INDIA
PAKISTAN
NEPAL
BHUTAN
BANGLADESH
SRI LANKA
Terrorism Update
Latest
S.A.Overview
Publication
Show/Hide Search
HomePrint
 
  Click to Enlarge
   

SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 14, No. 27, January 4, 2016

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

INDIA
Click for PrintPrint

Odisha: Maoists in Retreat
Mrinal Kanta Das
Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres killed a Sarpanch (village level local self- government institution head) Jayaram Khara at Badapadar in Malkangiri District on December 25, 2015. 10 Maoists barged into the house of the Sarpanch, killed him and escaped. It is suspected that he was killed as a suspected ‘Police informer’.

On the same day, elsewhere in the District, the Maoists killed another civilian, Sahadev Badnayak, brother of a former Sarpanch at Raba village. According to sources, a group of around 30 Maoists had abducted Sahadev earlier in the day.

Though these incidents give an impression of insecurity among the civilian population, partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), suggests a contrary narrative. As against 31 civilian fatalities in Left Wing Extremist (LWE) violence through 2014, 2015 recorded 18 such fatalities, a decline of 58 per cent. This was, in fact, the lowest civilian fatality figure recorded in the state since 2007, when it stood at 13. Indeed, the security situation in Odisha has improved dramatically.

In an attempt to strengthen the security grid, Security Forces (SFs) launched increasingly successful offensive operations through 2015. 11 Maoists were killed in the year, as against nine in 2014. In the most recent of such incidents, SFs killed a CPI-Maoist cadre in the Chandiposh Forest area near Rourkela in the Sundargarh District on November 12, 2015. Further, 29 Maoists were arrested in 2015 in addition to 49 in 2014, and 84 in 2013.

There was a transient spike in SF fatalities, with four SF fatalities in two separate incidents in 2015, as against one in 2014. On August 26, 2015, three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and a civilian were killed in a CPI-Maoist ambush in Malkangiri District. According to the Inspector-in-Charge of the Chitrakonda Police Station, P. Durua, the BSF team was returning by boat after area domination and patrolling exercises in the cut-off area of the Balimela Reservoir. While they were alighting from the boat, a landmine planted by the Maoists went off. It was followed by firing by the Maoists who were hiding nearby. 

In total, 33 persons, including 18 civilians, four SF personnel and 11 Maoists, were killed in Odisha through 2015; in comparison to 41 persons, including 31 civilians, one trooper and nine Maoists through 2014, registering a decline of 24 per cent.

There were 14 exchanges of fire between SFs and CPI-Maoist through 2015 in six Districts of the State, in comparison to 25 such incidents in 13 Districts in 2014. Odisha has a total of 30 Districts. In 2015 the Districts that reported exchange of fire incidents included Malkangiri (4), Kalahandi (4), Kandhamal (3), Deogarh (1), Koraput (1), and Angul (1). In 2014 encounters were reported from Koraput (4), Malkangiri (3), Ganjam (3), of which two were with the breakaway Odisha Maobadi Party (OMP), Sundargarh (3), all of which were with the People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI), Sambalpur (2), Kandhamal (2), Balangir (2), Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Boudh, Angul, Deogarh, and Kalahandi, 1 each.

The biggest positive development of 2015 was the diminishing influence of Maoists in Koraput District. Koraput recorded a single fatality (one trooper) in 2015, as against 14 (10 civilians and four SF personnel) in 2014.

The Maoists were also involved in five explosions in the State: Rayagada (1), Balangir (1), Koraput (1) and Malkangiri (2) Districts; as against six explosions (five in Malkangiri and one in Nuapada) in 2014.

The Maoists in Odisha have been considerably weakened in 2015, as in other theaters of Maoist operation, including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. In October 2015, the Maoists recognised that their Odisha unit had suffered huge losses after Sabyasachi Panda parted ways and created his own outfit in the State. Panda was expelled from the party on August 10, 2012, for ‘ideological reasons’. Later, he formed his own party called the Odisha Maobadi Party (OMP). Afterwards he became the ‘general secretary’ of the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist-Maoist (CPI-MLM). He was arrested on July 17, 2014, in the Ganjam District of Odisha and is now lodged in Berhampur Jail. The Maoists also concede that the surrender of Nachika Linga, the head of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha (CMAS), a Maoist front organization that had been particularly active in mass movements in 2006-09, impacted particularly adversely on the prospects of the organisation in the State. Linga surrendered on October 28, 2014.

