Bomb / IED Attacks
At least three children lost their lives as a motor shell exploded in Sain Tanga area of Jani Khel in Bannu District on December 2, reports ARY News. Police said three children of a religious seminary picked up a mortar shell and started playing with the shell when the shell exploded in their hands killing three on the spot.
The vehicle of a senior Levies personnel was damaged in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in Qila Abdullah town of Qila Abdullah District on December 4, reports Dawn. An IED was planted close to a senior Levies personnel’s vehicle, parked in front of NADRA office, and detonated it with a remote control. The vehicle was badly damaged in the powerful blast, but no human loss was reported.
Two terrorists were killed when the time bomb they were trying to install to a motorcycle near a security check post in Chaman town (Chaman District) detonated on December 9, reports Aaj News. Levies forces recovered the bodies of the terrorists, along with pistols found in their possession. At least two persons were killed in an explosion in a garden in Civil Hospital of Qilla Abdullah town (Qilla Abdullah District) on December 9, reports ARY News.
Miscellaneous
The Security Forces (SFs) killed three terrorists by thwarting their attempt to infiltrate through Pak-Afghan border in Hassan Khel area of North Waziristan District on November 26, reports The Express Tribune. The total number of people killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram District sectarian violence reached 130, while 186 injured as clashes between sectarian tribes continued for the eleventh day despite a ceasefire having been imposed, Dawn reported on December 1.
Five militants and one soldier were killed while nine militants sustained injuries during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Baka Khel area of Bannu District on December 1, reports Dawn. During the conduct of the operation, troops effectively engaged with the terrorists’ location and consequently killed five khawarij, while nine others were injured. However, Sepoy Iftikhar Hussain (29), having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom.
Three militants and one soldier were killed while two militants were arrested during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Shagai area of Khyber District on December 1, reports Dawn. “Captain Muhammad Zohaibud Din (25), who led the troops from the front, fought bravely, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom,” said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement. According to the statement, the terrorists were involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as innocent civilians.
Four militants were killed and two Policemen sustained injuries during a clash when a group of militants attacked Chapri Police Station in Mianwali District on December 1, reports The Khorasan Diary. According to Police officers, almost 20 militants attacked the Chapri Police Station at provincial border with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police was on high alert because of which the attack was successfully repulsed and four militants were killed. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the responsibility of the attack.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab on December 1 arrested 34 militants during 242 intelligence-based operations across multiple cities, reports Aaj TV. The CTD spokesperson said that operations were carried out in Lahore, Bahawalnagar, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi, as well as in Sargodha, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujrat, and Rahim Yar Khan. Among those arrested, 11 were identified as dangerous militants linked to various banned outfits. Authorities seized explosives and materials intended for constructing suicide vests from these arrested militants. In addition to these arrests, the CTD has conducted 7,536 combing operations throughout the month, resulting in the apprehension of 637 suspects, further underscoring the ongoing efforts to enhance security and combat terrorism in the region.
On December 4, the military media wing stated that five terrorists were killed and two others were injured in an Intelligence-Based Operation (IBO) carried out in Lakki Marwat District in Bannu Division, reports Dawn. Security Forces (SFs) on December 5, killed two terrorists during an Intelligence-Based Operation (IBO) in Sararogha area of South Waziristan District, reports Dawn.
Security Forces (SFs) killed six militants and injured eight others during an operation in the Tank District on December 7. The bodies of the slain militants were taken into custody for identification, a security official stated. At least 13 terrorists were killed and several others injured as militant hideouts near the Afghan border were targeted by Security Forces (SFs) in the Gazum Mandi area of Shawal tehsil (revenue unit) in North Waziristan District on December 8, reports Dawn. A key ‘commander’ of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was killed and several others wounded in two separate actions, which took place in the Gazum Mandi area. Two ‘commanders’ Gauhar and Abu Bakr alias Mohsin, were injured in the attacks.
