Bomb/IED Blasts
A tribal elder was killed and five others, including a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, were injured on November 8 after their vehicle was targeted with a remote-control bomb near Chamrok Chowk in Khuzdar town (Khuzdar District) of Balochistan, reports Dawn. Police said the bomb exploded when PPP leader Abdul Latif Shahwani was travelling with tribal elder Abdul Ghani Bangulzai, who later died of his wounds in a Karachi hospital. Both were close associates of Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, former Chief Minister also associated with the PPP. PPP’s Abdul Latif Shahwani among five wounded in remote-control explosion.
At least two persons were killed and two others were injured in an explosion in Chagmalai Bazaar in South Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on November 18, reports Samaa TV.
Targetted Killings
A Policeman and a civilian were killed and four other Policemen got injured as terrorists attacked the Daraban Police check post in Dera Ismail Khan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 30, reports ARY News. According to the Police spokesman, a Policeman, identified as Hazrat Hussain and a civilian were killed in a terrorist attack on Daraban Police Check post.
A doctor was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Super Highway in Qasim Goth area of Karachi, on November 12, reports ARY News. According to Police, two unidentified assailants in a white car opened fire on a doctor near his clinic in Qasim Goth, leaving him dead on the spot. The slain Doctor was identified as Doctor Haroon.
Miscellaneous
Two alleged suicide bombers were killed after an intense exchange of fire as they attempted to attack a peace committee chief, Noor Alam Mehsud, at Irfan Colony on Dera Ismail Khan-Bannu road in Dera Ismail Khan town (Dera Ismail Khan District) on October 25, reports Dawn.
Two Security personnel were injured when their vehicle was attacked by militants near Peerwala Mor in Lakki Marwat town (Lakki Marwat District) on October 25, reports Dawn. Police officials said the militants attacked with rockets and assault weapons which badly damaged their vehicle.
Earlier on October 24, one militant was killed during an exchange of fire with Police when militants targeted a Police van in a bomb attack near Abdulkhel area Lakki Marwat District, reports Dawn.
Unidentified militants on October 27 killed paramilitary Levies officer deployed on security of anti-polio team in the Sarki Talari tehsil (revenue unit) of Chaman District, reports Samaa TV. The militants shot Levies officer Habib-ur-Rehman in the head killing him on the spot while the members of Polio team remained safe.
A Policeman sustained injuries following a grenade attack by unidentified militants on Shabqadar Police Station in Charsadda District on October 25, reports ARY News. Police said that unidentified assailants carried out a grenade attack on Shabqadar police station in Charsadda. The officials said that the militants on a motorcycle hurled a grenade towards the Police Station and restored to heavy firing. Police said that the militants fled from the scene after Police retaliation
Two Army soldiers were killed during an exchange of fire with terrorists in Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 29, reports Dawn. The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release said that army troops engaged terrorists in DI Khan’s Darazinda area, during which 33-year-old Naik Sajid Hussain from Khushab and 26-year-old Sepoy Muhammad Israr from Attock were martyred.
Four terrorists and two Army soldiers were killed during an exchange of fire when terrorists opened fire on Security Forces (SFs) in Shahrigh area of Sibi District in Balochistan on October 31, reports Dawn. According to a press release issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an intelligence-based operation (IBO) was underway in Kaman Pass since October 30 to clear a terrorist hideout. A cache of arms and ammunition, including improvised explosive devices, was recovered.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on November 2 arrested an alleged terrorist associated with a banned outfit during a raid in Khairpur town (Khairpur District) of Sindh, reports ARY News. According to details, the law enforcement agency conducted a raid in Owais Shah graveyard in Khairpur city on an intelligence tip-off. During the raid, the CTD arrested the terrorist – identified as Riaz Ahmed – associated with a banned outfit. A CTD spokesperson, in a statement, claimed that the arrested terrorist was involved in anti-national activities.
One Policeman was injured when unidentified militants lobbed hand grenade on Lalmian Police check post in Tank District on November 7, reports Daily Times. The injured Policeman was identified as Sana ur Rehman. The militants managed to escape after the attack.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on November 8 arrested two terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Quetta, reports ARY News. The CTD spokesperson said that two terrorists of a banned outfit were arrested along with hand grenades and sabotage material.
