Terrorism Watch

The political scene in Iraqi Kurdistan over the past two weeks can be summed up in three politically significant developments that have dealt heavy blows to the region’s already fragile democratic process. The first event was the arrest of Shaswar Abdulwahid, head of the opposition New Generation Movement, on August 12, 2025, from his home in Sulaymaniyah. The city is controlled by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led by Bafel Talabani, who is the son of the late former Iraqi president Jalal Talabani. According to PUK-affiliated media, the warrant for her arrest was issued on August 3, 2025, following lawsuits the private citizens had filed against Abdulwahid under Article 431 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which relates to “defamation.” A few days later, in Erbil- the capital of the Kurdistan Region, which is controlled by Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)- a court added four years and five months to the sentence of Sherwan Sherwani for allegedly “threatening” a prison...

Nine months after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the fate of tens of thousands of missing Syrians remains unresolved, leaving families trapped between grief and uncertainty. On Thursday, President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree establishing a National Commission for Transitional Justice, a move hailed by rights advocates as a key step toward addressing years of abuses. The announcement coincided with the International Day of the Disappeared, when the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) renewed its call on all parties to intensify efforts to clarify the fate of the missing. The ICRC said it had documented more than 37,000 cases of missing persons in Syria over the past 14 years, stressing the figure “represents only a fraction of the real number.” “The disappearance of a loved one is not only a personal tragedy,” the committee said in a statement. “It is one of the deepest and most enduring wounds of the Syrian conflict.” Since Assad’s overthrow late last year an...

In recent weeks, Lebanon’s army has found itself stretched thin across multiple fronts: mourning two soldiers killed by an exploding Israeli drone in the south, collecting weapons from Palestinian camps in Beirut, dismantling a drug factory near the Syrian border, and reinforcing its presence south of the Litani River. Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal said on Friday the military was entering “a sensitive phase with heavy responsibilities at all levels,” pledging to safeguard civil peace and internal stability. The army numbers about 75,000 personnel deployed nationwide, including on the northern, eastern and southern frontiers. A military source told Asharq Al-Awsat the army’s duties range from counterterrorism and anti-smuggling operations to maintaining domestic order and pursuing drug traffickers, alongside tightening border control and reinforcing its deployment in southern Lebanon. Political fireball Analysts say Lebanon’s political class has effectively tossed a “fireball” ...

  Palestinian factions in several Beirut refugee camps surrendered their weapons to the Lebanese army on Friday, an official said, as the government disarms non-state groups. Ramez Dimashkieh, chairman of the official Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, told AFP that "the Palestine Liberation Organization handed over three truckloads of weapons to the Lebanese army", including rockets and heavy weapons. One truckload came from the Mar Elias camp and Shatila camps, and two from the Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut and its suburbs, he said, adding that "this completes the process of handing over" PLO weapons from the Beirut camps. At the entrance to the Burj al-Barajneh camp, AFP correspondents saw large wooden crates being moved to a nearby parking lot where soldiers inspected them before transporting them away, as troops deployed heavily to the area. The official National News Agency had earlier reported the arrival of army vehicles in the camp "to receive ...

   Members of the Arakan Army take part in military training in September 2019 (Photo: Khun Lat) The Arakan Army’s bid to cement its control over Rakhine State through compulsory military service is likely to face real hurdles. . . Source:  Can conscription make the dream of Rakhine independence a reality?

Two terrorists were killed as security forces foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Gurez sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district. One of the killed terrorists has been identified as Bagu Khan, popularly known as "human GPS". The security forces foiled an infiltration attempt in Jammu and Kashmir's Gurez sector. The security forces had launched Operation Naushera Nar IV in the Gurez sector, responding to intelligence inputs about a possible infiltration near the LoC. Two terrorists were killed in the operation, and one among them has been identified as Chaudhary aka Bagu Khan aka Samandar Chacha. He was responsible for facilitating several infiltration attempts from various sectors along the LoC and was based out of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Muzaffarabad area. He has been active since 1995. DTN300825_35_Video_of_Big_win_for_forces_in_J&K "Based on intelligence provided by Jammu and Kashmir Police regarding likely inf...

Israel's army radio said on Friday the military had targeted the Houthi chief of staff and the Iran-aligned group's defense minister on Thursday, and was awaiting confirmation on the outcome of the strike. An Israeli military official said fighter jets struck a compound in the Sanaa area where senior Houthi figures had gathered, describing the attack as a "complex operation" made possible by intelligence-gathering and air superiority. "We took advantage of an intelligence window of opportunity to carry out the strike and acted with precision and speed at the right moment," the official said in a statement, Reuters reported. On Thursday, Israeli security sources said forces had targeted various locations where a large number of senior Houthi officials had gathered to watch a televised speech recorded by leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi. The Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians ...

  The United Nations has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where more than 30 million people require assistance due to the ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces militia, which erupted in April 2023. Idim Wosuruno, Director of Operations at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), following her visit to Sudan and Chad, said that cities such as El Fasher, Kadugli, and El Obeid remain under siege, while around 680,000 people face catastrophic levels of food insecurity amid cholera outbreaks and widespread malnutrition. She noted that Khartoum has become a “ghost city” due to widespread destruction, though she also observed efforts by residents to restore life to the capital. Wosuruno highlighted that aid deliveries face challenges due to ongoing fighting and logistical difficulties, with supplies routed through Chad after a long journey from Cameroon. She urged the international community to improve access and provid...

