Terrorism Watch

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was responding to a question at the weekly briefing on continuing attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and whether India had reached out to Dhaka in recent days on this issue India on Friday once again flagged the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, stating that the tendency to attribute them to extraneous reasons was emboldening  the perpetrators and deepening the sense of fear among members of the minority  communities. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was responding to a question at the weekly briefing on continuing attacks on minorities in Bangladesh  and whether India had reached out to Dhaka in recent days on this issue. Two Hindus have been killed in Bangladesh in the first week of this year itself. Jaiswal said: “We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities as well as their homes and businesses by extremists. Such communal incidents need to be dealt with ...

  The revelation that as many as 310 persons from the border district of Poonch are operating from Pakistan and PoJK to foment trouble is deeply disturbing. Terrorism, infiltration, narcotics smuggling, and radicalisation of youth are not standalone phenomena; they thrive only when supported by local networks and facilitators. The identification of these individuals underlines a harsh truth: without local support, terrorism and cross-border smuggling-be it of arms or drugs-cannot sustain themselves. That security agencies have been able to meticulously identify these elements after a comprehensive and painstaking exercise deserves appreciation. The fact that evidence has been gathered, lists prepared, and assets verified reflects a methodical and intelligence-driven approach rather than ad hoc action. This is particularly significant given that over 2,500 persons from Poonch are believed to have crossed over illegally in the past three decades, yet the role of 310 has clearly surfa...

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of a group of southern separatists, arrived in the United Arab Emirates on an aircraft from the Somali capital of Mogadishu, after he journeyed to Somaliland by boat. The fast-moving crisis in Yemen’s south has caused a rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the two most powerful countries in the oil-rich Gulf, fracturing a coalition headed by Yemen’s internationally recognised government which is battling the Iran-backed Houthis. In a statement on Thursday, the coalition said the plane to Mogadishu from Somaliland was “under the supervision of UAE officers” and waited an hour before flying to a military airport in Abu Dhabi, but did not say if Zubaidi was still aboard. A day earlier, the coalition said Zubaidi, leader of the Southern Transitional Council, had failed to board a flight to Riyadh for talks and his fate was unclear, clouding efforts to contain a military escalation that erupted last month...

  Hezbollah and Iraqi militia forces secretly crossed border as demonstrations spread to 200+ cities across 26 provinces As  anti-regime protests  spread across Iran for a 12th straight day, the Islamic Republic has reportedly turned to foreign militias for support, with two independent sources confirming that roughly 850 Hezbollah, Iraqi militia and Quds Force-linked fighters crossed into Iran to bolster the regime’s security forces. The reported movement marks a significant escalation in the regime’s response, signaling a willingness to rely on allied foreign militias with combat experience to help suppress domestic dissent. "This is nothing new for the regime. It is the logical extension of a playbook the ruling clerics have used since 1979 to outsource repression to ideologically loyal militias and then integrate them into the state’s coercive infrastructure," Iran expert Lisa Daftari told Fox News Digital.  IRAN’S KHAMENEI LASHES OUT AT PROTESTERS AS NATIONWIDE ...

Hasina claimed to have worked to "curb the emergence of domestic terror units" and ensure peaceful coexistence of all religious groups during her regime. Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu man, was lynched by a Muslim mob following allegations of blasphemy in Bangladesh's Mymensingh city, where he worked in a factory. They didn't stop there. Dipu's body was hung in a public place and set on fire. The authorities later said there was no evidence that Dipu Das committed blasphemy. His family also claimed that Dipu was  killed over workplace rivalry rather than any alleged "blasphemous" remark. Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has now called it a "barbaric and shameful act" that reflects the "dangerous collapse of law, order and moral authority" under the interim government. Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Hasina said, "Violence in the name of religion has no place in Bangladesh, yet such acts have become disturbingly frequent. ...