Separately, CTD personnel arrested two terrorists during an IBO in Hub District on November 8, reports ARY News. The arrested terrorists were allegedly involved in the killings of a journalist Shahid Zehri and a tribal elder, the CTD spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the CTD and law enforcement agency conducted a joint raid on a tip-off in Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District on November 7 and defused bombs planted in two motorcycles, reports ARY News. The CTD spokesperson said in a statement that a joint raid was conducted with a law enforcement agency at a house on Rehman Kahul Road in Chaman. The CTD team recovered bombs planted in two motorcycles inside the house. The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) neutralised the bombs.
A Frontier Corps (FC) soldier was killed and two more sustained injuries November 13 in the midst of a cross-border attack from Security Forces (SFs) of Afghanistan on the Pakistani side of the Bab-e-Dosti gate in Chaman town of Kila Abdullah District in Balochistan, reports Geo TV. Afghan SFs allegedly opened fire on the FC personnel while they were deployed on duty on the Pakistani side, as per Levies officials. As a result of the attack, one FC trooper was killed while two were injured due to bullets shot at them during the exchange of fire between SF officials of the two countries.
At least six Policemen, including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), were killed when two terrorists on a motorcycle opened fire on their mobile during routine patrolling near a fair in Dadiwala Police Station area of Lakki Marwat District on November 15, reports Geo TV. The dead Policemen include ASI Ilm Deen, Detective Foot Constable Ahmed Nawaz, Lower Head Constable Zubair, Frontier Reserve Police’s Sepoy Usman Ali, Constable Mahmood Khan, and driver Dil Jan.
The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) foiled a major terror attack as it arrested seven alleged terrorists, affiliated with banned outfit, from different areas of the Province, ARY News reported on November 19. According to details, the Punjab CTD conducted raids in several areas of the Province, and arrested seven suspects of banned outfits, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The arrested suspects were identified as Zahid, Abdullah, Nauman, Akram, Siddique Khan, Ehsan and Shoaib. The raiding team also recovered explosive materials, detonators, fuses and thousands of rupees from the possessions of arrested terrorists.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on November 19 arrested a Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) cadre from SITE Area of Sukkur town in Sindh, reports The Nation. According to spokesperson, the CTD conducted a raid in SITE Area and arrested a “high-profile” BLA cadre, identified as Mir Hassan. The CTD personnel also recovered a pistol, bullets and magazines from his possession. The cadre confessed to having in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
PAKISTAN
No convictions in 96pc of journalist killings in Pakistan, says Freedom Network’s Annual report
There have been no convictions in 96pc of murder cases of journalists in Pakistan between 2012 and 2022, according to Freedom Network’s Annual Impunity 2022 report released on October 27, reports Dawn. The report “The killing fields: no justice for Pakistan’s murdered journalists” was launched ahead of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which falls on November 2. The research was framed in the context of the 10-year anniversary of the 2012 United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which Pakistan had first endorsed in October 2013 and later committed to implementing in the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021. According to the report, 53 Pakistani journalists were killed between 2012 and 2022 but the perpetrators were convicted in only two out of these 53 cases. Says 53 journalists killed between 2012 and 2022 but the perpetrators were convicted in only two cases. In the remaining 96pc of the cases, the criminal justice system failed to deliver justice for the slain journalists and their bereaved families.
Of the 53 journalists murdered for their work in Pakistan between 2012 and 2022, the highest fatalities were in Sindh (16, or 30pc of the total) followed by Punjab (14, or 26pc of the total). Unidentified persons constituted the biggest suspected threat actor to journalists in Pakistan during 2012-2022 with 15 of the 53 journalists (or 28pc) murdered in the reporting period being targeted by them, according to the family members or colleagues of the victims. Organised crime and militant groups were the second and third most suspected perpetrators of journalist killings, respectively.
Vawda suspects PTI people behind Arshad’s murder
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, claimed on Monday, Oct 31 that people belonging to his party might have been involved in the assassination of senior journalist Arshad Sharif.
Talking to a private TV channel, he said that the planning of his murder had been made in Pakistan by those who could benefit from it. On the 2018 election, Vawda said that if anyone says that the establishment did not have a role in it, then it would be a lie. He said he had spoken to Arshad Sharif 10 days before his murder and added that there was no obstacle to Arshad Sharif returning to the country.
He pointed out that the farmhouse being talked about was two hours away from Nairobi. “Arshad Sharif was killed from close range or inside the car.” About Sharif’s host in Kenya, Vawda said that Waqar had studied with him (Vawda) while Khurram was his younger brother. He did not see any comparison between the Pakistan Democratic Movement and PTI chairman and said he was neither joining the ruling alliance nor was in it, rather he wanted to save Imran’s politics.
