Tag: Terror

Terror attacks shift headlines from SCO in Goa to J-K

[ad_1]
The headlines on Friday when the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ( SCO) met in Goa India, changed quickly. The killing of five soldiers in the Kandi area of Rajouri, a border district along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, in an encounter with the terrorists who had attacked an army vehicle and killed five soldiers on April 20 in the same belt, altered the headlines. The dateline also shifted from Panaji to Panaji to Rajouri. The SCO meet and its conclusions, which could have been the banner headlines were diluted as the killing of soldiers made it to the headlines in a way that no one had anticipated.
This change in headlines substantiated the Indian view that how terrorism was keeping it away from direct or indirect talks with Pakistan in resolving issues between the two countries bilaterally. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar did not mince words in calling out his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Zardari Bhutto as the “spokesperson of industry of terrorism, the mainstay of Pakistan.” He underscored his message in the phrase, “The victims of terrorism and perpetrators of terrorism cannot sit together”. This was a clear message to Pakistan that it cannot hope India to talk and improve ties while terrorism from across the border continued to bleed the country. The killing of five soldiers on Friday in Rajouri lent strategic, diplomatic, and political meat to this assertion.
Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, who projected himself as the son of Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated by terrorists in December 2007, tried to convince the SCO and India, in particular, that Pakistan also is a victim of terrorism, and it has suffered the maximum number of casualties due to acts of terror. It is a fact but this doesn’t grant Pakistan a license to export and unleash terrorism in India. The real victims of terrorism empathize with the fellow victims, not inflict terrorism on them.

This is not the first time that the headlines changed in this manner. At a time, way back in December 2015, when it was hoped that a new chapter of friendly ties between India and Pakistan might open with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lahore, to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, things turned sour with terror attack on Indian Air Force Station in Pathankot. This was like the Lahore turned Kargil moment during the Vajpayee era in 1999. The headlines don’t change for days or weeks, but these leave a legacy of chilling reminders of what had happened. These are dark spots in the history, which cannot be obliterated. These spots have an unfortunate tendency to recur as necessary lessons are not learned in time, and the temporary wake up calls turn into sleepwalking after few weeks or months.
As the operations are underway to trace and neutralize the terrorists who mounted these attacks, it is hoped that the army would be successful in neutralizing the terrorists involved in these two incidents, in which 10 soldiers have died with zero casualty on the other side so far. This is a very heavy toll, as it is far beyond the normal and acceptable ratio; one to four. That is four terrorists against each soldier. By that count, the number of terrorists killed in these operations should have been 40. But there are certain constraints. It is not always possible to maintain this ratio as the situations and terrains are difficult. The army has an added constraint, it has to navigate its operations without causing collateral damage – no civilian casualty is the mantra. There may be an argument that how could there be civilian losses in high and rocky terrains, but this is not the case. During this time of the year, shepherds are in the upper reaches with their herd. The gunbattles and operations restrict their movement and they have to stay within specified spaces. This is the geographic challenge.
The nation is waiting for the outcome of the ongoing operations in the mountains dotted with dense forests. That will add yet another headline. The real threat of headlines of this nature is that they overshadow the rest of the stories emanating from the ground. Positive optics take a back seat not only in the captions and headlines but also in the minds of the people.
[ad_2]
#Terror #attacks #shift #headlines #SCO #Goa

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
Jamaat-e-Islami terror funding case: NIA carries out searches at 16 locations in J-K

[ad_1]
Jammu: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at 16 locations in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday as part of its crackdown on the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in a terror funding case, an official said.
The searches were conducted at the premises of JeI members and supporters at 16 locations — 11 in Baramulla district of north Kashmir and five in Kishtwar district of Jammu region — a spokesperson of the federal agency said.
The official said several incriminating materials and digital devices were seized during the searches and were being examined for more clues in the case.

