News Analysis India

Tag: Terrorists

  • Harkat 313: New terror outfit posing threat to security grid

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  A batch of foreign terrorists under the banner of a new terror outfit — Harkat 313 — is believed to have snuck into the Kashmir Valley.  According to highly placed sources in the security establishment, the terrorists, who are giving a tough time to security set up, were tasked with attacking vital government installations to disturb the law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley.

    “This is the first time we are hearing about this group. All we know at this point about them is that this group comprises exclusively of foreign terrorists. Whether this name is being floated as a smokescreen, to divert attention away from Lashkar-e-Toiba, which is known to push Pakistani terrorists in the Valley, we don’t know at the moment,” said a senior security official.

    Several high-profile government installations are believed to be in the crosshairs of this terrorist group, the official added. Security was accordingly enhanced up at various points such as the ongoing hydropower projects and the Srinagar airport.

    The security grid is working overtime to find out more about this group, its benefactors and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) in the Valley. The activities of this new group are being seen in the backdrop of Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.

    “We received specific information about some targets, including two vital locations — one in North Kashmir and one in South, that could be in the crosshairs of the terrorists of this new outfit but owing to operational constraints, we cannot reveal them at this point in time,” a top intelligence official told this newspaper.

    With regards to the Srinagar airport, several security review meetings involving various agencies, including Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, J&K Police, CRPF and CISF, have already taken place, in the wake of the terrorist attack on an IAF base on June 28. 

    Meanwhile, the BSF and the army are on high alert as Pakistan is desperately trying to push terrorists into India just before the onset of winter. Over the past three days, seven army personnel were killed in various counter-insurgency operations in J&K’s Poonch district. 

    VITAL Installations Among targetsAs high-profile government installations are believed to be in the crosshairs of this terrorist group, there has been upgrade in security set-up at various points such as the ongoing hydropower projects and the Srinagar airport

  • Game has just begun in J&K, warns new terror outfit ‘Resistance Front’

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Resistance Front, which came in limelight for the recent spate of civilian killings in Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday issued a fresh threat that it would “strike” aggressively. The threat comes two days after the NIA raided multiple locations in the newly carved union territory to nab militants of TRF.

    Sources in the security establishment termed the threat letter as a “desperate” attempt of the terror group to seek attention. A frontal organisation of Pakistan-backed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, TRF first appeared at the scene in October 2019.

    “The response of the security forces to the violence carried out by TRF has rattled it. In the past few days, eight militants have been killed in Kashmir. This is a desperate attempt to seek attention,” said a senior security officer.

    On Thursday, TRF specifically mentioned NIA in its threat message. It stated ‘the game has just begun’. Accusing security agencies of “harassing” thousands of youths and “fabricating cases” against people, the terror outfit said it would make the situation “worse” and it would “expand operations”. The TRF’s first known activity was a grenade attack on October 12, 2019 that injured eight civilians in Srinagar.

    Till the recent past, the TRF militants were not very active but in October, they carried out a spree of civilian killings, particularly targeting minorities in the valley. They committed four cold blooded murders of Kashmiri Pandit Makhan Lal Bindroo, street vendor Virendar Paswan of Bihar, and two teachers, Supinder Kaur and Deepak Chand. Another civilian, Mohammad Shafi, was killed in Bandipora district. The killings have created fear among the minority communities in the Kashmir Valley.

  • Army foils infiltration bid near LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla, three terrorists killed

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: The Army on Thursday foiled an infiltration bid near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, killing three terrorists and recovering a cache of arms and ammunition, officials said.

    “We noticed some suspicious movement in the Hathlanga area near the LoC. The infiltrators were challenged and three of them were killed,” an Army officer said.

    He said a large cache of arms and ammunition, including five assault rifles, seven pistols and grenades, were recovered.

    Briefing the media at the Army’s Chinar Corps headquarters here, General Officer Commanding Lt General D P Pandey said there has been increased activity at the launch pads on the other side of the LoC recently.

    “While there was no infiltration since the beginning of the year, there has been a little activity at the launch pads which cannot happen without the knowledge of Pakistan army commanders,” he said.

    Lt Gen Pandey said this was evident from the infiltration bid that was foiled on Thursday as well as the one in the Uri sector on September 18-19.

