South Asia Terrorism Portal

Punjab: Marginal Challenge 
Nijeesh N.
Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management

Ongoing investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in seven separate cases of ‘targeted attacks’, five of which resulted in six killings, reported from across Punjab,  through 2016 and 2017, have uncovered a transnational network of conspirators affiliated to Khalistani terrorist groups backed by Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), working relentlessly to revive the ‘Khalistani terror threat’ in Punjab. In November 2017, the Punjab Police had cracked the conspiracy and arrested the ‘hit man’, Hardeep Singh aka Shera, as well as key conspirators, including Jagtar Singh aka Jaggi and Taljit Singh aka Jimmy, both from the UK. In view of its “national and international ramifications”, and the fact that “the handlers, conspirators and financers in the targeted killing cases operated from countries such as the UK, Canada and Italy”, the Punjab Government decided to hand over these seven cases to the NIA in December 2017, for further investigation and prosecution. The cases include:

October 17, 2017: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Ravinder Gosain was shot dead by two unidentified assailants near his house in Mohalla Gagandeep Colony in Ludhiana District.

July 15, 2017: The pastor of a local church, Sultan Masih, was shot dead by two unidentified assailants outside the church in Peerubanda Mohalla in Ludhiana District.

February 25, 2017: Two Dera Sacha Sauda followers, Satpal Sharma and his son Ramesh Kumar, were shot dead by two unidentified assailants at their canteen at Naam Charcha Ghar, a meeting centre for the Dera followers, in Jagera village in Khanna in Ludhiana District.

January 15, 2017: Amit Sharma, the ‘Zila Pracharak (District President)’ of the Hindu religious organization, Sri Hindu Takht, was shot dead by two unidentified assailants near Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana District.

April 23, 2016: Shiv Sena’s labour wing chief in Punjab, Durga Prasad Gupta, was shot dead by two unidentified assailants near Lalheri Chowk in Khanna in Ludhiana District.

February 3, 2016: Former Shiv Sena youth wing leader, Amit Arora was injured as two unidentified assailants shot at him near Jyoti Motor Basti Jodhewal in Ludhiana District.

January 18, 2016: RSS leader Naresh Kumar was injured when two unidentified assailants fired upon him in the wee hours at Shaheedi Park in Kidwai Nagar in Ludhiana District.

There were another three such ‘targeted attacks’, all of which resulted in killings, according to partial data compiled by the Institute for Conflict Management (ICM). These include:

October 30, 2017: The Hindu Sangarsh Sena ‘district chief’, Vipan Sharma, was shot dead by four unidentified assailants in the Bharat Nagar locality along the Amritsar-Batala road in Amritsar.

August 6, 2016: Senior RSS leader, Brigadier (Retired) Jagdish Gagneja, was shot at by two unidentified assailants when he was shopping with his wife at a market in Jalandhar. He succumbed to injuries on September 21, 2016.

April 4, 2016: Chand Kaur, wife of the late Satguru Jagjit Singh, the former head of the Namdhari sect, was shot dead by two unidentified assailants at the Bhaini Sahib Gurdwara complex in Ludhiana District.

In all these incidents masked unidentified assailants came on motorcycles and pumped bullets into their victims from a close range.

A total of 11 persons have been arrested thus far, in connection with the 11 cases that have been handed over to NIA. On February 13, 2018, the NIA arrested arms’ supplier Parvez aka Farru, for providing weapons used in the targeted killings. Parvez was wanted in connection with supplying arms to one of the main accused, shooter Hardeep Singh aka Shera, who had been arrested from Fatehgarh Sahib by the Punjab Police on November 10, 2017. During investigations, NIA has so far found that the ‘targeted attacks’ “were executed as part of an international conspiracy whose objective was to destabilize the law and order situation in Punjab and to revive militancy in the State”.

Significantly, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) in its 28th report of Committee on Estimates titled 'Central Armed Police Forces and Internal Security Challenges-Evaluation and Response Mechanism' which was tabled in Parliament on March 21, 2018, observed,

Similar concerns were raised by the Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Suresh Arora on January 4, 2018, when he said,

On February 21, 2018, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh during his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was on an eight day official tour of India beginning February 17, 2018, reportedly “raised the issue of Indo-Canadians believed to be involved in targeted killings in Punjab” and “sought the Canadian Prime Minister’s cooperation in cracking down on separatism and hate crime by a fringe element, constituting a miniscule percentage of Canada’s population.” He also handed over to Trudeau “a list of nine Category ‘A’ Canada-based operatives alleged to be involved in hate crimes in Punjab by financing and supplying weapons for terrorist activities, and also engaged in trying to radicalize youth and children here [Punjab].” The names include six alleged members of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and three belonging to the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) or the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). Police have shared only five names with the media: Gurjeet Singh Cheema, Gurpreet Singh Peet, Gurjinder Singh Pannu, Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Malkit Singh. Other names were withheld as disclosure could compromise ongoing investigations.

