Suicide Bombing
At least 22 Security Forces (SFs) personnel were injured when a suicide bomber on a motorbike targeted a convoy in the Chehkan area under Sadar Police Station in Dera Ismail Khan District on May 27, reports Dawn. The convoy was en route to Minza area in South Waziristan District when it came under attack.
Bomb blasts
Two persons were killed in a remote-controlled bomb blast in the Momand area of Bajaur District, reports Dawn on June 3. The explosion, which occurred on Ter Bandgai Road in Bajaur District, specifically targeted a vehicle transporting sand to a security check post, leading authorities to suspect that it was intended for the Security Forces (SFs). The driver was killed instantly, and the injured contractor, identified as Gul Azam, later succumbed to his injuries.
At least four people were killed while eight sustained injuries in a blast near Shara-e-Iqbal of Bukhari Centre in Quetta, on June 5, reports ARY News. According to Police, the explosion occurred when the vehicle of the Superintendent of Police (SP) investigation Saddar was passing by. However, the SP investigation Saddar was not in his vehicle when the explosion took place. Several vehicles were also damaged as a result of the explosion.
Unidentified terrorists hurled a hand grenade at Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)’s squad in Dera Murad Jamali town of Nasirabad District in Balochistan on June 8, reports ARY News. SSP Nasirabad Hussain Lehri was coming back from a routine patrol along with his squad when the hand grenade exploded but no one was injured. Terrorists fled the spot before hurling a hand grenade near the vehicle of the Police squad.
Two persons were killed in a landmine blast on Barkhan link road in Barkhan town (Barkhan District) of Balochistan on June 13, reports Dawn. Police said miscreants planted a landmine on Barkhan link road that went off when two persons stepped on it while passing through the area. “The bodies of both victims blew up and were beyond identification,” Police said. One of them was identified as Mado Khan through his ID card found at the blast site.
Targetted Killings
The bullet-riddled bodies of three persons were recovered by the Police on June 13 from Qaboi, a tourist place, in Mach tehsil (revenue unit) of Kacchi District, reports ARY News. The identification of the bodies yet to be ascertained. However, the Station House Officer of Mach Police Station said the slain persons were residents of Mangchar.
Miscellaneous
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on May 27 neutralised a major terrorist attack in Hyderabad District and arrested a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist, identified as Taj alias Khalid alias Hafiz Pathan, reports ARY News. Hand grenades and detonator rod were recovered from the possession of the terrorist.
Five Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were injured when militants opened fire on their vehicle at Do Jangi area in Bara tehsil District in the morning of May 27, reports Dawn. The militants attacked a patrolling team of FC’s 163 wing with automatic rifles near Do Jangi area.
A soldier was killed when terrorists fired on the members of a polio team, employed in Spinwarm area of North Waziristan District on May 31, reports Geo TV. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), terrorists fired on the members of a polio team to disrupt the ongoing polio campaign in the North Waziristan District.
A Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ‘commander’ of the Gandapur chapter was killed during a joint operation carried out by Security Forces (SFs), comprising of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), intelligence agencies, and the District police, in Kot Essa village under the jurisdiction of the Daraband Police Station in Dera Ismail Khan District on May 31, reports Dawn.
Police on May 31 shot dead an unidentified militant during an encounter in Spainkay area of Mardan District, reports Dawn.
Two soldiers were killed in terrorist attack on border checkpost along Pakistan-Iran border in Singwan area of Kech District in Balochistan on June 1, reports Geo TV. A group of terrorists targeted the Security Forces’ post, but they were pushed back as the deployed troops were alert.
Two terrorists were killed by Security Forces (SFs) in an exchange of fire in Dossali area of North Waziristan District on June 2, reports Geo TV. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), once the fire exchange took place the troops “effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and sealed all possible escape routes”.
Two Policemen were killed as unidentified assailants opened fire at them near Sabzi Mandi in Mingora town of Swat District on June 8, reports ARY News. The attackers managed to flee the scene.
