PAKISTAN

Sindh: Lingering Troubles 
Tushar Ranjan Mohanty
Research Associate; Institute for Conflict Management

On January 16, 2018, three fidayeen (suicide attackers) carried out an attack targeting the convoy of Rao Anwar, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Malir Town, in the Malir Cantonment area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. One of the attackers blew himself up near the convoy while two other attackers were killed in retaliatory fire by Policemen. SSP Anwar remained unhurt in the attack, but at least four Policemen travelling in the convoy sustained bullet wounds. SSP Anwar had survived an attack earlier on May 1, 2015, during which assailants had hurled grenades and opened fire on his convoy while he was returning home from the residence of slain Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Fateh Muhammad Sangi.

On January 13, 2018, four Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists were killed by the Police in an encounter near Shah Latif Town in Karachi.

On January 2, 2018, Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), including Sindh Rangers' Anti-Terrorist Wing and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), killed three TTP terrorists in the Kaimkhani Colony area of Baldia Town in Karachi. An unspecified number of terrorists managed to escape the encounter while two Rangers and one CTD trooper received bullet injuries. Two suicide jackets, two improvised explosive devices (IED), a 9mm pistol, and two Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs) were recovered from the terrorist hideout.

According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), Sindh has recorded 12 fatalities – 10 terrorists, one civilian, and one Security Force (SF) trooper – in the current year so far (data till January 28, 2018). During the corresponding period of 2017, Sindh had registered 10 fatalities (eight civilians and two SF personnel).

Through 2017, Sindh recorded 243 fatalities, including 114 civilians, 23 SF personnel, and 106 terrorists, in comparison to 217 such fatalities in 2016, including 76 civilians, 24 SF personnel, and 171 terrorists. Thus, the declining trend of overall-terrorism related fatalities established since 2014 continued through 2017.

             Terrorism related fatalities in Sindh: 2010-2018

Worryingly, however, fatalities among civilians, one of the most prominent indicators of security in a region, increased by 50 per cent in 2017, over the 2016 toll. Significantly, fatalities in this category had been declining since 2014.

On February 16, 2017, a suicide bomber blew himself up at Sufi shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan Sharif town of Jamshoro District in Sindh, killing at least 88 people and injuring another 343. The blast took place inside the premises of the shrine as a dhamaal (Sufi ritual of devotional dance) was taking place, with a large number of women and children said to be among the casualties. The Islamic State (IS, also Daesh) claimed responsibility for the attack through Amaq, the group-affiliated news agency.

Though fatalities among SFs remained almost the same (a nominal decline from 24 in 2016 to 23 in 2017), fatalities among terrorists saw a steep decline: from 171 in 2016 to 106 in 2017, a reduction of 38 per cent. SFs thus obtained a kill ratio of 1:4.6 in 2017, much below the 2016 ratio of 1:7.12.

Other parameters of violence showed some respite from terror. The number of sectarian attacks declined from 19 in 2016 to just three in 2017, though the resultant fatalities increased from 25 in 2016 to 93 in 2017 (primarily due to February 16, 2017, incident in which 88 people were killed). 

There was also a considerable decrease in the number of explosion-related incidents in 2017. In comparison to 19 blasts resulting in three fatalities and 64 injured in 2016, year 2017 recorded eight blasts resulting in five fatalities and 50 injured.

Sindh accounted for 20 major incidents (each involving three or more fatalities) of violence, resulting in a total of 199 deaths in 2017, as against 34 such incidents, accounting for 134 fatalities in 2016.

As in earlier years, Karachi remains the most volatile among all districts of Sindh, though the number of terrorism related incidents decreased. While 310 such incidents were reported in Karachi in 2016, resulting in 254 fatalities and more than 102 injured, the number decreased to 76 in 2017 with 129 fatalities and more than 35 injured.

