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SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 13, No. 20, November 17, 2014
Data and
assessments from SAIR can be freely published in any form
with credit to the South Asia Intelligence Review of the
South Asia Terrorism Portal
|
Darkening
Tangle
Ajit Kumar Singh
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management
On November
12, 2014, Security Force (SF) personnel reportedly confiscated
a few flags, bearing the Islamic State (IS, formerly Islamic
State of Iraq and al Sham, ISIS) monogram, near the main
entrance to the Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF), based
in a closely-guarded part of the historic city of Taxila,
near Islamabad. Some more flags were recovered from nearby
electricity poles.
On the
same day, Fahad Marwat, a ‘spokesman’ for Jundullah,
an al Qaeda affiliated anti-Shia terrorist group, claimed
that a ‘delegation’ from the IS had visited the organisation's
leaders in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan Province,
in the preceding week. He added that the purpose of the
visit was to see how IS could work to unite various Pakistani
militant Islamist groups. Significantly, the Balochistan
Government had submitted a ‘secret’
report, dated October 31, 2014, in
which it had noted,
It
has been reliably learnt that DAISH (al Dawlah al
Islamiyah fi al Iraq wal Shâm, ISIS) has offered
some elements of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Ahl-e-Sunnat
wal Jamat (ASWJ) to join hands in Pakistan. DAISH
has also formed a ten-member Strategic Planning
Wing and now seek to inflict casualties on Pakistan
Army outfits who are taking part in operation Zarb-e-Azb.
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Meanwhile,
on November 13, 2014, wall-chalkings welcoming IS appeared
on City Road, Cantonment Road, Dera Ismail Khan Road and
Miran Shah Road in the Bannu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
There were similar reports from other parts of the country,
including Karachi and Peshawar, regarding emerging support
for IS.
Again,
on October 14, 2014, six top ‘commanders’ of the Tehreek-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP),
including its ‘spokesman’ Shahidullah Shahid, announced
their allegiance to Abu Bakar Al-Baghdadi aka Khalifa
Ibrahim, the chief of the IS. The TTP leaders included
the group's chiefs for the Orakzai Agency, Saeed Khan;
Kurram Agency, Daulat Khan; Khyber Agency, Fateh Gul Zaman;
Peshawar, Mufti Hassan; and Hangu, Khalid Mansoor. Shahidullah
pledged “allegiance to Amirul Momineen Abu Bakar Al-Baghdadi”
and declared that he would “abide by all his (al Baghdadi's)
decisions ... whatever the circumstances I shall be loyal
to him and obey his directives”. The TTP later sacked
all these leaders, reiterating support for Afghan Taliban
leader Mullah Omar.
Significantly,
in June 2014, while announcing the formation of the Islamic
State, the group had released a map purportedly showing
the areas IS planned to bring under its control within
five years. These areas included all of Pakistan within
the projected ‘Islamic Caliphate’. In a decisive step
towards the goal, in September 2014, IS appointed Abdul
Raheem Muslim Dost chief of its 'Khurasan' region. Soon
after his appointment, Dost started extending IS outreach
into Pakistan and Afghanistan, distributing IS propaganda
booklets in the Afghan-Pakistan tribal belt and in some
Afghan refugee camps in Peshawar. Several reports emerging
since suggest that IS has succeeded in extending its influence
in pockets across Pakistan.
Unsurprisingly,
the Balochistan Government's report clearly states that
IS has claimed to have “gathered 10-12 thousand followers
from the Hangu and Kurram Agency”. Referring to the widespread
influence of the IS, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief,
Altaf Hussain, on October 31, 2014, stated, “IS flags
were visible from the south of Pakistan's Punjab all the
way to the Federal capital of Islamabad.” Another commentator
noted,
If
the Pakistan security apparatus fails to check their
footprints, it could be a setback for them in future.
It appears that the IS wants to focus on Pakistan
and Afghanistan, particularly at the time when US
Forces begin to withdraw from Afghanistan. If not
checked, IS will pose a major threat to South Asia
and the Persian Gulf.
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At least
330 Pakistani terrorists are already known to be fighting
along with IS Forces in Iraq and Syria.
Meanwhile,
al Qaeda terrorist offshoot, Jamaat Qaiadat al Jihad
fi Shibhi al Qarrat al Hindiya (Organisation of the
Base of Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent or Al Qaeda in
the Indian Subcontinent, AQIS) has made deep inroads into
Pakistan. On September 6, 2014, attackers planned to hijack
Navy frigate PNS Zulfiqar from the Karachi West Wharf
Dockyard. Naval Commandos from PNS Iqbal rushed to the
incidents site and a gun battle ensued. One Navy trooper
was killed and another seven were injured. Three attackers
were killed. On September 11, AQIS claimed responsibility
for the attack, claiming that the dead attackers included
Pakistan Navy officers. Subsequently, Defence Minister
Khawaja Asif told Parliament, on September 10: “We cannot
rule out inside help in this attack because without it
the miscreants could not breach security. The operation
near Karachi shore was an attack by al Qaeda in the subcontinent.”
