Bomb Blasts/IEDS
On May 31, at least four Army personnel were killed and several others were injured in a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) explosion targeting a military vehicle in Gowash area of Kharan District in Balochistan. The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Seven Army soldiers, including a Captain, were killed after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by terrorists in Sultan Khel area of Lakki Marwat District on June 9, reports ARY News.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Security Forces (SFs) vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb during patrolling.
A doctor was killed when unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at him outside his house in Shmere village of Spinwam tehsil (revenue unit) in North Waziristan District on June 7, reports Dawn.
Seven Security Forces (SFs) personnel injured when unidentified terrorists attacked their check post in Kurram District in the night of June 8, reports Dawn. The attack was repulsed after a heavy exchange of fire, forcing the terrorists to flee under the cover of darkness.
Targetted Killings
A Levies Force personnel, identified as Shamsullah, was shot dead unidentified attackers in Manday Tak area of Duki District in Balochistan on May 26, reports Dawn. One of the victim’s friends told the Police that the three men were praying at the time of the attack.
An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Police, identified as Haji Akbar, was shot dead and a civilian sustained injury when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire in the Sarband area of Peshawar on May 28. He was on his way to duty at Hayatabad when armed men intercepted him. “He was not in uniform and there is a pedestrian injured as well”, said Police.
A Policeman assigned to polio workers protection duty was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Suleman Khel area of Peshawar on June 4, reports ARY News. Policeman, identified as Shahnawaz, was killed in Suleman Khel area when he was going to perform his duty. An imam of a mosque was shot dead by unidentified assailants near a mosque in Bara area on June 7. He was identified as Abdul Nasir from the Ahle Hadith sect, said Police.
A Police head constable, identified as Zia ur Rehman, was gunned down by unidentified assailants in the Nawan Killi area of Quetta on June 13, reports Dawn. Armed assailants raiding motorbikes targeted the Police constable when he was passing through the bypass area. He received multiple bullet injuries and died on the spot. He was posted at the Jinnah Town Police Station.
Miscellaneous
At least 10 terrorists were killed in intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Tank District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 27, reports The Express Tribune.
Seven terrorists and five soldiers were killed while two terrorists sustained injuries during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Bagh area of Khyber District on May 27, reports The Express Tribune. Security Forces (SFs) recovered a cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives during the operation. Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), a splinter group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, released a statement taking joint credit with the TTP for the attack.
A man was killed and two others wounded when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED) planted at a roadside in Lara Bandagi area of Mamund tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur District on May 27, reports Dawn.
The vehicle of a Station House Officer (SHO) was targeted in Azam Warsak area of South Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 28. The SHO survived the attack while the vehicle was severely damaged, said Police.
Security Forces (SFs) killed a terrorist ‘ring leader’ and another terrorist and injured two other terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Hassan Khel area of Peshawar District in the night of May 30, reports The News. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a brief statement, said that the SFs effectively engaged the terrorists’ location during the conduct of the IBO and gunned down terrorist ‘ring leader’ Ayaz Muhammad and Ahmed alias Koochi while injuring two others.
The dead body of a veterinary doctor, Dr. Arif, who was kidnapped on June 3 from Tank District was found on the morning of June 4 near a graveyard, reports The Khorasan Diary. Dr. Arif was kidnapped by unidentified assailants who called him to their village for treatment of ill animals, said Police.
A Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist, Sadiq alias Bilal alias Qari alias Afghani, who was involved in kidnapping and extortion of businessman was killed in an encounter with Security Forces (SFs) in the limits of Saeedabad Police Station in Keamari Town of Karachi on June 10, reports Aaj News.
The slain terrorist was an important member of TTP network in Karachi, the accused kidnapped a businessman named Haris-ur-Rehman on December 12, 2023. Sadiq was also brainwashing youths for TTP in Karachi. A number of hand grenades and Kalashnikov were recovered from the possession of Sadiq.