Targeted killing of Policemen continued in Karachi through 2017. 19 Policemen were killed in such attacks in 2017, in addition to 29 killed in 2016. According to official statistics published on February 9, 2017, almost 1,538 Policemen had been killed in the Karachi Range between 1995 and 2016. The maximum number of killings, 261, was registered in 1995. Thereafter, the killings crossed three digits in 2012, 2013 and 2014, across a span of 22 years, making these the three worst years for the Karachi Police in recent times, with 123 dead in 2012; 165 in 2013 and 136 in 2014.

Although terrorist groups such as TTP and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) have long targeted SF personnel all over Pakistan, the emergence of Ansarul Sharia Pakistan (ASP) in Karachi, specifically targeting security personnel, has created a new headache for the enforcement agencies. Since the name of this outfit first emerged on April 5, 2017, when it claimed responsibility for the targeted killing of Army Colonel (Retd.) Tahir Zia Nagi at the Baloch Colony, Karachi, ASP has claimed involvement in four attacks on SFs. According to the SATP database, ASP has been found involved in at least five terror attacks, resulting in nine deaths (seven SF personnel and two civilians) and three injured (two civilians and one SF trooper) since its formation in 2015. SFs have neutralized 18 ASP terrorists since 2015..

Moreover, Daesh continued to make its presence felt in 2017, claiming the February 16, 2017, suicide attack on the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine, the year’s deadliest terrorist operation. Notably, it was the worst attack of the year recorded in the Province.

Daesh continues to thrive in Sindh and has been successful in spreading its network in educational institutions across the Province. There have been several reports of students getting affiliated with Daesh. Recently, Noreen Leghari (19), a second-year Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) student of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) in Jamshoro District of Sindh, was implicated for her ties with the Daesh. Leghari was arrested on April 14, 2017, during a raid on an IS hideout in the Punjab Housing Society in the Factory Area of Lahore, in which one terrorist, Ali Tariq (32), was killed while four soldiers, including two officers, were wounded in the exchange of gunfire. The Daesh terrorists were planning an attack on the Christian religious festival of Easter on April 16. Leghari claimed on May 8, 2017, that she was being held captive by Ali Tariq to be used as suicide bomber.

Noreen Leghari is the daughter of Dr. Abdul Jabbar Leghari, Professor at the Dr. M.A. Kazi Institute of Chemistry in Jamshoro. Noreen Leghari had reportedly run away from Hyderabad (Sindh) to Lahore on February 10, 2017, hoping to join Daesh in Syria. She came to Lahore to meet Ali Tariq, a resident of Baidian Road, Lahore, whom she had contacted through social media. On reaching Lahore they got married and started living in rented a house in the Punjab Society.

There have been instances of student’s involvement in IS activities in the past also. Saad Aziz, affiliated to IS, who was involved in the Safoora Goth bus massacre in Karachi, was a student of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi. Aziz was arrested on May 20, 2015, from the SITE area of Karachi and was tried by a military court; he is now on death row for his involvement in the bus massacre on May 13, 2015, in which 47 Ismaili Shias were killed and another 13 were injured. He was also convicted on the charge of murder of the prominent Pakistani women’s rights activist Sabeen Mahmud on April 24, 2015. Two others who were arrested along with Aziz on May 20, 2015, were Mohammad Azfar Ishrat aka Maajid and Haafiz Nasir aka Yasir. Ishrat is an engineer who had passed out from the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology and had acquired expertise in bomb-making. He had been involved in terrorist activities since 2011. Haafiz Nasir, who completed Master of Arts (MA) in Islamic Studies from University of Karachi, had been involved in terrorist activities since 2013. 

On July 25, 2017, CTD Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raja Omar Khattab said, “We have found clear evidence that these terror groups are now targeting university campuses where they are trying to recruit students from well-off families to join their extremist mission”.