Significantly,
on September 3, 2014, al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri,
in a 55-minute video posted on the Internet, announced
the launch of AQIS to spread Islamic rule and “raise the
flag of jihad” across the Indian subcontinent,
including Pakistan. Maulana Asim Umar, chief of al Qaeda’s
Sharia Committee in Pakistan, was named leader of AQIS.
IS, which
has captured large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria
and is striving to establish a global ‘Caliphate’, is
a breakaway faction of al Qaeda, and is deeply aware of
the fact that Pakistan provides it an alternate sanctuary
in any ‘adverse situation’. Moreover, the rising
anarchy and Islamist extremism across
Pakistan offer ample opportunity to recruit more fighters,
as well as to establish a base in the region, which accounts
for over 31 per cent of the world Muslim population. Conscious
of these ‘advantages’, IS and AQIS are vying with one
another to fill the vacuum created by the failure of governance
in Pakistan.
It is useful
to note that there are a total of 60 banned organizations
in Pakistan, according to the Government's National Internal
Security Policy (NISP) 2014-18 document. The document
notes,
Pakistan’s
economy has suffered a loss of more than US$ 78
billion in last 10 years only. More than 50,000
Pakistanis, including civilian, Armed Forces and
Law-Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) personnel, were
affected or sacrificed their lives... Pakistan is
facing serious traditional and non-traditional threats
of violent extremism, sectarianism, terrorism and
militancy... Subversive activities and a pattern
of targeting the national security apparatus and
key installations by the terrorists and non state
armed groups have compounded the challenge.
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Further,
a report prepared by the US Congressional Research Service
for distribution to multiple congressional offices in
February 2013 noted, “Islamist militant groups operating
on and from Pakistani territory are of five broad types:
Globally-oriented militants, Afghanistan-oriented militants,
India- and Kashmir-oriented militants, Sectarian militants,
and Domestically-oriented militants.” The South Asia
Terrorism Portal has listed 37 terrorist outfits as
‘Trans-national Organisations’ (which carry out operations
in neighboring countries); 12 groups as ‘Domestic Terrorist
Organizations’ (which engage in violence within Pakistan),
and another four as ‘Extremist Groups’ (engaged in the
propagation or imposition of Islamist extremist doctrines
and codes).
Islamabad
has been forced to take some actions against domestically-oriented
terrorist organisations, as the internal security environment
deteriorated, creating an existential threat to the state.
Nevertheless, as the NISP document notes, even in this
regard, "Traditionally, the entire internal security
apparatus acts in a reactive rather than proactive manner".
Pakistan's orientation to the externally directed terrorist
formations, however, remains malefic, as state agencies,
prominently including the Army and its Inter Services
Intelligence (ISI) directorate, continue to provide covert
and overt support to terrorist formations that serve their
purported ‘strategic objectives’.
In its
latest (October 2014) six-monthly report on the current
situation in Afghanistan, the Pentagon observed, "Afghan-and
Indian-focused militants continue to operate from Pakistan
territory to the detriment of Afghan and regional stability.
Pakistan uses these proxy forces to hedge against the
loss of influence in Afghanistan and to counter India's
superior military."
Despite
the enormous domestic costs of terrorism, the Pakistani
state and its agencies continue to create an environment
that allows a range of Islamist terrorist formations to
operate from and flourish on its soil, even as the state
continues to promote radical Islamist ideologies through
its various institutions and polices. It is this environment
- and substantial direct support to a range of terrorist
formations, including al Qaeda - that has made the country
extraordinarily vulnerable to the consolidation of global
jihadist organisations such as AQIS and IS. Since state
agencies are yet to abandon Islamist terrorism as an instrument
of domestic political management and strategic extension,
it is unlikely that a focused state action will effectively
block the expansion of AQIS and IS across the country.
Indeed,
current orientations suggest that the Government is inclined
to deny, rather than confront and solve the problem, with
Federal Minister of the Interior, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan,
on November 11, 2014, dismissing evidence of the presence
of IS in the country, declaring, “No organisation of this
name exists in Pakistan.”
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Cyber
Wars
Sanchita Bhattacharya
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
In the
night of November 6, 2014, Pakistani hackers defaced websites
of 22 Government departments and organisations in India.
