Bomb/IED Blasts
One Frontier Corps (FC) personnel was killed and another injured in a bomb blast in Yusufabad area of Khar tehsil (revenue unit) of Bajaur District on August 30, reports Daily Times. According to the officials of Police, the FC personnel were present at the roadside post as usual when a remote control bomb planted by unidentified militants exploded. As a result of the explosion, one FC personnel, Mujahid Khan, was killed on the spot while another was injured.
One employee of Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) was killed and another one sustained injuries when militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at the working site of PPL in the Sheikhri area of Kalat town (Kalat District) in Balochistan on August 31, reports Dawn.
At least seven persons were injured, including a woman and a minor girl, three of them seriously, in a grenade attack at Khuram-i-Dad Chowk of Quetta, on September 7 night, reports Dawn. According to Police, unidentified motorcyclists hurled a hand grenade at the roundabout near Safeer mosque, leaving seven persons injured. The attackers escaped from the area after the attack.
A peace committee member and two of his Police guards were among five people were killed and several other people sustained injuries in a remote-controlled blast at Kot Katai village of Bara Bandi area in Kabal tehsil (revenue unit) of Swat District in the evening of September 13, reports Dawn. The peace committee member, identified as Idrees Khan, was the target of blast. Two of his Police guards were identified as head constable Rambil and constable Tauheed. A passer-by, Sanaullah, and another unidentified man were killed in the attack. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Targetted Killings
Four Policemen were killed and two others sustained injuries when a convoy of Tank Tehsil (revenue unit) chairman Saddam Hussain Khan was ambushed by unidentified gunmen near Pai village in Tank District on September 9 night, reports Dawn. The slain Police personnel were identified as Hawaldar Imran, Hawaldar Barkat, and constables Rafiullah and Fazlur Rahman, while the injured were identified as Mum¬taz Ali and Mohammad Gul. The slain and injured Policemen were accompanying the convoy of the Tehsil chairman, belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), who was returning to Tank city after visiting the flood-hit villages, officials said.
Miscellaneous
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel arrested two alleged terrorists associated with a banned outfit during a raid near Khairpur in Sukkur District of Sindh on September 6, reports ARY News. The CTD spokesperson said in a statement that two ‘terrorists’ namely Aziz Domki and Mitha Khan Makki were arrested during a raid near Khairpur. The spokesperson added that the arrested terrorists were experts in Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and explosive material installation. It was learnt that the terrorists were also involved in brainwashing common citizens in different cities and facilitating them to go to Afghanistan.
Security Forces (SFs) on September 11 arrested two militants belonging to the Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from Super Market area of Liaquatabad in Karachi, reports Dawn. According to District Central Police, the SFs in collaboration with “federal sensitive institutions” carried out an operation in the Super Market area and arrested a suspect, Sohaib Tariq alias Usman, allegedly linked with AQIS. During interrogation, the suspect revealed that through a man named Talha, he allegedly came in touch with AQIS camp in charge in Afghanistan’s Bramcha in 2019, the statement said. Later, he went to Afghanistan where he allegedly got one-month military training in the said camp. He also met with two Indian citizens, namely Abdul Rehman and Taha, who were also linked with AQIS and living in Bramcha, the statement added. After receiving training, he remained in touch with the AQIS leadership in Afghanistan and subsequently, he became associated with the publishing/media section of the banned group. His other accomplices, namely Mohammed alias Arman, Abu Urwa and Abdul Manan, had already been arrested, which prompted him to go underground in Karachi.
Separately, the CTD arrested a suspect Mohammad Shah alias Ding from Khattak Chowk area of Mominabad in Karachi. The held suspect belonged to the TTP, the CTD statement said. “He was planning to activate the network of the TTP in Karachi,” the spokesperson added. The suspect belonged to the TTP’s Tarig Gedar group. The held militant along with his accomplices had attacked a Frontier Corps post in Azakhail with rocket launchers. On July 17, the suspect along with his accomplices attacked Policemen in Shaikhan Nala Chowk in Matna in which two Policemen were killed.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on September 13 arrested two terrorists during a raid on Madhali Road in Sahiwal town of (Sahiwal District) Punjab, reports ARY News. CTD team recovered arms, explosive material and banned literature. The CTD spokesperson said that the arrested terrorists were working on a sabotage plan in the city.
Three terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire with the personnel of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) during a raid near Afghan border in Khyber District on September 16, reports ARY News.
