Bomb/ IED Blasts
The Station House Officer (SHO) of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Police Station in Khuzdar Town (Khuzdar District) of Balochistan was killed on April 27 in an explosion targeting his vehicle, reports Dawn.
Khuzdar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Fahad Khosa said that the incident took place near Jhalawan Medical College located on the National Highway. The SSP said that the SHO, identified as Sharbat Khan Umrani, was on his way to work when the bomb fitted in his vehicle exploded.
One person was killed and three others were injured in a bomb blast at a motorcycle workshop near the Ring Road in Peshawar District on May 18, reports Dawn. Police confirmed that200 grams of explosives were used in the blast.
Targetted Killings
On May 6, a Sindh Police constable, identified as Azeem Haider, was killed when unidentified armed men opened fire at him on his way back from a wedding ceremony near Surjani moor in Quaidabad area of Karachi, reports ARY News. Surjani Station House Officer (SHO) said that the Police found a purse and a mobile phone – belonging to the deceased – from the scene. On May 17, a Police Constable, identified as Darmarjan Zakha Khel was shot dead by two unidentified assailants in Bara Bazaar in Khyber District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, reports Tribune PK.
A Police Constable, identified as Shahzad Ahmad Bangalzai, was killed in an attack on a polio team on May 19, in the rural area of Kali Kariz, a suburban area of Mastung District of Balochistan, reports samaaenglish.tv. Armed men, who opened fire on a group of female workers, killed the Constable assigned to protect the anti-polio team. The members of the anti-polio team remained unharmed in the attack.
Miscellaneous
Two Army soldiers and two terrorists were killed in a gun battle in Tirah area of Khyber District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 26, reports Daily Pakistan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said that the exchange of fire occurred between the Security Forces (SFs) and militants in Tirah area. The killed soldiers were identified as Sepoy Waqas Ali Shah and Sepoy Basit Ali. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the slain terrorists.
The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) on April 26 arrested two Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, identified as Muhammad Kamal Khan and Abdul Qadir, from an undisclosed location of Karachi, reports Dawn. A spokesman for the SIU said that the arrested terrorists were involved in targeted killings and extortion. The terrorists confessed to their involvement in several crimes which they committed on the orders of TTP leadership in Afghanistan.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab Police killed two terrorists, identified as Irfanullah and Illyas and arrested three terrorists, identified as Haris, Saif and Abrar, associated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Al-Qaeda in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Lahore in Punjab Province on April 29, reports Pakistan Today. A CTD spokesperson stated that arms, a suicide jacket and ammunition were seized from their possession.
Security Forces (SFs) on May 1 killed three terrorists including a top ‘commander’ of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jabar Shah, while two of his associates were injured during Intelligence-based Operation (IBO) in Daraban area of Dera Ismail Khan District, reports Samaa TV. Jabar Shah was one of the main ‘commanders’ of TTP and was involved in multiple attacks on law enforcement agencies and polio teams. He was also found to be active in extorting money on behalf of the terrorist group.
A constable of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police’s (KP) elite force, Mohammad Ibrar Khan, was killed in Tarnab area of Peshawar in the evening of April 30, reports Dawn.
At least eight people, including five teachers, were killed in two separate incidents of attack in Upper Kurram Tehsil (revenue unit) of Kurram District on May 4, reports Geo TV.
In the first incident in Parachinar, a teacher was killed in a moving car by unidentified assailants. In the second incident, unidentified assailants shot dead seven people, including four teachers, in the staffroom of Government High School Tari Mangal. All the four teachers were at the building for performing their exam duties. Three others killed were drivers who brought construction materials to the school.
Police killed two Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist, including one ‘most wanted’ commander’, Iqbal alias Bali Khyara, who was involved in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2008, during an encounter in Fateh Moor area of Dera Ismail Khan town (Dera Ismail Khan District) on May 4, reports The Express Tribune. Weapons and explosives were recovered from the site of the encounter. Iqbal was wanted by KP and Punjab Police in 26 cases of terrorism and target killing.
