South Asia Terrorism Portal
Arunachal Pradesh: NSCN-IM Depredations Giriraj Bhattacharjee Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On July 11, 2020, a combined team of the Assam Rifles and the Police, killed six National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) cadres in in an encounter, at a place near Nginu in Longding District. The deceased cadres were identified as - Somaya Shatsang, Ashak Wangsa, Somipam Shaiza, Sawang Pansa, Lentsuba Lalii and Paogouhao Lhangum. Arunachal Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), R.P. Upadhyaya disclosed,
On July 14, 2020, the NSCN-IM reacted declaring
The NSCN-IM statement also described the incident as tragic and in "total contravention of the existing Indo-Naga ceasefire".
Despite being in talks with the Government of India (GoI) since the signing of the ceasefire agreement on July 25, 1997, (which came into effect on August 1, 1997), and the signing of the 2015 Naga Framework Agreement, NSCN-IM has remained deeply engaged in extortion and disruptive activities. The killing of NSCN-IM militants in eastern Arunachal Pradesh is just the latest indictor of failing talks between NSCN-IM and GoI.
On May 16, 2020, a civilian was killed in a reported clash between the Army and NSCN-IM militants at Pumao village in Longding District.
Longding is part of the Tirap-Longding-Changlang (TLC) belt, which is among the last remaining hubs of insurgency in the north-eastern region of India. Located in the eastern most part of Arunachal Pradesh, TLC Districts are afflicted by an insurgency resulting mostly from an outflow sourced from the neighbouring States of Assam and Nagaland. These densely forested Districts, strategically remotely located near the unfenced India-Myanmar international boundary, provide easy points of access for infiltrators and exfiltrators.
According to partial data compiled by South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), since March 6, 2000, when SATP started compiling data on conflicts in India’s northeast, TLC Districts have accounted for a total of 168 fatalities (25 civilians, 25 Security Force, SF, personnel, and 118 militants, data till July 17, 2020). Of these, Tirap accounted for 101 fatalities (15 civilians, 16 SF and 70 militants), followed by Changlang with 46 fatalities (eight civilians, eight SF, and 30 militants) and Longding with 21 fatalities (two civilians, one SF, and 18 militants). Naga militant formations are responsible for most of the violence in these districts. 136 out of the 168 fatalities were linked to Naga militant formations: NSCN-IM, the Khaplang faction of NSCN (NSCN-K), Kitovi Neopak faction of NSCN (NSCN-KN), Khango Konyak faction of NSCN (NSCN-KK), and Reformation faction of NSCN (NSCN-R).
Indeed, on September 8, 2019, Arunachal Governor Brigadier (Retired) B.D. Mishra sought assistance from the Union Government to strengthen counter insurgency operations in TLC Districts. Governor Mishra observed,
TLC Districts gained significant media attention due to a major incident during the 2019 State Assembly elections, held alongside the General Elections. On May 21, 2019, NSCN-IM militants killed 11 people, including the sitting National People's Party (NPP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Khonsa West, Tirong Aboh, his son Longgem Aboh and two Personal Security Officers, in an ambush at the 12th mile on the Khonsa-Deomali Road in Tirap District. The case was handed over to the National Investigating Agency (NIA). The central agency had since filed a charge sheet on January 28, 2020, followed by a supplementary charge sheet on March 31, 2020. The NIA in a release said,
There is considerable fear amongst political representatives after the Aboh killing. Significantly, after the October 31, 2019, understanding [SS.1.49] between the GoI and the NSCN-IM, unlike in Manipur and Assam where disquiet about the nature of the outcome was quite visible and vocal; the local TLC District based politicians did not raise any concern on the issue of 'territorial integrity' of the Districts. TLC Districts form part of the proposed Nagalim (greater Nagaland) as demanded by NSCN-IM along with parts of Assam and Manipur. The sitting MLA of Khonsa West, Chakat Aboh, explained the fear behind the silence,
Following the Tirong Aboh killing, the State Government created a new post of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), TLC region. On May 9, 2020, DIGP-TLC, Kime Kaming, on his visit to Longding, urged better coordination between the District Administration and SFs to maintain law and order, and noted,
Meanwhile, on April 1, 2020, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was extended for another six months in the TLC Districts of Arunachal Pradesh, till September 2020. The other areas in the State presently under AFSPA are Namsai and Mahadevpur Police Stations in Namsai District, Roing in Lower Dibang Valley District and Sunpura in Lohit District. AFSPA as a legal instrument was inherited by the State, since its conversion in 1987 from a Union Territory. The Disturbed Area Act was applied to the Tirap, Changlang and Longding Districts (carved out of the undivided Tirap District in 2011) since September 17, 1991, bringing these areas under AFSPA. Since then the act has been periodically extended.
