On May 4, Canadian Police, based on an investigation, arrested three Indian nationals, identified as Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22), and Karanpreet Singh (28), in connection with the killing of designated Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, reports the Economic Times. No confirmed evidence links the suspects to the government of India (GOI).
On May 2, Police arrested four associates of a designated terrorist and member of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and Arsh Dalla for allegedly demanding extortion money of INR 50 lakh and recovered a 32-bore pistol, four cartridges, five cell phones, a scooter, and a car from a resident in Muktsar District of Punjab, reports The Tribune.
On May 2, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Police recovered over five kilograms of heroin and a box containing 37 live cartridges near the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar District of Punjab, reports The Tribune.
On May 3, Assam Rifles arrested one person from Mon District in Nagaland, identified as Munindra Das Narayan, a resident of Golaghat District of Assam, while he was en route to joining United Liberation Front of Asom – Independent (ULFA-I), reports Northeast Now.
On May 2, Assam Police arrested one person, from Guwahati in Kamrup (Metro) District of Assam, identified as Rajesh Rai alias John, a resident of Dimapur of Nagaland, for possession of illegal arms, reports Northeast Now. A factory-made .22 pistol, along with a magazine and 21 live rounds of ammunition were recovered from his possession.
The Police arrested a woman suspect for harboring Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres and seized various items, including explosives, from the CPI-Maoist’ bunker in Palamu District of Jharkhand on May 3, reports avenuemail.in. The residence in front of which the bunker was discovered is owned by Akhilesh Yadav, whose wife was arrested at the scene. According to Police statements, Akhilesh Yadav and his wife allegedly offered refuge to senior Maoist figure Nitesh Yadav. Maoists had distributed posters in several Police Station areas, including Haidernagar and Pandu of Palamu. Following the poster distribution, the Police initiated continuous operations in border regions encompassing Hussainabad, Haidernagar, Pandu, and Mohammadganj.
Security Forces (SFs) recovered one Colt Machine Gun (CMG) with empty Magazine, one 9mm Pistol with empty magazine, four Highly Explosive (HE)-36 grenade, one 51 mm Mortar illumination shell, one 2-inch Mortar Shell, 60 live ammunitions, two Baofeng Radio Set from Sangaithel in Imphal West District of Manipur, Manipur Police reports on X on May 4.
On May 3, Security Forces (SFs) busted a militant hideout and recovered arms and ammunition, including two AK-series rifles and four magazines, in Bandipora District of Jammu and Kashmir, reports the Daily Excelsior.
On May 3, Police launched a search operation after receiving information about the suspicious movement of two individuals in Poonch District of Jammu and Kashmir, reports theDaily Excelsior.
On May 3, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) attached the immovable property of a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist, identified as Abdul Hameed Khan, in Rajouri District of Jammu and Kashmir, reports the Daily Excelsior. The SIA registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against him and other associates Mohd Rafiq Khan and Gurpal Singh.
On May 3, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet against four cadres of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in a case relating to firing at the commandos of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Kerala Police in Thalapuzha area of Wayanad District in 2023, reports latestly.com. According to the NIA, the firing incident had occurred on November 7, 2023, when the SOG team of Kerala Police was on a combing operation in Perya, Wayanad, to track and arrest armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist. The team came under attack as it zoomed in on the cadres present in a house. "In the ensuing operation, two CPI (Maoist) members, identified as Thiruvenkidam alias Chandru and Shreemathi alias Unnimaya were apprehended. Three others, including Latha alias Meera and Sundari alias Jenny, however, fled the scene of the encounter," said the agency. It added that the NIA, which took over the investigation from Kerala Police on February 10, 2024, filed its charge-sheet today against Thiruvenkidam, Shreemathi, Latha and Sundari in the case RC-01/2024/NIA/KOC under relevant sections of IPC, UA(P)A and Arms Act. "The agency is carrying on with its investigation and has launched a manhunt for the absconding accused Sundari, who is carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakhs [INR 1 million], and Latha, along with another accused person," it added.
