Suicide Bombings
At least 54 people, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), were killed while 100 others were injured in a suicide blast near a 12th Rabiul Awwal procession near Madina Masjid at Alfalah Road in Mastung town (Mastung District) on September 29, reports Dawn.
The explosion took place when people were gathering for an Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi procession near Madina Masjid.
The dead DSP was identified as Nawaz Gishkori. No outfit has so far claimed responsibility; however, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has denied its involvement.
At least five people were killed while 12 others sustained injuries when two suicide blasts targeted a mosque located inside the premises of the Doaba Police Station in Hangu District on September 29, reports Dawn.
According to KP Interim Information Minister Feroze Jamal, two suicide bombers, traveling in a vehicle, managed to reach the mosque but were met with resistance by the Police officers stationed at the mosque entrance.
One of the attackers was killed in a shootout with the Police outside the mosque, while the other managed to penetrate the worship place and explode.
Two Police officers were also injured during the exchange of fire. Hangu District Police Officer (DPO) Nisar Ahmed said the second blast took place during the Friday sermon.
Bomb blasts/IEDs
Nine members of a family, including five children, were killed and two others injured when a rocket shell went off inside their house at Bangi Khan village in Mehwal Shah area of Kandhkot tehsil (revenue unit) in Kashmore District of Sindh on September 27, reports Dawn.
According to preliminary reports, some children were out grazing cattle when they found a live rocket shell. They brought it home, where it went off, causing casualties.
Unidentified assailants carried out a grenade attack on the vehicle of a Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) in Sateen area of Kurram District on September 27, reports ARY News.
However, DSP along with six Policemen escaped unhurt in the grenade attack. The assailants managed to flee from the scene.
A Policeman was killed and another Policeman sustained injuries when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off near a Police mobile van in the jurisdiction of Ilam Police station in Buner District on October 7, reports Dawn.
Local Police said that the mobile van came under attack in a remote hilly area.
The project manager of the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC), identified as Shabat Mirza, was killed while his driver sustained injuries in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast targeting his in Sor range coal field area of Quetta, on October 8, reports Dawn.
Quetta Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Jawad Tariq said the PMDC official was traveling to the Sor Range in a car along with his driver, Muhammad Zakir, when the blast occurred.
A child was killed while eight others were injured on October 17 when a hand grenade exploded in the Zarchain area of Wadh townin Khuzdar District of Balochistan, reports Dawn.
According to Wadh Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abdul Manaf, the children from a madrassah were “playing with the hand grenade when it exploded”, resulting in the casualties.
Targetted Killings
On September 30, an imam of Jamia Masjid Abubakar of Port Qasim identified as Mufti Qaiser Farooq was shot dead by
unidentified motorcyclists in Sohrab Goth Town in Malir District of Karachi, tweets Khorasan Diary. A student of the imam who was with him at the time of the incident was also injured.
Mufti Qaiser Farooq, a leader of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was shot by unidentified pillion riders outside the Gulshan-i-Umar seminary-mosque near Edhi Centre in Sohrab Goth of Karachi, on September 30, reports Dawn. Mufti Qaiser Farooq (30), was not only a high-ranking member of LeT but also one of its founding members, adds India Today. He was widely known to have close ties with Hafiz Saeed.
A Police Station House Officer (SHO), identified as Muhammad Alam, was killed while a women sustained injuries when terrorists opened fire on Police in Ghizer District of Gilgit on October 5, reports ARY News.
According to Ghizer Superintendent of Police (SP), Police personnel were on their way back after conducting a search operation in Batharat Nala.
The terrorists who were hiding in a nearby house at Raheem Abad opened fire on Police which resulted in the death of SHO Muhammad Alam and a woman who was kept hostage sustained injuries.
Miscellaneous
Three terrorists were killed by Security Forces in an operation carried out in Tirah area of Khyber District on September 26, reports Dawn. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an intense exchange of fire took place between the SFs and terrorists, which resulted in the killing of three terrorists, including commander Kifayat, also known as Tor Adnan, “who was actively involved in multiple terrorist activities against law enforcement agencies as well as the killing of innocent civilians”.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and Police on September 26 gunned down a terrorist in Takwara area of Dera Ismail Khan District, reports ARY News.
