Detail Of Terrorism Update

Security Forces (SFs) on June 19 killed 15 more militants and injured seven others in a shootout in the Charmang area of Bajaur Agency, The News reported. Sources said the militants attacked a patrolling party of the SFs near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Charmang area of Nawagai sub-division, killing two soldiers and injuring three others. Further, in a remote-controlled bomb explosion in the Nakhtar area of Mamond sub-division, a Bajaur Levies trooper sustained injuries.  

Meanwhile, the SFs continued their operations against the local Taliban and targeted their hideouts in Hashim, Babara, Kohi, Asghar and Kotki areas of Charmang with heavy and sophisticated weapons, including gunship helicopters and artillery. The militants’ locations were targeted with artillery shells from Khar, Loi Sam and Tankhata areas.  

In Mohmand Agency, a civilian was killed as SFs shelled the suspected hideouts of the militants in Yarakhel Babazai area. Further, 47 wanted persons of Danishkol and Ambar areas of the Pandyalai sub-division surrendered to the authorities at Yakaghund. Sources said SFs also launched an offensive in the Spinki Tangi and Yarakhel areas of Khwezai Bazai sub-division and targeted the hideouts of the militants.

11 Taliban militants were killed in the Doog Darra area of Dir Upper District by armed villagers and artillery shelling by the Security Forces (SFs) as the militants started fleeing the area after giving up resistance, The News reported. Further, the Chitral Police arrested 10 fleeing militants, including an Afghan national, who was in an injured condition, when they sneaked into the District to escape the operations.  

The armed villagers have reportedly ringed the Taliban militants, led by Afghan commander Amir Khitab, since June 6 in the mountains of Doog Darra. They were heavily targeting the positions of the Taliban militants and killed a number of them. Helping the Lashkar (militia), SFs deployed artillery guns in Panakot area near the Dir town and Beranjo in Doog Darra. The locals said firing with heavy weapons by the Lashkar and artillery shelling panicked the holed-up militants. Sources in Lashkar and locals said the militants were attempting to escape the intensified action. Mutabar Khan, the Lashkar chief, said they believe 80-100 militants had been left in the area, adding that they were just 400 meters away from them. The Lashkar has so far reportedly killed at least 36 militants.

Security Forces said on June 19 that they had killed four more Taliban militants and arrested two in the ongoing operation in Malakand, while one soldier was injured in the fighting, Daily Times reported. The SFs are reported to have secured Akhun Kalle and established a check-post in the Swat’s Chungai area. The troops also launched an operation to clear areas around Zara Khela, Khawazakhela and Matta, and seized three rifles. The army conducted a search operation in Buner’s Sar Qila area, and successfully secured Mohmand Gate, Nawapass, Ghungat, Kuz and Chamarkand in Mohmand Agency.  

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), SFs killed four militants in Buner district and were consolidating their positions in parts of the Swat Valley, The News reported. The ISPR said SFs clashed with militants in Sar Qilla area during a search operation. Four militants, it claimed, were killed during an exchange of fire.  

Further, 10 families, including that of Afzal Khan Lala, veteran leader of the ruling Awami National Party, are reported to have returned to Swat. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on June 19 announced a package of over PKR 24 billion for capacity building and strengthening of Police and law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) in the NWFP, according to The News. Addressing Members of Provincial Assembly of the ruling alliance at the Governor’s House in Peshawar, Gilani stressed the importance of well-equipped, trained and highly motivated LEAs to ensure durable peace and stability in the province after completion of the military operation under way in the tribal belt and Swat. The package is to be utilised for recruiting additional Police and LEA personnel and acquiring sophisticated weapons. The package will be delivered in installments, each tranche comprising PKR six billion would be handed over to the NWFP after every six months.

Amid reports of NATO’s assistance in a military offensive against the Baitullah Mehsud-led Taliban, Pakistani warplanes and gunship choppers on June 19 continued targeting suspected hideouts of the militants in South Waziristan Agency (SWA), killing six militants. Sources told The News that two jet fighters of the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Army’s two gunship choppers bombed suspected hideouts of the TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud in Barwand, Madejan, Serwakai and adjoining areas. Further, the sources said artillery shells were fired from the Frontier Corps camps in Jandola and Serwakai towards the suspected hideouts in various parts of the SWA.  

