Detail Of Terrorism Update

Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka was critically injured while at least eight persons were killed when a female suicide cadre of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), disguised as a pregnant woman, blew herself up in front of the military hospital inside the Colombo Army headquarters on April 25. Twenty-seven persons were injured in the explosion. Military spokesperson, Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe, stated that it was ‘Maternity Day’ at the Army Hospital and as a practice pregnant women entering the Army Hospital premises are not subject to stringent security checks.

Following the attack, the Air Force launched a series of strikes on the LTTE-held Sampoor area in the Trincomalee district. A Government statement said that hours after the Colombo suicide attack, the "Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) positioned in the Sampoor area in Trincomalee launched an attack on the Navy in Trincomalee and the security forces have carried out an operation to deter further attacks by the LTTE." The military attack was continuing till last reports came in. Brigadier Samarasinghe informed that the latest strikes came after the LTTE fired on naval patrol craft off the eastern port of Trincomalee for a second day. He added, "The navy is heavily patrolling the area. They requested air support."

Meanwhile, the pro-LTTE website Tamil Net claimed that at least 12 dead bodies of Tamil civilians killed in the air strike by Kfir jets and artillery attack by navy and army were recovered from Muttur east area of the district. It further reported that a Muslim civilian, Moulavi Zeinudeen, was killed and nine others were injured when a Kfir jet bombed a Muslim village Vaddam in the Government-controlled Muttur town on April 26, today.

In a separate incident, a civilian, S. Arulanantham, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at his residence in the Mattakuliya area of Colombo district on April 25, reports Tamil Net.

A day earlier, LTTE cadres disguised as passengers hijacked a bus travelling from Puttur to Sarasalai area carrying civilians in the Jaffna district on April 24 and reportedly asked the driver to drive past ignoring security forces (SFs) checkpoints or roadblocks on the road. The outfit cadres also opened fire on SF personnel at the roadblocks. SFs at the Sarasalai area retaliated and in the milieu the driver lost control killing one civilian. Troops recovered one hand grenade and 39 empty cases of 7.62 mm spent bullets from the incident site.

Further, three civilians and two soldiers were injured when LTTE cadres lobbed a grenade at a Police guard point near the oil filling station in the Eravur area of Batticaloa district.

On April 25, the Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) chose Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala as Prime Minister to head the all-party Government after the House of Representatives convenes on April 28. The alliance has also decided to annul all the administrative and political decisions effected by the administration of King Gyanendra.

Meanwhile, issuing a press statement on April 24, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) rejected the royal proclamation. The statement further said the reinstatement of the House of Representative is not as per the 12-point pact reached between the Maoists and SPA. In the statement signed by Maoist Chairman Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai, the Maoists have blamed the SPA of committing a ‘historic mistake’ of taking a one-way decision to accept the reinstatement of the house. The Maoists also announced protest programmes that include people’s mobilization and demonstrations, people’s action against suppression of their programmes and blockade to the valley and district headquarters till announcement of the election of the constituent assembly.

Separately, Chief of the Army Staff Pyar Jung Thapa has said the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) is positive about the merging of Maoist troops with the national army. Speaking to CNN following the Royal Proclamation, Thapa stated that the RNA was willing to work with any Government and that it would continue to be answerable to the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister of the country. He said the Maoists could be incorporated into the national army on the basis of their capability and qualification.

According to Daily Times, Cobra gunship helicopters hit the hideouts of suspected pro-Taliban militants in North Waziristan on April 25 after a military convoy was attacked a day earlier, leaving up to seven persons dead. Sources in Miranshah said that three soldiers were killed when the terrorists ambushed a convoy heading towards the Afghan border. Four of the attackers were also killed in the incident, which is reportedly continuing till last reports came in. "An appropriate response to the attackers continues and I will not give operational details," Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told Daily Times. Purported Taliban spokesman Tariq Jameel claimed to have "inflicted greater casualties on the security forces than what the military admits to and none of my comrades were killed". Jameel while warning the tribal elders against meeting Government officials also said there was no chance of talks between Taliban and the Government.

