Bomb blasts/IEDs
Two soldiers, identified as Sepoy Banaras Khan (23 years, resident of Orakzai District) and Sepoy Abdul Karim (23 years, resident of Khyber District), were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in Sarwekai area of South Waziristan District on October 27, reports ARY News.
Targetted Killings
At least four labourers of Punjabi ethnicity along with a Policeman shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Nasirabad area of Kech District in the night of October 30, reports The Balochistan Post
Miscellaneous
Seven persons were killed and 10 others sustained injuries in armed sectarian clash between two religious groups in Kurram District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 27, reports Dawn. Five people were killed in clashes between the two armed groups in the Boshara area, while two others lost their lives in Khar Kalay and Baleech Khel areas. The clashes between the two sects, which erupted after a controversial video went viral on social media four days ago, have so far claimed 15 lives and 23 others injured.
On October 26, four persons were killed and six others sustained injuries in an incident of sectarian attack when two vehicles being escorted by Police came under attack in Charkhel area of Kurram District, reports Dawn. Police said the vehicles were on way from Thal area of Hangu District to Parachinar, headquarters of Kurram District, when it came under attack. An eyewitness, Tahir Hussain, who escaped the attack, said that armed persons started indiscriminate firing when the convoy reached Charkhel area. Police retaliated but the unknown attackers escaped.
The Counter Terrorist Department (CTD) on October 31 conducted an intelligence-based operation and arrested a terrorist affiliated with the banned organization from Maal Mandi Chowk in Sahiwal District of Punjab, reports ARY News. The CTD said that an intelligence-based operation was conducted in Sahiwal and an alleged terrorist, identified as Khalid, a resident of Rahim Yar Khan District, was arrested. Explosives, electric circuits, batteries, 2 prima cords, and detonators were recovered from the possession of the arrested terrorist.
The Counter Terrorist Department (CTD) on October 31 conducted an operation and arrested a Muttahida Qaumi Movement – London (MQM-L) target killer in Karachi, reports ARY News. The arrested target killer, Rahman Qureshi alias Bablu, during the investigation, made significant revelations, stating that he killed seven citizens between 2011 to 2013. In a statement, the CTD in charge, Chaudhry Safdar stated that the arrested accused was a member of MQM-L’s North Karachi target killers’ team, and was involved in the murder of multiple political figures in the metropolis.
Six terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Sambaza area of Zhob District on October 31, reports Dawn. According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Security Forces (SFs) carried out the IBO last night after receiving reports about the presence of terrorists. During the operation, “intense fire exchange took place between own troops and terrorists” and six terrorists were killed, the ISPR said. It added that a cache of arms, ammunition and explosives were also recovered.
On November 4, a Policeman identified as Waheed Gul was injured in a terrorist attack at a Police check post in Gul Imam area of Tank District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, reports ARY News.
Four Army personnel, including one Army officer and three terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Tirah area of Khyber District on November 6, reports Dawn. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Security Forces (SFs) conducted an IBO in Tirah on the reported presence of terrorists. During the operation, Pakistan Army troops — led by Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hassan Haider — “effectively engaged the terrorists’ location”.
Three passengers sustained injuries when an explosion occurred on railway tracks in Babar Kach area of Sibi District on November 6, reports Dawn. Railway Police said an explosive device, planted by unidentified persons on the tracks, went off when a train from Harnai was on its way to Sibi. A portion of the tracks and one coach was also damaged.
The Anti-Terrorism Department arrested an accused, allegedly involved in providing financial assistance to the banned organization, and his three facilitators, from Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on November 11, reports ARY News. The CTD spokesperson stated that the arrested individual, identified as Sultan, originated from Afghanistan was allegedly involved in money laundering, and used this money for sabotage. The CTD officials recovered foreign currency from the possession of the arrested individuals which includes 175,000 Euro, $15,000 USD, and 44,000 Saudi Riyal.
A Policeman was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Takwarha area of Kulachi Tehsil (revenue unit) in Dera Ismail Khan November 12, reports ARY News. Unidentified assailants opened firing on Policeman Jameel Shah who was on his way back home.
