Detail Of Terrorism Update

A statement issued by the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) said that security force (SF) personnel killed one Maoist insurgent each at Baidare in the Bhojpur district and Aruwang in Arghakhanchi district on March 1. Meanwhile, SFs recovered 11 more bodies of insurgents, including that of two commanders identified as Nabin and Sangharsha, killed during clashes with the troops in the Toraiyapur area of Kailali district on February 28.

In another incident, two children were killed and two others sustained injuries during bomb blast triggered by suspected Maoists at Faktep in the Panchthar district on February 28.

On March 1, the Indian paramilitary force, Special Services Bureau is reported to have arrested four armed Maoists at Laukahi in the Baharaich district of Bihar and recovered one AK47 rifle, two SLRs, one .303 rifle and one socket bomb. Separately, Nepal Police are reported to have detained at least 12 student activists belonging to seven student unions for organizing protests programmes in the various campuses of Kathmandu valley.

Nepal News has reported that the United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Donald Camp, stated, "We (U.S.) now face a dilemma in making decisions about security assistance for Nepal. We have not made a decision to suspend assistance" and added, "We're reviewing it and seeing how the situation (develops). We'd prefer not to." He, however, said the royal move has probably emboldened the Maoists and made it more likely that the Maoists have a stronger position than they did before February 1. A statement released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director in Kathmandu, S. Hafeez Rahman, said that in view of the recent political and security developments in Nepal, the ADB was reviewing implications for its on-going operations.

Reports quoting the Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Supplies, Dishesh Chandra Pyakhurel’s interview, stated that the Government was initiating a new policy of stockpiling essential commodities. According to Pyakhurel, "To make sure that supplies do not run out, foodstuff such as rice and daal, petroleum products and other goods of daily use will be stored for at least two months." Further, he said that arrangements have been made to dispatch food grains to some eastern hilly districts including Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur, which have been facing food shortage due to frequent Maoist-enforced blockades and bandhs.

On March 2, three left-wing extremists (also known as Naxalites) of the Communist Party of United States of India (CPUSI) were killed in an exchange of fire with the police near the Bussapur forest area of Warangal district in Andhra Pradesh. According to reports, a group of 15 Naxalites had been camping on the village outskirts for three days and summoning contractors and traders demanding party funds. Some of the traders reportedly passed on information about their movement to the police following which a special party of police spotted the Naxalites.

In another incident, four Naxalites belonging to the Peddapalli Local Guerrilla Squad of the Communist Party of Maoist (CPI-Maoist) shot dead Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader, P Balwanth Rao, in the Kalva Srirampur area of Kurnool district on March 2.

Meanwhile, seven Naxalites belonging to the CPI-Maoist and two from the Janashakthi group surrendered before Karimnagar Superintendent of Police, D S Chauhan, on March 2 citing ill health and differences with the leadership.

Separately, the Tungaturthi police in Nalgonda district on March 2 arrested 13 Naxalites of the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (Pratighatana group) on the charge of extortion. According to Circle Inspector Shivaram, the Naxalites hailed from Nalgonda and Warangal districts.

Elsewhere, reports from Mahbubnagar district indicated that the Naxalites have called for a shutdown on March 5 after killing a registered medical practitioner and Congress party functionary, Dr Qayyum, in his clinic at Mannanur village on March 1.

A ‘deputy district commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment, identified as Aijaz Ahmed, was among two terrorists killed during an encounter with the security force (SF) personnel at village Ari in the Poonch district on March 2. Sources in Poonch said the encounter ensued after troops launched a search operation at Ari after receiving information that a group of terrorists had descended to the plains from upper reaches due to heavy snowfall. While two more terrorists of the group managed to escape, two AK-56 rifles, five magazines, 20 rounds of ammunition, two pouches and one wireless set were recovered from the incident site.

Meanwhile, the Police arrested a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘section commander’, Liaquat Hussain Bhat alias Minta alias Salman, from village Puneja in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district on March 2. One AK rifle, three magazines, 113 rounds of ammunition and one Chinese grenade were recovered from his possession.

