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SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 11, No. 7, August 20, 2012

Data and assessments from SAIR can be freely published in any form with credit to the South Asia Intelligence Review of the
South Asia Terrorism Portal


ASSESSMENT


PAKISTAN
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Forces in Terror
Tushar Ranjan Mohanty
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management

The Minhas Air Force Base at Kamra in the Attock District of the Punjab Province, Pakistan, believed to be one of the centres where Pakistan has stockpiled its nuclear arsenal, was attacked by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in the early morning of August 16, 2012. Nine attackers dressed in military uniforms and armed with rocket propelled-grenades and suicide vests targeted the base and the adjacent Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC). The attack commenced at about 0210 hrs, and the Air Base was declared clear only after almost eight hours. Two Pakistan Air Force (PAF) personnel were killed and one Saab 2000 surveillance aircraft was damaged during the clash.

TTP ‘spokesperson’ Ehsanullah Ehsan, meanwhile, claimed that four suicide bombers had carried out the attack to take revenge for the killings of the former chief of TTP, Baitullah Mehsud, and al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. The attackers, Ehsan declared, had succeeded in achieving their targets and had delivered a “lethal blow”. Claiming that dozens of security personnel had been killed in the attack, Ehsan stated, further, that the TTP could ‘attack at will’ and would also target other locations. 

These are, evidently, not empty threats. The Federal Ministry of Interior, citing intelligence reports, stated, on August 17, 2012, that the terrorists had chalked out a plan to hit Islamabad and Lahore simultaneously, allegedly with the collaboration of the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS). “Attacks, using explosive laden trucks, will be launched in Islamabad and Lahore at the same time,” sources claimed, adding that the key leader of a terrorist outfit, Yaseen, was the mastermind of the proposed vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks. The attacks were planned against a top hotel and a sensitive building in the Red Zone of Islamabad, and an airbase and airport in Lahore.

This is the fourth attack targeting the Minhas Air Force Base since December 2007. On December 10, 2007, a suicide bomber exploded his car targeting a PAC bus carrying PAF employees’ children at the outskirts of the PAC factories on the Qutba-Attock Road. Eight persons, including five schoolchildren, were injured. On January 18, 2008, militants fired four rockets at short intervals. One landed on the roof of senior Non Commissioned Officer's (NCO) Mess, and two inside the Mirage Rebuild Factory in the PAC. No casualties were reported. On October 23, 2009, eight persons were killed and 17 sustained injuries when a suicide bomber blew up a Police check-post on GT Road near the PAC, when Security Force (SF) personnel intercepted him at the check-post.

The latest assault refreshes the wounds inflicted in the terrorist attacks on Pakistan Naval Station (PNS) Mehran within the Faisal Naval Airbase in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, on May 22, 2011. Ten SF personnel and four TTP militants were killed, and nine SF personnel were injured in the attack. Claiming responsibility, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan had stated, "We had already warned after Osama's martyrdom that we will carry out even bigger attacks."

The first retaliatory attack on a security establishment after the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, came just after 10 days, when two suicide bombers hit Frontier Constabulary (FC) trainees on May 13, 2011, in the Shabqadar tehsil (revenue unit) of Charsadda District, 19 miles from Peshawar, the capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province, killing 73 FC personnel and 17 civilians, and injuring another 140. At this stage, TTP spokesman Ehsan had declared, “Pakistan will be the prime target followed by United States (US). The US had been on a man-hunt for Osama and now Pakistani rulers are on our hit-list as we also killed Benazir Bhutto in a suicide attack."

The reopening of the of the NATO supply routes on July 5, 2012, further instigated the TTP’s resolve to attack the SFs. On July 3, 2012, Islamabad had accepted the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s ‘long pending’ apology for the November 26, 2011, Salala Checkpost incident, in which 24 Pakistani troopers were killed, and which led to the closure of the supply routes.