Military officials said six militants were killed and several others injured when gunship helicopters targeted their positions near Serwakai. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Athar Abbas said the operation was conducted for reopening the main road between Tanai and Serwakai. He said the militants had blocked a portion of the main Wana-Jandola road for quite some time and set up their positions. He rejected reports of NATO involvement and assistance to the Pakistan Army in any military operation against the militants in the country. “There is no truth in all such reports. Only the Pakistani troops have been engaged in all such operations against the militants whether they are in Swat, Dir or Waziristan,” he said.  

Officials said all the arrangements had been finalised for what they called a ‘decisive’ action against the TTP chief and his militants. They said the operation could be accelerated once all the people of Waziristan, inhabited by the Mehsud tribesmen, came out of their villages and migrate to safer places. However, despite an announcement by the Government, there is reportedly no camp for the internally displaced persons (IDP) of South Waziristan. Consequently, most of the IDPs have been living with their relatives, friends or in rented houses in the Tank and Dera Ismail Khan Districts.

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, who had abducted two personnel of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF), Ram Bhuwan Patel and Dhanjay Verma, from a hilly stretch in Bijapur District on June 17, killed them and dumped the bodies on a roadside in a forested area on June 19, reports IANS. Police said the victims'' throats were slit with sharp edged weapons. 

In a separate incident, Maoists killed a man, Vimal Meshram, in a busy weekly market near Lohandiguda village in Bastar District on June 19 for his support of a mega Tata Steel project. Meshram, an influential tribal leader, was the president of Lohandiguda janpad panchayat (village council).

A judge and his aide were shot dead and 17 people were injured in bomb and grenade attacks in various parts of Balochistan on June 19, Dawn reported. Ziaullah, the judge of a Qazi court in Dasht, was coming to provincial capital Quetta along with his Reader Abdul Khaliq Dehwar in his official vehicle when motorcycle borne attackers fired at them near the Wapda grid station on Sariab Road. The two were seriously injured and died en route to the civil hospital.  

Further, at least 15 people were injured when a bomb placed on a push-cart parked at a taxi stand in Dera Murad Jamali went off.  

In addition, two people were injured in a grenade attack on the offices of a goods company in Hazargangi area on June 19-night.  

Separately, a Frontier Corps (FC) convoy going to Quetta from Mastung escaped a bomb attack in the Mian Ghundi area. The roadside bomb was detonated with a remote control after the convoy had crossed the Luck Pass area. Azad Baloch, a spokesman for the proscribed Baloch Liberation Army, claimed responsibility for the bombing.

A day ahead of Vice President Hamid Ansari''s visit to Kashmir, a former militant of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) was killed while two of his accomplices were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) they had allegedly fabricated exploded in the Lal Bazaar area of capital Srinagar on June 19, Daily Excelsior reported. Firdous Ali Dar, a resident of the nearby Alasteng area, was blown up when the IED he had allegedly put together went off at a house at Bhagati Shoora in Lal Bazaar area. The house owner, Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, and another former HM militant, Ghulam Mohammad Ganaie, were injured in the blast. Three grenades, one IED, 100 rounds of AK 47, one mobile phone and some burnt Indian currency notes were recovered from the spot. The Police also recovered large quantity of crackers from the incident site. Official sources said Dar and Ganaie, who were considered to be experts in making of explosives during their active time in subversive activities, might have been persuaded by militants back to militancy. After surrendering, the deceased militant had reportedly taken up a job as an electrician in the Kashmir University, where Vice President Hamid Ansari is scheduled to attend the 17^th Convocation of the varsity. 

In another incident in Srinagar, a civilian was killed and three others were wounded when unidentified militants lobbed a grenade at the crowded Dalgate area near the tourist hub of Dal Lake at around 9 pm, official sources said. It was not clear as to what the target of the militants was as a tourist bus, a Police van and paramilitary personnel patrolling the area were present when the explosion took place, official sources said. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. 

Elsewhere in the State, the Army and Police on June 19 recovered explosive devices and ammunition including eight IEDs during a search operation at village Folka under the jurisdiction of Rajouri Police Station in Rajouri District. The seizure include eight powerful IEDs with four time devices, 3.5 kg explosive, 10 detonators, two radio sets, one UBGL, one telephone, 90 AK rounds and six magazines.

According to Assam Tribune, an unidentified United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militant was shot dead in an encounter with Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at Kacharitol village under Kalaigaon Police Station in Udalguri District in the night of June 19. One Chinese pistol along with several rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the possession of the slain militant, adds Sentinel.  