On the defaced websites, the hackers identified themselves
as ‘1337 & r00x! - Team MaDLeeTs', greeted the Government
of India, and leveled a range of allegations against the
Indian Army in Kashmir. "We are not asking for Kashmir.
We ask for peace. Nothing deleted or stolen. Just here
to deliver my message to the government and the people
of India," the hackers wrote, signing off with "Pakistan
Zindabad" (long live Pakistan).
On November
1, 2014, Pakistan-based hackers, calling themselves 'Pakistan
Cyber Mafia Hackers', hacked two websites of Gujarat Government
- the official website of the Commissionerate of Higher
Education (www.egyan.org.in) and the official website
of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee of Ahmedabad
(www.apmcahmedabad.com). The hackers put their logo and
some text on the homepages of these websites, which read:
'Hacked by Pakistan Cyber Mafia Hackers', 'Feel the power
of Pakistan', 'Pk_Robot was here' and 'Pakistan Zindabad'.
These incidents
are the most recent in a rising trend. Indeed, on July
14, 2014, Communications and IT Minister Ravishankar Prasad,
in a written reply to the Lok Sabha (Lower House
of Indian Parliament) disclosed,
During
the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 (till May),
a total number of 21,699, 27,605, 28,481 and 9,174
Indian websites were respectively hacked by various
hacker groups spread across worldwide. In addition,
during these years, a total number of 13,301, 22,060,
71,780 and 62,189 security incidents, respectively,
were reported to the CERT-In [Computer Emergency
Response Team-India (CERT-In)]. These attacks have
been observed to be originating from the cyber space
of a number of countries including the US, Europe,
Brazil, Turkey, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Algeria
and the UAE. A total of 422, 601 and 1,337 cases
were registered under cyber crime related sections
of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) during the year 2011,
2012 and 2013.
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The threat
of cyber crime lies outside the conventional paradigm
of terrorism, but has the potential to do incalculable
harm. Indeed, even sustained low grade attacks impose
cumulative costs that can be prohibitive. Cyber terrorism,
moreover, is not only limited to paralysing computer infrastructures;
it also comprehends the use of computers, the Internet
and information gateways to support and organize traditional
forms of terrorism, such as bombings and suicide attacks.
The most common use by terrorists is for secret communications,
as well as designing and uploading websites on which propaganda
can be pasted, at least occasionally masking secret missives.
Direct cyber terrorist attacks use hacking, computer viruses,
computer worms, E-Mail related crime, denial of service
attacks, etc.
India and
the United States (US) have decided to launch an all-out
war against terror outfits and to annihilate them in the
virtual world as well. Worried by the increasing presence
of terrorist
organizations in cyberspace, an Indo-US
Joint Working Group (JWG) on cybercrime has been activated
to dismantle the virtual command centres of terrorist
networks across social networks, Indian Government sources
stated, "The decision to activate the JWG was taken
after weighing threat perception of outfits like IS [Islamic
State], al Qaeda, AQIS [al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent],
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP),
Indian Mujahideen (IM) and JMB [Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh]
etc., in the cyberspace."
Though
such a pattern has long been in evidence, there has been
a significant rise in high profile terrorist outreach
attempts through the Internet in the recent past, particularly
with the emergence of the IS, and the very sophisticated
media campaigns this group has deployed. For example,
in a 20-second-long audio statement titled 'A message
to the Mujahideen and the Muslim Ummah in the month of
Ramadan' released on July 1, 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,
the IS 'chief', mentioned that Indians, among a host of
other nationalities including Chinese, American, French,
German, Australian, etc., figure among IS fighters. Another
11-minute-long IS propaganda video featuring a Canadian
youth, who identifies himself as Abu Muslim, and uploaded
on the internet in the first week of August 2014, clearly
underlines IS attempts to reach out to Indian youth, as
the video has been subtitled in Hindi, Tamil and Urdu.
Similarly,
on September 3, 2014, al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri,
in a 55-minute video posted on the Internet, announced
the launch of a new wing in the Indian sub-continent,
AQIS. Zawahiri described the formation of AQIS as “a glad
tiding for Muslims in Burma, Bangladesh, Assam, Gujurat,
Ahmedabad, and Kashmir" and claimed that the new
wing would 'rescue Muslims' there from injustice and oppression.
Cyber space
has also been exploited by extremists to spread violence
and unrest across India. Cyber wing officials investigating
communal violence that erupted in July 2014 in the Bareilly
District of Uttar Pradesh (UP), as reported on August
5, 2014, found that the Students Islamic Movement of India
(SIMI) was possibly involved in sending controversial
pictures to some Facebook users in Bareilly, which
led to communal violence in the Meera Ka Paith locality.