A few days later, TTP militants killed eight SF personnel at an Army camp near Wazirabad town in the Gujranwala District of Punjab, on July 9, 2012, hours after a protest march by the Difa-e-Pakistan (Defense of Pakistan) Council (DPC) led by the founder of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the Chief of Jama’at-ud-Dawa (JuD) Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, passed through the area. A group, Idara Pasban-e-Sharia’h (Centre of the Guardians of the Sharia’h), a TTP offshoot, on July 10, 2012, criticised the political and military leadership for striking a deal with the US, saying the leadership had betrayed the nation by resuming supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan. The cadres of the group distributed pamphlets in Miranshah bazaar in North Wazistan Agency (NWA) of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). 

Other major attacks particularly targeting SFs since bin Laden’s killing include: 

July 16, 2012: Army and Police commandos foiled an attack by burqa-clad TTP militants who planned to take over a Police Station in Bannu city, KP. Four Taliban fighters were killed and another captured following a heavy exchange of fire. Two militants wearing suicide vests blew themselves up, while another two were shot dead.

July 12, 2012: Militants shot dead nine trainee jail staff and wounded three after storming a building in the Ichra complex in Lahore, where they were sleeping. TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.

May 4, 2012: A suicide attack targeting SFs killed at least 29 persons, including four Policemen, and injured another 73 at Khar Bazaar in Khar town, Bajaur Agency, FATA. The target of the attack was the Levies Force. TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.

January 5, 2012: TTP militants killed 15 FC personnel in Mir Ali area of NWA in FATA to avenge, in the words of a TTP spokesman, the death of one of their 'commanders' at the hands of SFs, in another tribal area.

September 19, 2011: At least eight people were killed and 30 injured in a suicide car bomb attack targeting Senior Superintendent of Police [SSP, Crime Investigation Department (CID)] Chaudhry Aslam in the Darakhshan area of Karachi. TTP claimed responsibility for the attack on Aslam’s residence, saying Aslam had arrested and killed many of its fighters.

September 7, 2011: At least 26 people were killed and over 60 were injured in two suicide attacks targeting the residence of the Deputy Inspector General of FC, Brigadier Farrukh Shehzad, in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. The TTP claimed responsibility for the twin attacks.

June 25, 2011: Ten Policemen were killed and another five sustained injuries when two suicide bombers, one of them burqa-clad, blew themselves up inside a Police Station in Kolachi Town of Dera Ismail Khan District, KP. TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.

May 25, 2011: Nine persons were killed and over 39 were injured when militants drove a car packed with explosives into a CID Police Station at University Road in Peshawar. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.

While bin Laden’s killing and the reopening of NATO supply routes have had an escalatory impact on TTP attacks, the group has, in fact, relentlessly targeted Pakistani SFs from the moment of its formation in the wake of the Army’s Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) Operation in 2007. It was from this point on that suicide bombings targeting the SFs increased dramatically. According to data compiled by the Institute for Conflict Management, militants have carried out a total of 22 major attacks against SFs since 2007.

Crucially, several of these attacks have been successfully executed despite the availability of definite intelligence well in advance. In the latest case, the attack at the Kamran Base, intelligence reports received by the Home Department on August 9, 2012, noted that the TTP was planning attacks on the PFA base and other military and security establishments in Lahore before Eid. The intelligence reports, which have been forwarded to the Inspector General of Punjab Police and other officials concerned, stated that at least two TTP teams had been deployed for these attacks, in revenge for the killing of Ghaffar Qaisarani alias Saifullah, a TTP leader, in a shootout with the Police at Dera Ghazi Khan District in Punjab on August 1, 2012. According to another report, members of the Qari Yasin Group, initially a part of the Harkat-ul -Mujahideen (HuM), which started in Punjab and was later based in Miranshah, were planning to attack the PAF base and installations near the PAF Market on August 21 or 22.  Another intelligence report dating back to August 1, 2012, also indicated that TTP Chief Hakimullah Mehsud had decided to increase terrorist attacks in Punjab, with emphasis on inflicting maximum damage, especially in Lahore. In a covert meeting held at Asad Khel village in NWA, Mehsud allocated PKR 25 million to carry out attacks on the PAF base in Lahore, and the Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau and the Counter Terrorism Department offices in the province. The meeting was attended by prominent Taliban ‘commanders’, including the Qari Yasin aka Qari Aslam group, a group mentioned as a high-profile terrorist outfit. Another intelligence report exposed TTP plans for attacks similar to the one on the PNS Mehran Base. The attackers had allegedly already carried out reconnaissance of the PAF base, with some local employees collaborating with the terrorists, while weapons and ammunition were to be provided by concealing them using cargo companies.