At least 11 terrorists were gunned down by Security Forces (SFs) in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Lakki Marwat District on June 11, reports ARY News. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the SFs conducted the IBO in response to an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that killed seven soldiers on June 9, including Captain Muhammad Faraz Ilyas. Security Forces on June 13 foiled an attempt to establish centres of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Balochistan by arresting a most wanted ‘commander’ and several other cadres of the outfit in different areas of the province, reports Dawn.
A spokesman for the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) said that the CTD had received information that the commander, who is also a member of TTP Shura (council), and other cadres of the outfit were attempting to establish their centres in different areas of the province. The CTD, along with other law enforcement agencies, conducted operations and arrested several terrorists, including the wanted TTP ‘commander’.
Five people were injured when unidentified militants opened fire on a passenger coach on the outskirts of Dera Ismail Khan town (Dera Ismail Khan District) in the night of June 14, reports The Express Tribune. Local said that militants had set up a checkpoint on the main Indus Highway near Lakki Marwat and Bannu with the likely intention of examining the Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) and service cards of travelers in order to sort out government employees. The militants opened fire on the passenger bus, which was travelling from Islamabad to Quetta, when its driver failed to stop at the roadblock despite repeated warnings, thus injuring five passengers, including a 13-year-old boy.
The Station House Officer (SHO) of the Hangu town Police Station, constable, and a passer-by were injured when two unidentified motorcyclists opened fire at their vehicle in Umerabad area of Hangu District on June 16, reports Dawn. One of the suspected attacker was also injured when the Police retaliated. According to Police, SHO Nabi Rehman and constable Mohammad Younis were on a routine patrol when they came under attack.
PAKISTAN
Police premises’ security beefed up after terrorism threat in Punjab
The Provincial Police on May 30 heightened the security level in the city following a terrorism threat to the headquarters of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), four Police Stations and Police units in Lahore, reports Dawn. The threat was issued by the Khurasani group of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), after which the Police high-ups held a meeting to devise a strategy to counter any possible terror activity in the city.
“It has been learnt reliably that the defunct TTP (Khurasani network), operating under its commander, Ali Zar, has planned terrorist activities to target the police units in Lahore,” reads the special information report of the Punjab Police. The Police Stations the terrorist outfit allegedly intends to target include Mozang, Badami Bagh, Racecourse and Batapur.
Similarly, the Liberty Market Facilitation Centre, the CIA Kotwali and the CIA headquarters are also among the targets of the terrorist organisation, according to the Police report. It said that motive of the TTP’s Khorasani group may be to avenge the recent killing of a terrorist, Faizan Butt.
Khyber District Police unearths close links between militants and narco smugglers, says report
Khyber District Police unearthed close links and coordination between militant outfits and narco smugglers in Khyber District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) during a crackdown, Dawn reported on May 31 quoting Police officials.
Officials of the Shah Kas Police centre and Jamrud and Bara Police told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the militant outfits Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) began “taxing” drug smugglers in parts of Tirah valley after putting up checkpoints to monitor their movement, besides extorting money from drug dealers in Wazir Dhand and Shah Kas markets in Jamrud area for their activities.
They said some Police officials, who patronised illegal drug business in Wazir Dhand markets, were also on the extortion list of militant groups and that they would regularly receive calls from militants to claim their share of the ill-gotten money.
Officials said the Police had terminated the services of 26 officials, while another 15-20 were being probed for their alleged connections with drug smugglers and dealers. Out of 26 sacked officials, 15-20 facing probe over connections with drug dealers.
98 missing person’s cases pending in PHC, Defence Ministry told
The Defence Ministry was told on June 7, that 98 missing person’s cases are still pending in Peshawar High Court (PHC), reports ARY News. Deputy Attorney General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sanaullah, submitted a report on missing person’s cases to the Defence Ministry. According to the report, 226 cases of missing persons were disposed of from February 1 to May 24. This is a 5-month report on missing person’s cases, and the Deputy Attorney General is working to ensure that these cases are decided quickly.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Missing Person Commission disposed of 3,793 cases out of 6,051 cases in 2019. The Commission report stated, a total number of 5,915 cases were received by the Missing Person Commission of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) up to end of March that year. During last month 136 more cases were received by the Missing Person Commission and the total numbers of cases reached to 6051.
