Suicide Bombings/Attacks
Three suicide bombers were killed in an attack on the paramilitary Mohmand Rifles headquarters and the subsequent exchange of fire with Security Forces (SFs) in Ghalanai town of Mohmand District on September 6, reports Dawn. Four militants attacked the headquarters of Mohmand Rifles and attempted to enter the building. SFs personnel posted at the gate attempted to stop the militants, two of whom blew their suicide jackets and died on the spot, according to District Police Officer (DPO) Usama Ameen Cheema. A heavy contingent of Frontier Corps and Police responded to the attack and managed to kill one of the militants.
Bomb Blasts/IEDS
One person was killed and two others were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off near Dara bazar in Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) of Bajaur District on September 1, reports Dawn. All the victims were all pedestrians.
Two Security Forces (SFs) personnel were injured when two rockets fired from an unknown location landed on a helipad in Miranshah area on August 31, reports Dawn. At least 10 persons, including six Policemen, were injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast at Rustam Bazar area of Wana in South Waziristan District on September 9, reports The Express Tribune. The Police vehicle, which was transporting officers to duty, was targeted in the attack. Five people were injured in an explosion near a bank located in the main market of Turbat town in Kech District of Balochistan on September 11, reports Dawn. The explosion was a caused by a hand grenade, all of the injured sustained only minor injuries and were in stable condition.
Two bystanders were injured on September 1 in a grenade attack on a security checkpoint in Chaman Phatak area of Quetta, reports Dawn. Superintendent of Police (City) Azhar Shah said that unidentified assailants threw a grenade at the checkpost, but it fell outside and exploded, causing injuries to two bystanders, identified as Osama and Ghulam Hussain. Unidentified militants torched a Government primary school on September 2 and detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) as a Police team returned from the burnt school in Meragai area of Buner District, reports Dawn. No casualties were reported in either incident. Israr Khan, the spokesperson for the Buner District Police Officer (DPO), said that both incidents happened in the hamlet of Meragai, located along the border of the Chargharzai area.
Targetted Killigs
Tribal elder, Haji Sabir Khan Bettani, who was a well-known contractor, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Sheikh Yousaf area of Dera Ismail Khan on September 4, reports Aaj TV. The deceased, Haji Sabir Khan Bettani, belonged to the Bettani tribe of Frontier Regions (FR) Tank.
A local Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam – Fazl (JUI-Fazl) leader, Mir Zahoor Ahmed Badini, was shot dead while his security guard sustained injuries in firing by unidentified assailants near Nushki Degree College in Nushki town (Nushki District) of Balochistan on September 10, reports Dawn. No group has claimed responsibility.
Miscellaneous
Security Forces (SFs) killed 12 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists during intelligence-based operations (IBO) conducted in Tirah Valley of Khyber District in the night of July 28, reports ARY News. “Since 20 August 2024, Security Forces have been conducting extensive Intelligence Operations (IBOs) in Tirah Valley, Khyber District on the reported presence of Khwarij,” according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). These operations have resulted in major setbacks to Fitna-Al-Khwarij and its affiliates, and so far, thirty-seven terrorists have been sent to hell, while fourteen terrorists have suffered serious injuries, adds ISPR. At least five terrorists were killed while three other terrorists were injured in separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) carried out by Security Forces (SFs) in Kech, Panjgur, and Zhob Districts of Balochistan in the night between 29-30, reports ARY News.
Three militants were killed and four Security Forces (SFs) personnel sustained injuries in an operation in Sholam area of Tiaraza tehsil (revenue unit) in South Waziristan District on August 31, reports Dawn. A clash between Pakistani Security Forces (SFs) and the Afghan Taliban on the border near the Kurram District resulted in the death of eight Afghan Taliban soldiers, including two ‘key’ commanders, and injuries to at least 16, Dawn reported on September 9 quoting sources. Sources said the Afghan side attacked a Pakistani check post with heavy weapons in the Palosin area on the Pak-Afghan border on September 7 morning.
