| |
SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 13, No. 18, November 3, 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
|
Punjab:
Growing Vulnerabilities
Ajit Kumar Singh
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management
At least
60 people, including children and women, were killed and
more than 150 persons were injured when a suicide bomber
detonated his suicide vest in the parking area, at least
500 meters from the Wagah Border on the Pakistan side,
at around 5:45pm [PST] on November 2, 2014. The death
toll in the incident is likely to rise as many of the
injured were in critical condition. Wagah, a town on the
outskirts of Lahore, the provincial capital of Pakistan’s
Punjab Province, falls along the India-Pakistan border
(on the Indian side lies Amritsar in the Indian State
of Punjab). Indian and Pakistani Forces hold a flamboyant
flag-lowering ceremony at Wagah every day.
Giving
details about the incident, Inspector General Police (IGP)
Punjab, Pakistan, Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera stated, "A
large number of people were returning after watching Rangers
flag ceremony at Wagah border when a suicide bomber blew
himself up near one of the exit gates. At least 15 to
20 kilogrammes (of) explosives have been used in the blast,
showing some of the explosives was in his suicide jacket
and remaining he might have carried."
This particular
attack reemphasizes the deepening anarchy across Pakistan,
with terrorists operating at will, even within Pakistan’s
'stable' Punjabi heartland. In the current year, Pakistan
has already recorded a total of 4,260 terrorism-linked
fatalities, including 1,458 civilians, 459 Security Force
(SF) personnel and 2,343 terrorists [all data till November
2]. 4,897 fatalities, including 2,756 civilians, 602 SF
personnel and 1,539 terrorists were recorded in the corresponding
period of 2013.
Meanwhile,
reports indicate that intelligence agencies had informed
the Punjab Government about the possibility of a terror
attack targeting Shias, religious personalities, public
processions and important buildings, during Muharram
(the first month of the Islamic calendar), between October
24-November 23, 2014. Indeed, the Federal Minister of
Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, on November 2, 2014,
noted that the Ministry of Interior had issued a warning
of a suicide bombing in Lahore. IGP Sukhera claimed there
was specific intelligence that terrorists could target
the Wagah border post. Nevertheless, the attack took place
despite the Government's claims that it was 'ready to
meet any eventuality'.
On October
27, 2014, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had asserted
that “foolproof” security arrangements had been made in
the Province to maintain law and order during the holy
month of Muharram. A day earlier, Lahore Capital
City Police Officer Muhammad Ameen Vance had claimed that
foolproof security arrangements were finalised to cope
with any untoward incident in the Provincial Capital during
Muharram. IGP Sukhera argued, “The Rangers had
made stringent security measures but it was difficult
to check suicide bomber."
The Wagah
attack is not an incident in isolation and, in fact, demonstrates
the widespread vulnerability across Pakistan, and the
inherent weakness of the state. While Punjab has long
been thought to be relatively insulated from the wider
movements of insurgency and terrorism that have engulfed
the country's other three provinces, this seat of military
and political power in Pakistan has demonstrated increasing
evidence of growing
volatility. Just in 2014, Punjab has
already recorded a total of 162 fatalities, including
122 civilians, 18 SF personnel and 22 terrorists, as against
55 fatalities, including 43 civilians, four SF personnel
and eight militants in the corresponding period of 2013,
according to partial data compiled by the South Asia
Terrorism Portal. Moreover, Punjab also recorded four
suicide attacks, resulting in 82 fatalities, as against
no such attack in the corresponding period of 2013. However,
terrorists had carried out a suicide attack outside an
Imambargah (Shia place of worship) at Gracy Line
in Rawalpindi, on December 17, 2013, killing four persons.
Likewise, four explosions, resulting in nine fatalities,
were recorded in 2013 (till November 2), but the number
of blasts as well as resulting deaths have witnessed a
steep escalation in the current year, with at least 15
explosions registered, resulting in 49 fatalities, thus
far. The numbers clearly suggest a rapidly deteriorating
security environment in Punjab.
