South Asia Terrorism Portal
Balochistan: Collaborative Escalation Tushar Ranjan Mohanty Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On July 16, 2023, Security Forces (SFS) foiled an attack on the Zhob Cantonment in Zhob Town (Zhob District) of Balochistan. When a group of terrorists attempted to enter the garrison late in the night, SFs who were on alert retaliated, forcing the terrorists to retreat. Though a heavy exchange of fire and explosions continued till early morning of July 17, no casualty was reported on either side.
Four days earlier, on July 12, 2023, the same garrison had come under terrorist attack, in which nine Army soldiers, five terrorists and one civilian were killed. Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) affiliated group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
On July 12, 2023, three Army soldiers and two terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire in Sui Sub-District of Dera Bugti District. The Baloch Liberation Tigers (BLT) claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, BLT ‘spokesman’ Miran Baloch declared operation was retaliation against the Pakistani Army’s military operation launched against the local population in the Rais Tokh and Gurdo Navah areas of Sui. The spokesman said BLT cadres reached the area to defend the common people.
On July 11, 2023, three SF personnel were killed when terrorists attacked a SF patrolling team with a bomb in the Gardank area of Buleda tehsil (revenue unit) of Kech District. Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) cadres claimed responsibility for the attack.
On July 2, 2023, three Police personnel and a Frontier Constabulary (FC) trooper were killed while a terrorist was gunned down after Police and Levies Check Posts came under attack in the Dhana Sar area of Sherani District. Two terrorists and one FC trooper also sustained injuries in the exchange of fire.
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), Balochistan has recorded a total 225 terrorism-related fatalities, including 130 SF personnel, 51 civilians and 44 terrorists, in the current year, so far (data till July 23, 2023). During the corresponding period of 2022, the province had recorded exactly the same 225 fatalities, including 115 SF personnel, 71 terrorists and 39 civilians. Though the overall numbers remained the same during this comparative period, in a worrying development, fatalities in the civilian and SF categories increased by 30 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.
A statistical report released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) on July 3, 2023, also underlines the surge in violence in the province. According to the PICSS report, Balochistan comes second in terms of terrorism-related violence after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the first half of 2023. Balochistan reported 75 terrorist incidents in the first half of 2023, resulting in 100 deaths and 163 injuries. There was a 103 per cent increase in terrorist attacks, compared to the same period in the previous year, and a 14 per cent rise compared to the last six months of 2022. Fatalities in Balochistan rose by 61 per cent and 64 per cent in the first six months of the current year compared to the first and second half of 2022, respectively.
The escalating attacks on SFs in Balochistan are substantially a consequence of the continuing frustration among Baloch nationalist groups over the systematic extermination of ethnic Baloch through enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings by Pakistani security agencies. Reprisal attacks by the major Baloch insurgent groups such as the Baloch National Army (BNA), BLA, Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), BLT and United Baloch Army (UBA), resulted in the escalating casualties among SF personnel in 2022 and 2023.
In a detailed analysis by The Balochistan Post reported on July 10, 2023, regarding the responsibility claimed by Baloch insurgent groups during the first half of 2023, a total of 285 incidents were reported. The BLF led the way with a staggering 146 attacks at the cost of 29 fighters. These attacks resulted in the loss of 137+ lives among SF personnel from various departments. Additionally, over 57+ personnel injured and damage to property were inflicted by the BLF. The BLF operated in a total of 50 areas across 10 districts, with a focus on Kech, Panjgur, and Awaran Districts. The BLF was the only organization to claim responsibility for attacks in Gwadar District, a key center for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The BLA claimed 118 attacks during the first half of the year. These attacks resulted in the loss of 98+ SF lives, with 116+ personnel sustaining injuries. Property losses were reported in 80+ attacks. The BLA operated in 54 areas spanning 17 Districts. Their tactics ranged from self-sacrificing attacks to traffic blockades. In June alone, the BLA disrupted coal mine extraction operations twice by blocking the main transport route and setting multiple trucks on fire. The BLA was also responsible for multiple raids in the Bolan and Quetta regions. The organization faced the loss of four fighters during this period, including a female member of the Majeed Brigade who carried out a suicide attack.
The remaining Baloch groups – BLA, UBA, and Baloch Republican Guards (BRG) – claimed a total of 21 separate attacks. These incidents resulted in 19+ fatalities, 9+ injuries and 6+ property losses. The groups operated in 10 areas across eight Districts. Most of their attacks were of low intensity. Notably, no fighters were lost from these organizations. Collectively, these groups accounted for approximately eight per cent of the total attacks during the first half of 2023.