At least 15 terrorists and one soldier were killed during an operation in Sambaza area of Zhob District in Balochistan on December 10, reports Dawn. According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Security Forces (SFs) conducted an intelligence-based operation in the district’s Sambaza area and engaged the terrorists at their location, eliminating 15. Sepoy Arifur Rehman (age 32 years); resident of Mansehra district), fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom. A cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists, the statement said, adding that a sanitisation operation was being conducted to neutralise any other terrorists present in the area.
Four militants were killed by Security Forces (SFs) during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Miranshah area on December 11, reports Dawn. “During the conduct of [the] operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij’s location, as a result of which four khwarij were sent to hell,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.
Three militants and one soldier were killed during an encounter in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 11, reports Dawn. “However, during the intense fire exchange, Lance Naik Muhammad Amin, resident of Faisalabad District in Punjab), having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.
The Security Forces (SFs) conducted separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Musa Khel and Panjgur Districts of Balochistan on December 12 and killed five militants in each Districts, reports Geo News. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that 25 terrorists were killed in Balochistan since December 9.
Three Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, allegedly plotting attacks on Security Forces (SFs), were arrested during a joint operation by Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Quaidabad area of Karachi on December 16, reports Dawn. “The suspects were planning terror attacks against security forces,” a Rangers spokesperson said in a press release. The arrested terrorists were identified as Mohammed Javed Swati alias Bhai Jan, Shahid Husain alias Umer and Akbar Zaib Khan. The terrorists were involved in “terrorism, murders, attempted murders and extortion”, the statement said, adding that arms, ammunition and explosive material were recovered from their possession.
Pakistan
At least 20 PTI workers killed in Islamabad operation, says PTI leader Salman Akram Raja
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Salman Akram Raja on November 27 claimed that 20 PTI supporters were killed during a state crackdown on a PTI protest in Islamabad, reports Aaj TV. He stated that complete details of eight deaths are available, with information on others to be released to the media. Raja claimed that protesters were shot directly and shelled. He further alleged that hospitals in Islamabad have been instructed not to release records to the families of the victims. The incident occurred on November 26-night during a PTI protest at D-Chowk in Islamabad. Authorities launched an operation to clear the area, which lasted one to two hours. The Red Zone was subsequently cleared of protesters. While PTI leadership claims multiple deaths occurred during the operation, the Government denies these allegations.
On November 26, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar refuted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s allegations of security forces shooting at its protesters, reports Dawn. State-run Radio Pakistan quoted Tarar as saying no firing was carried out on PTI protesters and there were no fatalities among them. During a visit to the D-Chowk and Jinnah Avenue in Islamabad overnight, he said that while the protesters were dispersed, there was no state firing involved. The Minister said PTI protesters had damaged public property, referring to the deserted vehicles left behind by the protesters. Speaking to the media, he claimed that the PTI convoys “crashed their own vehicles into each other” in a hurry to flee the scene. He described the protesters as leaving behind their shoes and clothes while fleeing.
Number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan reaches 3.5 million
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, the number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan has now reached 3.5 million, Business Recorder reported on November 29. Of these, 1,400,000 people have Proof of Registration (PoR) residency cards and 800,000 have Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) cards. 600,000 migrants do not have official residency documents. 700,000 Afghans who arrived in Pakistan after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan are planning to leave Pakistan for another country. In November 2023, the Pakistani Government forcibly deported undocumented immigrants, a move that has caused economic problems and severe psychological pressure for Afghan returnees. Many of the returnees described these behaviours as “degrading” and spoke of the seizure of their personal property. Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced on November 27, that after December 31, Afghan citizens will not be allowed to stay in Islamabad without an official permit. The order comes as Afghan refugees claim to be taking part in anti-government protests. Rustam Shah Mohmand, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Kabul, has criticised the new decision of the Pakistani Interior Ministry to expel Afghans from Islamabad, calling it unfair. Afghans have been targeted in Pakistan because of internal political differences, he said.
The Taliban Embassy in Islamabad on November 30 categorically denied claims that Afghan refugees participated in recent anti-government protests in Pakistan, reports Afghanistan International. In an official statement, the embassy expressed concern that such allegations, made by the Pakistani Interior Minister and other officials, could serve as justification for the harassment and mistreatment of Afghan refugees in the country. In a statement the Taliban Embassy dismissed these accusations as unfounded and voiced concerns that such rhetoric could lead to unjust treatment and harassment of Afghan refugees by Pakistani law enforcement agencies.