Two labourers and one Frontier Corps (FC) soldier were killed during exchange of fire when unidentified terrorists attacked a FC checkpoint in the Zayooba forest area near the Angoor Adda border in South Waziristan District on September 11, reports Dawn. A polio worker and a Police officer were shot dead when unknown assailants attacked a polio vaccination team in the mountainous Mala Said Banda area of Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur District on September 11, reports Dawn. Police said that the team was on foot, administering vaccines to children, when assailants opened fire, killing a police constable escorting the team and a polio worker on the spot.
Pakistan
Government rules out negotiations with TTP
Pakistan has no intention of negotiating with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said on August 29, reports Aaj TV. At a weekly press briefing, she emphasised that the Afghan Government “must take action against terrorists” and that any recognition of the interim Afghan Government would not occur without consultation with regional partners. Baloch reiterated Pakistan’s demand for the Afghan Government to address the actions of the TTP and other terrorist groups involved in the killings of Pakistani citizens. Baloch further noted that Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns about the use of Afghan territory against Pakistan. She asserted that the presence of the TTP and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan was well-documented by various international organizations, including the United Nations. Pakistan has provided intelligence on terrorism to Afghanistan, but cannot disclose information regarding intelligence sharing between the two countries.
Terrorist attacks surge from 38 in July to 59 in August
According to the digital database of security incidents managed by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), an Islamabad-based think-tank, the country continues to experience increased terrorist attacks as a total of 59 terrorist attacks occurred across the country in August 2024 compared to 38 such attacks in the previous month July, Dawn reported on September 3. These incidents included 29 attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 28 in Balochistan and two in Punjab, killing 84 people and 166 others injured. Balochistan experienced 28 terrorist incidents during August 2024, which resulted in 57 deaths and injuries to another 84 people. Most of these terrorism-related casualties in the province resulted from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA)-orchestrated attacks on August 26 in over seven Districts of the province targeting Security Forces, non-Baloch people (mainly Punjabis) and national infrastructure. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 29 terrorist attacks took place, claiming 25 lives and wounding 80 others. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, Lashkar-i-Islam (LI), Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS-KP) and a few local Taliban groups reportedly carried out these attacks.
Most terrorists released under deal, operating from Afghanistan; says Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on September 3 informed the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that most individuals involved in recent terrorist activities in the country had been released under a previous agreement and were operating from Afghanistan, reports The Express Tribune. While briefing the Senate committee, Naqvi stated that there were no plans for a military operation in Balochistan. He added, “The incident on August 26 was orchestrated by banned organisations, involving multiple groups.” Naqvi detailed an attack on an FC (Frontier Corps) camp, highlighting its intensity. “There were 14 towers at the building, and all of them were under fire. Alhamdulillah, our forces confronted them. Had they managed to breach the compound, the damage could have been catastrophic,” he said.
33 suspected terrorists arrested across Punjab in IBOs in August, says Punjab CTD
The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said on September 7 that it had arrested 33 suspected terrorists in 475 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted across the province in the month of August, reports Dawn. In a press release issued, the Punjab CTD said it had interrogated 475 suspects during the IBOs and seized various items, including explosives, weapons and banned texts. “During these IBOs… 33 suspects belonging to defunct organisations were arrested,” the statement said. The CTD detailed that the outfit included Fitna Al Khwarij (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan), Daish (also known as the militant Islamic State group), al Qaida, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), Zainebiyoun Brigade and others.
According to a list provided by the CTD of the 33 netted suspects, eight of them — the highest number — had been arrested from Lahore. Three suspects were taken into custody from Bahawalpur while two each were arrested from Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Attock, Nankana Sahib and Bahawalnagar. The CTD also arrested one suspect each from Gujranwala, Mianwali, Jhang, Khushab, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Narowal, Sahiwal and Bhakkar. The CTD press release added that the raid teams recovered almost five kilogrammes of explosives, two hand grenades, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 26 detonators, 73 feet of safety fuse wire and four 30- bore pistols with 19 rounds of ammunition. Additionally, the raid teams seized 17 pamphlets, seven magazines and 15 books from banned organisations, as well as 121 other pamphlets, 156 stickers, four receipt books, two mobile phones and PKR 99,660 in cash.