Attacks on polio teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed15 Policemen so far in 2024, says CTD report
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on June 9, 2024, released a report detailing 15 attacks on polio vaccination teams in the province in 2024, resulting in the deaths of 13 Policemen and injuries to 36 others, reports AAJ News.
According to the report, the majority of the attacks occurred in Bannu (4), Bajaur (3), and Tank (3), while single attacks were reported in Khyber, Lakki Marwat, Mardan, North Waziristan, and South Waziristan. The CTD report highlights the severity of the situation in Bajaur, where nine Policemen were killed and 30 injured due to attacks on polio teams.
In Bannu, two Policemen were killed and three injured, while one Policeman each was killed in South Waziristan and Tank. One Policeman each was injured in each of the attacks on polio teams in Bannu, Khyber, and Lakki Marwat.
Security Forces kill 181 terrorists in over 7,745 anti-terror operations since April, says report
Security Forces (SFs) carried out as many as 7,745 anti-terror operations from April 1 to June 10, Geo News quoting sources reported on June 12. The largest number of operations were carried out in Balochistan (4,902), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) (2,702) and Sindh (142). Meanwhile, a total of 181 terrorists were gunned down in these operations of which 128 were killed in KP followed by 51 in Balochistan and two being killed in Sindh.
AFGHANISTAN INTERNAL DYNAMICS
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar criticizes Doha meeting for its lack of inclusivity
On May 26, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Hezb-e Islami party criticized the Doha (Qatar) meeting for its lack of inclusivity, reports Amu TV on May 27.
He said, “Thethird meeting of Doha is a repetition of the experience of Ben Nakami, its purpose is to elect another Benin Sivan and Akhdar Ebrahimi, who will be America’s favourite person and whose mission is coordination between the countries that are involved in the events in Afghanistan; All agree that Afghanistan’s crisis cannot be resolved without the establishment of an inclusive government.”
Taliban declares Shia Ismaili residential area state property in Baghlan Province
On June 2, Alam Majidi, the Taliban ‘spokesperson’ for Baghlan, announced that the residential area inhabited by Shia Ismailis is now considered state-owned property to construct a ‘’bus station’’ on this site in Pul-e-Khumri District in Baghlan Province of Afghanistan, reports Afghanistan International. Earlier, the Afghan Embassy in Italy had indicated on May 29 that the Taliban intended to forcibly relocate approximately 70 Ismaili families from Pule-Khumri. The embassy’s statement highlighted that the Taliban had given these families a deadline to vacate their homes by the “third day of Eid al-Adha.” These Ismaili families have been living on the outskirts of Pul-e-Khumri for the past 30 years.
Kazakhstan removes Taliban from the list of terrorist organisations
Kazakhstan removed Taliban from the list of terrorist organisations in order to develop economic cooperation with Afghanistan, reports menafn.com on June 3. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, “Kazakhstan has excluded them from the list of terrorists, taking into account the importance of developing trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan and the long-term influence of the Taliban movement in the country.”
Religious schools in Afghanistan pose a threat to CSTO members, Tajik Parliament Speaker
On June 3, Rustam Emomali, speaker of Tajikistan’s Parliament, said that the spread of religious schools in Afghanistan poses a threat to members of the Collective Security Organization (CSTO), reports Afghanistan Internationals. He said, “Afghanistan has once again become a center of terrorism. Dozens of extremist and terrorist groups have strengthened their positions on Afghan soil. The cultivation and production of narcotics in Afghanistan are increasing.” More than 1000 religious schools have been established so far, which “train suicide fighters,” he added.
UAE leader meets Sirajuddin Haqqani in Abu Dhabi
On June 4, the ruler of Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s ‘interior minister’ and head of the Haqqani Network, who is also wanted by the United States with a bounty of up to AFN 70,45,45,000 (USD 10 million), at Qasr Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi at United Arab Emirates (UAE) and discussed on strengthening the bonds of cooperation between the two countries and ways to enhance ties to serve mutual interests and contribute to regional stability, reports apnews.com. Haqqani is wanted by the United States over his involvement in an attack that killed an American citizen and other assaults.