“JeI has been found carrying out terror funding activities in Jammu and Kashmir, even after being declared an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on February 28, 2019,” the spokesperson said.
The NIA filed a charge sheet in a special court in New Delhi on May 12 last year against four accused after registering a suo motu case of terror funding against the outfit on February 5, 2021.
The spokesperson said previous investigations by the NIA had revealed that one of the four arrested accused, Javaid Ahmad Lone, had been soliciting funds and organising meetings in the name of JeI.
“He had been delivering hateful anti-India speeches and exhorting people to make donations at these meetings. Along with Aadil Ahmad Lone, he had acquired firearms and ammunition with ulterior motives from the other two accused, identified as Manzoor Ahmad Dar and Rameez Ahmad Kondu,” the spokesperson said.
In February 2019, the Centre had banned JeI for five years under anti-terror laws on grounds that it was “in close touch” with militant outfits and was expected to “escalate secessionist movement” in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Hundreds of JeI activists were arrested in a major crackdown across Jammu and Kashmir following the ban, which came just months ahead of the abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile state and its bifurcation into Union territories in August 2019.
The spokesperson said the investigations so far have revealed that JeI (J&K) members had been collecting funds domestically and from abroad through donations, particularly in the form of zakat, mowda and bait-ul-mal, as well as for purported charitable purposes such as promotion of education and health.
“The funds were, instead, being used for violent and secessionist activities in J&K. They were also being channelled to proscribed terrorist organisations such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others through well-organised networks of JeI cadres,” the spokesperson said.
The NIIA said JeI was also engaged in motivating impressionable youths of Kashmir and recruiting new members for carrying out “violent, disruptive and secessionist activities”.
[ad_2]
#JamaateIslami #terror #funding #case #NIA #carries #searches #locations
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 4, 2023
NIA Opposes Separatist Leader’s Bail Plea In Terror Funding Case

[ad_1]
SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has opposed the bail plea of separatist leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan in a case related to alleged terror funding under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) before the Delhi High Court.
Khan has been in judicial custody since August 14, 2017, and has been accused by the NIA of “creating unrest” in the Kashmir valley. He was arrested on July 24, 2017, and charges for various offences under the Indian Penal Code, including sedition and UAPA, were framed against him by a special NIA court on March 16 last year.
The NIA has submitted that evidence collected in the case clearly establishes a prima facie case against Khan and that he was involved in terrorist and funding activities. Certain letters were found during search and seizure from Khan’s residence showing that he was getting students admitted for MBBS courses in Pakistan, according to the agency.
The NIA has alleged that this shows Khan’s involvement in terror funding out of commission earned from getting students admitted to MBBS courses in Pakistan. Various videos have also been relied upon by the NIA to allege that Khan is seen leading a “pro-ISIS rally” and “visiting areas where terrorists were killed.” The NIA has stated that the videos have conversations by Khan about funding from Hizbul Mujahideen.
The matter will be heard on May 03 by a division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Talwant Singh. The case alleges that there was a larger criminal conspiracy for causing disruption in the Kashmir valley by way of “pelting stones on the security forces, systematically burning of schools, damage to public property, and for waging war against India.” The case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the UAPA.
While denying him bail, the special NIA judge had noted that a detailed scrutiny of evidence and statements of various witnesses was done at the time of framing of charges and it was concluded that there is sufficient evidence available raising “grave suspicion” regarding Khan’s involvement. (LiveLaw)

[ad_2]
#NIA #Opposes #Separatist #Leaders #Bail #Plea #Terror #Funding #Case

( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

April 30, 2023
Poonch terror attack: Man who consumed poison after being called for police questioning dies

[ad_1]
Poonch: A 50-year-old man who allegedly consumed poison on being called by police for questioning in connection with last week’s terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch died on Thursday, sparking protests by agitated locals, an official said.
Mukhtar Hussain Shah, a resident of Nar village in the district’s Mendhar tehsil, was disturbed as he was facing some domestic issues, he said, adding that he was not summoned as a suspect.
However, in a video message which went viral after his death, Shah alleged harassment. He also called for stern action against the real culprits behind the attack and a united fight against terrorism.