The concentration of Counter Insurgency Operations in TLC Districts is needed to end the spillover of militancy from neighbouring States to a State which does not have an active indigenous insurgency movement. There is need for a high level of coordination both in intelligence sharing and kinetic action, between the District Police chiefs of bordering areas in Assam and Nagaland with their Arunachali counterpart, to deal effectively with the menace.
Chhattisgarh: Dantewada: Maoists' 'Homecoming' Indrajit Sharma Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On July 14, 2020, five Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, identified as Jagdish aka Ratan Kawasi (30), Kamlesh aka Motu Ram Poyami (22), Dinesh aka Mani Ram Alami (24), Balku Kashyap (20) and Shivnath aka Manuram Poyami (25), surrendered before the Security Forces (SFs) in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh. Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Pallava disclosed that Jagdish was a ‘squad commander’ and carried a reward of INR 300,000 on his head. He was part of a Maoist team that ambushed SFs at Jhara Ghati in the Narayanpur area of Kanker District on January 16, 2007, killing seven SF personnel. Kamlesh was a ‘local operating squad (LOS) member’ and carried a reward of INR’ 100,000 on his head. Dinesh was the ‘president’ of the ‘Kranti Jantana Sarkar’ and carried a reward of INR 100,000 on his head. Balku and Shivnath were ‘jan militia’ members.
On July 9, 2020, 25 CPI-Maoist cadres, including four women, surrendered before SFs in the Dantewada District. Of the 25 cadres, Budhram Tamo (48), head of the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangthan (DAKMS – a Maoist front organization); Manjhi Barse (35), head of a ‘jan militia’ group; and a woman cadre, Deve Sodhi, head of the Krantikari Mahila Adivasi Sangthan (KAMS – another Maoist front), each carried cash rewards of INR 100,000 on their heads. The rest were lower-rung members, mostly belonging to DAKMS, KAMS and jan militia groups, according to SP Abhishek Pallava.
On July 8, 2020, a Maoist couple, identified as Prakash aka Pandu and his wife Hadme Kartami, surrendered in Dantewada District. According to SP Abhishek Pallava, Pandu was a member of the CPI-Maoist’s ‘platoon number 24’ and also a medical team member; while his wife was a member of the Chetna Nataya Mandali (CNM), a CPI-Maoist front. Pandu carried a cash reward of INR 200,000 on his head and was involved in an ambush in the National Mineral Development Corporation Plant area on May 13, 2012, in which six SF personnel and a civilian were killed. He was also part of a Maoist team that triggered an Improvised Explosive Device explosion in Cholnar village in Dantewada on April 13, 2015, which claimed the lives of five SF personnel.
According to partial data collated by South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), 73 Maoists have surrendered in Dantewada in the current year, thus far (data till July 19, 2020). During the corresponding period of 2019, two Maoists had surrendered in the District. The total number of surrendered Maoists in Dantewada through 2019 stood at 48.
Meanwhile, the data released by Dantewada Police on July 10, 2020, indicated that 53 Maoists had surrendered before the SFs in the District between June 30, 2020 and July 9, 2020.
According to the SP Abhishek Pallava, all the surrendered Maoists had been influenced by the lucrative campaign Lon Varratu (a local Gondi dialect expression, meaning ‘return to your village’) launched by the District Police on June 12, 2020.
Under the Lon Varratu initiative, the Police have been putting up posters and banners in the villages from where Naxals [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] are drawn, particularly those who carry cash rewards on their heads. The posters reportedly mention the names of the rebels and appeal to them to join the mainstream. The scheme provides immediate assistance of INR 10,000 to everyone who turns themselves in, with additional benefits in accordance with the Government's surrender and rehabilitation policy. SP Abhishek Pallava disclosed,
Moreover, as a part of the Lon Varratu campaign, the Chhattisgarh Police on June 27, 2020, released a list of 34 'Most Wanted' Maoists in the State. In an attempt to wean away the rank and file, the list had details of top Maoist leaders including Nambala Keshav Rao aka Basavaraj, CPI-Maoist 'general secretary', Mupalla Lakshman Rao aka Ganapathi, 'Politburo' and 'Central Committee' (CC) member, Kattam Sudarshan, 'Politburo' and 'CC' member, and Mallojula Venugopal, 'Politburo' and 'CC' member, as well as CPI-Maoist 'spokesperson' in neighboring Telangana, each of whom carry cash rewards of INR 10 million on their heads.