Al-Qaeda ‘chief’ Saif al-Adeni urges supporter to go to Afghanistan for ‘military training’, says report
Al Qaeda has called on its supporters worldwide to migrate to Afghanistan for ‘military training’ and experience, wrote its ‘chief’ Saif al-Adel in an article titled “Gaza: An Existential War, Not a War of Borders”, khaama.com reports on June 10. In the article Saif states:
“Faithful individuals who wish to bring about change should learn from the situation there and benefit from the experiences [of the Taliban].”
In what is described as the group’s “most explicit and public” call to its foreign supporters since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Al Qaeda’s leader urged his followers to go to Afghanistan to gain military skills, experience, and knowledge before attacking targets related to Israel and the West.
BANGLADESH INTERNAL DYNAMICS
Rohingya camps risk turning into a terrorist hub, asserts Home Minister
On May 31, during a meeting with the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) in Camp No. 11 in Ukhiya Upazila (Sub-District) of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh’s Home Minister Asad-uz-zaman Khan Kamal said that Rohingya camps risk turning into a potential hub for international terrorists if the persecuted citizens of Myanmar are not repatriated to their country soon, reports The Daily Star.
He further said, “If the Rohingyas are not repatriated soon, dissatisfaction may turn these camps into a potential hub for international terrorists. We are finding some evidence to support this.”
Three Ansar al-Islam cadres arrested in Dhaka
On June 1, Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit arrested three cadres of Ansar al-Islam, identified as Shakil Ahmed, Fardin Ahmed Mirdul, and Rayhan Hosain, from the Wari Police Station area in Dhaka District of Dhaka Division, reports The Daily Star.
The Deputy Commissioner of the DMP at the CTTC unit, Jahidul Hoque Talukder, said that Ansar al-Islam raised BDT 1800000 through crowd funding within a few months after launching a platform called “Deen Islam Foundation” on Facebook in the name of sending aid to victims in Palestine.
Three Rohingyas killed in gunfight between ARS and RSO in Cox’s Bazar
On June 10, three Rohingyas identified as Mohammad Ilias (31), Mohammad Ishaq (54), and Firoz Khan (18) were killed and seven others were injured at Block F of Camp 4 Extension in Ukhia upazila in Cox’s Bazar District (Chittagong Division) in a gunfight between terrorists belonging to Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), reports The Daily Star, Rohingya Khobor and Daily Bangladesh.
Three of the injured were identified as Abdul Haque (32), Abdus Shukkur (55) and Abdul Monaf (60). The incident took place over establishing supremacy at the Rohingya refugee camp by ARSA and RSO.
RAB arrests five ARSA operatives in Cox’s Bazar
On June 10, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-15) arrested a top leader of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) identified as Mohammad Shahidul Islam alias Maulvi Oli Akij and four other associates identified as Mohammad Faisal, Hafiz Fayzur Rahman, Mohammad Salam alias Master Salam and Mohammad Jubair from in Rohingya Camp 4 in Ukhia in Cox’s Bazar District (Chittagong Division), reports Rohingya Khobor. During the operation, authorities recovered a foreign pistol, a locally made gun, a one-shooter gun, 10 rounds of cartridges, 2 kilograms of explosives, three-button mobile phones, and 2,500 BDT in cash.
RSO cadre killed by ARSA in Cox’s Bazar
On June 11, aRohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) cadre identified as Syed Amin was killed by cadres of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar District (Chittagong Division), reports The Daily Star.
INDIA INTERNAL DYNAMICS
Head Constable stabbed to death in Chhattisgarh
A Police Head Constable, identified as Sodi Laxman, was stabbed to death by suspected cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) while he was in a funfair under Gadiras Police Station limits in Sukma District of Bastar Division of Chhattisgarh on June 2, reports The Indian Express. Superintendent of Police (SP) Kiran G. Chavan said, “The modus operandi was of a small action team of Maoists, but the Maoists have not yet claimed the murder.”