Further, another 135 Maoist cadres surrendered in 2015. 1,787 Maoists (overwhelmingly from CMAS) had surrendered in 2013, followed by 94 such surrenders in 2014.

Nevertheless, residual Maoist capacities and capabilities continue to present a significant challenge in the State. There were three major incidents (each resulting in three or more fatalities) reported in 2015, as against just one in 2014. The Maoists also engineered at least seven arson-related incidents in 2015, in comparison to six in 2014. Further, 10 bandh (total shut down) calls were given by the Maoists in 2015, as against two in 2014, though most of these were unsuccessful. However, there were reports of some ‘successful’ bandhs in the Maoist stronghold of Malkangiri. Thus, during a bandh call given by the Maoists across the Dandakaranya region on November 25, 2015, normal life was paralyzed in the Mathili Block of Malkangiri District.

Fatalities was reported from seven of Odisha’s 30 Districts: Angul, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri and Sundergarh – in 2015 in comparison to five Districts – Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Rayagada and Sundergarh – in 2014. Malkangiri which accounted for 25 of the 33 fatalities (16 civilians, three SFs personnel and six Maoists) recorded in the State in 2015, a staggering 72 per cent of the total, and emerged as one of the most violent LWE-affected Districts in the country, along with Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh); Gadchiroli in Maharashtra; and Palamu in Jharkhand. These six Districts together contributed 59 per cent of the total fatalities violence in 2015. Fear of the Maoists is endemic across the villages of Malkangiri District. On November 3, 2015, at least 40 families of Kanaguda village under the Kalimela Police Station in Malkangiri District left their homes due to threats and harassment by CPI-Maoist cadres. However, they returned home within three weeks, on November 22.

On August 25, 2015, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed concern over Maoist activities, observing, "The position continues to remain challenging in the Districts of Malkangiri, Koraput and Nuapada."

Further, on February 2, 2015, dispelling the idea that the Maoists are no longer a challenge, the Odisha Government urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to provide two additional battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to contain the ultras in Nuapada and Malkangiri Districts.

Despite suffering major losses, the Maoists remain a challenge, particularly in Malkangiri. However, some developments through 2015 have the potential to further undermine the Maoist hold in the District. On April 15, 2015, for instance, the Malkangiri Adivasi Sangha, a tribal organization, raised a voice of protest against the Maoists for abducting eight villagers in the Kartanpalli area of Malkangiri. After a meeting in Malkangiri, the tribal body declared it would resort to retaliation against the Maoists if the eight villagers were not freed immediately and unconditionally. The Maoists released all of them the very next day. Moreover, in September 2015, an estimated 822 Maoists, mostly supporters, militia members and village committee members, surrendered in Malkangiri District, suggesting that the Maoist support base is being rapidly eroded.

The present reverses could well be a turning point in the Maoist movement that has rampaged across Odisha and the so-called ‘Red Corridor’ for years now. This is a time for vigorous efforts for consolidation of the advantage on the part of the state, giving the rebels no opportunity to regroup and revive their movement.

INDIA
Click for PrintPrint

Arunachal Pradesh: Towards Sustainable Peace
Nijeesh N.
Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management

On December 15, 2015, Assam Rifles (AR) personnel killed a militant of the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K), identified as ‘Lieutenant’ Wangmi Wangdung aka Nyamjan Hasik, during an operation at Langka village under the Nampong Police Station in the Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh. One AK 56 rifle, three magazines, 105 live rounds of ammunition, hand grenades, an ‘extortion pad’, ration book and some cash were recovered from the possession of the slain militant. According to reports, AR personnel launched the operation following information that a group of 10 to 12 NSCN-K militants were taking shelter in a hideout located in the village. While Wangdung was killed, the others managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

On April 26, 2015, Security Forces (SFs) killed an unidentified militant of the Arunachal Pradesh Depressed People’s Front (APDPF) in the Deban area of Changlang District. SFs also arrested six militants of the group. APDPF was formed in 2014 by some Chakma youths principally to engage in extortion, abduction, and other criminal activities, in the Diyun, Miao and Namsai areas of Changlang and Namsai Districts. The group has approximately 10 to 12 cadres who had undergone armed training in Bangladesh in 2014.

