Page 14 - Terrorsim

Search underway in J&K to track down terrorists who attacked Army convoy

A cordon-and-search operation was underway in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday to track down terrorists who had fired on a convoy of Army vehicles a day ago, officials said. There was no casualty in the attack on the convoy on Friday. Troops are using sniffer dogs and aerial surveillance to comb the area, which has dense forest, the officials said. The cordon-and-search operation was underway to track the attackers, a senior officer said. The vehicles that came under attack near Krishna Ghati in Poonch sector on Friday evening were carrying security personnel back to a camp. No one was injured in the attack and the commanding officer as well as other Army personnel were safe, officials said. A similar ambush on Army vehicles took place in Poonch's Dhatya Morh in the Dera Ki Gali area on December 21. Four Army personnel were killed in the attack. Rajouri and Poonch districts have witnessed targeted attacks by terrorists on the Army and civilians in the recent past

45 live cartridges seized during checking near Indian Gate, accused held

At least 45 live cartridges were recovered from an SUV during police picket checking near the India Gate on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, police said. An intensive checking of vehicles is being carried out near the India Gate and Kartavya Path due to the upcoming Republic Day, they said. An officer said that during checking, at about 1.20 am on Wednesday, one Mahindra Scorpio was stopped for checking at police picket in Tilak Marg area. While checking, a packet was recovered from the vehicle, he added. During interrogation, the car driver identified as Ehit Sham-ul, 22, from Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, could not produce any valid documents for it, police said. A case under Section 25 of the Arms Act was registered against Ehit Sham-ul. He was further held and interrogated, they said.

Bus explodes in Afghanistan, killing at least 2 civilians and wounding 14

A minibus exploded in a mostly Shiite Muslim neighbourhood in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, killing at least two civilians and wounding 14 others, a Taliban official said Saturday, the first attack in the country in 2024. Police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion took place in the western part of the city, in the Dashti Barchi area. The cause remained unknown, but police launched an investigation, he said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State group's affiliate in the region has in the past targeted Shiite schools, hospitals, and mosques in the same area. Last week during a press conference in Kabul, Taliban Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said there had been a 90 per cent decrease in attacks by the IS affiliate in the past year. The IS affiliate has been a major rival of the Taliban since the latter seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021. IS militants have struck in Kabul, in northern provinces and especially whereve

US offers up to $10 million for information on five Hamas financiers

The first financier, Hamza, was involved in the transfer of almost $20 mn to Hamas

Iran suspects suicide bombers launched attack as IS claim circulates

Investigators believe suicide bombers likely carried out an attack on a commemoration for an Iranian general slain in a 2020 US drone strike, state media reported on Thursday, as Iran grappled with its worst mass-casualty attack in decades and as the wider Mideast remains on edge. A purported claim of responsibility circulated online attributed the attack to the Islamic State group, though it could not be immediately verified by The Associated Press. Wednesday's attack in Kerman killed at least 84 people and wounded another 284. It targeted a ceremony honouring Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, held as an icon by supporters of the country's theocracy and viewed by the US military as a deadly foe who aided militants who killed American troops in Iraq. A report by the state-run IRNA news agency, later aired by state television, quoted an unnamed informed source" for the suicide bombing information. The outlets quoted the official as saying that surveillance footage from the

103 killed, 188 wounded in bombing near grave of slain Iran general

Iranian state TV and state-run IRNA news agency quoted emergency officials for the casualty figures, which rose rapidly in the hours after the explosions

Pakistan police arrest 21 members of Taliban linked to deadly attacks

Pakistan's counterterrorism police said on Monday they arrested 21 members of outlawed militant group the Pakistani Taliban, which has been behind several deadly attacks across the country. Acting on intelligence information, the arrests were made in the eastern Punjab province over the past two weeks, the provincial Counterterrorism Department said in a statement. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 as US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war. The Counterterrorism Department provided a list of the suspects, the cases against them and their alleged affiliation. But the list did not give details about the attacks the militants were allegedly involved in, including the number of casualties. The statement said that Mohammad Arshad, an alleged chief commander of the banned Baluch Nationalist Army which ..