Indeed, Federal Minister of the Interior Rehman Malik claimed, on August 17, 2012, that because of advance warnings about a possible attack on PAF installations, the terrorists’ attempt to harm assets at Kamra was foiled and all the attackers were killed. Malik disclosed that four of the assailants had been identified. They had received training in Waziristan and the raid, he said, could be traced back to North and South Waziristan Agencies.

Nevertheless, Corps Commander Lieutenant General Khalid Rabbani, on August 16, 2012, dismissed as ‘speculative’ reports of an impending military operation in the militants-infested NWA and insisted that no decision had been taken so far.

Islamabad is evidently fighting a losing battle with self-inflicted terrorism, and, as its core security assets are targeted with increasing frequency, the capacity to contain this threat appears to be diminishing, aggravating international concerns regarding the security of the country’s nuclear arsenal, and the capacity of Army to maintain the tenuous stability that still survives in the country.

PAKISTAN
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Gilgit Baltistan: Sectarian Offensive
Ajit Kumar Singh
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management

On August 16, 2012, in a targeted attack, 25 Shias from Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) were killed at the Babusar Top, which connects GB to the rest of the country, in the Naran Valley of Mansehra District of the neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province. According to reports, around 50 assailants wearing Army uniform stopped three buses heading from Islamabad to Astore District in GB and a van heading for Gilgit. Some reports, however, suggested that the vehicles were travelling from Rawalpindi to Astor. The assailants forced people off the bus, identified Shias from their documents, and shot them dead at point blank range. Khalid Omarzai, the local administration chief in Mansehra stated, "After checking [their] papers, [the attackers] opened fire." After the killing, the assailants allowed Sunni passengers to continue on their journey towards Astore and Gilgit.

The spokesman of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) Darra Adamkhel District (KP) and Khyber Agency [Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)] unit, Muhammad Afridi, who was in the past reportedly associated with the anti-Shia militant outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), subsequently stated that the killings were in retaliation for ‘excesses’ committed by Shias against Sunnis in GB. He warned that more such attacks would be carried out in other parts of the country.

At the time or writing, retaliatory violence had engulfed GB. On August 16 itself, the day of the incident, angry mobs burnt tyres and blocked roads in some parts of Gilgit city, as extra Police patrolled deserted streets and closed markets. Two truck drivers were killed in the Nagar Valley of Hunza-Nagar District in GB on August 18, 2012. One of the victims was identified as Muhammad Ishaque from Mohmand Agency of FATA. In Skardu District, armed men ambushed one Maulana Bashir, injuring him seriously. In the third incident of the day, a Gilgit District official was shot at and injured by unidentified men in Gilgit. Meanwhile, a partial strike was observed on August 18 in Skardu, Gilgit and other Districts of GB, as business centers, offices and educational institutions remained closed and people avoided going outside their homes due to tension in some areas. Astore Deputy Commissioner Momin Jan, on August 18, 2012, expressed some relief on the day of the burial of the victims of the Babusar Top massacre, noting, “We are thankful to God there was no untoward incident anywhere during the burial in the district.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of passengers, including women and children, who were to visit their families in GB to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan of the Islamic calendar, have been stranded in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, as public and private transport for the region was suspended.