  • ‘Terrorists frustrated with our popularity’: Jammu & Kashmir BJP chief receives terror threat

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Pakistan-based terrorists are frustrated with the BJP’s growing popularity and are conspiring to derail the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir, senior party leader Ravinder Raina asserted on Saturday and said “intelligence agencies” have informed that a terror outfit has issued a threat against him.

    The Jammu and Kashmir BJP president also condemned the killing of party functionaries by terrorists in the Union Territory, saying they want to create fear among the people. The BJP also claimed that 23 of its members have been killed in the last two years in Jammu and Kashmir.

    In this month, terrorists killed two BJP functionaries — Javeed Ahmad Dar on August 17 in Kulgam and Ghulam Rasool Dar on August 10 in Anantnag. Dar’s wife was also killed in the attack. “I was informed by intelligence agencies about a threat statement of TRF (The Resistance Front) on social media against me. I was asked to stay alert although all necessary measures have been taken to counter the threat,” Raina told PTI.

    TRF is an offshoot of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). However, the BJP leader said he was least bothered by such threats which have become a routine. In April, he had received a call and a video message from a Pakistani mobile number with the caller introducing himself as a LeT commander and threatening him.

    “This shows the frustration in the ranks of the Pakistan-based terrorists over the growing popularity of the BJP, especially in the Valley. During my recent visit, thousands of people welcomed me in South Kashmir and took part in our rallies which has left the terror groups frustrated,” Raina said.

    He said the condemnable attacks on innocent BJP members were the outcome of the frustration on the part of the terrorists who want to derail the peace process and create fear among the local population.

    The BJP is not going to be cowed down by such threats and will continue to work for peace, progress and development of Jammu and Kashmir under the mission of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’, Raina said.

    He said the BJP is gaining ground across Jammu and Kashmir and is going to form the next government whenever the assembly elections are held. “Anti-national elements are frightened and they will not be spared,” the BJP’s J&K chief said.

  • Two members of Hizbul Mujahideen’s hit squad neutralised

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, who were part of a hit squad, were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Khrew area of Pampore in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday. A police official said a joint search operation was launched in Khrew based on specific information on the presence of terrorists. After plugging all the possible escape routes, the security forces zeroed-in on a residential house they were holed in. 

    “The terrorists were given many opportunities to surrender. However, they turned down the offer and fired indiscriminately. The fire was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter,” he said. An army official said around 6:30 am, one militant tried to escape from the house by firing at the troops. “He, however, was killed in the ensuing gunfight,” the official added.

    “The second terrorists continued to fire from the house but could not move out. He also was killed in the encounter in the morning,” he said. One AK-47, one pistol and other equipment were recovered from the terrorists, he said. The police identified the slain terrorists as Musaib Ahmad Bhat of Khrew, and Muzamil Ahmad Rather of Pulwama.

    He said both the terrorists were part of Hizb’s ‘hit squad’ and Musaib was involved in the killing of a government employee on July 23. Meanwhile, Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh told security officials to intensify cordon and search operations to eliminate the remaining terrorists.

    He directed the officers to further strengthen and augment intelligence apparatus as well as security grids in their respective areas for the safety and security of the people. The DGP also directed the officers to revisit the security plans of their respective jurisdictions and remain extra alert as militant outfits were continuously trying to foment trouble and disturb the peace.

    The officers briefed the DGP about the measures taken on different fronts with regard to the safety and security of the people of J-K, a spokesman for the police said.

    Omar concerned over spate in attacksFour political workers and the nephew of a political worker have been killed by terrorists in four attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in the last 11 days. The attacks have caused fear among the political workers and former J&K CM and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said the renewed trend of targeting politicians by is very worrying. The J&K Apni Party leader  Ghulam Hassan Lone was shot dead outside his house at Devsar in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. It was the 4th attack on the political activists in J&K since August 9. Of the four attacks, three have taken place in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Kulgam districts and one attack took place in Kandli area of Rajouri in Jammu

  • Three more terrorists of Al-Qaeda outfit arrested: Uttar Pradesh Police

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday arrested three more alleged terrorists of the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Ghazwatul Hind, a senior official said.

    Those arrested have been identified as Shakeel, a resident of Lucknow’s Wazirganj; Mohammad Mustqueem of Muzaffarnagar and Mohammad Moid of New Haiderganj, Campwell Road, Lucknow.