According to Police, the terrorist, identified as Sami Ullah, was arrested while three others managed to escape.
The Security Forces (SFs) shot dead a terrorist leader during an intelligence based operation (IBO) in Katalang area of Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the night of September 28, reports Geo News.
“An intelligence based operation was conducted in general area Katalang, Mardan District, which resulted in the killing of a high value target, terrorist ring leader Faisal,” the ISPR stated.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from his possession, ISPR added.
Two Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terrorists and one Policeman were killed during a clash when terrorists attack on a patrolling post in Kundal area of Mianwali District in Punjab on October 2, reports Geo News.
The slain terrorists were later identified as Zubair Nawaz and Muhammad Khan. Zubair and Khan were cadres of TTP’s Tipu group and the former was the brother of TTP Lakki Marwat chapter ‘chief’ Arshad Nawaz.
One trooper was killed while two others were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion followed by a firing raid by unidentified militants in Shakai area of South Waziristan District on October 1, reports The Khorasan Diary.
A security guard of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) was shot dead in a sniper shot attack by unidentified assailants in Bakakhel area of Bannu District on October 1, reports The Khorasan Diary.
Four Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) cadres were arrested during an intelligence based operation (IBO) in Lachagai Gol area of Chitral District on October 1, reports.
The Khorasan Diary. A cache of arms that included 400 meters of bona cord, wire used in explosives, 64 kilograms of explosives, four Small Machine Gun magazines, eight magazines of Russian type Light Machine Gun, 485 rounds of Sub Machine Gun, Antennas and other logistical equipment were recovered.
At least 10 rocket propelled grenades and seven rocket launchers were recovered from a water channel in Panama Deri area of Mathra, on the outskirts of Peshawar, on October 1, reports The Khorasan Diary.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on September 30 issued a list of 31 militants from across the in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with bounties on their heads, reports Dawn.
Earlier on September 28, CTD had issued a list of another 134 militants along with bounty for everyone on the list.
The list issued on September 30 shows that 16 of the mentioned militants belong to Bannu District, 13 to Lakki Marwat District and two others to Dera Ismail Khan District.
Habibullah, a militant from Lakki Marwat District, carries the highest PKR five million head money while Maulvi Niamatullah from Bannu District carries a bounty of PKR four million on his head.
Ten terrorists were killed by Security Forces in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Pezu area of Tank District on October 3, reports Dawn.
According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted based on reports of the terrorists’ presence in Pezu.
“During conduct of the operation, intense fire exchange took place between own troops and terrorists. Resultantly, ten terrorists were sent to hell,” the ISPR said.
A cache of arms, ammunition and explosives were also recovered during the operation. The terrorists belong to the Bhittani group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), adds The Khorasan Diary.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on October 3 arrested a terrorist, allegedly associated with Muttahida Qaumi Movement – London (MQM-L), from Surjani Town area of Karachi, reports ARY News identified as Bilal Anees alias Bila.
In a statement, the CTD spokesperson said that the arrested terrorist was involved in killing of many people, including the murder of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) sector in-charge Abdul Hameed alias Nadeem Maulana.
The Security Forces (SFs) on October 15 gunned down a Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) ‘commander’ Saddam Hussain Muslim and his associate during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Turbat town of Kech District in Balochistan, reports ARY News.
Saddam Hussain Muslim who also known by his aliases Guru and Jabbar was a ‘commander’ of the Abdul Majeed Brigade of the BLA.
He is also alleged to be running many torture cells in Kech District.
Since 2016, Saddam was involved in 93 terror incidents in South Balochistan. In such terror activities, almost 131 people lost their lives while 177 people sustained injuries.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on October 14 arrested a target killer of Muttahida Qaumi Movement – London (MQM-L), from 4K Chowrangi area of Surjani town in Karachi, reports ARY News.
CTD in-charge Chaudhry Safdar stated that the accused Mansoor alias Danish Kala, was arrested in a tip-off operation.
Six terrorists including a ‘high-value target’, identified as Hazrat Zaman alias Khawarey Mullah, and three Army personnel were killed during an operation Gharyoum area of North Waziristan District on October 19, reports ARY News.
According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the ringleader Hazrat Zaman was actively involved in multiple terrorist activities in the area and was highly wanted by the law enforcement agencies.