Shah allegedly consumed poison on Tuesday evening and was admitted to the Government Medical College, Rajouri, where he died on Thursday morning, the official said.
Shah took the extreme step within hours of being asked to report for questioning in connection with the April 20 ambush by terrorists in the Bhata Dhurian forest that left five soldiers dead, he said.
The slain soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.
“He was not a suspect (in the terror attack case) but was called for questioning like most of the residents of his village that is located near the ambush site. We came to know he was facing domestic issues and was disturbed,” the official said.
Soon after Shah’s body reached near his house, his relatives and neighbours blocked the Jammu-Poonch national highway between Bhimber Gali and Bhata Dhurian to press for an inquiry into the circumstances leading to his death.

The protesters also raised slogans against the police and are being persuaded to disperse, the official said.
“I have no pressure from the Army, police or villagers. I am ending my life, even though it is wrong as per my religion. My family and I are being harassed and despite speaking the truth, nobody is listening to me,” Shah said in his nearly 10-minute video message.
Swearing by Allah and the holy book that he did not help the terrorists in carrying out the attack, he said 200 to 500 innocent villagers are facing harassment and torture for no fault of theirs.
“I am sad that my brothers from Rashtriya Rifles got martyred and I express my solidarity with their families. Humanity demands that no innocent’s blood should be shed and my family and villagers will protect our country and cooperate with (security) officers,” he said.
Shah said his family always supported India but the “same family is getting tortured. My request to the (security) officers is not to oppress innocents and if anyone is involved, let there be stern action against them”.
He said people are facing harassment because of someone else’s mistake. “I want to appeal to all Muslims that we should come together and support the Army so that the bloodshed ends forever and we are relieved of the torture,” he said.
“Let us come together with determination to stand up for peace. The government is providing everything to us but we are troubled because of some people. We have to expose them so that this thing is over for good,” he said.
Security forces have detained over 60 people as part of an ongoing anti-terrorist operation following the attack in Bhata Dhurian, a notorious infiltration route for terrorists from across the Line of Control because of its topography, dense forest cover and natural caves.
The massive search and cordon operation has been extended to many areas of both Poonch and nearby Rajouri but there has been no contact with the terrorists who fled the scene after the deadly ambush.
The official said a suspect has admitted to having provided logistic support to the terrorists for over two months and his further questioning is on.
Special forces are also engaged in the search operation that entered its eighth day on Thursday, officials said, adding that agencies are using drones, sniffer dogs and metal detectors in the operation.
Sources had earlier said that seven to eight terrorists in two groups are believed to have engineered the attack.
The terrorists reportedly hid under a culvert on the road from where they launched the attack on the truck which was carrying fruits, vegetables and other items to Sangiote village from the Bhimber Gali camp for iftar to be organised by the Rashtriya Rifles, according to initial investigation.
There were more than 50 bullet marks on the vehicle, which shows the intensity of the firing by the terrorists, the sources said.
The troops involved in the operation are exercising utmost caution as the terrorists may have planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the densely forested area with deep gorges and caves, they said.
Experts from various agencies, including the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), have visited the site of the attack.
According to the officials, a sniper is believed to have targeted the Army vehicle from the front before his associates fired and lobbed grenades on the vehicle from opposite sides, apparently giving the troops no time to retaliate.
“The terrorists used steel core bullets that can penetrate an armoured shield,” the officials said, adding that the terrorists decamped with the soldiers’ service weapons.
[ad_2]
#Poonch #terror #attack #Man #consumed #poison #called #police #questioning #dies
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 27, 2023
NGO Terror Funding Case: NIA Raids Khurram Parvaiz’s Office In Budgam

[ad_1]
SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday raided an NGO office of jailed Khurram Parvaiz in central Kashmir’s Budgam
A team of NIA conducted searches at an NGO office at Dandoosa area in Budgam. The office is of Khurram Parvaiz, they said.
An official confirmed and said “Yes, the NIA team conducted searches at the NGO office at Dandoosa Budgam, some documents have been seized during searches”.
The searches were conducted in an NGO terror funding case. Parvaz is already in jail in a terror-funding case and was chargesheeted in May last year. “Following the first arrest made in the NGO terror funding case on March 20, 2023, the National Investigation Agency arrested Khurram Parvez, the program coordinator of Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS) and chairperson of Philippines-based NGO Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD). (KDC)