In another incident, a tribesman was killed when Frontier Constabulary personnel retaliated after a rocket attack on the Sarbandki check post on the Bannu road near Miranshah. The attack occurred during a football match between tribesmen near the post, according to Dawn.

Meanwhile, terrorists reportedly looted food items from two trucks that were carrying ration for army and security forces at Mirali and Dattakhel.

A suspected Afghan bomb-maker and four members of his family were killed when an explosive device he was building blew up in their home on the outskirts of Quetta, capital of the Balochistan province, on April 25, according to Daily Times. The man’s wife, mother-in-law, brother and three-year-old son died in the blast, province police chief Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob said. His second wife and another son aged 13 were injured and the roof of the house collapsed after the blast, he added. The suspect, Afghan national identified as Kamaluddin, was wanted by police following intelligence reports that some saboteurs had entered Pakistan for subversive activities, Yaqoob said.

Meanwhile, suspected insurgents blew up railway bridge No 31 in the Babarkatch area of Harnai destroying a 136-feet section of the rail track.

Further, the insurgents also fired seven rockets at security check posts in the Kohlu area on April 25, but no loss of life or property was reported. Separately, a landmine blast in Pir Koh damaged a water tank.

Elsewhere in the province, security forces arrested six suspected insurgents from Pir Koh and seized an unspecified quantity of explosives from them.

Sangai Express quoting official sources reports that four Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) cadres, including the Thoubal 'district commander', were killed following an encounter with the police at Nungei Khunou under Lilong police station limits in the Thoubal district on April 25. Two pistols, one live round of 9 mm calibre, seven empty cases along with a vehicle used by the slain militants were recovered.

Separately, a young boy, Ginao, was wounded by a stray bullet when firing broke out between cadres of two rival militant outfits near Gamnom Sapermeina police station in the Imphal East district.

At least 32 persons, including 12 school children, were injured in separate grenade attacks in the Pulwama and Kupwara districts on April 25, according to Daily Excelsior. At least 12 school children were among 24 persons injured when terrorists lobbed a grenade at a crowded market in the Tral town of Pulwama district. Official sources said the grenade was apparently targeted at a patrolling party of the Border Security Force (BSF). In a separate grenade attack in Lolab Kupwara, at least eight passengers were wounded when a vehicle they were traveling in ran over a land mine on the Warnow-Kupwara road.

Terrorists shot dead two Special Police Officers, Devinder Kumar and Rishi Kumar, who were posted on guard duty of a protected person at Arnora in the Doda district. Official sources said the terrorists opened firing on the guards of Shashi Kumar Kesari, who had unsuccessfully contested the elections for Parliament and State Legislative Assembly from Doda, at village Arnora killing both his body-guards. Kesari, who was present in the house at the time of firing, escaped unhurt. None of his family members were injured in the firing.

Unidentified terrorists shot at and injured a civilian, identified as Abdul Ahad, at Kushalpora Sopore in the Baramulla district.

Meanwhile, a BSF personnel, who was injured in a separate grenade attack in Batamaloo on April 24-evening, succumbed to injuries in a hospital on April 25. Further, a bookseller, Manzar Illahi, who was wounded by suspected terrorists at Shopian in the Pulwama district on April 25 also succumbed to his injuries in a Srinagar hospital.

In another incident, troops killed a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘group commander’, identified as Mohamed Maqbool alias Tanveer, at Sumbar in the Gool area of Udhampur district. One AK rifle with four magazines, 57 rounds, one wireless set, one mobile telephone and two hand grenades were recovered from him.

A woman, identified as Dilshada Banoo, was arrested for her alleged links with terrorists at Rajpora-Zachaldara village in the Kupwara district. Hailing from Chanjmoulla village, the woman was reportedly in possession of a Kenwood wireless set. Security forces also arrested a suspected terrorist from the Teetwal area of Kupwara district along with two mobile phones.

Elsewhere in the State, security forces recovered 25 kilograms of explosives from an aluminum bowl, hidden under the seat of a passenger bus, which was on way from Kishtwar to Jammu.