Meanwhile,
three terrorist formations have claimed responsibility
for the attack. The al Qaeda affiliated anti-Shia group
Jandullah, claiming responsibility for the attack,
declared that it was in retaliation to the ongoing military
operations - Zarb-e-Azb
and Khyber 1 - in the North Waziristan and Khyber Agency,
respectively, of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
[Operation Khyber 1 was launched by the Pakistan Army
on October 31, 2014]. Later, ‘rubbishing’ the Jandullah
claim, Jamat-ul-Ahrar (Group of the Free Ones), a breakaway
faction of the TTP, claimed that the attack was engineered
by "our friend Hafiz Hanifullah" in retaliation
against operation Zarb-e-Azb, and had been carried
out to send a bold "open message to Governments on
both sides of the border". JuA ‘spokesman’ Ehsanullah
Ehsan declared, "It was a suicide attack and the
target were the Pakistani Security Forces protecting the
Shia community." Another group introducing itself
as the TTP’s Mahar Mehsud faction also called reporters
to claim responsibility for the attack.
Correctly
identifying the actual perpetrators of the attack will
be crucial in view of Islamabad's 'new policy' on fighting
terror. Interestingly, on February 26, 2014, while unveiling
its first ever counter-terrorism policy, Pakistan announced
that “every act of militant violence would be met with
retaliation on their bases”. Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had then announced, "We have
made a significant shift in our policy, now we will react
to each and every act of terrorism in the country with
an attack on the headquarters of the militants along the
Afghan border. Whenever there is a strike anywhere, we
will target the headquarters of the militants and it is
because of this new policy that we have been carrying
out precise strikes in the tribal areas."
Operations
in the tribal areas of FATA have been ongoing for last
over four months. According to most reports, all the terror
groups which have claimed responsibility for the Wagah
attack are headquartered in these areas only. Since these
areas are already under attack, “without any discrimination”,
according to Islamabad's past claims, it is not clear
what impact the 'targeting of militant headquarters' could
possibly have. Crucially, SAIR has noted earlier
that operations in the tribal areas have amounted to little
more than pointless
symbolism and the Wagah incident demonstrates
that the operational capacities even of TTP-linked groups
remain substantially untouched. Pakistan's broader strategy
of sponsoring and protecting Afghanistan- and India-oriented
terrorist formations, of course, remains entirely unchanged,
creating an environment that allows anti-Islamabad groups
to flourish as well.
|
Death
for Merchants of Death
S. Binodkumar Singh
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
After forty-three
years, justice finally caught up with Jamaat-e-Islami
(JeI) ameer (chief) Motiur Rahman Nizami (71) as
the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1), one of the
two War Crimes Tribunals constituted by the Sheikh Hasina
Wajed Government, sentenced
him to death on October 29, 2014, for atrocities during
the Liberation War of 1971. Nizami was found guilty on
eight of the 16
charges brought against him. The four
charges which brought him death included involvement in
the killing of intellectuals; the murder of 450 civilians;
rape in Bausgari and Demra villages in Pabna District;
the killing of 52 people in Dhulaura village in Pabna
District; and killings of 10 people and rape of three
women in Karamja village in Pabna District. He was also
sentenced to imprisonment for life on the charges of involvement
in the killing of Kasim Uddin and two others in Pabna
District; torture and murder of Sohrab Ali of Brishalikha
village in Pabna District; torture and killing at Mohammadpur
Physical Training Centre in Dhaka city; and killing of
freedom fighters Rumi, Bodi, Jewel and Azad at Old MP
Hostel in Dhaka city.
Nizami,
at that time, was the President of the Islami Chhatra
Sangha, the students' wing of JeI, the precursor of the
present-day Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS),
and was also ex-officio chief of Al-Badr, a paramilitary
wing of the Pakistan Army in 1971. As a leader, he not
only took part in crimes against humanity, the judgment
reads, but also delivered provocative speeches to incite
thousands of his followers to commit similar crimes during
the Liberation War. However, instead of being punished
for the heinous crimes, President Ziaur Rahman permitted
Nizami and other leaders of the JeI to revive the party
in 1978. The JeI subsequently emerged as the largest Islamist
party in the country and Nizami established himself as
a key leader, organizing the ICS. He became JeI ameer
in November 2000, and also served as the Minister of Agriculture
(from October 10, 2001, to May 22, 2003) and Minister
of Industries (from May 22, 2003 to October 28, 2006)
in the Begum Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party
(BNP)-led Government between 2001 and 2006.