Pakistan urges Taliban to act against terror groups, cites concerns over regional stability
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on December 5, reiterated its call for the Taliban to take decisive action against terror groups operating in Afghanistan, which Islamabad says pose a threat to its security, reports Amu TV. Speaking at a press conference, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, emphasized that Islamabad remains engaged with the Taliban on issues of regional security and counterterrorism. “Pakistan continues to encourage the Taliban to act against terror groups and entities that threaten Pakistan’s security,” Baloch said. She highlighted that Obaidur Rehman Nizamani, Pakistan’s head of mission in Kabul, is leading ongoing discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and addressing security concerns. “For Pakistan, terrorism is a priority issue in our exchanges with Afghanistan,” she said adding that “We are focused on combating threats posed by elements that have found hideouts and sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.”
At least 20 Chinese citizens killed, 34 injured in 14 terrorist attacks since 2021, NACTA informed National Assembly Standing Committee
Twenty Chinese citizens were killed and 34 injured in terrorist attacks in the country since 2021, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) informed National Assembly Standing Committee on December 10, reports Dawn. During a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, NACTA Director Colonel Usman informed the participants that there were 14 terrorist attacks on Chinese citizens in the country since 2021 in which “20 [Chinese personnel] have been killed and 34 injured”. The committee members were informed that eight of the attacks took place in Sindh, four in Balochistan and two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that eight Pakistanis were also killed and 25 were injured in these attacks. The NACTA Director told the committee that “a total of 20,000 Chinese nationals are settled in Pakistan” which included personnel for projects about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He said that the BLA and other terrorist groups, including anti-state outfits, were involved in the attacks that mainly targeted non CPEC projects and Chinese citizens travelling to different parts of the country. “There has been no direct terrorist attack on CPEC projects so far,” the NACTA Director added.
TTP could become Al Qaeda’s arm to destabilise Afghanistan’s neighbours, Pakistan warns UNSC
Speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on December 12, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, said, “Terrorism within and from Afghanistan poses the single most serious threat to the country, to the region, and the world”, reports Dawn. “While the Afghan Interim Government (AIG) is fighting ISIL-K (Daesh), the threat from various other terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, TTP, and others has yet to be addressed,” he said during a debate on the situation in Afghanistan. He highlighted TTP’s ranking as the largest, listed terrorist organisation and said, “With safe havens close to our border, it poses a direct and daily threat to Pakistan’s security. “In countering the TTP’s cross-border operations, our security and border officials have confiscated some of the modern weapons acquired by the AIG from stocks left behind by foreign forces,” the Pakistani envoy said, adding that the terrorist group also receives external support and financing “from our adversary” — referring to India. He further said that TTP was fast emerging as an umbrella organisation for other terrorist groups, aimed at destabilising Afghanistan’s neighbours. “Given its long association with Al Qaeda, the TTP could emerge as Al Qaeda’s arm with a regional and global terrorist agenda.” Pakistan, he declared would take all necessary national measures to eliminate these threats, cooperating with regional and international efforts to root out the menace of terrorism.
Border attacks increased 70 per cent after arrival of Taliban in Kabul, says Pakistan’s former Special Envoy on Afghanistan, Ambassador Asif Durrani
Pakistan’s former Special Envoy on Afghanistan, Ambassador Asif Durrani on December 14 revealed that there has been a 70 per cent increase in Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacks along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan since the arrival of the Taliban in 2021, reports Business Recorder. Many Afghan nationals have been found in the TTP formations attacking Pakistan’s border areas, he said. He pointed out. “How TTP and other terrorist organisations are managing their finances is yet another crucial question”, he said, adding, Pakistan has been making demarches with the important capitals about the Indian financing of the TTP and Baloch dissident organisations through the Afghan proxies. Indian financing of these terrorist organisations continues unabated to keep Pakistan under pressure. It would be in the interest of India not to use the Afghan soil as a second front against Pakistan, for throwing stones while sitting in the glass house may ultimately hurt India, Durrani added.