The dead personnel were identified as Lance Naik Tabbasum ul Haq, Sepoy Naeem Akhtar and Sepoy Abdul Hameed.
Two terrorists were killed in a gunfight with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel in the Mardan area (Mardan District) on October 19, reports ARY News.
The CTD spokesperson said that an arrested terrorist was taken to Swabi for seizing the cache of arms in the area. The CTD team was attacked by a group of terrorists in the area.
During the exchange of fire, two terrorists including the arrested one were killed. Arms and explosive material were recovered from the possession of killed terrorist.
PAKISTAN
Security Forces casualties in fight against terrorism hits eight-year high, says CRSS report
Close to 386 personnel — including 137 army personnel and 208 policemen — have lost their lives in the first nine months of 2023 in the fight against terrorism, largely in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, putting it on an eight-year high, reported The News reported on October 1 quoting Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) report. “With 1,087 violence-related fatalities recorded so far during the year, the outlaws suffered 368 (34%), followed by civilians with 333 (31%) fatalities”, says the CRSS report – Q3 2023.
Rift surfaced between TTP central and its key faction JuA over media activity by TTP affiliates
A major rift surfaced between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) central and its key faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) over media activity by TTP affiliates, The Khorasan Diary reported on October 2.
TTP has released a statement terming Ghazi Media, the mouthpiece of key TTP affiliate JuA as publishing statements against organisation’s policy and stance.
Statement further argues that Ghazi Media and other pro-TTP channels do not represent TTP official stance, which is only stated by the group’s central platform, Umar Media.
In reaction, JuA issued a stern statement through Ghazi Media strongly condemning the TTP statement as irresponsible and narrow-minded, arguing that Ghazi Media is the legacy of JuA founder Omar Khalid Khorasani, killed in Afghanistan in August 2022.
The group stated that Ghazi Media will continue its publication activities, which JuA regards as in line with the overall policy of the TTP.
24 suicide bombings targeted various security installations and civilians in Pakistan since January this year, says Federal Interim Interior Minister, Sarfaraz Bugti
The Federal Interim Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said on October 3 that at least 24 suicide bombings that have targeted various security installations and civilians in Pakistan since January this year (2023), reports The Khorasan Diary.
14 suicide bombers were Afghan Nationals, adds Sarfaraz Bugti.
Afghans involved in 75 percent of suicide attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, says Provincial Police Chief IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police Chief Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar Hayat Khan said on October 5 that Afghan nationals were found involved in 75 per cent of suicide attacks that took place in KP in the recent wave of terrorism, reports The News.
“Fingerprints of the suicide bombers revealed that they were Afghan citizens,” IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan said.
He added that the Afghan nationals were involved in the Ali Masjid, Bara, Hangu, Bajaur and police lines suicide attacks.
While talking about the increasing number of cases of extortion in the province, the IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan said that locals and Afghan nationals involved in the crime have been arrested.
76 cases of extortion were reported this year out of which they were able to trace 49 calls, IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan added.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar rules out talks with TTP and vows to wipe out anti-state elements
The caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on October 13 ruled out any talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), reaffirming his commitment to wipe out all the anti-state elements from the country, reports ARY News.
Talking to journalists in Peshawar, the PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar said that state of Pakistan was powerful enough to fight TTP even for next 100 years.
When asked about what were the impediments in talks with TTP, the PM said the biggest obstacle was that no one was willing to talk to them.
“We don’t have any intention to talk with TTP,” he said, adding that writ of the state will be established at all costs.
Afghanistan – Internal Dynamics
Taliban detains a prominent women’s rights activist in Kabul
On September 27, Taliban detained a prominent women’s rights activist, identified as Julia Parsi along with her son in the Fathullah Square in Kabul (Kabul Province), reports The Khaama Press News Agency.
She is facing charges related to her 23-year-long advocacy work during the second phase of Taliban rule.
Taliban fighter killed in Paktika Province
On September 30, a Taliban fighter, identified as Mullah Khalid, was killed by unknown armed assailants while en route to his home in the village of Spina in the Omna District of Paktika Province, reports Hasht-e Subh Daily.