Nizami
was first arrested on June 29, 2010, in a lawsuit for
hurting religious sentiments. After three days, he was
shown arrested for committing crimes against humanity
during the Liberation War. Subsequently, on May 28, 2012,
he was indicted on 16 specific charges for his involvement
in War Crimes. It took around 29 months to go from the
indictment to the sentencing, as the verdict was deferred
three times in the past.
Earlier,
on January 30, 2014, the Chittagong Metropolitan Special
Tribunal-1 had awarded the death penalty to Nizami in
the sensational 10-truck arms haul case of 2004, the country's
biggest ever weapons haul case. On February 7, 2014, the
verdict on the arms haul case was transferred to the Chittagong
High Court for confirmation of its sentences. Nizami filed
an appeal with the Chittagong High Court seeking acquittal
from the charges and, on April 16, 2014, the Chittagong
High Court accepted the appeal. The case is still pending
in the High Court.
Meanwhile,
as in earlier
cases, soon after the verdict, cadres
of JeI and its student wing ICS went on rampage across
the country. 30 persons, including 28 JeI-ICS cadres and
two Security Force (SF) personnel have been injured in
violence across the country, thus far. 71 JeI-ICS cadres
were also arrested from various parts of the country for
bringing out processions. The JeI called for a countrywide
hartal (general strike) on October 30, November
2 and November 3
The verdict
has attracted some negative international attention. Calling
for a commutation of Nizami's death sentence, the European
Union (EU), in a statement on October 29, 2014, declared,
“The case of Motiur Rahman Nizami has now reached a stage
where an execution of the death sentence constitutes a
serious threat.” On October 29, the United States (US)
reiterated its support to bringing to justice those who
committed atrocities during the Liberation War, but demanded
that the trials should be fair and transparent maintaining
the international standards.
On the
other hand, minutes after the news of Nizami's death penalty
reached the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka city on October
29, Gonojagoron Mancha (People's Resurgence Platform)
activists erupted into exhilarated cheers. Showing victory
signs, they demanded the immediate execution of the verdict,
chanting slogans like “we demand hanging”.
Meanwhile,
on November 2, 2014, ICT-2 sentenced
JeI central executive committee member Mir Quasem Ali
(62) to death after finding him guilty on two charges,
one for abduction, torture and killing of 15-year-old
freedom fighter Jasim of Sandwip Sub-District in Chittagong
District; another for abducting, torturing and killing
Ranjit Das alias Lathu and Tuntu Sen alias
Raju of Chittagong town in Chittagong District. Quasem,
considered one of the top financiers of JeI, faces 14
charges, including murder, abduction and torture committed
in Chittagong city between November and December 16, 1971.
He was allegedly the chief of the Chittagong Al-Badr and
was indicted on September 5, 2013, after being arrested
on June 17, 2013.
Thus far,
the two ICTs conducting the War Crimes Trials, which began
on March 25, 2010, have indicted 18 leaders, including
13 JeI leaders, three BNP leaders and two Jatiya Party
(JP) leaders. Verdicts against 12 of them (including Nizami
and Quasem) have already been delivered, in which nine
persons have been awarded the death sentence (including
Nizami and Quasem), while three have been sentenced to
life imprisonment. Remarkably, in the first-ever execution
in a War Crimes case, JeI Assistant Secretary Abdul Quader
Mollah (65), who earned the nickname Mirpurer Koshai
(Butcher of Mirpur), was hanged on December 12, 2013,
at Dhaka Central Jail, against his conviction on charges
of atrocities committed during the Liberation Wars of
1971. Of the six other convicts who were awarded death
sentences, three - Al-Badr leaders Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman
Khan and Chowdhury Mueenuddin, and JeI leader Maulana
Abul Kalam Azad - were awarded sentences in absentia.