Weapons recovered in Manipur
On June 1, a joint team of Indian Army and Manipur Police launched a joint operation and recovered a cache of warlike weapons including arms, ammunition, and explosives in Wakan ridges under Saikul Police Station in Kangpokpi District of Manipuir, reports Northeast Now.
The recovery included six 7.62 mm AK 56 rifle with a magazine, twelve 9 mm Carbine with a magazine, two 9 mm Pistol (Country) with the magazine, five 4 mm Pistol (made in India), two improvised explosive device (IEDs), one Tear Smoke shell (chilli), two 12 bore illumination round, one two-inch Mortar illumination bomb with bomb case, one two-inch Mortar Smoke Bomb Mk-2 with Bomb case, one Colt Machine Gun (CMG) Bayonet, and 14 Tube Launching 1A.
India tried to kill its most wanted man on Canadian soil too, report reveals
The Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) leader and India’s most wanted man Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was also the target of a failed Indian assassination plot in Canada at a Sikh wedding. The US government revealed a few months ago that it had foiled a high-profile assassination plot of the Indian government against Mr Pannun in New York last year – around the time Pannun’s friend and SFJ Canada leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed – but it was not known till now that the Indian govt planned to assassinate Pannun at a wedding in Canada where Pannun was widely rumoured to be in attendance.
Sikh insiders expected US-Canadian citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, considered one of India’s top-priority targets, to attend the wedding due to his close friendship with the groom’s father and longtime Khalistani activist Santokh Singh Khela.
Six Maoists killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh
Six Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, carrying a cumulative bounty of INR 3.8 million, were killed in an encounter in a forest near Gobel and Thulthuli villages under Orchha Police Station limits in the Narayanpur District of the Bastar Division of Chhattisgarh on June 7, reports Business Standard. Three District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Kachru Ram Korram (45), and constables Manglu Ram Kumeti (47) and Bharat Singh Dharal (23), also sustained critical injuries in the encounter.
After the encounter, during a search of the site, bodies of six Maoists clad in ‘uniform’ were recovered from different places, along with two.303 rifles, one.315 bore rifle, 10 Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL) shells, one Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) magazine, a cooker bomb, five bags, and a huge cache of explosives, medicines, and items of daily use.
Four of the six slain Maoists were identified as Masiya alias Mesiya Mandavi (32), sniper team ‘commander’ and platoon no. 2 section A ‘commander’, Ramesh Korram (29), ‘deputy commander’, Sanni alias Sundari, party member, and Sajanti Poyam, who was a member of the PLGA company no. 6 under the east Bastar division of Maoists.
These four were carrying a reward of INR 800,000 each on their heads. The remaining two slain Maoists were identified as Jailal Salaam, who was active as Bayanar ‘area committee member (ACM) ‘and carried a reward of INR 500,000 on his head, and Janani alias Janni (28), carrying a bounty of INR 100,000 on his head.
Police informer shot dead by Maoists in Chhattisgarh
A 35-year-old man, identified as Dinesh Mandavi, acting as an informer of the Police, was allegedly shot dead by Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres in Timdi village under Dhanora Police Station limits in Kondagaon District in the Bastar division of Chhattisgarh on June 7, reports etvbharat.com. Mandavi was returning from a wedding ceremony that was held in another village when the Maoists, who were reportedly hiding near his house, shot him when they caught sight of him. They then fled from the spot, leaving Dinesh in an injured condition, who later succumbed to his injuries. According to the Police, Dinesh used to work as an informer for the special intelligence branch of the Police.
Maoists making 12 bore iron cartridges, using it in BGL; says Chhattisgarh Police
The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) is locally manufacturing 12 bore cartridges made of iron and also using them as Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL) ammunition in the forests of Narayanpur District to fight with Security Forces (SFs), officials said, adding that the cartridges were recovered in the recent encounter between the Maoists and the Narayanpur Police on June 7, reports Hindustan Times on June 11.
On June 7, six Maoists, including three women, were killed in multiple encounters near Gobel and Thulthuli villages in the Orchha Police Station area. Police later claimed to have recovered two 303 rifles, one 315-bore rifle, 10 BGL (barrel grenade launcher) shells, one SLR magazine, a cooker bomb, five bags, and a huge cache of explosives, medicines, and items of daily use from the spot.