He made it clear he was not a coward and he would say what was according to his conscience. “Two special persons and three “snakes” benefited from expelling me from the party,” he added. Vawda was expelled from the party for not responding to a notice served on him for allegedly violating the party policy during a news conference. Vawda said that Imran Khan would have to work with the same army and those who had brought him to the present point would not benefit them. “I believe that this march will be bloody and Khan Sahib has also confirmed it. Now I am sure the march will be bloody,” he said.
I will not restrain myself for long and I am moving with responsibly right now. I have told Imran Khan that “snakes” are sitting near him. The party does not win on funds. I have been telling Imran Khan about the people. The next time I speak, I will also name them,” he warned.
One person killed and seven others including former Prime Minister Imran Khan injured in attack on PTI’s convoy in Wazirabad city of Punjab
Seven persons, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other party leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were injured and a party worker was killed in a gun attack on the PTI chief’s container as his convoy reached Allah Wala Chowk of Wazirabad city (Wazirabad District) in Punjab on November 3, reports Dawn. The Punjab Police said the deceased has been identified as Muazzam Nawaz. The injured include PTI leaders Ahmed Chattha and Chaudhry Yousuf, and party workers Omer Meyer and Rashid. The Punjab Police confirmed that a party worker, who was in the city to welcome the caravan — which was there for the party’s second iteration of its “Azadi” march — was killed in the attack. A suspect was taken into custody from the site.
SRA terrorist planning to target Chinese doctor in Hyderabad arrested in Karachi city of Sindh
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on November 3 arrested one Sindh Revolutionary Army (SRA) terrorist from Gulistan-i-Jauhar area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, who allegedly intended to kill a Chinese doctor in Hyderabad and was associated with the perpetrators of a similar attack on Chinese dentists in Karachi in September, reports Dawn. A statement by the CTD spokesperson, the CTD’s personnel and a Federal intelligence agency conducted an operation in Gulistan-i-Jauhar after receiving information about the suspect’s presence in the area. They subsequently arrested a cadre of SRA, identified as Afzal Lund alias Aafi, the statement said, adding that a 30-bore unlicensed pistol along with a 5-round magazine and a motorcycle were seized from his possession. The CTD said the suspect had admitted during interrogation that he had been in contact with SRA chief Zulfiqar Khaskheli, who was in Germany. Khaskheli was providing financial assistance to Lund and it was with the money sent by him that the latter had bought weapons and the motorcycle, according to the statement. The CTD said Lund had completed the recce for killing the Chinese doctor in Hyderabad but was arrested before carrying out the attack.
Pakistan not given what it needs: Guterres
UN Secretary General Antonia Guterres on Monday, Nov 07 appealed to the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and G-20 countries to provide debt relief to Pakistan to help its post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is in Sharm El Sheikh for the COP27 summit, told media that according to the latest estimates, Pakistan suffered losses of over $30 billion. The UN secretary general said that Pakistan is a middle income country and is not given the kind of debt relief and concessional funding it needed to tackle the adverse impact of climate change. He appealed to the IFIs and the G-20 countries to create a mechanism for debt relief for middle income countries including Pakistan. He underlined the need for defining a clear road map to deal with the disaster, by creating an institutional framework of financing.
Antonio Guterres said an international donor conference will be held for Pakistan, as the country needed massive support for rehabilitation of the people affected by floods.
Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to the United Nations agencies, World Health Organization, and other development partners in supporting through the unprecedented challenge. The PM said Pakistan’s own response is still defined by resourcing the huge humanitarian gap in relief and rehabilitation.
“Our journey to recovery will be held back by increasing public debt, rising international energy prices and no real access to Adaptation Funds.” “Our social security platform, the BISP, has allocated urgent cash transfers worth Rs70 billion ($316 million) to the most vulnerable 2.8 million families, providing $113 to each affected family,” he noted.
“We have mobilised every available resource towards the national relief effort, and repurposed all budget priorities, including resilience and development funds, to the rescue and first order needs of millions.”
Meanwhile, the World Bank (WB) will release over $3 billion to Pakistan for the development of infrastructure in the power sector. The commitment came on the heels of a meeting between World Bank officials and Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir Khan and his team at Power Division.