Meanwhile, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel killed two Pakistani infiltrators (suspected militants) along the Indo-Pakistan border in Ajnala sector of Amritsar District in the intervening night of September 19-20, 2017. "When challenged by BSF troops, infiltrators fired on ambush line with automatic weapons. Taking cover, the fire was appropriately retaliated and infiltrators were neutralised near the border fence," the BSF spokesperson stated. An AK-47 assault rifle, a pistol, over two dozen rounds, a Pakistani SIM card, four kilograms of heroin and PKR 20,000 were recovered from the slain infiltrators.

During 2016, Punjab had recorded 14 terrorism-related fatalities [one civilian, seven Security Force (SF) troopers and six terrorists), all in one attack: the Pathankot Indian Air Force (IAF) Base incident on January 2 – 3, 2016. Eight infiltrators were also killed along the border. In addition, as discussed above, three incidents of ‘targeted attacks’ were also reported. Similarly, in 2015, there was only one attack, when, after firing at a bus, terrorists attacked and holed up in the Dinanagar Police Station campus in the Gurdaspur District of Punjab in the early hours of July 27, 2015. 10 persons were eventually killed – three civilians, four SF personnel and three terrorists – before Police ended the standoff. Significantly, both these attacks were carried out by Pakistan-backed Islamist terrorist formations.

Despite relentless efforts, Khalistani terror formations have failed to inflict major damage within the State over the past over 10 years. On October 14, 2007, seven persons were killed and another 40 were injured in a bomb blast inside a cinema hall in Ludhiana. While there has been no definitive identification of the group responsible, Police sources and contextual information suggest that this was the handiwork of a Sikh terrorist formation based in Pakistan.

Much of the credit goes to the Punjab Police, which continued to register counter-terrorism successes through 2017. On January 4, 2018, Suresh Arora, Director General of Police, Punjab, disclosed that during 2017, Punjab Police launched a sustained drive against terrorist elements and identified and neutralized eight terrorist modules with the arrest of 47 persons and seizure of 43 weapons. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) database, at least 44 Khalistani terrorists were arrested during 2017 in addition nine arrests in 2016. At least another three persons have already been arrested in the current year (data till March 31, 2018). According to reports, a total of 158 Khalistani terrorists, principally associated with the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Bhindranwale Tigers Force of Khalistan (BTFK), Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), ISYF and some minor factions, were arrested between 2010 and 2015.

Back in 2015, KPS Gill had noted:

The ‘ongoing effort of revival’, therefore, is bound to fail unless and until there is complete negligence on the part of the Governments – both at the Central and State Level – in addressing the limited challenges that emerge from time to time

Ajit Kumar Singh 
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management

On March 25, 2018, three woman cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) were killed during an exchange of fire between Security Force (SF) personnel and the Maoists near Dokari Ghati under the Narayanpatna Police limits in the Koraput District of Odisha. SF personnel seized a cache of arms and ammunition from the location of the encounter.

On March 1, 2018, at least 10 CPI-Maoist cadres, including six women, and one Greyhounds constable were killed in an encounter near Pujarikanker, along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, in the Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh. SFs recovered one AK-47, one SLR [Self Loading Rifle], two single bore rifles, five INSAS [Indian Small Arms System] assault rifles, one .303 rifle, one pistol, three claymore mines, six rocket bombs, two solar plates, seven kit bags, a Sony radio, empty cartridges, live ammunition of different calibre, and INR 41,000 in cash from the encounter site.

On February 26, 2018, four CPI-Maoist cadres – identified as 'sub-zonal commander' Rakesh Bhuiyan, Lallu Yadav, Rinki and Ruby – were killed in an encounter with SFs in the Lalaghati-Naudiha area of the Palamu District of Jharkhand. SFs recovered two SLRs, five magazines and 219 bullets from the spot.

According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), at least 41 Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] have been killed by the SFs during the current year, 2018 (data till March 31). During the corresponding period of 2017, SFs had eliminated 53 Naxalites. Through 2017, SFs had killed 149 Naxalites in addition to 244 killed in 2016.

