincial capital of Herat, reports Xinhua. “Based on initial information, two were killed and eight wounded in the car bomb blast. The injured were admitted to a regional hospital in provincial capital Herat city,” Mirwais Jalali, physician-in-chief of Herat Regional Hospital, told Xinhua.
Five Civilians killed in Herat Province
Five civilians killed while 22 others were injured in twin blasts in Jibril town under Police District (PD) 13 of the Herat city of Herat province, reports Khama News Agency on April 2. According to news report, the incident was caused by twin bombs that were planted on playground at an all-Shi’te Muslim residence in the city. Two more bomb were defused. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the explosions. Earlier, SATP had reported two fatalities in the incident that was described to be a car bomb blast.
10 Taliban fighters one NRF Commander killed in 3 days long clashes between NRF fighters and Taliban in Rokha district of Panjshir province, claims NRF spokesman
The National Resistance Front (NRF) spokesman Sibghatullah Ahmadi, claimed that 10 Taliban fighters and one NRF commander named Sami Osmani were killed in 3 days long clashes between its fighters and Taliban in Rokha District of Panjshir Province, reports Aamaj News on April 4. According to Sibghatullah Ahmadi another NRF member was injured.
Six civilians killed in three explosions in Kabul Province
On April 19, six civilians were killed in three explosions occurred in front of the Abdul Rahim Shahid Public School in Dasht-e Barchi area of Police District (PD)18 in Kabul city in Kabul Province, reports Ariana News.
50 worshipers died in an explosion in a Shiite Mosque in Balkh Province
On April 21, an explosion left 50 worshipers dead in the Sih Dokan mosque, a Shiite Mosque, in Mazar-e-Sharif, the provincial capital of Balkh, reports Hasht-e-Subh. Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) has claimed the responsibility for the incident.
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Four Hizb-ut-Tahrir cadres arrested in Dhaka city
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested four cadres of the banned extremist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir from Bangshal and Lalbagh areas of Dhaka city, reports New Age. The arrested are Mohamad Rezwan Parvez, Mohamad Mehedi Hasan Bijoy, Noor Alam Mohamad Sihab Uddin and Abu Al Jinnatul. CTTC officials said that they were carrying out various provocative and aggressive activities in the country through online and offline. They organised an online conference through Facebook page and YouTube channel on March 18.
Bangladesh at risk of becoming ‘surveillance-based’ country, says TIB
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Aril 3 said that with the enactment of the proposed regulation for digital, social media, and over-the-top platforms as it is now, there is a risk that Bangladesh will transform into a “surveillance-based” country, reports The Daily Star.
Addressing a virtual press conference, the TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said that the proposed regulation is largely contradictory to the government’s high-profile goal of Digital Bangladesh and its agenda. TIB organised the press conference to brief the media about its position regarding the draft “Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Regulation for Digital, Social Media and OTT Platforms-2021”.
The Government published the first draft of the law February 3. TIB raised concern over a number of clauses of the draft regulation, stressing the need for bringing significant change to those before finalising the law.
According to clause 6.01 (d) of the draft regulation, either BTRC or a court of competent jurisdiction can issue a content removal request on grounds like sovereignty, integrity or security of the country, decency or morality, friendly relations with foreign countries, or defamation, TIB said.
According to clause 7.03 of the draft law, a messaging service is required to trace the first originator of a message and disclose information about him or her on receipt of a court order or instruction of BTRC, said TIB. Effectively, this provision requires every message, photo, video and other communications sent over a messaging service to be “fingerprinted”, it said.
Bangladesh Security Forces getting widespread impunity, observes US State Department Report
United States (US) State Department’s annual report ‘2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices’ observers that Though there are reports that the security forces in Bangladesh are involved with different types of crimes, including extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearance, they are getting widespread impunity, reports Prothom Alo on April 13.
“The security forces encompassing the national police, border guards, and counterterrorism units such as the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), maintain internal and border security,” the report said. The report further said, “There were reports of widespread impunity for security force abuses and corruption. The government took few measures to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption and abuse and killing by security forces.”