Afghanistan – Internal Dynamics
14 Taliban fighters killed in Herat province
On October 27, armed men have attacked a Taliban outpost in the Province, killing 14 Taliban fighters, reports Hasht e Subh. The attack was carried out on the outpost in Firqa area of Herat city at around 3:00am Thursday morning. The residents of Herat’s Firqa area have also said that they have heard the sound of shelling and clashes since 3:00am in the morning.
Afghanistan’s opium poppy cultivation this year is up by a third, according to UNODC
Afghanistan’s opium poppy cultivation this year is up by a third, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on November 1, in its first report on the issue since the hard-line Taliban took power in 2021, reports Hasht-e-Subh. The UNODC said cultivation in Afghanistan rose by 32 percent to 233,000 hectares (580,000 acres) over the previous year, making the 2022 crop the third largest area cultivated since monitoring began in 1994. The income made by farmers from opium sales more than tripled from USD 425 million in 2021 to USD1.4 billion in 2022, the report said.
Eight people injured in Kabul city blast
Following an explosion on November 2, morning in Kabul city near the Central Silo, 5th District, eight people were injured, reports Hasht-e-Subh. The blast targeted a vehicle carrying the staff of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD).The explosion was reportedly due to a roadside-embedded mine. So far, no group or individual has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Taliban closes public baths for women in Badghis Province
Taliban’s vice and virtue agents ordered the owners on November 6 to close public baths for women in Badghis province, reports Hasht-e-Subh. The Taliban’s Department of Vice and Virtue has said that if anyone disobeys their orders, they will be fined and punished. There were about 10 public bathrooms providing services for women in the city of Qala-e-Naw, the capital city of Badghis, which have been closed by the Taliban.
SCO Head warns on terrorist exportation from Afghanistan
Evgeniy Sysoev, Head of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) counter-terrorism center, has warned of the deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan and the export of insecurity from this country to the region on November 9, reports Hasht-e-Subh. He expressed concern about the deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan. He thus stated, “The worsening situation in Afghanistan increases the risk of instability in the entire region, especially in Central Asia.”
Taliban supreme leader orders Judges to carry out Islamic law on criminals
Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzadeh, the Taliban supreme leader, has ordered his group’s judges to “implement hudood and retribution” on criminals across Afghanistan on November 13, reports Hasht-e-Subh. In a Tweet, the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the order was issued by Akhundzadeh in a meeting with judges. “Those cases in which all the Sharia conditions of hudood and retribution have been completed, you (the judges) are obliged to implement Islamic penal law,” Mujahid wrote quoting Akhundzadeh. Mujahid however did not explain in which meeting the leader of this group met with the judges and on which date this order was issued.
TTP ‘commander’ killed in Nangarhar province
A ‘commander’ of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), identified as Saifullah Babuji was found dead on November 17, in a water canal in Bati Kot District of Nangarhar province, reports Hasht-e-Subh. Babuji was reportedly a close affiliate of a TTP ‘deputy’, Amir Mufti Maslom. The Taliban has not yet explained how the TTP member was killed.
Taliban announced of choosing topic for Friday prayer sermons in mosques, says report
In continuation of the restrictions on freedom of speech, the Taliban has announced of choosing the topic for Friday prayer sermons in mosques and the content of the sermons should be aligned with the strategy of the Taliban, on November 20, reports Hasht-e-Subh. No Imam (Prayer Head) has the right to deliver a speech on his own will. Enamullah Samangani, head of the Taliban media center, wrote in a Tweet on November 20, quoting the Ministry of Hajj and Awqaf, that the plan has been approved by the leadership of the Taliban regime.
Taliban have become more defiant than in the past, asserts Rina Amiri, the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights
Rina Amiri, the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights, on November 24, in response to the lashing of 14 people, including women, in Logar Province says that the Taliban have become more defiant against the world than in the past, reports Hasht-e-Subh. Amiri tweeted a report on the punishment of the accused people in Logar, saying that the event was terrible and dangerous because it showed the Taliban’s defiance against the world.
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Two Rohingya men shot dead in Cox’s Bazar District
Criminals shot dead two Rohingya men after picking them up from their houses in the refugee camp of Ukhiya sub-District in Cox’s Bazar District on October 27, reports The Daily Star. The deceased are Ayat Ullah (40) and Mohammad Yeasin (30).With them, at least seven Rohingya men including a child were shot dead in Cox’s Bazar in October, 2022.Today’s shooting took place at Block-C in Balukhali camp around 3:30am, said Syed Harun-or-Rashid, commanding officer of Armed Police Battalion-14.