Terrorists using ‘abandoned US arms’ in KP, Balochistan, says Balochistan IG Moazzam Jah Ansari
Newly appointed Inspector General of Balochistan Moazzam Jah Ansari on September 14 said the sophisticated weapons and equipment left behind by United States (US) troops during their withdrawal from Afghanistan have fallen into the hands of terrorists and these weapons are being used in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, reports Dawn. Speaking to the media during his visit to Quetta Press Club, along with Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) (operations) Muhammad Baloch and other Police officers, IG Ansari said the Police force lacks access to advanced weapons, including night vision equipment and modern arms, which are being used by terrorists in their attacks. He said terrorists have thermal sensors, night vision equipment, and modern weapons, following the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, and are employing them in terror attacks in Balochistan and KP.
TTP emerging as ‘umbrella body’ for terrorist groups worldwide, Pakistan tells UN
Pakistan’s United Nation (UN) Ambassador Munir Akram on September 18 warned the UN Security Council of a “serious threat of terrorism within and from Afghanistan”, emphasising that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was fast emerging as an “umbrella organisation” with potential of causing regional destabilisation, reports Dawn. According to a statement posted on the X platform by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN, Akram, while delivering a statement in the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, pointed out the terrorism threat the TTP was posing globally. “Ambassador Munir Akram termed the TTP, known as Fitna-al-Khawarij in Pakistan, as the largest terrorist organisation in Afghanistan that is conducting almost daily terrorist attacks against Pakistan with full support and protection of the Afghan Interim Government (AIG) and sponsorship of Pakistan’s major adversary,” the statement quoted Akram as saying.
Afghanistan – Internal Dynamics
NRF leader claims Taliban exploiting world’s fatigue on Afghanistan
On August 27, National Resistance Front (NRF)leader Ahmad Massoud urged United States (US) policymakers to follow the Hudson Institute’s recommendation to support the NRF, noting that the Taliban is exploiting global fatigue to maintain their rule and suppress the people, especially women, reports Afghanistan International. During his Hudson Institute speech, where a report called for US support for the NRF, Massoud expressed hope that “policymakers in Washington will welcome the points made in this research.” He criticized the “appeasing the Taliban” policy and “unconditional engagement of countries” with the group, presenting the NRF as an alternative and advocating for a “democratic and pluralistic government” in Afghanistan.
There are numerous terrorist groups in Afghanistan, says United States Department of Defence
On August 27, United States (US) Department of Defence Press Secretary Patrick S. Ryder said that while the Taliban government claims Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) has been eliminated in Afghanistan, numerous other terrorist groups remain active in the country, reports The Khaama Press News Agency. Ryder stated, “There are currently numerous terrorist groups in Afghanistan. We are deeply committed to safeguarding our citizens from terrorist threats originating from Central Asia or any other part of the globe. We acknowledge the ongoing threat posed by groups like ISIS-K (Daesh) and are maintaining a relentless focus on counterterrorism efforts.”
Taliban ‘supreme leader’ vows to enforce sharia punishments in Faryab Province
Taliban ‘supreme leader’ Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada reiterated his commitment to enforcing hudud or Islamic legal punishments, during a visit to Faryab province on September 1, reports Amu TV. According to the Taliban’s official statements, Akhundzada met with Taliban officials to emphasize the implementation of strict religious laws by civilian and military authorities under his control, without directly engaging with residents or addressing their grievances.