On May 8, a Policeman, identified as Nasim Khan, was killed in a terrorist attack on a Police check post in Bara tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber tribal District, reports Dawn.
On May 10, a suspected suicide bomber was shot dead by Sindh Police when he was planning to attack a Chinese national in the Sukhan area of Malir District in Sindh Province, reports The Khorasan Dairy. One Police man was also injured during the exchange of fire.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on May 9 arrested a terrorist, identified as Ikramullah in Bajaur District in Malakand Division, reports Dawn.
The arrested accused was preparing a bomb and had been tasked with preparing suicide bombers for sabotage acts in the region. A hand grenade, prima cord, safety fuses, and 550 grams of explosives were also recovered from him.
On May 12, five militants were killed in a heavy exchange of fire with Security Forces (SFs) when terrorists attacked a security check post in the Hoshab area of Kech District in Balochistan Province, reports Dawn. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered.
Four suspected terrorists, identified as Salman, Malik Israr, Sher Zaman, and Sher Muhammad, associated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh were arrested by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) while carrying out 25 intelligence-based operations across the Punjab Province on May 14, reports Daily Times.
530 grams’ explosives, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), two rocket shells, seven booster shells Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG), four detonators, safety fuse wire six-feet, two prima cards, one pistol, six rounds, 26 pamphlets, 30 stickers, cell phone and PKR 24,340 were recovered from them.
Officials added that the terrorists had planned to sabotage across the Province and wanted to target important installations and other religious places.
On May 17, two terrorists were killed by Security Forces (SFs) in an Intelligence-Based Operation (IBO) in Janikhel town in the Bannu District, reports Dawn. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the terrorists, who had been actively involved in terrorist activities against SFs and civilians in the region.
Pakistan
Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to enhance counter-terror coordination
The Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi reaffirmed on May 7, their desire to pursue continuous and practical engagement and emphasised the need for enhanced coordination to counter terrorism and deepening bilateral cooperation, reports The Express Tribune. They held discussion on key issues of mutual concern, including peace and security, as well as trade and connectivity.
COAS General Syed Asim Munir meets Chinese and Afghan FMs to discuss regional security and defence cooperation
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, on May 8, met the Acting Foreign Minister (FM) of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Chinese Foreign Minister (FM) Qin Gang, separately in Islamabad Capital Territory to discuss regional security and defense cooperation, reports Daily times.
During his meeting with FM Qin Gang, the COAS reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the China-Pakistan strategic relationship and pledged full support for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. In his meeting with the FM of Afghanistan, COAS stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between the two brotherly neighbours to effectively tackle the common challenges of terrorism and extremism.
Afghanistan’s FM calls for Pakistan and TTP to hold dialogue as violence surges
Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister (FM), Amir Khan Muttaqi, on May 8, requested Pakistan and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to sit together for dialogue, during his visit to Islamabad Capital Territory, adding that the challenges faced by both countries not being different from one another, reports The News International.
He acknowledged that Pakistan has lost 80,000 lives to terrorism in the last 20 years while fighting against it. He emphasized the need for flexibility and brighter future, as well as for maintaining economic ties between the two countries. He also suggested that bilateral progress can increase ten times with Pakistan’s investment in Afghanistan’s energy reserves.
Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan arrested in graft case in Islamabad
On May 9, former Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan and current chairman of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Imran Khan, was arrested by Pakistan’s anti-corruption agency during a court appearance at Islamabad High Court in Islamabad Capital Territory on anti-graft charges, reports Dawn.
He was arrested on corruption charges related to the transfer of land for Al-Qadir University near Islamabad Capital Territory and has been accused of favouring Malik Riaz Hussain, a real estate tycoon, in exchange for the university getting land and donations, New York Times added. Section 144 has been imposed in Punjab Province and the federal capital following arrest, and Police have warned of strict action against those violating the law, Daily Pakistan adds.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa witnesses 11.9 percent decrease in terrorism incidents in April, says CTD
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province reports a significant decline of 11.9 percent in terrorism incidents during April 2023, as per the four-month progress report issued by Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), reports Tribune on May 15.
