Terrorism Watch

Islamic State’s dramatic conquest of Mosul, Iraq’s second city, on June 10th and the brutal beheading of five westerners shocked other countries into recognising the threat posed by the ruthless militarised Sunni cult.  Islamic State  has thrived on international indifference, widespread Muslim anger against the “crusading” Christian West, the politicomilitary vacuum caused by the conflict in  Syria , and the Sunni struggle for rights in  Iraq .  Little notice had been taken in August 2013 when Islamic State occupied the strategic Syrian city of Raqqa, which it made the capital of its caliphate. The world powers also ignored the group when, in January 2014, its fighters occupied the Iraqi city of Falluja and half of Anbar’s provincial capital, Ramadi, an hour’s drive from Baghdad. Islamic State is headed by the self-proclaimed Caliph Ibrahim, whose nom de guerre is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Born in the Iraqi city of Samarra, in 1971, the canny warrior assumed the leadership of the Islamic

NORTH WAZIRISTAN: An aerial assault by the Pakistan Army in Datta Khel area of Northern Waziristan accounted for 39 terrorists including 2 important commanders.   According to ISPR Army jet fighters attacked the area killing 2 important terrorist commanders and destroying a large cache of ammunition.   ISPR also said that the destroyed cache of ammunition was so large that the blasts could even be heard in the jet fighters. Source  http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-169944-Pak-Armys-aerial-assault-kills-39-terrorists

SEOUL, South Korea —   North Korea  lashed out at the United States on Saturday, blaming it for disruptions that cut off the nation’s already limited connections to the Internet, while once again rejecting American accusations that it was behind the hacking of Sony Pictures. The statement, carried by the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency, also called  President Obama  a “monkey” for urging the film studio to release “The Interview,” a comedy depicting the assassination of the North Korean leader,  Kim Jong-un . Sony had canceled the movie’s release for fear of further attacks, but then reversed itself after Mr. Obama criticized it for capitulating to North Korean pressure. The statement by the National Defense Commission, which is led by Mr. Kim and is the country’s most powerful governing body, is the North’s first response to the intermittent disruptions that have crippled its tenuous connection to cyberspace since Monday. The connectivity problems, which at one point appe

New York:  From financial crisis in Russia to cyber warfare with North Korea, 2014 has generated new flashpoints right into its final days, setting 2015 up to be just as turbulent. Almost all of the major confrontations, such as the battle with Islamic State militants, the West's stand-off with Russia over Ukraine and the fight against Ebola, will rumble on. Others could erupt at short notice. "Normally after a year like this you might expect things to calm down," said John Bassett, former senior official with British signals intelligence agency GCHQ now an associate at Oxford University. "But none of these problems have been resolved and the drivers of them are not going away." The causes are varied - a global shift of economic power from the West, new technologies, regional rivalries and anger over rising wealth gaps. In June, a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace showed world peace declining for the seventh consecutive year since 2007, reversing a

Representational Image  Cyber crime in Hyderabad showed a significant 37 per cent rise this year with offences such as sending objectionable or "stalking" text messages or emails being most common, the city police said on Saturday. While the overall crime cases registered an increase of 10 per cent -- from 19,110 last year to 21,035 this year, there was a sharp rise in rape cases,  Hyderabad police  commissioner M Mahender Reddy today said. The cases registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) stood at 16,537, a little more than 16,359 in 2013, he said while releasing annual crime statistics for the city. Cyber crime cases showed almost 37 per cent increase from 479 in 2013 to 655 this year, with the offences of "stalking SMS" and e-mails topping the list (105), followed by that of uploading fake profiles of women on  social media platforms (90 this year from last year's 16). Online frauds rose to 18 from six last year; debit and credit card frauds increased to

Hyderabad Police are putting in place "full-fledged surveillance" and collecting information about Rohingya Muslim refugees who have been living in the city after fleeing Myanmar.  "We have collected their census. The details of their identification numbers and from where they came and their photographs have also been collected in some areas of the city," city Police Commissioner M Mahender Reddy said here.  "It is an ongoing process. We are in the process of collecting all the details and are in the process of having a full-fledged surveillance," Reddy told reporters.  Reddy was replying to a question regarding the arrest of Khalid Mohammed, a Rohingya Muslim, from Hyderabad by National Investigation Agency last month in connection with Burdwan blast.  Asked specifically if police were keeping a watch on their movement and the work they do in the city, he said "yes, we are keeping a watch." Hundreds of Rohingya Muslim refugees settled down in va