As of now, Taliban local officials have not released any statements regarding this incident.
Taliban acting Foreign Minister denies weapons supply to TTP
During an interview with the BBC, the acting Foreign Minister (FM), Amir Khan Muttaqi, rejected claims that the Taliban is supporting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and providing weapons to them, reports Tolo News on October 2.
He said, “If we were going to agree with the military bases, then why would we fight in the past 20 years?
This was fighting with countries that had a lot of facilities. The people of Afghanistan would not even accept one military base and not one armed (foreign) man.”
UNAMA demands immediate release of two women’s right activists Julia Parsi and Neda Parwani
On September 29, in response to the recent arrest of two women’s rights activists, Julia Parsi and Neda Parwani, by the Taliban, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and numerous civic activists demanded the immediate release of these detained women, as reported by Tolo News.
UNAMA stated that the Taliban administration should cease arbitrary detentions and consistently emphasized that the Taliban de facto authorities should ensure detainees have access to medication and family visits.
On September 30, Rina Amiri, the United States special envoy for women’s rights in Afghanistan called for the release of Julia Parsi, Neda Parwani, and other activists detained by the Taliban, reports The Khaama Press News Agency.
She wrote on social media platform X that the Taliban cannot claim that life has improved for Afghans when half of the population is being erased and there is a culture of fear and repression.
Taliban frees four British prisoners accused of espionage
Taliban freed four British prisoners accused of espionage were released on October 10, reports Daily Islamabad Post.
Among the released individuals, two were identified as Miles Routledge aka Lord Miles, a YouTuber, and Kevin Cornwell, a 53-year-old UN aid worker.
The identities of the other two men have not been disclosed yet.
At least seven persons killed in a suicide explosion in Baghlan Province
On October 13, at least seven persons were killed and another 15 injured in a targeted suicide explosion during Friday prayers in the Imam Zaman Mosque, a Shia Mosque situated on the first street of Silo City in Pul-e-Khumri District of Baghlan Province, reports The Khaama Press News Agency.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for this explosion.
Explosion reported in Takhar Province
On October 15, an explosion took place near the Takhar governor’s office and the Police command headquarters in Taloqan, the capital city of Takhar Province, reports The Khaama Press News Agency.
The incident’s details, including casualty numbers and the nature of the explosion, remain unclear.
Additionally, Taliban security officials in Takhar have refrained from making any statements or comments regarding this incident.
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
RAB arrests six Ansar al-Islam cadres in Dhaka
On September 25, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence jointly arrested six Ansar al-Islam cadres, including a key leader of the militant outfit Ansar al-Islam with copies of Jihadi literature in a joint drive from different areas in Dhaka (Dhaka Division), reports The Daily Star.
The arrestees were identified as Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury alias Abu Masrur (50), chief of Dawah wing of the outfit’s Dhaka region; Sheikh Ashiqur Rahman alias Abu Afifa (49), Sadi Mohammad Zulkarnain (35) Kamrul Hasan Sabbir (40) Masum Rana alias Masum Billah (26) and Saieed M Rizvi (35).
India – Internal Dynamics
CRPF constable killed in IED blast triggered by Maoists in Jharkhand
One constable of the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit, Rajesh Kumar, was killed while an inspector-ranked officer, Bhupendra Kumar, was injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by the cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) during an anti-Naxal [Left Wing Extremism, LWE] operation in the hilly forest area between Tumba Haka and Sarjamburu villages under the Tonto Police Station limits in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on September 28, reports The New Indian Express.
Maoists vandalises KFDC office in Kerala
A group of armed cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) vandalized the office of the Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) at Kambamala estate under Thalappuzha Police Station limits in Wayanad District of Kerala on September 28, reports The Hindu.
As many as six armed Maoists barged into the office and broke the glass door panels of the reception counter of the office, according to KFDC officials.
They destroyed furniture, computers, a photocopy machine, a printer, and a phone kept at the reception counter.
The group fled after sticking posters demanding that better houses be provided to the workers of the Kambamala tea estate plantation, the officials said.
They shouted slogans demanding better houses for the estate workers, who are reportedly living under asbestos sheds.