Separately, the Police and Army personnel shot dead an ULFA militant, identified as Biman Gogoi, and arrested a linkman, Hemchandra Gogoi, from Telikhola Majgaon area of Sadiya in Tinsukia District on June 15. Later, the Army recovered two AK-56 rifles, three magazines of AK series, one magazine of M-20 pistol and 128 live ammunitions of AK series from Udaypur area under Chapakhowa Police Station, based on the confession of the arrested linkman.  

Meanwhile, all the six Doordarshan Television channel employees manning the Low Power Transmitter located at Haflong in the North Cachar Hills District fled following an extortion demand by the Black Widow (BW), reports The Hindu. Doordarshan sources said the relay centre had been shut down for the past two weeks.

A suspected militant was shot dead by the Thoubal District Police during an encounter at Hayel Labuk village on June 18, reports Imphal Free Press. While other militants managed to escape, one mm Pistol along with four live rounds of 9-mm ammunition was recovered from the possession of the slain militant. 

Separately, one United People’s Party of Kangleipak militant, Puyam Braja Bashi, was arrested by the Assam Rifles during a search operation in Thoubal District on June 19. 

Further, a People''s Liberation Army (PLA) militant, M. Nanaobi Singh, was arrested by the Assam Rifles personnel from Moreh in Chandel District when he was moving towards Myanmar on June 18. 

In addition, a United National Liberation Front (UNLF) militant, Maipaksana, was arrested by the Assam Rifles personnel when he was traveling in a vehicle on the Chandel-Pallel road on June 18. 

Elsewhere, an unidentified person claiming to be a militant of the Kangleipak People’s Liberation Army, which is assumed to be a faction of the People''s United Liberation Front (PULF), informed over phone that a bomb had been planted at the office of the local daily Sangai Express at Thouda Bhabok Leikai in capital Imphal by an unspecified outfit. Subsequently, the Police made a search operation, but failed to recover any explosive from the office. 

Meanwhile, a group of Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) militant led by Francis Kuki defected from the KLA. They have reportedly formed a new outfit called the United Kuki Liberation Army-Military Council (UKLA-MC) with Francis Kuki as its ‘commander-in-chief’.

On June 19, the second day of the Police operation at Lalgarh in the West Midnapore District,   an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion triggered by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres hit the Domkal Sub-Divisional Police Officer’s (SDPO''s) car in Pirakata, injuring three Policemen. A culvert was also blown up in Nimtala. Around 9pm, gunfire was reportedly heard near the Lalgarh Police Station.  

Meanwhile, the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram asked West Bengal to ban the CPI-Maoist in the State. Questioning the decision of the West Bengal Government for not banning the outfit in the State, he said, "I believe there are voices in West Bengal which have raised this issue. We think they should be banned in West Bengal as in other States."

A large amount of explosives and detonators were recovered in a joint operation by the Special Task Force and Nalanda Police from a truck on the Nalanda-Biharshairf Road on June 19, reports Times of India. The Police also arrested five hardcore Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, including Prawesh Mishra, the brother of top Maoist leader Promod Mishra. The Inspector General of Police (Special Branch), Binay Kumar, said, “Initial interrogation has revealed that the explosives were loaded on the truck in Koderma (in Jharkhand) and was on its way to Nepal. Perhaps the explosives would have been down loaded in between.” Over one ton of explosives and 6,000 detonators were detected on a truck camouflaged as a truck carrying stone chips.

Troops recovered 10 T-56 weapons, three T-81 weapons, one Light Machine Gun (LMG), two 0.22 weapons, 51 hand grenades, 18 Arul bombs, 13 60-mm mortars, 23 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG), 752 rounds of T-56 ammunition, 66 81-mm mortar bombs, four Multi Purpose Machine Gun (MPMG) links, three 152 mm artillery shells, 1050 MPMG ammunition, one magnetic claymore mine, 62  claymore mines, 112 claymores, designed to fix in vehicles, six anti personnel mines, one suicide bomb that can be fixed to a motor cycle,  one 120-mm mortar bomb, five pressure mines, 12 Bangalore torpedoes, two Recoiling (RCL) bombs, 178 kilograms of C-4 explosives, 44 suicide jackets, two suicide braziers, 11 suicide kit plates, 20 explosives chargers, two booby traps, three boxes of .22 ammunition, 76 rounds of 23-mm ammunition, 1686 detonators, 860 60-mm mortar cartridges, three T-56 magazines, five LMG drums, 10 boxes of T-56 ammunition, 16 boxes of 12.7-mm ammunition, three boxes of MPMG ammunition, 10m long detonator code, one aiming picket, 11 remote controllers, two shotguns, two firing devices, one switch, eight booby traps, fixed to claymore mines, six hundred booby traps, fixed to 122 mm artillery shells, 20 rounds of 122-mm artillery shells and 22 cartridges of 122-mm artillery during search and clear operations in Visuamadu, Ampakamam,  Puthukkudiyiruppu and Malthottam areas on June 18, according to Sri Lanka Army report.