Afghanistan Internal Dynamics
Russian official meets Taliban officials in Kabul
On November 25, Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s National Security Council Secretary, visited Kabul to discuss economic, transport, and security cooperation with key Taliban officials, including deputy prime ministers, reports caspiannews.com. He said, “We are aimed at developing bilateral cooperation between Russia and Afghanistan in all areas.” Furthermore, he said, “This step will allow not only to establish an effective dialogue on the issues of countering security challenges and threats, such as terrorism, drug trafficking, but also to intensify trade and economic cooperation.” “We’re talking here about returning assets, funds which belong to Afghans and which, so it appears, they are not about to return,” Shoigu remarked, emphasising that the United States (U.S.) should play a leading role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction.
30 per cent increase in opium production across Afghanistan, report UNODC
On November 27, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its latest report said that opium production in Afghanistan has increased by 30% in 2024 as compared to the previous year, reports Afghanistan International. According to the report, despite the Taliban leader’s orders, 433 tons of opium were produced in Afghanistan this year, with the 2024 crop valued at approximately $260 million, a 130 per cent increase from the previous year. UNODC said that despite a 30 per cent increase in opium production in 2024, it showed a 93 per cent decrease when compared to 2022, before the issuance of a decree banning the cultivation and production of narcotics by Taliban supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Anti-Taliban groups form new coalition named ‘National Assembly for the Salvation of Afghanistan’
On December 7, during an online conference, anti-Taliban groups announced the formation of “National Assembly for the Salvation of Afghanistan,” a coalition of 33 parties, including the National Resistance Front (NRF), to resolve the crisis and ensure inclusivity, reports Afghan Analyst. Prominent figures who took part in the conference include Abdul Rab Rasool Sayyaf, Junbesh leader Abdul Rashid Dostum, Jamiat leaders Ata Mohammad Noor and Salahuddin Rabbani, and Wahdat leader Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq.
Norway downgrades diplomatic ties with Taliban over human rights concerns
On December 5, Norway announced that it would downgrade its diplomatic relations with the Taliban in response to their escalating restrictions on human rights, particularly those targeting women and girls, reports Amu TV. Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said, “We have made it clear to the Taliban that approving a new Afghan Ambassador to Oslo is out of the question.” He added that Norway will maintain contact with Afghanistan but lower diplomatic ties because “We need contact, and Norway’s engagement with Afghanistan will continue, but we are downgrading the diplomatic relationship.”
Taliban’s Minister of Refugees along with his three bodyguards killed in suicide blast in Kabul Province
On December 11, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the Taliban’s Minister of Refugees, along with his three bodyguards were killed in suicide blast at the Ministry of Refugees compound in Kabul of Kabul Province, reports Amu TV. The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing. ISKP claimed its operative successfully bypassed security barriers to reach the location of the bombing in the Ministry’s compound in Kabul. According to the statement of ISKP, the attacker waited until Haqqani exited the ministry, accompanied by aides and bodyguards, before detonating an explosive vest.
Bangladesh Internal Dynamics
The interim government have not been given power for an unlimited period, says Khilafat Majlis Secretary General Mamunul Haque
On November 27, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Secretary General Mamunul Haque, said, “‘I will tell the interim government that you have not been given power for an unlimited period. You have been placed in power for a fixed period of time”, at a mass meeting organized at the Government Rajendra College ground in Faridpur District of Dhaka Division, reports Prothomalo.com. Stating that the interim government has a specific agenda and responsibilities, he further said, “You will carry out the necessary reforms. Bangladesh, which was destroyed by the invasion of fascism, should be urgently rebuilt and hold national elections as soon as possible. Create a level playing field (equal opportunity for all) and start moving down the road of devolution of power to the people’s representative”. Condemning and protesting the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam in the Chittagong court, Mamunul Haque urged the countrymen to be vigilant against such acts of killing and inciting communal riots. He said, “If ISKCON and ISKCON’s inactivity cannot be stopped, then the freedom of Bangladesh will be endangered. They will burn the stable environment of Bangladesh’s communal harmony irrespective of caste-religion-caste with the fire of hell”. Further, he said, “Today we want to announce from the public meeting in Faridpur, if this radical sectarian militant group called ISKCON is not banned; We will do whatever it takes to overthrow ISKCON on the soil of Bengal”.