These were the only militant fatalities at the hands of the SFs through 2015. In 2014, SFs killed six militants in four separate incidents.

SFs lost four of their personnel in two separate incidents in 2015. In a major [resulting in three or more fatalities] incident, three Army personnel were killed and another four were wounded in an ambush when cadres of the Isak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) fired on their convoy at Tupi village, along the Khonsa-Longding road, in Tirap District on April 2, 2015. The ambush was carried out by the NSCN-IM to ‘avenge’ the killing and arrests of its cadres by SFs in Arunachal Pradesh. Four NSCN-IM cadres were killed and another four were arrested in the State through 2014. According to the Arunachal Pradesh Police, NSCN-IM militants including self-styled ‘sergeant major’ Ayo Tangkhul, ‘captain’ Kapai aka Singmayo Kapai, ‘lieutenant’ Ami Tangkhul, ‘lieutenant colonel’ Kewang Hassik, ‘major’ Anok Wangsu and ‘sergeant major’ Chenaye Tangkhul aka Ayo, were suspected to have carried out the attack with the help of some local villagers.

In another attack targeting AR personnel, militants carried out an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack at Monmao village, near the India-Myanmar border, in the Changlang District, on February 6, 2015. Two civilian porters working for AR were killed, while nine AR troopers were injured in the blast. One of the injured AR trooper succumbed to his injuries the next day. Later, NSCN-K sources claimed that the attack was a joint operation by the NSCN-K and the Independent faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I), against the Indian Army.

The SFs also had a lucky escape as two suspected NSCN-K militants, including a Myanmar national, were killed and another was injured, when an IED they were trying to plant exploded accidentally at Wakka, near the Indo-Myanmar border, in Longding District on June 9, 2015. The selection of the spot for planting the IED suggests that the militants had AR personnel and their assets in mind as targets, since an AR outpost is located about eight kilometers away. A live IED, along with a remote control, was recovered from the site of the incident.

Earlier, on June 7, 2015, around 30 to 35 heavily armed NSCN-K militants had opened fire at an AR camp in the Lazu area of Tirap District bordering Myanmar. There was no report of any casualty, as alert AR personnel retaliated immediately and effectively, forcing the militants to flee. Around 70 empty AK-47 cartridges and some unexploded bombs were recovered from the incident site.

Significantly, Arunachal Pradesh had not recorded any SF fatality through 2014. In fact, the last SF fatality dated back to October 25, 2007, when three AR personnel and a civilian were killed and another eight were injured in an ambush carried out by NSCN-IM militants in a remote jungle in the Tirap District.

The State did not witness a single attack targeting civilians through 2015. However, two civilian porters were killed in the February 6 attack targeting AR personnel. In 2014, three civilians had been killed in two separate incidents. In 2014, two civilians were killed in crossfire between AR personnel and militants at Holam village in Khonsa in the Tirap District on January 2, 2014. In the second incident, a trader from Kerala was found dead in a jungle in the Cheputa village in Papum Pare District on September 5, 2014, after he had been abducted a week earlier, on August 27, 2014. These civilian killings were recorded in Arunachal Pradesh after an almost six year gap, since October 25, 2007.

According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), Arunachal Pradesh has recorded a total of 10 insurgency-related fatalities, including two civilians, four SF personnel and four militants, through 2015 (data till December 31), as against nine fatalities (three civilians and six militants) in 2014. Overall security environment in the State thus remained more or less stable. Insurgency in Arunachal peaked in 2001, with 63 fatalities, including 40 civilians, 12 SF personnel and 11 militants.

SFs also arrested a total of 21 militants in 10 separate incidents in 2015, as against 19 such arrests in eight separate incidents in 2014. 11 of the arrested militants belonged to Arunachal Pradesh-based outfits – seven of the APDPF and four of the National Liberation Council of Tani Land (NLCT). Three arrested militants belonged to Nagaland-based outfits – two of NSCN (faction not known) and one of NSCN-IM. One militant belonged to the Assam-based National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). Affiliations of the remaining six militant’s arrested remained unconfirmed.

According to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) data, as on September 15, 2015, abductions in the States of the Northeast registered a significant decline in 2015, with Arunachal Pradesh showing a nearly 50 per cent drop in incidents of abduction, from 49 in 2014 to 24 in 2015. NSCN-K was responsible for the maximum number of recorded incidents, followed by NSCN-Khole Kitovi (NSCN-KK).