One terrorist was injured during a shootout with Police on September 18 in Ittehad Town of Karachi, reports Samaa TV. Police recovered weapons and hand grenades from his possession.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on September 19 arrested a terrorist from Kotri town of Jamshoro District in Sindh, reports The Nation. According to details provided by CTD, the Security Forces (SFs) conducted an operation in Kotri and arrested a trained terrorist, Fariduddin. 500 grams of explosive and a detonator were recovered from his possession.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants killed a tribesman and injured another near the Teddi Bazaar in Jamrud tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber District on September 21, reports Dawn. Two militants riding a motorcycle fired at Rasheed Khan and his friend, who were also riding a motorcycle, near the Teddi Bazaar. Rasheed was killed on the spot, while his friend received multiple injuries. TTP claimed the responsibility of the killing and accused the deceased of working for an intelligence agency.
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) killed two terrorists in Sorgar area of Khuzdar District in Balochistan on September 22, reports ARY News. A spokesperson for the CTD said the operation was conducted in Sorgar area. Two terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with the CTD personnel, while three of their accomplices fled, he added.
Unidentified armed men attacked the house of Awami National Party’s Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Faisal Zeb Khan in Titwalan area of Martung tehsil inShangla District on September 25, reports Dawn. However, no loss of life or injury was reported in the incident, the Police said, adding the attackers continued to fire at the house for half an hour and later escaped the area.
PAKISTAN
Army officer, four troops and five terrorists including commander killed during two separate IBOs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
An Army officer and four soldiers were killed while five terrorists including commander Tufail were killed during two separate intelligence based operations (IBOs) in North Waziristan District in the night of September 5, reports Samaa TV. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), two separate operations were conducted. The first one in Boyya followed by a second one in Mir Ali. In Boyya, an intense exchange of fire took place between the troops and terrorists. The soldiers effectively engaged the location of terrorists. The deceased officer was identified as 26-year-old Captain Abdul Wali (resident of Wana / South Waziristan). The troops included 45-year-old Naib Subedar Nawaz (resident of Abbottabad), 34-year-old Havaldar Ghulam Ali (resident of Sargodha), 33-year-old Lance Naik Ilyas (resident of Mianwali) and 29-year-old Sepoy Zafar Ullah (also a resident of Mianwali). Terrorist commander Tufail remained actively involved in terrorism activities against Security Forces (SFs), preparation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and killing of innocent citizens. He was the mastermind behind major terror activities in the area. “The killed terrorists remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and killing of innocent citizens,” the statement added. “Weapon and ammunition was also recovered from the killed terrorists.”
March held against armed groups in Kurram District of KP
Residents of central subdivision of Kurram District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on September 9, organised a peace walk from Parachamkani area to Parachinar, the District headquarters, against resurgence and activities of ‘armed groups’ in their area, reports Dawn. The marchers carrying placards and white banners demanded of the government to take notice of the activities of the gunmen in central Kurram. A banner read: “We want peace in our area.” The peace march was organised after clashes between a paramilitary force and armed men in central Kurram earlier on September 8, in which four personnel were injured. Haji Abdul Ghaffar Khan and other elders of the area led the marchers. They also staged a demonstration in front of the local press club. Addressing the protesters, Haji Ghaffar expressed concern over the presence of ‘unknown’ armed men in the area, sparking fear among the residents.
Islamabad High Court summons PM Shehbaz Sharif over issue of missing persons
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) summoned the Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on September 9 over the issue of the missing persons, reports The Balochistan Post. The IHC said that making people disappear is the “biggest form of torture” and that the chief executive of Pakistan will be held responsible in case of enforced disappearance. PM Shehbaz told the court that: “I cannot say that all of the missing persons will be recovered, but we will leave no stone unturned. I will not give any lame excuse.” PM made these remarks before the IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah during September 9’s hearing of petitions seeking the recovery of six missing persons. At the last hearing, the chief justice had directed PM Shehbaz to ensure the missing persons whose cases were being heard in the IHC were produced before the court before September 9. The IHC warned that the failure to do so would require the PM to appear in person in court and give an explanation.
Addressing the PM, the Chief Justice said the court had ordered the Federal Cabinet multiple times on the issue, but its “response had not been what it should be.” In an apparent reference to Military Dictator Parvez Musharraf, Justice Minallah said: “A chief executive ruled in this country for nine years. He proudly wrote in his book that we sold our people to foreign countries.” The chief justice noted that the Federal Government had also constituted a committee – a body that was set up in May this year following the IHC’s orders to “deliberate a policy on enforced disappearances.” The chief justice also mentioned the missing persons’ commission, saying: “The families of missing persons are sitting here. They revealed a lot of things about the commission,” he said, adding that Defence of Human Rights in Pakistan Chairperson Amina Masood Janjua had “also told much about the commission to the court”.