The verdicts against JeI leaders Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed
and Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, and BNP leader Salauddin Quader
Chowdhury, are currently pending with the Appellate Division.
Significantly,
former JeI Chief Ghulam Azam (92), who led the JeI during
the country’s Liberation War in 1971, died at the Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka city
after suffering a stroke on October 23, 2014. Azam had
served a year and three months of his 90-year jail term
for crimes against humanity. Protest rallies by opponents
of JeI were held during his funeral at Baitul Mokarram
National Mosque in Dhaka city, demanding that his body
be sent to Pakistan for burial there. Ziaul Hasan, chairman
of Bangladesh Sommilito Islami Jote, an alliance of progressive
Islamic parties, observed, "The janaza (mourning
procession) of a war criminal can never be held at the
national mosque."
The verdict
against the JeI chief is a body blow to the organization.
The Government is already considering banning JeI, which
was debarred on August 1, 2013, from contesting elections.
Awami League (AL) Joint Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif
on October 29, 2014, noted, “The verdict has once again
proved that JeI was involved in war crimes with a political
decision.” With its very existence now under threat, JeI
attempts to retaliate violently are imminent, and likely
to vitiate the security environment of the country.
Compounding
the problem are the recent activities of other Islamist
extremist and terrorist groups, particularly the Jama'atul
Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
On September 22, 2014, the Detectives Branch (DB) of the
Police claimed that 25 top leaders of JMB and seven other
Islamist outfits, including Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT),
Jamaatul Muslemin, Majlish-e-Tamuddin, Hizbul Zihad, Hizbut
Tahrik, Jamaatil Muslemin and Dawatul Jihad, discussed
a regrouping plan at a meeting in a remote char
(riverine island) area at Sariakandi sub-District in Bogra
District on May 5, 2014. More recently, the Rapid Action
Battalion (RAB) arrested JMB's chief coordinator Abdun
Noor and four of his close aides from the Sadar sub-District
Railway Station in Sirajganj District on October 31, 2014.
49 primary detonators, 26 electronic detonators, four
time bombs, 10 kilograms of power gel, 155 different kinds
of circuits, 55 jihadi books and a power regulator
were recovered from the JMB cadres. During preliminary
interrogation, the JMB operatives confessed that they
were planning to carry out large-scale bomb attacks across
the country, particularly in Dhaka city.
Remarkably,
India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), currently
investigating the October 2, 2014, Burdwan (West Bengal,
India) blast case, on October 28, 2014, uncovered a suspected
plot by JMB to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Wajed and carry out a coup. The JMB had also planned
to assassinate BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Earlier,
on October 27, 2014, Indian investigators had revealed
that the JMB module in Burdwan had managed to transport
six consignments of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)
to Bangladesh, to be used for terrorist activities in
the country.
The War
Crimes Trials, and the cumulative verdicts against leaders
of extremist parties and groups that have been at the
core of destabilization in Bangladesh over the past decades,
have been crucial in turning the country around after
years of mounting chaos that had brought it to the very
brink of failure. This process needs to be sustained,
indeed, accelerated, despite the backlash of extremist
entities, if the gains of the recent past are to be consolidated.
|
Weekly Fatalities: Major
Conflicts in South Asia
October 27-
November 2, 2014
|
Civilians
|
Security
Force Personnel
|
Terrorists/Insurgents
|
Total
|
INDIA
|
|
Jammu and
Kashmir
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
Manipur
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Left-wing
Extremism
|
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Odisha
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Total (INDIA)
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
7
|
PAKISTAN
|
|
Balochistan
|
6
|
0
|
1
|
7
|
FATA
|
8
|
16
|
111
|
135
|
KP
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
Punjab
|
60
|
0
|
1
|
61
|
Sindh
|
12
|
3
|
5
|
20
|
Total (PAKISTAN)
|
|
|
|
|
Provisional
data compiled from English language media sources.
|
BANGLADESH
India
needs
to
take
actions
to
destroy
Bangladeshi
militants
operating
from
India
much
in
the
same
way
Indian
militants
have
been
obliterated
from
Bangladesh's
soil,
says
Prime
Minister
Sheikh
Hasina
Wajed:
Prime
Minister
Sheikh
Hasina
Wajed
in
an
interview
with
Kolkata-based
Anandabazar
Patrika
on
October
31
said,
"India
needs
to
take
actions
to
destroy
Bangladeshi
militants
operating
from
India
much
in
the
same
way
Indian
militants
have
been
obliterated
from
Bangladesh's
soil."