Alarmed over the growing involvement of university students’ in terrorist activities in Karachi, the Sindh Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) summoned the Vice-Chancellors of 11 universities in Karachi on July 9, 2017, in a bid to counter extremism and terrorism. Later, on July 12, 2017, CTD organised a seminar titled ‘Growing radicalisation in educational institutions’ at the Central Police Office in Karachi, which was attended by Vice Chancellors and other officials of around 40 varsities, both private and public. Speaking at the seminar, CTD chief Additional Inspector General (IG) Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi noted,

A security report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) released on January 7, 2018, stated that Daesh’s footprint was continuously on the rise in Pakistan, and the group was especially active in northern Sindh and Balochistan.

Keeping this rising terror threat in view, the Sindh Government is trying to revamp the Karachi Police to deal more effectively with the security situation. On June 5, 2017, the Sindh Government announced a 10 per cent increase in the budget for security with a plan to recruit an additional 10,000 Policemen in financial year 2017-18 to "improve police-to-citizens ratio, especially in Karachi". Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said the budgetary allocation for security in the financial year 2017-18 was proposed at PKR 92.91 billion, as against PKR 84.26 billion during financial year 2016-2017.

While, the Government is trying to give the Police department a boost, the involvement of Police officials in illegal and criminal activities continues to undermine efforts. A report submitted by the Inspector-General of Sindh, Allah Dino Khawaja, to the Supreme Court of Pakistan on December 12, 2017, contained details of 12,000 Police officers involved in illegal and criminal activities. The report stated that as many as 184 officials of Sindh Police of Grade 16 and lower had been punished. The report also recommended taking action against 66 senior officers of Sindh Police. It also recommended action against 31 officers from Grade 17 and 35 officers in Grade 18-21. On January 20, 2018, the Sindh Police suspended Malir Town SSP, Rao Anwar for his alleged involvement in the ‘extrajudicial’ killing of Naseemullah aka Naqeebullah Mehsud. Mehsud was among four suspected terrorists killed in an ‘exchange of fire’ with a Police team headed by SSP Anwar on January 13 in Shah Latif Town. Additional Inspector General CTD, Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi, announced on January 23 that Naqeebullah was innocent, and was killed in a fake encounter.

Moreover, reports indicate that under-trial terrorists kept in prisons continue with their activities from within the prisons with the help of the authorities. After the June 13, 2017, prison-break incident in which two high-profile terrorists of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ) – Shaikh Muhammad Mumtaz aka Firaun aka Sher Khan aka Shahzad aka Bhai and Muhammad Ahmed Khan aka Munna – managed to escape, the CTD submitted an inquiry report which pointed out that banned outfits were virtually running the affairs of the Central Prison Karachi, imposing their will on prison staff who follow their instructions due to fear or incompetence. As a part of security measures, Sindh Government on September 19, 2017, shifted some 90 "high-profile" inmates from the Central Prison Karachi to prisons in other Districts of the Province and Rawalpindi (Punjab).

While terrorism related incidents in the Province have declined over the past years, the menace of terrorism will persist as long as a corrupt Policing system and the Government’s double standards in dealing with terrorism continue. 

INDIA

M.A. Athul 
Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management

On January 11, 2018, Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) ‘deputy commander in chief’ Matchallang M. Sangma aka Vietnam was killed in an encounter with Meghalaya Police at Bawe Duragre village in East Garo Hills District. No other insurgency-linked killing has been reported from the State in 2018 so far (data till January 28, 2018).

The State recorded eight fatalities, including six militants and two civilians, in 2017; as against 26 fatalities, including 10 civilians and 16 militants in 2016, according to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP). Year 2015 had recorded a total of 61 fatalities, including 34 militants, 19 civilians, and eight SF personnel; while there were 76 such fatalities (47 militants, 23 civilians, and six SF personnel) in 2014. Thus, the declining trend of overall fatalities established in 2015 continued through 2017. Overall fatalities in the State increased between 2010 and 2014. Significantly, 2017 witnessed lowest of fatalities (eight) recorded in a year since 2009, when such fatalities stood at five (four militants and one civilian). 

