South Asia Terrorism Portal
Telangana: Tremors of Sympathy Indrajit Sharma Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On August 29, 2020, Police arrested a Sarpanch head of the Panchayat, village level local self-Government institution), identified as Karam Kanna Rao (30), from Cherla Mandal (administrative sub-division) in Bhadradri Kothagudem District of Telangana, for working as a sympathiser-cum-courier for the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist). He was mobilising villagers for Naxal [Left Wing Extremist, LWE] meetings. He was also supplying medicines and essential commodities to the Naxals.
On August 21, 2020, 12 CPI-Maoist sympathiser-cum-couriers were arrested from two villages in Bhadradri Kothagudem District. Police recovered gelatin sticks, detonators, electric wire and batteries supplied by the Maoists for making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), from their possession. These people had been supplying Maoists essential items, including rations and vegetables, whenever they visited Manuguru Mandal in the District, over the preceding three years.
On August 2, 2020, Police arrested three CPI-Maoist sympathisers and recovered a dump of 414 live rounds of different weapons from a village under Dubbagudem Gram Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) limits in Gangaram Mandal in Mahabubabad District. The trio had been working for the Maoists by providing logistic support, and letting them stay at their respective villages.
According to partial data collated by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), at least 43 CPI-Maoist sympathisers have been arrested in the current year, thus far (data till September 6, 2020). During the corresponding period in 2019, one sympathiser was arrested, while in the remaining period of 2019, another 23 sympathisers were arrested. The total number of sympathizers arrested since the formation of the State on June 2, 2014, stands at 119 (data till September 6, 2020). A total of 302 Maoist cadres/leaders have been arrested in the State during this period.
On September 3, 2020, Security Forces (SFs) killed a Maoist cadre, identified as Dudi Devalu aka Shankar (26) in an exchange of fire at Devallagudem Forest area in the Gundala Mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem District. The last killing of a Maoist prior to this incident was reported on August 21, 2019, in an exchange of fire with SFs near Pidugula village forest area under Manuguru Mandal in Bhadradri Kothagudem District. Two Maoists were killed through 2019.
Meanwhile, on August 28, 2020, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), mainly tasked with investigation of terrorism cases, filed a charge-sheet against four persons linked to the CPI-Maoist for their alleged involvement in recruiting youth and raising funds through their front organisations – the Telangana Vidyarthi Vedika (TVV) and Telangana Praja Front (TPF). The accused named in the case are identified as Maddiletti (31), state president of TVV; Menchu Sandeep (26), state general secretary of TVV; Nalamasa Krishna (38), state vice president of TPF and Yapa Narayana (52), secretary, Telangana State Committee.
The case was first registered on October 8, 2019, after a search at Maddiletti's house in Hyderabad District led to the seizure of many incriminating letters, documents, and digital devices, establishing his close association with senior CPI-Maoist leaders and top leaders of their front organisations. The NIA officials investigating the case stated,
The NIA charge-sheet as well as the continuing arrests of Maoist sympathisers and couriers in recent times indicate the residual influence of the Maoists among the people of the tribal areas of the State. It also suggests that the Maoists are desperate to make a comeback in their erstwhile stronghold areas. Media reports indicate that the rebels have increased their movements in the State and are engaged in recruiting fresh cadres and strengthening their base in several pockets.
Significantly, on July 17, 2020, to win support and instigate locals, CPI-Maoist Telangana 'state committee' spokesperson Jagan issued a statement, accusing the Telangana Police of attempting to wipe out the party by targeting innocent adivasis and arresting sympathisers. The Maoist spokesperson alleged,
Jagan further warned of severe ‘punishment’ in the people’s court (Kangaroo court held by Maoists) to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders if the Police did not stop attacks on the Adivasis and Maoist party activists.