One terrorist was killed while two others were injured in an exchange of fire with the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Security Forces (SFs) in the Mattani area of Peshawar on June 7, reports The Express Tribune. The Peshawar CTD Police and SFs jointly raided the terrorists’ compound after which they opened fire on the police. In the retaliatory fire, one terrorist was killed while two were injured whereas their three accomplices managed to escape taking advantage of darkness.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on June 8 arrested one Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist, identified as Ghulam Nabi, during a raid in Rehri Goth area located in Ibrahim Hyderi of Karachi, reports ARY News. The terrorist confessed to collecting funds for the TTP via social media. Receipts of the donations also recovered from the arrested. The initial integration revealed that the TTP operative was to visit Afghanistan for training.
Three soldiers and three terrorists were killed while four other terrorists were injured during a clash in Miranshah area of North Waziristan District in the night of June 9, reports Dawn. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists,” a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) read. The dead soldiers were identified as Subedar Asghar Ali (40), Sepoy Naseem Khan (26) and Sepoy Muhammad Zaman (22).
A Policeman, identified as Constable Umar Ali, was killed when unidentified assailants opened fire at Khanqah Police check post in Safi tehsil (revenue unit) of Mohmand District in the night of June 9, reports Dawn.
One terrorist was killed and two others injured in an exchange of fire that took place between Security Forces (SFs) and the terrorists in Spinwarm area of North Waziristan District on June 12, reports Geo TV.
Four Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) terrorists, including a ‘commander’, were killed in an exchange of fire during an operation conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) at Gohri Kaul area, close to the Pak-Afghan border, in Quetta District, on June 14, reports Dawn.
Security Forces (SFs) gunned down a most wanted Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ‘commander’ among three terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Dara Adam Khel area (Dara Adam Khel District) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the night of June 16, reports Geo TV. According to SF sources, TTP ‘commander’ Zafar Khan alias Zafari accompanied by two of his associates were killed in the IBO.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested one Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) cadre during an operation in Sadar area of Dera Ghazi Khan town (Dera Ghazi Khan District) in Punjab on June 18, reports Daily Times.
Two soldiers were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Spinwarm area of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on June 20, reports ARY News. According to Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR), two soldiers were identified as Sepoy Gul Rauf and Sepoy Abid Ullah.
PAKISTAN
Terror attacks increased in Pakistan after Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, says PIPS report
According to the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) report, the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan has seen a phenomenal surge of 73pc during the first 21 months since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, compared to the corresponding period before their takeover, reports Dawn.
Overall, incidents of terrorist violence have significantly increased inside Pakistan since August 15, 2021 when the Taliban took control of Kabul. The number of people killed in the attacks in Pakistan from August 2021 to April 2023 (21 months) has also increased by 138pc. These are some of the key findings of the policy-oriented report titled ‘Pakistan’s Afghan Perspective and Policy Options’, launched by PIPS at Islamabad. The report, which comprises significant recommendations for policymakers, is the final outcome of extensive monitoring, research and analyses, and eight expert consultations the think tank has conducted since July 2021.
The report also says that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan have witnessed a marked impact of the Afghan situation in terms of terrorist violence, where the number of attacks during these 21 months surged by 92pc and 81pc, respectively. However, the number of terrorist attacks in Punjab, Sindh and Islamabad Capital Territory has posted a relative decline since the Taliban takeover as compared to corresponding 21 months pre-August 2021. The report warns that these emerging trends of terrorism will only add to Pakistan’s persistent security challenge in terms of Taliban militancy in KP and the erstwhile tribal areas, Baloch nationalist insurgency in Balochistan, ethno-nationalist violence in Sindh, as well as growing religious extremism and radicalism. “Protracted over a longer period of time, such an environment of insecurity, militancy, and violence can pose serious threats to political and economic stability as well,” it states.