The report stated that CTD conducted 711 intelligence-based operations, resulting in the arrest of 158 terrorists and the elimination of 39 others. It added that 54 proclaimed offenders (POs) including 15 carrying head money were arrested. In 39 encounters with terrorists, 62 of them were neutralized and 53 attempts of committing terrorism were prevented through intelligence based operations.
Significant recoveries included 47 kilograms of explosives, 105 firearms, 150 hand grenades, one explosive jacket, and 2,822 cartridges.
One person killed in a suicide attack targeting JI Chief Siraj ul Haq in Balochistan
At least one person was killed and four others were wounded in a suicide attack on the convoy of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Chief Sirajul Haq in Balochistan’s Zhob District on May 19, reports The Express Tribune. “JI chief Sirajul Haq remained unharmed in the attack,” Sher Muhammad, a Police official in Zhob stated. Initial investigation suggested that it was a suicide attack, a senior security official said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Afghanistan Internal Dynamics
Taliban reacts to Vienna talks
On April 26, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid reacted to the Vienna talks, saying that officials of the former government should not promote war in Afghanistan, reports Tolo News. He further said, “It will not plunge into war and chaos again and fragment. Those who are gathered in Vienna, those are the people who have been tested once in Afghanistan and their actions are also clear for the people.”
On April 26, the participants in the second round of Vienna talks on the Taliban issued a statement calling for stronger unity among independent political, social, cultural, and other oppositional groups, reports Hasht-e Subh.
The statements read, “While we consider negotiation and a peaceful political solution to be the best option but given the non changing policies and practices of the Taliban so far, we support all forms of resistance struggle against the Taliban, including armed resistance, and will strive to expand and strengthen them.
We also ask that the international community recognize the legitimacy of all forms of resistance by the peoples of Afghanistan.” The statement adds, “We ask the United Nations and the international community to reprimand the Taliban, and to impose sanctions on those of their leaders committing systematic violations of human rights and women’s rights.”
They also called for the recognition and support of all forms of resistance against the Taliban by the international community.
Recognizing Taliban is acknowledging terrorism, says the alliance of Afghan Women’s Protest Movements
On April 29, the alliance of Afghan Women’s Protest Movements responded to the United Nation (UN) position on taking small steps towards recognizing the Taliban by saying that recognizing this group is equivalent to recognizing terrorism, reports Hasht-e Subh.
A six-article resolution issued by the alliance of Afghan Women’s Protest Movements states that the world community knows that the Taliban have taken women’s rights hostage to negotiate their recognition with the world.
In this regard, they have crossed the red line for the UN and violated all international agreements. It further says that that the Taliban are not worthy of recognition, being in government positions, or representing the Afghan people and that any interaction with this group should be avoided.
The UN should deal decisively and persistently with the Taliban’s inhumane behaviour and hostile policies, not on personal taste or case-by-case, it added.
Violence against Journalists increased by 64 percent, says AFJC
On May 2, Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) reported on the deteriorating situation of media in Afghanistan – adding violence cases against journalists have increased by 64 percent in the past year, reports The Khaama Press News Agency.
The report says that the findings of AFJC indicate that over the past 12 months (May 2022- May 2023), at least 213 incidents of violence, threats, and detention of journalists have been recorded in the country.
The violent incidents include one death, 21 injuries, six physical harassments, 115 threats, arrest of 70 journalists, out of which at least two reporters (Murtaza Behbudi and Khairullah Parhar) are still in Taliban custody. The centre has also stated that the media situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime has had a negative process – adding after the overthrow of the previous government in August 2021, roughly half of 600 media outlets have ceased operation due to economic problems and restrictions imposed by the ruling regime.
IS-KP ‘second-in-command’ killed in Afghanistan
The ‘second-in-command’ of the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP), identified as Dr. Shahabul Muhajir alias Engineer Umar, was killed in an information-based operation (IBO) carried out by Taliban fighters in Shakardara District of Kabul Province, reports The Express Tribune on May 9. He was currently working as the deputy to Sanaullah Ghafari, who governs the terror group.