The fatalities in militants’ attack on Police mobile van in Kari Shah Noor in Tank District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on November 11 increased to three on November 12 as two injured constables Wahab and Mohammad Alam succumbed to their injuries, reports Dawn. Five Police personnel, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Chan Shah, constables Ishfaq, Wafaq and Hidayat of Elite Force and constables Riaz and Ikram of Tank District sustained injuries. Earlier, SATP quoting The Khorasan Diary reported Station House Officer (SHO) Abdul Ali Khan was killed and two constables sustained injuries.
A friend of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Maulana Raheem Ullah Tariq was shot dead by unidentified assailants in a case of target killing in Pakistan Bazaar of Orangi Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, on November 12, reports Asianet. Maulana Raheem Ullah Tariq was going to attend a religious gathering when unidentified assailants opened fire at him.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Hyderabad personnel arrested a terrorist associated with Al-Qaeda after an encounter in Matiari District of Sindh on November 12, reports ARY News. The arrested Al-Qaeda terrorist was identified as Abdullah Aasi while his two accomplices Ali and Shehryar fled from the scene, the CTD spokesperson said in a statement.
One intelligence personnel, identified as Mohammed Umer, was shot dead by unidentified assailants near the A.O. Clinic in Nazimabad town of Karachi in the morning of November 12, reports Dawn. Asif Mazari, a Police officer at the Nazimabad Police Station, said that the victim was an employee of a “sensitive institution”. Police said that Umer was sitting near the famous hospital along with his colleague, Qasim, when three unidentified assailants riding on a motorbike came, opened indiscriminate fire on him and rode away. Umer suffered three bullet injuries and later succumbed to injuries at hospital.
Unidentified assailants shot dead a muezzin [Islam official of a mosque who calls the faithful to prayer five times a day from the minaret] in Sector-16 area under Pakistan Bazar Police station in Orangi Town of Karachi on November 12, reports Dawn. Pakistan Bazar Police station house officer (SHO) Shakeel Rind said that Raheemullah Attari (40), was riding a motorbike when assailants, also riding a two-wheeler, fired two shots on him in Sector-16 and fled.
Seven terrorists were killed by Security Forces (SFs) in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Kiri Machan Khel area of Tank District in the night of November 14, reports Dawn. A press release issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said SFs conducted an IBO in the general area of Kiri Machan Khel last night after receiving reports about the presence of terrorists. “During conduct of the operation, intense fire exchange took place between own troops and terrorists as a result of which seven terrorists were sent to hell. Terrorists hideouts were also busted during the operation,” the ISPR said.
PAKISTAN
TLP not involved in ‘terrorism’, Election Commission of Pakistan told Supreme Court
As the Supreme Court (SC) resumes the hearing of the 2017 Faizabad sit-in of November 1, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on October 26 said the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) was not involved in “anti-state activities or terrorism”, reports Dawn. According to a report furnished before the SC, the TLP did not receive prohibited foreign funding either. Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, a three-judge bench will take up a set of nine review petitions in which the petitioners had expressed their willingness to withdraw their challenges to a ruling on the Faizabad sit-in. On September 26, the SC sought fresh disclosures in writing from anyone regarding the 20-day-long protest by TLP that had brought twin cities to a halt. In a three-page reply before the SC, the ECP said it had issued notices to the interior ministry, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) as well as other agencies for submission of comprehensive reports regarding the involvement of TLP in any anti-state activities. After examining their respective reports, the ECP concluded that the party was not involved in any terrorist activities and was not proscribed. “Therefore, the commission was of the view that the respondent party, the TLP, was not involved in any anti-state activity or terrorism. Hence the commission disposed of its inquiry,” the report said.
Nine terrorists killed as attack on training air base in Mianwali of Punjab neutralised
Nine terrorists were killed as the Security Forces (SFs) in the early hours of November 4 neutralised a terrorist attack on the Mianwali Training Air Base of the Pakistan Air Force in Mianwali (Mianwali District), reports Dawn. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said “On Nov 4, 2023, in the early hours of the day, Mianwali Training Air Base of Pakistan Air Force came under a failed terrorist attack which, Alhumdollilah, due to the swift and effective response by the troops, has been foiled and thwarted, ensuring the safety and security of personnel and assets.” It further said that the terrorists were “neutralised while entering the base”. “However, during the attack, some damage to three already grounded aircraft and a fuel bowser also occurred,” the ISPR added. The Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a newly emerged militant group that is an affiliate of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility of the attack.
