Suicide Attacks
At least six people, including five Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were killed while 56 others, including children, suffered injuries when a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a passenger coach in New Behman area on the outskirts of Turbat town in Kech District of Balochistan on January 4, reports Dawn. The passenger coach was taking FC personnel from Karachi to Turbat. While claiming responsibility for the attack, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said its Majeed Brigade carried out the blast.
Bomb/IED Attacks
One Pakistan Coast Guard personnel was injured when their vehicle was targeted in a bomb explosion in the Panwan area of Gwadar District of Balochistan on December 29, reports Dawn.
One security Force (SF) personnel was killed and another personnel seriously injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in Spinwam tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan District on January 1, reports Dawn. The IED explosion occurred when SF personnel were clearing the area for a convoy in Spinwam. As a result of the blast, Naik Habib was killed while Lance Naik Nisar was seriously injured.
A worker of the Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited (OGDCL) was killed and another was injured in a bomb attack on OGDCL vehicle in Qila Saifullah town (Qila Saifullah District) on January 20, reports Dawn. Police officials, while confirming the bomb attack on the OGDCL vehicle, said that an improvised explosive device (IED) was planted on the road leading to the company’s camp office on the outskirts of Qila Saifullah.
Targetted Killings
Two people were gunned down by unidentified assailants in Gharab union council of Sanjawi tehsil (revenue unit) in Ziarat District on December 30, reports Dawn. Levies officials said the victims, identified as Ajab Khan and Saleem, were on their way home when the assailants opened fire and killed them on the spot. Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Policeman in the Daud Shah area of Bannu District on January 3. He was crucially injured and succumbed to injuries on his way to the hospital.
Miscellaneous
Six terrorists were killed while eight other terrorists sustained injuries during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted by Security Forces (SFs) in South Waziristan District on December 26, reports Geo News. Five terrorists and one Army Major were killed while eight other terrorists sustained injuries during Security Forces (SFs) intelligence-based operation (IBO) in North Waziristan District on December 26, reports Geo News. Army Major, identified as Muhammad Awais (31), was a resident of Narowal District in Punjab, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Two terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted by Security Forces (SFs) in Jani Khel area of Bannu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 26, reports Geo News.
Two terrorists were killed in a clash with Police after a patrol party of the Township Police Station came under attack near the Central Jail in Bannu town (Bannu District) on December 28, reports Dawn. Security Forces (SFs) repulsed an attack on a security post of the Frontier Corps (FC) in Toi Khulla area of South Waziristan District in night of December 28, reports Dawn. Terrorists carried out a gun attack on the FC post, but due to timely response by the SFs, the attack was foiled and the terrorists fled.
A team of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested two terrorists from Al Manzor recreational spot in Jamshoro District of Sindh on January 4 and recovered grenades and weapons from their possession, reports Urdu Point. The CTD informed that the terrorists wanted to target vehicles of Rangers but thanks to the timely intelligence information they were arrested. They were associated with Sindhudesh Liberation Army (SLA) and Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM). Eight militants were killed when Security Forces (SFs) conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) on the reported presence of militants in Mattani area of Peshawar District on January 7, reports Geo News. During the conduct of operation eight militants were shot dead. Eight militants were killed when Security Forces (SFs) conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Baizai area of Mohmand District on January 7, reports Geo News. In ensuing fire exchange, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that eight terrorists were effectively engaged and neutralised by the SFs.
Three soldiers and three militants were killed during exchange of fire between Security Forces (SFs) and militants when Army troops engaged terrorist location in Karak District on January 7, reports Geo News. Three soldiers were identified as Lance Havaldar Abbas Ali (38), Naik Muhammad Nazir (37) and Naik Muhammad Usman (37), Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. Three Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants were killed during a joint intelligence-based operation (IBO) by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Police on Tajori Road Canal near Malang Adda under the jurisdiction of Gumbela Police Station in Lakki Marwat District on January 9, reports ARY News. Six terrorists and two Security Force (SF) personnel were killed in an exchange of fire in Zangoti area of Datta Khel tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan District on January 11, reports Dawn. The clash occurred in the Zangoti area, where around a dozen terrorists stormed a SF checkpoint with light and heavy weapons. Two SF personnel were also injured in the crossfire.
