Terrorism Watch

  A court has sentenced to life 17 Islamic   militants   for kidnapping 21 people, including European   tourists   and Asian workers, from a dive resort in   Malaysia   more than two decades ago. The Filipino militants belonged to the small but violent Abu Sayyaf group. Among those convicted by the Regional Trial Court in Taguig city, a suburb of the capital region, were two Abu Sayyaf leaders, Hilarion Santos and Redendo Dellosa, who had been included in a United Nations terrorism blacklist, the Department of Justice in Manila said. The 17 were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of pardon after 30 years, according to justice officials. In April 2000, Abu Sayyaf militants armed with assault rifles and machetes, traveled by speedboats from their southern Philippine jungle strongholds and raided the Sipadan Island dive resort in neighboring Malaysia, where they abducted 21 Western tourists and resort workers at gunpoint. The militants are a...

ndian authorities reiterated calls for Bangladesh to ‘protect minorities’ on Friday amid growing outrage over the arrest of a Hindu priest. The Ministry of External Affairs also batted for a ‘fair, just and transparent’ trial following the arrest of ISKON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das.  “We see ISKCON as a globally well-regarded organisation with a strong record of social service. As far as the arrest of Chinmoy Das is concerned, we have made our statement on that... Cases against individuals and legal processes are underway. We hope and expect that these processes will be dealt with in a fair, just and transparent manner ensuring full respect for these individuals and all those who are concerned,” said MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. Source:  India concerned by ‘surge of extremism, violence’ against Hindus in Bangladesh: ‘Arrest of Chinmoy Das is…’