The motive for the killing of Father Gregorio Lopez remains unclear A priest who was kidnapped in Mexico's south-western state of Guerrero on Monday has been found shot dead, officials say. The body of Father Gregorio Lopez was discovered near the city of Ciudad Altamirano. A group of priests later rallied in the city to condemn the murder. Father Lopez was seized by gunmen from Ciudad Altamirano's seminary, where he taught. The motive for the killing remains unclear. A friend of the priest told local media that Father Lopez was kidnapped after he accused drug gang Guerreros Unidos of the abduction and alleged murder of 43 students in September. He is the third priest to be killed this year in Guerrero state, which has been at the centre of drug-related violence in Mexico. Last month, forensic experts identified the body of a Ugandan Catholic priest among the remains found in a mass grave. Father John Ssenyondo had been missing since being kidnapped in April. The grave was loca

Media caption   The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan: "Maulana Abdul Aziz is known for his radical views" A judge in Pakistan has issued an arrest warrant for a cleric at a radical mosque in Islamabad who has refused to condemn the massacre of children at an army-run school. Imam Abdul Aziz has been accused of threatening protesters outside the Red Mosque. The cleric said the charge against him was insignificant. Last week, Taliban fighters attacked the school in Peshawar, killing 152 people, including 133 children. Mr Aziz said that the authorities should focus on arresting people accused of more serious crimes. "My case is very small and even a sub-inspector can grant me bail," he said. The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan says that Mr Aziz is well known for his pro-Taliban views. Earlier this year, a school run by the cleric renamed its library in honour of the former al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden. A spokesman for the Red Mosque said they would resist the arrest of

GAZA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Hamas movement informed Egypt and other parties on Friday that it is committed to the cease-fire agreement reached with Israel in August, a senior official said. Hamas deputy chief Ismail Haneya told reporters in Gaza that "We held contacts with Egypt and other parties and informed them that Hamas is committed to the cease-fire agreement reached in Cairo in Aug. 26." He added that Hamas will be committed to the agreement reached in Cairo "as long as and as much as the occupation is committed to it." On Wednesday, a Hamas militant was killed in a short gun-battle with an Israeli army ground force near the borders between southeast Gaza Strip and Israel, after a Hamas sniper shot and wounded an Israeli soldier. Israel sent a warning to Hamas through Egypt and other mediators that the Israeli army would strongly strike the movement in case Hamas militants carry more attacks or fire rockets into Israel. On Thursday, Hamas leaders me

Ukrainian troops and independence-seeking insurgents have swapped prisoners of war under the framework of Minsk ceasefire protocol, local media reported Friday. According to Interfax news agency, Ukrainian government forces released 222 rebel fighters in exchange for 150 Ukrainian troops during the swap that took place on the neutral territory. (Xinhua/Ermochenko) KIEV, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian troops and independence- seeking insurgents have swapped prisoners of war under the framework of Minsk ceasefire protocol, local media reported Friday. According to Interfax news agency, Ukrainian government forces released 222 rebel fighters in exchange for 150 Ukrainian troops during the swap that took place on the neutral territory. Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk observed the exchange as a representative from the Kiev side, while Vladimir Kononov, the self-styled defense minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People 's Republic, has been delegated to the event by the rebel f

Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova has been held in pretrial detention since December 5. Award-winning Azerbaijani investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova, who hosts a daily program for RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, has been held in pretrial detention in Baku since December 5 after being accused of encouraging a man to commit suicide -- a charge that has been broadly condemned as a flagrant attempt to silence her critical voice. She is widely perceived to have often been the   target of harassment and intimidation   by the Azerbaijani government and pro-government forces for months because of her groundbreaking investigations into corruption at the highest levels of power, including President Ilham Aliyev and his family. Ismayilova was able to send this brief note from jail to RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service. The letter has been edited for style and grammar. My dear friends! Here in pretrial detention, my thoughts are with you. My only regret is that here I am restricte