A July 19, 2020, report revealed that the CPI-Maoist had formed as many as 12 ‘area committees’ and reconstituted the ‘state committee’ entrusted with the task of recruiting more youth and tribals into the Maoist cadre which is facing a shortage in Telangana. According to the report, Yapa Narayana aka Haribhushan aka Jagan has been appointed as the CPI-Maoist’s ‘secretary’ in the State. Reportedly, Jagan and his wife Sammakka were injured in an exchange of fire with the Police on March 2, 2018, in Thondapal Forest area in the Cherla Mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem District. While they had escaped, the Police thought that Jagan might have died as there was no subsequent intelligence on his whereabouts. However, after conducting combing operations in forested areas, the Police concluded that Jagan had survived and that he has been involved in Maoist activities in the State, and has implemented the decision of the CPI-Maoist’s ‘central committee (CC)’ by forming 12 ‘area committees’ in the State.
The 12 ‘area committees’ and their leadership include: Pedapalli area committee headed by Kankanala Raji Reddy; Eturnagaram Mahadevpur area committee headed by Reena aka Saame; Venkatapuram-Vajedu area committee headed by Ungi; Yellandu-Narsampet area committee headed by Mangu; Mancherial-Kumaram Bheem area committee headed by Mailarapu Aadellu aka Bhaskar; Mangi area committee headed by Lingamma; Indravelli area committee headed by Vargesh; Chennur-Sirpur area committee headed by Narasimha Rao; Cherla Sabari area committee headed by Sammakka aka Sarada; Manuguru area committee headed by Sudheer aka Ravva Ramla aka Rasool aka Ramaal; Bhadradri-East Godavari divisional committee headed by Sambhaiah; and Telangana State action committee headed by Bade Chokkarao aka Damodar.
On August 29, 2020, in a bid to expose Maoist efforts and propaganda, the Adilabad District Police released a list of Maoist sympathisers. While urging the local Adivasis not to fall prey to Maoists, the Superintendent of Police (SP), Vishnu S. Warrier stated,
SP Warrier also alleged that certain tribals were implementing the agenda of the banned outfit by projecting themselves as leaders of the ethnic tribes. These tribal organisation leaders were provoking youngsters to join the CPI-Maoist and they were providing food and shelter to the armed extremists in exchange for huge sums of money.
Moreover, according to an August 8, 2020 report, the Maoists have been barred by the leadership from carrying out violent activities in Telangana lest they attract the attention of the Security Forces (SFs). Following the dictate, so far, they have restricted themselves to reviving links with old contacts and recruiting rural youth in areas where they retain influence.
As of now, all activities of the organization are concentrated in the forest areas in the eastern side of the State comprising the former undivided Districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam. These areas border the LWE-affected areas in what is popularly known as the Dandakaranya region, also including Gadchiroli District and parts of Chandrapur District of Maharashtra, as well as parts of Chhattisgarh. According to Police officials in the State, the Maoists are determined to demonstrate their relevance in this region.
Following these developments, the SFs have reportedly intensified their combing operations in these areas and have released wall posters across the border areas, with information about the Maoist leaders who have been actively leading the 12 ‘area committees’ in the State. Local people were requested to pass on information to the Police on the movements of the Maoists.
The Maoists have suffered body blows in Telangana – their erstwhile heartland for decades – but have not given up. They still possess the capacity to elicit tremors of sympathy among certain sections of the population. While the SFs have established clear dominance in the region, the challenge of the Maoist insurgency is still not over.
Neo-JMB: Lingering Threat S. Binodkumar Singh Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On August 27, 2020, the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested a ‘fundraiser’ of Neo-Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (Neo-JMB) from the Sabujbagh area of Dhaka city. The arrestee was identified as Sibbir Ahmed (22). A cell phone, five Jihadi books and a bank deposit receipt book were recovered from the arrestee's possession. CTTC officials disclosed that Sibbir was trying to increase the strength of Neo-JMB and carry out subversive activities after collecting funds from different foreign nationals. For this purpose, he contacted members of Islamic State (IS)-inspired militant outfits in the Philippines, Indonesia, United Kingdom, France, and Afghanistan, using different online platforms. He also had records of financial transactions with some foreign nationals returning from Syria.
On August 24, 2020, the CTTC unit arrested a cadre of Neo-JMB from the Babubazar Bridge area in Dhaka city. The arrestee was identified as Mohamad Salek aka Abu Salek (19).