[ad_2]
#NGO #Terror #Funding #Case #NIA #Raids #Khurram #Parvaizs #Office #Budgam
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

April 26, 2023
Terror attacks in Pakistan kill 293 people this year

[ad_1]
Rawalpindi: A total of 293 people have been killed and 521 others injured in 436 terrorist attacks in Pakistan since January this year, the military’s media wing ISPR said.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 192 people were killed and 330 injured in 219 incidents, whereas Balochistan reported 80 fatalities and 170 wounded persons in 206 attacks, said Director General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry at a press briefing.
A total of 21 people were killed and 21 others injured in 11 incidents in Punjab and Sindh provinces, he told reporters here.

The DG added that this year, the security forces conducted 8,269 major and minor intelligence-based operations in which 1,535 terrorists were either killed or arrested.
An average of over 70 operations are being conducted by police, security forces, and other law enforcement agencies on a daily basis across the country, the official said.
“Due to untiring efforts of the public and army, there is no no-go area in Pakistan. However, in some areas, several groups of terrorists are active which are being eliminated on a daily basis. During these operations huge cache of arms and ammunition has been recovered from terrorists and their handlers,” he said.
The fatalities in the operations included 137 army personnel while there were 117 injured persons, he said, adding that “the war against terrorism will continue till elimination of the last terrorist”.
Talking about the internally displaced people, following operations in tribal areas, he said that 95 per cent of them returned home after the restoration of peace.

[ad_2]
#Terror #attacks #Pakistan #kill #people #year
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 26, 2023
NGO Terror Funding Case: NIA raids Khurram Parvaiz’s office in Budgam

[ad_1]
Srinagar, Apr 26, KDC: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday raided an NGO office of jailed Khurram Parvaiz in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Reports reaching news agency Kashmir Dot Com said that a team of NIA conducted searches at an NGO office at Dandoosa area in Budgam. The office is of Khurram Parvaiz, they said.
An official confirmed and said “Yes, the NIA team conducted searches at the NGO office at Dandoosa Budgam, some documents have been seized during searches”.
The searches were conducted in an NGO terror funding case. Parvaz is already in jail in a terror-funding case and was chargesheeted in May last year. “Following the first arrest made in the NGO terror funding case on March 20, 2023, the National Investigation Agency arrested Khurram Parvez, the program coordinator of Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS) and chairperson of Philippines-based NGO Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD). (KDC)
[ad_2]
#NGO #Terror #Funding #Case #NIA #raids #Khurram #Parvaizs #office #Budgam
( With inputs from : roshankashmir.net )

April 26, 2023
Terror outfit planning to target Imran Khan

[ad_1]
Islamabad: A classified report by the Pakistan Ministry of Defence has revealed that a banned terrorist outfit is planning to target former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and other high-profile political personalities in the country, the media reported on Sunday.
The report revealed that, besides Imran Khan, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah may also be targeted by hostile elements to sabotage peace in the country, Express News reported.
According to the report, the banned organisation can attack Imran Khan during public rallies or movement by “malicious religious fanatics”.

It added that the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or foreign-sponsored banned organisations may target the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Express News reported.
The Ministry of Defence’s classified report submitted to the Supreme Court regarding elections in two provinces has expressed fears of terrorist attacks on prominent political leaders, including Imran Khan, Rana Sanaullah and Khawaja Asif.
The PTI chief can be targeted during his movement or in a public rally, while he can also be targeted by religious extremists, the report states, Samaa TV reported.
According to the report, sensitive agencies have been asked to scrutinise the security personnel of Imran Khan, Samaa TV reported.