According to data released by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), SFs arrested 1,888 Naxalites in 2017 as against 1,840 arrests in 2016. In 2018, as on March 15, 2018, the number of arrests stood at 395. Since March 16, 2018, according to SATP data, another 46 Naxalites have been arrested (data till March 31). 

Through 2017, SFs recovered 591 arms from the Maoists, in addition to the 800 recovered in 2016, according to the UMHA data. During the current year, as on March 15, 2018, the number of such recoveries had stood at 155.

The mounting pressure on the Naxalites has resulted in a large number of surrenders over the past few years. According to UMHA data, at least 685 Naxalites surrender through 2017 in addition to 1,442 surrenders in 2016. During the current year, as on March 15, 2018, the number of surrenders was 78. Since March 16, 2018, on SATP data, another 79 Naxalites have surrendered (data till March 31). 

Continuing SFs’ successes on the ground further improved the security situation through 2017. The trend of declining overall fatalities, on year on year basis, in Left Wing Extremism-related violence, established since 2011, though significantly reversed in 2016 and 2013, was re-established in 2017. According to the data released by UMHA, a total of 399 people (188 civilians, 75 SF personnel and 136 Naxalites) were killed in such violence through 2017, as against 500 fatalities (213 civilians, 65 SF personnel and 222 Naxalites) recorded in 2016. During the current year, as on March 15, the total number of such fatalities stood at 82 (24 civilians, 24 SF personnel and 34 Naxalites) as against 105 such fatalities (39 civilians, 29 SF personnel and 37 Naxalites) reported during the corresponding period of 2017.

Total fatalities in 2017, according to the SATP database, were 332 (109 civilians, 74 SF personnel and 149 Naxalites), as against 433 recorded in 2016 (123 civilians, 66 SF personnel and 244 Naxalites). In the current year 89 such fatalities (23 civilians, 25 SF personnel and 41 Naxalites) have been reported so far (data till March 30, 2018), as against 117 (33 civilians, 31 SF personnel and 53 Naxalites) reported during the corresponding period of 2016.

According to UMHA data, the number of civilian fatalities (188) recorded through 2017 was the second lowest in this category since 1999. A previous low of 171 was recorded in 2015. The maximum number of civilians killed in such violence, 720, was in 2010.

Though the number of fatalities among SFs increased from 65 in 2016 to 75 in 2017, according to UMHA data, the number of attacks on the Police (including landmine attacks) declined from 111 in 2016 to 84 in 2017, the lowest recorded since 2009. According to the SATP data, as against 41 incidents of killing of SFs recorded in 2016, there were 26 such incidents in 2017.

The number of Districts from where fatalities were reported declined from 42 in 2016 to 40 in 2017, according to SATP data. Civilian fatalities were reported from 33 Districts in 2017, as against 35 in 2016. Similarly, SF fatalities were reported from 12 Districts in 2017, as against 18 in 2016. The overall spread of Naxalite violence recorded a decline through 2017, with the number of Naxalism-affected Districts dropping from 104 in 13 States in 2016, to 100 districts in 12 States in 2017, based on SATP data. According to the UMHA, the number of districts from where violence was reported was 58 in 2017. No comparative data is available for year 2016. The number of total affected districts, according to the last official estimate  released on July 18, 2017, was 106, including 35 worst-affected districts.    

On March 17, 2017, though, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reportedly told the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) that the number of Naxalite-affected Districts in the country had fallen to 68 from 106, the UMHA told the Lok Sabha on July 18, 2017, that 106 Districts in 10 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected States continued to be covered under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme for the purpose of reimbursement of expenditure incurred by State Governments on counter-LWE operations. The inclusion/ exclusion of districts under the SRE scheme is based on their violence profile and other parameters and is a continuous process. 

The number of major attacks (involving three or more fatalities) also declined from 33 in 2016 to 19 in 2017, according to SATP data. Of these 19 major incidents in 2017, 12 were initiated by SFs, resulting in the death of 52 Naxalites and six SF personnel. The Naxalites initiated five incidents, resulting in the killing of 52 persons: 45 SF personnel, six civilians, and one Naxalite. Two major incidents of internecine clashes resulted in the death of 10 Naxalites. The Naxalites had initiated 10 major incidents in 2016, resulting in 49 deaths: 19 civilians, 27 SF personnel and three LWEs.

Meanwhile, UMHA data also indicated that the number of overall Naxalism-linked incidents which had been declining since 2010, came down further in 2017: 2,258 incidents in 2009; 2,213 in 2010; 1,760 in 2011; 1,415 in 2012; 1,136 in 2013, 1,091 in 2014; 1,089 in 2015; 1,048 in 2016; 908 in 2017; and 178 in 2018, up to March 15, 218.