Security Forces (SFs) on January 12 killed six terrorists and arrested two terrorist during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Dosalli area of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reports Dawn. Security Forces (SFs) killed two terrorists and two terrorists got injuries during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Esham area of North Waziristan District on January 12, reports Dawn. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain terrorists. Security Forces (SFs) on January 11 neutralised an Afghan national linked to terrorism in the country during an operation in Zhob District of Balochistan, reports Dawn. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, “On January 11, 2025, an Afghan national, involved in terrorism inside Pakistan, was killed in the Sambaza area of Zhob district of Balochistan. The individual was identified as Muhammad Khan Ahmedkhel, son of Haji Qasim Dawran Khan, resident of Bilorai village in Wazekhwa District of Paktika Province in Afghanistan”. The statement said Ahmedkhel’s body was handed over to Afghan officials on January 20 after necessary procedural formalities. “Such incidents are irrefutable evidence of the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist activities in Pakistan,” the statement added.
Pakistan
PM Shehbaz Sharif said TTP a “red line” for country, demands Afghan action and offers negotiation
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on December 27, said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a “red line” for the country, urging the Taliban-led Afghan Interim Government to take decisive action against the group, reports The Khorasan Diary. “Afghanistan is our brotherly country, with whom we share over a thousand kilometers of border. We strive for cordial relations, but the TTP poses a significant concern. TTP is a red line for us,” the PM said. The PM stressed that since the TTP operates from Afghanistan, the Afghan government must take solid action to prevent attacks on Pakistan. “If this continues, it will be unacceptable. Pakistan will defend itself at all costs.” The PM proposed that the Afghan Government develop a comprehensive strategy to address the TTP issue, reiterating Pakistan’s willingness to engage in negotiations to resolve the matter. However, he emphasized that a “dual approach, seeking stronger relations while allowing the TTP to operate freely will not work.”
Banned outfits provided with sanctuaries, support on Afghan territory, says ISPR DG Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on December 27, that terrorist outfits were being provided “sanctuaries, support, and are allowed unrestrained activities on Afghan territory”, reports Dawn. During the press conference, which was held in Rawalpindi, the DG ISPR addressed a range of issues, including counterterrorism efforts, Pakistan’s grievances with Afghanistan regarding the handling of the TTP, ceasefire violations by India, and the May 9 riots, among other matters of national importance. “All evidence related to terrorism can be traced back to the safe havens enjoyed by terrorists in Afghanistan,” Gen Chaudhry said. “The army chief has a clear and straight-forward stance on this: that Pakistan has reservations on banned organisations sanctuaries, support, and unrestrained activities on Afghan territory,” he asserted. “Everyone knows that Pakistan has wholeheartedly tried for peacekeeping in Afghanistan and that Pakistan has played the most important role in the stability of Afghanistan,” General Chaudhry said, noting that Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for a long time. “Pakistan has, on a state level, pointed out to the Afghan interim government that Fitna al Khawarij and various other terrorists have continued terrorist activities in Pakistan using Afghan soil,” he recalled.
Heavy exchange of fire on Pak-Afghan border on multiple locations resulted in eight Afghan and one Pakistan causalities
A Frontier Constabulary (FC) soldier was killed while 11 other personnel sustained injuries in exchange of fire with Afghan forces on multiple border posts in Kurram District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the morning of December 28, reports Dawn. The Afghan forces targeted border posts in Ghozgarhi, Matha Sangar, Kot Ragha and Tari Mengal areas using both light and heavy weaponry, the sources said, adding that Pakistani Security Forces retaliated, inflicting significant losses on the other side as eight personnel of the Afghan forces were killed in the exchange of fire. Besides, militants made an infiltration attempt late on December 27-night, using the posts controlled by the Afghan Taliban to cross into Pakistani territory, but the attempt was thwarted. “After the infiltration attempt failed, militants and Afghan forces jointly opened fire on Pakistani posts with heavy weapons on December 28-morning. The firing was effectively responded to and there are confirmed reports of heavy losses on the Afghan side with over 15 militants dead and many others wounded,” another source said, adding that Afghan forces abandoned their posts and left the area after the incident.