Muslim world condemns Taliban’s restrictions on women’s education, says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Muslim world condemned the Taliban’s restriction on women’s education in Afghanistan, reports The Khaama Press News Agency on May 10.
He further said, “When the Taliban enacted restrictive bans on higher education for women, governments from across the Muslim world spoke up to condemn the Taliban’s decision.
They argued that the actions were inhumane and contrary to Islamic beliefs.” And “Scholars of Islamic law condemned the Taliban’s actions, too, noting that the Quran gives the right to education to women and men alike,” he added.
Bangladesh Internal Dynamics
APBn arrests four ARSA cadres in Cox’s Bazar District
The Armed Police Battalion (APBn) arrested four cadres of the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army (ARSA), identified as Mohammad Jobayer, Nur Mohammad, Jamila Begum and Bibi, during a drive on April 28 from camp no. 7 in Balukhali of Ukhiya Sub-District in Cox’s Bazar District (Chittagong Division), reports The Daily Star.
Syed Harun Rashid, Additional Deputy Inspector General of APBn-14, confirmed the arrests and said they also recovered four riffles, 57 bullets, and walkie-talkies during the drive.
Sensing the presence of APBn forces, Samih Uddin, who is the top leader of ARSA, managed to flee along with his other armed associates.
Two Ansar al-Islam operative arrested in Comilla District
Based on the information provided by Mohammad Shiblu alias Rafiqul Islam Shiblu alias Jodha of Hind (an arrested operative of Ansar al-Islam), two operatives of Ansar al-Islam, identified as Jahidur Rahman Jahid and Shahadat Hossain, were arrested by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on May 5 from Comilla District (Chittagong Division), reports The Daily Star Bangladesh.
ARSA operative beaten to death in Cox’s Bazar District
On May 7, an operative of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) was beaten to death by the local residents at a Rohingya camp in Ukhiya Sub-District of Cox’s Bazar District (Chittagong Division), reports The Daily Star. In the opening fire by ARSA operatives, three Rohingyas, identified as Ramida Khatun, Mohammad Rafiq, and Zubayer, were injured.
AL leader among three Bawms found dead in Bandarban District
Three Bawm Community persons, including a ward-level leader of the ruling Awami League (AL), identified as Nemthang Bawm, was found dead in the remote hilly area between Kaplang and Paikhyang areas of Rowangchhari Upazila (Sub-District) in Bandarban District (Chittagong Division) on May 8, reports New Age Bangladesh.
Two other deceased persons were identified as Sang Lian Bawm and Lal Lom Lian Bawm. The District Police said in a message that, based on information, they recovered those bullet-hit bodies following a ‘gun-fight’ between hill-based extremists and had launched an investigation into the incident.
JMB militant arrested in Mymensingh District
On May 8, a Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant, identified as Azizul Haque Golap, was arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Bhaluka Upazila (Sub-District) of Mymensingh District (Mymensingh Division), reports Dhaka Tribune.
He was a charge-sheeted accused in serial bomb blasts of 2005.
Rohingya man shot dead in Cox’s Bazar District
On May 11, a Rohingya man, identified as Kabir Ahmad was shot dead while another man, identified as Mohammad Rafiq, was injured in an attack by 10–12 unidentified gunmen in Palangkhali refugee camp under Ukhiya Upazila (Sub-District) in Cox’s Bazar District (Chittagong Division), reports The Daily Star.
Suspected ARSA militant killed in a gunfight with APBn in Cox’s Bazar
A suspected Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) militant was killed in a gunfight with the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) in a Rohingya camp in the Ukhiya Sub-District of Cox’s Bazar District (Chittagong Division) on May 15, reports The Daily Star. Commander of APBn-14, Additional Deputy Commissioner Syed Harun-ur-Rashid, confirmed the gunfight and said that two more suspected ARSA militants named Mamun Rashid and Abdur Rahman were arrested following the gun-fight. Additionally, two locally made firearms were recovered from their possession.