Human rights reports revealed that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have built a network of more than 31 kilometers of earth berms around El Fasher after more than 500 days of siege. According to Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, these berms are preventing the entry of food and medicine and blocking civilians from leaving, effectively turning El Fasher into a fully besieged city. Around 750,000 civilians are estimated to be trapped inside, along with another 260,000 in Abu Shouk displacement camp—including 130,000 children—according to U.N. figures. The report stressed that humanitarian conditions have reached catastrophic levels, with famine declared more than a year ago. Families have been forced to survive on animal fodder and food scraps. Nathaniel Raymond, HRL’s director, described the situation in El Fasher as “matched today only by Gaza.” While the RSF controls most of the city’s perimeter, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied Joint Forces still hold areas ins...

Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, pledged to continue fighting until every occupied part of the country is liberated. Addressing a rally in Wadi Bashara, Burhan declared that the army and allied forces are determined to eliminate the RSF: “We will not rest until this militia is finished. No one will accept them again. Our people have endured their tyranny and oppression.” Rejecting international mediation efforts, he added: “Anyone who comes to us talking about mediation, we tell them clearly—there is no saddle big enough to hold us and these people together.” Burhan reassured residents of El Fasher and Kadugli that the army is coming: “We assure our people in El Fasher and Kadugli that the Sudanese people and armed forces are on their way. Everyone will work to cleanse Sudan of the injustice and devastation inflicted upon its people.”   Source:  Burhan Vows to Liberate Sudan from “Militia Oppression” – Sudan Events

The US could be complicating the planned recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September by denying and revoking existing visas to members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that he would be denying and revoking visas to Palestinian officials who wish to attend the 80th UNGA session in New York City, which opens on 9 September 2025. “The Trump Administration has been clear: it is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” the announcement read.  It's unclear if PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who is supposed to attend the UNGA session to deliver an address, is included in the restrictions.   Source:  US to revoke visas for PLO and PA members ahead of UN General Assembly 2025

A sustained insurgency in Pakistan's northwest risks dragging the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province into a "war on terror-era" conflict, which saw thousands of innocent civilians and military personnel dead, millions displaced, particularly in the tribal regions, and a major setback to the country's economy.  New militant tactics, broken government promises and political marginalisation threaten to push the province under the sway of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or the "Pakistani Taliban", as they are often referred to. A Brown University Watson Institute study estimates that between 2001 and 2021, Pakistan suffered 32,000 direct deaths from the US "war on terror" that spilled into Pakistan, with violence peaking in 2009. At least 8,000 of those deaths were members of the security forces. Following a staggered US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which started in 2015 and ended with a full withdrawal in 2021, Pakistan saw a massively reduced num...

Hamas’ Deadliest Ambush Catches IDF Off Guard In Gaza; 4 Soldiers ‘Captured’ In Stunning Battles   Source:  Hamas’ Deadliest Ambush Catches IDF Off Guard In Gaza; 4 Soldiers ‘Captured’ In Stunning Battles

Sudan faces deadly risks as thousands of unexploded ordnances litter homes and streets in Khartoum, with urgent de-mining under way   Source  Sudan launches daily detonations to clear 50,000 unexploded bombs

The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has once again appealed for international support in what it calls the “Baloch national war of liberation,” stressing that its armed struggle is rooted in decades of resistance against Pakistani domination and oppression. According to The Balochistan Post, BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch said the movement is not a new development but part of an uninterrupted freedom struggle spanning over 75 years. “We are not terrorists; we are freedom-seekers defending our homeland, resources, and national identity,” the spokesperson declared. In its statement, the BLF condemned the United States for entering fresh agreements with Pakistan over mineral extraction in Balochistan, calling it “a grave injustice” that contradicts Washington’s stated commitment to democracy and human rights. The Balochistan Post reported that the group compared the U.S. stance to earlier deals between Pakistan and China, accusing Beijing of covering up its “colonial role” by la...

Aritra Banerjee* dwells on how China has weaponized technology to suppress faith, speech, and dissent on the Tibetan Plateau, cutting Tibetans off from each other, their diaspora, and the wider world, causing a profound erosion of cultural identity, with the endgame being assimilation and Sinification, all of which makes its claim of having achieved near-universal digital connectivity there a cruel joke. In the high plateau of Tibet, where mountains echo with the chants of monks and centuries-old traditions endure, another kind of silence has taken hold. This silence is not of the landscape but of the digital realm, engineered through blackouts, censorship, and surveillance. Since 2019, China has intensified a campaign of digital authoritarianism in Tibet, effectively cutting Tibetans off from each other, their diaspora, and the wider world. The result is a profound erosion of cultural identity, with technology weaponized to suppress faith, speech, and dissent. Internet Blackouts: Plun...

Ottawa police are investigating a stabbing at a grocery store on Baseline Road that left a Jewish woman in her 70s seriously injured. After a thorough investigation, this incident is considered a “hate-motivated” crime, the local authorities said on Friday. The incident took place around 1:35 pm on August 28 (local time) when the woman entered the store with a friend. “She was approached by a man who stabbed her, leaving her with serious injuries,” the  Ottawa  Police Service (OPS) said in a statement. Store staff helped the victim until paramedics arrived, and she was later transported to hospital, treated, and released. The suspect was arrested at the scene without incident, the authorities added. The 71-year-old suspect, appeared in court day after the incident and has been charged with aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon. Investigators confirmed that there was no prior connection between the suspect and the victim, and had not interacted before the atta...