Arrested IS operatives learnt to make bombs through videos sent on messaging apps, says report
The three suspected Islamic State (IS) operatives arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell on September 2, were learning bomb making through exchange of videos with their trans-national handlers on encrypted messaging apps, according to intelligence sources aware of details related to their interrogation, The Indian Express reports on October 3.
Terming Shahnawaz Alam “used to receive instructional videos on configuring Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from his handlers who had further tasked him with sending them real-time videos of putting the devices together,” according to sources.
In addition to being in contact with handlers in through popular messaging apps, sources claimed, the three had charted out potential targets ranging including “temples, government installations and local BJP leaders…Shahnawaz had led the recce of several locations across the country and shared information of locations that could potentially be targeted with his handlers who are based in more than one international location,” sources claimed.
CRPF trooper injured in bomb explosion in Manipur
On October 7, a Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF) personnel was injured in a bomb blast triggered by suspected militants in front of the gate of the residence of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister, Yumnam Khemchand at Singjamei in Imphal West District of Manipur, reports Northeast Now.
Monthly Fatalities:
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period September 26, 2023 to October 25, 2023:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militants | Total | |
| Jharkhand | 01 | 02 | 02 | 05 |
| Madhya P | 01 | 00 | 01 | 02 |
| Manipur | 02 | 00 | 00 | 02 |
| Chhattisgarh | 02 | 00 | 02 | 04 |
| Total | 06 | 02 | 05 | 13 |
INTERNATIONAL
Record number of children attacked and killed in DR Congo: UN
The Democratic Republic of Congo is on track to see record numbers of children killed, maimed, kidnapped or sexually assaulted in 2023 for the third consecutive year, the UN said on Saturday, Sept 30.
The number of “grave violations against children” in the conflict-racked country is estimated to be more than 1,700 for the first half of 2023, said UNICEF, the United Nations children´s agency — which marks a 41 percent increase on the same period last year.
The agency puts the increased number down to “intensifying violence, massive displacement, and proximity of armed groups to communities… leading to an alarming increase in cases of killing, maiming, and abduction of children”.
If current trends continue, it said the country will pass the record set in 2022.
The number of children recruited and used by armed groups increased by 45 percent in the first six months of the year to around 1,100, while more than 400 children were killed or mutilated in that period.
The UN agency warned that rape and sexual violence against children were also on “an upward trajectory”.
“I met children who survived the horrors of recruitment and use by armed groups and the unspeakable trauma of sexual violence — atrocities that no-one should experience, let alone children,” said Sheema Sen Gupta, the director of child protection at UNICEF, during a week-long mission to the DRC.
“These harrowing stories underscore the urgency for the government to intensify its efforts to safeguard civilians — especially the most vulnerable, the country´s children.”
UNICEF said it has received only 11 percent of the funds required for its child protection response as part of its emergency appeal for eastern DRC.
It had already warned earlier this month that children in the DRC were facing unheard-of violence, saying there were “few worse places, if any, to be a child”.
Two officers hurt in terrorist attack near Turkish parliament
Two officers were Sunday, Oct 01 injured in a blast outside the Turkish interior ministry hours before the parliament was due to reconvene.
The interior ministry termed the incident a “terrorist attack”.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said two attackers arrived in a car at around 09:30 (06:30 GMT) and carried out the attack injuring two officers.
He said an attacker blew himself up in front of a ministry building and another was “neutralised”.
The explosion on Ataturk Boulevard began when one of the attackers exited the car and threw a small explosive at the ministry building to distract security.
The second attacker then opened fire at the guards by the ministry gate, before setting off a bomb strapped to him which resulted in his death.
The first person, meanwhile, ran into the compound and was immediately shot dead by the police.
Two officers were injured. One was shot in the chest and another suffered injuries in both legs and an eye.
Yerlikaya told reporters that none of the injuries were life-threatening.
At least 20 pro-govt Somali fighters killed battling Al-Shabaab
At least 20 pro-government fighters have been killed in fierce battles with Al-Shabaab jihadists in central Somalia, local militia commanders and a clan elder said on Thursday, Oct 05.
The fighting erupted on Wednesday after the national army and allied local clan militias launched an offensive in an area of Galmudug state known as Shabelow forest controlled by the al-Qaeda-linked group.