The Batticaloa District Police engaged in search and clear operations recovered 101 T-56 weapons, five 60-mm mortar launchers and three commando mortar launchers in Thonikattamadu, Vakarai on June 18, according to Sri Lanka Army report.  

Meanwhile, Navy troops in the Trincomalee District conducted a search operation in the Vellathoddam area and recovered 512 81-mm mortars, 192 81-mm mortar cartridges, 24 RPG rounds, 24RPG charges, four belt orders and 100 pouches on the same day. In the meantime, Army troops also recovered one shot gun during a search operation at Mailanpiddi in the Trincomalee District on June 18.

On June 19, Police arrested three suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants who had allegedly plotted to assassinate President Mahinda Rajapaksa, reports Colombo Page. According to Police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara, two suspects were arrested near the Ayurveda Hospital in Rajagiriya area and on information provided by them the third suspect was arrested at Valachchenai area in the Eastern Province. The three suspected LTTE cadres are aged between 15-16 years, the Police said.  

Meanwhile, the completion of the de-mining process and the strengthening of the Army to hold the entire North and East to avoid any type of terror raising its head are pre-requisites for the resettlement of displaced civilians in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu Districts, said Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka on June 19, reports Daily News.  The Commander said the strength of the Army has to be increased to hold the entire area captured by the Army during the past three years. “The number required is very much higher than that at the time of offensive operations against the LTTE,” the Commander said. The Commander said the Army had a strength of 116,000 at the time they started offensive operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and it has been increased up to 200,000 with 84,000 youth being recruited to the Army during the past two and half years.  The Army Commander said that according to his assessment the strength of the Army has to be increased to at least to 300,000 to cater to all requirements in the post conflict scenario to hold the entire areas liberated from the LTTE, and for the Army to have a proper deployment plan with a decent leave period for soldiers.

A person identified as Arunachal Chrishanthakumar aka A.C. Shanthan, who bought electronic and computer equipment for the banned Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) that could have been used to make a bomb, was jailed for two years, reports The Guardian. The 52-year-old from Norbury was found guilty of charges relating to conspiracy to receive and receiving property that could be used for terrorism at Kingston Crown Court on April 17.  A judge at the Old Bailey jailed him for two years for the conspiracy count and one year for receiving property the sentences will run concurrently. Deputy Assistant Commissioner John McDowall, head of the Metropolitan Police’s counter terrorism command and senior national co-ordinator counter terrorism, said: “Shanthan bought component parts which have been used in the past by the LTTE to make improvised explosive devices. He purchased electrical equipment including circuit boards, GPS and antenna equipment and sent it to Sri Lanka for terrorists to use.  He spent more than £13,000 in just 14 months on military publications, manuals and guides to be used as reference for military attack planning, yet denied he was involved in any terrorist activity”.

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna on June 19, the Bhutanese Foreign Minister Ugyen Tshering denied the presence of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in that country, according to Assam Tribune. “We don’t have any presence of any ULFA cadre here…,” Tshering said. There were intelligence reports that some ULFA cadres were still witnessed along the India-Bhutan border resulting in some violent attacks by the insurgent group in those areas, according to the report.

Mohammed Omar Madni, a suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant, has disclosed about the links between the Pakistan-based outfit and Maoists in Jharkhand, investigators told a court in New Delhi on June 19, PTI reported. "He (Madni) revealed that LeT was acting in coordination with CPI (Maoist) in Jharkhand. He has acted as conduit for LeT and provided training to recruits in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and sent them to India to carry out terror strikes," the Public Prosecutor told the court which extended the Police remand of Madni for seven days. The Delhi Police, which is interrogating Madni, contended that his custodial questioning was necessary to ascertain his e-mail details and bank account which revealed transactions to the tune of INR 25 lakh.  

50-year-old Madni, a resident of Bihar who acquired Nepalese citizenship, was arrested on June 4 from near Qutub Minar area in south Delhi and produced before the court after the completion of 14 days Police custody.