According to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bastar range, Sundarraj Patilingam, the intention behind releasing the details of the top leaders is primarily to disengage and re-educate the local rebels. IGP Sundarraj noted,
Recently, according to a July 12, 2020, report, the State Police, with the aim of adding impetus to the ongoing Lon Varratu campaign, decided to facilitate farming as a livelihood for the surrendered rebels. According to this renewed 'tactical move' of the Police,
Under the campaign, after renouncing the CPI-Maoist, the surrendered cadres are reportedly willing to undertake farming and cultivation in their villages through 'Self-Help Groups' (SHGs). In this context, the SP Abhishek Pallava observed,
Falling within the troubled Bastar Division of Chhattisgarh, Dantewada, which shares borders with Bijapur, Sukma, Bastar, and Narayanpur Districts – all of which are listed among the ‘30 worst Maoist-affected’ Districts in the country, has been the epicenter of LWE-linked violence in Chhattisgarh.
Since March 6, 2000, when SATP started compiling data on LWE-linked violence, Dantewada has recorded 1,143 fatalities (341 civilians, 409 SF personnel, 387 LWEs, and six Not Specified) in such violence. Dantewada is the worst LWE-affected District in terms of overall fatalities in Chhattisgarh, followed by Bijapur (759 fatalities) and Sukma (427).
However, the security situation in Dantewada has improved considerably in recent years. According to partial data collated by SATP, the District has recorded six fatalities (three civilians and three Maoists) so far in five incidents of killing in the current year (data till July 19, 2020). During the corresponding period of 2019, 15 fatalities (one civilian, five SF personnel, and nine Maoists) were recorded in eight incidents of killing. In the remaining period of 2019, another eight fatalities (three civilians and five Maoists) were registered in six incidents of killing. In 2018, the District recorded 33 fatalities (16 civilians, 12 SF personnel and five Maoists) in 19 incidents of killing. At peak in 2006, the District recorded 273 fatalities, which dropped to 23 in 2019. Moreover, incidents of killing declined from 61 in 2006 to 14 in 2019. Further, major incidents (each involving three or more fatalities) recorded a sharp decline from 32 in 2006 to one in 2019.
By crafting the Lon Varratu initiative, SFs have done a remarkable job in consolidating the gains achieved, at a time when the District is dealing with residual risks posed by the Maoists.
Nonetheless, the initiative is yet to pave the way for rebels from the interior villages, where they have a strong presence, to return to normal life. According to SP Abhishek Pallava, there are roughly 200 active Maoists in remote villages in Dantewada, who carry cash rewards on their heads and they are yet to join the mainstream. Additionally, according to Police estimates, about 4,500 Maoist cadres (from its political and military wings) live in the forests of Bastar Division – comprising Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur and Sukma Districts. Moreover, more than 200,000 people, including women and children, in Bastar are Sangham Sadasyas (Association Members) of the CPI-Maoist.
Worryingly, according to a June 26, 2020, report, the Maoists organized a three-day program (June 18-20) in the remote villages at the border of Dantewada, Sukma and Bijapur Districts in the State. Around 10,000 people reportedly attended the gathering, which was addressed by top Maoist leaders, including Nambala Keshav Rao aka Basavaraj, Mandavi Hidma, head of the CPI-Maoist 'battalion number 1', 'CC' members - Kosa aka Kadari Satyanarayan Reddy and P. Tirupathi aka Devji - and senior woman Maoist leader Sujata aka Moyna. An unnamed Police officer said,
All efforts should be made to ensure that Lon Varratu continues to attract more Maoists in Dantewada to join the mainstream. This campaign could be instrumental in bringing an end to Maoist violence, and would need to be coupled with aggressive operations by SFs, particularly in the difficult terrains of the Dantewada District in particular, and the surrounding areas at large.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia July 6-12, 2020
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
Terrorists/Insurgents
Total
AFGHANISTAN
INDIA
Jammu and Kashmir
INDIA (Left-Wing Extremism)
Chhattisgarh
INDIA (Total)
PAKISTAN
Balochistan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
PAKISTAN (Total)
129 Civilians killed in last month in Afghanistan, says NSC: National Security Council (NSC) in a statement said that 129 civilians have been killed and 291 were injured due to 1456 attacks by Taliban militants during last month in Afghanistan. Despite of Taliban commitments to reduce violence, the group carried out most attacks in cities and Highways that caused most casualties on civilians in Samangan, Kandahar and Nangarhar Provinces. Bakhtar News, July 19, 2020.
170 people killed in 17 terror attacks on religious places in the last 10 months, says AHRC: Afghanistan Human Rights Commission (AHRC) says, 170 people were killed following 17 terrorist attacks conducted by Taliban and Islamic State on religious places and scholars within the 10 months. According to the report, attacks such as suicides, mine blasts, targeted killings and gunfire carried out by armed men, Taliban and IS' fighters on mosques, Daramsal, Imam of mosques and prayers in the last 10 months. Bakhtar News, July 19, 2020.
Increased violence led by Taliban undermines confidence in the peace process, warns NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg warned that the increase in violence led by Taliban attacks undermines confidence in the peace process. "The level of violence in #Afghanistan, driven by Taliban attacks, undermines confidence in the peace process. We call on all sides to rapidly start intra-Afghan talks. #NATO Allies will continue to consult on our military presence to support peace process," Stoltenberg said in a Twitter post. The Khaama Press; July 17, 2020.