Somali Information Minister Daud Aweys confirmed the clashes and said more than 100 Al-Shabaab fighters had been killed, but did not give a death toll among pro-government ranks.
The internationally-backed central government launched a major offensive against Al-Shabaab last year but in September it admitted “several significant setbacks” and called for a three-month pause in a planned drawdown of African Union troops backing the Somali army.
Over 100 killed in drone attack on Syrian military academy
An attack on Thursday, Oct 05 on a Syrian military academy killed more than 100 people, a war monitor said, with state media blaming “terrorist organisations” for the drone strike in government-held Homs.
Separately, Turkish air raids in the war-torn country´s Kurdish-held northeast killed at least nine people, according to Kurdish forces, after Ankara had threatened raids in retaliation for a bomb attack.
In the central Syrian city of Homs, “armed terrorist organisations” targeted “the graduation ceremony for officers of the military academy”, an army statement carried by official news agency SANA said, reporting casualties.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor with a vast network of sources on the ground, reported “more than 100 dead, around half of them military graduates, and including 14 civilians”, revising up a previous toll.
It said at least 125 others were wounded.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The attack was carried out with “explosive-laden drones”, according to the military statement, vowing to “respond with full force”.
The government declared three days of mourning starting on Friday, state television reported.
Later Thursday in the rebel-held Idlib region, residents reported wide and heavy regime bombardment.
The Observatory said four civilians were killed and others wounded in the assault on several towns in the northwestern opposition bastion.
Turkish strikes on northeast Syria kill 29
Turkish attacks in Kurdish-held northeast Syria killed 29 Kurdish security personnel and wounded 28 at an academy for the forces, authorities in the semi-autonomous area said on Monday, Oct 09.
Turkiye has been bombing sites in the area since Thursday, hitting civilian and military targets and infrastructure and causing casualties, according to Kurdish authorities.
An academy for the Kurds´ anti-drug forces was among several targets overnight, the Kurdish authorities said in a statement, adding that “29 members of the anti-drug forces were killed and 28 others were wounded”, some of them critically.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor, reported that 30 members of the Kurdish internal security forces, known as the Asayish, were killed and 37 others wounded after a Turkish war plane targeted a training centre on the outskirts of Al-Malikiyah at midnight.
AFP correspondents said that authorities in the area have called for blood donations, while witnesses said that hospitals were full of casualties.
Amid the chaos of Syria´s long-running civil conflict, Syria´s Kurds have carved out a semi-autonomous area in the country´s northeast.
Turkiye´s defence ministry said on Friday it launched a new wave of air strikes in retaliation for an attack in Ankara earlier this month that wounded two security personnel.
Nigeria air strikes kill about 100 bandit fighters in northwest
Nigerian military jets have carried out air strikes on a gathering of bandit militias, killing around 100 gunmen in the country´s northwest, two army sources with knowledge of the operation and local residents said.
Nigeria´s air force confirmed it had carried out bombardments in northwestern Zamfara State on Tuesday, Oct 10 but a spokesman said he could not yet provide details on the numbers killed.
Northwestern and central Nigerian states have for years been terrorised by gangs, known locally as bandits, who raid villages and kill and abduct residents for ransom in rural areas where state presence is weak.
The gangs, notorious for mass kidnappings from schools and colleges in recent years, maintain camps hidden in a vast forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states.
“Fighter jets conducted air strikes on bandits, I´m sure more than 100 were killed and almost twice that number were badly injured,” one of the military officers involved in the operation said.
Another military official also confirmed a similar number. Both spoke to AFP anonymously because they were not authorised to speak about the operation.
Two local residents who described the bodies after the strikes also gave similar numbers.
UN peacekeepers leave northern Mali camp
UN peacekeepers in Mali on Saturday, Oct 21 left their camp in Tessalit in the tense Kidal region, UN and military sources said, as part of a withdrawal ordered by the troubled country’s military leaders.
The withdrawal of the UN stabilisation mission known as MINUSMA from the region has ignited fears fighting will intensify between troops and armed factions for control of the territory.
“Our last convoy left our base in Tessalit on Saturday afternoon,” an official from MINUSUMA, as the UN force is known, in the town told AFP.
The information was confirmed by a Chadian military source within the mission.