ISKCON should be banned: Hefazet e Islam
Awami League and India should send a clear message by banning ISKCON, asserts Hefazet-e-Islam. On November 29, the leaders of Hefazet-e-Islam (HeI) said that Awami League and India should send a clear message by banning the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and that no Indian “sevadas” will be allowed to come to power in Bangladesh in future, at a protest rally in front of the north gate of National Mosque Baitul Mukarram in Dhaka District of Dhaka Division, reports Prothomalo. com. The rally was organized by HeI’s Dhaka metropolitan branch against the conspiracy of radical, terrorist and militant organization ISKCON to destroy mosques and court buildings and brutally kill advocate Shaheed Saiful Islam in the court premises at the behest of RA to create unstable environment in the country.
On December 1, Hefazat-e-Islam (HeI) ‘leaders’ said that extremist organisation ISKCON is conspiring to incite communal riots in Bangladesh by spreading false information and rumors, in a protest rally held in Rangpur District of Rangpur Division, reports BSS NEWS. HeI leaders submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding immediate cessation of all activities of ISKCON and its banning, calling ISKCON a radical militant organization. Central Nayeb-e-Ameer of HeI, Maulana Muhammad Yunus, said, “There is no opportunity to shelter Indian aggression in Bangladesh. If the government delays in banning ISKCON and fails to take action against the conspirators, then Hefazat-e-Islam will continue the movement in the future”.
India Internal Dynamics
Over 600 gelatin sticks and other articles recovered from Maoist dump in Odisha
A joint team comprising the District Voluntary Force (DVF) and the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) recovered several articles, including over 630 gelatin sticks, from a Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) dump in the forest area near Kanagun village under Manamunda Police Station limits in Boudh District of Odisha on November 28, reports odishatvin.
The Security Forces (SFs) accessed the dump site, demolished the dump yard with proper precautions, and recovered several Naxal [Left Wing Extremism, LWE] articles. According to senior Police officials, apart from gelatin sticks, the SFs also recovered safety fuses, pressure mechanisms, five 1.5-Volt batteries, and some Maoist literature.
India blocks 10,500 social media URLs promoting Khalistan referendum in three years
The central government has blocked around 10,500 Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) linked to pro-Khalistan referendum on social media in the last three years under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, reports The Indian Express on December 2. The latest data was discussed recently by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) with the senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). “Since 2021, around 10,500 URLs related to the Khalistan referendum have been blocked under section 69 (A) of the IT Act. Also, many mobile apps launched for spreading the Khalistan referendum were blocked by the department concerned…
Around 2,100 URLs related to the PFI (Popular Front of India) were blocked under Section 69 (A) of the IT Act,” a source said, adding that several radicalisation posts/accounts related to LTTE, J&K militants, Waris Punjab De (WPD) have also been blocked. In the last three years, the Centre has locked a total of 28,079 URLs and the most of them were from Facebook (10,976), and 10,139 from X, formerly Twitter. Most of the Facebook URLs blocked were found to be part of fraud schemes. As many as 2,211 YouTube accounts, 2,198 Instagram, 225 Telegram and 138 WhatsApp accounts have also been blocked during the period. Sharing the year-wise, an officer in the security establishment said that 6,775 social media accounts were blocked in 2022, total 12,483 in 2023 and 8,821 this year. On X, 3,417 accounts were blocked in 2022, as many as 3,772 in 2023 and 2,950 till September 30, 2024. On Facebook, 1,743 accounts were blocked in 2022, as many as 6,074 in 2023 and 3,159 this year.