UP member shot dead in Rangamati District
On April 10, unknown gunmen shot dead a Bonjogichhara Union Parishad (UP), Hemanto Chakma (32), in Dhamaipara village under Jurachhari upazila (sub-District) of Rangamati District, reports Daily Star.
India – Internal Dynamics
Constable killed in Chhattisgarh
Suspected Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres killed constable Lakheshwar Nag with a sharp weapon at 2 pm [IST] on March 27 in Bodaras village under Kukanar Police Station limits in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh, reports naidunia.com. Prima facie, the Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] were said to be behind the killing, however, the Police is investigating from every angle. Lakheshwar Nag, a resident of Bodaras village located far away, is a constable and is posted in the Police line.
Maoists warn of killing medicos in Odisha
A Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) banner claimed to be of Mainpur Divisional Committee of the CPI-Maoist, was found along State Highway in Hatabharnadi under the Kundi Police Station limits in Nabarangpur District of Odisha on March 25, reports The Pioneer. The Maoists banner threatened Medical Officer Dr. Satya Ranjan Sahu and the clerk Gobindo Sarkar of the Community Health Centre, Hatabharnadi alleging that they were fleecing innocent patients of the tribal dominated area. The doctor and the clerk allegedly charging INR 1,000 on the pregnant women for delivery and INR 500 for issue of birth and death certificate, it stated. The Maoists also threatened these medico staffs to appear before the ‘Praja Court’ (kangaroo court of the Maoists) or else to face death sentence.
Two DRG personnel injured after being hit by IED in Chhattisgarh
Two District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast allegedly triggered by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres on the Jeevlapadar road in Narayanpur District of Chhattisgarh on March 28, reportsibc24.in. According to the information, the DRG personnel launched a search operation after getting information about the movement of Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] in the forest. During the search, the IED exploded on the Jeevlapadar road in which the two DRG personnel Sanau Vadde and Ramji Potai were injured.
Five IEDs fitted with arrows seized during search by SFs in Jharkhand
Five Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) fitted with arrows were seized during a search operation by Security Force (SF) personnel after Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) fired at the under-construction Bharnia Police camp in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on April 4, reports latestly.com. The B company of 157th battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), who are stationed at the place, retaliated by hurling para bombs on April 3 night and none of its personnel was either injured or killed, a Police release said, adding SF personnel drawn from the District Armed Police (DAP), CRPF and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) of Jharkhand Jaguar (JJ) carried out the massive search operation in the Naxal [Left Wing Extremism, LWE]-affected areas and recovered three live arrow bombs and two used arrow bombs, besides some empty cartridges from the spot. All the three live explosives were defused by the BDS, the Police added.
Arms and ammunition recovered in Assam
On April 11, a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from Ultapani forest area in Kokrajhar District of Assam, reports Northeast Now. Six M16 rifles, three sniper rifles, one Shirley rifle, two AK-47 rifles, seven AK-56 rifles along with 330 rounds of ammunition was recovered during an operation.
Pro Khalistan Group SFJ threatens to raise its flag at DC office in Haryana on April 29
Banned Pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), threatened on April 15 that they will raise the Khalistani Flags at the office of the District Collector in Ambala District of Haryana on April 29, reports republicworld.com. In the latest video released by the outfit, they claimed that the workers of the Khalistani group will raise their flags from Ambala to Gurugram. SFJ issued a letter named ‘Haryana Banega Khalistan’ on April 15. Posters of SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu were pasted on roads near Ambala, and allegedly urged the people to join the fringe group on April 29. Notably, this is yet another incident wherein the separatist group attempted to spread their separatist agenda in Haryana. The extremist group, that desires to create a separate ‘Sikh mainland- Khalistan,’ has been actively expanding its activity in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The fringe group is highly active in Punjab and has been involved in spreading terrorism and inciting ‘separatism.’ The State and Central Governments actively track the group since it has the potential to threaten the sovereignty and integrity of India.
