Detail Of Terrorism Update

Militants on July 12 (today) shot dead nine Police and prison staff and wounded three others after storming a building in Ichhra in Lahore in Punjab where they were sleeping, Police said, according to The News. The attackers arrived on motorbikes and targeted a building in the densely populated area of Ichhra, where up to 35 Police and prison staff were living, mostly officers from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who were in Lahore for training. "The gunmen came early in the morning, entered the building and opened fire," Lahore Police Chief Aslam Tareen told. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Six persons were killed in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, on July 11, reports Daily Times.

An activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and his two-year-old son were killed in Orangi town in the vicinity of Pakistan Bazar Police Station. According to Police, deceased Waseem, 27, son of one Abdul Raheem and two-year-old Osama, son of Waseem, was sitting outside their home when armed motorcyclist shot and injured them. Both died later. 

Separately, two activists of the Awami National Party (ANP) were killed at Nazimabad No 2 within the limits of Nazimabad Police Station. After the incident heavy aerial firing was reported in the vicinity.  

Also, a passerby was killed while 27 others injured when a roadside bomb struck the contract vehicle of Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) at the Mawach Goth. The bomb struck the vehicle carrying 40 SUPARCO employees in the precincts of Saeedabad Police Station. Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) officials said the bomb was a locally made box, which carried two to three kilograms of highly explosive material. It was fitted in a bicycle and detonated with a remote controlled device. The blast came as a second such attack on SUPARCO employees after terrorists from Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) targeted a SUPARCO bus carrying Shiite employees to Friday prayers in 2003.

Meanwhile, a Policeman was shot dead in an encounter that took place in Gharibabad Goth within the precincts of Malir City Police Station. According to Police, following a tip off their team reached Gharibabad Goth to conduct a raid. As soon as the Police party reached the site, armed assailants ambushed them and opened indiscriminate fire. In the ensuing crossfire, Constable Mushtaq Ahmed, sustained injuries and died later.

Two bodies, including that of an imambargah leader, were recovered in Mian Gundi area, an outskirt of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, on July 11, according to Daily Times. The bodies were identified as those of Satellite Town imambargah leader Mulana Nour Ali Nour and Syed Haseeb Abad Zaidi, a resident of Sirki Road Quetta. A slip was found from one of the body in which Lashker-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed the responsibility of the killings. “They were slaughtered and beheaded in a brutal manner,” hospital sources said adding that their ages were around 28 to 30. The relatives of Haseeb told the media that he had been abducted from Satellite Town some 19 days earlier. They said the abductors had initially demanded a ransom amount of PKR 1.9 million, which they increased by another million upon receiving the PKR 1.5 million.

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres killed the son of a ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader at Sana Gunjibhata in Khaparakhol Block of Bolangir District of Odisha early on July 11, reports The Hindu. The Police said about 30 armed Maoists went to the house of Ganeshram Bhoi, looking for his son Sashiram (42). On being told that Sashiram was not home, the Maoists left but returned later and forced Sashiram to accompany them. They tied Sashiram to a pole and assaulted him before killing him with a bayonet, as his family, including his father, watched helplessly. Sashiram had worked as a contractor in neighbouring Nuapada District.

Kanglaonline reports that some suspected Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) militants set ablaze two vehicles heading for Imphal from Moreh near Thamnapokpi under Tengnoupal Police Station in Chandel District at around 5 pm on July 11. The burned vehicles were one Bolero jeep and one Tata Sumo. The militants looted INR 3000 along with a mobile phone from the Bolero driver. The Tata Sumo is owned and driven by Naorem Churamani from whom INR 20,000 cash was looted. The militants also looted INR 10,000 and one mobile phone from two women who boarded the Tata Sumo from Heikakpokpi. The suspected NSCN-IM cadres were armed with AK-47 rifles and their faces were masked.

Also, Imphal West District Police Commandos arrested one Prithvi faction of Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP-P) militant identified as Ninghtougjam Jiten Singh alias Angang alias Chaiba from Langol Ningthou area at 5:10 pm on July 10, reports Kanglaonline.

In another incident, Security Forces (SFs) arrested two militants belonging to Noyon faction of KCP (KCP-Noyon) identified as Yumnam Anand Singh and Thingujam Arun Singh from Thoubal Babu Bazar in Thoubal District. Two demands letters of KCP-Noyon) signed by  ‘finance secretary’ Tomthil Meitei were recovered from the possession of Y Anand Singh and some blank letter heads were recovered from the possession of Thingujam Arun Singh. Further, the individuals reveal that they are working under the command of one Mutum Somen Singh of KCP-Noyon.