Instead of addressing the problems of the families of missing persons, Justice Minallah said, the commission continued “torturing” them. He said the court had also been told about the reservations of the Baloch students. Justice Minallah said the state should fulfill its responsibility toward its citizens. “The political leadership has to solve this issue,” he said. “The court has no other way but to only ask the executive [about the issue].” He questioned who the court should hold accountable for enforced disappearances. To this, the premier replied it was his duty.
Pakistan writes to Afghanistan seeking arrest of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, says report
Pakistan has formally written a letter to Kabul, asking to locate, report and arrest Maulana Masood Azhar — the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Geo TV reported on September 13 quoting a top official privy to the development. “We have written a one-page letter to the Afghan Foreign Ministry, asking it to locate, report and arrest Masood Azhar as we believe that he is hiding somewhere in Afghanistan,” official said on the condition of anonymity. Foreign Office spokesperson when approached, avoided commenting on this development. The one-page letter also pointed out two different provinces of Afghanistan – namely Nangarhar and Kunar — where Azhar is mostly likely hiding. It is not yet confirmed whether Azhar moved to Afghanistan before the Taliban took control of Kabul or after that. Islamabad banned JeM on terrorism charges on January 14, 2002, during General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s rule.
Grenade attack at former Federal Minister and PTI leader Sheharyar Khan Afridi’s house in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Unidentified terrorists hurled a hand grenade at the ancestral house of former Federal Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sheharyar Khan Afridi in Kohat town (Kohat District) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on September 22, reports Geo TV. Police said the hand grenade exploded outside the gate. No fatalities or injuries were reported in the attack.
Afghanistan – Internal Dynamics
NRF Fights Against the Taliban in Six Provinces of Afghanistan with 4,000 Forces, says NRF’s head of foreign relations Ali Maisam Nazary
The Head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), Ali Maisam Nazary, said that NRF’s operations have expanded during the past year and is currently fighting against the Taliban in six provinces of the country with 4,000 well-equipped and trained forces, reports Hasth-e-Subh on August 31.“Last winter, we had a military presence in six provinces in northern Afghanistan: Panjshir, Kapisa, Baghlan, Badakhshan, Takhar and Parwan,” said Ali Maisam Nazary.
IEA’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that US has been preventing the international community from recognizing the caretaker government of Afghanistan
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA)’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that Washington has been preventing the international community from recognizing the caretaker government of Afghanistan, report Tolo News. “They have been defeated here and suffered a lot of human and financial loss and were politically damaged. In such a situation, they might not be ready to engage but there is a need for both sides. They would benefit from it and it is in the interest of Afghanistan and the region,” Mujahid said.
18 persons killed in Herat Province
At least 18 people were killed, including pro-Taliban cleric Mawlawi Mujeeb Rahman Ansari, in a suicide explosion in Guzargah mosque in Herat city of Herat Province, reports Tolo News. Another 23 persons were injured in the explosion.
Three IS-KP militants killed in Herat Province
On August 31, Three Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) militants were killed by Taliban fighters, during security operation, in Police District (PD) 4 of Herat city of Herat Province, reports Pajhwok.
26 persons killed in a suicide attack in Kabul city
On September 5, 26 persons including, two Russian Embassy staff, four civilians, were killed in a suicide attack near the Russian Embassy in Darul Aman street under Police District 7 (PD)7 in the national capital Kabul, reports Al Jazeera. Initially, Tolo News reported only six fatalities based on accounts by the Taliban authorities. Later, Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) claimed responsibility for the attack, adds AP.
Six persons injured in Kabul Province
On September 10, six persons were injured in an explosionwhen a mine planted in a bicycle was detonated in a market located at the Pol-e-Khusk area under Police District 13 of Dasht-e-Barchi of Kabul city, the national capital, reports Hasth-e-Subh.
Taliban forces shot dead eight prisoners of NRF in Panjshir Province
The Taliban forces on September 12 shot dead eight prisoners of the National Resistance Front (NRF) forces in Panjshir Province, including Mohammad Yar, one of the commanders of NRF and his two young sons, reports Hasht-e Subh. These members of NRF were captured by the Taliban forces after four hours of fierce clashes in the morning of September 12 in Shaba base in Khenj District, and they were killed by night in Dara District. So far, the NRF and the Taliban have not officially commented on the conflicts
Taliban fail to fulfill their promises on Human Rights, says EU Special Representative for Afghanistan Nicholson Thomas
The EU Special Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas Nicholson, said on September 12 at the meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that the Taliban regime has not been able to fulfill its promises concerning human rights in Afghanistan, reports Hasht-e Subh. Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, Nicholson presented his reports on the Taliban’s dominance in Afghanistan and voiced his deep concern over the increase in violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in this country. In this meeting, he emphasized that the Taliban’s responsibility towards human and international humanitarian rights in Afghanistan should be guaranteed. Nicholson stressed that there is enough evidence regarding human rights violations that are being committed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the UNHRC should listen to the voices of brave Afghan women.