Monthly Fatalities
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period March 26, 2022 to April 25, 2022:
| Civilian | Indian Security | Militant | Total | |
| Assam | 02 | 01 | 00 | 03 |
| Left Wing | 07 | 01 | 00 | 08 |
| Total | 09 | 02 | 00 | 11 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Two persons injured in IED explosion in Sunsari District
Two persons were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Itahari city of Sunsari District on March 28, reports Online Khabar. At the incident site, investigators later found flyers of Himal Suraksha Parishad Nepal, a recently formed armed group that has been demanding the reinstatement of Nepal as a Hindu nation. The injured persons are Rabin Thapa (22) and Sher Jung Gurung (23), residents of Itahari. They are suspected to be cadres of the armed group.
NC decides to forge ‘need-based’ electoral alliance with coalition partners for local polls
The ruling Nepali Congress (NC) on March 29 decided to forge ‘need-based’ electoral alliances in the upcoming local level election in selected local Governments, reports Republica. According to NC Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat, the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the party decided to forge an electoral alliance on the basis of need and local political situation in the local level polls scheduled for May 13. He said that the CWC meeting has made a policy level decision to this effect. “There has been a policy level decision to forge alliance with coalition partners based on need and local context. Separate mechanisms will be formed at the centre, provinces and the districts to implement this in practice,” he said.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
Nearly 50 persons injured during protest near President’s residence in Colombo
Nearly 50 persons including Police, Special Task Force (STF) and journalists were injured during the protest near the President’s residence in Mirihana, Colombo, on March 31 reports Daily Mirror. Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said several vehicles including an army bus, jeep, three-wheeler, two traffic motorcycles were also set on fire during the protest. 45 persons including a female who engaged in the protest near the President’s residence in Mirihana have been arrested, Police said.
President declares public emergency in Sri Lanka
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on April 1 issued a special gazette notification declaring a public emergency in Sri Lanka with effect from April 1, reports Colombo Page. On President’s command, Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath has issued the Extraordinary Gazette Notification. The emergency law enables all Sri Lankan state authorities to detain people without warrants, seize property, enter and search any premises, suspend laws and issue orders that cannot be questioned in court. Officials who issue such orders are also immune from lawsuits.
Entire Cabinet of Ministers resign in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s entire Cabinet of Ministers on April 3 resigned from their respective ministerial portfolios, reports Colombo Page. According to Government sources, all cabinet ministers have handed their letters of resignation to the Prime Minister Rajapaksa. However, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has not resigned and will remain in office, sources said.
Earlier, the Sri Lankan Government on April 2 declared a nationwide curfew for 36 hours in order to prevent a massive protest planned for April 3 to protest Government’s failure to provide solutions to the shortages of food, fuel, gas and medicine and power crisis, reports Colombo Page. The Government informed that a 36-hour curfew has been imposed across the country from 06.00 pm of April 2 to 06.00 am of April 4 in accordance with the powers vested in the President under the provisions of the Public Security Ordinance.
Eleven-Party coalition to boycott second round of talks with President Gotabhaya
The 11-Party coalition has decided not to attend the second round of talks with the President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on the formation of an All-Party Interim Government, reports Daily News on April 13. A spokesman for the Coalition said that the 11 Parties had decided not to participate in the second round of talks with the President on the formation of an All-Party Interim Government. The first round of talks between the coalition and the President was held on the 10th of this month. The spokesman said that the decision was taken due to the President’s appointment of a new State Minister and not showing real interest in an Interim Government.
Opposition Leader signs no-confidence and impeachment motions
Sri Lanka’s main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) signed a no-confidence motion against the government and an impeachment motion to counter anti-people activities of the vicious government, reports Colombo Page on April 13. The Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa and SJB group of parliamentarians signed the relevant agreement at the office of the Leader of the Opposition on April 12. The Leader of the Opposition said that the SJB stands together with the heartbeat of the people fighting on the streets against the government and will work for all possible democratic victories in Parliament to realize it. He also added that, in addition to the no-confidence motion and the impeachment, they will continue a sustainable fight for reversal of the 20th Amendment and re-enactment of the 19th Amendment and for all democratic victories by constitutional means.