The Babusar Top massacre took place despite availability of intelligence with the Federal Ministry of Interior, which in turn was passed to the Home Department of the GB, that extremists could target Shias returning home during Eid holidays. On August 5, 2012, terrorists had exploded a passenger van, coming from Islamabad, in Gilgit killing one person and injuring five.

The August 16 attack is the third attempt in the current year to push the GB region into a deep sectarian divide.

Significantly, in reaction to the reported attack on a rally of the banned Sunni formation, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), a reincarnation of the banned SSP, on April 3, 2012, in which seven ASWJ cadres were killed, unidentified assailants had opened fire on buses on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) near Gonar Farm in Chilas, headquarter of Diamer District, on the same day, killing 12 Shias. The ASWJ had called for a strike in Gilgit, to press the Government to release its ‘deputy secretary general’, Maulana Ataullah Sadiq, who was arrested on March 28, 2012, in connection with firing on a Shia procession on March 4, 2012. This resulted in complete chaos in GB. Curfew was imposed in Gilgit and its adjoining areas on April 3, 2012, and the Army was out on the streets to control the situation. All transport, including flights, into GB, was suspended, in a region that depends overwhelmingly on supplies from outside. The curfew was finally lifted in the night of April 28, 2012.

Significantly, four under-trial prisoners, who were allegedly involved in the attack on the the bus in Chilas on April 3, 2012, escaped from a jail in Astore District late in the night of August 6, 2012.  

Earlier, on February 28, 2012, gunmen in military uniforms had dragged 18 Shias, travelling home to GB from their jobs and businesses in Islamabad, out of buses and shot them dead in the in the Harban area of Kohistan District, KP. Farooq Ahmed, editor of the Mountain Times, a weekly newspaper published in Gilgit, noted, “Both attacks [August 16 and February 28, 2012] are identical in method, so it’s clear that they were carried out by the same militant groups, if not the same people.” The convoy of the vehicles, attacked on August 16, 2012, was plying on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road. The transporters had diverted their passenger vehicles from the KKH to the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road following the February 28, 2012, attack as they felt this route was safer.

Despite the severity of the February 28, 2012, attack, GB remained more or less calm, except for the killing of a man, identified as Naveed, in a clash with Law Enforcement Agencies in Gilgit District on February 29, 2012. Even the incidents of April 2012, which had the potential to engulf the whole region in a deep rooted sectarian confrontation, failed to create violent polarization. The people of GB, who have traditionally lived in harmony, have largely been successful in thwarting the designs of outside elements seeking sectarian polarization, actively initiating corrective measures after each major incident. On August 8, 2012, for instance, four religious parties decided to form a joint conciliatory body, Milli Yekjehti Council (MYC), in GB to marginalize sectarian influences and to maintain peace in the region. An MYC statement noted, "It is not the Ulama (Religious Clergy) who stimulate sectarian hatred. It is those selfish elements who, for their own heinous interests, divide people on sectarian lines.” They also decided that the MYC ‘cabinet’ would be set up on September 5, 2012.

On the other hand, the Government of GB, in continuing attempts to deepen the sectarian divide, suspended 60 Shia Government officials [48 on July 25, 2012 and another 12 on August 2, 2012]. Allama Aijaz Behishti, chief of the Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Youth Affairs, pointed out that the Government was trying to intimidate Shia officials. Further, in its attempt to silence dissent, Ghulam Shehzad Agha, ‘general secretary’ of the Gilgit Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) was arrested in Skardu on August 13, 2012. GBUM Chairperson, Manzoor Parwana, disclosed that Agha had been arrested since he was emerging as a unity candidate of the opposition parties for the next general election.