Section 69 of the IT Act allows the government to issue content-blocking orders to online intermediaries such as Internet Service Providers (ISPs), telecom service providers, web hosting services, search engines, online marketplaces, etc. However, the Section requires the information or content being blocked to be deemed a threat to India’s national security, sovereignty, or public order.
DRG Head Constable killed during encounter with Maoists in Chhattisgarh
Head Constable, Birendra Kumar Sori (36) of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was killed in an exchange of fire with the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in the forest on the border of Sonpur and Kohakmeta Police Station areas in the Abujhmad region of Narayanpur District of Bastar Division in Chhattisgarh on December 4, reports The New Indian Express.
India intensifies surveillance along Bangladesh’s border amid deployment of drones near West Bengal, says report
India intensified surveillance along the Bangladesh border amid reports of Bangladesh’s deployment of Turkey-made drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) ‘Bayraktar TB2’ near West Bengal, reports India Today on December 6. It is reported that these drones are operated by Bangladesh’s 67th Army for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
While Bangladesh claimed the deployment is for defence purposes, the strategic significance of positioning such advanced drones in a sensitive region has not been overlooked by India. And India’s increase surveillance come against the backdrop of intelligence inputs indicating an increase in terrorist activity along the border areas after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government. The inputs mentioned that terror groups and smuggling networks were exploiting the political instability in Bangladesh to infiltrate into India.
| Monthly Fatalities The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period November 23, 2024 to December 22, 2024: | ||||
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
| Chhattisgarh | 12 | 01 | 11 | 24 |
| Karnatka | 01 | 00 | 02 | 03 |
| Jharkand | 02 | 00 | 03 | 05 |
| Manipur | 02 | 00 | 01 | 03 |
| Telengana | 04 | 00 | 07 | 11 |
| Total | 21 | 01 | 24 | 46 |
Srilanka Internal Dynamics
Commemorating LTTE not allowed, says Cabinet Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa
On November 26, Cabinet Spokesperson, Health and Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that commemorative events associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are not permissible in Sri Lanka, reports Daily News. The Sri Lankan Government remains firm in its stance that there is no room for any form of celebration that glorifies the LTTE, the minister emphasised.
Sri Lankan Police arrests British citizen at Colombo airport for suspected LTTE fundraising
On November 30, a British Tamil citizen, was arrested upon arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport of Sri Lanka, for suspected links with fundraising for Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), reports Tamil Guardian. The individual was handed over to the Airport Police, who formally placed him under arrest. Investigations are being carried out jointly by the Airport Police and the Colombo North Crime Division.
Two Sinhalese men arrested for sharing ‘LTTE content’ on Facebook
Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) have arrested two Sinhalese men, in a series of arrests related to the sharing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-related content on Facebook, reports Tamil Guardian on December 2. The arrests were carried out under charges of incitement, promoting a proscribed organization, and spreading false information through social media. Sri Lankan authorities invoked Section 120 of the Penal Code and Section 27 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to detain the suspects.
International
German police arrest teenage suspect over Islamist bomb plot
German authorities said Thursday, Nov 28. 2024 they had arrested a teenager suspected of planning an Islamist pipe bomb attack. Police found two bayonets, four pieces of piping and items suspected to be used to make a detonator in his home in the western district of Mainz-Bingen, they said. The suspect, who was not named, was “radicalised online” and had shared “propagandistic content” on social media, the Koblenz prosecutor’s office said. The teenager “glorified the crimes” of the Islamic State group and shared their calls for “jihad”, it added in a statement. He had “obtained instructions online on how to make pipe bombs and explosives”, investigators said. There was currently no indication that the suspect was on the verge of carrying out an attack, prosecutors said, with no explosives found during the searches. Germany has been on high alert for Islamist attacks since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel sparked the devastating war in the Gaza Strip.