US human rights report finds credible reports that Sri Lanka SFs committed numerous abuses
The US State Department’s Human Rights Report for 2021 said there were credible reports that members of the Sri Lanka’s Security Forces (SFs), primarily the Police, committed numerous abuses and the Sri Lankan Government did not make a significant effort to address the violations, reports Colombo Page.
The annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2021 said the Government took minimal steps to identify, investigate, prosecute, and punish officials who committed human rights abuses or corruption, and there was impunity for both. The US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor published its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2021 and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 12 released the report to the public.
The Country Report said there were several reports that the Government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings and added that during the year there was no significant progress on cases against officials accused of arbitrary, unlawful, or politically motivated killings. Lack of accountability for conflict-era abuses persisted, particularly regarding Government officials, military, paramilitary, Police, and other security-sector officials implicated and, in some cases, convicted of killing political opponents, journalists, and private citizens.
Civil society organizations asserted that the government and the courts were reluctant to act against security forces, citing high-level appointments of military officials credibly accused of abuses and pardons of convicted murderers. While there were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities, disappearances during the war and its aftermath remained unresolved.
Sri Lanka Catholic Church questions Defense Secretary on the investigations into Easter Sunday attack
Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church on April 14 questioned the Secretary of Defense as to the basis on which he claims that the Easter attack was not a political conspiracy, reports Colombo Page.
The Catholic Church holding a press conference on April 14 in response to the comments made by the Defense Secretary retired General Kamal Gunaratne at a recent press conference said 20 questions regarding the progress of the investigations into the Easter Sunday attack have been forwarded to the Defense Secretary.
Defense Secretary General (Retired) Kamal Gunaratne stated at a recent media briefing that 735 people have been arrested so far in connection with the Easter Sunday attack, which killed 269 people in several suicide bombings on churches and hotels in Colombo on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019.
The Defense Secretary further stated that 27 cases have been filed against 81 persons on 25,653 charges and 29 persons are still being held on detention orders and questioned.
Media Spokesperson of the Catholic Church, Fr. Cyril Gamini said many accusations have been made that the Easter Sunday attack is a political conspiracy and questioned about the investigations conducted so far by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and other agencies and the reports of those investigations.
INTERNATIONAL
‘US, Israel committed to preventing Iran getting N-bomb’
The US and Israel are committed to ensure Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, March 27 as the allies acknowledged differences over negotiations with Tehran.
Blinken made the comments in Jerusalem alongside his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, who told reporters Israel had “disagreements” with Washington about a possible deal to revive the 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran.
Blinken said President Joe Biden’s administration believes that “the return to full implementation” of the deal was “the best way to put Iran’s programme back in the box that it was in but has escaped from since the United States withdrew from the agreement,” under former president Donald Trump in 2018.
Israel’s government firmly opposed the terms of the 2015 deal and has said that re-activating the original deal is insufficient to curb the Iranian threat.
Attacks kill 5 near Tel Aviv
Five people were killed in attacks on Tuesday, March 29 near the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv, emergency responders said. “We unfortunately have to note that five people have died,” said Eli Bin, the head of the Magen David Adom emergency responders. In earlier remarks, he had put the death toll from shootings in two locations of the ultra-Orthodox town of Bnei Brak at two. A separate attack took place in the neighbouring town of Ramat Gan, medics and witnesses said.
Over 4 million Ukrainians have fled war, says UN
More than four million Ukrainians have now fled the country to escape Russia’s “senseless war”, the United Nations said Wednesday, March 30.
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 4,019,287 Ukrainians had fled across the country’s borders since the February 24 invasion, with more than 2.3 million having headed west into Poland. “Refugees from Ukraine are now four million, five weeks after the start of the Russian attack,” UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said on Twitter.