Hasina's
statement
came
after
Indian
intelligence
claimed
that
the
two
people
killed
in
a
recent
explosion
in
a
house
at
Burdwan
in
West
Bengal
(India)
were
Bangladeshis
and
members
of
outlawed
militant
outfit
Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen
Bangladesh
(JMB).
The
Independent,
November
1,
2014.
JeI
ameer
Motiur
Rahman
Nizami
sentenced
to
death
for
war
crimes
during
Liberation
War:
Jamaat-e-Islami
(JeI)
ameer
(chief)
Motiur
Rahman
Nizami
(71)
was
sentenced
to
death,
on
October
29,
by
the
International
Crimes
Tribunal-1
(ICT-1)
for
mass
murder,
rape
and
looting
during
1971
Liberation
War.
Nizami
was
found
guilty
on
eight
of
the
16
charges
brought
against
him.
Four
charges
brought
him
death:
he
was
involved
in
the
killings
of
intellectuals
murders
of
450
civilians
and
rape
in
Bausgari
and
Demra
killings
of
52
people
in
Dhulaura
killings
of
10
people
and
rape
of
three
women
in
Karamja.
Daily
Star,
October
30,
2014.
ICT-2
sentenced
JeI
central
executive
committee
member
Mir
Quasem
Ali
to
death
for
abduction,
torture
and
murder
during
Liberation
War:
The
International
Crimes
Tribunal-2
(ICT-2)
on
November
2
sentenced
Jamaat-e-Islami
(JeI)
central
executive
committee
member
Mir
Quasem
Ali
(62)
to
death
for
abduction,
torture
and
murder
during
the
Liberation
War
of
1971.
The
tribunal
found
him
guilty
on
10
of
the
14
charges.
The
tribunal
awarded
Quasem
the
capital
punishment
on
two
charges,
one
for
abduction,
torture
and
killing
of
15-year-old
freedom
fighter
Jasim
of
Sandwip
sub-District
in
Chittagong
District;
another
for
abducting,
torturing
and
killing
Ranjit
Das
alias
Lathu
and
Tuntu
Sen
alias
Raju
of
Chittagong
town
in
Chittagong
District.
Daily
Star,
November
3,
2014.
NIA
uncovers
JMB
plot
to
kill
Prime
Minister
Sheikh
Hasina
Wajed
and
carry
out
coup:
National
Investigation
Agency
(NIA)
of
India
on
October
28
uncovered
a
suspected
plot
by
banned
militant
group
Jama'atul
Mujahideen
Bangladesh
(JMB)
to
assassinate
Prime
Minister
Sheikh
Hasina
Wajed
and
carry
out
a
coup.
The
outlawed
JMB
also
planned
to
assassinate
Bangladesh
Nationalist
Party
(BNP)
Chairperson
Begum
Khaleda
Zia,
said
the
Indian
officials
requesting
anonymity.
They
did
not
explain
how
the
militants
planned
to
carry
out
the
assassinations.
Daily
Star,
October
29,
2014.
INDIA
Different
militant
groups
joining
hands
to
target
Assam,
says
CM
Tarun
Gogoi:
Assam
Chief
Minister
(CM)
Tarun
Gogoi
on
October
30
said
different
militant
groups
were
joining
hands
to
target
Assam
and
some
youths
were
being
led
astray
to
join
jihadi
outfits
in
the
state.
He
said,
"There
are
jihadi
groups
and
also
the
Inter-Services
Intelligence
(ISI).
All
extremist
groups
are
joining
hands
to
target
Assam."
Gogoi
added
that
terrorism
was
not
new
in
Assam,
but
of
late,
the
state
was
being
targeted
by
international
terror
outfits
like
al
Qaeda
and
Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen
Bangladesh
(JMB).