Four operatives of Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya arrested in Comilla District
Four operatives of Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya were arrested on November 4, at Laksam sub-District of Comilla District, reports Daily Star. The arrestees are: Muntashir Ahmed alias Bachchu, ‘chief financial coordinator’ of the outfit, Ismail Hossain and Abdul Quader, ‘hijrat affairs coordinators’, and Helal Ahmed Zakaria, third-in-command of its military wing. Two books on extremism, a training syllabus, nine leaflets, a diary containing accounts of the organisation and four other books were recovered from the arrestees. Jama’at-ul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya gave BNR 17,00,000 to separatist group of Chattogram Hill Tracts Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) to buy weapons, said Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), dailystar.net reports on November 5. The outfit also sent over BNR 50, 00,000 to different places through banking and mobile banking channels over the last eight to nine months for conducting organisational activities. With the latest arrest, 26 leaders and operatives of the new militant outfit have been arrested while RAB disclosed the identities of 55 who left home to join the outfit. Three KNF members have also been held.
Rohingya man killed in Cox’s Bazar District
A Rohingya man, Mohammed Selim, was killed in a gunfight between two groups of robbers in Teknaf sub-District of Cox’s Bazar District on November 8, reports Daily Star. Mohammed Selim, used to live in Noapara Rohingya camp. Teknaf Police sources said Selim was a member of a Rohingya robber gang. The gunfight took place between Nabi Hossen and Munna groups near Totardia border in Whykong union, they added
‘Missing’ doctor of Abdul Hamid Medical College and Hospital is top leader of Ansar Al Islam, states CTTC
The missing doctor identified as Mirza Kawsar alias Abdul Kader, 28, of President Abdul Hamid Medical College and Hospital in Kishoreganj District, is a top leader of militant outfit Ansar Al Islam, claimed officials of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit on November 14, reports Daily Star. Mirza Kawsar a lecturer of the pharmacology department, was recruiting youths for militancy, they said, adding that he used a coaching centre as front to do so. Besides, he was donating a major portion of his earnings for the outfit, they claimed.
Two militants freed by unidentified attacked in Dhaka
Unidentified attackers attacked and freed two of 12 militants including death row inmates, convicts and accused of high-profile murder cases of publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan, blogger and writer Avijit Roy, LGBT rights activist Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy and blogger Nazim Uddin, from Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate court premises on November 20, reports The Daily Star. The incident exposed the security loopholes in courts while dealing with militants and high-risk criminals. The attackers could manage to whisk away two — Moinul Hasan Shamim alias Samir alias Imran and Abu Siddiq Sohel, death row inmates of the Dipan murder case.
India – Internal Dynamics
One person died in an explosion in Tamil Nadu
On October 23, one person, identified as Jameza Mubin, died in an early morning explosion of the cylinder-laden Maruti 800 near Kottai Eswaran Temple in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore District, reports India Today. Following the incident, under the UAPA, five persons have been subjected to Section 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The arrested were identified as Muhammad Talka, Muhammed Azharuddin, Muhammed Riyaz, Firoze Ismail and Muhammed Nawaz Ismail, all in their 20s,The Telegraph reports on October 26.Times Now reports on October 26, that another person, identified as Afsar Khan who is supposedly deceased Mubin’s cousin was also arrested. This is the sixth arrest in this case. City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan said 75 kg of potassium nitrate, charcoal and aluminum powder have been recovered from Mubeen’s house.
Huge cache of arms recovered in Jharkhand
A huge cache of arms and ammunitions allegedly belonging to the Communist party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was recovered from Budha Pahad area in Latehar District of Jharkhand October 30, reports The Free Press Journal. The recoveries included a light machine gun, an INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) assault rifle and a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) and 18 weapons that had been looted from Police, one carbine, seven 303 rifles with 11 magazines, nine 315 rifles, 876 bullets, 41 country-made grenades and 213 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) of Palamu Range, Raj Kumar Lakra, said that a joint operation code named ‘Octopus 20’, comprising Commando Battalion for resolute Action (CoBRA) battalion, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Police, is being carried out in Budha Pahad, considered to be safe haven for Maoists for the past one and half months. He added that a special operation is on in the area, Chattan Pani and Jok Pani Hill since October 28 and the area is almost freed from Maoists now.