BLA among main perpetrators of terror in 2024, says PIPS report
According to the ‘Pakistan Security Report 2024’ released by Islamabad-based think tank Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) on January 1, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) emerged as a key perpetrator of terrorist violence in Pakistan, reports Dawn. While the attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) killed about 300 people during the year, BLA-orchestrated attacks caused 225 fatalities. PIPS report noted that in 2024, the number of terror attacks reached levels comparable to the security situation in 2014 or earlier. A significant difference is that unlike the period before 2014, terrorists no longer control specific territories inside Pakistan. Yet, the prevailing insecurity in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan is alarming, the report said. Over 95 per cent of terrorist attacks recorded in 2024 were concentrated in KP and Balochistan. KP recorded the highest number of terrorist incidents in the country in 2024, with 295 attacks. Meanwhile, attacks by various Baloch insurgent groups, primarily the BLA and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), saw a staggering 119 per cent increase, accounting for 171 incidents in Balochistan.
The report noted that after a gradual decline in terrorist violence since 2014-15, the trend began reversing following the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul. For the fourth consecutive year, the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan increased in 2024. In 2024, as many as 358 personnel of security and law-enforcement agencies were martyred in terrorist attacks. In these attacks, 139 militants were also killed. Markedly, 2020 was the last year to witness a relative decline in terrorist violence in Pakistan, a trend that had been ongoing since 2014, following military operations in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Karachi.
The report also noted that while the banned TTP remained a key perpetrator of terrorist violence in KP, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group emerged as a significant threat in Bannu and parts of Waziristan. A case in point was the outfit’s November attack on the Mali Khel check post in Bannu, where 12 soldiers were martyred. Over the past year, the outfit has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks, including suicide bombings, in Bannu and Waziristan. Similarly, the Lashkar-e-Islam-TTP nexus in Khyber District has exacerbated the terrorism situation in the District. Compared to 15 in the previous year, 12 terrorist attacks occurred in Sindh, including 10 in Karachi and one each in Dadu and Larkana Districts. These attacks killed a total of 14 people and injured 28 others. Punjab experienced 11 terrorist attacks in 2024, a significant increase from six in the previous year. These attacks claimed six lives and left 12 people injured.
Afghanistan Internal Dynamics
Four civilians injured in explosion in Kabul
Four civilians were injured in an explosion near Sheikh Zayed Hospital in the 15th Police District (PD) in Kabul City of Kabul Province, reports Afghan Analyst on December 28. Khalid Zadran, Taliban spokesman for Kabul Police, confirmed the incident. However, the National Resistance Front (NRF) claimed responsibility for the explosion targeting the Taliban-controlled @moiafghani stan’s (Ministry of Interior Affairs- Afghanistan) 1st gate in PD15 of Kabul City, stating they inflicted heavy casualties on Taliban.
Russian President signs a law allowing temporary suspension of ban on Taliban
President Vladimir V. Putin signed a law enabling the temporary suspension of the ban on the Taliban, currently designated as a terrorist organisation by Russia, reports Amu TV on December 30. According to Information Telegraph Agency of Russia–Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (ITAR-TASS), Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, said the new provisions would facilitate dialogue and cooperation with the group, despite its terrorist designation under Russian law. Further, ITAR-TASS’s report revealed that once the court decision is finalized, it must be sent to the Federal Security Service (FSB) within five days to update the list of terrorist organisations.
Bangladesh Internal Dynamics
Rohingyas attempt to infiltrate into Bangladesh daily, says DG, Bangladesh Coast Guard
On December 25, Director General (DG) of the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG), Rear Admiral Ziaul, said that Rohingyas attempt to infiltrate into Bangladesh daily, and the Coast Guard pushes them back, reports The Daily Star. He mentioned that Rohingyas are now using routes other than the Naf river in between Bangladesh and Myanmar international border, to enter Bangladesh, often with the help of some locals. He said, “Teknaf and Saint Martin’s are close to the Myanmar border, so the Coast Guard works around the clock to ensure security. The ongoing conflict between Myanmar’s junta and the Arakan Army has in tensified, with the junta forces facing defeats. While shelling across the border has created fear among locals, there is no need to panic. Coast guard members will ensure the safety of people along the border”. He made the remarks while visiting the Myanmar border areas in Teknaf and Saint Martin’s Island in Cox’s Bazar District.