Six terrorists arrested along with arms and ammunitions during raids across Punjab
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on June 3, arrested six suspected terrorists belonging to different banned outfits during operations in different areas of Punjab, reports Dawn. According to the CTD Spokesman, the CTD conducted 39 intelligence based operations (IBOs) in different Districts of the Province, interrogating 40 suspects and arresting six terrorists allegedly affiliated with different banned outfits, recovering weapons, explosives and other prohibited materials from them. Those arrested were identified as Shoaib Rafiq, a cadre of Hizb-e-Tahrir, Muhammad Baqir Mehndi, a cadre of Sipah Muhammad Pakistan, two cadres of the Baloch Liberation Army – Zahir Shah and Muhammad Shahzad, Muhammad Afzal, a cadre of Jama’at-ul-Ahrar, and Asif, a member of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). At least 415 grams of explosive material, one hand grenade, one improvised explosive device (IED bomb), six detonators, six feet safety fuse wire, two feet Prima Card, four prohibited books, 31 pamphlets of banned outfits, nine stickers, two flags, a receipt book, three mobile phones and PKR 49,680 in cash have been recovered from the terrorists.
Two suspects involved in TTP funding arrested in separate incidents from Karachi
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) along with other Security agencies on June 13, arrested two suspects involved in the funding of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during operations carried out in New Karachi Industrial area and Sher Shah area of Karachi, reports ARY News. A spokesperson for the CTD stated that the suspects were apprehended during an intelligence-based operations (IBO), and a total of PKR 40,900 was recovered from their possession. The accused, Fazal Rahman was arrested from New Karachi, while Rahim Afridi was apprehended from Sher Shah. According to the CTD spokesperson, the suspects were sent by their ‘commander’, Saifullah alias Gullai, for the purpose to collect and sent funding.
TTP announces establishment of two new administrative units
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in a statement, announced the establishment of two new administrative units – North Punjab, headed by Syed Hilal Ghazi and South Punjab, headed by Muhammad Umar Muawiya, tweets The Khorasan Diary on June 15. With this, TTP now counts a total of 12 administrative units in Pakistan: 7 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP); 1 in Gilgit-Baltistan; 2 in Balochistan; and 2 in Punjab.
Afghanistan – Internal Dynamics
Taliban continue to intensify repressing women and girls, says HRW
On May 31, Heather Barr, interim co-director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Twitter that on the one hand, the Taliban are persistently pleading for recognition and inflow of international aid, on the other hand, they continue to intensify repressing Afghan women and girls, reports The Khaama Press News Agency. She further said, “I don’t think it’s a new willingness—just new to see Akhundzada. The Taliban have always been keen, since Aug 21, to press their demands—for engagement, aid, recognition, congratulations. Parallel to these talks their crackdown on women/girls has steadily continued & deepened.”
Taliban ‘acting governor’ among two killed in ISKP orchestrated suicide bomb blast in Badakhshan Province
Taliban ‘acting governor’, Mawlavi Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi and his driver were killed and six others were injured in an Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) orchestrated suicide bomb blast in Badakhshan Province on June 6, reports The Khaama Press News Agency. This blast occurred at 8:15 a.m. when the Ahmadi’s vehicle was on its way to a court in Faizabad, the provincial capital.
Taliban senior ‘commander’ among 16 killed in a bomb blast in Badakhshan Province
On June 8, a Taliban senior ‘commander’ of Badakhshan identified as Mawlawi Safiullah and 15 others were killed in a bomb blast at 10:50 a.m. inside the Nabawi Mosque in the provincial capital Faiz Abad, reports Hasht-e Subh Daily. The number of injured people is yet unknown.No individual or group has claimed responsibility for this blast so far.
Taliban have committed the ‘war crime’, says Amnesty International
In a report published on June 8, Amnesty International said that the Taliban have committed the ‘war crime’ of collective punishment against civilians in Panjshir Province, reports Tolo News. This report further said, “Civilians targeted with torture and unlawful killings; detainees subjected to extrajudicial executions; mass arbitrary arrests and detention intended to intimidate the local population. Thousands of people are being swept up in the Taliban’s continued oppression.” Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, said that “in Panjshir, the Taliban’s cruel tactic of targeting civilians due to suspicion of their affiliation with the National Resistance Front (NRF) is causing widespread misery and fear.”
IS-KP in Afghanistan gets ‘external support’, says Maria Zakharova, the Spokesperson of Russian Foreign Ministry
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on June 16 that the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS-KP) seeks to undermine security and stability in the country and its neighbouring countries, while relying on external support, reports Tolo News. He further said, “IS-KP is clearly encouraged by external forces; IS-KP members themselves have confirmed that the terrorist group receives funds from foreign intelligence agencies and that there are foreign terrorists among its fighters.”