Taliban supreme leader orders enforcement of new morality law restricting women’s rights
Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada ordered Afghan officials to implement a comprehensive new morality law that significantly restricts women’s rights and formalizes a stringent interpretation of Islamic principles in Afghan society, reports thenews.com.pk on September 3.The Taliban Ministry of Information and Culture for Faryab Province said that Akhundzada told civil and military officials “they should implement… the law of promoting virtue in society.”
Taliban’s satellite jamming condemned as direct assault on press freedom
The Executive Editor of Afghanistan International, Harun Najafizada, issued a strong condemnation of the Taliban’s satellite jamming activities, describing them as a direct assault on press freedom and the public’s right to access information, reports Iran International on September 12. According to the Afghanistan International’s statement, the Taliban’s action, which began on September 5, is a blatant attempt to silence independent media and is a violation of international regulations. Najafizada said, “The Taliban’s jamming of our satellite signal is a desperate attempt to silence the voice of the Afghan people. It is a continuation of their systematic campaign to suppress independent media and deny Afghans access to vital information. The group fears a well-informed populace and seeks to maintain its grip on power through censorship, misinformation, and propaganda.”
Osama Bin Laden’s son is leading Al-Qaeda, says report
According to an intelligence report, Hamza bin Laden, the son of Al-Qaeda founder and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, who was thought to have been killed in a United States (US) airstrike in 2019, is alive and actively leading the terror group, reports News18 on September 13. The report said, “These leaders… engage with him, holding regular meetings and securing him and his family. It highlights a deep connection between al-Qaeda and the Taliban, one that is crucial for Western governments to understand. [Hamza] has ascended to the leadership of al-Qaeda, steering [it] towards its most potent resurgence since the Iraq War.” The report further said, “Under his command, al-Qaeda is regrouping and preparing for future attacks on Western targets. Hamza is driven by a powerful determination to continue the legacy of his father, which adds a symbolic and strategic weight to his actions. Moreover, Hamza’s brother, Abdullah bin Laden, plays a critical role in this revival.” The analysis noted that 34-year-old Hamza is based in Jalalabad, a known stronghold for terrorist activities, located about 100 miles east of Kabul. Under his leadership, al-Qaeda is reportedly regrouping and planning future attacks on Western targets. Additionally, his brother Abdullah bin Laden is also heavily involved in the group’s revival efforts.
Bangladesh Internal Dynamics
Four new cases filed against Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka
Four new murder cases were filed against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, several officials from the previous government, and Security Forces (SF) officials in Dhaka, reports The Daily Star on August 27. The officials named in the cases include former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader, and former lawmakers Shamim Osman, Ramesh Chandra, Ali Arafat, and Jahangir Kabir Nanak, while the former SF officials include former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former chief of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Harun aka Rashid, and former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman. With the four new cases filed in Dhaka, the number of cases against Hasina has risen to 71.
Government lifts ban on JeI – ICS
On August 28, the Bangladesh Interim Government lifted the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), reports The Daily Star. The Home Ministry stated in its gazette that the government has rescinded the previous circular that banned JeI-ICS and its affiliated organizations, citing the absence of specific evidence linking them to terrorist activities. The government believes that these organizations are not involved in such activities. Mohammad Shishir Manir, counsel for JeI, mentioned that JeI is likely to file an application with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on September 1 (Sunday), seeking the restoration of its appeal challenging a High Court verdict that revoked its registration with the Election Commission as a political party. Earlier, the Awami League (AL) government had banned JeI-ICS and all its front organisations on August 1.
Two Rohingya terrorists arrested with arms and ammunition in Cox’s Bazar
On August 30, Nabi Hussain (47) and his brother Syed Hussain, alias Bulu (45), heads of Myanmar’s terrorist outfit Nabi Hussain Group, were arrested by the 14th Armed Police Battalion (APBN) in Main Block-B, Sub-Block-I/14, in the Rohingya Refugee Camp-8/ West under the Irani Pahar Police Camp in Ukhiya Upazila (Sub-District) in Palangkhali Union in Cox’s Bazar District of Chittagong Division, reports Daily Bangladesh. Additionally, two foreign pistols and 8 rounds were recovered from their possession.