Two Army men and a civilian killed in separate incidents in Bandarban District
Two officers of the Bangladesh Army were killed and two others were injured when the separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KCNF)’s army wing, Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) and opened fire near Jarulchhari Para in Ruma Upazila (Sub-District) of Bandarban District (Chittagong Division) on May 16, reports Dhaka Tribune. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed this ambush on May 17 in a press release. A civilian, identified as Jewel Tripura, was killed and another named Abraham Tripura was injured in the landmine explosion in ward number 6 of Soulpi Para area in Ruma Upazila (Sub-District) of Bandarban District (Chittagong Division) on May 17, reports Dhaka Tribune.
Monthly Fatalities
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period April 26, 2023 to May 25, 2023:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militants | Total | |
| Assam | 03 | 00 | 01 | 04 |
| Chattisgarh | 01 | 10 | 00 | 11 |
| Jharkhand | 03 | 00 | 03 | 06 |
| Manipur | 01 | 00 | 01 | 02 |
| Total | 08 | 10 | 05 | 23 |
India Internal Dynamics
10 SF personnel and one driver killed in alleged Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh
Ten Security Force (SF) personnel of the District Reserve Guards (DRG) and a civilian driver were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by the cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) on Aranpur Road under the Aranpur Police Station limits in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh on April 26, when the DRG personnel were returning from an anti-Maoist operation, reports The Quint.
Inspector General of Bastar, P Sundarraj, said, “On inputs of presence of Maoists of Darbha division, the DRG jawans had gone on an anti-Maoist operation in Aranpur police station area, also a former stronghold of Maoist leader Hidma.
The jawans were returning from the operation when they were attacked by Maoists who had planted IEDs on Aranpur-Sameli road. In the attack, 10 Jawans and a civilian driver were martyred.”
The deceased include: three head constables – Joga Sodi, Munna Ram Kadti, and Santosh Tamo, four constables – Dulgo Mandavi, Lakhmu Markam, Joga Kawasi and Hariram Mandavi, three secret soldiers (Gopniya Sainik) – Raju Ram Kartam,
Jayram Podiyam, Jagdish Kawasi and the civilian driver, Dhaniram Yadav.
CRPF CoBRA commando on leave shot dead by armed assailants in Manipur
On May 5, armed assailants shot and killed Chonkholen Haokip, a Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) commando of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), who was on leave, in Churachandpur District in Manipur, reports India Today NE. The circumstances surrounding his death are unknown, but it is believed that intruders dressed in Police fatigues invaded his village and murdered him, according to top officials.
On May 5, an individual (Tax assistant), identified as Lunminthang Haokip, was “dragged out” of his official apartment by armed assailants and beaten to death in Imphal West District of Manipur, reports India Today NE.
‘Spying’ for Israel: Eight former Indian Navy officials face death in Qatar
Qatar has shut down Dahra Global, a company involved in submarine espionage. As many as 75 Indian nationals, the majority of whom are ex-Indian Navy personnel, have been told that their last day of work at Dahra will be 31 May, foreign media reported. A majority of these Indian nationals will have to come back to India because of employment terms and conditions and rules related to work visa that are applicable in Qatar.
Dahra Global has been in the eye of the storm since August last year after eight ex-Indian Navy personnel, working with the said company in senior positions, were detained by Qatar’s intelligence agencies. These eight Indian nationals, too, have been sacked by Dahra.
The arrested former Indian Navy officials are now facing a potential death sentence as they have been charged with spying for Israel with the Qatari authorities said to be in possession of electronic evidence in this regard. The next hearing in the case is on 3 May during which it is expected that the charges under which they have been held will be revealed.
The men were employed for a super-secret project to build Italian technology-based midget submarines with stealth characteristics. Sources aware of the developments said a new company called the “Advanced Services and Maintenance (ASM)”, whose website is https://www.advanced-sm.com/home, is in the process of taking over all the assets owned by Dahra, including office buildings, contracts and non-Indian employees.
Several persons injured as two blasts reported in Heritage Street near Golden Temple in Punjab within hours
On May 6, several people were injured in an explosion in Heritage Street, in a parking lot in front of Cafe Green Saragarhi Sarai near the Golden Temple in Amritsar District of Punjab, reports Indian Express. The cause of the blast is yet to be ascertained.