PEMRA directive prohibits TV channels of airing statements of banned outfits
The electronic media regulator body, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on November 3 issued a directive to all satellite-based news, current affairs and regional channels prohibiting airing of statements of proscribed organisations or their representatives or members for the upcoming General Elections scheduled to be held on February 8, 2024, reports Dawn.
However, it added, such statements were allowed only if they were in the larger public interest for exposing ideology, abuse of religion or barbarianism by such entities. To strengthen democracy, democratic norms and electoral process, PEMRA said, it was a national obligation of all the citizens of Pakistan, institutions, organisations and entities to extent utmost support and facilitation for conducting free, fair and transparent elections. “Electronic media has a pivotal role in educating masses, building and shaping fair opinion and strengthening democratic process required for establishment of democratic government in the country,” the directive said.
Five terrorists linked to TTP, LeJ arrested, says Punjab CTD
The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) said on November 11 that it has arrested five suspected terrorists linked to banned outfits of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) during operations carried out in different cities of the province, reports Dawn. In a statement issued, the CTD said it conducted 179 intelligence-based operations in Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Bahawalpur, and Rawalpindi and foiled a major terror plot. It said 179 suspects were interrogated, and five alleged terrorists were arrested. According to the CTD, the five alleged terrorists belonged to the banned organisations TTP and LeJ. The statement further said that 565 grammes of explosives, two hand grenades, two improvised explosive devices, five detonators, 13 feet of safety fuse wire, 3.5 feet of primer cords, five pamphlets of banned organisations, 36 stickers, and Rs 5,520 were recovered from the possession of the suspected terrorists.
The 2018 deal with TTP behind rise in terrorism, says Leader of the House in the Senate and PML-N leader Ishaq Dar
The Leader of the House in the Senate and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar blamed an understanding reached with Kabul in 2018 and the subsequent release of hardcore Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants for a surge in acts of terrorism in the country during the Senate’s debate on acts of terrorism and the expulsion of illegal immigrants from Pakistan, reports Dawn on November 11.
Speaking in the Senate, he said the PML-N government, soon after coming into power, had taken concrete steps against the menace of terrorism, which bore fruit, but regretted that it reared its ugly head again after “a policy of U-turn” was adopted in 2018. Referring to Operation Zarb-i-Azb launched in North Waziristan along the border with Afghanistan in 2014, Dar said it was a difficult decision. He said that Rs 100 billion per year was required to finance that operation. Initially, he said, the operation was expected to conclude in a year, but ultimately it took around four years. He also mentioned Operation Raddul Fasad, which was launched to eliminate sleeper cells of terrorists across the country.
Afghanistan – Internal Dynamics
IS-KP claims responsibility for attack on sports club in Kabul
On October 26, Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) claimed responsibility for the attack on a sports club in a Shiite neighbourhood in the Dasht Barchi area of Kabul (Kabul Province), reports The Khaama Press News Agency. IS-KP claimed to have placed a bomb in a location where Shiite were gathering.
According to the Taliban, four people were killed and seven others were injured. However, local sources on the day of the attack reported that the casualty count reached six. SATP had earlier reported on October 27 that two civilians were killed and nine others were injured.
Representatives from eight countries and EU voice concerns about Human Rights in Afghanistan
On October 31, representatives and special envoys from Canada, the European Union (EU), France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) voiced their concern about the human rights situation in Afghanistan in a joint statement, calling for the lifting of restrictions, including women’s education and employment bans, after concluding a meeting in Rome, reports The Khaama Press News Agency. They said that 29 million people in Afghanistan urgently need assistance. Also, they emphasized the importance of safeguarding the rights of all Afghan citizens, with particular focus on the rights of women and girls to access education, employment, and participation in public life.