[ad_2]
#Terror #outfit #planning #target #Imran #Khan
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 23, 2023
Farooq Abdullah’s remarks on Poonch terror attack unacceptable: BJP

[ad_1]
Jammu: A day after National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah asked security agencies not to harass innocents during their operation against the perpetrators of a recent terror attack in Poonch, the BJP on Sunday said the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister’s remarks are unacceptable as those could hamper the probe.
The saffron party also said people should also understand the “ill motives” of the NC leadership, which is trying to create a wedge between communities by misusing such critical situations.
“Abdullah accused investigation agencies of harassing common people in the name of the Poonch terror attack probe. He should not mislead people and rather ask them to join the probe to punish the culprits as soon as possible,” senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kavinder Gupta said here.

Five Army personnel were killed and one was seriously injured after their vehicle was attacked by terrorists in Poonch on Thursday. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.
“They (security agencies) have started operations in Pooch. They should not arrest innocent people. It was their mistake, they should not harass innocent people. It is wrong and it should be avoided,” Abdullah said on Saturday.
On Friday, the NC president had said the top security officials in Jammu and Kashmir should look into the lapses that led to the killing of the soldiers.
“The area (where the attack took place) is closer to the border. There must be a security issue which they need to check. There has been a mistake somewhere, they should look into it,” he had said.
Gupta said the NC leadership should ponder for a while that central agencies are probing the case of a terror attack in which five Army bravehearts have given the supreme sacrifice.

“The unfounded statements given by Abdullah in context of the Poonch attack are unacceptable as these could hamper the investigation and have the potential to alienate people from the mainstream,” he said.
The former Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister also said people should understand the “ill motives” of the NC leadership, which is trying to create a wedge between communities by misusing such critical situations.
“Those who have any knowledge about the terror strike in Poonch should come forward and become part of the probe as five countrymen have lost their precious lives while performing their duties,” he said.
[ad_2]
#Farooq #Abdullahs #remarks #Poonch #terror #attack #unacceptable #BJP
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 23, 2023
British man pleads guilty to ISIS related terror charges in UK

[ad_1]
London: A British man arrested at Heathrow Airport over a year ago when he flew back from Pakistan pleaded guilty on Friday to travelling to Syria to join the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist network.
Shabazz Suleman, who grew up in the High Wycombe area of Buckinghamshire in south-east England, was due to study international relations at university when he vanished while on a family holiday to Turkey in 2014, aged 19.
He was arrested after returning to the UK via Pakistan in October 2021 and charged with a string of terror offences and was due to face trial at the Old Bailey court in London next month. He has now pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism by travelling from the UK to Turkey in order to join ISIS in Syria in August 2014.

Now aged 27, Suleman was also charged with being a member of ISIS, a proscribed organisation, between 2014 and 2017, and receiving training in the use of firearms. Judge Mark Lucraft remanded him in custody until sentencing on May 26.
In an interview with Sky News’ in 2017, Suleman had claimed he spent most of his three years in terrorist territory playing PlayStation and riding his bike.
He spoke about how he’d gone into hiding to try to avoid fighting, sitting in various houses in Raqqa playing Grand Theft Auto or Metal Gear Solid on a PlayStation and having “a normal life in IS territory”.
In Syria, he is said to have assumed the name Abu Shamil al-Britani and is alleged to have carried out guard duty and patrols for ISIS. By June 2015 he had reportedly become disillusioned, saying, “I never thought I was being brainwashed until I saw the way they treat other Sunnis”.
Speaking after leaving ISIS, Suleman told Sky News’: “I take responsibility. I was with ISIS, I was with a terrorist organisation. But I didn’t kill anyone, I hope I didn’t oppress anyone.

“I did have Kalashnikov and a military uniform, but I didn’t hit anyone, I didn’t oppress anyone, if you understand. I was there with military police but like I said, I was in the office.”
Suleman is believed to be among hundreds of British nationals who travelled to the Middle East to join the ranks of ISIS and other terror networks in Syria and Iraq over the years.
[ad_2]
#British #man #pleads #guilty #ISIS #related #terror #charges
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 14, 2023