On August 17, a CTTC unit arrested two Neo-JMB cadres identified as, Safafat Islam alias Abdullah (18) and Yasir Arafat alias Shanto (20), from Sadarghat area of Dhaka city in Dhaka District.
On August 11, 2020, five cadres of Neo-JMB were arrested by the CTTC unit of the Police in Sylhet District. The Police claimed that they were planning to carry out attacks on major sites in Sylhet, including the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal.
According to partial data collected by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), a total of 21 Neo-JMB terrorists have been arrested from across Bangladesh since the beginning of the current year (data till September 6, 2020). During the corresponding period of 2019, 10 Neo-JMB terrorists were arrested. Another six Neo-JMB cadres were arrested during the remaining period of 2019.
Neo-JMB is believed to have emerged in 2014. The outfit, however, came into prominence only after it took responsibility for the July 1, 2016, Gulshan (Holey Artisan bakery) attack in which 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, were slaughtered. However, the incident also proved disastrous for the outfit.
Since the July 1, 2016, Holey Artisan bakery attack, the SFs have killed a total of 47 Neo-JMB terrorists including almost all the top leaders (data till September 6, 2020). Prominent among those killed were: Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, the then ‘chief’ of Neo-JMB and ‘mastermind’ of the Gulshan attack (August 26, 2016); Murad aka Jahangir Alam aka Omar, its then ‘military commander’ (September 2, 2016); Nazmul Haque aka Abdur Rahman, its then ‘financier’ (October 8, 2016); Nurul Islam Marzan, the then ‘deputy chief’ (January 6, 2017); Aminur Islam aka Alam (23), its then ‘military chief’ (March 2, 2017).
Another 205 cadres have been arrested across Bangladesh in different raids since the Holey Artisan bakery attack (data till September 6, 2020). Prominent among those arrests were: Imam Mehedi Hasan (29), ‘commander’ of Neo-JMB’s ‘Dar-e-Kutni Brigade’ (September 21, 2017); Babul Akter aka Babul Master (45), ‘military commander’ of the group’s Northern Districts (December 6, 2017); Asmani Khatun aka Asma (28), the then ‘chief’ of the female wing (February 4, 2020); Shirina Khatun aka Tahsin Abdullah (23), ‘second in command’ of the female wing (March 19, 2020); Sheikh Sultan Mohammad Naimuzzaman, ‘regional commander’ (August 11, 2020); and Sibbir Ahmed (22), ‘fundraiser’ (August 27, 2020).
Since the bakery attack, the group has failed to execute any major fatal attack.
Talking about Neo-JMB, the CTTC unit Chief Monirul Islam, in an interview on August 21, 2020, observed,
In comparison to JMB, Neo-JMB which emerged in 2014, was far more radicalized. Neo-JMB claims affiliation to Daesh (Islamic State, IS). The JMB mostly used bombs and grenades to carry out attacks. In a prominent attack, the old JMB carried out synchronized blasts across the country on August 17, 2005, killing three and injuring more than 100 people. Investigations in the July 1, 2016, bakery attack has revealed that the terrorists used “AK 22 rifles”, a low calibre weapon. CTTC chief Monirul Islam said, “A seal from a factory in Bihar was found on the three AK 22 rifles recovered after the Gulshan terror attack. We have come to know that the modification of these arms was done in Munger city in Bihar state of India and then they came to Chapainwabganj border.”
Though Neo-JMB has lost almost all its leaders after the bakery attack and continues to face losses in terms of regular arrests, it continues to remain a security threat.
According to reports, its cadres now act like a “wolf pack” and they choose their leader by themselves. They carry out their activities as sleeper cells. Usually, they form small 'self-radicalized' groups, and plan to carry out attacks as part of the so-called global jihad. The CTTC unit of the Police came to know about the new approach of the outfit after arresting five Neo-JMB cadres from Sylhet District on August 11, 2020. The outfit believes that if any of its operatives are apprehended carrying out such attacks, law enforcement agencies will not be able to nab other members of the organization.