Meanwhile, the UNHRC on September 12 took up the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, with an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue on the human rights situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. In this report, Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said since the mandate was established almost a year ago, the human rights situation had deteriorated. Afghans have been trapped in a human rights crisis that the world seemed powerless to address. The severe rollback of the rights of women and girls, reprisals targeting opponents and critics, and a clampdown on freedom of expression by the Taliban amounted to a descent into authoritarianism.
51 Taliban fighters killed in Panjshir Province
At least 51 Taliban fighters killed in Panjshir province over the past three days since intense clashes escalate with National Resistance Front (NRF) on September 12, Hasht-e Subh reported on September 14. According to sources, 33 Taliban fighters were killed as a result of September 12’s clashes between the Taliban and NRF in Dara Abdullah Khel in Dara District. In another fight on the same day, 18 Taliban fighters were killed in Faraj area of Panjshir. Taliban have transferred the 12 bodies of their fighters by military helicopters to Ghor province who were killed in the fights with the NRF forces.
Seven persons killed in an explosion in Kabul Province
On September 23, seven persons were killed in a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) explosion near Wazir Akbar Khan Mosque under Police District (PD) 10 in Kabul, the national capital, reports Ariana News. The blast happened as worshipers were leaving the mosque following the Friday prayers, said Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for Kabul Police. Another 41 were injured in the incident
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
The BNP does not want to make the 20-party combine effective and such a “dysfunctional alliance” cannot continue year after year, says JeI Ameer Shafiqur Rahman
On August 27, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has said that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) does not want to make the 20-party combine effective and such a “dysfunctional alliance” cannot continue year after year, reports Daily Star. The JeI chief said, “We have been in an alliance for a long time. You might be thinking that something has happened… It was an alliance till 2006. On October 28, 2006, the alliance failed to fulfil its due responsibilities. Bangladesh lost its way that day ….” The JeI leader further said, “This kind of dysfunctional alliance cannot continue year after year. The other alliance partners, especially the main party [BNP], have no intention of making this alliance active. This is very clear to us …”
UPDF cadre killed in Khagrachhari
On September 2, unidentified gunmen killed United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) cadre, identified as Ongthoi Marma alias Agun (52), at Dewanpara area in Khagrachhari District, reports Prothom Alo.
Militant arrested in Manipur
On August 28, Security Forces arrested a People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak-Progressive (PREPAK-PRO) militant under Andro Police Station of Imphal East District, reports East Mojo.
Seven youths suspected to be involved in militant activities go missing in Comilla District
On August 23, seven Cumilla District based youths motivated by militant group Ansar Al Islam left the country for ‘hijrat’ (migration), reports Prothom Alo on September 7, 2022. The report adds that some other youths from Sylhet District also left their homes after coming in touch with the same militant outfit. Guardians of six of them have filed separate general diaries (GD) with the Kotwali model Police Station in Cumilla. The missing persons are identified as Imtiaz Ahmed alias Rifat, (19), Nihal Abdullah, (18), Md Aminul Islam alias Al Amin, (23), Sartaz Islam alias Niloy, (22), Imran Bin Rahman Shithil, (17), Md Hasibul Islam, (17) and Ash Sami, (18).
Fugitive extremist leader arrested in Narayanganj District
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a fugitive extremist leader, Saiful who has been on the run for 30 years after being sentenced to life in multiple cases from Rupganj area of Narayanganj District, tbsnews.net reports on September 10. According to RAB, a group of extremists looted the weapons stored in Gurdaspur Police Station of Natore, killed a Constable and snatched an arrested extremist from the Police Station custody in 1987. In these incidents, Saiful was accused of robbery and murder cases in absentia.
Ansar al Islam financer and recruiter arrested in Dhaka city
Counterterrorism officers claimed that the doctor, Shakir Bin Wali, who was picked up from his residence at Rampura area of Dhaka city on September 11, is a financier and recruiter of banned militant outfit Ansar al Islam, The Daily Star reports on September 15. Officers of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Police also said on September 14, that Shakir Bin Wali was arrested on September 13, in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. “Shakir has contact with the seven youths from Cumilla [who went missing recently]. Being motivated by him, they joined Ansar al Islam and started hijrat [migration],” reads the complaint against him. Ansar al Islam, was formerly known as Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).