Restrictions on Afghan women and girls should be removed, says UNHCR
On June 19, representatives from several countries at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) criticized the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and urged the Taliban administration to remove the gender-based restrictions on women and girls, reports The Khaama Press News Agency. Rina Amiri, the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, said, “The US condemns the Taliban’s systematic discrimination against women and girls and stands with the people of Afghanistan to fight for human rights and dignity.” And she warned that if the international community does not take action against women’s rights violations in Afghanistan, women’s rights will be endangered everywhere else.
On the opening day of the UNHCR’s summer session (53rd session) on June 19, UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett said that grave, systematic, and institutionalised discrimination against women and girls is at the heart of Taliban ideology and rule, which also gives rise to concerns that they may be responsible for gender apartheid, reports The Khaama Press News Agency. He further said that “we have pointed to the need for more exploration of gender apartheid, which is not currently an international crime but could become so.”
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
Army soldier killed in IED explosion in Bandarban District
On June 1, an Army soldier, identified as Tujam, was killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion when an Army patrol team occupied a secret training camp and headquarters of the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in the Thepi para-area of Ruma Upazila (Sub-District) in Bandarban Division (Chittagong Division), reports The Daily Star. Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release that potential IEDs are being identified and deactivated by the army’s specialized team for the safety of the general public.
UN experts condemn cut in Rohingya food rations
On June 1, the United Nations (UN) condemned a second cut in food rations for Rohingyas in Bangladesh effective today, after a funding shortfall of USD 56 million compelled the World Food Programme (WFP) to enforce the cuts, reports Dhaka Tribune. The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioners said that the cuts will reduce the value of rations provided to Rohingya refugees to USD 8 per month, or 27 cents per day. And this move follows an earlier reduction implemented in March 2023 from US$12 per month to US$10 per month.
Rohingya man shot dead in Cox’s Bazar
On June 2, a Rohingya man, identified as Mohammad Rdwan, was shot dead and another, named Ayas, was injured in an attack by some identified gunmen in Ukhiya Upazila (Sub-District) in Cox’s Bazar District (Chittagong Division), reports Dhaka Tribune. An Armed Police Battalion (APBn) official said that miscreants had carried out the attack to establish dominance in the camp.
Rohingya man killed in ARSA-RSO gunfight in Cox’s Bazar District
A 35-year-old man, identified as Bashir Ullah of Ukhiya Rohingya Camp-10 was killed in a gunfight between two groups at H/32 block of Ukhiya Rohingya refugee Camp-10 in Cox’s Bazar District on June 13, reports The Financial Express. Sheikh Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Ukhiya Police Station, said a gunfight broke out between ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) and RSO (Rohingya Solidarity Organization) terrorist groups in which he died.
One Bangladesh Army soldier killed in IED explosion in Bandarban District
On June 17, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that a Bangladesh Army soldier identified as Monnaf Hossain Raju was killed and another identified as Mohammed Rezaul was injured in an Impoverished Explosive Device (IED) explosion planted by Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) militants in Ruma upazila (sub-District) of Bandarban District in Chittagong Division, reports The Dhaka Tribune.
Rohingya leader shot dead inside camp in Cox’s Bazar District
Unidentified assailants shot dead a Rohingya community leader (sub-Majhi), identified as Noor Hossain Bhutto in 9D block at camp-2 in Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhiya sub-District of Cox’s Bazar District on June 17, reports The Daily Star. “Some 10-12 criminals attacked Noor when he was talking to other Rohingyas in front of his house. They opened fire targeting Noor and left the place immediately,” said Saiful Islam, Inspector (investigation) of Ukhiya Police Station. At least 48 Rohingyas, including 16 Majhis, 11 (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) ARSA militants and a volunteer were killed in clashes or gunfights in the last six months in Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar.