Arunachal has long remained ‘an island of relative peace’ in India’s troubled Northeast, though it has been affected, for some years, by an ‘overflow’ of violence from neighboring States. Crucially, all the incidents of killing through 2015 were reported from three eastern Districts – Tirap, Changlang and Longding – which border Nagaland and are regarded as sanctuaries by Naga militant outfits NSCN-IM and NSCN-K. Crucially, these three Districts are part of NSCN-IM’s projected State of Nagalim (Greater Nagaland).

Through an order issued on November 4-5, 2015, UMHA further extended the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in 16 Police Stations of Arunachal Pradesh for six months, citing the presence of Naga insurgent groups including NSCN-K, NSCN-KK and the Reformation faction of NSCN (NSCN-R) besides Assam based terror outfits ULFA-I and the IK Songbijit faction of the NDFB (NDFB-IKS), to declare these Districts "disturbed areas" under section 3 of AFSPA. AFSPA was first implemented in these three Districts on September 17, 1991. Significantly, of the five incidents of killing reported in 2015, NSCN-K was responsible for three; while NSCN-IM and APDPF were responsible for one each, clearly demonstrating that the preponderance of violence was coming from neighbouring States. This ‘overflow’ is a major concern.

Assam-based Bodo militant groups also pose a security threat to Arunachal Pradesh, especially along the Arunachal-Assam border. A UMHA notification of March 27, 2015 observed,
a further review of the law and order situation in entire districts in Assam bordering Arunachal Pradesh reveals that areas lying within the police stations in Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam remain a cause of serious concern… There is presence of NDFB-S, NSCN-IM, NSCN-K, ULFA-I, Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO), Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF) along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. Outfits like Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), United National Liberation Front (UNLF), People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) are helping NDFB-S and ULFA-I and KLO for movement of men, material, infiltration and exfiltration…

Accordingly, AFSPA had been extended to nine new Districts of Arunachal through the notification on March 27. However, on May 5, 2015, the Government changed its decision and AFSPA was lifted from these Districts.

Arunachal Pradesh also faces the problem of the illegal influx and settlement of foreigners, especially the presence of the 53,000 strong Chakma and Hajong refugees that has created a sense of marginalization among indigenous tribes like the Noctes, Wangchow, Khamtis, Singphos and Tsangas in the eastern-most part of Arunachal; while in the western part of the State, Tibetans, Bhutanese and Nepalese are exerting demographic dominance over the indigenous Monpas, Sherdukpens, Akas and Mijis. Further, in central part of the State, there is a floating population of Bangladeshis that has created tension among Nyishi, Adi, Galo, Apatani and Tagin tribes.

Significantly, on September 17, 2015, the Supreme Court (SC) directed the Union Government and the State Government to grant citizenship to Chakma and Hajong refugees within three months. The State Government filed a review petition on October 26, 2015, aggrieved at the SC’s decision. Though the Supreme Court rejected the State Government’s application on November 19, 2015, the Arunachal Pradesh Government has again decided to file a curative petition in respect to the permanent settlement of Chakma and Hajong refugees in the State. On November 23, 2015, Chief Minister Nabam Tuki noted, "We are not against the grant of Indian citizenship to the Chakma, Hajong refugees, but opposed to their permanent settlement in Arunachal Pradesh and the exemption from the Inner Line Permit".

While Arunachal Pradesh has been relatively free of the widespread insurgencies that have afflicted much of India’s Northeast, patterns of militant overflow and demographic destabilization do create significant security challenges in this sensitive border State, which require enhancement of the capacity and quality of the SFs deployed. According to a report published on April 8, 2015, UMHA had already given an ‘in principle’ nod to raise 16 additional battalions of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Force, of which 8,000 personnel (about eight battalions) would be deployed in the Northeast, mainly in Arunachal Pradesh. Also, between the 2012-13 and 2014-15 fiscal years, Arunachal Pradesh received INR 730 million under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme to strengthen its Police network. In addition to an unprecedented strengthening of SF capacities in the State, accelerated development initiatives in the fields of infrastructure and economy, are also necessary if a sustainable peace is to be established.