Gangster Goldy Brar designated terrorist under anti-terror law UAPA: Govt

Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar was on Monday designated as a terrorist by the government under the anti-terror law for his involvement in smuggling of high-grade arms, ammunition and explosives through drones from across the border for carrying out killings in India. In a notification, the Union Home Ministry said that Satwinder Singh alias Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar has also been associated with banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International. The central government believes that he is involved in terrorism and therefore he has been added as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the notification said.

Parties should set aside differences and unite to crush terror in J-K: Azad

Speaking to ANI, the founder-chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party stressed the need for all political parties to set aside their differences and come together to fight terror

Internet suspended in J-K's Poonch, Rajouri amid massive anti-terrorist op

Mobile Internet services were suspended in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts early Saturday as security forces continued their massive search operation to track down terrorists behind the recent ambush on two Army vehicles that left five soldiers dead, officials said. The suspension of the mobile Internet services in the twin border districts followed mysterious death of three persons after being allegedly picked up by the Army for questioning, and widespread resentment among people after the circulation of videos purportedly showing torture of the suspects. While both Army and civil authorities are tight-lipped on the ground situation, official sources said mobile Internet services were suspended both in Poonch and Rajouri districts as a precautionary measure to check rumour-mongering and prevent miscreants from creating any law and order problem. Senior Army, police and civil officers are monitoring the situation, the sources said, adding additional police and ...

Search op using helicopters, sniffer dogs ongoing in J&K a day after ambush

Security forces Friday launched a massive cordon and search operation in the forest area of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district and a National Investigation Agency team also visited there, a day after five army personnel were killed and two others injured in a terrorist attack. The General officer Commanding (GoC), XVI corps, Lt Gen Sandeep Jain visited Ground Zero and reviewed the situation with top army and police officers, officials said. "Indian Army and White knight Corps salutes the bravery and supreme sacrifice of four soldiers in Surankote on yesterday while fighting the scourge of terrorism", White Knight Corps, or XVI corps, wrote on X. An official said aerial monitoring using helicopters is also being conducted and sniffer dogs have been pressed into service to track down the terrorists who ambushed two Army vehicles in the area Thursday afternoon. "A massive cordon and search operation has begun this morning after a night cordon in area," an officer told PTI. The ...

Terrorists ambush Army vehicles in J&K's Poonch, 4 jawans killed, 3 injured

At least three jawans were injured as terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Thursday, officials said. The vehicles came under attack in the Savni area on the Rajouri-Thanamandi-Surankote road around 3.30 pm. They were carrying jawans from an area near Bufliaz where a cordon-and-search operation against terrorists has been underway since Wednesday night. The terrorists fired upon the vehicles -- a truck and a Gypsy -- leaving at least three jawans injured, the officials said. A defence PRO said, "Based on hard intelligence a joint operation was launched...last night, contact has been established today evening and encounter is in progress. Further details being ascertained." Additional forces have been rushed to the spot, the officials said.

Some more time needed to silence last gun in Kashmir: J&K DGP R R Swain

Asserting that it will take some time to silence the last gun in the valley, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain on Saturday said police are constantly working towards achieving the goal of zero infiltration, zero terror recruitment, zero smuggling of arms and ammunition, besides dismantling the narrative that promotes, justifies and glorifies terrorism. In an exclusive interview with PTI video, Swain also said the number of local terrorists has considerably fallen to less than 20 this year, compared to 100 in 2022. However, he acknowledged that the foreign terrorists still pose a challenge. "Last year, for the same period, it was 100. This year, it is less than 20 or even less if I remember correctly. There are foreign terrorists, there is no doubt about it. But the (number of) local terrorists or local recruitment has come down," he said. "We do not want to put out the number of foreign terrorists. But there is a challenge on account of that," he added. T