Despite the manifest perversity of their actions, authorities in GB claimed to have taken several administrative measures to improve the law and order situation in the region. On April 23, 2012, the GB Cabinet approved the setting up a 410-strong new Force to ‘eliminate’ sectarian violence in the region. The Force started patrolling the KKH from May 1, 2012. On May 12, 2012, the Federal Ministry of Interior banned two organizations, Anjuman Imamia GB and Muslim Students Organization GB. The Ministry explained that these organizations were allegedly involved in sectarian killings and riots in Gilgit city, over the preceding months. With these bans, the totl number of proscribed organizations in GB reached 29.

On June 6, 2012, GB Chief Minister Mehdi Shah reportedly handed over 2,000 weapons and 200,000 rounds to the Police Force, and declared that efforts were also underway to build the capacity of intelligence agencies. GB presently has a total of 5,500 police personnel deputed, including support staff, such as drivers and cooks. This yields just 7.37 Policemen per 100 square kilometers in such a volatile region. There are, moreover, urgent concerns about the impartiality of the Police Force on sectarian ground. Thus, the Balawaristan National Movement chairman Abdul Hamid Khan, on August 16, 2012, called for the deployment of impartial law enforcers.

Meanwhile, Islamabad, expectedly, has failed to take any significant action against the perpetrators of successive massacres. The sectarian divide has long been an instrument of political and administrative management of this restive region, and attempts to deepen sectarian polarization date back at least to May 1988, under the regime of military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq. Washington based Gilgit Baltistan National Congress (GBNC) explained Islamabad’s strategy and intent in a statement dated August 17, 2012:
The region [GB] connects Pakistan with China and Central Asia and intelligence agencies see Shia majority as a threat to their control over this strategic corridor. Shia killings will continue until the strategic region of Gilgit Baltistan has a Shia majority population. Similar attacks by pro-Pakistan militants on Shia majority populations in the strategic valley of Parachinar [in FATA] have forced tens of thousands of Shias to abandon their homes, thereby converting Parachinar into a Sunni region. Parachinar provides direct access to Pakistani troops to Ghazni, Gardez and Central Afghanistan. It is feared that similar strategies are being implemented in Quetta [Balochistan], which neighbors Kandahar and Helmand Provinces of Afghanistan, and where Hazaras make up almost one-third of capital's population.

Balochistan has witnessed at least 71 incidents of sectarian attacks in which 304 persons have been killed since 2009, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal database (all data till August 19, 2012). 93 persons have already been killed in 34 such incidents in 2012, the most recent of which was the killing of three Shias on August 16, 2012. Pakistan has recorded at least 2,642 sectarian attacks, inflicting 3,963 fatalities since 1989.

The sectarian thrust in GB, as in other parts of the country, remains powerfully backed by the establishment, particularly including the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), in Islamabad, even as demographic engineering to diminish or remove Shia majorities in various regions remains a principal objective of successive regimes in the country. The people of GB have managed to maintain – or in cases of occasional breakdown, quickly restore – sectarian harmony within local populations. But as the demographic balance shifts, and more and more outsiders are settled in the region, the delicate equilibrium will inevitably be disturbed under sustained assault by Sunni extremist groupings, backed by powerful state institutions.


NEWS BRIEFS

Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia
August 13-19, 2012

 

Civilians

Security Force Personnel

Terrorists/Insurgents

Total

INDIA

 

Assam

1
0
0
1

Manipur

1
0
1
2

Meghalaya

0
0
2
2

Jammu and Kashmir

0
0
1
1

Left-wing Extremism

 

Chhattisgarh

1
0
0
1

Odisha

0
1
1
2

Total (INDIA)

3
1
5
9

PAKISTAN

 

Balochistan

11
7
1
19

FATA

6
6
53
65

Gilgit-Baltistan

2
0
0
2

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

32
0
0
32

Punjab

0
2
9
11

Sindh

31
1
0
32

Total (PAKISTAN)

82
16
63
161
Provisional data compiled from English language media sources.