Apart from Baloch insurgent groups, the TTP and its allied groups were also active in the province. Speculation about a TTP-Baloch alliance appeared to receive some confirmation when TTP 'spokesperson' Mohammad Khurasani congratulated the Baloch insurgent groups for their attacks in Nuskhi and Panjgur, stating,
Indeed, after the February 2, 2023, BLA twin attacks on Panjgur and Nuskhi Army camps, the then Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid, citing intelligence reports, told the media on February 3, 2023,
In view of recent TTP - Baloch alliances, Faran Jeffrey, a London-based security analyst, noted that relations with the TTP had also helped Baloch militant groups "drastically upgrade their capabilities" with the addition of suicide squad operations and suicide bombings. He further observed,
Inputs indicate that TTP has provided bases to the Baloch rebels in the Barmal District of Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktika, which is adjacent to Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal region, the TTP's stronghold. The growing tactical alliance between the TTP and the Baloch groups has coincided with a sharp uptick in attacks against Pakistani SFs in Balochistan in recent months.
This growing collaboration between TTP and Baloch insurgent groups will prove bloodier in the days to come, even as their common enemy, the Pakistani State and Military Establishment escalates operations against them. It will be a challenge for Pakistani state entities to counter the growing threat from terrorists and militants at a time when the state is itself facing severe challenges on the economic and political fronts.
Jharkhand: West Singhbhum - Niggling Threat Deepak Kumar Nayak Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On July 17, 2023, Devendra Katkari (31), an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)’s 60th Battalion, was injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres in the Hathiburu Forest area near Meralgeda village under the Goelkera Police Station area in West Singhbhum District, Jharkhand. The blast occurred when Katkari was patrolling through a mud road in Meralgeda village.
On July 12, 2023, Deepak Kumar Tiwari, a deputy commandant of the CRPF’s elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) force, was injured in an encounter with Maoists at Rela Paral Pahad under Goilkera Police Station limits in West Singhbhum District. Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashutosh Shekhar disclosed that the Maoists opened fire when the Security Forces (SFs) were conducting combing operations in the region, resulting in an encounter in which the trooper was injured. Though the Maoists managed to escape, three IEDs were recovered from the encounter spot.
On May 11, 2023, one CRPF trooper was injured while another escaped unhurt in an IED blast triggered by the Maoists at Ichahatu village under the Goilkera Police Station limits in West Singhbhum District. The blast occurred when the two motorcycle-borne troopers were crossing through Ichahatu while patrolling the Goilkera area.
These incidents are not in isolation.
According to partial data collated by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), at least 16 SF personnel have been injured in seven Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-linked incidents since the beginning of 2023 (data till July 23) in West Singhbhum District. There was, however, no SF fatality. During the corresponding period of 2022, two SF personnel died in one incident, though no other incidents of injury or death were reported. In the rest of 2022, six SF personnel were injured in two incidents. However, no further fatalities were recorded. There were four SF fatalities in 2021. Since March 6, 2000, when SATP started compiling data on LWE across India, at least 83 SF personnel have been killed in West Singhbhum District.
No Naxalite (Left Wing Extremist, LWE) fatality has been registered in West Singhbhum District in the current year, thus far (data till July 23, 2023). The last Naxalite fatality was recorded on December 16, 2021, when ‘area commander’ Mangra Lugun of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the CPI-Maoist, was killed in an encounter near the Lepa and Reda forests areas in West Singhbhum District. It is noteworthy that Mangra was a special target for the Police, and half a dozen Naxalites lived with Mangra Lugun. 2021 recorded two Naxal fatalities. Since March 6, 49 Naxalites have been killed in the district.
Not surprisingly, civilians remained under constant threat in the district. Indeed, at least six civilians have already been killed since the beginning of the year (data till July 23, 2023). During the corresponding period of 2022, one civilian fatality was recorded, and one more civilian fatality was registered in the remaining period of 2022 giving a total of two civilian fatalities through 2022. A maximum of 13 civilian fatalities were recorded in 2013, while a low of one fatality was recorded in 2015. Since March 6, 2020, 67 civilians have been killed. The civilian killing incidents in 2023 included:
May 25: A 50-year-old man, Kande Laguri, was killed in an IED blast in a remote village of Luiya under Tonto Police Station limits in West Singhbhum District.
May 18: A child died in an IED explosion near Rengadahatu village under the Goilkera Police Station area in West Singhbhum District.
April 28: One woman, identified as Gangi Surin, was killed in an IED explosion in Maridiri Forest, located on the border of the Goilkera Police Station and Mufassil Police Station areas in West Singhbhum District.