Village council member in Ukraine sets off grenades during meet, injures 26

A village council member in western Ukraine detonated three hand grenades during a meeting on Friday, critically injuring himself and at least two dozen other people, authorities said. A video posted on social media showed a man entering a room where the village council of Keretsky was meeting to discuss and approve the community's budget. The man, who was preliminary identified as Serhii Batryn, a council member who belongs to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Servant of the People party, took three grenades from his pockets, removed the pins and threw the weapons on the floor in front of him. Thranscarpathian region police said in an official statement that 26 people were injured, six of them critically. The man who set off the grenades suffered grave injuries and medics worked to save his life, police said. There was no immediate word on a possible motive or if the attack was somehow connected to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Denmark & Germany arrest terror suspects including suspected Hamas members

Denmark and Germany announced on Thursday arrests of several terror suspects, including alleged Hamas members suspected of plotting attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions in Europe over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The announcements were issued separately and it was unclear how the arrests were connected and if they were the result of coordinated actions, or even possibly one operation spanning the continent. Danish police said three people were arrested across Denmark while a fourth person was detained in the Netherlands on suspicion of plotting to carry out an act of terror. Officials in Copenhagen did not provide any details beyond saying the arrests had threads abroad and were related to criminal gangs, singling out the banned, predominantly immigrant gang Loyal to Familia that had long been behind feuds, violence, robberies, extortion and drug sales in the Danish capital. However, Flemming Drejer, the operative head of Denmark's Security and Intelligence Service, cryptically

ISIS module leader among 15 operatives arrested in Maha, Karnataka: NIA

The anti-terror agency sleuths raided these locations in close coordination with the police forces of Maharashtra and Karnataka, sources said

Delhi Police on alert after SFJ chief Pannun threatens to attack Parliament

The Delhi Police are on alert after the US-based Khalistani supporter Gurpatwant Singh Pannu released a video message threatening to "shake the very foundation of Parliament" on December 13 -- the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament. A senior police officer said security has already been stepped up in and around Parliament. "No one will be allowed to disturb law and order," he said. "When Parliament is on, we remain alert. We are taking all precautionary measures to prevent any untoward incident," the officer said adding that security has also been beefed up in entire Delhi. In the video, which also had a photo of the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the chief of the proscribed organisation Sikhs for Justice claimed that the Narendra Modi government tried to kill him and threatened to respond on December 13. Pannu claimed that his response would shake "the very foundation of the Indian Parliament".

Four injured in IED blast in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

At least four people, including three children, were injured on Tuesday when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded here in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to the police, the blast occurred around 9:10 am near a school in the provincial capital Peshawar, Geo News reported. At least four kilogrammes of explosives, planted in a cemented block on the side of the road, were used in the blast. Police and rescue teams were sent to the site as soon as the blast was reported, Warsak Superintendent of Police Arshad Khan was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper. The injured children, between the ages of seven and 10, were moved to a private hospital, the report said. The condition of two children was critical, a spokesperson of the Peshawar Lady Reading Hospital was quoted as saying in the report. Khan said that the police launched a search operation in the surrounding areas. The element of extortion is also being considered in the blast," he was quoted a

Over 60 Bengaluru schools receive bomb threat, students evacuated safely

At least 15 private schools in Bengaluru on Friday morning received an email with a bomb threat on its premises, triggering panic among the staff and parents, police said. The school authorities immediately alerted police, which reached the institutions concerned with the bomb disposal squads and anti-sabotage check teams, they said. The students and staff were immediately evacuated from the school premises, police said, adding no suspicious objects have been found yet. As soon as parents got to know about the incident, they rushed to schools in panic to get their children back home safely. "The email claimed that explosives had been planted on school premises. We received a call from the command centre and immediately rushed our teams to schools which are located in different parts of the city. All students and staff have been safely evacuated from the school premises and a thorough search operation is being carried out," a senior police officer said. So far, nothing suspicious h

Anatomy of a terrorist organisation

What motivates Lashkar-e-Tayyaba's three-decades-long history of cross-border assaults? A book on the literature of the outfit attempts to provide some insights into this pressing question