UK sanctions Russian media
The UK announced on Thursday, March 31 new sanctions against “Russian propagandists and state media”, targeting two Kremlin-funded media organisations and a well-known presenter, over the invasion of Ukraine.
The 14 new sanctions follow several previous rounds of sanctions against more than 1,000 Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities in response to Moscow’s war in its western neighbour.
“Britain has helped lead the world in exposing Kremlin disinformation, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.
300 people buried in ‘mass grave’
Almost 300 people have been buried in a mass grave in Bucha, a commuter town outside Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, its mayor told AFP on Saturday, April 02 after the Ukrainian army retook control of the key town from Russia.
Clashes kill seven in Nigeria
At least seven people have been killed in the Nigerian state of Plateau where tit-for-tat violence between Muslim herders and Christian farmers often flares, a community leader and a security official said on Sunday, April 03.
Residents of Chando Zerreci village in Bassa area were celebrating an annual festival on Saturday night when they were attacked by gunmen, the leader and the security source said. Jos City in central Plateau State, on the dividing line between Nigeria’s mostly Muslim north and mainly Christian south, has struggled with ethnic and religious violence though it has been calmer in recent years.
Kazakhstan arrests foreign spy planning attack
Kazakhstan security services said on Sunday, April 03 they have arrested a foreign spy allegedly plotting an attack against the president and other high-level officials.
“A foreign intelligence agent, a Kazakh citizen, was arrested on March 25 in Nur-Sultan by the counter-espionage services,” the National Security Committee said in a statement. The suspect “was planning an attack against the president of Kazakhstan and a number of high-level officials,” as well as against members of the special services and security forces, the statement said. A foreign-made gun, drugs and large sums of money had been found during a search of his home. The statement added the suspect had confessed after his arrest and a terrorism investigation had been opened.
Algeria jails former minister for six years for graft
An Algerian court on Thursday, April 07 sentenced former culture minister and feminist activist Khalida Toumi to six years behind bars for corruption, the official APS agency reported. Toumi, who has been detained since November 2020, was charged with squandering public funds, abuse of office and granting undue privileges. The charges date back to her 12 years as culture minister under late president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
France expels six suspected Russian spies
France is expelling six Russians suspected of working as spies under diplomatic cover after the French intelligence services uncovered a clandestine operation on its territory, the foreign ministry said on Monday, April 11
“Six Russian agents operating under diplomatic cover whose activities were found to be contrary to our national interests have been declared persona non grata,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Yemen’s rebels criticise new US-led task force in Red Sea
Yemen’s Houthis criticised a new US-led task force that will patrol the Red Sea following a series of attacks by the Iran-backed rebels in a waterway that’s essential to global trade. Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesman, said late on Friday, April 15 that the US move in the Red Sea, which comes amid a cease-fire in the country’s civil war, contradicts Washington’s claim of supporting the UN-brokered truce.
The task force “enshrines the aggression and blockade on Yemen,” he claimed on his Telegram social media account.
Abdul-Salam apparently referred to a Saudi-led coalition the rebels have been fighting for years. The coalition, which until recently was backed by the US, imposes an air and sea blockade on Houthi-held areas.
Iran is the main supporter of the Houthis who seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war on the side of Yemen’s exiled government in March 2015. Years of inconclusive fighting has pushed the Arab world’s poorest nation to the brink of famine.
Another Houthi leader, Daifallah al-Shami, also criticized the US-led task force, saying it sends negative signals and “gives a darker reading to the truce,” according to the rebels’ media office. He also did not elaborate.
Unrest in Sweden over planned Holy Quran burnings
There has been a third night of unrest in Sweden after protests against a far-right group which burned a copy of the Holy Quran and planned to do so again, foreign media reported.
Violence broke out in the city of Malmö late on Saturday, April 16 after a gathering of the Stram Kurs, or Hard Line, movement led by the extremist Rasmus Paludan. Vehicles were set on fire, and some protesters threw stones at the police.