On March 24, 2018, speaking on the occasion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)'s 79th Raising Day, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, thus stated:

Earlier, on March 21, 2018, Rao Inderjit Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Planning and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, reiterated in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) that "the Government of India has a strategy and action plan to deal with the problem of Maoist insurgency with balanced and holistic multi-pronged interventions in the areas of security & development". He elaborated:

While these measures have, indeed, helped in the fight against the Maoist menace, existing shortcomings in these declared measures continue to create impediments to the process of bringing the problem to a conclusive end. For instance, the fund released [LINK: DOCUMENT] for modernizing State Police Forces (in 10 Maoist-affected States) under the Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) scheme has declined considerably over the past four Financial Years (FY): INR 6376.4 million (2014-15); INR 3147.8 million (2015-16); INR 2020.1 million (2015-16); INR 1453.0 (2017-18). The States covered under this program include: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. 

Stark deficits are noticeable in some of the worst afflicted States. According to the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D), as on January 1, 2017, there were at least 126 Police Stations in Chhattisgarh, the worst Naxalism-affected State, which did not have a vehicle. Similarly, the second worst affected State, Jharkhand, had 23 such Police stations. The number of Police Stations without telephones in these two States was 23 and 64, respectively.  

Moreover, large vacancies persist in the State Police Forces. According to BPR&D data, as on January 1, 2017, there were a total of 538,237 vacant posts in State Police Forces. In 2016, the number of vacant posts was 549,025. Though the number of sanctioned posts, against which the vacancies existed, were increased from 2,280,691 in 2016 to 2,464,484 in 2017, projected populations have increased by an estimated 14.8 million. The number of vacancies in the apex Indian Police Service (IPS) was 938, as on January 1, 2017. Moreover, the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), which have been increasingly used in fight against the Naxalites, also continue to witness huge vacancies: 110,081 vacant posts as on January 1, 2017, against a sanctioned strength of 1,154,393 (actual strength: 1,044,312).

The Maoists are certainly losing their influence across the country. What was once envisaged as a ‘tactical retreat’ has transformed into sustained strategic reverses. The Naxalites, however, still remain a significant threat, retaining the wherewithal to carry out sporadic ‘spectacular attacks’ targeting SFs. There is urgent need to sustain, indeed, heighten pressure at this stage, and consolidate the gains secured at the cost of enormous SF sacrifices by addressing long neglected issues of civil administration, development and welfare. As long as gross deficits of governance persist, the potential for a revival of conflict – under the existing LWE banners, or in new guise – will endure.

AFGHANISTAN

At least 121 civilians killed and 322 others injured in 15 Provinces of Afghanistan in March 2018, says CPAG: The Civilian Protection and Advocacy Group (CPAG) said on April 1 that at least 121 civilians were killed and 322 others injured in 15 Provinces of Afghanistan in March 2018. Pajhwok, April 2, 2018.

948 Polling stations outside Government's control, says MoI Afghanistan Deputy Minster General Murad Ali Murad: 948 Polling Stations in Afghanistan were outside of Government's control. He added that over 1,100 polling stations across Afghanistan face high security threats. According to Murad, from the total 7,355 polling stations, 1,122 centers are under medium threat and another 1,120 face more serious security threats - all of which need to be secured by the security institutions. "These stations either must be changed or operations must be launched, they are included in the Nusrat Operation. Resolute Support Forces will only come to help in an emergency situation," said Murad.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) Chief Gul Jan Badi Sayad confirmed 20th October as the date for the Parliamentary and Districts Councils Elections. A statement by United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said, in December 2017, that donors pledged to fund up to 90 per cent of the $28.4 million voter registration budget, in addition to pledging ongoing assistance to the IEC and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC). Tolo News, April 2, 2018 Khaama, April 2, 2018.

BANGLADESH

2,452 genocide acts by Pakistani army and their local collaborators took place in 10 Districts in 1971, says Survey: According to a new survey conducted by a group of researchers led by renowned historian Professor Muntassir Mamun 2,452 genocide acts by the Pakistani army and their local collaborators took place in 10 Districts of Bangladesh in 1971. Earlier it had been thought there were 905 incidents of genocide in all 64 Districts. The survey has so far been conducted in Nilphamari, Bogra, Natore, Kurigram, Pabna, Rajshahi, Satkhira, Narayanganj, Bhola, and Khulna Districts. It will be carried out in the remaining 54 Districts in phases. The 1971 Genocide-Repression Archive and Museum Trust, which was established under the initiative of Professor Mamun in Khulna, is conducting the survey. Dhaka Tribune, March 31, 2018.