More prominently, 2017 accounted for the lowest civilian fatalities in the State since 2009, when fatalities in this category stood at one. Civilian fatalities in Meghalaya had increased between 2010 and 2013, but have since been declining, with 23 in 2014 and 19 in 2015.

The security environment for civilians was further strengthened as SFs continued to consolidate their position on the ground through 2017. As in 2016, there were no fatalities among SF personnel. On the other hand, adding to the 16 militants killed in 2016, the SFs eliminated another six in 2017. In 2015, eight SF personnel had died in the State. The primary reason behind the SFs strengthened ground position was the successes achieved during the Counter Insurgency (CI) Operation Hill Storm, which continued from July 11, 2014, to September 2016, in which at least 75 militants were killed.

According to SATP, 31 militants were arrested in 2017 of which the affiliations of 27 are available. These included 10 GNLA cadres; five of the Saoraigwra faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-S); three Achick Songa An'pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) cadres; two each of the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), Tiwa Liberation Army (TLA), and Achik Revolutionary Army (ARA); and one ULFA-I militant. Two militants of the lesser known Ki Khlur U Hynniewtrep, were also arrested in 2017, according to the SATP database, while SFs arrested 71 in 2016. However, according to a January 4, 2018, report, 77 militants were arrested in 2017, in addition to 229 arrested in the State in 2016.

Mounting SF pressure led to the surrender of another 41 militants (21 GNLA, nine ASAK, five NDFB-S, four HNLC, one AME, and one ULFA-I). In 2016, at least 197 militants had surrendered. In a significant incident of surrender, on June 22, 2017, five militants of NDFB-S and one ULFA-I militant had surrendered in West Garo Hills District.

These developments have had a cumulative positive impact on the security situation in the State. Apart from fall registered in overall fatalities, other parameters of violence also indicated significant improvement. On January 17, 2018, State Director General of Police (DGP) Swaraj Bir Singh stated that only 21 militancy-related incidents were reported in 2017, while there were 310 such incidents in 2013, 341 in 2014, 310 in 2015, and 118 in 2016.

According to the SATP database, in 2017 fatalities (eight fatalities) were reported from three Districts in the State: South Garo Hills (four fatalities), West Khasi Hills (three fatalities), and North Garo Hills (one fatality). In 2016, 31 fatalities were reported from 10 Districts: East Garo Hills (10 fatalities), West Khasi Hills (five fatality), West Garo Hills (five fatalities), South Garo Hills (four fatalities), North Garo Hills (two fatalities), West Jaintia (one fatality), Southwest Garo Hills (one fatality), Ri-Bhoi (one fatality), East Khasi Hills (one fatality) and Jaintia Hills (one fatality).

Nevertheless, some security concerns persist. Though incidents of abduction for ransom declined through 2017, they continued to cause fear among the people. Meghalaya recorded 10 such incidents in 2017 in which 31 people were abducted. Of the 31 people abducted in 2017, at least eight were released (no information about ransom paid or not) while fate of rest of the victims remain unknown. In 2016, the figures stood at 28 incidents in which 58 people were abducted. In the first 24 days of 2018, one incident of abduction has already been reported. The numbers of abductions are likely to be higher than those reflected in this data, as many incidents are not reported.

Moreover, the most violent and active group , the GNLA despite facing reverses, continues to operate, though at significantly diminished strength. GNLA was responsible for both the civilian killings (in two separate incidents) in 2017. Of the six militants killed in the State in 2017, five belonged to GNLA, while one was the ‘commander in chief’ of then recently disbanded United Achik Liberation Army (UALA), identified as Singbirth N. Marak alias Norok X. Momin. [UALA was disbanded on June 9, 2016.] on January 17, 2018, Meghalaya DGP Dr. S.B. Singh also disclosed that Sohan D. Shira, ‘commander in chief’ of GNLA, was active and was shuffling between West Khasi Hills and South Garo Hills District of Meghalaya. The DGP stated that there were only nine or 10 trained GNLA cadres and four or five untrained cadres following Shira. Earlier, on December 19, 2017, the DGP had observed that although HNLC was a spent force; GNLA was still a matter of concern.