INDIA

LeT training para gliders for aerial attacks on Indian cities, reveals Abu Jundal: One of the prime handlers of the November 26, 2008 (26/11) Mumbai attacks and arrested Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative Abu Jundal has told Mumbai Police that terror group LeT is planning to carry out aerial attacks on Indian cities and has trained 150 Para gliders for this. He also said that he got to know of the LeT's plans when he visited what he calls the "Jumbo Jet Room" in 2010. According to him, the "Jumbo Jet Room" is actually a huge bungalow in eastern Karachi (Pakistan) where top Lashkar commanders plan aerial and sea route attacks on India. These attacks, claims Jundal, are supervised by a man called Yakub who is also in charge of LeT's accounts. NDTV, August 14, 2012.

Pakistan-based terror groups use FICN for financing their activities in India, says Defence Minister AK Antony: In a written reply to the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament), Defence Minister AK Antony on August 13 said that Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) are being used by Pakistan-based terror groups for financing their activities in India. "As per available information, militants active in India are also funded by their outfits based abroad, particularly in Pakistan, often routed through third countries. For the past several years FICN has been a well-known source for terror financing in India," Antony said. Daily Excelsior, August 14, 2012.

Intelligence warning on Maoist plans in Punjab, Assam and Manipur: Amid concerns over growing presence of Communist party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Punjab, Assam and Manipur, the intelligence agencies have asked the forces involved in anti-Maoist operations to keep a tab on the movement of cadres from the Maoist-dominated areas to these States. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been asked to collect any information about the Maoists' strategy to expand their base in the three states. "The intelligence agencies have informed us about at least four meetings held by Maoists in the past three months in Punjab alone. These meetings were held under the garb of addressing the issues of farmers and migrant labourers from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal," said an unnamed senior official. Indian Express, August 17, 2012.

Naxalism is still a serious problem, says Prime Minister Manmohan Singh: Asserting that Naxalism [Left Wing Extremism] is still a serious problem, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on August 15 said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has initiated new schemes of development in areas affected by Naxal violence to ensure that the grievances of the people are addressed. He said: "We have initiated new schemes of development in areas affected by Naxal violence to ensure that the grievances of the people residing there, especially our brothers and sisters belonging to Scheduled Tribes, can be removed and their lot can be improved." Zee News, August 17, 2012.

Maoists creating hurdles in developmental projects in Gadchiroli, says Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil: Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil on August 14 said that there was no dearth of funds for development projects in Gadchiroli District but the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) were putting up hurdles. "There is no dearth of funds for developmental projects in the district. The state government has provided ample funds to all the departments. Funds are not the problem but the Naxalites create hurdles in carrying the developmental works," the Minister said. Zee News, August 16, 2012.

GNLA continues to be a cause of concern, says Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on August 15 said that the activities of Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants continue to be a cause of serious concern in the State. Even after the arrest of GNLA 'chairman' Champion Sangma, there has been no slowdown of their criminal activities. Telegraph, August 17, 2012.

Maoists killed 5,665 civilians and 2036 SF personnel since 2001, says MHA: The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has killed 5,665 civilians and 2036 Security Force (SF) personnel since 2001, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) on August 14. "During the last three years, Left Wing Extremists (LWE) outfits have abducted 1,594 persons. Some of these abductions are for ransom," he said. The civilians killed by the Maoists are usually branded as 'police informers', 'class enemies' etc. Zee News, August 15, 2012.

Issue of illegal and forcible occupation of areas in J&K by Pakistan remains to be resolved, says Defence Minister A K Antony: Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) on August 13 that the issue of illegal and forcible occupation of areas in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan remains to be resolved. "A part of the territory of the State (J&K) is under illegal and forcible occupation of Pakistan. The issue that remains to be resolved in J&K is the vacation by Pakistan of the area under its illegal occupation," Antony said. Daily Excelsior, August 14, 2012.