At least 875 people killed during student-led mass uprising, reports HRSS
On September 13, The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) reported that at least 875 people, including students and labourers, were killed in a recent student-led uprising across Bangladesh, according to data from 12 national newspapers and their own investigations, reports The Daily Star. HRSS report said, “We have so far received information on 875 deaths from the victims’ families, eyewitnesses, hospitals, and national dailies. Among them, 743 have been identified.” Additionally, this report also mentioned that the actual death toll could be at least 1,000.According to the report, about 77 per cent of the victims were killed by police. Of the 541 victims for whom details are available, 419 were killed by police, 45 by other law enforcement agencies, 44 by Awami League members, and 33 in mob attacks. The report also revealed that of the 875 total killings, 540 occurred in Dhaka Division, 91 in Chattogram, 81 in Khulna, 64 in Rajshahi, 38 in Mymensingh, 29 in Rangpur, 20 in Sylhet, and 13 in Barishal Division.
India Internal Dynamics
Police recovered semidecomposed body of Bangladesh’s Awami League leader in Meghalaya
Police recovered a semi-decomposed body, suspected to be that of Bangladesh’s Awami League leader, identified as Ishaque Ali Khan Panna, from a betel nut plantation located in the Dona Bhoi area of the East Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya, approximately 1.5 kilometres from the Indo-Bangladesh international border, reports The Shillong Times on August 28. A Bangladesh passport bearing the name of Panna was recovered from the body which was shifted to Khliehriat Civil Hospital for post-mortem examination.
BSF recovers explosives from Maoist dump in Odisha
The personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) busted a Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) dump hidden beneath rock cavities inside the caves and seized huge quantities of explosives in the Bejangiwada Reserve Forest, near Dayaltungi village under Kalimela Police Station limits in Malkangiri District of Odisha on August 30, reports odishatv.in. The seized items include two steel tiffin Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) (approx. 3 kilogrammes each), 92 gelatin sticks (125 gm each), 1 binocular (dilapidated condition), three Exide batteries (12 Volt), 16 synthetic belts, 39 camouflage caps, 52 whistles, one Maoist banner (red, in Odia), three Maoist pamphlets (in Odia), 26-star shoulder ranks, 1.5 meter-long electric wire, eight electric plugs, one electric 5-pin wall socket, one steel pot (20 litres), five antenna ground planes (Radio), one printed circuit board and one shoe (right piece).
It is to be noted here that the Maoists usually store IEDs, IED-making materials, arms, and other supplies in isolated locations to target Security Forces (SFs) and Police personnel operating in the area.
Two persons killed, six others injured in Kuki militants’ attack in Manipur
Two persons were killed and six others, including two Security Forces (SFs) personnel and a journalist, sustained injuries in attack by Kuki militants on the Koutruk, Kadangband and Singda areas of Imphal West District in Manipur on August 31, reports India Today NE. Among the deceased was Angom Surbala, a 31-year-old resident of Phayeng, who was fatally struck in the head by a bullet. Her 12-year-old daughter, Rojiya, also sustained injuries in the attack. Security personnel Moirangthem Imobi and Ngasepam Robert, along with journalist Elangbam Musuk, were among the injured. The attack, which residents described as ‘fierce’, reportedly involved the use of drones to drop bombs on Koutruk Village.
India’s Manipur orders internet blackout, curfew after ethnic clashes
India´s strife-torn northeastern state of Manipur ordered an internet blackout on Tuesday, Sept 10 after imposing a curfew following days of deadly ethnic violence and clashes between protesters and police.