Pentagon confirms troops withdrawn from five bases in Afghanistan: The Pentagon chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman on July 14 said that US troops have withdrawn from five military bases and reduced the size of its forces in Afghanistan as part of the agreement reached with the Taliban in February. "US forces in Afghanistan remain in the mid-8,000s and five bases formerly occupied by US forces have been transferred to our Afghan partners," said Hoffman. Tolo News, July 15, 2020.
Taliban carries out attacks with cooperation of al Qaeda, says NDS: National Directorate of Security (NDS), Afghanistan's intelligence agency, on July 14 said that the Taliban plans and carries out attacks with the cooperation of foreign terrorist groups, including al Qaeda. The statement by NDS comes a day after the Taliban carried out a major attack on provincial headquarter of National Directorate of Security in Samangan Province, killing 11 people and injuring 63 others. 1TV ; July 15, 2020.
Afghan Government released another 180 Taliban prisoners bringing the total to 4199: The Office of the National Security Council (ONSC) on July 13 said that the Afghan Government has released 180 Taliban prisoners from Afghan prisons for the peace process on July 12. Hashmatullah Nateq head of media relations at the ONSC confirmed, in an interview with BNA, that 180 Taliban prisoners were released from prisons in Afghanistan to facilitate the peace process. Nateq added that 180 Taliban prisoners, includes the list of 5,000 Taliban, were released yesterday, bringing the total to 4,199. Bakhtar News, July 13, 2020.
India and EU exchange views on the shared challenge of terrorism, says report: India and EU on July 15, exchanged views on the shared challenge of terrorism and Pakistan came up during discussions in the context of activities it has been continuing against India and other countries in the region as well as in the context of global terrorism. The summit was co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and by the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. New Kerala, July 16, 2020.
India, Canada closely cooperating on the issue of Khalistani terrorism, says report: India and Canada are closely cooperating on the issue of Khalistani terrorism and separatism. As per the report, the cooperation includes giving classified information on Khalistanis, given the full support they enjoy under Pakistan's spy agency - Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). India and Canada already have a Framework for Cooperation on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism agreed in February of 2018. Canada with 2nd largest number of Sikh Population after India has been a ground for ISI backed Khalistanis to get support from the diaspora. DNA, July 14, 2020.
Presidential commissions must be dissolved, says Majlis Speaker Mohamed Nasheed: Speaker of the Majlis (Maldives Parliament) Mohamed Nasheed has said the presidential commissions formed to investigate murders and corruptions are functionless and has to be dissolved. Speaker Nasheed said the two commissions have been formed to serve justice for murder victims and recover funds and assets lost from the state through corruptions Avas, July 20, 2020.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli refuses to quit as Prime Minister or party Co-chair: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli refused to quit as Prime Minister or party Co-chair as a crucial meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Secretariat held in Kathmandu on July 18 failed to reconcile differences between Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the rival faction led by another Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal. Party Co-chair Dahal and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal had asked Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to step down. Prime Minister Oli, who has fallen into minority in all party bodies - the Secretariat, Standing Committee and Central Committee - however, refused to quit any of the posts. The Himalayan Times, July 20, 2020.
Surging attacks by Baloch separatists increase risks, costs of BRI projects in Pakistan, says report: According to a report by Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, the surge in the deadly attacks by Baloch separatists in Pakistan has sent the risks and costs of China's ambitious Belt and Road projects soaring while Beijing's interests at the strategic Gwadar port on the Arabia Sea were caught up in the proxy war between Islamabad and Tehran. Security risks and costs of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are rising amid a resurgence of the deadly attacks by separatists in the troubled Balochistan province, home to the Chinese operated port of Gwadar The Times of India, July 20, 2020.
United Nation blacklists TTP 'chief' Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 'chief' Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud on July 16, is designated as a global terrorist by the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) for participating in the financing, planning and perpetrating acts on behalf of and in support of entities associated with al Qaida. The UNSC's 1267 ISIL and al Qaida Sanctions Committee added Mehsud to the ISIL (Daesh) and al Qaida Sanctions List, subjecting the Pakistani national to an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. The Times of India, July 17, 2020.
Overall human rights situation in Sri Lanka deteriorated in 2019, according to report: The "Human Rights and Democracy Report 2019" released by UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office on July 16, said that the overall human rights situation in Sri Lanka in 2019 deteriorated with increased inter-communal tensions, violence against minority groups, and intimidation of human rights defenders. The report said towards the end of 2019, there were multiple reports of increased surveillance and intimidation of activists, of civil society groups and human rights defenders particularly those working on legal and transitional justice issues Colombo Page, July 18, 2020.
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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