On May 8, one person was injured in a blast reported in the Heritage Street near Golden Temple in Amritsar District of Punjab, almost at the same spot where an explosion occurred on May 6, reports Times of India. The police have not confirmed the type of blast so far.
Mining officer killed by PLFI in Jharkhand
Sharat Kumar (58), the general manager of a private firm, Ritwick Private Company Ltd, an outsourcing firm, owned by Ramesh Babu, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) Member of Parliament (MP) from Andhra Pradesh, was killed by the cadres of the People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a breakaway faction of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), in Barkagaon in Hazaribagh District of Jharkhand.
On May 9, reports The Times of India. Two rebels on a motorcycle fired at him and his guard near the Barkagaon Forest Department guest house. Kumar died, while his guard Rajendra Mahato sustained serious bullet injuries in the attack.
Police Commando killed and five others injured in gunfight with Kuki militants in Manipur
One Police Commando, identified as Hiesnam Jiten Singh, was killed and five others were injured in an encounter between Security Forces (SFs) and Kuki militants in Tronglaobi Makha Leikai in Bishnupur District of Manipur on May 11, reports India Today NE. Reports indicate that two militants sustained injuries. The in-cident took place when the Manipur State Police Commandos received information that a few miscreants were hiding in a hill area. When the Police reached the spot, they were fired upon by the miscreants.
Meghalaya-based terror outfit GNLA regrouping in Nagaland and Myanmar, reveals intelligence report
According to an intelligence report, Meghalaya-based terror outfit, Meghalaya-based terror outfit Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), which has remained dormant for several years is “regrouping” and over 500 youth have been recruited and sent for training in Nagaland and Myanmar, reports indiablooms.com on May 14. The report further states that some “big shots and prominent businessmen” who are associated with the GNLA are aiding the terror outfit to regroup.
India condemns UN Special Rapporteur’s comments on Kashmir ahead of G20 meet
On May 16, India’s mission to the United Nations (UN) strongly rejected the comments made by UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, namely, Fernand de Varennes, regarding the upcoming G20 meeting in Srinagar District of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on May 22-24, 2023, calling them “baseless and unwanted”, reports Telegraph India.
Varennes has accused the G20 countries of “unwittingly” supporting the “facade of normalcy” in J&K through their scheduled participation in Srinagar.
“Human rights violations have risen dramatically in Indian-administered J&K since 2019 when the Government of India (GoI) revoked the special status of the region,” he said. He added that there is “a worrying human rights situation in the Kashmir region”. He stated further that the “direct rule” of Delhi had resulted in “massive rights violations including torture, extrajudicial killings, denial of political participation rights of Kashmiri Muslims and minorities” owing to “suspension of democratic rights and local elections”.
Sri Lanka Internal Dynamics
Easter Sunday attacks were planned by Al-Qaeda terrorists one year before, reveals Police
Police sources stated that a year before the Easter Sunday terror attacks of April 2019, some operatives of Al-Qaeda had visited Sri Lanka and planned the Easter attacks at Lacto Estate in Wanathawilluwa, Puttalam, reports Daily News on April 29.
These facts were revealed by in the further questioning which was carried out on April 21, after the main suspect of the Easter Sunday attacks Mohammad Abdullah Haq was taken to the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID), for re-interrogation.
During the interrogation, it has been revealed that five persons from Al-Qaeda visited Sri Lanka in 2018, inspected several areas and prepared plans for the attacks.
Five Police officers charge sheeted for not preventing the Easter attacks
Five senior Police officers, identified as Lalith S. Patinayake, Deshabandu Tennakoon, Sanjeeva Bandara, Sisila Kumara and Nandana Munasinghe have been char sheeted for dereliction of duty as they failed to prevent the Easter Sunday Attacks of 2019 despite receiving advance information regarding the terrorist attack, according to information from the Police Headquarters, reports Daily News.
