On May 22, Amnesty International called upon the government to put an end to the crackdown against the Bawn community and immediately release the civilians arrested in connection with robberies at two banks allegedly by the Kuki-Chin National Front (KCNF) in Bandarban District of Chittagong Division, reports The Daily Star.It expressed concern that the indigenous Bawm people are at serious risk of suffering collective punishment as the authorities assumed that the entire Bawm community is either part of or supporter of the Kuki-Chin National Front (KCNF).
On May 22, in a joint operation with the Internal Security Division, the Tumakuru Police arrested a 38-year-old Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre, identified as Kottagere Shankara, who was on the run for the last 19 years and working as a driver on a contract basis in the BBMP, from Tumakuru District of Karnataka, reports The Hindu. Shankara, a native of Ramagiri village in Sri Sathya Sai District of Andhra Pradesh, was accused no. 32 in the Venkatammanahalli Police camp attack case in Pavagada taluk of Tumakuru District in February 2005, where 300 armed Maoists attacked and killed seven Policemen along with a private bus cleaner and injured five other Policemen. The accused had allegedly attacked the Police party with rifles, bombs, and hand grenades and looted the arms and ammunition in the camp.
On May 22, during a search operation, Security Forces (SFs) recovered RPG rounds, hand grenades, pistols, along with other arms, ammunition, and war-like stores in Dardnar forest area of Kupwara District in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), reports the Daily Excelsior.
On May 22, Police attached property of a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) ‘commander’, identified as Abid Ramzan Sheikh, alias Saifullah alias Khalid, in an unspecified area in Shopian District of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), reportsThe Week. Furthermore, Daily Excelsior added that Abid Ramzan was suspectedly involved in instigating young people to join terrorist ranks and has been linked to several violent incidents in the Kashmir region.
On May 21, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge sheeted two cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) for being part of a conspiracy to attack Security Forces (SFs) in Jharkhand, reportsdevdiscourse.com. Aghnu Ganjhu alias Agnu Ganjhu, and Khudi Munda, both residents of the state, have been named in the charge sheet filed on May 21 in a Special NIA Court in Ranchi, it said. The charge sheet has been filed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the statement issued by the NIA said. This brings the total number of people charged in the case to 31. Initially, nine people were charged by the Jharkhand Police in the case registered in 2022. After taking over the investigation, the NIA filed three supplementary charge sheets against 20 people between August and December last year. The members of the proscribed outfit, CPI-Maoist, had conspired to execute an attack on SFs in the Bauxite mines area in Jharkhand to take revenge against the arrest of their top ‘commander’, Prashant Bose, the statement said.
On May 22, Chhattisgarh deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma appealed to the Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] to join the mainstream and even sought suggestions from them for a new rehabilitation policy upon surrender, reports The Print. Sharma, who also handles the home portfolio, was speaking to reporters at Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district. “All doors are open for talks with the Maoists [cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist)]. Our government has created an environment of equality and development by providing roads, health services, water, and other facilities in villages under the Niyad Nellanar scheme. We are asking them (Naxalites) for suggestions for a new rehabilitation policy so that they can join the mainstream and contribute their bit to the development of the state as well as the country,” he said. “The state government is ready to study the rehabilitation policy of any other state, but I have sought suggestions from Maoists themselves and not from officials, journalists, or the common people, as it is Naxalites who are going to be rehabilitated on surrender,” he added. The home minister provided an e-mail ID — [email protected]— as well as a Google form to accept suggestions.
On May 22, the Supreme Court (SC) cancelled bail granted to eight operatives of Popular Front of India (PFI) by the Madras High Court stating that national security is of paramount importance, reports Hindustan Times. The bail granted by the Madras High Court to eight accused identified as Barakathullah, Idris, Mohamed Abuthahir, Khalid Mohammed, Syed Ishaq, Khaja Mohaideen, Yasar Arafath and Fayaz Ahmedwas challenged by National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the verdict followed from the court bench headed by Justice Bela M Trivedi. The eight accused were earlier arrested by NIA under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in September, 2022 in Tamil Nadu, on charges to commit terrorist acts and spread extremist ideology.
India and the United Kingdom (UK) strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorism in the 16th meeting of India-UK Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism held on May 22, reports The Times of India. The meeting was co-chaired by KD Dewal, Joint Secretary for counter-terrorism in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Chris Felton, head of counter-terrorism network for Asia and Oceania, Government of United Kingdom. Both sides exchanged views on tools to combat terrorism, counter radicalisation and violent extremism and to strengthen and deepen the bilateral ties to meet the shared challenges.
Unidentified assailants shot dead a man in an incident of target killing near a mosque in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 22, reports The Khorasan Diary.
One Sharif Allah (23) was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Warrah tehsil (revenue unit) of Bajaur District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa I the night of May 21, reports The Khorasan Diary. According to the family he had no personal enmity. Police said “we are treating it as a case of target killing”.
A Policeman was injured in a firing incident on Mardan Road in Quaidabad area of Charsadda District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 22, reports The Khorasan Diary. The attacker was later apprehended by the Police after being injured in retaliation.
An Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) personnel, identified as Ghulam Mohammad, was killed by unidentified assailants in Dera Allahyar town of Jaffarabad District in Balochistan on May 21, reports Dawn. According to Police, the victim, Ghulam Mohammad, was on his way home on a motorbike when two armed motorcyclists intercepted him near Zeb town and opened fire. He sustained multiple gunshot injuries and died on the spot.
The Levies Force personnel found a bullet-riddled body of a man, identified as Wasim Ahmed, in Jalali-Hak area of Panjgur District of Balochistan on May 21, reports Dawn. Wasim Ahmed was a resident of Nokabad Tusp area of Panjgur.
Around 20 unidentified armed men on May 21 attacked a check-post in Phalabad area of Panjgur District in Balochistan, made five Levies Force personnel hostage, snatched their official weapons, mobile phones, a vehicle and a motorcycle and fled after locking the them in a room, reports Dawn. Officials said that around 20 armed men suddenly attacked the Phalabad Levies check-post near Panjgur town and made all the Levies personnel deployed at the post hostage. The armed men then deprived them of five AK-47 rifles, mobile phones, cash and other valuables and snatched a vehicle and motorbike and fled after locking the Levies personnel in a room.
A Police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), Muhammad Ramzan, deployed for security at Radio Pakistan in Quaidabad area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, was injured in an attack by unidentified assailants on May 22, reports The Khorasan Diary.
The Security Forces (SFs) killed 29 terrorists in operations along the Pak-Afghan border area since April 21, ARY News reported on May 22 quoting Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). According to ISPR, SFs have been conducting effective operations in the general area Sambaza in Zhob District of Balochistan and have neutralised 29 terrorists successfully. “Off late, Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist incidents orchestrated from Afghan soil, wherein, terrorists from Afghanistan attempt to infiltrate through Pakistan-Afghanistan Border and target Security Forces as well as the innocent civilians”, said ISPR.