Kantipur Online has reported that two more bodies of civilians were recovered on April 25 from the District Hospital, which had been used by Maoists as security cover when they launched simultaneous attacks on security and Government offices at Chautara in the Sindhupalchowk district on April 23-night.

Meanwhile, the Maoists killed one civilian, Shushil Basnet, and injured another in the Sisneri area of Rolpa district on April 24.

One personnel of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) was killed in an encounter with the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres in the Bijapur area of Dantewada district on April 25. According to police sources, after completing a search operation, the IRB personnel were returning to the district headquarters when Maoists attacked them near Bhogamguda village, about 5 kms from Bijapur town.

On the same day, the Maoists abducted 52 villagers who had participated in the now suspended anti-Maoist Salwa Judum campaign. Police officials said the whereabouts of the abducted villagers are not known as the Maoists have taken them into the forest areas, close to their village Manikonta in the Errabore police station limits of Dantewada district.

Telegraph reports that National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) cadres shot dead a truck driver, Ratan Roy, and wounded four others at Unish Mile along the Ambassa–Gandacherra road under Ganganagar police station in the Dhalai district on April 24-night, following the withdrawal of the Central Reserve Polioce Force (CRPF) personnel who reportedly used to escort the vehicles.

On the same night, two NLFT cadres, Nityabahadur Malsum and Baganbahadur Malsum, surrendered before the Sub Divisional Police Officer Pinaki Samanta at Udaipur, headquarters of the South Tripura district. The duo who deposited one .9-mm pistol and one Chinese grenade reportedly confessed, during interrogation, that they fled their hideout at Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh and reached Udaipur town on April 20.

A National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) cadre, B Daithan, was killed and five other militants were wounded at Sapatgram in the Dhubri district of lower Assam on April 25, when the police retaliated to the militants who were forcing the closure of shops and other business establishments in the area, according to Telegraph. The outfit reportedly called for a general strike on April 25 in protest against the alleged ‘violation of ceasefire rules’ by the State Government.

Elsewhere in the State, suspected NDFB militants hurled two petrol bombs at the engine of a diesel carrying train at Rowta in the Udalguri district injuring two persons. A major disaster was averted when the wounded engine staff managed to delink the engine from the train before the attack.

Separately, the Public Works Department chief engineer, Suren Das, who was abducted on March 9 and later released on April 24 by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), has been in a stage of coma due to cerebral malaria. Das reportedly started suffering from cerebral malaria while in captivity.

On April 25, a Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) transit camp in the Saranda forest area of West Singhbhum district was neutralised by the police. The camp was located in a dense forest area near Gundijhora village. Superintendent of Police Navin Kumar Singh said they had located the camp during a combing operation in the area following an encounter near Thalkobad in Saranda on April 24. Describing the camp, Singh pointed out that it was large enough to accommodate at least 50 Maoists. The police also recovered utensils, leftover food and tents at the camp. Singh added that though the Maoists had razed a few trees to the ground to build the camp, they had tried to design it to evade detection during aerial surveys.

Meanwhile, in one of the biggest seizures of explosives in the State, Bokaro district police recovered a huge cache of detonators and gelatin sticks from Jhabra village on April 25. The explosives were kept in the houses of Vaidyanath Mahtha and Bishwanath Mahtha, who were engaged in supplying detonators illegally into West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar. The police seized 800 manual detonators, 1,600 pieces of gelatin sticks kept with other explosives, 67 electronic detonators, 2,000 metres of wires besides other explosives. During the course of interrogation, the arrested duo admitted that their group had also supplied detonators to Maoists.

According to Ranchi Express, four farmers, two each from villages Saangbar and Shahad under Lesliganj Police Station, were abducted by the Maoists. A group of more than 40 Maoists first abducted Udan Mahto to Saangbar and then reportedly assaulted about a dozen villagers of Goradeeh, under the same police station. Sources said Maoists had used such tactics earlier to forcibly settle long-pending land disputes among the Mahtos,

Separately, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, T.K.A. Nair, on April 24 asked for the creation of an integrated wing, with involvement of police officers, to formulate, prioritise and guide the development process in the Maoist-infested districts of Jharkhand. He reportedly opposed the current ''fragmented approach to development" and asked the Government to involve police in the decision making exercise.