Indeed, according to an August 7, 2017, Shira had fled to Bangladesh in June 2017, but had returned to the Garo Hills. A October 8, 2017, report indicated that GNLA was ‘tying up’ with ULFA-I, which is a member of United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFWESA)’. ULFA-Is 'deputy commander-in-chief' Dristi Rajkhowa was reportedly trying to import ULFA-I cadres from neighboring Assam and even Bangladesh and put them up in GNLA camps.

Civil unrest persisted in the State through 2017. In May-June 2017 the Khasi Students Union (KSU), a civil societal organization of the Khasi tribe, was involved in widespread violence while protesting a railway project at Byrnihat in the State’s Ri-Bhoi District on the premise that the railways will bring unwanted immigrants to the State. Between May 29 and June 1, 2017, seven incidents of arson by the protesters were recorded, four in the East Khasi Hills District and three in Ri-Bhoi District. No fatality was recorded in these incidents. On May 27, 2017, KSU activists attacked a railway construction site at Ronghona village in Ri-Bhoi District.

Meanwhile, the State Government continued to strengthen security apparatus. The second batch of SF-10, a Special Force of the Meghalaya Police, with 152 commandos and a Unit of 50 recruits in Law and Order Riot Control were formally inducted on August 4, 2017. The first batch was inducted after completing six months of basic training and a three-and-a-half month special commando counter-insurgency course on October 5, 2016.

Further, fencing of the border continued through 2017. India in total shares a 4,096.7 kilometers long boundary with Bangladesh, of which 443 kilometers fall within Meghalaya. Out of the total India-Bangladesh border, fencing has been completed along a 3,000 kilometer stretch. Of the remaining unfenced 1,096.7 kilometers, about 90 kilometers remain in Meghalaya. The average annual progress of fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border has been 26 kilometers over the past eight years.

Separately, on December 21, 2017, the State Government decided to extend the rehabilitation package to 28 surrendered militants of the Breakaway factions of Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC-B) and 10 UALA. The rehabilitation package had earlier been extended to 363 ANVC cadres, 135 ANVC-B cadres, and 50 UALA cadres.

Despite the dip in insurgent violence, Meghalaya continues to struggle to find lasting solutions for its security and societal issues. The hurdles faced by the State on the infrastructure and security fronts remain unresolved, and the absence of a sustainable solution to various insurgent movements continues to haunt the state. Additional security steps such as finishing the fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh Border and better border management are some of the pre-requisites to mitigate the residual threat of insurgency in the State. The civil unrest regarding immigration is also likely to continue, with the Government unlikely to meet the demands of the agitators. Significant developmental deficits aggravate ethnic tensions and have long been a source of potential violence. In this light the remnants of insurgent formations, coupled with the possibility of civil unrest, continue to keep Meghalaya in a state of disquiet.

Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia 
January 22 - 28, 2017

 

 

AFGHANISTAN

103 persons killed in a suicide attack by Taliban militants in Kabul: 103 persons were killed and another 235 injured, in a suicide attack by Taliban militants near the old Ministry of Interior (MoI) building in Kabul City, the national capital, in Kabul Province, on January 27. Militants managed to bypass the first checkpoint in two ‘ambulances’ one of which was an ‘escort vehicle’ and other laden with explosives, without raising suspicion and then parked the vehicle in the compound of the Jamhoriat Hospital for 20 minutes before detonating the bomb. Taliban ‘spokesman’ Zabiullah Mujahid claimed that most of the casualties of the attack were civilian and military staff of the MoI. The khaama, January 28, 2018.