International
Gunmen kill 14 in north Nigeria attack
Gunmen killed 14 people, including an army commander, during an attack in north central Nigeria in the latest deadly violence in the area, officials said on Thursday, April 27.
The attack happened on Tuesday in the Apa area, Benue State, where tit-for-tat clashes are common between nomadic herders and settled farmers competing for grazing, farm land and water. Paul Hemba, security adviser to Benue State government, told AFP around 10 people had been killed in Apa and troops had been sent to secure the area.
Heavy battles in Sudan despite latest truce
Fighting raged in Sudan on Friday, April28 despite rival forces agreeing to extend a truce aimed to stem nearly two weeks of warfare that has killed hundreds and caused widespread destruction.
In the war-ravaged western Darfur region, scores have been killed in days of bitter urban battles in the city of El Geneina, the United Nations says. Black clouds rose over the capital Khartoum as foreign governments scrambled to organise mass evacuations of their citizens, with Turkey ́s defence ministry reporting on Friday that one of their military transport aircraft had come under fire.
There have been multiple truce efforts since fighting broke out on April 15 between Sudan ́s army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy and fellow coup leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. All have failed.
Fighting has also spread across Sudan, especially in long-troubled Darfur, where witnesses reported intense conflict and looting.
The Darfur Bar Association, a civil society group, said fighters were “launching rockets at houses” in the West Darfur state capital, El Geneina, some 1,100-km west of Khartoum, It also reported firing from “rifles, machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons”.
UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said 96 people were reported to have been killed in El Geneina since Monday.
The UN was “concerned at the serious risk of violence escalating in West Darfur”, Shamdasani said, warning that the hostilities between the military and RSF “have triggered intercommunal violence”.
Fighting has spread “nearly all over the city” and fighters have looted and torched “markets, public buildings, aid warehouses and banks”, the Bar Association added.
It urged Burhan and Daglo to “immediately stop this foolish war that is being waged on the backs of civilians”.
The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people dead and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, and saw Bashir charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court.
Four people shot dead in Portugal
A man shot three people dead and then committed suicide on Sunday, April 30 in the Portuguese city of Setubal, about 45-km south of the capital, CNN Portugal said.
PSP police commissioner Joao Freire said that “there are four bodies, which were supposedly the result of a shooting, but the causes and details are not yet known”. The police criminal cases agency PJ was at the scene investigating, Freire said.
CNN Portugal said the shooting took place at around 8 a.m. in a poor neighbourhood of Setubal called Bairro Azul, and that the gunman committed suicide when police officers arrived on the scene.
Russian strikes kill 21 in Ukraine
Russian strikes on Ukraine ́s southern Kherson region killed 21 people and wounded dozens on Wednesday, May 05 Kyiv said, as authorities introduced a curfew in the main city of Kherson starting on Friday.
The strikes — which hit both the city and nearby villages — came as Ukraine prepares for a spring offensive.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes hit “a railway station and a crossing, a house, a hardware store, a grocery supermarket and a gas station.”
Kherson city — from which Russian forces withdrew last November — lies near the frontline in southern Ukraine. “As of now, 21 people have been killed! 48 wounded!”, Zelensky said on Telegram.
He published images of bodies and wounded people on the floor of a vegetable aisle at a supermarket, with debris around them. “The world needs to see and know this,” Zelensky said.
Kherson prosecutors had called the attack “massive”, noting 12 of the victims were killed in the city and others in nearby villages.
“On the morning of May 3, Russian troops began the massive shelling of the city of Kherson and the region ́s settlements,” the prosecutors said. Officials had earlier said three people died in a strike on Kherson ́s only working hypermarket.
Gunmen abduct 25 from church in northwest Nigeria
Gunmen attacked a Baptist church in northwest Nigeria, kidnapping 25 worshippers from a Sunday service, a senior church leader said on Monday, May 08.
The attack was the latest mass abduction in Nigeria, where insecurity is one of the top challenges facing incoming president Bola Tinubu who takes office at the end of the month.