 - Rediff.com Threatening messages, purportedly forwarded by terrorists group Indian Mujahideen, were sent to the official email IDs of 16 ministers in the Rajasthan government prompting the police to further strengthen the security arrangements in the state. Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Arun Chaturvedi are among the Cabinet ministers and Ministers of State who received the emails on December 22. "We are examining the credibility and authenticity of the email and its sender who gave threats in the message saying 'You yourself understand what we will do'. We are investigating the matter and have collected inputs which are being shared with intelligence agencies," DGP Omendra Bharadwaj said. He said that there is no specific target and also type of attack mentioned in the message which was sent on Monday purportedly by terrorists group Indian Mujahideen. ADG-ATS Alok Tripathi said that language of the message was poor and

2014-12-25 21:56 Vatican - An activist from the feminist group Femen bared her breasts in St Peter's Square on Christmas day and rushed the Nativity scene, grabbing the Baby Jesus figurine. Vatican police were quick to arrest the blonde activist on Thursday, who had the words "God Is Woman" daubed on her chest. Although the incident occurred well after Pope Francis delivered his Christmas message from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, thousands of pilgrims were still in the famous square. Source http://m.news24.com/news24/World/News/Femen-activist-grabs-Baby-Jesus-figurine-in-Italy-20141225

 - Al Jazeera English A 13-year-old  girl has accused her father of giving her to Nigeria's Boko Haram group that ordered her to explode a suicide bomb in Kano city. The girl said she and two other females were sent to carry out an attack on a textile market but after the other detonated their bombs, she decided not to complete the mission. Police Superintendent Adenrele Shinaba said on Wednesday that the girl left her suicide vest on the seat of a taxi that took her to the hospital for treatment of her wounded leg after shrapnel hit her in the market bombing. The taxi driver alerted police who then arrested her.  The girl told a news conference on Wednesday night that her captors asked if she wanted to go to paradise and, when she said yes, explained she would have to be a suicide bomber. "When I was told I would have to die to enter paradise, that I would have to explode a bomb and die, I said I cannot do it," she said. When they threatened to kill her, she allowed them

Security forces on Friday launched a major offensive against the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Sangbijit) responsible for the massacre of over 70 adivasis in Assam's Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts. Villagers leave their homes following ethnic clashes in Kokrajhar. In October 1993, about 50 people were killed in clashes between people from the ethnic Bodo tribe and immigrant Muslims in the western district of Bongaigaon. (AP Photo) On Friday morning, Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh met Union home minister Rajnath Singh and discussed about the ground situation in Assam and ways to intensify operations against the militant outfit. "We are definitely going to intensify our operations in Assam," the army chief told reporters in New Delhi after a meeting with Singh. The home minister, who returned to the national capital on Thursday evening after a two-day visit to Assam to take stock of the situation after the violence perpetrated by the Bodo militant

MANILA: Maoist-led guerrillas in the  Philippines  say they are ready to resume peace talks with the government after Pope Francis' visit to the mainly Catholic state next month, in a renewed bid to end the 45-year conflict. About 15,000 New People's Army (NPA) fighters and supporters on Friday gathered in a village on the southern island of  Mindanao  to support calls for the resumption of peace negotiations by their leaders living in exile in Europe. "The resumption of formal talks of the panels shall be after the papal visit," Jose Maria Sison, a university professor and founder of the  Communist Party  of the Philippines, told a local newspaper in an interview from his base in The Netherlands. Pope  Francis  is due to arrive in the Philippines on Jan. 15. Peace talks brokered by  Norway stalled three years ago after the Manila government rejected Maoist-led rebels' demands to release political prisoners. The government cautiously welcomed the rebels' inter

Friday, December 26, 2014 NEW People's Army (NPA) rebels released Friday two government soldiers they abducted in Bukidnon four months ago, as the communist party marked its 46th foundation anniversary. Major Ezra Balagtey, public affairs officer of the military's Eastern Mindanao Command, said soldiers were released to members of a local Crisis Management Committee who negotiated their release. Balagtey said the soldiers, PFCs Jerrel Yorong and Manuel Cinches, were freed around 10:55 a.m. at Barangay Peter in Malaybalay City in Bukidnon. Balagtey said two were later brought to Camp Evangelista, home of the Army's 4th Infantry Division, for medical checkup. "They are okay, there are no reports they were tortured," said Balagtey. The soldiers were snatched by the rebels in Impasug-ong town in Bukidnon last August 22 while coordinating community projects with local officials. The two, unarmed and in civilian clothes, were intercepted at a rebel checkpoint. The relea