Earlier, recognizing, the threat of 'lone wolf' attacks, Inspector General of police (IGP) Mohammad Javed Patwary acknowledged, on May 15, 2019,
Neo-JMB now mainly consists of tech-savvy youngsters and Bangladesh’s security forces are finding it difficult to detect their motives and future. For instance, on October 12, 2019, a team of CTTC arrested two cadres of Neo-JMB from Mohammadpur area of Dhaka city. Both the arrestees – Mohamad Mehedi Hasan Tamim and Mohamad Abdullah Ajmir – had graduated from the Mechanical Engineering department of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology. On January 20, 2020, CTTC unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested Mohamad Jamal Uddin Rafique (26), an engineer, and his associate Mohamad Anowar Hossain, from Jatrabari area of Dhaka city.
Despite the ongoing counter-terrorism efforts in Bangladesh, recent arrests of Neo-JMB cadres and their revelations indicate that the group remains a key threat to Bangladesh’s internal security. While the overall capability of the group has dwindled, the residual capacity cannot be ignored.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia August 31 - September 6, 2020
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
NS
Total
AFGHANISTAN
INDIA
Jammu and Kashmir
INDIA (Left-Wing Extremism)
Chhattisgarh
Telengana
INDIA (Total)
PAKISTAN
Balochistan
KP
PAKISTAN (Total)
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Government confirms completion of the Taliban prisoner release except for those about which international partners have reservations: Javid Faisal, the Spokesman for the National Security Council (NSC) on September 3, confirmed the completion of the Taliban prisoner release except for a half dozen prisoners about which international partners have reservations. The government received commandos held hostage by the Taliban after the government released the remaining approximately 400 Taliban prisoners, except for the few about which allies have taken issue, said Faisal. Tolo News, September 4, 2020.
Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah opposes President Ashraf Ghani's decree on reconciliation council members: On August 31, the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, issued a statement opposing President Ashraf Ghani's decree on official listing members of the council. Abdullah said that according to the political agreement it is the authority of the head of the council to appoint its members. Tolo News, September 1, 2020.
Agencies get Pakistan document "certifying" HM 'chief' Syed Salahuddin as 'bona fide' official of ISI: The Indian security establishment has found a letter issued by the Directorate of Intelligence, Islamabad, "certifying" Syed Muhammad Yousaf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin, 'chief' of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) as its "bona fide official" who is "working with ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence]". The letter, issued in the name of director/commanding officer Wajahat Ali Khan, states that "it is certified that Syed Muhammad Yousaf Shah, Ameer Hizbul Mujahideen, is working with Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Islamabad. He is bona fide official of this department". Sharing details of the vehicle used by Salahuddin, the letter instructs that "he is security-wise cleared and should not be unnecessarily stopped". The Times of India, September 6, 2020.
Turkey supporting IS terror network in India, says report: Indian security agencies have gathered inputs suggesting that Turkey-based handlers, with apparent support from the Turkish Government, had facilitated a group of Indian terrorists in travelling to Syria and fight for the global terror network of Islamic State (IS) there. "Turkey's attempts to fund Islamic organisations based in India, collaboration with political and non-profit groups, and subversion of Indian students are a couple of things that are adding to India's worries," an Indian security official stated". India Blooms, September 5, 2020.
NSCN-IM and NGBF vows to bring together all Naga political groups: In the purview of larger political interests of the Nagas, Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isaak Muivah (NSCN-IM) and Nagaland Goan Buras Federation (NGBF) met on September 4, to resolve to bring together all the Naga political groups. In a new development amidst political upheaval, NSCN-IM 'chairman' Q Tuccu and 'vice-chairman' Tongmeth Wangnao along with his team held a meeting with NGBF leaders led by its President Shahlem Konyak and General Secretary Shikuto Zalipu". East Mojo, September 5, 2020.
SFJ launches Google App for 'Referendum 2020' voter registration: After India banned 'Referendum 2020' voter registration websites, the US-based secessionist group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has launched a voter registration App on Google play store. The Google App 'Voice Punjab 2020' as per the banned organisation is launched to commemorate the 25th martyrdom day of Dilawar Singh, the assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. The mobile app facilitates the user to register as a voter for the anti-India campaign. IANS, September 6, 2020.
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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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