    Earlier on July 11, the UP Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) had arrested Minhaz Ahmed and Musheeruddin.

    The ATS had claimed that they were planning explosions, including using “human bombs” at several places in Uttar Pradesh.

    “On their tip-offs, some persons were called for interrogation by the ATS. The three were arrested after they accepted their involvement with the two arrested earlier,” Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said.

    About the role of the three, the ADG said Mustqueem had the knowledge of the conspiracy and had helped Minhaaz and Musheeruddin.

    Moid had made a pistol available to Mustqueem through Minhaaz.

    Shakeel helped Minhaaz in arranging the arms, Kumar said, adding that the three will be produced in a court for further action.

    They were planning to “unleash terror activities before August 15 (Independence Day) in different cities of the state, including Lucknow, Kumar had said earlier.

    “They were planning explosions at important places, memorials and crowded places, and also to use human bombs. For this, they were collecting weapons and explosives,” Kumar had said.

    He said members of the module are not only from Lucknow but also from Kanpur in the state.

    The official had said that an improvised explosive device (IED) was found at Ahmed’s house along with explosives and a pistol.

    Explosives were also seized from Musheeruddin’s residence.

    He said the module for the Indian subcontinent was announced by the Al-Qaeda on September 3, 2014.

    Maulana Asim Umar, who headed the Al-Qaeda in the subcontinent, was killed on September 23, 2019 in an US-Afghan operation, Kumar had said.

    Umar Halmandi had started the work of recruiting men for the Al-Qaeda in India and radicalise them, he said.

    For this, he had identified some aggressive persons in Lucknow, appointed them and built the Al-Qaeda module, he said.

  • Around 200 terrorists active in Jammu and Kashmir; another 250 in launch pads across LoC: DGP

    The DGP said police have unearthed a number of narco-terrorism cases in 2020 and 2021 and every one of them is being investigated.

  • French Court Finds All 14 Accused ‘guilty Of Complicity’ In 2015 Charlie Hebdo Massacre

    In a landmark judgment, a French court convicted 14 people on Wednesday for the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo massacre. In a series of terror attacks that shook the nation, 17 people were murdered in an extremist attack on the French satirical newspaper’s office in Paris. Charlie Hebdo lost 9 employees in the attacks that took place over three days. All three assailants were killed in police shootouts and accomplices were arrested. 

    The trial found the defendants guilty of membership of a criminal network and complicity in the attacks among other charges. However, terrorism-related charges were dropped for some defendants who were found guilty of lesser crimes. 

  • Two Pakistan Army soldiers killed along LoC opposite Naushera sector by Indian Army: Sources

    Two Pakistan Army soldiers killed along LoC opposite Naushera sector by Indian Army while retaliating to ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army there yesterday, said Sources on Wednesday.

    On Sunday, security forces gunned down two Pakistani terrorists in Durgan Poshana area of Jammu and Kashmir’s district. The foreign terrorists have been identified as Sajid and Bilal, both members of proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). One terrorist has also been caught alive from the encounter site

  • Today is the 19th anniversary of the attack on Parliament, PM Modi said – we will never forget the cowardly attack

    Remembering the 19th anniversary of the Parliament attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid a heartfelt tribute to the people who were martyred in that attack and said that they can never forget that cowardly attack. The PM tweeted, “We will never forget the cowardly attack on our Parliament on this day in 2001. We remember the valor and sacrifice of those who lost their lives protecting their Parliament. India will always be thankful to them . “

    Please tell that on December 13, 2001, five Pakistan-sponsored Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists tried to enter the Parliament House. Although the terrorists had entered the Parliament premises, but their intentions had turned their eyes on the security personnel of the country. Taking on the terrorists, five Delhi Police personnel and a woman worker of the Central Reserve Police Force were martyred. In this attack, a guard, a worker and a gardener posted in the Parliament complex were also killed. All five Lashkar terrorists were killed by the security forces.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also paid tribute to the brave martyrs of the terrorist attack on Parliament House. He wrote, “I salute the brave sons of Mother Bharati, who sacrificed their supreme sacrifice in the cowardly terrorist attack on the Parliament Parliament House of Democracy in 2001. I am forever indebted to your immortal sacrifice. . “