The origin of the controversial Facebook posts
was traced to Secunderabad, Karmagunda and Madanpet -
all in Hyderabad (capital city of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana)
- where SIMI is known to have a considerable base. The
officials also found evidence that funds were provided
by some banned militant outfits from Jammu and Kashmir,
to foment trouble in Bareilly.
Earlier,
in 2012, cyber space was used by anti-national elements
during the Assam
communal strife. Then Union Home Minister
(UHM) Sushilkumar Shinde had noted on September 6, 2012,
"It is unfortunate that the recent violence caused
by the ethnic groups in Assam has been given communal
colour... There is an increasing evidence of resort taken
by terrorists to the cyber space domain."
Similarly,
the 2013 riots in Muzaffarnagar (UP) were aggravated by
the use of social media networks by suspected terror groups.
On November 21, 2013, Shinde had observed, “More recently,
the Muzaffarnagar riots were fanned by similar misuse
(of social media).”
There is
mounting evidence that the abuse of the Internet against
India is substantially orchestrated under the aegis of
Pakistan's external Intelligence agency, the Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI). A classified note of a high-level
security review meeting held in New Delhi in September
2012, noted, "The ISI is now working on a bigger
game-plan in training terrorists in the use of cyber and
computer technology as the Pakistani agency feels India
is not fully equipped in dealing with incidents of cyber
war or attack.’’ Importantly, the note observed, the training
given to subversive elements by ISI’s cyber experts played
a key role in spreading hate campaigns through MMS [Multi-media
Messaging Service] and SMS [short message service], targeting
people from the Northeast in the wake of ethnic violence
in Assam. The note warned that this trend would only increase
in days to come, and this was also the reason why ISI
was increasingly stressing the recruitment of more educated
youth by Islamist terrorist formations. An unnamed Indian
intelligence officer stated, further, “It is almost certain
that the Pakistani agency was behind the recent cyber
attack on India, at least indirectly. Having tasted success
they will try it again in future and on a much bigger
scale. So we must be prepared to deal with this challenge.”
According
to a Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) document, till
September 15, 2014, the country witnessed 479 riots in
which 107 people were killed while another 1,697 people
sustained injuries in the current year.
Indeed,
concerned at the abuse of cyberspace by terrorist groups,
the Union Home Minister (UHM), on June 17, 2014, directed
the UMHA to explore the possibility of setting up specialised
cybercrime units in each of the country’s 671 Districts.
Again on November 4, 2014, while participating in the
100th General Assembly Session of Interpol
in Monaco, UHM Rajnath Singh underlined the role of information
technology to bring about even better control in the field
of cyber security, and preventing misuse of internet social
media for spreading extremist ideologies and radicalisation.
The Cyber
Security Initiatives taken up by the Indian Government
include the setting up of the National Informatics Centre
(NIC), a premier organisation providing network backbone
and e-governance support to the Central Government, State
Governments, Union Territories, Districts and other Governments
bodies; the Cert-In, to "ensure security of cyber
space in the country by enhancing the security communications
and information infrastructure, through proactive action
and effective collaboration aimed at security incident
prevention and response and security assurance";
the National Information Security Assurance Programme
(NISAP), for protection of the Government and critical
infrastructures. Further, the Indo-US Cyber Security Forum
(IUSCSF) seeks to establish an India Information Sharing
and Analysis Centre (ISAC) for better cooperation in anti
hacking measures; an India Anti Bot Alliance to raise
awareness about the emerging threats in cyberspace, under
the aegis of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII);
and to chalk out ways to intensify bilateral cooperation
to control cyber crime in the two countries.
The Indian
Government has also undertaken various initiatives to
strengthen the cyber security. On March 25, 2014, the
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) with Data Security Council of India
(DSCI) with a view to seek expert services from the latter
in managing the challenges in cybercrimes and updating
officials with the latest technology. Nevertheless, these
measures, in addition to earlier
initiatives, have failed to adequately
deal with the threat, which is approaching alarming levels.
On October 31, 2014, while emphasising the severity of
the cyber crime threat, UHM Rajnath Singh stated, "It
can hit anyone, anywhere and anytime."
Cyber crime
and cyber terrorism have now emerged as a national priority,
and this is widely acknowledged in the policy establishment.
It remains to be seen how long it will take such recognition
and concern to be translated into effective action and
institutional development to construct and implement a
comprehensive cyber security paradigm within India's counter
terrorism strategy.