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
RAB arrests ‘chief of the torture cell’ of ARSA in Cox’s Bazar
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested the ‘chief of the torture cell’ of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), identified as Osman alias Salman Murabbi along with his cohort named Mohammad Yunus from Ukhiya Upazila (Sub-District) in Cox’s Bazar District of Chittagong Division on October 26, reports The Daily Star. RAB Commander, Khandaker Al Moin said that Yunus was captured based on information provided by Salman after his arrest. During the operation, RAB recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, including firearms, nine bullets, several sharp weapons, and torture equipment.
Six Rohingya terrorists arrested after gunfight in Cox’s Bazar
On November 2, six Rohingya terrorists were arrested by the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) after a gunfight with rivals of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) that took place at Ukhia Upazila (Sub-District) in Cox’s Bazar District of Chittagong Division, reports Daily Bangladesh.
The arrestees were identified as Pethan Ali, Mohammad Zobair, Dil Mohammad, Shariat Ullah, Ziabur Rahman, and Mohammad Ayash. APBN said that it recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, including two one-shooter guns, 10 rounds of bullets, and four bullet shells, from their possession.
India – Internal Dynamics
Three persons killed in multiple explosions in Kerala
At least three persons were killed and over 40 have been injured in a suspected terrorist attack that took place at a convention centre in Kalamassery in Ernakulam District of Kerala on October 29, reports msn.com. Multiple explosions took place during a ‘Jehovah’s Witness’ Convention for which over 2,000 people had gathered. Meanwhile, a person from Kochi has surrendered before Kerala Police claiming responsibility for the bomb blast. Dominic Martin went to Kodakara Police Station in Thrissur District and said that he was responsible for the serial blasts. The police officials are investigating his claims.
Manipur Police officer killed and three others injured by suspected Kuki militants in Manipur
On October 31, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Manipur Police identified as Chingtham Anandwas shot dead by suspected Kuki militants in Moreh in Tengnoupal District of Manipur, reports India Today. Following the report of the killing, a reinforced team of Manipur Police commandos rushed towards Moreh. However, the team was ambushed by Kuki militants at a place in between Sinam and Bungyang Villages in Tengnoupal District which resulted in the injury of three Policemen who have been identified as S Thuikhaveng, S Sekharjit and L Bangkim, The Sangai Express adds.
BJP leader hacked to death by Maoists in Chhattisgarh
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, identified as Ratan Dubey, who was on a campaign trail, was hacked to death with a sharp-edged weapon by the cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in the market area at Kaushalnar village under Jhargati Police Station limits in Narayanpur District of Chhattisgarh on November 4, three days before the first phase of polling in the state on November 7, reports Hindustan Times.
“At around 05:30 pm, Dubey had gone to Kaushalnar village, about 5km east from Jhargati police station, for campaigning, when he was attacked and killed with a sharp weapon by unidentified Maoists,” Sundarraj P, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bastar Range, said in a statement.
Dubey was the vice president of the BJP’s Narayanpur unit and the area’s assembly convener. He was campaigning for Kedar Kashyap, who is contesting from the Narayanpur seat against Congress leader Chandan Kashyap, the Police said.
Three IEDs recovered during anti-Naxal operation in Jharkhand
The Chaibasa Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) 209, 203, and 205, Jharkhand Jaguar (JJ), and CRPF 60, 197, 157, 174, 193, and 134 joined forces during a search campaign in the forest and hilly areas around Tumbahaka village and Aair Rengdahatu under the Trenta Police Station limits in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on November 5, recovering three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) weighing 5 kilograms planted by the Maoists, reports The Avenue Mail. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) promptly diffused the IED, ensuring the safety of the Security Forces (SFs) and the surrounding areas.
Five SFs and two civilians injured in three separate Maoist-triggered blasts in Chhattisgarh
A commando of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), an elite unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh on November 7, as polling for the first phase of state assembly elections got underway in the region, reports NDTV.
The incident occurred when a joint team of the CRPF and CoBRA 206th battalion was out on an area domination operation from Tondamarka camp towards Elmagunda village to ensure security during polls, a senior Police official said.
One Border Security Force (BSF) constable, Chandraprakash Sewal, and two polling officials were injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), planted by the cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) and activated by a pressure plate, detonated in the Rengagondi region in Kanker District of Chhattisgarh on November 6, a day before the first phase of voting in the state, reports The Times of India.