Telegraph,
October
31,
2014.
SIMI
fugitives
followed
the
methods
of
al
Qaeda
training
manual,
says
report:
According
to
reports
the
five
Students
Islamic
Movement
in
India
(SIMI)
fugitives
wanted
for
Bijnor
blast
in
Uttar
Pradesh
(September
12,
2014)
operated
and
followed
the
methods
mentioned
in
the
al
Qaeda
training
manual.
The
manual
was
first
implemented
by
al-Qaeda
while
bombing
United
States
(US)
embassy
in
Kenya
in
1998.
It
was
produced
as
evidence
in
the
case's
trial
by
the
Federal
Bureau
of
Investigation
(FBI)
in
2001.
FBI
had
first
recovered
it
from
the
laptop
of
an
alleged
al
Qaeda
operative
in
Manchester
in
United
Kingdom
(UK).
Times
of
India,
October
31,
2014.
CMAS
leader
Nachika
Linga
surrenders
in
Odisha:
Nachika
Linga,
the
leader
of
the
Chasi
Mulia
Adivasi
Sangh
(CMAS)
of
Narayanpatna
block,
a
Communist
Party
of
India-Maoist
(CPI-Maoist)
front
organization,
who
was
in
the
most-wanted
list
of
both
Odisha
and
Andhra
Pradesh
Police,
surrendered
at
Bhaliaput
village
before
a
Police
team
led
by
the
Inspector
in
Charge
of
Narayanpatna
Police
Station
in
Koraput
District
on
October
28,
in
the
presence
of
some
local
elected
panchayat
(village
level
local
self
Government
institution)
representatives
of
Narayanpatna
block.
The
Hindu,
October
29,
2014.
JMB
trained
female
Jihadists
in
West
Bengal,
says
NIA
report
on
Burdwan
blast
case:
A
National
Investigation
Agency
(NIA)
report
on
the
Burdwan
blast
case
revealed
a
new
trend
of
women
taking
to
Jihadi
indoctrination
and
terror
activities
in
Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen
Bangladesh's
(JMB)
all-female
jihadi
training
centres
in
Burdwan
and
Murshidabad
areas
of
West
Bengal.
According
to
top
officials,
these
centres
started
operating
in
2011
and
recruited
women
who
were
trained
in
bomb-making
and
violent
extremist
ideologies.
New
Indian
Express,
October
29,
2014.
NEPAL
PM
consults
with
'small'
parties
for
consensus:
On
October
31,
Prime
Minister
(PM)
Sushil
Koirala
started
consultation
with
leaders
of
smaller
parties
represented
in
the
Constituent
Assembly
(CA),
in
an
attempt
to
gather
consensus
on
the
disputed
issues
of
the
new
constitution,
in
a
meeting
held
at
the
PM's
official
residence
in
Baluwatar,
Kathmandu.
In
the
meeting
PM
held
discussions
with
Rastriya
Prajatantra
Party-Nepal
(RPP-Nepal)
President
Kamal
Thapa,
senior
leader
of
Rashtriya
Prajatantra
Party
(RPP)
Surya
Bahadur
Thapa
and
Forum-Loktantrik
President
Bijay
Kumar
Gachchhadar,
among
others
and
expressed
his
concern
about
the
possibility
of
issuing
the
new
constitution
by
January
22,
2015
-
given
that
the
Constitutional
Political
Dialogue
and
Consensus
Committee
(CPDCC)
could
not
forge
consensus
among
the
parties
on
issues
of
dispute.
Nepal
News,
November
1,
2014.
PAKISTAN
111
militants
and
16
SFs
among
135
persons
killed
during
the
week
in
FATA:
Five
Lashkar-e-Islam
(LI)
militants
and
a
soldier
were
killed
in
a
clash
during
the
Operation
Khyber-1
in
the
Akakhel
area
of
Khyber
Agency
in
Federally
Administered
Tribal
Areas
(FATA)
on
November
2.
Three
civilians,
including
two
women,
were
killed
and
five
others
sustained
injuries
when
mortar
shells
fired
from
unknown
location
hit
houses
in
the
Daroadda
area
in
Akakhel
on
November
2.