“We have found these 12 bore iron cartridges from the recovery made on Friday (June 7), which they are probably using as ammunition for BGL or muzzle loading rifles. They are making it, and as iron is in abundance in Bastar, it is surely a matter of concern,” Sunderaj P., Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bastar Range, said.
He said the police are waiting for a detailed ballistic analysis of these iron cartridges. “In the recent encounter in the East Bastar Division of the CPI (Maoist) area, some locally fabricated ammunition has been recovered. Prima facie, it appears to be ammunition to propel BGL shells. A detailed ballistic analysis would be done to find out more details in this regard,” Sunderaj said. “Earlier, they used to smuggle or get BGL and other ammunition easily, but now it is very difficult. It shows that they are lacking ammunition. Secondly, the forces use highly sophisticated weapons; these ammunitions are nowhere in front of what security forces have,” said another Indian Police Service (IPS) officer working in the region.
SRI LANKA INTERNAL DYNAMICS
CID arrests IS terrorist coordinator in Colombo
On May 31, Colombo Gazzette reported that Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) of Sri Lanka Police arrested a wanted suspect, Osman Pushparaja Gerard, in a joint operation conducted in Colombo City of Western Province. Gerard is suspected to be the person who coordinated the sending of the four suspected Islamic State (IS) operatives from Sri Lanka to India.
Sri Lanka freezes assets of 15 groups and 210 individuals over terrorist activities
In a gazette issued by Sri Lanka’s Secretary of Defence, General (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne, on June 3, the Government of Sri Lanka froze all funds, financial assets, and economic resources belonging to 15 groups and 210 individuals allegedly involved in terrorist and extremist activities, reports Ada Derana.
The designated groups include the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC), World Tamil Movement (WTM), Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), World Tamil Relief Fund (WTRF), Headquarters Group (HQ Group), National Thowheed Jama’ath (NTJ), Jama’athe Milla’athe Ibrahim (JMI), Willayath As Seylani (WASS), National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), Tamil Youth Organization (TYO), Darul Adhar Ath’thabawiyya, Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement (SLISM), and Save the Pearls.
| Monthly Fatalities The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period May 25, 2024 to June 26, 2024 | ||||
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Chhattisgarh | 10 | 03 | 16 | 29 |
| Jharkhand | 02 | 00 | 02 | 04 |
| Odisha | 01 | 01 | 00 | 02 |
| Nagaland | 01 | 00 | 00 | 01 |
| Telegana | 02 | 00 | 00 | 02 |
| Total | 16 | 04 | 18 | 38 |
INTERNATIONAL
Gunmen kidnap 150 people in central Nigeria
Gunmen attacked a remote village in central Nigeria, killing eight people and kidnapped about 150 more in the country´s latest mass abduction, officials told AFP on Monday, May 27. Large-scale kidnappings for ransom are common in Nigeria´s northwest and central states, where heavily armed gangs known locally as bandits often target remote villages.
Attackers on motorbikes stormed Kuchi village in Niger state on Friday night, where they killed eight people and “abducted about 150 villagers,” local government chairman Aminu Najume said. “They came on around 100 motorcycles each carrying three men,” he said. “No help came throughout the three hours they took operating in the village.” A UN source gave the same figure for the number kidnapped, while Nigerian state rescue agency SEMA said more than 100 were abducted.
FB removes accounts linked to Bangladesh ruling party
Facebook has removed scores of accounts and pages linked to Bangladesh´s ruling Awami League for “coordinated inauthentic behaviour”, including criticism of the opposition ahead of January elections, its owner Meta said on Thursday, May 30. The Awami League and its allies won almost every seat in the January 7 parliamentary elections, which the main opposition parties boycotted over fears it would be rigged.
Nigerian army says 11 killed in clash with separatists
The Nigerian army said on Friday, May 31 that five soldiers and six civilians were killed in a clash between soldiers and separatists in the southeast during an ambush on a checkpoint. The main separatist group denied launching an attack on Thursday, as the region commemorated the more than one million people who died in the Biafra war and famine half a century ago.