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Weekly Fatalities: Major
Conflicts in South Asia
November 10-16,
2014
|
Civilians
|
Security
Force Personnel
|
Terrorists/Insurgents
|
Total
|
INDIA
|
|
Assam
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
Jammu and
Kashmir
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
Manipur
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
Meghalaya
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Left-wing
Extremism
|
|
Jharkhand
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
Total (INDIA)
|
6
|
2
|
3
|
11
|
PAKISTAN
|
|
Balochistan
|
9
|
2
|
7
|
18
|
FATA
|
3
|
9
|
142
|
154
|
KP
|
2
|
5
|
6
|
13
|
Punjab
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
Sindh
|
9
|
5
|
5
|
19
|
Total (PAKISTAN)
|
|
|
|
|
Provisional
data compiled from English language media sources.
|
BANGLADESH
The
trend
towards
using
female
operatives
in
the
Islamist
militant
outfit
in
the
country
is
alarmingly
growing,
say
Police:
Detective
Branch
(DB)
of
Police
on
November
13
said
that
the
trend
towards
using
female
operatives
in
the
Islamist
militant
outfit
in
the
country
is
alarmingly
growing.
The
militant
outfits
are
using
their
female
members
as
a
distraction
technique
to
pull
the
wool
over
the
eyes
of
law
enforcers.
Such
tendency
is
largely
adopted
by
the
banned
organization
Jama'atul
Mujahideen
Bangladesh
(JMB).
The
technique
is
known
amongst
the
militant
outfits
as
couple
module.
The
JMB
planned
to
set
up
their
den
in
West
Bengal
(India)
by
using
this
technique.
Dhaka
Tribune,
November
14,
2014.
Government
is
waiting
for
copy
of
SC
verdict
to
decide
over
execution
of
Mohammed
Kamaruzzaman,
Law
Minister
Anisul
Huq:
Law
Minister
Anisul
Huq
while
taking
to
reporters
at
his
office
in
Dhaka
city
on
November
11
said
that
the
Government
is
waiting
for
the
copy
of
the
Supreme
Court
(SC)
verdict
to
decide
over
the
execution
of
Jamaat-e-Islami
(JeI)
Senior
Assistant
Secretary
General
Mohammed
Kamaruzzaman.
The
Law
Minister
further
told
the
media
that
the
jail
authorities
were
asked
to
take
preparations
for
the
execution."
The
Indpendent,
November
12,
2014.
INDIA
Bardhaman
terror
links
spread
to
Jharkhand,
says
report:
The
officials
of
Central
intelligence
agencies
have
unearthed
the
network
of
Jama'atul
Mujahideen
Bangladesh
(JMB)
Bardhaman
(West
Bengal)
terror
modules
link
in
Jharkhand.
Sources
in
the
government
stated
that
JMB
terrorists
had
opened
two
Jihadi
Madrasas
(Islamic
seminary)
in
Sahibganj
District
of
Jharkhand
to
recruit
and
train
terror
modules.
The
Bardhaman
terror
handlers
were
already
operating
two
separate
madrasas
in
Simulia
and
Murshidabad,
which
was
primarily
focusing
on
female
Jihadis.
New
Indian
Express,
November
15,
2014.
Cyber
attacks
grown
nearly
five
times
in
last
three
years,
says
report:
Cyber
attacks
have
grown
nearly
five
times
in
the
last
three
years
and
most
of
them
have
been
found
to
be
originating
from
the
IP
addresses
located
in
China.
"Most
of
the
cyber
attacks
that
we
have
tracked
show
IP
addresses
located
in
China
but
we
are
unable
to
establish
if
the
attacker
is
from
China.
We
need
international
cooperation
for
handling
such
crimes,"
National
Technical
Research
Organisation
NTRO
Director
of
cyber
security,
Alok
Vijayant
said.
Times
of
India,
November
14,
2014.
CPI-Maoist
in
'turmoil'
but
could
attack
soft
targets,
warns
Union
Minister
of
Home
Affairs
Rajnath
Singh:
The
Union
Minister
of
Home
Affairs
(UMHA)
Rajnath
Singh
on
November
12
said
Communist
Party
of
India-Maoist
(CPI-Maoist)
was
in
"turmoil"
due
to
growing
desertions,
absence
of
fresh
recruitment
and
low
morale
among
its
armed
cadres,
but
cautioned
that
it
had
the
potential
of
bouncing
back
with
a
spectacular
attack
against
soft
targets
in
its
stronghold
areas.
Times
of
India,
November
13,
2014.
Assam
Police
keeping
close
watch
on
NGOs
and
madrasas
to
unearth
jihadi
links,
states
DGP
Khagen
Sarma:
Assam
Police
is
keeping
a
close
watch
on
several
Non-Governmental
Organisations
(NGOs)
and
madrasas
(Islamic
seminary)
across
the
state
to
unearth
jihadi
links,
if
any,
Director
General
of
Police
(DGP)
Khagen
Sarma
stated
on
November
12.