India – Internal Dynamics
10 more persons killed in last 24 hours in renewed ethnic violence in Manipur
10 more persons were killed in the last 24 hours in renewed ethnic violence in Manipur, The Times of India reports on May 30. According to NDTV, an official statement from the Indian Army said, “25 armed men who were allegedly planning to carry out an attack on security forces in Imphal’s East District in Manipur have been caught and weapons recovered from them by Army’s multiple Mobile Vehicle Check Posts (MVCP). Five 12 bore double barrel rifles, three single-barrel rifles, one country-made weapon with double bore and one muzzle-loaded weapon were recovered”. Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah arrived in Manipur on May 29 on a four-day visit to review the security situation amid the escalating violence in the State.
16 people injured in attack by KNF militants in Manipur
On June 2, heavily armed Kuki militants attacked several villages in Senapati, Imphal West and Bishnupur Districts using sophisticated weapons, two-inch mortars and lethal bombs, injuring 16 people, reports The Sangai Express. This led to a fierce gun battle between the militants on one side and Imphal West commandos and Manipur Rifles (MR) personnel on the other. Later, the commandos and the MR personnel, somehow, pushed back the militants to the nearby hills.
One BSF trooper killed in Manipur
On June 6, an unidentified jawan (trooper) of the Border Security Force (BSF) was killed while two Assam Rifles personnel (unidentified) sustained gunshot wounds in Manipur’s Serou area in Thoubal District in Manipur in firing between Security Forces (SFs) and a group of insurgents, reports India Today NE.
Huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered in Mizoram
On June 9, Assam Rifles recovered 850 ammunitions from Zotlang area of Champhai District in Mizoram, reports India Today NE. An official statement from Assam Rifles said, ”During the operation, 851 rounds of 7.62mm Amn were recovered (from a vehicle plying from Zokhawthar to Aizawl) which were hidden under the driver seat tactically concealed inside a black polythene bag, suspected to be moving from across the border towards Manipur.”
New militant outfit ‘Boro Liberation Army’ formed in BTR in Assam
A new militant outfit calling itself the Boro Liberation Army (BLA) emerged in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) of Assam with the demand for a separate state of ‘Bodoland’, Northeast Now reports on June 11. The core members of the outfit are B Dwidengra (President), B Rwngwra (Vice President), B Ankhlai (Army chief) and B Bwkhangsa (General Secretary). The newly formed outfit proclaimed that it came into existence on February 1, 2023.
Two persons including a Policeman killed in separate incidents in Chhattisgarh
A 45-year-old man, identified as Dhurva Dharmaiyya, was allegedly abducted from his house and killed by Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on June 19, reports The Print. A pamphlet was recovered from the scene, in which Maoists have claimed that the victim was acting as a ‘police informer’.
Suspected Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres killed assistant constable Sanjay Kumar Vedja, who was on medical leave, at Patakutru village under Kutru Police Station area in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on June 19, reports Hindustan Times. Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sundarraj P said that Vedja, posted at Bhadrakali Police Station, was attached to the Police reserve centre in Bijapur town.
Monthly Fatalities:
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period May 26, 2023 to June 25, 2023:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militants | Total | |
| Assam | 03 | 01 | 02 | 06 |
| Chattisgarh | 01 | 00 | 01 | 02 |
| Manipur | 03 | 01 | 03 | 07 |
| Total | 07 | 02 | 06 | 15 |
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Supreme Court issues show cause notice against Dahal and Bhattarai over use of child combatants
The Supreme Court of Nepal has issued a show cause notice against Prime Minister (PM), Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda and former PM, Baburam Bhattarai over the use of children in the 1996-2006 Maoist insurgency, reports The Kathmandu Post on June 14.
A single bench of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla asked Dahal and Bhattarai, the then ‘supreme commander’ of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) combatants and the chief of “people’s government,” respectively, to furnish in writing whether they recruited child soldiers.
“The defendants have 15 days to respond to the court,” Bimal Poudel, the court spokesman, said. The bench also directed the court administration to give priority to the case in the hearing process.
The court, however, refused to issue an interim order against Dahal and Bhattarai. The petitioners had demanded an interim order to recognise them as child combatants and provide them with reparation, compensation and justice. They also had demanded an order to suspend Dahal from his prime ministerial responsibilities until the final verdict.