A number of other clashes between the police and counter-demonstrators have hit Sweden in recent days. At least 16 police officers are reported to have been injured and several police vehicles destroyed in unrest that followed the far-right group’s rallies, including in the suburbs of Stockholm and in the towns of Linköping and Norrköping.
Sweden’s national police chief Anders Thornberg said demonstrators had shown an indifference to the lives of police officers, adding: “We have seen violent riots before. But this is something else.”
Outrage at the far right group’s actions — which included burning a copy of the Muslim holy book on April 13, and planning to do so again at other rallies has also spread beyond Sweden’s borders.
Iraq’s foreign ministry summoned the Swedish charge d’affaires in Baghdad on Sunday and warned the affair could have “serious repercussions” for relations between Sweden and Muslim communities in general.
Protests against plans by Stram Kurs to burn the Holy Quran have turned violent in Sweden before. In 2020, protesters set cars on fire and shop fronts were damaged in clashes in Malmö.
Catalan separatists accuse Spain of ‘huge’ espionage
Catalan separatists on Monday, April 18 accused Spain of spying on dozens of its leaders’ mobile phones with Pegasus spyware, after details came to light in a report by a Canadian organisation.
At least 65 Catalan separatists were targeted including the region’s current leader, according to the report by Citizen Lab research centre at the University of Toronto cited by The New Yorker and Spanish daily El Pais.
The report said Pegasus spyware developed by Israel’s NSO Group had been installed on their phones. Nearly all the phones were allegedly hacked between 2017 and 2020. The kind of espionage Madrid is accused of is illegal in Spain.
“We have been spied on in a huge and illegal manner through software that only states can possess,” ex-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont tweeted. “Politicians, lawyers and activists are all victims of the Spanish state’s dirty war,” he added.
Those targeted include present Catalan leader Pere Aragones, who was deputy leader of the region at the time, ex-regional leaders Quim Torra and Artur Mas as well as members of the EU and Catalan parliaments and of independent civil society organisations.
Puigdemont, who escaped to Belgium after an attempt by the region to gain independence through a 2017 referendum, was not one of those targeted but several people close to him were, including his wife, Citizen Lab said.
The Spanish government did not respond to requests for comment. The president of the Catalan regional parliament, Roger Torrent, in July 2020 accused Spain of spying on him with Pegasus software but Madrid denied the claim.
17 killed in jihadist-linked attacks in Nigeria
17 people have been killed in suspected jihadist attacks in northern Nigeria, where a more than decade-long Islamist insurgency has claimed tens of thousands of lives, sources said on Thursday, April 21.
Around two dozen fighters dressed in military-like uniform and believed to be from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group sneaked on foot into Geidam town in Yobe state late on Wednesday, militia sources said.
Gunmen kill bodyguard of Iran Guards general
Gunmen killed the bodyguard of a general from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Saturday, April 23 in an attack on a checkpoint in the country’s restive southeast, state media said.
IRNA news agency said the shooting occurred in Sistan-Baluchistan, a province bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan that is often the scene of attacks or clashes between security forces and armed groups.
The slain bodyguard was identified as Mahmoud Absalan, the son of General Parviz Absalan, a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the region.
Biden terms Armenian massacres ‘genocide’
US President Joe Biden used Sunday’s (April 24) occasion of Armenian Remembrance day to describe past mass atrocities by Ottomans as genocide, repeating his controversial description from a year ago when he ended decades of American equivocation.
The categorisation infuriates Turkey, which refuses to recognise the 1915-16 killings of more than a million Armenians as genocide. But Biden, who earlier this month said Russia’s atrocities committed during its invasion of Ukraine amounted to genocide, again used the precise term to describe the massacres of Armenians during World War I.
“On April 24, 1915, Ottoman authorities allegedly arrested Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople. Thus began the Armenian genocide — one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century,” the president said in a statement.
“Today, we remember the one and a half million Armenians who were deported, massacred, or marched to their deaths in a campaign of extermination, and mourn the tragic loss of so many lives.”
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.