Separately, State home minister Gaikhangam, while clarifying to the cut motions raised by the opposition Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the demand of Manipur Police stated that Manipur Police Department is working under a complex situation dealing with more than 50 militant outfits in the State.

Further, the United Naga Council (UNC) has announced a 96 hour total bandh (shut down strike) from midnight of July 23 till midnight of July 27 to protest the indifferent attitude of the Government to its demand for ‘alternative arrangement’ of the Nagas living in Manipur, reports The Sangai Express. A statement issued by the Publicity Wing of the UNC said a 48 hour total bandh was observed in Naga areas from the midnight of June 16 to midnight of June 18 to protest the lack of sincerity of the Government of India (GoI) and Government of Manipur (GoM) in taking forward the democratic process of dialogue on the demand for an ‘alternative arrangement’ for the Nagas in Manipur outside the GoM and to urge the GoI for intervention. Stating that the demand for an alternative arrangement is for immediate intervention, pending settlement of the Indo-Naga issue, the UNC alleged that even after a lapse of three weeks of having publicly registered the protest, no initiative has been taken up for pursuing the dialogue process to its logical end.

Also, People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) has declared invalid all the party’s letterheads seized from Saikhom Khogen alias Nganthoi alias Kiyamba (22) who was arrested on July 8 by a combined team of Imphal East commandos and 30 Assam Rifles.

An encounter took place between suspected Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants and Security Forces (SFs) at Longhug village under Dolamara Police Station at about 7.30 am in Karbi Anglong on July 11, reports The Sentinel. However, the KPLT militants managed to flee the spot.SFs recovered two Chinese hand grenades, one wireless set, one AK series magazine and 30 live cartridges from the spot.

Meanwhile, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) extended the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the Nunisa faction of Dima Halam Daogah (DHD-N) for another three months until September 30, reports Nagaland Post. Joint secretary in charge of North East, Shambhu Singh signed the extension agreement on behalf of the Central Government.

Special Task Force (STF) Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel unearthed two landmines, each weighing 19 kilograms, underneath a road between Duggeru and Diguva Mendangi in Makkuva mandal in Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh on July 9, reports The Hindu. At a press conference in Vizianagaram on July 11, Superintendent of Police Karthikeya said the Andhra-Odisha Boder (AOB) Zonal Committee and Srikakulam-Koraput Joint Division Committees of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) might have placed the explosives to target the Police. Further, Karthikeya appealed to Maoists to join mainstream.

Kohat Police on July 11 arrested 24 suspects and seized arms and ammunition from their possession during search operation in various parts of the Kohat District, reports Dawn. Officials said that the operation was conducted by elite force personnel in the jurisdiction of Gumbat, Junglekhel, city and Lachi Police Stations. The seizure included one repeater, one Kalashnikov, one rifle, three shotguns, 11 pistols, 10 chargers and one and a half kilograms of hashish.

Police arrested three Pakistan trained militants from Handwara area in Kupwara District after they returned from across the Line of Control (LoC) after arms training, Daily Excelsior reported on July 11. The arrested militants were identified as Naseer Ahmad Qureshi alias Shahbaz, Farooq Ahmad alias Abid and Mohammad Yousuf alias Khalid. However, no arms were recovered from their possession. 

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on July 11 that Kashmir is not an internal issue of India but a political issue between India and Pakistan, according to India Today. "Kashmir is not an internal issue of India. It (Kashmir) is a political issue between the two countries and unless the two nations sit and talk to resolve it, it would continue to remain an issue," Omar said. Omar said Jammu and Kashmir is not about development and money. "The issue has not cropped up due to lack of money but it has been always a political issue," he said, adding "I have also informed the prime minister that Kashmir issue is not an issue of money and development."

Two Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres were arrested from a hideout in Gaya District on July 10 night, reports Daily Bhaskar. The Maoists, Jyoti Paswan alias Lodhi and Kamlesh Yadav alias Umesh Yadav were arrested from a forest area, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vinay Kumar said. A notebook, two letters, 14 kilograms sulphur power, 800 grams aluminium power, 2.4 kilograms potassium dichromate, solar plate for charging mobile phones and six mobile sets were recovered from the possession of the two Maoists, the SSP said. The Maoist duo were wanted in connection with a dozen cases of Maoist violence, including the killing of the then Konch Police Station's Station House Officer (SHO) Mithilesh Prasad in February 2010, Kumar added.