Manipur has been rocked by periodic clashes for more than a year between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community, dividing the state into ethnic enclaves. At least 11 people were killed last week as hostilities between the two communities erupted again after months of relative calm. A notice from the state´s home ministry ordered all internet and mobile data services in the state to be shut off for five days in order to bring the latest unrest under control. Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur last year during the first outbreak of violence, which displaced around 60,000 people from their homes according to government figures. Hundreds of Meitei people in the state capital Imphal defied a curfew imposed earlier on Tuesday to demand security forces take action against Kuki insurgent groups, whom they blame for the latest spate of attacks.
Indian TV broadcasters showed the police firing tear gas in an effort to disperse the rally. Student-led protests on Monday turned violent after the crowd threw stones and plastic bottles at security forces, police said in a statement. Protesters in another district snatched arms from police and fired at them, the statement added. The protests were motivated by a series of insurgent attacks using “improvised” projectile weapons and drone attacks that killed 11 people last week, in what police called a “significant escalation” of violence. Long-standing tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities revolve around competition for land and public jobs.
Nagalim has never been part of India, Myanmar, or any foreign power neither by consent nor by conquest, claims NSCN
On September 11, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) stated that Nagalim has never been part of India, Myanmar, or any foreign power—neither by consent nor by conquest, reports India TodayNE. The Indo-Naga conflict, they argue, is a result of India and Myanmar’s illegal occupation of Nagalim and the continued deployment of military forces, bolstered by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), persists despite the ceasefire agreement signed on August 1, 1997. NSCN sated in their press release, “Political negotiation is a means and not an end. The earnest negotiations between the Government of India (GoI) and National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) has led to the signing of Framework Agreement (FA) on August 3, 2015 whereby GoI has duly recognized the unique history and sovereignty of Nagalim. Accordingly, Naga national flag and constitution, being constituents’ part of sovereignty, are duly recognized in the letter and spirit of FA. The political statesmanship of late Chairman Isak Chishi Swu and General Secretary Th. Muivah are highly praised. The ongoing Indo-Naga political talk can be concluded but only through respecting and honoring the letter and spirit of FA that has been duly recognized and acknowledged Nagalim national flag and constitution. The process of delaying to conclude the Indo Naga political talk may do more harm than good to both the negotiating parties”.
| Monthly Fatalities: The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period August 25, 2024 to September 23, 2024 | ||||
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militants | Total | |
| Chhattisgarh | 10 | 00 | 10 | 20 |
| Manipur | 07 | 00 | 04 | 11 |
| Telengana | 00 | 00 | 06 | 06 |
| TOTAL | 17 | 00 | 20 | 37 |
International
Nearly 6,200 murders in S Africa over three months
Nearly 6,200 people were murdered in South Africa between April and June, police figures showed on Friday, August 30 as tackling crime poses a key issue for the new coalition government. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said that 6,198 people were murdered during the three months, a 0.5-percent decrease over the same period a year earlier. “These numbers tell a sobering story, reflecting the severity of the challenges we face,” he told a Cape Town press conference.
South Africa has one of the highest peacetime per capita homicide rates in the world. Rapes, in a country notorious for sex attacks against women and children, increased by 0.6 percent, compared to the same three-month period last year. Police also said there were 44,735 drug-related crimes detected as a result of police action during the period. Last month, three Mexicans and two South Africans were arrested when elite police units raided a multi-million-dollar crystal meth lab hidden in a remote farm north of Johannesburg.
51 killed in Russian strike on Ukrainian city of Poltava
At least 51 people were killed and hundreds injured in a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Poltava on Tuesday, Sept 3 authorities said, in one of the single deadliest strikes of the two-and-a-half-year war. Kyiv said the strike hit a military education facility and a nearby hospital, but authorities did not say how many of the victims were military or civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to hold what he called “Russian scum” accountable, while rescuers worked to clear the rubble. The strike triggered anger on Ukrainian social media after unconfirmed reports said it had targeted an outdoor military ceremony, with many blaming reckless behaviour from officials who allowed the event to take place despite the threat of Russian attacks. The defence ministry said that the time between the alarm and the arrival of the missiles was “so short that it caught people in the middle of evacuating to the bomb shelter”. The Poltava military communications institute, founded in the 1960s when Ukraine was part of the USSR, specialises in training telecommunications specialists. An AFP journalist on the scene saw several ambulances heading towards the affected site shortly after the attack on the military institute. Rescuers were still at work after having managed to save 25 people, including 11 trapped under the rubble, the defence ministry said.