March 25: A woman civilian, Gurbari Tamosi (62), was killed, while another woman, Chandu Kai Tamosi (62), sustained injuries in an IED blast near the Anjadbeda Forest area in the Chaibasa Subdivision of West Singhbhum District.
March 1: A 50-year-old man, Krishna Purty, was killed, and his wife, Nandi, injured, in an IED blast in the Chundri Forest area near Ichahatu village in Goilkera Police Station limits in West Singhbhum District.
February 21, 2023: A villager was killed in an IED blast at Meralgadha village under the Tonto Police Station area in West Singhbhum District.
In all these incidents, the deceased had stepped on IEDs which had been planted by Maoists with the intention of harming SFs.
Meanwhile, other parameters of LWE-linked violence indicate a significant increase in Maoist activities in West Singhbhum. The Maoists have triggered at least 18 blasts in the current year, the highest in a single year since 2000, with the previous high of six recorded in 2009. A total of 41 such blasts have been recorded since March 6, 2000.
Overall Maoist-linked incidents increased from 20 in 2022 to 33 in 2023, within a comparable time frame (data till July 23). Incidents of killing doubled from three in 2022 to six in 2023, again in a comparable time frame.
West Singhbhum, located in the Southern part of Jharkhand, bordering Odisha, is the largest District in the State, covering 5,351.41 square kilometres, of which 53 per cent (around 2836.24 square kilometres) is under forest cover. The district is bounded on the north by Khunti District, and on the east by Saraikela Kharsawan District, of Jharkhand; on the southeast by the Mayurbhanj District of Odisha; on the south by the Keonjhar District of Odisha; and on the west by the Simdega District of Jharkhand and Sundargarh District of Odisha. The geographical proximity of steep hills and deep forests in the district makes it an arduous task for the SFs to counter the rebels.
Suggestively, West Singhbhum, along with seven districts of Jharkhand (Chatra, Giridih, Gumla, Khunti, Latehar, Lohardaga, and Saraikela-Kharsawan), is on the list of ‘25 Most Affected Districts’, from eight States across India, released by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) on June 19, 2021. Moreover, West Singhbhum, along with 15 districts of the state (Bokaro, Chatra, Dhanbad, Dumka, East Singhbhum, Garhwa, Giridih, Gumla, Hazaribagh, Khunti, Latehar, Lohardaga, Palamu, Ranchi, and Saraikela-Kharsawan), is also included among the 70 Naxal-affected Districts in 10 States across India, covered under the Centre’s Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, which funds focused operations against the Naxalites.
According to an April 30, 2023, report, in view of the increased activities of Maoists, SFs are running a continuous campaign against the top Maoist leaders — Misir Besra, Anmol, Mochu, Chaman, Kande, Ajay Mahto, Sagen Angaria, and Ashwin — as well as their squad members who engaged in subversive activities in the Kolhan area. Combing operations and raids have resulted in the arrest of eight Naxals in the district in the current year (data till July 23, 2023), in addition to 24 in 2022 (20 in the corresponding period of 2022). Another 45 Naxalites were arrested in 2021. Since 2000, a total of 330 Naxals have been arrested in the district.
Though the SFs have long been able to keep the Naxalite threat in West Singhbhum under control, the rebels continue to work to secure the district as a safe haven. The recent attacks on SFs and civilians and the recovery of three IEDs on July 11 and another three IEDs on July 7, underline the persistence of such efforts. It is imperative, therefore, for the governments—both State and Union—to ensure that adequate measures are taken to deal with the remaining Maoist threat.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia July 17-23, 2023
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
NS
Total
AFGHANISTAN
INDIA
Chhattisgarh
Jammu & Kashmir
Jharkhand
Manipur
India (Total)
PAKISTAN
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
PAKISTAN (Total)
Total (South Asia)
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Sikhs for Justice announces 'Kill India' campaign on Indian Independence Day: On July 21, the 'chief' of pro-Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) Gurpatwant Pannun, announced a 'Kill India' campaign to mark the country's Independence Day on August 15, 2023, saying that it would besiege Indian missions across the world as part of the drive. He claimed that Indian missions functioned as terror houses, where acts of violence against pro-Khalistan Sikhs were planned and carried out through proxies. The Times of India, July 22, 2023.
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Over 400,000 social media accounts exposed for spreading blasphemy, claims FIA report: Over 400,000 social media accounts have been exposed for spreading blasphemous content in Pakistan, claimed a report filed by the cyber-crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). This revelation came in a report filed by the cyber-crime wing of FIA, and an investigation conducted by the Legal Commission at the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court. Samaa Tv, July 18, 2023.
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.
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