Attackers on Sunday burst into the Bege Baptist Church in Chikun area of Kaduna State, initially abducting 40 people, though 15 later managed to get away, Reverend Joseph Hayab, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State, told AFP.
“Twenty five of them are still with them,” Hayab said, referring to the gunmen. A Kaduna police spokesman confirmed Sunday ́s attack but could not immediately give any details.
Iran hangs seven more in execution ‘spree’: rights group
Iran executed seven men in two prisons outside Tehran on drugs and rape charges on Wednesday, May 08 a rights group said, accelerating what activists describe as a hanging spree over the past two weeks.
The United Nations had warned on Tuesday of a “frighteningly” high number of executions in the country after a rare execution on Monday of two men on blasphemy charges.
Three men were executed on drug-related charges in Ghezel Hesar prison in the city of Karaj out-side Tehran, the Norway based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO said.
It added that four other men were hanged on rape charges in Rajai Shahr prison, also in Karaj.
The judiciary ́s Mizan Online website confirmed the three executions on drug charges, saying the convicts were members of a cocaine distribution cartel.
There has been no official confirmation so far of the four executions on rape charges.
IHR said the latest hangings mean Iran has seen at least 64 executions in the last 12 days alone.
“The killing machine of the government is accelerating — its goal is to intimidate the people and its victims are the weakest people in society,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam.
Campaigners accuse Iran of using the death penalty as a means to intimidate the public following weeks of protests that erupted in September last year following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for allegedly violating Iran ́s dress rules for women.
33 civilians killed in Burkina Faso ‘terrorist’ attack
At least 33 people were killed when gunmen opened fire on vegetable farmers in a jihadist-hit region of Burkina Faso, the governor said Saturday, May 20 as the country struggles to stem an insurgency.
A state of emergency has been in force in eight of Burkina Faso ́s 13 regions since March, including in western Boucle du Mouhoun.
The attack on the farmers happened on Thursday evening around 5:00 pm (1700 GMT), Governor Babo Pierre Bassinga said in a statement.
Thursday’s attack comes just days after a senior official from the Boucle du Mouhoun region was found dead in the forest. Amadou Kabore, the prefect — the highest representative of the state — was found dead after he had been abducted at gunpoint when his car was stopped by armed men, according to locals.
Air strikes, artillery duels shake Khartoum; Qatar embassy attacked
Air strikes and artillery exchanges shook the Sudanese capital Saturday, May 20 and armed men ransacked the Qatari embassy as the country’s warring generals kept up their struggle for control.
Khartoum residents told AFP that heavy fighting raged despite repeated international calls for a humanitarian truce.
The area around the state television building in Khartoum’s sister city Omdurman was one of the sites bombarded, witnesses said.
The power struggle between regular army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), erupted into fighting on April 15.
The conflict has killed hundreds of people, most of them civilians, and displaced more than one million.
The United Nations has warned of a fast-deteriorating humanitarian situation in Africa ́s third-largest country, where one in three people already relied on aid before the war.
On Friday, Burhan sacked Daglo, giving his title of vice president of the ruling Sovereign Council to former rebel leader Malik Agar, and appointed three allies to top jobs in the military.
Fighting rages in Sudan’s capital as truce deadline nears
Gunfire and explosions rocked Sudan ́s capital on Monday, May 22 hours before a one-week humanitarian ceasefire was to take effect after a series of previous truce announcements were all violated.
The United States and Saudi Arabia on Sunday announced that the ceasefire agreed between the rival camps would take effect at 9:45 pm (1945 GMT) Monday to enable humanitarian assistance to civilians.
Unlike truces previously announced, the US and Saudi said this one is different because it was “signed by the parties” and will be supported by a “ceasefire monitoring mechanism”.
Desperate residents voiced hope that the new agreement would stem the brutal warfare that has shaken the capital Khartoum and other parts of the impoverished country, particularly the western Darfur region.
Fighting erupted on April 15 between the army, led by Sudan ́s de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by Burhan ́s former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The two sides on Sunday affirmed that they would respect the ceasefire, which was welcomed by the United Nations, African Union and East African bloc IGAD.
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.