At
least
20
militants
and
six
personnel
of
Security
Forces
(SFs)
were
killed
and
three
others
were
injured
in
an
attack
against
a
check
post
in
Lower
Orakzai
Agency
on
November
1.
At
least
20
militants
were
killed
and
five
militant
hideouts
were
destroyed
during
targeted
aerial
strikes
by
fighter
jets
in
Akakhel,
Tirah
and
other
areas
of
the
Khyber
Agency
on
October
30.
A
United
States
(US)
drone
strike
killed
at
least
seven
militants,
including
the
important
'commander'
of
the
Haqqani
network,
Abdullah
Haqqani,
in
Nargas
village
of
Birmal
area
in
South
Waziristan
Agency
(SWA)
on
October
30.
At
least
21
terrorists
and
eight
soldiers
were
killed
during
a
'clearance
operation'
codenamed
Khyber-I
in
the
Spin
Qamar
area
of
Khyber
Agency
on
October
29.
At
least
33
militants
were
killed
when
jets
and
helicopter
gunships
attacked
suspected
militant
hideouts
in
Dattakhel
and
Gharlamai
Districts
of
North
Waziristan
Agency
on
October
27.
Daily
Times;
Dawn;
The
News;
Tribune;
Central
Asia
Online;
The
Nation;
The
Frontier
Post;
Pakistan
Today;
Pakistan
Observer,
October
28-November
3,
2014.
60
persons
killed
and
80
others
injured
in
suicide
attack
near
Wagah
international
border:
Sixty
people,
including
three
Rangers
officials,
were
killed
and
over
80
received
injuries
when
a
suicide
bomber
blew
himself
up
at
the
third
Rangers
checkpost,
around
500
yards
away
from
the
Wagah
international
border
in
Punjab
on
November
2.
Forty-five
people,
including
women
and
children,
died
on
the
spot,
while
15
others
succumbed
to
injuries
at
different
hospitals.
The
Director
General
(DG)
Rangers
(Punjab),
Major
General
Tahir
Javed
Khan,
confirmed
that
a
suicide
bomber
had
carried
out
the
attack
who
was
trying
to
enter
the
parade
venue
at
the
border
crossing.
Meanwhile,
three
militant
outfits
claimed
the
responsibility
of
the
attack.
The
Jundallah
group
was
the
first
to
take
responsibility.
It
was
followed
by
the
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar,
the
breakaway
faction
of
the
Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan
(TTP).
And
finally,
a
group
introducing
itself
as
the
TTP's
Mahar
Mehsud
faction
phoned
reporters
to
claim
responsibility
for
the
attack.
The
News,
November
3,
2014.
25,463
persons
killed
in
terrorist
attacks
in
Pakistan
from
2003
to
2014:
As
many
as
25,463
civilians
and
security
personnel
have
been
killed
in
terrorist
attacks
from
2003
to
October
19,
2014
across
the
country,
says
Punjab
Home
Department.
Sources
in
the
Punjab
Home
Department
said
terrorism
intensified
in
Musharraf
regime
after
the
Pakistani
establishment
supported
the
US
war
against
Taliban
and
al
Qaeda
after
9/11.
The
US
drone
attacks
in
Fata
areas
added
fuel
to
the
fire
of
terrorism.
Sources
said
19,525
civilians
and
5,938
security
personnel
were
killed
in
terrorist
attacks
across
the
country
from
2003-2014.
Interior
Ministry
data
revealed
that
in
2014
(till
October
19)
a
total
of
1,809
people
were
killed
including
1,369
civilians
and
440
security
personnel.
The
News,
November
3,
2014.
IS
bigger
threat
to
Pakistan
than
Taliban
and
al
Qaeda,
says
MQM
chief
Altaf
Hussain:
Speaking
at
a
press
conference
in
London
on
October
31,
Muttahida
Qaumi
Movement
(MQM)
chief
Altaf
Hussain
said
that
Islamic
State
(IS)
militants
are
bigger
threat
to
Pakistan
than
Taliban
and
al
Qaeda.