NEWS BRIEFS

Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia
December 28, 2015-January 3, 2016

 

Civilians

Security Force Personnel

Terrorists/Insurgents

Total

BANGLADESH

 

Left Wing Extremism

0
0
1
1

INDIA

 

Jammu and Kashmir

0
0
2
2

Assam

0
0
1
1

Nagaland

0
0
1
1

Punjab

1
7
4
12

Left-Wing Extremism

 

Andhra Pradesh

0
0
1
1

Chhattisgarh

1
0
2
3

Total (INDIA)

2
7
11
20

PAKISTAN

 

Balochistan

3
2
3
8

FATA

0
0
4
4

KP

26
0
1
27

Sindh

0
0
2
2

Total (PAKISTAN)

29
2
10
41
Provisional data compiled from English language media sources.


BANGLADESH

183 cases relating to militancy have been deposed of with sentencing deaths to 69 militants, life terms to 162 and different jail terms to 239 others, says Police: Police said that a total of 183 cases relating to militancy have been deposed of with sentencing deaths to 69 militants, life terms to 162 and different jail terms to 239 others while 364 more cases are now under trial. 56, 11 and two members of the banned militant outfits Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) were awarded death sentences respectively. A total of 2,857 operatives of different militant outfits have so far been arrested while the number of the fugitives is 660.  Dhaka Tribune, January 1, 2016.

Police form special counter-terror unit: A 600-men Police unit specialising in technology has been formed under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police to enhance Police capability in combating militancy and terrorism. The "Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime" unit has been formed at a time when the country has witnessed a sharp rise in deadly attacks on bloggers, publishers, different Muslim sects, foreigners, and people of other religion, Police sources said. Daily Star, December 31, 2015.


INDIA

Seven SF personnel and four JeM militants among 12 persons killed in terrorist attack in Punjab: 12 persons, including seven Security Force (SF) personnel and four suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants were killed in a coordinated terror attack in Punjab's Pathankot District, reports Times of India. After infiltrating into Indian side from across the border, Pakistani militants had hired a taxi and later killed the taxi driver on January 1. Subsequently, they hijacked a vehicle carrying Gurdaspur Superintendent of Police (SP, Headquarters) Salwinder Singh, his friend and his cook. They released the SP and his cook and took his friend along with them towards Indian Air Force base in Pathankot. They released the friend too. In the morning of January 2, they entered the Air Force base. In the ensuing day long gun battle, four militants were killed. Six Security Force personnel were also killed. The operation continued on January 3. One NSG commando was killed while removing an IED attached to the body of one of the slain militants. The operation is still going on. Times of India, January 1-4, 2016.

Militants attack Indian Consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan: Militants attempted to storm the Indian diplomatic mission in Mazar-i-Sharif. It is believed that at least 2-3 attackers are still active out of the total of 4-5 who attempted to storm the heavily guarded complex. "Two attackers are believed to be killed after security forces engaged them," sources said. "All the Indian staff is safe," they said. Clearing operations were still on. Indian Express, January 4, 2016.

LeT 'founder' and JuD 'chief' Hafiz Muhammad Saeed creates 24-hour cyber cell to launch attack on India, according to report: Reports have come in that LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) 'founder' and JuD (Jama'at-ud-Dawa) 'chief' Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has created a 24-hour cyber cell to launch an attack on India. The aim of the cell is terror attack on India and propaganda war, as per media reports. He reportedly attended a two-day conference on terror on December 26 and 27, 2015 in Lahore (Punjab, Pakistan), where cyber war against India was discussed. It was called the social media conference and on the poster was written - Cyber Team, JuD. Saeed's son was also said to be present in the conference. Zee News, December 28, 2015.

100 militants killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015, says Army: Top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Abu Qasim, who was involved in attack on Army Convoy in Srinagar two years ago, was among 100 terrorists killed in encounter with Security Forces (SFs) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in 2015, the Army said in Jammu on December 29. "During the 2015 year in various successful operations, over 100 terrorists have been neutralised including some top terrorist commanders like Abu Qasim, LeT, who was responsible for Hyderpora attack on Army convoy in 2013," Public Relation Officer (PRO) Defence Northern Command, Colonel S D Goswami said. Daily Excelsior, December 30, 2015.

50 ISI agents arrested in India since 2013, according to UMHA: According to the Union Ministry for Home Affairs (UMHA) since 2013 there have been 50 arrests of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in India. The note to UMHA states that some fake welfare organisations had been set up and most of these former army personnel had joined it as they were assured placements. One India, December 31, 2015.