Myanmar-bound war-like stores and explosives seized in Mizoram
Assam Rifles on October 30 seized a large cache of Myanmar-bound tactical and war-like stores, including explosive materials, at Tuipang village in Siaha District of Mizoram and arrested four persons in connection with the case, reports Morung Express. The seized items include one shotgun, 2,483 rounds ammunition, 169 Gelatin sticks, and 0.177 mm pellets. Defence spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat said that the stores recovered were of military grade and hence the same being used for anti-national activities by insurgents based in Myanmar cannot be ruled out
India asks Canada to prevent anti-India activities by individuals, groups based there
India, on November 3, reiterated its concern over certain forces planning a so-called ‘referendum’ in Canada on their demand for Khalistan and called upon that country to prevent anti-India activities by individuals and groups based there, reports The Indian Express. India also urged Canada to designate as terrorists under its laws those individuals and entities who have been declared as terrorists under Indian laws. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi replying on the issue of the so-called Khalistan referendum in Canada, said, “I think we have made our position clear a couple of times. Our position on the efforts by anti-India elements to hold a so-called Khalistan referendum is well known. It has been conveyed to the Canadian government both in New Delhi and in Canada.” The government of Canada has conveyed that it respects India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and will not recognise the so-called referendum, which is to take place in two parts in Canada, Bagchi said, adding, “The Canadian high commissioner here and their deputy foreign minister reiterated this perspective earlier this week in separate statements. However, let me also reiterate what we said earlier, which is that we find it deeply objectionable that politically-motivated exercises by extremist elements are allowed to take place in a friendly country, and you are all aware of the history of violence in this regard.” Bagchi further said, “We will continue to press the government of Canada in this matter. We call upon them to prevent anti-India activities by individuals and groups based in their country, and to designate as terrorists under their laws the individuals and entities who have been declared as terrorists under our laws.” The Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has proposed the so-called ‘referendum’ in Mississauga, near Toronto, on November 6. The first such exercise was held at Brampton on September 18.
An ex-Serviceman kidnapped by PFI in Delhi
An ex-Army serviceman Rajender Prashad from Delhi reportedly went missing on November 7, his family received a threatening text on WhatsApp that read “Sar tan se judaa” and also received a second message of a photo of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) from Rajendra Prashad’s mobile number. Rajender Prashad was reportedly last seen at a government school near Rohini in Delhi, where he worked as a teacher. In an FIR, Prashad’s family claimed some people from a minority community were constantly following and pressuring him to join their “organization” for about 10 to 15 days.
Police Constable shot dead by suspected Maoists in Chhattisgarh
A Police constable was shot dead by suspected cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Marikodri village under Mardoom Police Station limits in Bastar District of Chhattisgarh on November 10 (today), reports latestly.com. Constable Nevru Benjam, posted at Rekha Ghati police camp in the same area, had gone to the village along with his family to attend a social function, a Police official said, adding, some unidentified persons fired at him when he was at the function venue. The constable died on the spot. “Prima facie, the incident seems to be the handiwork of Maoists, but an investigation is underway into it,” he said.
Monthly Fatalities:
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period October 26, 2022 to November 25, 2022:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militants | Total | |
| Chattisgarh | 04 | 02 | 03 | 09 |
| Jharkhand | 02 | 00 | 01 | 03 |
| Odisha | 02 | 00 | 01 | 03 |
| Tamil Nadu | 01 | 00 | 00 | 01 |
| Total | 09 | 02 | 05 | 16 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
CPN-Maoist-Chand to foil November 20 elections
The Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Chand), on November 1, has decided to foil the November 20 elections for the House of Representatives (HoR) and seven provincial assemblies, reports english.onlinekhabar.com. The party had participated in the local elections held in May even at the cost of the party unity; the party split days before the elections over a dispute about whether to participate in the elections. But the party has now decided to make efforts to disturb the November 20 elections for federal and provincial legislative bodies. A recent party meeting has decided to “cancel” the elections, the party leader Santosh Budha Magar informed during a press meeting in Kathmandu on November 1.
Suspicious bomb-like objects found at separate places in Biratnagar and Chitwan Districts
A suspicious object resembling a bomb was found in Biratnagar Metropolitan City-3, Pushpalal Marg early on November 19 (today), reports My Republica. After seeing a suspicious object on the side of the road, the locals had informed the local Police. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Deepak Shrestha, spokesperson at District Police Office in Morang, the wire was taken out of the red bag and wrapped in plastic from the outside and left on the side of the road. The Police suspect that such items may have been kept to scare the voters in the House of Representative (HoR) and provincial assembly elections to be held on November 20.