UPDF cadre killed in Chittagong District’
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a suspected cadre of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) was killed and several others injured, in a gunfire exchange with Bangladesh Army personnel in Naniarchar zone in Rangamati District of Chittagong Division on January 2, reports The Daily Star. During the search, Army recovered an M-16 assault rifle, two rounds of MG/sniper ammunition, 90 rounds of rifle ammunition, a walkie-talkie, 12 mobile phones, and other equipment. UPDF ‘spokesperson’ Angya Marma told that the person killed is not a cadre of the outfit and the name of the outfit is being falsely linked to incite internal conflict.
India Internal Dynamics
Cache of weapons belonging to ENNG recovered in Arunachal Pradesh
On December 28, Assam Rifles in a joint operation with Army and Arunachal Pradesh Police recovered cache of weapons near MS 27 along the Miao-Vijaynagar axis in Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh, reports Northeast Now.
During the operation, 10 Chinese-origin MQ 81 Assault Rifles were recovered. The weapons were suspectedly buried by Eastern Naga National Government (ENNG) before their surrender in 2023.
West Bengal Police urges MEA to overhaul passport verification and delivery system to counter the rising fake passport rackets
On December 29, the West Bengal Police wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urging an overhaul of the passport verification and delivery system to counter the rising fake passport rackets, especially amid the ongoing turmoil in Bangladesh, reports Hindustan Times. “Police have minimal involvement in the verification process. We have written to the MEA requesting them to strengthen the passport verification system and we are actively pursuing it. We propose a new system where the district intelligence branch (DIB), local police stations, and senior officers will have a more significant role,” said Rajeev Kumar, Director General (DG) of West Bengal Police.He emphasised “Even if someone enters India through Meghalaya’s Tura, they must pass through West Bengal to reach other states. The situation in Bangladesh is fragile, and we don’t want it to be exploited to create issues here”.Police said that an investigation led the Police to a passport racket where fake documents were used to create Indian passports, which were sold for INR 2,00,000 to 5,00,000, mostly to Bangladeshi nationals. “Over 70 such passports have already been issued. The police have alerted the MEA about these findings,” said the officer. Additionally, on December 29, Police arrested a travel agent, Manoj Gupta, in connection with the racket. He played a key role in the racket, helping individuals forge documents to obtain Indian passports. The investigation is ongoing.
UTA releases videos of its training camps through its ‘chairman’ Anthony Doke
On December 31, United Tani Army (UTA) released several videos of its training camps and was made available by UTA ‘chairman’ Anthony Doke, reports The Arunachal Times.In the videos, presence of weapons and operatives in the camps is shown.The location of the camps remains unknown, but it is well stocked with arms and ammunition.In an interview, Doke said that he would soon present a “detailed plan” about his organisation and its motives.
He alleged that the Government of India does not care about the areas inhabited by the Tani tribes. He further said that his organisation is seeking Union territory status for the Tani areas. An unnamed official said, “The camps shown in the videos look likely to be that of the NSCN (K-YA). He is trying to revive the UTA with the help of Naga militants”.
“Since he shifted base to Myanmar last year the agencies have been tracking his movements. His attempts to try lure the youths with sophisticated tactics like issuing statements to the media and releasing videos of training camps is a major challenge for us,” said another Official.
Manipur accounted for 77 per cent of insurgency-related violence across the Northeast between January 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, says UMHA
On December 30, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) released its 2023-24 annual report which said that Manipur accounted for around 77 per cent of insurgency-related violence across the Northeast between January 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, reports Hindustan Times. The report said that the seven northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura — reported 320 incidents of violence related to insurgents, of which 248 (or 77.5 per cent) were from Manipur during the period.
It further said that Mizoram did not report a single incident since 2019, while Tripura did not report any such incident between 2023 and March 31, 2024. Even as the number of insurgency-related incidents was the highest at 243 in 2023 in all Northeast states since 2018 (252 incidents), the UMHA noted that the increase was primarily due to the ethnic strife in Manipur. “The security situation in the northeastern states has improved substantially since 2014. Compared to 2014, there has been 71 per cent reduction in insurgency incidents, 60% in security forces casualties and 82% in civilian deaths in 2023,” the annual report said.
Eight DRG personnel and a driver were killed after Maoists blow up security vehicle in Chhattisgarh
On January 6, eight security personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and a driver were killed in Bijapur District in the Bastar division in Chhattisgarh when Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres used an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to blow up their vehicle, reports NDTV. The Security Forces (SFs) were returning from an operation when the IED blew up the Scorpio SUV at Kutru in the Bastar region around 2.15 pm.