Afghan national under radar for allegedly indoctrinating youth to join Islamic State, says NIA: An Afghan businessman is believed to be allegedly indoctrinating youth from Maharashtra to join Islamic State (IS), claims National Investigation Agency (NIA) which has sent its first judicial requests in the case to Afghanistan seeking details of the person. The Afghan national, whose name has been withheld, was running business of dry fruits in India and allegedly approached the four youths from Kalyan area neighbouring Mumbai and brainwashed them to join ranks of IS, official sources said. New Indian Express, December 30, 2015.

Muslim families preventing Islamic State influence from spreading, states UHM Rajnath Singh: Appreciating Indian Muslim families for the important role they are playing in preventing their children from being influenced by the Islamic State (IS), Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on January 1 said they are able to do this because of "our family values". "...In other parts of the world, ISIS is growing but that will not happen in India and that's because of the family values we have here," he added. Times of India, January 2, 2016.


NEPAL

Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs registers bill to amend some Nepal Acts in accordance with new Constitution: Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on January 1 registered a bill to amend some Nepal Acts to 193 existing laws in accordance with the new Constitution. The Ministry took the initiative to bring the new Constitution into implementation. Altogether 193 update existing laws contravene various provisions of the new constitution that was promulgated on September 20. The Ministry has been working with the target of establishing one high court in each seven provinces within a year. Myrepublica, January 2, 2016.


PAKISTAN

26 persons killed in suicide attack on NADRA office in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: At least 26 people were killed and 50 others injured as a suicide bomber exploded himself near a National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office located on the link road in Mardan town of same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 29. The blast took place at a time when the office was crowded with people lining up to make applications for Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs). Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a breakaway faction of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the responsibility for the attack. Daily Times, December 30, 2015.

696 suspects killed in encounters in Karachi in 2015, says official figures: According to the data released by the Karachi Police on December 28, Police and Rangers killed 696 suspects in different encounters in Karachi during 2015 and the collective number of their personnel who fell in the line of duty during the same period is 95. A total of 1,577 encounters took place during 2015 and 544 suspected militants, gangsters, criminals, were killed. The number of Policemen who lost their lives in armed attacks so far is 83, while 89 were wounded in the outgoing year. Dawn, December 29, 2015.

28 journalists killed in Pakistan during 2015, says JPC Annual Report: The Journalist Protect Committee (JPC) in its annual report stated that at least 28 journalists were killed and 23 others were injured while performing their professional duties in 2015 in Pakistan. Fifty-one cases were lodged and only three killers have been held so far. The report further said that six journalists were killed in Karachi, five in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), four in Balochistan while remaining journalists were killed in various parts of Pakistan in different incidents. The News, December 30, 2015.

34.22 percent decline in terror trends across country, reveals official data: According to analysis of official data revealed on December 28, the country faced 34.22 percent reduction in the incidents of terrorism and fatalities this year as compared to 2014. During the year 2015, as much as 3,615 fatalities were reported in the incidents of terrorism as compared to last year's 5,496 fatalities. The base camps and other facilities to the terrorist networks operating in the North Waziristan as well as in other parts of the country have been destroyed during the military offensive Zarb-e-Azb and it played a decisive role in maintaining peace in Pakistan. The News, December 29, 2015.

Nation would get rid of terrorism this year, claims CoAS General Raheel Sharif: Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Raheel Sharif while addressing tribal elders of Gwadar, Talar and Turbat areas of Makran Division on January 1 said that the nation would get rid of terrorism this year. "The new year will be the year when terrorism will end," he said. He also said that the "elements involved in the bad practice of financial misappropriation" should also be dealt with strictly. Dawn, January 2, 2016.


SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka has enormous task of achieving meaningful solution to national question, says TNA leader R. Sampanthan: Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan in his New Year message said that Sri Lanka has an enormous task of achieving a meaningful solution to the national question. He said, "As a country, we have the enormous task of achieving a meaningful solution to the national question, beneficial development and lasting peace and reconciliation. It is through solidarity that we can build a prosperous country while acknowledging the ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and other unique features of each community." Colombo Page, January 1, 2016.


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.

South Asia Intelligence Review [SAIR]

Publisher
K. P. S. Gill

Editor
Dr. Ajai Sahni


A Project of the
Institute For Conflict Management



To receive FREE advance copies of SAIR by email Subscribe.

Recommend South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) to a friend.

 

 

 

 

 
Copyright © 2001 SATP. All rights reserved.