Security Forces (SFs) raided a house in the Zainy Khel area of Upper Orakzai Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and arrested a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Orakzai chapter militant on July 11, a security official said, The Express Tribune reported. The militant was identified as Maseed Khan of the Feroz Khel Tribe. Khan was wanted in multiple attacks on SF’s convoys, bombings, planting roadside Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along with firing missiles at security check posts in the agency.

According to The Times of India, around 30 Police patils (volunteers working as department's representatives in villages) of Korchi taluka (revenue division) in Gadchiroli District, submitted their resignation on July 11 to the sub-divisional magistrate alleging torture by C-60 commandos of the District Police.

Their action follows over 100 Gram Panchayat (village level local self-government) members, including 23 Sarpanchs (presidents of Panchayats) who had resigned on July 10. It is learnt the local Police had slapped preventive action against Buddhram Hedami, Police patil of Phulgondi village in Korchi, for alleged role in helping the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist). The Police patils claimed that the security forces do not pay heed to their suggestions making their roles insignificant.

In Gadchiroli, more than 200 elected representatives and office-bearers have so far resigned under some pretext or another in the ongoing year. On July 11, two more Gram Panchayat members are learnt to have resigned. It is learnt the village headmen federation decided to ask members to vacate their posts protesting the unfulfilled promises of the local administration. There is a 22-point charter of demand that includes cancellation of an iron ore mining projects in Korchi. The demands, which also include several pro-development issues, were placed before the civic administration towards end of the last year when local villagers had organized a massive demonstration.

Indian Mujahedeen’s (IM) India chief and one of the main conspirators and executors of the triple blasts in Mumbai on July 13, 2011 (13/7) Mohammed Ahmed Sadibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal used to impart jihadi speeches to the youth in a school library at Darbhanga in Bihar, DNA reports. Several youths used to attend his speeches and download video clips showing atrocities on Muslims around the world and the speeches of Pakistani Takreer on their mobile phones. This was revealed by at least three Darbhanga residents in their Police statement. 

According to one of the witnesses, who has studied in a madrassa (seminary) in Darbhanga, his distant relative Naqi Ahmed Shaikh also used to visit the madrassa. “In 2008, a man, who identified himself as Imran used to visit the madrassa and interact with the youth. Tehseen Shaikh alias Monu (a wanted accused in the 13/7 blasts), Naqi and a few others also used to deliver provocative and jihadi speeches,” said the witness, adding, “Imran used to show CDs of the Gujarat riots and atrocities on Muslims in the country on his laptop. He told them that blasts should be carried out to take revenge.” 

Another native of Darbhanga in his Police statement said that Imran also showed video clips of Maulana Masood Azhar and Pakistani Takreer to children and youth. “Several children had loaded clips of Pakistani Takreer on their phones. Another native gave a similar statement to the police. This seems to be the time when Imran was trying to set up a Darbhanga module of the Indian Mujahideen (IM),” said the witness. “These witnesses have told us that they observed Imran to be an extremist. Even Gayoor Jamali, who was arrested by the Delhi police after an IM module was busted by them last year, told the witnesses that Imran was very provocative,” said an Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer, requesting anonymity.

Nagaland Post reports on July 11 that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent a fax addressed to the Nagaland chief secretary, seeking details of alleged nexus between a militant group and a liquor syndicate operating in the State.  In a faxed message, the MHA official claimed that the ministry had “received” inputs regarding the nexus. According to the MHA’s fax marked ‘Secret’, it stated that the syndicate in Nagaland was “awarded contract” for supplying tax free liquor to paramilitary forces.  According to the fax dated July 5, received on July 11, the MHA said it received inputs that the “last five contracts” were allotted by the Government of Nagaland to one M/s. Raddison and Ranisson Limited (Assam) which expired in March 2012. The faxed copy signed by C.M. Bhatia, under secretary (Northeast), MHA, stated that inputs received indicated that “fictitious societies” were being propped up by the syndicate “who finances” a particular militant faction  “in lieu” of protection for the “illegal liquor trade”.