Former Rohingya leader killed in Cox’s Bazar District
On September 21, unidentified men hacked to death a former Majhi (leader) of Rohingya community, Jafar Alam, of a camp in Ukhiya upazila (sub-District) of Cox’s Bazar, reports Prothom Alo. The deceased was a former leader of camp no.18.
India – Internal Dynamics
NSCN-IM cadre and leadership adopted five-point resolutions in Nagaland
On August 26, thousands of National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) adopted five-point resolutions and reaffirmed “one people, one nation” during a co-ordination meeting held at Agri Expo Site in Dimapur District, reports Nagaland Post. NSCN-IM ‘chairman’Urging Naga people to be patient, Q Tuccu also requested them not to be swayed by the “false promises of NSCN copy cats” but to stand with NSCN for Naga solution based on Framework Agreement.
Maoists sneak into Telangana from Maharashtra
The Adilabad Police have sounded a high alert following credible information about a group of 15 cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) entering the district forest area, reports The Hans India on August 29. Following this development, teams of Police have fanned and combing operations have been taken up in Adilabad, Komaram Bheem and Nirmal district forest areas. The Police are taking no chance as the information received points that the group of Maoists belonging to Bhaskar Dalam (armed squad) entered the forest areas. The Bhaskar alias Mylarapu Adellu escaped from the Police on an earlier occasion. This has further made the Police leave no stone unturned sounding a high alert to take on the Maoists. According to the Adilabad Police, each of the members of the Bhaskar Dalam has a prize on their head from INR 500,000 to INR 2 million. The entry of the Dalam is suspected to be meant to conduct new recruitments into its fold from the local people. While launching the combing operations, the Police warned the people not to extend their support to the Maoists including offering food to them. Meanwhile, the Maoists have released a letter on the ensuing Munugodu bypoll alleging that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are working to protect their own political interests. The letter charged that the saffron party has been creating religious rifts among people with the sole objective to win the Munugodu bypoll.
Maoists kill deputy sarpanch in Telangana
Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres hacked the deputy Sarpanch (head of the Panchayat, village level local self-Government institution) of Kurnapally Gram Panchayat to death, branding him as a ‘police informer’, in Cherla Mandal (administrative sub-division) in Bhadradri Kothagudem District of Telangana on August 30, reports Telangana Today. Police said, four ‘militia’ (the Maoists’ people’s army) members of the outlawed CPI-Maoist came to the residence of the deputy Sarpanch, Irpa Rama Rao (30), during late night hours of Monday (August 29), woke up his wife Kanak amma and told her that they were taking Rama Rao with them. During early hours on Tuesday (August 30) the ‘militia’ members brought him back to the village, smashed his head with an axe and left him dead in a pool of blood on the outskirts of the village. A letter by CPI-Maoist Cherla-Sabari Area Committee was left at the spot stating that the deceased has been working as a ‘police informer’ and hence he was punished. The letter also cautioned the public not to become ‘police informers’ with a greed for money offered by Police.
Anti-TMC ‘Maoist’ posters recovered in West Bengal
Police recovered over a dozen handwritten posters claiming to be of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) from several villages between Chandanpur and Murgasol on the Bada Bazar-Balrampur State Highway under Bada Bazar Police Station limits in Purulia District of West Bengal on September 8, reports The Telegraph. The alleged posters, written in Bengali and Hindi, threatened to chop off the hands of anyone who dared to hold up the flag of Trinamul. Along with this, Trinamool leaders have also been threatened. It has been said in the posters that the bandh (general shut down strike) called by the Maoists on September 11 against the corruption of Trinamool Congress should be successful. The posters also sought to take revenge of Maoist leader Kishanji’s death. They warned local Trinamul leaders who had allegedly cheated poor villagers for monetary gains of “action”. Police said that after receiving information from local sources about the posters put up on electric poles and milestones along Purulia-Barabazar Road and in several villages in Balarampur and Barabazar police station limits, they immediately rushed to the spots. The posters written in red ink in Bengali and Hindi were promptly removed and an investigation launched immediately to find those responsible for writing and putting them up. “We have removed the posters and have started an investigation. However as of now we have not found any presence of Maoists in the district,” said a district Police official.