Pakistan based Haqqani Network responsible for planning and executing Kabul Intercontinental Hotel attack, says Afghanistan Ministry of Interior: Ministry of Interior (MoI) Afghanistan said on January 21 that Pakistan based Haqqani Network was responsible for planning and executing the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel attack on January 20. The MoI revised the death toll at eighteen people killed including fourteen foreigners and four Afghan nationals. Pajhwok, The khaama, January 23, 2018.

INDIA

25 civilians killed and 152 injured in past two years in cross border in J&K, says CM Mehbooba Mufti: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on January 24 said that as many as 25 civilians were killed and 152 injured in the past two years (2016 and 2017) in cross border firing in different parts of the State. She said that in 2016, two people were killed in Jammu, six in Samba, two in Rajouri and three in Poonch while in 2017, one civilian was killed in Jammu, three in Rajouri, seven in Poonch and one in Baramulla. Daily Excelsior, January 25, 2018.

JeM declares India number one enemy, says report: Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) declared India as its number one enemy. This declaration was recently (date not specified) made by Maulana Talha Siaf, the brother of JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar at a rally in Larkana in Sindh Province of Pakistan, recently. "India is the number one enemy of the JeM. Modi (Indian Prime Minister) is the number one enemy of Maulana Masood Azhar;” he said. ANI, January 26, 2018. 

LeT issues ‘burqa diktat’ to Kashmiri women, says report: The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) on January 22 issued a diktat to Kashmiri women threatening them to be prepared for ‘consequences’ if they did not observe the ‘Islamic dress code’. The terror outfit circulated handwritten posters, asking women to follow the Taliban-type dress code and wear loose robes, which only leave the eyes exposed. "The Kashmiri women, particularly from Shopian district, are resorting to waywardness. So, they need to observe Islamic dress. Even the hands of the women should not be exposed," read the posters with LeT stamps. Times of India, January 23, 2018.

Maoist Corridor shrinks to 58 Districts in 2017, says report: Latest data compiled by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) shows that the number of Districts under the grip of Maoist violence has dropped significantly since 2015, with over 90 per cent of attacks being reported from only four States — Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha. While 75 Districts across nine States reported violent attacks by Maoists in 2015, the number came down to 67 in 2016, and dropped to 58 in 2017, touted as the best year for the SFs engaged in anti-Maoist operations. Times of India, January 24, 2018.

Government to set up pan-India cyber agency, says report: The Government of India would set up a National Cyber Investigation Agency (NCIA) to prevent, investigate and resolve the cyber crime cases in the country. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, a total of 12, 317 cybercrime cases were registered in 2016 as compare to 9,622 in 2014 and 11,592 in 2015; but cyber experts believed that actual numbers are much higher than the NCRB data. In India, cybercrime incidents mainly include child pornography, cyberterrorism and breach of secured information systems. DNA, January 27, 2018. 

NEPAL

Ready to amend constitution, says CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli: Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli on January 26 said that he was ready to amend the constitution. He, however, added that he would not support any attempt to divide hills and Madhes. The Himalayan Times, January 27, 2018. 

NC, RJP-N, and FSF-N forge alliance for NA election: Nepali Congress (NC), Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N), and Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal (FSF-N) on January 23 forged an alliance for the upcoming election of National Assembly (NA) scheduled for February 7. According to Keshav Jha of RJP-N, all three parties have agreed to claim for 2-2 seats in Province 2 out of eight seats of the Province. My Republica, January 24, 2018.

PAKISTAN

Ex-militants raising funds for ‘welfare’, says Federal Minister of Interior Ahsan Iqbal: Federal Minister of Interior Ahsan Iqbal said on January 23 that ex-militants were raising funds for ‘welfare’ and they may join any terrorist outfit if stopped from carrying out such activities. Without naming and individual or outfit he said these people were not involved in militancy anymore, but engaged in ‘welfare’ works, adding that they were under surveillance, their accounts were seized and there was a ban on their fund raising.  Dawn, January 24, 2018.