An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) trooper, Amit Khan, was injured while defusing an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), planted by the cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), in Narayanpur District of Chhattisgarh on November 6, a day before the first phase of voting in the state, reports The Times of India.
Monthly Fatalities
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period October 26, 2023 to November 25, 2023:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militants | Total | |
| Chhattisgarh | 02 | 01 | 06 | 09 |
| Jharkhand | 01 | 01 | 00 | 02 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 02 | 00 | 00 | 02 |
| Manipur | 00 | 01 | 03 | 04 |
| Total | 05 | 03 | 09 | 17 |
INTERNATIONAL
Four killed in armed clashes in western Libya
Four people were killed and several wounded when armed groups clashed on Sunday, Oct 29 in the western Libyan city of Gharyan, several sources said.
“Fighting broke out suddenly in the early hours between armed groups in the city, resulting in four deaths and several injuries,” a security source in the city some 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Tripoli told AFP. The source said the fighting has continued “intermittently” in different areas of Gharyan, forcing authorities to cut access to the city to “protect the lives of pedestrians and travellers”. A medical source at the Gharyan hospital confirmed the casualties, telling AFP that four people were dead and 10 had been wounded.
Unverified videos shared on social media and picked up by local media outlets showed dozens of armed men roaming the streets of Gharyan as well as several burnt-out armoured vehicles. Libya has seen more than a decade of stop-start conflict since the NATO-backed revolt that toppled longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. The north African country is split between interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah´s UN-backed government in the west, based in Tripoli, and another in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The Tripoli-based government did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment about the clashes.
Time running out to prevent ‘genocide’ in Gaza: UN-mandated experts
A group of UN-mandated human rights experts, including the special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, said on Thursday, Nov 2 that “time is running out to prevent genocide and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza”.
“We remain convinced that the Palestinian people are at grave risk of genocide,” the experts said in a joint statement. “The time for action is now. Israel´s allies also bear responsibility and must act now to prevent its disastrous course of action.”
UN special rapporteurs are unpaid, independent figures mandated by the Human Rights Council. They do not speak for the United Nations but report their findings to it as part of the council´s fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms.
“The situation in Gaza has reached a catastrophic tipping point,” the experts said, warning of the “dire need” for food, water, medicine, fuel and essential supplies and the risk of looming health hazards. The statement was signed by Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.
The other signatories were the special rapporteurs on safe drinking water; food; physical and mental health; internally displaced persons; freedom of expression; and on contemporary racism.
Israel has heavily bombarded Gaza since Hamas gunmen stormed across the border on October 7, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping at least 240 others, including children, according to Israeli officials.
Islamist armed groups, army targeting civilians in Mali: HRW
Islamist armed groups and Malian soldiers killed at least 175 civilians, many of them children, between April and September in Mali, Human Rights Watch has said, condemning the targeted killing of civilians as war crimes.
The al-Qaeda-linked Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) was responsible for the deaths of at least 135 civilians in two attacks, the human rights organisation said in a report seen by AFP on Thursday, Nov 2.
HRW pointed the finger at GSIM fighters for the massacre on the Timbuktu ferry on Mali´s Niger River on September 7, which left at least 120 people dead according to witness testimonies collected by the organisation.
Malian soldiers and fighters apparently from the Russian mercenary group Wagner killed 40 civilians in three operations between April and September, it said. Bamako´s junta leaders struck up a partnership with Wagner after French troops pulled out of Mali in 2022.
The HRW report is based on telephone interviews with 40 people conducted in August and September. HRW senior Sahel researcher Ilaria Allegrozzi said that the figures recorded only related to five cases specifically investigated by the organisation, and that the number of civilians killed during that period in Mali could be much higher. The country, ruled by a military junta since 2020, has been locked in the grip of jihadism and a deep multidimensional crisis since 2012.
Militants kill at least 11 farmers in northeast Nigeria
Militants have killed at least 11 farmers and several others are missing after an attack on rice fields in Nigeria´s northeast Borno State, anti-jihadist militia and residents said on Monday, Nov 6.