Explosive dump of Maoists unearthed in Odisha
A team comprising personnel of Special Operation Group (SOG), District Voluntary Force (DVF) and Border Security Force (BSF) seized a huge cache of explosives suspected to be of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) from a forest near Sidhiput village under Andrahal Gram Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) in Koraput District of Odisha on September 22, reports The New Indian Express. The team came across the explosives during a search operation at Hanumal Sindhiput, Ondeipadar, Andrahal and Mudilipada in Koraput District, and the explosives include 57 metre cordex wire, 81 gelatin sticks, 31 electric detonators, two bundles of electricity wire, two tiffin bombs, one pressure cooker bomb, one testing pin and INR 70,000 in cash.
Monthly Fatalities:
The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period August 26, 2022 to September 25, 2022:
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militants | Total | |
| Jharkhand | 01 | 01 | 01 | 03 |
| Kerala | 02 | 00 | 01 | 03 |
| Left wing | 03 | 01 | 04 | 08 |
| Total | 06 | 02 | 06 | 14 |
Sri Lanka – International Dynamics
SLFP will form a government with other left parties in the future, says Chairman of SLFP, Maithripala Sirisena
Former President and the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Maithripala Sirisena, addressing the party’s Maharagama constituency meeting held at Sri Jayewardenepura Grand Monarch Hotel in Colombo on August 28, said that a government will definitely be formed in the future through an alliance formed with the SLFP and the Left-wing parties, reports Colombo Page. The former President also mentioned that he is not ready to accept a position even if given a position because the current Government is run by the leaders of the Pohottuwa (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) party. Sirisena said that no one from the SLFP has been approved to join the government till date, and recalled that Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, who joined the government, has said in the party central committee that “we will go only if an all-party government in the truest sense of the word is formed.” Sirisena also mentioned that there is news that 30 more ministers and 40 state ministers will be appointed to the cabinet in the future.
Ousted former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country amidst the public uprising, returned to the island from Thailand along with his wife Ayoma Rajapaksa on September 2 at midnight at the Katunayake airport and arrived at his house located at Malalasekara Mawatha, Colombo, reports Colombo Page. In the face of unprecedented public protests, former President fled the country on July 13, first to the Maldives and then to Singapore. Gotabaya stayed in Singapore from July 14 and was granted visa for 14 days each by the Singapore Government on two occasions. When the visa period given to him by the Singaporean authorities expired, he and his wife departed for Thailand. It was reported that the Government has arranged to give Gotabaya the privileges he is entitled to as a former president.
SLFP has the better advantages in forming the next government, says chairman of the SLFP, Maithripala Sirisena
According to the current situation in the country, there are signs that an election will be held soon and an alliance led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will have the greatest advantage in forming the next Government, said the chairman of the SLFP, former President Maithripala Sirisena on September 2, reports Colombo Page. Sirisena also mentioned that 42 parliamentarians who represented the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party had to sit in the opposition and become independent because the majority of the SLPP is not ready to work together for the country. Addressing the SLFP’s 71st anniversary celebrations held on September 2 at the Maharagama Youth Council Auditorium, Sirisena said SLFP will definitely form a new Government with an alliance of left progressive parties in the future.
INTERNATIONAL
Iran wants stronger guarantees for N-deal
Iran wants stronger guarantees included in a text put forward by the EU aiming to salvage Tehran’s landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday, August 31.
“We are thinking about how to reach a strong text on the issue of the guarantee, and to obtain stronger guarantees,” he told a joint news conference in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. “My colleagues are carefully examining the text of the American side,” Amir-Abdollahian said of Washington’s response to Tehran’s suggestions on the EU text that was submitted on August 8.
“We want to reinforce in the text the idea that the International Atomic Energy Agency concentrates on its technical task and moves away from its political role,” he said. The United States had been adamant that Tehran cooperate with the IAEA to clear up suspicions about earlier work at three undeclared sites.
In June, the IAEA’s board of governors adopted a resolution censuring Iran for failing to adequately explain the previous discovery of traces of enriched uranium at three sites not declared by Tehran as having hosted nuclear activities.
On Monday, President Ebrahim Raisi said reviving the atomic deal would be pointless unless the UN nuclear watchdog put an end to its probe of three undeclared sites in the Islamic republic.
Last week, amid rising hopes of a revived deal, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in an interview with CNN rejected the idea of the agency closing its probe on the undeclared sites without receiving answers. With momentum building to revive the nuclear deal, Israel has waged a last-minute offensive to convince allies to halt talks. This campaign has seen its defence minister and security adviser both visit Washington, and its spy chief is due to do so next week.
Taiwan shoots down drone off Chinese coast
Taiwanese soldiers on a tiny islet just off China’s mainland shot down an unidentified commercial drone on Thursday, Sept 01 as a local tycoon vowed to train millions of “civilian warriors” to defend the island.