INTERNATIONAL
Moscow orders hundreds of Germans to leave country
Hundreds of civil servants and local employees working for German institutions in Russia will need to leave the country or lose their jobs in the coming days following an order by Moscow, Germany’s foreign ministry said Saturday, May 28, 2023.
Starting from June, Russia will slash the number of people that Germany can employ in its embassies or institutions in Russia in the education and cultural sectors, the ministry said. Several hundred people are affected, including officials from the embassy and consulate, but mostly employees of the Goethe cultural institute in the country, German schools, nurseries and teachers working in Russian schools, it added.
Both German and local Russian employees are affected, the ministry said, without giving precise figures on each category of staff. German employees will have to quit the country by June 1.
The news was first revealed on Saturday in the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, which spoke of a “diplomatic declaration of war by Moscow” against Berlin. “This is a unilateral, unjustified and incomprehensible decision,” the German foreign ministry said in a statement.
A close economic partner with Russia before Moscow invaded Ukraine, Germany has since moved away from Moscow, financially and militarily supporting Kyiv in the conflict. Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, Russian espionage in Germany has grown at a rate rarely equalled in recent years, according to German security services.
In mid-April, Germany expelled a number of Russian diplomats “to reduce the presence of intelligence services” which prompted a tit-for-tat response from Moscow which booted out some 20 German embassy staff.
The Russian foreign ministry in April set a ceiling for the number of German diplomats and representatives of public organisations allowed to stay in Russia or be employed by German institutions, the German foreign ministry said.
Governor of war-torn Sudan’s Darfur region issues call to arms
The governor of war-torn Sudan´s western Darfur region, Mini Minawi, on Sunday, May 29 called on citizens there to “take up arms”, six weeks into the brutal conflict. Much of the heaviest fighting has raged in the capital Khartoum and in Darfur, near the border with Chad, since the conflict erupted on April 15.
Minawi, a former rebel leader, has voiced support for the national army in its battle against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. “There are many who do not wish for the safety or rights of citizens and deliberately sabotage national institutions,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I call on all our honourable citizens, the people of Darfur, old and young, men and women, to take up arms to protect their property.” Darfur has already suffered decades of turmoil that has left hundreds of thousands dead, more than two million displaced and the region flooded with weapons.
The war there, which began in 2003, saw Sudan´s then president Omar al-Bashir unleash the feared Janjaweed militia to crush a rebellion among ethnic minority groups. The Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo and now at war with the Sudanese army, traces its origins to the Janjaweed. Darfur has seen some of the worst of current fighting, with hundreds of civilians killed, markets burned and rampant looting of health and aid facilities.
Iran executions in May highest since 2015: rights group
Iran has executed over 300 people this year, with the rate in May during the current surge in hangings the highest monthly figure in the country since 2015, a rights group said on Thursday, June 01, 2023. Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said at least 307 people have been executed in 2023, a rise of over 75 percent compared to the same period last year. At least 142 people were executed in May, the highest monthly figure since 2015, meaning an average of over four people were hanged every day last month in the Islamic Republic, it added.
Campaigners accuse Iran of stepping up executions to strike fear into the population as the leadership moves to quell the protest movement that erupted in September. Seven men have been hanged in cases related to the protests but activists say executions have surged in less high profile cases, particularly over drug and murder convictions, with ethnic minorities disproportionately targeted.
“The purpose of the Islamic Republic´s intensification of arbitrary executions is to spread societal fear to prevent protests and prolong its rule,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam
“If the international community doesn´t show a stronger reaction to the current wave of executions, hundreds more will fall victim to their killing machine in the coming months.” It said 59 percent of those hanged this year — 180 people — were executed for drug-related charges. Over 20 percent of those executed in May — 30 people — were from the largely Sunni Baluch minority concentrated in the southeast of the country, it added. The protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly flouting Iran´s dress rules for women, have abated somewhat in the last months but still continue sporadically.
Three Israeli soldiers, Egypt security man killed in rare border shooting
Three Israeli soldiers and a member of Egypt’s security forces were killed Saturday June 03 in a rare exchange of fire near the border between the two countries, official sources from both sides said. The Israeli army said an Egyptian assailant shot dead two soldiers “in the early morning… while they secured a military post at the Egyptian border” on Mount Harif, near the town of Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev desert.The discovery of their bodies triggered a manhunt during which the third soldier was killed.