A member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant waves an ISIL flag in Raqqa, Syria June 29, 2014. Attempts to block extremist material online will always fail despite a British counter-terrorism unit taking down more than 100 web pages a day, a think tank has warned. The terrorist material reappears on the Internet as quickly as it is banished and the policy risks driving fanatics on to the “dark web” where they are even harder to track, according to the Quilliam Foundation. It warned that censorship and filtering tactics are ineffective and that openly challenging the material is likely to have a greater impact. The report said despite concerns over fanatics radicalising themselves online, most vulnerable people are still targeted offline first and the Internet is only a “secondary socialiser”. Greater efforts are needed to combat radicalisation in schools, universities and prisons, it concluded. Figures show the Government’s Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit has rem

AMMAN (Reuters) - At least 45 civilians were killed and some 175 wounded when aircraft bombed a northern Syrian city controlled by Islamic State, as Bashar al-Assad's government stepped up air raids, residents and a monitoring group said on Friday. Helicopters and war planes dropped barrel bombs -- steel drums full of shrapnel and explosives -- on residential and industrial areas in the city of al Bab and neighboring Qabaseen, northeast of Aleppo, on Thursday and overnight, locals said. "People were going about scraping a living and there were no armed groups in the market, only poor people. Why is Assad killing us? May God bring vengeance on him," said Yousef al-Saadi, a resident of Qabaseen and a volunteer with the local civil defense group who was contacted on Skype. Syrian state media did not report the strikes on al Bab, a city of around 100,000 people that has been a target of heavy government strikes since the start of U.S- led military campaign against Islamic Sta

Peace talks due to take place in Minsk on Friday between the Kyiv government and pro-Russian rebels have been cancelled.  It’s been reported that Ukrainian authorities said the pro-Russian militants have failed to fulfil their promise of exchanging prisoners agreed to in talks held on Wednesday. Russia and the  OSCE  have also taken part in the negotiations. Friday’s meeting was due to deal with the removal of heavy weapons from the front line, the exchange of prisoners and Kyiv ending the economic blockade in rebel-held areas. Meanwhile, the festive season has given the Ukrainian city of  Donetsk a welcome break from the violence that has been raging in the region since April. The embattled city’s busy markets have been full with shoppers and there appeared to be a shared feeling of hope for the new year. Donetsk resident, Vasiliy Popov, said he wants “peace in 2015 for both sides in the conflict. They need to find some sense and rethink things. We’re one nation and I want Donetsk to

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants massacred 132 school students on 16 December, 2014. Peshawar:  Pakistani security forces have killed a Taliban commander who allegedly facilitated the Peshawar school massacre, which left 150 people dead in the country's worst ever terror attack, officials said today. Named only as "Saddam", the militant was killed on Thursday night in a gunfight with security forces in the restive Khyber tribal area, which borders the northwestern city of Peshawar where last week's horrific attack took place. "Commander Saddam was a dreaded terrorist, who was killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces in Jamrud town of Khyber tribal region," top local administration official Shahab Ali Shah told a press conference in Peshawar. "Six of his accomplices were injured and arrested." Source http://m.ndtv.com/article/world/facilitator-of-taliban-school-attack-killed-in-pakistan-640119

Fri Dec 26, 2014 10:40am GMT AMMAN (Reuters) - At least 45 civilians were killed and some 175 wounded when aircraft bombed a northern Syrian city controlled by Islamic State, as Bashar al-Assad's government stepped up air raids, residents and a monitoring group said on Friday. Helicopters and war planes dropped barrel bombs -- steel drums full of shrapnel and explosives -- on residential and industrial areas in the city of al Bab and neighbouring Qabaseen, northeast of Aleppo, on Thursday and overnight, locals said. "People were going about scraping a living and there were no armed groups in the market, only poor people. Why is Assad killing us? May God bring vengeance on him," said Yousef al-Saadi, a resident of Qabaseen and a volunteer with the local civil defence group who was contacted on Skype. Syrian state media did not report the strikes on al Bab, a city of around 100,000 people that has been a target of heavy government strikes since the start of U.S- led militar