It is the first time Taiwanese forces have downed a drone, and it comes at a time when tensions between the two neighbours are at their highest in decades following a visit to Taipei last month by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Taiwan’s 23 million people live under constant threat of invasion by China, which claims the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory to be taken one day — by force if necessary. Taiwan has also reported a sudden spate of drone incursions by small commercially-available devices in recent weeks. The military said on Thursday that a civilian drone had entered a “restricted zone” above Shiyu Islet, a small rock that lies between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan’s Kinmen islands.
Malaysia’s former first lady Rosmah sentenced to 10 years in jail for graft
Rosmah Mansor, wife of Malaysia’s ex-premier Najib Razak, was found guilty of graft on Thursday, Sept 01 just over a week after her husband began serving a 12-year jail term. “The accused is found guilty of all three charges,” said High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.
Rosmah was sentenced to 10 years in prison and given a $216 million fine, but will not go to jail yet, as there is likely to be a lengthy appeals process. Cartoonists have portrayed the glamorous collector of Hermes handbags alongside one-time Philippines first lady and renowned shoe enthusiast Imelda Marcos — a big-spending woman who for years was a lightning rod for anger in her country over alleged corruption.
Here is a brief look at Rosmah’s time in the public eye. Born on December 10, 1951, Rosmah was the only child of a Malay school headmaster and his teacher wife in southern Negeri Sembilan state.
In 1987, she married Najib Razak, with whom she had two children. It was a second marriage for both of them. Najib became prime minister in 2009, and Rosmah made headlines two years later for the establishment of a new unit under the prime minister’s office known as “FLOM”, an acronym for First Lady of Malaysia.
Iran seizes two US Navy drone vessels in Red Sea
An Iranian naval flotilla briefly seized two American military unmanned research vessels in the Red Sea before releasing them, Iranian state media reported on Friday, Sept 02.
The Iranian navy’s “Jamaran destroyer encountered several American military unmanned research vessels on the international shipping route on Thursday while carrying out a counter-terrorism mission in the Red Sea,” Iranian state TV said.
“After securing the passage of international shipping, the flotilla released the two vessels in a safe area,” the state broadcaster continued, airing footage purporting to show the two US vessels being released by Iranian forces on board a ship.
19 killed in Al-Shabaab attack in Somalia
Fighters from the Islamist insurgent group Al-Shabaab have killed at least 19 civilians in night-time attack in central Somalia, clan chiefs and local officials said on Saturday, Sept 03.
“The terrorists massacred innocent civilians who were travelling… last night. We don’t have the exact number of victims, but 19 dead bodies have been collected,” said local clan elder Abdulahi Hared.State news agency Sonna reported that al Shabaab fighters had burnt trucks carrying relief food to Mahas and “killed most of the people on board the vehicles.”
The al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group has been battling Somalia’s central government for more than a decade. It wants to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.
27 dead as al-Qaeda launches attack on Yemen separatists
Twenty-one separatist fighters and six members of al-Qaeda´s Yemen branch were killed on Tuesday, Sept 06 as an attack by the jihadists punctured months of relative peace in the war-torn country, government and security sources said.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) attacked positions held by the UAE-trained Security Belt group in Abyan province in Yemen´s south, the sources told AFP. The violence came just days after the jihadist group released a video of a United Nations worker whom it abducted in the same province more than six months ago.
About three hours of fighting “left 21 dead among the (Security Belt), including an officer, and six among the al-Qaeda combatants”, a government official said on condition of anonymity. Two security sources confirmed the death toll.
Over a dozen killed in Congo
Violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has left more than a dozen people dead in three days, military and local sources said on Sunday, Aug 28.
Tentative calm in Libyan capital after clashes kill 37
Flights resumed and shops re-opened in Libya’s capital Tripoli on Sunday, Aug 28 after clashes between backers of rival governments killed at least 37 people and sparked fears of major new conflict.
Armed groups had exchanged fire that damaged several hospitals and set buildings on fire starting Friday evening, the worst fighting in the Libyan capital since a landmark 2020 ceasefire.
A cautious calm had set in by Saturday evening, an AFP correspondent reported, and the health ministry said Sunday morning that 32 people had been killed and 159 wounded during the clashes.
The fighting came after months of mounting tensions between backers of Abdulhamid Dbeibah and Fathi Bashagha, whose rival administrations are vying for control of the North African country which has seen more than a decade of violence since a 2011 uprising.