Kosovo races to contain blast impact, Serbia denies involvement
Kosovo stepped up security measures around “critical” infrastructure Saturday, Nov 30 after an explosion at a key canal feeding two of its main power plants, as neighbouring Serbia rejected accusations it had staged the blast. The explosion occurred Friday near the town of Zubin Potok in a Serb-dominated area in Kosovo´s troubled north, damaging the canal supplying water to cooling systems at two coal-fired power plants that generate most of Kosovo’s electricity. Visiting the site on Saturday, Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced that police had arrested several people in connection with the attack. Law enforcement “carried out searches” and “collected testimony and evidence, and the criminals and terrorists will have to face justice and the law,” he said. The arrests follow a security meeting late Friday, when Kurti pointed blame at Serbia. “The attack was carried out by professionals. We believe it comes from gangs directed by Serbia,” he told a press conference, without providing evidence. The government later issued a statement echoing his allegations, saying that “initial indications suggest” the explosion had been “orchestrated by the Serbian state, which has the capacity to carry out such a criminal and terrorist attack”. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hit back Saturday, denying the “irresponsible” and “baseless accusations”. “Such unfounded claims are aimed to tarnish Serbia´s reputation, as well as to undermine efforts to promote peace and stability in the region,” he said in a statement to AFP. Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric had earlier suggested on X that the Kosovar “regime” could itself be behind the blast, and called for an international investigation. The main political party representing Serbs in Kosovo, Serb List, also condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms”. AFP journalists at the scene saw water leaking heavily from one side of the reinforced canal, which runs from the Serb majority north of Kosovo to the capital, Pristina, and also supplies drinking water. However, electricity supplies to consumers were running smoothly on Saturday morning, with authorities having found an alternative method to cool the plants, said Kosovo´s Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli. Repair work was ongoing, authorities said, while Kurti confirmed workers had managed to restore water flows to 25 per cent capacity. The United States strongly condemned the “attack on critical infrastructure in Kosovo”, the US embassy in Pristina said in a statement on Facebook. “We are monitoring the situation closely… and have offered our full support to the government of Kosovo to ensure that those responsible for this criminal attack are identified and held accountable.” Turkey´s foreign ministry also condemned the attack, adding: “We call on all parties to exercise restraint to avoid escalation in the region.” The NATO-led KFOR peace keeping mission for Kosovo joined the calls for restraint, saying in a statement: “It is important that facts are established and that those responsible are held accountable and brought to justice.”
Terrorists attacked consulate in Aleppo, says Iran
Iran said Saturday, Nov 30 that “terrorist elements” had attacked its consulate in the Syrian city of Aleppo during a rebel offensive in the area. In a statement, Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesman of the Iranian foreign ministry, “strongly condemned the attack” by “some armed terrorist elements” on the Iranian consulate, adding that all its staff members were safe. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Russia and Iran expressed “extreme concern” at escalating hostilities in Syria, where rebels launched an assault on the city of Aleppo, Moscow said Saturday. “Strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic was reaffirmed,” Moscow´s foreign ministry said in a readout of a call between Sergei Lavrov and Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. The Syrian army said on Saturday dozens of its soldiers had been killed in a major attack by rebels who swept into the city of Aleppo in the northwest, forcing the army to redeploy in the biggest challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years. The surprise attack led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has jolted the frontlines of the Syrian civil war that have largely been frozen since 2020, reviving fighting in a corner of the fractured country near the Turkish border. The army said it was preparing a counteroffensive to restore state authority.
10 killed in mass shooting in rural Ecuador
At least 10 people were killed early on Sunday, Dec 01 in a mass shooting in a rural area of Ecuador that is under a state of emergency, police said. One of the fatalities in the southwest province of El Oro was a totally dismembered body found in a bag, the police commander in the area, Pablo Fajardo, told reporters. The incident was the latest in a spate of recent bloodshed, much of it linked to drug gang warfare, in a country once seen as a beacon of stability in South America. Ecuador has become one of the world´s most violent nations and a major drug trafficking hub in recent years. In the latest attack, people who had rented a rural estate were attacked as they slept before dawn Sunday, said Fajardo. Some of the bodies were found in the residence and others by a nearby road.