An army statement identified the assailant as an Egyptian policeman, saying he was killed by Israeli troops after being found “in Israeli territory”. The statement said an investigation was being carried out “in full cooperation with the Egyptian army”. A fourth Israeli soldier, a non-commissioned officer, was lightly wounded and evacuated to hospital, the military added.
An Egyptian army spokesman said “a member of the security forces… chased drug smugglers. During the chase, the security agent crossed the security fence (border)” and an exchange of fire took place. Egypt was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel following the Camp David accords of 1978, though there remains widespread popular opposition towards normalisation in Egypt. Their shared border is largely peaceful, despite an insurgency in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and occasional exchanges of fire between drug smugglers and Israeli forces.
Death toll rises to 15 in Senegal
Tensions remained high in Senegal on Saturday, June 03 after fresh overnight clashes brought the death toll to 15 in the two days since a court convicted opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. Sonko’s ongoing legal woes have prompted rare flare-ups of violence in Senegal, typically a bastion of stability in West Africa, and foreign allies have urged a return to calm.
Sonko, a 48-year-old former tax inspector, was initially charged with rape but was convicted on a lesser charge of morally “corrupting” a young woman and sentenced to two years in prison. He claims the charges against him were a bid by the government to torpedo his political career ahead of the presidential election next year. His conviction may take him out of the running for the 2024 poll.
Clashes between Sonko´s supporters and police broke out after the ruling on Thursday, leaving nine people dead. Shops and businesses were ransacked. The army was deployed to the streets but fresh scuffles erupted on Friday night in parts of the capital, Dakar, and in Ziguinchor.
Uganda says 54 peacekeepers killed in Somalia attack
Some 54 Ugandan peacekeepers died when militants besieged an African Union base in Somalia last week, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said, in one of the worst recent attacks by Al-Shabaab jihadists. “We discovered the lifeless bodies of 54 fallen soldiers, including a commander,” Museveni said in a post on his official Twitter account late on Saturday, June 03. Al-Shabaab, which has been waging a deadly insurgency against Somalia´s fragile central government for more than a decade, claimed responsibility for the attack on May 26, saying it had overrun the base. The militants drove a car laden with explosives into the base in Bulo Marer, 120-km southwest of the capital Mogadishu, leading to a gunfight, local residents and a Somali military commander told AFP. The toll is one of the heaviest yet since pro-government forces backed by the AU force known as ATMIS launched an offensive last August against Al-Shabaab. It was also a rare admission of a major death toll among the military.
At least 30 killed in Nigeria
Armed men killed 30 people in weekend raids on six villages in Nigeria’s north, a region regularly hit by criminal violence and clashes between communities, local police have said. The bloodshed is the latest outbreak of inter-communal violence which the country’s newly sworn-in president has said will be a priority to combat. Attackers on motorcycles “killed eight people in Raka, seven in Bilingawa, six in Jaba, four in Dabagi, three in Raka Dutse and two in Tsalewa villages,” Ahmad Rufai, Sokoto police spokesman said in a statement received Monday, June 05.
30 arrested for ‘attempted coup’ in Kyrgyzstan
More than 30 people accused of a coup plot have been arrested in Kyrgyzstan, the national security service said on Tuesday, June 06. The impoverished Central Asian country with ties to Russia and China has seen three presidents resign over political crises fuelled by corruption, nepotism and disputed votes since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The GKNB state security agency said it dismantled the preparations of a group of people planning to organise riots “in order to seize power by force”, adding that more than 30 people were arrested on Monday. The arrests come just days after a visit to Kyrgyzstan by European Council President Charles Michel, during which President Sadyr Japarov pledged his “readiness to work hand in hand with the European Union”.