HNLC demands semi-sovereign status for Hynniewtrep in Meghalaya’
The Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) issued a new manifesto demanding recognition of semi-sovereign status for the Hynniewtrep people, while accusing the Indian government of violating decades-old agreements, India TodayNE reports on January 20. The ten-chapter manifesto focuses on violations of the 1947 Standstill Agreement and claims the Instrument of Accession (IOA) was signed under coercion. “These agreements, intended to safeguard our autonomy, were signed under coercion and amidst grave injustices perpetrated by the Government of India,” the manifesto states. The HNLC presented four key demands to the central government, including acknowledgement of the IOA violations and direct dialogue for autonomy restoration. The manifesto further outlines a vision for self-governance, including control over land resources and cultural practices.
International
Terrorism suspected in New Orleans attack that killed 10
A 42-year-old Texas man crashed a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating New Year’s Day in New Orleans’ French Quarter and then opened fire on police, killing at least 10 people and injuring 35, in an early morning attack the FBI said was a potential act of terrorism. The suspect, identified by the FBI as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, died at the scene in the shootout with police, officials said.
“An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle and the FBI is working to determine the subject’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the lead investigator, said in a statement.
Investigators found weapons and a potential explosive device in the vehicle, and other potential explosive devices were found in the French Quarter, the FBI said. It said the vehicle appeared to have been rented. One city leader described the assailant as being in full military gear.
U.S. Representative Troy Carter told ABC News the death toll may have risen to 15 but that detail was not immediately confirmed by law enforcement officials. The incident occurred at 3:15 a.m. (0915 GMT) near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, a historic tourist destination in the city’s French Quarter known for attracting large crowds with its music and bars. Kirkpatrick said the driver, who swerved around barricades, shot and wounded two police officers from the vehicle after it crashed. The officers were in stable condition, she added. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell called the incident a terrorist attack.
| Monthly Fatalities The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period December 23, 2024 to January 22, 2025: | ||||
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Terrorist | Total | |
| Chhattisgarh | 16 | 00 | 20 | 36 |
| Assam | 01 | 00 | 01 | 02 |
| Jharkand | 02 | 00 | 01 | 03 |
| Total | 19 | 00 | 22 | 41 |
China slaps sanctions on US firms over Taiwan arms sales
China sanctioned 10 US defence firms on Thursday, Jan 02, 2025 over arms sales to Taiwan, its second round of measures against American companies over the issue in less than a week.
Subsidiaries of Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Raytheon that had “participated in selling arms to Taiwan” were added to China´s “Unreliable Entities List”, the country´s Ministry of Commerce announced on Thursday. They will be prohibited from import and export activities or making new investments in China, while their senior managers will be banned from entering the country, the ministry said.
Eight civilians killed in Mali attack
At least eight civilians have been killed in central Mali, several sources said on Sunday, Jan 05 accusing the Malian army and Russia´s Wagner group for the latest attack in the troubled west African country. The country is embroiled in a political, security and economic crisis, and has since 2012 been ravaged by different groups affiliated to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. It also faces a separatist insurgency in the volatile desert north.
There was no immediate comment on the incident from the Malian army and a defence ministry official contacted by AFP declined to comment. In a statement issued on Saturday the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), which groups several separatist groups in Mali´s north made up of the Tuareg ethnic minority, blamed the Malian army and the Russia´s Wagner mercenary group for the “deliberate criminal act”, which it said left nine people dead. The FLA “learned with great emotion the murder by the Malian army and the Wagner mercenaries of nine civilians, including women and children Thursday, between Gouma Coura and Dioura”, it said.
France holds Algerian influencers on charges of urging violence
French authorities on Sunday, Jan 05 held three Algerians suspected of inciting violence in TikTok videos, with at least two of them facing terror-related charges. The arrests come amid growing political tensions between Paris and its former North African colony. A video blogger known as “Imad Tintin” was arrested on Friday outside Grenoble after publishing a video urging followers to “burn alive, kill and rape on French territory”. The post was taken down after receiving 800,000 views but hardline right-wing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau published a video grab on his social media accounts, condemning the publication as “vile”. A judge on Sunday placed the 31-year-old blogger under judicial supervision, Grenoble prosecutors said. He was due to appear on Monday in a fast-track trial on charges of “direct incitement of an act of terrorism”, the state prosecution service said.