Country shouldn't be of militants, anti-Liberation forces and war criminals, says Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressing a programme marking the 48th Independence and National Day on March 27 said the country shouldn't be of militants, anti-Liberation forces and war criminals. "The country's independence was earned at the cost of blood of tens of thousands of people. Those who want to foil our independence should never come to power," she told. It should be built based on the ideals of freedom fighters, she added. The Daily Star, March 28, 2018.

 

INDIA

20 persons, including 13 militants, four civilians and three soldiers killed in separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir': At least 20 persons, including 13 militants, three soldiers and one civilian were killed in three separate encounters while three civilians were killed and over 100 persons injured in the clashes that broke out during the encounters in South Kashmir's Shopian and Anantnag Districts on April 1. According to Police, seven militants were killed in Dragad village of Shopian District and five in Kachdoora village in the same District. One militant was killed and another one was arrested in Dialgam in Anantnag District. Three Army soldiers were killed at Kachdoora village in Shopian District and four civilians were also killed in Shopian District- one at Dragad and three at Kachdoora. Daily Excelsior, April 2, 2018. 

Civilian fatalities in north east decrease except in Assam: The insurgency related civilian casualties declined in all states except in Assam where it increased from nine in 2015 to 29 in 2016. Additionally, the number of abductions also decreased in the region from 267 in 2015 to 168 in 2016. Counter Insurgency operations led to the killing of 87 militants, arrest of 1202 and recovery of 605 arms in 2016 in the region. In Assam, insurgency related violence continued to decline and the year 2016 witnessed the lowest number of insurgency incidents since 1997. During the period 2014 to 2016, 873 cadres and linkmen of National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Saoraigwra (NDFB-S) have been arrested and 50 cadres have been neutralized in operations. Aassam Tribune, March 26, 2018.

MALDIVES

Police Watchdog urged to investigate 36 'unlawful' arrests during the emergency, says report: The opposition party-the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on March 27 urged the Police watchdog-the National Integrity Commission (NIC) to probe the 'unlawful' arrests of 36 persons during the State of Emergency (SoE) in the Maldives. During the 45-days of emergency, more than 300 people were arrested in demonstrations and protests, many of them were subject to the brutality by the Maldivian Police, said MDP Chairman Hassan Latheef. Maldives Independent, March 28, 2018.

NEPAL

No blanket amnesty for cases of serious violation of human rights and humanitarian laws, says Prime Minister KP Oli: Prime Minister KP Oli during a luncheon meeting with foreign diplomats at his official residence at Baluwatar on March 27 said that there will be no blanket amnesty for cases of serious violation of human rights and humanitarian laws. The Prime Minister made the remarks to allay the concerns of the international community that Nepal may leave those committing serious crimes during Maoist insurgency unpunished. My Republica, March 28, 2018.

 

PAKISTAN

IS poses real threat to Pakistan, says NACTA chief Ihsan Ghani: National coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) Ihsan Ghani said on March 30 that the militant Islamic State (IS) group posed a real threat to Pakistan. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad in connection with a three-day event titled "Islamabad International Counter Terrorism Forum" commencing from April 3, he said IS had a significant presence in Afghanistan, which threatened a spillover into Pakistan. Dawn , January 20, 2018. 

SRI LANKA

97 rehabilitated LTTE cadres given appointments in private sector in Vavuniya District: 97 rehabilitated and reintegrated former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres were given appointments in private sector at a ceremony held on March 27 at the Poonthoddam Rehabilitation Center in Vavuniya District under the patronage of the center's Director General Duminda Pasqual. Employment opportunities in the private sector were provided to the rehabilitate cadres based on the training courses conducted by the Vocational Training Authority of Sri Lanka during the rehabilitation period. Colombo Page, March 31, 2018. 

10-year-plan will be implemented to improve quality of education in Jaffna, says Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe: Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at a ceremony to present letters of appointment to Northern Province teachers who worked on contract basis and as volunteers in the Sri Lanka Teachers Service, at Temple Trees on March 28 said that a 10-year-plan will be implemented to improve the quality of education in Jaffna. The Prime Minister instructed Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam to take necessary measures to implement the 10-year-plan with the assistance of Northern Province Education to improve the quality of education in Jaffna District. Daily News, March 31, 2018.