One person killed in poll-related violence, nearly 60 per cent voting recorded in Nepal elections
One person was killed after being shot dead at a polling station in Nateshwari Basic School of Tribeni Municipality in Bajura District in Province No. 7 of Nepal on November 20, reports The Economic Times. The polling started at 7 am local time at over 22,000 polling centres and closed at 5 pm. According to the Election Commission (EC) sources, nearly 60 per cent voting was recorded in the parliament and provincial assemblies’ elections held on November 20. More than 17.9 million voters were eligible to cast their votes to elect a 275-member House of Representatives (HoR). Barring a few sporadic incidents of violence, the voting remained largely peaceful.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
Hundreds march in SL protesting crackdowns
Hundreds of people marched in Sri Lanka’s largest city Colombo on Wednesday, Nov 02 protesting against higher taxes, inflation and alleged state-led repression as the country struggles to emerge from its worst financial crisis in seven decades. The anti-government protest, jointly organised by opposition political parties, trade unions and civil society groups, was blocked by police as marchers attempted to reach a central part of the city where the president’s house and other ministries are located.
“People can barely eat three meals a day and this government has done nothing to support people other than impose more and more taxes. We need solutions and we will keep fighting for them,” Ceylon Teacher’s Union Secretary Joseph Stalin said.
Sri Lanka has been gripped by a deep financial crisis this year caused by record-low foreign exchange reserves that has left the island of 22 million people struggling to pay for essential imports including fuel, food, cooking gas and medicine.
STF arrests an individual storing a haul of weapons in Colombo
A person who was keeping a secret cache of weapons has been arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Police in the Maligawatta Police Division in Colombo on November 20, reports Colombo Page. The STF raided the Laksetha Sevana housing complex in the Maligawatta Police Division and several houses on Bodhiraja Mawatha, they found a place where a large number of weapons were illegally hidden and arrested a person in connection with the cache. Swords, hand axes and many sharp weapons have been found in the possession of the suspect.
Five alliance parties of UPFA refuse to accept new General Secretary Thilanga Sumathipala
Five constituent parties of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) say that they will not accept Thilanga Sumathipala, who was appointed as the alliance’s new General Secretary, reports Colombo Page on November 24. Issuing a joint statement, the five parties point out that they were not informed about the removal of Minister Mahinda Amaraweera from that position or the appointment of a new General Secretary. The parties said they were surprised when they saw the news in the media about the removal of Mahinda Amaraweera from the post, and pointed out that before taking such a decision, the executive council or the allied parties should have been informed according to the constitution and precedent of the UPFA.
INTERNATIONAL
Four killed in Israeli strikes near Damascus
Four pro-Iranian fighters were killed early on Thursday Oct 27, during Israeli strikes on several positions near Damascus, a war monitor said, in the third such attack in less than a week.
Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory since civil war broke out there in 2011, targeting government positions as well as allied Iran-backed forces and Hizbullah fighters. Explosions were heard in the Syrian capital in the night of Wednesday to Thursday, an AFP correspondent reported.
Tanzania starts rationing water due to drought
Tanzanian authorities on Thursday, Oct 27 began rationing water in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam following a drought-induced drop in water levels from its main source, the Ruvu river.
The 5.5 million inhabitants of the Indian Ocean city will go without piped water for 24 hours on alternating days, the Dar es Salaam Water and Sanitation Authority (DAWASA) said. “The timetable will be updated every week according to how the change of weather increases or decreases the water levels,” it said.
Tanzania, much like its East African neighbours, is experiencing little rainfall, with meteorologists warning that the prolonged dry spell will continue. Water supply from the Ruvu has dropped from 466 to about 300 million litres a day, according to water officials, whereas the city consumes an estimated 500 million litres a day. “We are all aware that most areas received poor rains last season and that the current season has been delayed,” Dar es Salaam governor Amos Makalla said earlier this week.
US to ‘hold Russia accountable’ if satellites attacked: W House
The United States will respond in an “appropriate” way to any Russian attack against US commercial satellites, the White House said on Thursday, Oct 27 after a Russian official suggested they could become legitimate targets in space.
Somalia car bombs kill at least nine
At least nine people, including children, died on Saturday, Oct 29 in twin car bomb attacks targeting Somalia´s education ministry in the capital Mogadishu, security officers and witnesses said.