The army said the armed wing of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement “sprang a surprise attack” near the city of Aba in Abia State. “The attack sadly took the lives of five personnel,” spokesman Major General Edward Buba said in a statement. He later said “six civilians were killed in the crossfire.”
Yemen clashes kill 18 fighters in fresh flare-up
At least 18 combatants have been killed in battles between Yemeni government forces and Iran-backed Huthi rebels in the country´s southwest, two military officials told AFP on Thursday, June 06.
The clashes on Wednesday were triggered by a Huthi attack on a frontline area between government-controlled parts of Lahij governorate and Huthi-run parts of Taez province, said Mohammed al-Naqib, a spokesperson for the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist group allied with the government.
The attack came despite a lull in fighting that has largely held since the expiry of a six-month truce brokered by the United Nations in April 2022. Yemeni government “forces succeeded in repelling the attack, but five soldiers were martyred and others wounded”, Naqib told AFP. A Huthi military official in Taez told AFP that 13 rebels, including a senior commander, were also killed in the fighting. Yemen´s internationally-recognised government condemned the Huthi offensive as a “treacherous attack”.
In a statement on social media platform X on Wednesday, Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said the counterattack by Yemeni government forces “inflicted heavy losses on (Huthi) militia members”, without specifying a toll.
Suspected Islamists kill at least 38 in eastern Congo villages
Suspected Islamist rebels killed at least 38 people in an overnight attack on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, two district officials and a civil society leader said on Saturday, June 08. Local civil society leader Justin Kavalami blamed members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) for the attack. The ADF, alleged to be behind another village assault that killed at least 16 people earlier this week, originates from neighbouring Uganda.
Now based in eastern Congo, it has pledged allegiance to Islamic State and mounts frequent attacks, further destabilising a region where many militant groups are active. Armed men used guns and machetes to attack residents of villages in Beni territory, in North Kivu province, overnight on Friday, local official Fabien Kakule told Reuters.
District official Leon Kakule Siviwe said the death toll stood at 38 and said the recent surge in violence was due to the attackers taking advantage of a low security presence. They came to “slaughter the population when there were no soldiers in place,” he told Reuters. It was not possible to reach the ADF for comment.
China says US provoking arms race in moves into South China Sea
The US poses the largest security challenge in the South China Sea as its military deployment there is turning it into “the whirlpool of an arms race”, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong said in remarks published on Sunday, June 09. Recent maritime run-ins between China and the Philippines, a US treaty ally, have made the highly strategic South China Sea a potential flashpoint between Washington and Beijing.
“At present, the biggest security challenge in the South China Sea comes from outside the region,” Sun said in comments published by his ministry, after attending a high-level meeting on East Asian cooperation in Laos. Sun said US-led forces were “promoting military deployment and actions in the South China Sea, inciting and intensifying maritime disputes and contradictions, and damaging the legitimate rights and interests of coastal countries”. A move by the United States to deploy medium-range missile systems in the area “is dragging the region into the whirlpool of an arms race, placing the entire Asia Pacific region under the shadow of geopolitical conflicts”, Sun said.
China is committed to properly managing disputes with the parties in the South China Sea through dialogue, he added. In April, the Philippines said during a meeting with U.S. allies that it was determined to assert its sovereign rights in the South China Sea, accusing China of escalating “its harassment” of the Philippines. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce, and has deployed hundreds of coast guard vessels as far as 1,000 km off its mainland to police what it says is its jurisdiction.
Nigeria gunmen kill 50 in raid on northwest village, say residents
At least 50 people were killed and an unspecified number kidnapped, including women and children, when gunmen attacked the village of Yargoje in northwest Nigeria at the weekend, residents said on Monday, June 10. A year after President Bola Tinubu came to power promising to end widespread insecurity, attacks in the northwest by armed gangs, often referred to as bandits, have become almost routine, with authorities seemingly powerless to stop them.