According to Daily Star, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel on April 25 arrested two militants of the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Mohammad Wasim and Ali Hossain, from Rupganj in the Narayanganj district and recovered a huge cache of explosives and bomb-making materials from them. The seizure included one kilogram each of nitrogen benzene and potassium chlorate, 100 grams of lead azide, 500 grams each of sodium nitrate and sodium azide, 45 detonators, 11 integrated circuits, 24 electric connectors and an explosive measuring scale, said a RAB press release.

Meanwhile, Fahima Chowdhury, wife of JMB second-in-command Bangla Bhai, was sent to jail on April 24 by a court in Netrakona following her statement. She reportedly said that the December 8, 2005 blast in Netrakona was planned at Nongar Bhaban in Akua Haji Bari of Mymensingh town on the night of December 6 in the presence of Bangla Bhai and three other JMB Majlis-e-Shura (highest decision-making body) members. She confessed that the JMB letter found at the incident site was written by her.

Telegraph reports that following the April 24 Maoist-attack in the Aurangabad district, the State Election Commission, on a request from the State Government, deferred the panchayat (village body) elections by a fortnight. The elections, originally meant to be an eight-phase affair starting May 2, would now be completed in 10 rounds, election official R.P. Sinha said. The dates, however, would be decided later.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, after visiting the incident site in Aurangabad district, announced that the Government would organise a camp in the area and distribute arms to the people to take on the Maoists. "A group of five persons from each village will be given arms. We will seek permission from the state election commission for this," Modi said.

According to Daily Times, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) will contest the forthcoming Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) Legislative Assembly elections with the promise to fight for an independent Kashmir, JKLF Chairman Amanullah Khan told a press briefing on April 25. He called upon the Governments of Pakistan and PoK to remove the provision from the nomination papers that demands that election contestants take an oath to support Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan. He described the provision as a draconian law, adding that it was against human rights and the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.

A police informer told a US Federal District court in Brooklyn on April 24 that a Pakistani immigrant, angered by the war in Iraq and the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, wanted to punish Americans in 2004 by bombing one of New York City’s busiest subway stations, according to Dawn. The Pakistani, Shahawar Matin Siraj, 23, and alleged co-conspirator James Elshafay were arrested on August 27, 2004 on the eve of the Republican National convention. They drew diagrams of the subway station before being arrested, the New York City’s Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said shortly after their arrests that the men never obtained explosives and had not been linked to known terrorist groups. The informant Osama Eldawoody, an Egyptian national, told the court that Siraj vowed to "teach these people a lesson".

President Mahinda Rajapakse in his address to the nation in the aftermath of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide attack in Colombo on April 25 stressed that no type of terrorism would frighten him and his Government and that his Government would never be brought to its knees by any such challenge. He said, "I emphasise and caution that one should avoid mistaking our desire for peace and our responsibility to achieve it, as a weakness." He added that by targeting the Army Commander to a suicide bomb attack, it was patently clear that the LTTE had no desire to settle disputes through negotiations.

Meanwhile, the LTTE called on mediator Norway to pressure the Government to accept its conditions for returning to peace talks and said Colombo was fomenting violence by backing paramilitary groups. In an open letter to Norwegian peace envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, outfit’s political wing leader, S.P. Thamilselvan, said that the Government was to blame for a wave of violence many fear could lead to the breakdown of a 2002 ceasefire and a return to civil war. He added that Norway should call on the Government to "calm the current tense situation and bring to an immediate end the violence let loose by the Sri Lankan armed forces and its paramilitaries."

According to Samaja, the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has called for a state-wide week-long programme, Saheed Saptaha (Martyrs’ week), starting from April 23 in protest against the killing of three of their cadres in the Deogarh district on April 18. The State Government, anticipating attacks by the Maoists on police sympathisers and vital installations, has alerted the Jhhadapokharia, Bisoi, Bangiriposhi, Gorumahishani and Tiring police stations in the Mayurbhanj district along the border with Jharkhand.