Two cars packed with explosives were detonated minutes apart near the busy Zobe junction and followed by gunfire,
“I was among the first security officers to reach the area, I saw dead bodies of nine people most of them civilians including women and children,” said security officer Ahmed Ali, adding that dozens had been wounded.
Seoul scrambles jets after detecting 180 North Korea warplanes
South Korea´s military scrambled stealth jets on Friday, Nov 04 after detecting the mobilisation of 180 North Korean warplanes, Seoul said, following a record-breaking blitz of missile tests by Pyongyang this week.
It comes a day after North Korea conducted a failed intercontinental ballistic missile test and follows a decision by Seoul and Washington to extend through Saturday their largest-ever joint air drills, a military exercise that has infuriated Pyongyang.
“Our military detected around 180 North Korean warplanes” mobilised in Pyongyang´s airspace, Seoul´s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that Seoul “scrambled 80 fighter jets including F-35As” while jets involved in the joint drills were also “maintaining readiness”.
Shortly after South Korea announced the decision to extend the joint drills on Thursday, Pyongyang launched three more short-range ballistic missiles, calling the decision “a very dangerous and wrong choice”.
Hours later, the North fired 80 artillery rounds that landed in a maritime “buffer zone”, Seoul´s military said. The barrage was a “clear violation” of the 2018 agreement that established the buffer zone in a bid to reduce tensions between the two sides, Seoul´s Joints Chiefs of Staff said.
The artillery fire came after Pyongyang fired about 30 missiles on Wednesday and Thursday, including an intercontinental ballistic missile and one that landed near South Korea´s territorial waters for the first time since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin described Pyongyang´s ICBM launch as “illegal and destabilising”, and Seoul and Washington vowed to pursue new measures to demonstrate their “determination and capabilities” against the North´s growing threats. Experts and officials have said Pyongyang is ramping up its tests in protest over the US-South Korean drills.
Four Iranian policemen, ‘terrorist’ killed
Four Iranian police officers and one “terrorist” have been killed in separate incidents in the strife-torn country, state media and the Revolutionary Guards said Sunday, Nov 06.
Iran has been rocked by more than seven weeks of nationwide protests over the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the Tehran morality police.
Amid the wider unrest, clashes have rocked Sistan-Baluchistan province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, sparked by the alleged rape of a local teenage girl by a police chief. The four police officers were killed in Sistan-Baluchistan, official media said, without saying when, and blaming a personal dispute between police conscripts. Poverty-stricken Sistan-Baluchistan has long been a flashpoint for clashes with rebels from the Baluchi minority, Sunni Muslim extremist groups and drug smuggling gangs. On September 30 in Zahedan, the provincial capital, dozens of protesters and six members of the security forces were killed, according to the authorities.
Eleven killed in Syrian regime’s rocket strike
Seven people have been killed in fighting between the Philippine military and Muslim rebels in the country´s south, authorities said on Thursday, Nov 10 in one of the deadliest clashes since a landmark peace pact was signed in 2014.
The ongoing fighting broke out Tuesday in Basilan island province, off the main southern island of Mindanao, following what the military said was a “miscommunication” between its soldiers and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). For decades the Catholic-majority Philippines has been plagued by violent insurgencies, including a Muslim-led separatist uprising that has killed more than 100,000 people.
Gunmen kill 15 in northern Nigeria
Gunmen on Friday, Nov 25 killed 15 people in multiple attacks in northwest Nigeria´s Kaduna state, the latest violence in the volatile region, a government official said.
Northwest and central Nigeria have been terrorised by criminal gangs known locally as bandits who raid villages, stealing cattle, kidnapping for ransom and burning homes after looting supplies.
They launched separate attacks on four villages across three districts, killing 15 people and injuring several others, Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna state internal affairs commissioner said in a statement.
Motorbike-borne gunmen kill nine in southern Iran
Assailants on motorbikes shot dead nine people, including a woman and two children, during protests in two separate attacks in southern Iran, state media said on Thursday, Nov 24. Three suspects were arrested and the hunt was on for others after Wednesday´s first attack on protesters and security forces in Izeh, said a senior judicial official in Khuzestan province.
In a separate attack four hours later in Iran´s third largest city Isfahan, two assailants on a motorcycle fired automatic weapons at Basij paramilitary force members, killing two and wounding two others, Fars news agency reported.
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.