On March 1, two terrorists of the Biswamohan Debbarma faction of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) were killed in an encounter with the police in the Kamalpur subdivision of Dhalai district. According to reports, the encounter occurred when the terrorists attempting to cross a rivulet at Mechuria were challenged by the police party.

On the same day, a person was arrested with a country made gun by the police from Durgacherra area under Longtarai Valley police station of Dhalai district.

Mohammad Nasiruddin alias Gittu Nasir, a senior Islami Chhatra Shibir cadre, was killed in 'crossfire' between Rapid Acton Battalion and his gang at Chaira Havilderpara village in the Chittagong district on March 2. Nasir was earlier arrested at a Jatrabari slum in the capital Dhaka by RAB personnel on March 1. One RAB personnel was injured in the incident, while a revolver, a DBL gun, two SBL guns, six gun cartridges, 47 bullets of AK-47 rifle, one spent bullet of pistol and three AK-47 bullets were recovered from the incident site.

In another incident, Manjur Rahman Sardar, a cadre of the Lal Potaka faction of the Purbo Bangla Communist Party (PBCP) was killed in 'crossfire' between police and his associates in the Moshai Beel area of Rajshahi district. According to police, some PBCP cadres managed to escape after the attack and police recovered a shutter gun and two bullets from the site.

Ten persons were injured in a bomb explosion on March 2 at an urs mahfil (death anniversary) in the Parulia Narsinghapur village of Narsingdi district. The festival is held every year at the shrine of Jainab Bibi and her husband Dewan Sharif who founded the Parulia Three Dome mosque during the Mughal period.

Meanwhile, Daily Star has reported that Dr. Muhammad Asadullah Al Ghalib, chief of the Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (AHAB), on March 2 told the police that six militant trainers came from India’s Bihar and Punjab States in December 2004 and held a meeting with Abdur Rahman of the Jagrata Janata Muslim Bangladesh (JMJB) and some other leaders of different Islamist parties. The AHAB chief also said that eight instructors came from three States of India–Bihar, Haryana and Punjab–over the last three years and trained 11 followers of Rahman in using sophisticated firearms.

On the same day, security officials raided the offices of monthly journal At-Tahreek at Galib's home and of Ahle Hadith Jubo Sangha (AHJS), Salafi Madrassa and its student hostels in Rajshahi. Evidence seized from Galib's home include several computer hard disks, SIM cards from two mobile phone sets, several large volumes on jihad and military training, books on activities of AHAB and AHJS, as well as official documents, including correspondence from AHAB, AHJS and Salafi Madrassa.

Meanwhile, the three-member probe body investigating the grenade attack on the Rangpur office of Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee on February 16 submitted a report to the Superintendent of Police in Rangpur indicating involvement of an Islamist militant group.

Unidentified terrorists shot at and injured Dr. Th. Kullachandra, Principal of the Manipur Institute of Technology-Takyelpat, at Mongsangei in the Imphal West district on March 2. According to reports, he was earlier asked to pay an extortion amount of Rupees Five lakhs.

The Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), on March 2, has reportedly imposed a curfew within 300 metres of all examination centres for the Class XII examination scheduled to start today (March 3). The outfit warned that its cadres have been asked to fire upon anybody violating the orders. Separately, on March 2, the KYKL shot at and injured the owner of a restaurant for violating its diktat of shutting down all cabin restaurants.

Meanwhile, the Kuki National Front (KNF), in a statement issued by its ‘finance secretary’ Joshua Kuki, has asked its cadres to stop all ‘tax collection’ activities till further notice. Separately, the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) has asked the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur to release the District Rural Development Agency’s funds without delay.

The Telegraph, quoting the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director-General J.K. Sinha, has reported that the CRPF would replace the army in counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast by September 2005. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on March 2, Sinha said 22 CRPF battalions are undergoing special training for counter-insurgency operations and would be deployed in the region by August.

Earlier in the day, 352 former militants of the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) were inducted into the CRPF.