  Syrian forces bombarded Kurdish-majority Aleppo for a third day, displacing 16000, killing 17, and straining SDF-Damascus talks amid Turkey and Israel’s rising involvement. The fighting, the worst seen in Aleppo since Syria’s Islamist-led authorities came to power, erupted earlier this week after disputes over the implementation of a deal to merge the Kurdish administration and armed forces in the northeast into the new Syrian state. Both the government and Kurdish forces have traded accusations over who triggered the clashes. Syrian state news agency SANA, citing a military source, said the army launched “intense and concentrated bombardment" on positions held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh districts. Government shelling resumed after an afternoon deadline for civilians to evacuate expired. According to state television, about 16,000 people fled the two neighbourhoods on Thursday alone, while at least 17 people have been ki...

  Minneapolis remained tense as protests and a heavy federal law enforcement presence followed the fatal shooting of a woman by an immigration officer, triggering clashes outside a federal building and heightening fears of wider unrest. Tensions flared early in the day when federal agents fired pepper balls and deployed a gas-like substance toward demonstrators gathered outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building       Protesters returned to the streets hours after the shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was killed during an encounter with immigration officers. Federal authorities said Renee Good attempted to run over an officer, prompting the agent to open fire. State and local officials, however, disputed that account, saying the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear and require a full investigation. Multiple videos of the incident circulating online added to public scrutiny, with officials acknowledging that key moments before...

  China, one of the world's largest arms exporter, has endured a series of humiliating battlefield exposures that have shattered its image as a supplier of reliable defence systems. From Operation Sindoor's rout of Pakistani defenses to the swift US raid on Venezuela, Chinese systems repeatedly crumbled under pressure, amplifying doubts among global buyers. The US operation in Venezuela's capital not only led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, but dealt a severe reputational blow to Beijing, underscoring Washington's continued technological superiority over Chinese-supplied military equipment, according to a Taiwanese official, Newsweek reported. During Operation Sindoor in May last year, Indian forces systematically targeted and neutralised key Pakistani military and terror infrastructure, repeatedly penetrating Chinese-supplied air defence systems such as the HQ-9, which failed to intercept incoming missile attacks, including strikes by the BrahM...

  Bangladesh police arrested Yasin Arafat for inciting Dipu Das's lynching; 21 arrested amid rising violence against Hindus, with two recent deaths. According to officials, former teacher Yasin Arafat is believed to have played a key role in the planning and execution of the attack, which has sparked global condemnation amid ongoing atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh. Das, 27, was forced to resign by his factory supervisors, on December 18 in Mymensingh district. He pushed out of his workplace, and handed over to an enraged mob of Islamists that beat him to death, hung his body and set fire to it. His colleagues reportedly joined the mob in killing him. Police said that following Das’s killing, Arafat, who was arrested on Thursday, allegedly fled the area and went into hiding. According to the officials, Das orchestrated the attack, inciting others to gather and target Das. His influence within the local community allegedly allowed him to quickly gather a large group, turn...

  Saudi Arabia accuses the UAE of smuggling Aidarous al-Zubaidi, STC leader wanted for treason, deepening tensions over Yemen and exposing rifts in their Gulf alliance. In a military statement, Saudi authorities alleged that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), fled Yemen by boat to Somalia before being flown to Abu Dhabi by Emirati officials. Riyadh said al-Zubaidi is wanted on charges of treason. The UAE did not immediately respond to the allegation. The accusation marks a sharp escalation in tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, whose alliance in Yemen has been under strain for months. While both countries intervened together in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government against Houthi rebels, their objectives have increasingly diverged, particularly in southern Yemen. The UAE has been the principal backer of the STC, which seeks independence for southern Yemen. In recent days, STC fighters advanced in two...

  Amid protests over economic distress in Iran, Mahmoud Haghighat killed in Sistan and Baluchestan, Jaish al-Adl claims responsibility. Shahin Dehghan stabbed in Malard. The protests, which began on December 28, was triggered by anger over rising living costs. They started with a shutdown by merchants in the Tehran bazaar, a major economic hub, and have since spread to other areas, especially in western Iran, home to Kurdish and Lor minority groups. According to AFP, the protests against the Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have spread to 25 out of 31 Iranian provinces.       On Thursday, a video went viral showing an unidentified assailant opening fire on a cop car until veered off the road and crashed. The video was allegedly shot from the assailants vehicle though only the tip of the gun is visible. The assailant could be seen firing at the cop car. According to Mehr News Agency, unknown individuals opened fire on one of the personnel of the Law Enforc...