The Tessalit camp is close to the airport and had been operated largely by Chadian soldiers under the UN banner.
Mali’s ruling junta, which seized power in 2020, had in June demanded that the mission — which had been deployed since 2013 — depart the country despite being in the grip of jihadism and raging crises. That followed months of deteriorating relations.
The withdrawal of some 11,600 soldiers and 1,500 police officers is scheduled to continue until December 31, and has exacerbated rivalries between armed groups present in the north.
The Coordination of Azawad Movements – an alliance of predominantly Tuareg groups seeking autonomy or independence from the Malian state — has carried out a series of attacks on army positions.
And the Al-Qaeda-linked Support Group for Islam and Muslims has also increased attacks against the military.
Prior to Tessalit, MINUSMA had transferred four camps to the Malian authorities since August.
But the evacuation of the camps in the Kidal region — and especially that of Kidal, a bastion town of the separatists – remains a major challenge.
Six killed in Somalia suicide bombing
Six people including two civilians were killed and nine others wounded in a suicide attack on a military outpost in the outskirts of the Somali capital Mogadishu Saturday, Oct 21 police said.
The attack was claimed by the radical Islamist group al-Shabaab. Witnesses told AFP a suicide bomber drove a vehicle loaded with explosives to the Ceelasha-Biyaha military post in the western suburbs of Mogadishu. The subsequent powerful blast caused extensive damage, including to nearby homes, they said.
The Kharijites (al-Shabaab), as they usually do, tried to bring a vehicle loaded with explosives and metal into Mogadishu, and detonated the vehicle on the base of the security forces at the Ceelasha-Biyaha, he added.
“The number of the casualties recorded is six dead — four of them from the security forces and two civilians and nine wounded, four of them civilians.’’
Hamas attack aimed at disrupting Saudi-Israel thaw: Biden
President Joe Biden said Friday, Oct 20 that he believed Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel two weeks ago was aimed at disrupting warming ties between the country and Saudi Arabia.
“One of the reasons why they acted like they did… why Hamas moved on Israel… (was) because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,” Biden told guests at a campaign fundraiser.
“The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel… unite the Middle East,” he said.
Momentum toward a landmark US-brokered deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites, was shattered by the October 7 attack by Hamas militants on Israel.
The Islamist group stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip, taking more than 200 hostages and killing at least 1,400 people on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials.
Israel has since vowed to destroy Hamas, and says around 1,500 of the group’s fighters were killed in clashes before its army regained control of the area initially under attack.
A bombing campaign launched in response has levelled entire city blocks in Gaza, so far killing 4,137 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Saudi officials announced on October 14 during a visit to Riyadh by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the country had suspended talks with Israel on normalization of relations.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had spoken of progress with Israel but also insisted on movement on the Palestinian cause.
In a related development, the first aid trucks arrived in war-torn Gaza from Egypt on Saturday, bringing urgent humanitarian relief to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave suffering what the UN chief labelled a “godawful nightmare”. As international tensions soar, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was hosting a peace summit in Cairo on Saturday attended by regional and some Western leaders.
“The time has come for action to end this godawful nightmare,” Guterres told the summit, calling for a “humanitarian ceasefire”.
The region “is reeling in pain and one step from the precipice”, he said.
Western delegates demanded “a clear condemnation placing responsibility for the escalation on Hamas” but Arab leaders refused, the diplomats said.
Instead the Egyptian hosts released a statement — drafted with the approval of Arab delegates — criticising world leaders for seeking to “manage the conflict and not end it permanently”.
The statement said such “temporary solutions and palliatives… do not live up to even the lowest aspirations” of the Palestinian people.
| 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 Singh | Level 2 | ** |
| Gilgit and Northern Areas | Level 3 | *** |
| Tribal Areas, Close to Afghan Border | Level 3 | *** |
| Index to Threat Level References | |
| Threat Level 1 Indicates there is no threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required | * |
| Threat Level 2 Indicates there is no specific threat to foreigners; however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised if traveling. | ** |
| Threat Level 3 Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Level dictates that foreigners should rehearse plans for evacuation. | *** |
| Threat Level 4 Indicates complete breakdown of civil administration and law & order leading to anarchy. All foreigners advised 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. | ***** |