NEPAL

President Ram Baran Yadav turns down two election-related ordinances: President Ram Baran Yadav on August 17 turned down two election-related ordinances, presented to him by the Government on July 27. The ordinances were related to the amendment to the Election Act and the Election to the Constituent Assembly (CA). According to the President Office, President did not see any relevance of introducing the ordinance at the moment in view of the Election Commission's official notice to the Government that the conducting the election on November 22 would not be possible due to lack of political consensus and necessary laws. Nepal News, August 18, 2012.

21-party 'federal alliance' unveiled formally: Unified Communist party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-Maoist)-led Federal Democratic Alliance (FDRA) of 21 political parties was formally announced on August 15. UCPN-M 'chairman' Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda heads the alliance. The FDRA consists of all the allies in the ruling coalition, including the Madheshi Front and some fringe political parties. Prem Bahadur Singh, a former minister and the chairman of Loktantrik Samajbadi Dal, has been appointed its spokesperson. Nepal News, August 16, 2012.


PAKISTAN

53 militants and six civilians among 65 persons killed during the week in FATA:Thirteen persons were killed and nine others injured in two US drone attacks on Mana village in the Shawal tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on August 19.

At least six militants were killed and five others injured in jet planes shelling by Security Forces (SFs) on suspected militant hideouts in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency. In addition, at least six militants were killed in a drone attacks in Shuwedar village in NWA on August 18. Also, at least eight terrorists were killed and four others injured in clashes with SFs in Mamuzai area of Orakzai Agency.

Four bodies, including that of a father and son, were found in Yakh Ghund area of Mohmand Agency on August 17.

Around 20 militants and five soldiers were killed in a clash in Ghaljo area of Orakzai Agency on August 14. Daily Times; Dawn; The News; Tribune; Central Asia Online; The Nation; The Frontier Post; Pakistan Today; Pakistan Observer, August 14-20, 2012.

31 civilians and one SF among 32 persons killed during the week in Sindh: A fresh wave of sectarian and ethnic killings claimed 15 more lives in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, on August 18.

Eleven persons killed in separate incidents of target killing in Karachi on August 17.

Five people, including three activists of the Awami National Party (ANP), were killed, while another activist sustained severe injuries in an attack in the Frontier Colony No-1 of the Peerabad Police jurisdiction in Karachi on August 13. Daily Times; Dawn; The News; Tribune; Central Asia Online; The Nation; The Frontier Post; Pakistan Today; Pakistan Observer, August 14-20, 2012.

32 civilians killed during the week in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Militants forced passengers to step out of three buses in the Lulusar area of Manshera District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and shot dead 25 of them in an apparent sectarian attack on August 16.

Six dead bodies dumped in gunnysacks were recovered from three separate places in Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP, on August 15. Daily Times; Dawn; The News; Tribune; Central Asia Online; The Nation; The Frontier Post; Pakistan Today; Pakistan Observer, August 14-20, 2012.

No joint operation in NWA, says Army chief General Ashfaq Parvaiz Kayani: The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvaiz Kayani on August 17 ruled out any joint Pakistan-US operation against militants in North Waziristan Agency (NWA), saying such an operation would be unacceptable to the people and armed forces of Pakistan. The Army Chief categorically dispelled the speculative reporting in the US media regarding an understanding given to ISAF Commander General John Allen about Pakistan Army's readiness to launch joint operations in NWA. Daily Times, August 18, 2012.


SRI LANKA

Eelam project still alive, says President Mahinda Rajapaksa:President Mahinda Rajapaksa on August 15 said that the Eelam project is still alive. "The aim of the Eelamists is to break the unity and trust among us and reduce the feeling for the country and make us criticise the motherland", the President said, adding, no one should be allowed to tarnish the unblemished image of the country while in Sri Lanka or abroad, by the patriotic people of this country. President Rajapaksa said although Eelam is welcome elsewhere they don't want this to happen in their own country. Daily News, August 16, 2012.


The South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on related economic, political, and social issues, in the South Asian region.

SAIR is a project of the Institute for Conflict Management and the South Asia Terrorism Portal.

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Editor
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