Serbia denies link to Kosovo canal blast amid heightened tensions
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Sunday, Dec 01 denied his country had staged an attack on a strategic canal in neighbouring Kosovo that has reignited tensions between the two. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has accused Serbia of masterminding what he called a “terrorist attack” on Friday on the waterway near Zubin Potok, an area of Kosovo´s volatile north dominated by ethnic Serbs. The blast damaged a canal supplying water to hundreds of thousands of people and cooling systems at two coal-fired power plants that generate most of Kosovo´s electricity.
Vucic fired back in an address to the nation on Sunday, saying the incident and the Kosovo accusations were “an attempt at a large and ferocious hybrid attack” on Serbia itself. Belgrade´s Kosovo office said the strike gave the Pristina government an excuse to crack down on ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. “We have no connection with it,” Vucic said of the attack.
Airstrike on Khartoum mosque kills seven civilians
A Sudanese military air strike on a north Khartoum mosque killed seven civilians on Friday, Dec 06 pro-democracy lawyers said, in a toll also confirmed by an activists´ committee. “The attack occurred as worshippers were leaving the mosque” after Friday prayers, said the Emergency Lawyers, who have been documenting human rights abuses during the 19-month war between Sudan´s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The local resistance committee, one of hundreds of volunteer groups across Sudan delivering frontline aid during the war, confirmed the death toll and said “a number of wounded” had also been transported for treatment.
Sudan rescuers say 28 killed in shelling of Khartoum fuel station
A Sudanese network of volunteer rescuers said that 28 civilians were killed on Sunday, Dec 08 when a fuel station in an area of Khartoum under paramilitary control came under shelling. The Sudanese army, which has been fighting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, has been advancing towards the capital in recent weeks, in a bid to regain control of Khartoum. On Sunday, a fuel station in RSF-held southern Khartoum was hit by shelling, said the South Belt Emergency Response Room. The youth-led volunteer group said “28 people were confirmed dead” and “the number of injured reached 37, including 29 burns cases” and some shrapnel injuries. Early in the war, which has pitted army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the forces of his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the paramilitaries had largely pushed the army out of Khartoum. The government, loyal to Burhan, is based in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, where the army has retained control.
FBI did not send undercover operatives to join Jan 6 attack, says watchdog
The FBI did not send undercover agents to participate in the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and did not authorise its informants to enter the building or engage in violence, the US Justice Department’s internal watchdog said on Thursday, Dec 12. The findings by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz run counter to far-right conspiracy theories by supporters of President-elect Donald Trump who have repeatedly made baseless claims suggesting that FBI operatives were secretly involved in the Capitol riot.
One such false claim pertained to James Ray Epps, an Arizona man who entered the Capitol that day. Epps, who was charged last year with a misdemeanour for entering a restricted building or grounds, was falsely accused by Trump’s supporters and by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson of being an undercover government informant.
Horowitz’s report comes a little more than a month before Trump will be sworn in for his second term as president. He has pledged to grant clemency to many of the people who stormed the Capitol as soon as his first day in office.
Myanmar rebels overrun junta’s western regional command
A rebel army in Myanmar said it had captured a major military headquarters in the country’s west, marking the fall of the junta’s second regional command as it faces mounting setbacks against a nationwide armed resistance movement. The Arakan Army said the western military command in Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh, fell on Friday after two weeks of intense fighting, according to a statement late Friday (Dec 20) night. A spokesperson for Myanmar’s military government could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021, when the military ousted an elected civilian government, triggering widespread protests that morphed into an armed rebellion against the junta. The Arakan Army (AA) is part of the Three Brotherhood Alliance – a collection of anti-junta groups – that launched an offensive in October 2023, notching several significant victories along Myanmar’s border with China.
In August, the alliance wrested control of the northeastern town of Lashio, marking the first seizure of a regional military command in Myanmar’s history. A coastal province along the Bay of Bengal, Rakhine is one of Myanmar’s poorest regions, despite its offshore natural gas reserves and a planned economic zone in Kyauk Pyu, from where pipelines carry oil and gas into China.
Fighting in Rakhine, which is also home to the country’s mainly Muslim minority Rohingya community, resumed last November after a ceasefire between the Arakan Army and the junta broke down, leading to a series of victories for the rebel forces.
| 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. 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. | ***** |