“Imad Tintin” entered France in December 2021 and applied for a residence permit in August 2023 after his marriage to a French woman. But his application was refused and he is also subject to an expulsion order. In a second case, a 25-year-old Algerian identified as Youcef A. but known on social media as Zazou Youssef was remanded in custody Friday in the western city of Brest, prosecutor Camille Miansoni said in a statement. He will stand trial there on February 24 on a charge of “publicly advocating an act of terrorism” in posts to his hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers, she said. He faces up to seven years in jail and a 100,000-euro ($103,000) fine if convicted, the statement added. Zazou Youssef appeared in a video posted on TikTok on December 31, calling for attacks in France and violence in Algeria.
Chad says bid to storm into presidential palace foiled, 20 dead
Two dozen armed men tried to storm into Chad´s presidential palace but 18 of the attackers and two soldiers were killed in the failed attack, the national prosecutor said on Thursday, Jan 09. Heavy gunfire erupted near the presidential complex just before 8:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) on Wednesday in the centre of N´Djamena, the capital of the military-ruled, central African country. Roads leading to the presidential palace were blocked and tanks could be seen on the streets, an AFP reporter at the scene said at the time.
Thousands flee southern Sudan town amid escalating clashes: UN
Thousands have fled a town in southern Sudan since clashes erupted last week between the Sudanese army and rival paramilitaries, the United Nations´ migration agency said on Sunday, Jan 12. The conflict in Sudan, which erupted in mid-April 2023, has pitted the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). “Between 1,000 and 3,000 households were displaced from Um Rawaba town” in North Kordofan state in the country´s south in just five days, the UN´s International Organization for Migration said. Clashes broke out in the area last week between the army and the RSF, at the same time that the military led an advance on the central Sudan state of Al-Jazira, some 300 kilometres (186 miles) northeast. Families fled “due to increased security concerns following continued clashes across the locality”, the IOM said.In North Kordofan, over 205,000 people are currently displaced, according to the latest UN figures released recently.
16 civilians killed in Nigerian military error
At least 16 civilians were killed in a military air raid in the northwestern Nigerian state of Zamfara after a pilot mistook local self-defence forces for criminal gangs, residents told AFP on Sunday, Jan 12. The incident was the second deadly accidental airstrike to target civilians since the December 25 bombing of two villages in a raid targeting jihadists in neighbouring Sokoto state. Nigeria´s military has been fighting criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, who have long terrorised communities in northwestern and central Nigeria. The fighters raid villages, kill and abduct residents for ransom and burn homes after looting them.
Late on Saturday, a military jet hit a group of residents who mobilised from several neighbouring villages to confront gunmen who had attacked Dangebe village in Zurmi district, carting away livestock and burning homes, residents said. “The group was returning to their villages after chasing away the bandits who attacked Dangebe when the fighter jet bombed them on reaching Tungar Kara village,” said one local, Sa´idu Ibrahim.
80 killed in three days of guerrilla violence in north Colombia
A fresh outbreak of guerrilla violence amid a faltering peace process in conflict-riddled Colombia has left more than 80 people dead in just over three days, officials reported on Jan 13. The National Liberation Army (ELN) armed group launched an assault in the northeastern Catatumbo region last Thursday on a rival formation comprised of ex-members of the now-defunct FARC guerrilla force who kept fighting after it disarmed in 2017. Civilians were trapped in the middle, and by Sunday, it was estimated that “more than 80 people have lost their lives,” said governor William Villamizar of the Norte de Santander department that includes Catatumbo.
The last toll Saturday was estimated at 60 people, including seven ex-FARC combatants, in five municipalities of the mountainous cocaine-producing region near the border with Venezuela. The army said more than 5,000 soldiers have been sent to the region to “reinforce security”. The Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) — once the largest guerrilla force in the Western Hemisphere — disarmed under a 2016 peace deal reached after more than half-a-century of war. But the pact failed to extinguish the violence involving leftist guerrillas — including FARC holdouts — rightwing paramilitaries and drug cartels over resources and trafficking routes in some regions of the country. The ELN has in recent days also clashed with the Gulf Clan, the largest drug cartel in the world’s biggest cocaine producer, leaving at least nine dead in a different part of northern Colombia.
| 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. | ***** |