A
joint
team
of
National
Investigation
Agency
(NIA)
and
Assam
Police
has
discovered
valuable
leads
in
the
recent
Bardhaman
blast
case,
Sarma
added.
"We
are
scanning
some
NGOs,
madrasas
and
other
places
which
might
have
been
used
by
jihadi
elements
as
shelter
and
for
funds,"
he
said.
Times
of
India,
November
13,
2014.
India
urges
Myanmar
to
crack
down
on
ULFA-I:
During
the
interaction
between
Prime
Minister
(PM)
Narendra
Modi
and
Myanmar
President
Thein
Sein
on
November
12
at
Nay
Pyi
Taw
in
Myanmar,
India
has
pressed
Myanmar
to
mount
a
crackdown
on
the
Independent
faction
of
United
Liberation
Front
of
Asom
(ULFA-I)
led
by
'commander-in-chief'
Paresh
Baruah,
besides
Meitei
militant
outfits
operating
from
Myanmar.
According
to
sources,
India
asked
the
Myanmar
President,
Thein
Sein
to
assist
in
getting
six
wanted
militants
including
Jyotirmoy
Bharali,
who
looks
after
the
ULFA's
Myanmar
operations."The
Assam
tribune,
November
13,
2014.
Government
finds
'foreign
hand'
in
radicalising
youth
in
madrasas,
says
report:
A
discreet
survey
of
the
country's
madrasas
(Islamic
seminary)
by
the
government
has
reportedly
found
the
foreigners
teaching
there,
largely
Bangladeshi
instructors
who
have
managed
to
acquire
Indian
identity
documents,
to
be
a
key
source
of
indoctrination
among
young
Indian
Muslims.
The
report,
submitted
to
the
Union
Ministry
of
Home
Affairs
(UMHA)
in
October,
2014,
has
flagged
the
mushrooming
of
unaided
and
unregulated
madrasas
along
the
Indo-Bangladesh
or
Indo-Nepal
border
in
West
Bengal,
Assam
and
Terai
region.
Times
of
India,
November
13,
2014.
India
and
US
step
up
cooperation
to
track
Dawood
Ibrahim,
says
report:
India
and
the
United
States
(US)
stepped
up
cooperation
to
track
Dawood
Ibrahim,
who
generally
lived
at
Karachi
(Sindh)
in
Pakistan
till
recently,
of
late
started
shifting
his
base
frequently
and
purportedly
moved
to
different
locations
within
and
outside
the
neighbouring
country.
The
officials
of
India
and
US
may
discuss
the
issue
of
bringing
the
elusive
D-company
chief
to
justice
during
the
third
round
of
bilateral
Homeland
Security
Dialogue,
which
is
likely
to
take
place
in
New
Delhi
later
this
month
or
early
next
month.
The
dialogue
will
be
co-chaired
by
Union
Minister
of
Home
Affairs
Rajnath
Singh
and
US
Secretary
for
Homeland
Security
Jeh
Johnson.
Deccan
Hearld,
November
13,
2014.
55
camps
of
North
East
insurgent
groups
in
Bangladesh,
says
BSF
official:
A
Border
Security
Force
(BSF)
official
stated
that
"At
least
55
camps
of
northeast
India
militants
are
still
functional
in
different
parts
of
Bangladesh
and
opposite
to
Tripura,
Meghalaya,
Mizoram
and
Assam's
borders
with
Bangladesh".
The
northeast
militant
outfits
running
camps
in
Bangladesh
territories
include
Isak-Muivah
faction
of
National
Socialist
Council
of
Nagaland
(NSCN-IM),
United
Liberation
Front
of
Asom
(ULFA)
and
National
Liberation
Front
of
Tripura
(NLFT).
Morunge
Expres,
November
11,
2014.
'JMB
planning
to
carry
out
terror
attacks
in
India',
says
report:
Jama'atul
Mujahideen
Bangladesh
(JMB)
allegedly
involved
in
the
October
2,
2014
Bardhaman
blast,
was
planning
to
carry
out
terror
attacks
in
India,
in
addition
to
the
outfit's
plans
to
trigger
explosion
in
the
neighbouring
country.
According
to
the
sources
who
questioned
Sajid,
alleged
to
be
a
mastermind
of
the
blast,
JMB
was
trying
to
set
up
a
terror
network
in
West
Bengal,
particularly
in
three
Districts
of
Murshidabad,
Nadia,
Malda,
and
in
Assam
through
armed
struggle
besides
having
an
'Shariyat'
rule
in
Bangladesh,
official
sources
said.