Dbeibah’s administration, installed in the capital as part of a United Nations-led peace process last year, has so far prevented Bashagha from taking office there, arguing that the next administration should be the product of elections. Bashagha was appointed by Libya’s eastern-based parliament earlier this year and is backed by powerful eastern military chief Khalifa Haftar, whose 2019 attempt to seize the capital by force turned into a year-long civil war.
Bashagha, a former interior minister, had initially ruled out the use of violence to take power in Tripoli but subsequently hinted that he could resort to force.
Blast kills four separatists in Yemen
An explosion caused by an improvised device killed four Yemeni separatist fighters on Monday, Sept 12 during an anti-jihadist sweep in the south of the war-ravaged country, security sources said.
“Four Yemeni soldiers were killed and six others wounded in an IED explosion targeting a military vehicle” during a campaign targeting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Abyan province, a security official said.
UN chief appeals to wealthy countries: ‘Not to lose one moment’ for aiding Pakistan’s flood victims
Pakistan needs a “massive inflow of financial resources” to help it cope with the devastation caused by the climate-induced floods, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday, Sept 14 as he appealed to wealthy countries “not to lose one moment” in coming to the aid of the country, reported local media.
Tunisia decree sets 5 years jail for ‘fake news’
Tunisia’s President Kais Saied issued a decree on Friday, Sept16 that punishes the dissemination of “fake news” with up to five years in prison, rising to 10 when such crimes are deemed to target top officials. The decree defines the offence as “deliberating using communication networks and information systems to produce, promote, publish or send false information or rumours”.
It comes 14 months after Saied orchestrated a power grab and purportedly seeks to hold to account those who “bring harm to the rights of others, public order and national defence” along with those who “sow panic within the population”.
The offence is also punishable by a fine of 50,000 dinars (15,600 dollars).
More than 80 dead in Tajik-Kyrgyz border clashes
At least 81 people were killed in clashes between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan this week, in the worst violence the countries have seen in years, while the international community called for calm.
The situation on the contested border between the two Central Asian neighbours was however calm on Sunday afternoon, according to Kyrgyz authorities.
Clashes regularly erupt between the two former Soviet republics, as around half their 970-kilometre (600-mile) border is still to be demarcated.
Tajikistan said on Sunday that 35 of its citizens were killed, the first official death toll since armed clashes broke out on Wednesday. On its Facebook page, the Tajik foreign ministry also reported 25 injured and said civilians, women, and children were among the victims.
The ministry accused Kyrgyz soldiers of killing 12 people in a drone strike on a mosque, and six others in an attack against a school.
AFP was not able to independently verify the claims.
Meanwhile Kyrgyzstan said Sunday at least 46 people had died in the southern border region of Batken, and 140 had been injured. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from Kyrgyz border regions over the past days, according to NGOs. Kyrgyzstan declared September 19 a national day of mourning.
This toll by far surpasses figures from April 2021, when clashes left 50 dead and raised fears of a large-scale conflict.
11 schoolchildren killed in Myanmar
At least 11 schoolchildren died in an air strike and firing on a Myanmar village, the United Nations children’s agency said, an attack the country’s junta said targeted rebels hiding in the area.
Myanmar has been in chaos since the military seized power in a coup in February last year, with nearly 2,300 civilians killed in a crackdown on dissent according to a local monitoring group. The Sagaing region in the country’s northwest has seen some of the fiercest fighting, and clashes between anti-coup fighters and the military have seen entire villages burned down.
27 Al-Shabaab fighters killed in Somalia strike, says US
American forces killed 27 Al-Shabaab fighters in an airstrike on September 18 as they battled Somalia government troops, the US military said on Wednesday, Sept 21.
The strike was carried out near Bulobarde as the Somali National Army and African Union Transition Mission continued an operation to disrupt Al-Shabaab jihadist forces in the Hiran region of central Somalia, the US Africa Command said in a statement. “The command’s initial assessment is that the strike killed 27 Al-Shabaab terrorists and that no civilians were injured,” it said, calling it a “defensive strike.”
Current Threat Levels:
| City/Region | Threat Level | |
| Islamabad | Level 2 | ** |
| Karachi | Level 2 | ** |
| Lahore | Level 2 | ** |
| Punjab | Level 2 | ** |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Level 3 | *** |
| Peshawar | Level 2 | ** |
| Quetta | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper Balochistan | Level 3 | *** |
| Lower Balochistan | Level 2 | ** |
| Gilgit and Northern areas | Level 2 | ** |
| Tribal areas, close to Afghan border | Level 3 | *** |
| Level 3 | *** |
Index to Threat Level References
| 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 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. |