Dozens of gunmen on motorbikes stormed Yargoje in the Kankara local government area of Katsina state late on Sunday, according to resident Hassan Ya’u. “They shot sporadically at people, claiming the lives of more than 50 (of us), including my younger brother,” he said, adding that an unknown number of villagers had been abducted and properties looted.
Another resident, Abdullahi Yunusa Kankara, said he narrowly escaped the onslaught and that it continued into the early hours of Monday. “Our town has turned into a death zone. Almost every house in the village has fallen victim to this attack.” Kankara added: “We are currently carrying out a headcount to determine how many people have been abducted. More dead bodies were recovered this morning.”
Islamic State killed 16 Syrian soldiers
At least 16 Syrian soldiers, including an officer, have been killed in a minefield laid by the Islamic State group and an attack by the jihadists in the desert, a monitor said on Wednesday, June 12. The soldiers were “killed after they found themselves in a minefield and an attack by members of the IS group,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The troops, with Russian air support, had been carrying out a days-long anti-IS operation in the Sukhna desert area of Homs province, said the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria. IS overran large swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a so called caliphate and launching a reign of terror.
It was defeated territorially in Syria in 2019, but its remnants still carry out deadly attacks, particularly in the vast Badia desert which runs from the outskirts of Damascus to the Iraqi border and mainly targeting government loyalists and Kurdish-led fighters. The Observatory says at least 348 Syrian government loyalists have been killed this year in IS ambushes and attacks in the desert.
Tajik opposition MP arrested on coup plot charges
One of Tajikistan´s few opposition MPs was arrested on Friday, June 14 for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government of the Central Asian country, state news agency Khovar reported. Tajikistan, an ally of Russia, has been ruled since the fall of the Soviet Union by President Emomali Rakhmon.
“The lawmaker Saiddjafar Usmonzoda has been stripped of his immunity and placed under arrest” on the request of the Prosecutor-General, Khovar reported. The arrested MP has previously stood for president and is the only member of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan to sit in the lower house of parliament dominated by Rakhmon´s party and other parties largely loyal to the president.
Usmonzoda is accused of plotting a coup d´etat with the support of two organisations branded as “terrorists” and banned by Tajik authorities: the National Alliance of Tajikistan (PMT) and the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan.
Roadside bomb kills six Somali soldiers
A roadside bomb planted by the jihadist group Al-Shabaab killed at least six soldiers including a senior military commander in southern Somalia, police and local officials said on Saturday, June 15.
They said the blast occurred during a routine military operation near Gofgadud town, some 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the southwestern city of Baidoa. “Six members of the army including Colonel Mohamed Dheere died on the spot,” Hassan Mohamed, a military officer in Baidoa told AFP by telephone. Several others were wounded, he added, without specifying the number.
Iran expands nuclear capacities further: IAEA
Iran is further expanding its nuclear capacities, the UN atomic watchdog said on Thursday, June 20one week after the agency´s board of governors passed a resolution criticising Tehran´s lack of cooperation with the IAEA. The International Atomic Energy Agency informed its members that Tehran told it that it was installing more cascades at the enrichment facilities in Natanz and Fordow, according to a statement sent to AFP.
A diplomatic source deemed this development as “moderate”. A cascade is a series of centrifuges, machines used in the process of enriching uranium. The motion brought by Britain, France and Germany — but opposed by China and Russia — at the IAEA´s 35-nation board last week was the first of its kind since November 2022. The resolution — which Tehran slammed as “hasty and unwise” — came amid an impasse over Iran´s escalating nuclear activities and as Western powers fear Tehran may be seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, a claim Iran denies.
Although symbolic in nature at this stage, the censure motion aims to raise diplomatic pressure on Iran, with the option to potentially refer the issue to the UN Security Council. In the past, similar resolutions have prompted Tehran to retaliate by removing surveillance cameras and other equipment from its nuclear facilities and ratcheting up its uranium enrichment activities.
| 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 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. Level 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 staf | **** |
| Threat Level 5 Indicates complete breakdown of law and order, enemy action/hostilities, invasion/ occupation by enemy. | ***** |