New
India
Express,
November
13,
2014.
LeT
and
JeM
operatives
recruit
local
youths
to
trigger
violence
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir,
says
report:
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT)
and
Jaish-e-Mohammad
(JeM)
operatives
are
recruiting
youths
to
trigger
large-scale
violence
to
thwart
the
poll
process
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir
(J&K).
Sources
in
the
security
establishment
claim
that
with
infiltration
bid
by
terrorists
organisations
from
across
the
border
being
effectively
curbed
by
the
alert
forces
on
the
International
Border
(IB)
and
the
Line
of
Control
(LoC),
the
terror
groups
are
now
vigorously
pushing
ahead
their
plan-B
by
intensifying
their
recruitment
bid
to
carry
forward
their
`bloody
agenda'.
Times
of
India,
November
10,
2014.
NEPAL
Remove
Bhattarai
as
CPDCC
chair,
if
you
can,
says
Pushpa
Kamal
Dahal:
On
November
14,
Unified
Communist
Party
of
Nepal-Maoist
(UCPN-M)
chairman
Pushpa
Kamal
Dahal
aka
Prachanda
challenged
the
ruling
Nepali
Congress
(NC)
and
Communist
Party
of
Nepal-Unified
Marxist
Leninist
(CPN-UML)
coalition
to
replace
UCPN-M
leader
Baburam
Bhattarai
as
the
chairman
of
the
Legislature-Parliament's
Constitutional-Political
Dialogue
and
Consensus
Committee
(CPDCC)
if
they
wanted
to
issue
the
constitution
using
their
majority
at
the
Constituent
Assembly
(CA).
Nepal
News,
November
15,
2014.
New
statute
by
January
22
at
any
cost,
says
ruling
parties
to
diplomatic
community:
Ruling
parties
have
assured
the
diplomatic
community
that
they
would
bring
a
new
statute
by
the
January
22
deadline
even
if
it
requires
them
to
put
contentious
issues
in
constitution
writing
to
vote
in
the
Constituent
Assembly
(CA).
Speaking
at
a
function
organized
to
brief
Kathmandu-based
diplomats
on
ongoing
political
developments
and
efforts
being
made
so
far
to
promulgate
new
statute,
Nepali
Congress
(NC)
President
Sushil
Koirala
and
Communist
Party
of
Nepal-Unified
Marxist
Leninist
(CPN-UML)
Chairman
KP
Sharma
Oli
said
ruling
parties
will
continue
make
efforts
for
consensus
till
the
end.
My
Republica,
November
13,
2014.
PAKISTAN
142
militants
and
nine
SFs
among
154
persons
killed
during
the
week
in
FATA:
At
least
34
terrorists
were
killed
during
ongoing
Operation
Zarb-e-Azb
in
Dattakhel
area
of
North
Waziristan
Agency
(NWA)
in
Federally
Administered
Tribal
Areas
(FATA)
on
November
16.
According
to
Inter
Services
Public
Relations
(ISPR),
some
important
militant
'commanders'
and
foreign
terrorists
were
among
those
killed.
Another
seven
militants
were
killed
in
an
encounter
with
SFs
during
a
search
operation
in
Datta
Khel
area.
Four
soldiers
were
killed
and
at
least
eight
were
missing
after
militants
using
rockets
and
grenades
stormed
Spara
Gher
checkpoint
in
Dattakhel
area.
At
least
30
suspected
militants
were
killed
and
a
number
of
militant
hideouts
were
destroyed
in
Dattakhel
area
on
November
14.
Five
militants
were
killed,
including
a
key
Lashkar-e-Islam
(LI)
'commander'
Spinbat,
in
a
clash
with
peace
committee
members
of
Tauheedul
Islam
(TI)
in
Narai
Baba
area
of
Tirah
valley
in
Khyber
Agency
on
November
13.
At
least
19
militants
were
killed
during
air
strikes
in
Sandapal
and
Akakhel
areas
on
November
12.
At
least
15
militants
and
six
security
personnel
injured
during
a
clash
between
militants
and
SF
personnel
in
the
Shirin
Dara
area
of
Orakzai
Agency
on
November
11.
SF
personnel
in
precise
aerial
strikes
in
Daras
area
of
Khyber
Agency
killed
13
militants
including
some
foreigners
on
November
11.
Nine
militants
were
killed
and
12
others
injured
on
November
11
in
a
clash
between
SF
personnel
and
militants
in
the
Akakhel
area
of
Bara
tehsil
(revenue
unit).