EU ‘regrets’ Mongolia didn’t arrest Putin
The European Union on Tuesday, Sept 03 criticised Mongolia for failing to enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to the country. “The EU regrets that Mongolia, a State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, did not comply with its obligations under the statute to execute the arrest warrant,” an EU spokesperson said in a statement. The Russian president was welcomed by honour guards and red carpets in the Mongolian capital, on his first visit to an ICC member since it issued a warrant for his arrest last year. Putin landed in Ulaanbaatar last night at the start of a high-profile trip seen as a show of defiance against the court, Ukraine, the west and rights groups that have all called for him to be detained. He met Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh at Ulaanbaatar’s imposing Genghis Khan Square, also known as Sukhbaatar Square. Putin is wanted by the Hague-based ICC for the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children since his troops invaded the country in 2022. Ukraine has reacted furiously to the trip, accusing Mongolia of “sharing responsibility” for Putin’s “war crimes” after authorities did not detain him at the airport.
Lavrov warns US not to mock Russia’s ‘red lines’
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, responding to a question about the potential delivery of long-range US missiles to Ukraine, warned the United States on Wednesday, Sept 04 not to joke about Russia’s “red lines”. Lavrov said the US was losing sight of the sense of mutual deterrence that had underpinned the balance of security between Moscow and Washington since the Cold War, and that this was dangerous. He was commenting on a Reuters report that the US is close to an agreement to supply Ukraine with longrange JASSM cruise missiles that could reach deep inside Russia – for which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been lobbying.
President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned the West since launching what he called his “special military operation” in Ukraine in 2022 not to try to thwart Russia, which has the world’s biggest arsenal of nuclear weapons. But Washington and its allies have increased military aid to Ukraine, including by providing tanks, advanced missiles and F-16 fighter jets. That has prompted some Western politicians to suggest Putin’s nuclear rhetoric is a bluff and that the US and Nato should go all-out to help Ukraine win the war. Zelensky has said Ukraine’s incursion into Russia, launched on Aug 6, makes a mockery of Putin’s red lines.
Lavrov alluded to remarks by White House national security adviser John Kirby, who said in June that President Joe Biden had repeatedly said Washington was not looking for “World War Three”. Kirby said a major escalation of the Ukraine war could have “disastrous consequences, potentially, across the European continent” and would not be good for US interests. It was the second time in just over a week that Lavrov has cautioned the US that a third world war would not be confined to Europe. The Kremlin said on Wednesday Russia was making changes to its nuclear doctrine because Washington and its allies were threatening Russia by escalating the war in Ukraine and riding roughshod over what it called Moscow’s legitimate security interests. It has not said how it plans to update the policy document setting out the circumstances in which it might use a nuclear weapon, or when the changes will take effect. —Reuters.
Bomb blast kills two army officers in Iraq
Two Iraqi army officers were killed and four soldiers were wounded in a bomb attack on Wednesday, Sept 04 in the northern province of Kirkuk, officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack in which an improvised explosive device was used in a remote area between the cities of Kirkuk and Arbil, capital of autonomous Kurdistan region. “Two officers, including a colonel, were killed and four soldiers were wounded” when their vehicle drove over the IED, an Iraqi military source said on condition of anonymity.
Families flee intense fighting near Sudan’s Khartoum
Hundreds of families fled a northern suburb of Sudan´s capital Khartoum on Saturday, Sept 07 after fighting between the army and paramilitaries intensified around a key military base, witnesses told AFP. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces attacked the Hattab base in Khartoum North, also known as Bahri, on Wednesday.