22 killed in ordnance blast in Somalia
22 people, including two children, died in southern Somalia when mortar shells exploded, a local district official said on Friday, June 09. Abdi Ahmed Ali told a press conference that a blast “caused by unexploded mortar shells” occurred near the town of Qoryoley, around 120-km south of the capital, Mogadishu. He requested help from the authorities to clear unexploded ordnance he said was scattered across the region in order to avoid further disasters. Qoryoley resident Ibrahim Hassan told AFP most of the victims were “young children” who “died on the spot after one of them struck an explosive device near a playground”. The region is a target of Islamist rebel group Al-Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency against the internationally backed Somali federal government since 2007. Last month, the group affiliated with al-Qaeda killed 54 Ugandan peacekeepers in an attack on an African Union base in Bulo Marer, a town around 30-km from Qoryoley. The movement has been driven out of Somalia´s main towns and cities but retains power in large swathes of rural areas, carrying out attacks against security and civilian targets.
Gunmen kill 23 in central Nigeria state
Gunmen killed at least 23 people in separate attacks in central Nigeria, police said on Tuesday, June 13 in the latest violence in an area struggling with clashes between herders and local farmers.
Plateau State, sitting on the dividing line between Nigeria´s mostly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, has seen a surge in tit-for-tat attacks in recent months. Two cattle herders were killed on Sunday before 21 farmers were killed in attacks later in several villages, Plateau State police spokesman Alfred Alabo told AFP. “The two herders were killed first while the second attacks were launched later in the night,” he said.
ISIS-backed militant attack leaves 41 dead at Ugandan school
Militants linked to the Islamic State group massacred at least 41 people, mostly students, in western Uganda, in the country’s deadliest such attack in over a decade, officials said Saturday, June 17.
The military said it was pursuing the attackers from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who also abducted six people during a raid on a school late Friday before fleeing back towards the Democratic Republic of Congo. Officials and witnesses said guns and knives were used in a grisly late-night assault and dormitories set ablaze at Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe.
Police and army officials blamed the ADF, one of the deadliest militias over the border in DR Congo´s strife-torn east, which the Islamic State group has called its local offshoot. Sylvester Mapozi, the town council mayor of Mpondwe-Lhubiriha where the attack occurred, said 39 students were killed at the school.
Uganda Peoples´ Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesman Felix Kulayigye said the six kidnapped were taken towards Virunga National Park, a vast expanse which straddles the border. “UPDF embarked on pursuing the perpetrators to rescue the abducted students.” Police have not released details about the victims´ ages or how many were students.
Outside the school, heavily armed soldiers and police stood guard, where a large crowd gathered and distraught survivors were comforted by loved ones. It is the deadliest attack in Uganda since twin bombings in Kampala in 2010 killed 76 in a strike claimed by the Somalia-based Al-Shabaab group.
Major General Dick Olum told AFP that intelligence suggested the presence of the ADF in the area at least two days before the attack, and an investigation would be needed to establish what went wrong.
He said it appeared the attackers had detailed information about the school.
Three killed in Israel West Bank drone strike as violence escalates
Israel´s military on Wednesday, June 21 killed three members of a “terrorist cell” in a rare West Bank drone strike, the army said, as violence there escalates with at least 13 Palestinians and four Israelis dead this week.
The army announced the strike after a Palestinian man was killed earlier on Wednesday in an occupied West Bank village attacked by hundreds of Israelis.
Intelligence led Israel Defence Forces (IDF) personnel to identify the cell “inside a suspicious vehicle, after the cell carried out a shooting adjacent to the town of Jalamah”, near Jenin in the northern West Bank, an army statement said.
“Following the identification of the terrorist cell, an IDF UAV fired toward the cell and thwarted them.” A similar strike had not been carried out since 2005, a Palestinian intelligence source told AFP.
Kamal Abu al-Roub, deputy Jenin governor, said there were “three dismembered bodies inside” the car which he said had been hit by missiles. Roub cited information from firefighters sent to extinguish a blaze which engulfed the vehicle.
Earlier, residents of Turmus Ayya put the number of Israeli settlers involved in the attack on their village at between 200 and 300, while AFP journalists saw scorched homes, buildings and wounded people being evacuated by ambulance.
The reprisals came hours after mourners held a funeral for a teenager killed in a Palestinian shooting targeting Israelis nearby.
“Settlers shot at us and when the police and the Israeli army arrived they shot at us with rubber bullets and fired tear gas,” resident Awad Abu Samra said.
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.