Six
militants
were
killed
in
a
United
States
(US)
drone
strike
in
Doa
Toi
area
of
Dattakhel
tehsil
in
NWA
on
November
11.
Three
Levies
officials
were
killed
while
two
other
officials
injured
when
an
improvised
explosive
device
(IED)
planted
by
the
roadside
blew
up
in
Chargo
area
of
Salarzai
tehsil
in
Bajaur
Agency
while
escorting
polio
teams
on
November
11.
At
least
four
militants
and
two
soldiers
were
killed
in
an
exchange
of
fire
during
clearance
operation
near
the
Afghan
border
in
Gharlamai
area
of
NWA
on
November
10.
Daily
Times;
Dawn;
The
News;
Tribune;
Central
Asia
Online;
The
Nation;
The
Frontier
Post;
Pakistan
Today;
Pakistan
Observer,
November
11-17,
2014.
Islamabad's
Security
'inextricably
linked'
with
Afghanistan,
says
Pakistani
Army:
Pakistan's
military
on
November
14
told
Afghan
President
Ashraf
Ghani
who
is
on
his
first
state
visit
to
Pakistan
that
the
security
of
the
two
countries
was
'inextricably
linked'.
A
tweet
from
Major
General
Asim
Bajwa,
head
of
the
military's
public
relations
wing,
said
Ghani's
trip
took
place
amid
a
positive
atmosphere
and
that
border
cooperation
was
"in
focus".
"Tribute
to
Pakistan
sacrifices,
Bodes
well
for
region,"
he
said,
adding,
"Security,
stability
a
shared
goal.
Our
security
inextricably
linked".
Daily
Times,
November
15,
2014.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
releases
pictures
of
Wagah
suicide
bomber:
Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan's
(TTP)
Jama'at-ul-Ahrar
(JuA)
wing
on
November
13
released
the
pictures
of
the
suicide
bomber
who
allegedly
attacked
Wagah
border
in
Lahore
District
of
Punjab
on
November
2,
2014,
killing
at
least
61
people.
The
group's
spokesperson
Ehsanullah
Ehsan
emailed
and
tweeted
pictures
of
the
bomber,
identifying
him
as
Haneefullah
alias
Hamza.
The
pictures
showed
the
alleged
bomber
sitting
in
front
of
a
green
backdrop
with
two
automatic
weapons,
a
pistol,
two
copies
of
the
Quran
along
with
white
and
black
militant
flags.
Tribune,
November
14,
2014.
Islamic
State
group
visited
militants
operating
in
Balochistan,
claims
Jandullah
'spokesman'
Fahad
Marwat:
Jandullah
'spokesman'
Fahad
Marwat
on
November
12
claimed
a
'delegation'
from
the
Islamic
State
(IS)
group
has
visited
Jundallah's
leaders
in
Balochistan
Province.
He
said
that
the
visit
took
place
this
week
in
Pakistan's
southwestern
Balochistan
Province.
He
further
said
that
the
purpose
of
visit
by
the
IS
was
to
see
how
it
could
work
to
unite
various
Pakistani
militant
groups.
Times
of
India,
November
13,
2014.
Federal
Minister
for
Interior
Chaudhry
Nisar
Ali
Khan
rules
out
the
presence
of
IS
militants
in
Pakistan:
Federal
Minister
for
Interior
Chaudhry
Nisar
Ali
Khan
on
November
11
ruled
out
the
presence
of
Islamic
State
(IS)
militants
in
Pakistan.
"No
organisation
of
this
name
exists
in
Pakistan,"
the
Interior
Minister
said.
The
statement
comes
days
after
the
provincial
government
of
Balochistan
conveyed
a
confidential
report
to
law
enforcement
agencies
warning
of
increased
footprints
of
IS,
also
known
by
the
Arabic
acronym
Daish,
in
Pakistan.
Dawn,
November
12,
2014.
ISIS
spreading
tentacles
in
Pakistan,
reveals
Balochistan
Government
Classified
Report:
Pakistan's
security
agencies
have
warned
the
Government
about
the
increasing
threat
from
the
(Islamic
State)
ISIS
militant
group.
A
classified
report
by
the
Provincial
Government
of
Balochistan
conveyed
to
the
Federal
Government
and
law
enforcement
agencies
warning
of
increased
footprints
of
the
Middle
Eastern
terrorist
group,
also
known
by
its
Arabic
acronym
of
"Daish".
Times
of
India,
November
8,
2014.
The South
Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that
brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on
terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on
counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on
related economic, political, and social issues, in the South
Asian region.
SAIR is a project
of the Institute
for Conflict Management
and the
South
Asia Terrorism Portal.
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