The army, led by de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is locked in conflict with the RSF led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The war began in April 2023 and has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and triggered one of the world´s worst humanitarian crises. “Since this morning, the army has been firing artillery towards the south of Hattab while military planes are flying over” the area, one witness told AFP on Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity. Nasr el-Din, a resident who asked that only his first name be used for security reasons, said the RSF “attacked houses south (of the Hattab base), capturing citizens and killing others”.
After an independent fact-finding mission mandated by the Human Rights Council, the UN experts said “harrowing” violations by both sides had been uncovered, “which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity”.
Russia says it could ‘combine’ with China if they faced a threat
Russia said on Wednesday, Sept 11 that its partnership with China was not aimed against third countries but the two powers could “combine potential” if faced with a threat from the United States. “I would like to remind you that Moscow and Beijing will respond to ‘double containment’ by the United States with ‘double counteraction’,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said when asked about a possible deployment of US missiles in Japan. The Japan Times reported on Sept. 7 that the United States had expressed an interest in deploying a Typhon midrange missile system to Japan for joint military exercises.
“It is clear that both Russia and China will react to the emergence of additional and very significant missile threats, and their reaction will be far from being political, which has also been repeatedly confirmed by the two countries,” Zakharova told reporters at her weekly briefing. She said Russia and China had a strategic partnership that was not aggressive in its intent. “Our relations are not directed against third countries… and double counteraction does not contradict this. This is a defensive position, this is not an initiative to target other countries,” Zakharova said in answer to a question from Reuters. “But if an aggressive policy of attack is being implemented against us from one centre, why don’t we combine our potential and give an appropriate rebuff?”
Over 70 killed in Mali Jihadist attacks A jihadist attack in the Malian capital targeting a military police training camp and airport left more than 70 people dead and 200 wounded, one of the highest tolls suffered by the security forces in recent years. A security source speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP that 77 people had been killed and 255 wounded in Tuesday´s (Sept 17) attacks in Bamako. An authenticated confidential official document put the toll at around 100, naming 81 victims. Thursday´s edition of Le Soir daily reported that the funerals of around 50 military police students would take place that day. Mali´s military-led authorities have so far not released a precise death toll from the attacks, claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM).
The operation was the first of its kind in years and dealt a forceful blow to the ruling junta, experts say. The Malian capital is normally spared the sort of attacks that occur almost daily in some parts of the West African country. The general staff admitted late Tuesday that “some human lives were lost”, notably personnel at the military police centre. JNIM claimed that a few dozen of its fighters had killed and wounded “hundreds” from the opposing ranks, including members of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner. Bamako has not seen such an operation since 2016, when gunmen attacked a hotel housing the former European training mission of the Malian army, with no casualties reported among the mission staff.
| Current Threat Levels : | ||
| City/Region | Threat Level | |
| Islamabad | Level 2 | ** |
| Karachi | Level 2 | *** |
| Lahore | Level 2 | ** |
| Punjab | Level 2 | ** |
| NWFP | Level 3 | *** |
| Peshawar | Level 2 | ** |
| Quetta | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper Balochistan | Level 3 | *** |
| Lower Balochistan | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper/ Rural Singh | Level 2 | ** |
| Gilgit and Northern Areas | Level 3 | *** |
| Tribal Areas, Close to Afghan Border | Level 3 | *** |
| Index to Threat Level Preceptions | |
| Threat Level 1 No threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required. | * |
| Threat Level 2 No specific threat to foreigners, however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised, especially if traveling. | ** |
| Threat Level 3 Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Foreigners should rehearse plans for evacuation. | *** |
| Threat Level 4 Indicates complete breakdown of civil administration and law and order leading to possible anarchy. All foreigners advised to remain indoors and confined to their own city. Families and staff not required to be evacuated retaining only a skeleton staff. | **** |
| Threat Level 5 Indicates complete breakdown of law and order, enemy action/hostilities, invasion/ occupation by enemy. | ***** |