 In the MHA’s faxed copy, it was also indicated that the commissioner excise Nagaland be asked to submit detailed report to the department urgently. The chief secretary in his note, has also asked the secretary and additional secretary excise, to “process” and “reply” to the matter raised by MHA urgently.

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) law and order secretary Shakeel Qadir while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) on July 11 said that there was an urgent need to launch an operation against terrorists in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) as they were getting hold of the area and government was losing its writ day by day, according to Daily Times. He said that Security Forces were engaged in operation against terrorists in Upper Orakzai while situation was under control in Lower Orakzai area. The secretary said that there was lack of trust between tribals and government. He said that until now government had failed to identify the source of funding in order to stop it. 

The committee members were further told that government succeeded in maintaining its writ in Bajaur and Mohmand agencies and the terrorists were pushed back into Afghanistan. He told the committee the terrorists were organising attacks from across the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan. The committee was told of the instability in Bara and upper regions, which was also affecting provincial capital Peshawar as well. 

The SAFRON committee members headed by Senator Muhammad Saleh Shah expressed its deep concern over the report of presence of over 20,000 terrorists in NWA getting uninterrupted supply of weapons to create law and order situation in the area. The committee chairman was of the view that terrorism and militancy in FATA have affected the whole area and its residents badly and government needs to draw an effective full-fledged strategy to root out terrorism from the area. He said that people of FATA need better job opportunities and healthy lifestyle. He said that health and education were important to normalise the nature and situation of the area. 

The committee was told that there were total 120,467 displaced people in Pakistan who need permanent shelter facilities. About the presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan the committee was told that there were over three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan out of which two million were registered and one million were unregistered. SAFRON secretary told the committee that until December 31 Afghan refugees could stay in Pakistan after which they had to go to their own country. He said that unfortunately Afghan government was not taking interest in taking its nationals back. The committee decided to take briefing on each sector in FATA in order to determine the progress and development work in the area. Online

Leaders of the main opposition parties met President Ram Baran Yadav on July 11 and requested him not to give his approval if the Government comes up with a full-fledged budget, reports Nepal News. During the meeting, the opposition leaders informed the President about the all-party meeting in the previous evening in which they had reiterated their stance that the Government cannot introduce a full budget.

Meanwhile, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) and CPN-Maoist, the breakaway party formed under Mohan Baidya's leadership, on July 11 formed a joint task force to settle the disputes regarding the ownership of the party office seen after the party split.

Separately, UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda on July 9 said leaving the Government without striking agreement on contentious issues of the new constitution will be ‘suicidal’ for the party, reports Kantipuronline. In his political document presented to the party’s Politburo, he firmly stood in favour of the Government. The opposition parties have been saying Bhattarai’s resignation is the only option to end the protracted political deadlock.

Further, the delay in clearing legal hurdles and the refusal of the opposition parties to be part of the fresh Constituent Assembly elections have minimised chances of the polls being held on November 22, Election Commission (EC) officials said on July 10. EC officials came to this conclusion after separate meetings with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and his ministers and leaders of 28 opposition parties in the past two days.  However, the EC is yet to announce this fact in public as it is waiting for the July 22 deadline it has given to the Government to amend electoral laws and the Interim Constitution to hold free and fair polls.

Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya on July 11 categorically denied the statement that there is an Army strength of one to five civilians in the Jaffna peninsula and stated that there was a population of half a million in Jaffna while the strength of the army was 10,000, according to Daily News. He added that the Army remaining in Jaffna is confined to barracks. He also stated that the Army will attend to the matters relating to reconciliation, reconstruction etc according to the needs of society.  

Meanwhile, election monitoring group, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), complained of election law violations even before the handing over of nominations for the three provincial councils scheduled to hold polls in September, Colombo Page reported. It complained to the Elections Department of election law violations in the Kegalle District of North Central Province and Trincomalee District of Eastern Province. CaFFE Executive Director Keerthi Tennakoon said that six incidents related to election violations have been reported in the Trincomalee District while a similar number of violations have been reported from the Kegalle District. He said the violations in the Kegalle District have been committed by members of the governing party and the main opposition United National party (UNP). According to Tennakoon, the complaints were mainly related to cutouts that have been placed in the two districts which are in violation of elections laws. Accepting nominations for the elections to the North Western, Eastern and Sabaragamuwa provincial councils will begin on July 12 (today) and continue until July 19.