An explosion on Sultan Ibrahim Khan Road in Chamrok area of Khuzdar town (Khuzdar District) in Balochistan killed three individuals, including the President of Khuzdar Press Club, Muhammad Siddique Mengal, and injured 10 other persons on May 3, reports The Express Tribune. The explosion occurred as a remote-controlled device detonated near Mengal's vehicle while he was en route from his residence to the university. Mengal, who was also a provincial officer-bearer of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), was killed instantly, while approximately ten others sustained injuries. Sources indicate that Mengal had received a death threat in the form of a letter last month, raising concerns about his safety. Additionally, a few months prior, he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in a shooting incident.
In a media statement, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), on May 3 took responsibility for twin landmine explosions in Dukki District of Balochistan on May 2, reports The Balochistan Post. BLA ‘spokesman’ Jeeyand Baloch claimed that their cadres targeted a vehicle involved in looting national resources in the first blast and later targeted Counter-Terrorism department (CTD) personnel and the newly formed death squad operatives in the second bomb blast.
A bullet riddled body of a Policeman found on the bank of the river Kurram in Lakki Marwat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 3, reports The Khorasan Diary.
Following a brief lull in March, militant attacks in the country surged once again in April, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly its Southern Districts, bearing the brunt, Dawn reported on May 3 quoting the monthly security assessment report of Islamabad-based think-tank, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). According to statistics, the country experienced at least 77 verifiable militant attacks during April, resulting in 70 fatalities, including 35 civilians and 31 members of Security Forces. Four militants were killed. The number of injured individuals was 67 — 32 civilians and 35 security personnel. In comparison, March saw 56 militant attacks, resulting in 77 fatalities and 67 injuries. This indicates a 38 per cent increase in the number of militant attacks, although there was a nine per cent decline in deaths, with no change in the number of injuries.
The security report also underscored the efforts of the country’s SFs in thwarting numerous potential attacks during the month. At least 55 suspected militants were killed and 12 others arrested, including individuals involved in the Basham suicide attack, marking a 55 per cent increase in militant deaths compared to March. The report further said that 73pc of the total number of militant attacks reported in April took place in KP, including its Tribal Districts. Fifty-six attacks were reported in the province during the previous month. The attacks killed 43 people — 26 members of SFs and 17 civilians. The number of the injured stood at 32 — 19 members of security forces and 13 civilians.
Within KP, mainland Districts saw more attacks and fatalities than Tribal Districts (formerly FATA). Mainland KP witnessed 31 attacks, resulting in 25 fatalities and 10 injuries. The southern districts of D.I. Khan, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and Tank were the most affected, with Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat facing seven militant attacks each, Bannu facing six, and Tank experiencing two attacks. Together, these districts accounted for 71pc of the attacks in mainland KP. Additionally, Peshawar faced four attacks, while Swat, Swabi, Charsadda, Shangla, and Battagram experienced one attack each. In the Tribal Districts, PICSS recorded at least 25 attacks, resulting in 18 fatalities and 22 injuries. North Waziristan, Bajaur, and South Waziristan were the most affected districts, with nine, five, and four attacks reported, respectively.
According to the report, Balochistan faced 16 attacks, resulting in 21 fatalities, including 17 civilians and four security personnel, with 31 individuals injured. Most of these attacks took place in the Baloch belt of the province, particularly in the south and southwest. Specifically, three attacks were reported in Khuzdar, two in Kech, Kohlu, and Quetta each, and one each in Chaman, Dera Bugti, Duki, Kalat, Kharan, Mastung, and Nushki.
Punjab also witnessed a surge in militant activities, with four attacks reported in April compared to one in March, resulting in three fatalities. One attack was reported in Sindh, resulting in three fatalities.
In the first four months of the year, the country experienced 323 militant attacks, resulting in 324 fatalities and 387 injuries.
According to Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) report, this year (2024) 179 terrorist incidents occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), resulting in the deaths of 91 terrorists, ARY News reported on May 3. The report highlights that January witnessed 60 incidents, February 38, March 33, and April 48. The highest number of terrorist deaths occurred in February, with 31 terrorists killed. Additionally, 19 terrorists were killed in Dera Ismail Khan and 14 in North Waziristan. The report also reveals that 16 of the killed terrorists were most wanted, including Mohsin Qadir, Azmatullah, and Fareedullah. Moreover, the report revealed that 10 attacks were reported on Police teams this year, highlighting the challenging security situation in the province.