Farmers are often targeted by militants waging a 14-year conflict in Nigeria´s northeast, where 40,000 people have been killed and more than two million displaced since 2009. Suspected Boko Haram jihadists stormed rice fields in Zabarmari district outside the regional capital Maiduguri late on Sunday, seizing farmers and slitting their throats while abducting others, the sources told AFP.
The farmers were staying in their fields overnight in Karkut village to guard their harvested paddy against theft before transporting it home the following morning. “We have so far recovered 11 bodies… all of them slaughtered by the Boko Haram attackers,” anti-jihadist militia leader Babakura Kolo said.
IS attacks in Syria kill 34 government loyalists
Islamic State group attacks killed at least 34 pro-government fighters and soldiers in the Syrian desert on Wednesday, Nov 8 a monitor said, in one of the deadliest such assaults this year The jihadists launched “simultaneous attacks” at dawn on checkpoints and military positions between Raqa, Homs and Deir Ezzor, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group with a network of sources on the ground.
It said there had been “34 dead, at least eight of them soldiers” and most of the others from the National Defence Forces, a pro-government militia. The head of the Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, warned the toll could rise, citing an unspecified number of wounded, some in serious condition. The war monitor said Russian warplanes launched strikes on IS positions in the desert, killing seven jihadists.
IS proclaimed a “caliphate” in June 2014 across swathes of Syria and Iraq and launched a reign of terror. It was defeated territorially in Syria in 2019 but its remnants continue to carry out deadly hit-and-run attacks and ambushes, particularly from desert hideouts, targeting both pro-government forces and Kurdish-led fighters. IS was blamed for a string of deadly attacks on government loyalists earlier this year. In August, 33 Syrian soldiers were killed when IS ambushed their bus in the desert near Mayadeen, in Deir Ezzor province, the Observatory said at the time.
Turkiye’s Gaza fury deepens splits with EU
As Turkiye´s relations with the European Union come under strain over its democratic standards, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan´s outspoken pro-Palestinian stance on the war between Israel and Hamas is further testing ties.
After a bloody October 7 raid by Hamas fighters triggered Israel´s relentless bombardment of Gaza, Erdogan initially sought to position Turkiye as a mediator. But this apparent ambition evaporated last month after the Turkish leader portrayed Hamas not as a terrorist group but as “liberators” or “mujahideen” fighting for their land.
Turkiye is technically a candidate for eventual EU membership and, even if this seems a distant prospect, Brussels would prefer Ankara to support rather than compete with its positions. “What the president says reflects badly here in Brussels. We always expect Turkiye to align with us in foreign policy,” said an EU official who wished to remain anonymous. Erdogan, a devout Muslim and fervent advocate of Palestinian rights, toughened his criticism as civilian deaths in Gaza mounted, accusing Israel of committing war crimes and recalling Turkiye´s ambassador to Tel Aviv.
He led a rally in Istanbul organised by his ruling party only a day before the celebrations marking the centenary of the Turkish republic on October 29. “In its report on candidate countries´ progress towards meeting the criteria for joining the EU, published on Wednesday, Nov 15, the EU said Turkiye´s unilateral foreign policy remained at odds with the bloc´s priorities.” It said Ankara maintained a very low alignment rate of 10 percent with the EU stance on foreign and security policy compared with eight percent in 2022. “Its rhetoric in support of terrorist group Hamas following its attacks against Israel … is in complete disagreement with the EU approach,” it added.
France issues ‘historic’ arrest warrant for Assad
France has issued an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused of complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes over chemical attacks in 2013, plaintiffs in the case said on Wednesday, Nov 15. In one of the more than decade-long conflict´s many horrors, sarin gas attacks saw more than 1,400 people suffocate to death near Damascus in August 2013.
The organisations that filed a legal complaint hailed the move, saying it was the first time a sitting head of state had become the subject of an arrest warrant in another country for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Three other international warrants were also issued for the arrests of Assad´s brother Maher, the de-facto chief of the Fourth Division, Syrian army´s elite military unit, and two generals. The Paris court´s unit concerned with crimes against humanity has been investigating the chemical attacks since 2021.
France can prosecute alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed anywhere in the world under the principle of universal jurisdiction. A judicial source, who asked not to be named, confirmed the issuing of the four warrants by investigating magistrates of the Paris court´s crimes against humanity section.
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.