He
said
that
Pakistan
was
facing
a
devastating
threat
in
the
shape
of
IS,
citing
sudden
appearance
of
its
flags
in
the
country
specifically
from
southern
Punjab
to
Islamabad.
Hussain
said
that
militants
were
leaving
Taliban
outfits
to
join
the
new
extremist
group.
"IS
is
more
dangerous
than
Taliban
and
al
Qaeda,"
he
said.
Dawn,
November
1,
2014.
Hideouts
of
terrorists
would
be
targeted
where
found
and
intelligence-based
operations
would
continue
without
any
discrimination,
asserts
ISPR
Director
General
Major
General
Asim
Saleem
Bajwa:
The
Inter
Services
Public
Relations
(ISPR)
Director
General
(DG)
Major
General
Asim
Saleem
Bajwa
on
October
29
said
that
the
hideouts
of
terrorists
would
be
targeted
where
found
and
intelligence-based
operations
would
continue
without
any
discrimination.
He
said
that
operations
Zarb-e-Azb
and
Khyber-I
are
successfully
underway
in
North
Waziristan
Agency
and
Bara
tehsil
(revenue
unit)
of
Khyber
Agency.
He
said
while
over
1,100
terrorists
have
been
killed
in
Zarb-e-Azb,
44
terrorists
have
been
eliminated
and
100
surrendered
to
Security
Forces
in
Operation
Khyber-I.
Daily
Times,
October
30,
2014.
Federal
Minister
of
Interior
Chaudhry
Nisar
Ali
Khan
calls
for
permanent
end
to
US
drone
strikes
in
Pakistan:
Federal
Minister
of
Interior
Chaudhry
Nisar
Ali
Khan
on
October
28
called
for
a
permanent
end
to
US
drone
attacks
which
he
said
was
'a
difficult
element'
in
relations
between
Islamabad
and
Washington.
"It
is
important
that
the
US
understands
Pakistan's
viewpoint,"
he
said
while
talking
to
US
Special
Representative
for
Afghanistan
and
Pakistan
Dan
Feldman.
He
said
that
the
bilateral
relations
between
the
US
and
Pakistan
improved
owing
to
a
six-month
pause
in
drone
strikes.
The
News,
October
29,
2014.
SRI
LANKA
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
did
not
meet
LTTE
supporters
in
US,
says
External
Affairs
Minister
G.L
Peiris:
The
Government
on
October
30
denied
the
claims
that
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
had
met
Liberation
Tigers
of
Tamil
Eelam
(LTTE)
supporters
during
his
last
visit
to
the
United
States.
External
Affairs
Minister,
G.L
Peiris
said
in
the
Parliament
that
he
was
with
the
President
during
the
US
tour
and
he
can
guarantee
that
the
President
did
not
meet
any
pro-LTTE
diaspora
members.
Earlier,
the
leader
of
the
main
opposition
United
National
Party
(UNP)
Ranil
Wickremesinghe
had
recently
demanded
answers
from
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
over
who,
from
the
Government,
met
the
diaspora
during
his
recent
visit
to
US.
Colombo
Gazette,
November
1,
2014.
UN
Human
Rights
Committee
asks
Government
to
repeal
18th
Amendment
to
the
Constitution:The
United
Nations
(UN)
Human
Rights
Committee,
while
welcoming
several
measures
taken
by
the
Government
to
ensure
human
rights
of
its
citizens,
asked
the
Government
to
repeal
the
18th
Amendment
to
the
Constitution
approved
by
the
Parliament
in
September
2010.
Presenting
the
Concluding
Observations
on
the
fifth
periodic
report
of
Sri
Lanka,
the
UN
human
rights
treaty
body,
which
reviewed
Sri
Lanka
on
October7
and
8,
said
the
Committee
is
concerned
by
the
18th
Amendment
to
the
Sri
Lankan
Constitution
which,
inter
alia,
discontinues
the
Constitutional
Council
and
empowers
the
President
to
dismiss
or
appoint
members
of
the
judiciary
and
other
independent
bodies.
Colombo
Page,
October
31,
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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