Toiba | SilverScorpio.Com

Bombay HC accepts Ansari’s petition challenging POTA court verdict

August 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mumbai, Aug 28(ANI): The Bombay High Court Friday admitted an appeal filed by suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) member Ashrat Ansari challenging capital punishment awarded to him by a POTA (Prevention of Anti Terrorism Act) court.

The POTA court had sentenced Hanif Sayed Anees (46), his wife Fahmida (43) and Ashrat Ansari (32), for their role in implementing the plans of LeT.

They were also sentenced for creating terror in India through bomb attacks.

The 2003 bomb blast near Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazar and in a bus killed over 50 people.

The bench of the High Court comprising of Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice A R Joshi asked the Maharashtra government to produce Ansari and two other convicts Hanif Sayed and his wife Fahmida on the next hearing.

The bench fixed the next hearing after eight weeks.

Meanwhile, the POTA court has made a reference to the High Court to confirm the death penalty awarded to the three convicts.

The bench has also directed the Maharashtra Government to produce the case papers and the verdict of the POTA court before it. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: act, Anees, ANI, ansari, anti, anti terrorism act, appeal, Ashrat, Aug, Bazar, bench, bilal, blast, bomb, bomb attacks, bomb blast, bombay, Bombay High Court, bus, capital, capital punishment, case, Case Papers, convicts, Court, Court Verdict, death, Death Penalty, Fahmida, Friday, gateway, Gateway of India, Government, Hanif Sayed, hc, hearing, High, India, Joshi, Justice A R Joshi, Justice Bilal Nazki, Lashkar-e, LeT, Maharashtra, maharashtra government, member, Mumbai, penalty, petition, POTA, prevention, punishment, reference, role, terror, terrorism, toiba, verdict, wife, Zaveri

Pak SC to hear petitions challenging Saeed’s acquittal today

July 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, July 13 (ANI): The Pakistan Supreme Court would start the hearing into the two separate petitions filed by the Punjab government and the federal government respectively challenging the acquittal of the Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Colonel (retired) Nazir Ahmed today (Monday).

Challenging the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict to release both leaders, of the banned terror outfit, the petition states that the judgment had emphasised a “faulty assertion” that the detaining authority had no evidence to justify the detention of the accused, The Daily Times reports.

The petitions said that the LHC’s decision highlights that the court didn’t consider the sensitivity of the case, even when there is a massive terror threat looming over the country.

On June 2, a full bench of the Lahore High Court had ordered Saeed’s release from house arrest on the basis of a habeas corpus petition filed by his lawyer.

The high court said that it had not received substantial evidence to continue the detention of Saeed, the prime accused of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The court also ordered the release of Colonel (retired) Nazir Ahmad, one of the top leaders of the JuD.

Saeed was put under house arrest on December 11 last year, day after the JuD, the political wing of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was declared a terrorist group by the United Nations (UN). (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: acquittal, Ahmad, ahmed, ANI, arrest, assertion, authority, basis, bench, case, challenging, colonel, corpus, country, Court, Daawa, daily, day, December, decision, detention, evidence, Government, group, habeas corpus, Hafiz, hafiz muhammad saeed, hearing, High, house, Islamabad, Jamaat-ud, jud, judgment, July, June, Lahore, lahore high court, Lashkar, Lashkar-e, lawyer, LeT, lhc, Monday, Muhammad Saeed, Mumbai, Nazir, nazir ahmad, November, outfit, Pak, Pakistan, pakistan supreme court, petition, Petition States, Petitions, Punjab, punjab government, release, Release From House Arrest, Saeed, sensitivity, Substantial Evidence, supreme, terror, terror threat, terrorist group, threat, times, today, toiba, united, United Nations, verdict, wing, year

‘Release of Saeed, Sufi casts shadow over Pak’s seriousness to crack down on terror’

July 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 8 (ANI): The subsequent release of Lashkar-e-Toiba’s (LeT) chief Hafeez Muhammad Saeed, the hardcore Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdullah Aziz, and now the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammed (TNSM) chief Sufi Mohammad has cast serious doubts over Pakistan’s claims that it is seriously acting against the Taliban and other home grown terror outfits, a senior US intelligence official said.

The United States is worried and at the same time skeptical over Pakistan’s claims about cracking down on certain banned terror outfits.

Washington is concerned that Pakistan has failed to keep extremist leaders such as Sufi Mohammad and Hafeez Saeed behind bars.

“While Pakistan claims it is cracking down on extremists, note how Sufi Mohammed, Hafiz Saeed and his aide, and Maulana Abdullah Aziz have been cut loose,” The Long War Journal quoted a senior US intelligence official, as saying.

Blaming the TNSM for the failure of the Swat peace accord between the Pakistan government and the banned pro-Taliban TNSM, he said Islamabad must stop relying on these militant leaders to cart a way out of the problem it is facing currently.

“Pakistan can kill all of the foot soldiers it wants to in the northwest, but until the leaders like Sufi and Saeed are taken out of the game, the gains will be temporary,” the official said.

Even as Mohammad’s release from the so called ‘protective custody’ is yet to be confirmed, it is being believed that his release may signal new negotiations being chalked out ahead of the Pakistan’s Army surge in the South Waziristan against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud .

“The timing of his release is curious, and may signal that a new round of negotiations is in the works,” the journal said.

If the Pakistan government is again trusting Sufi Mohammad for negotiations with Mehsud, it could be once again a blunder in the making for Islamabad, as he had openly supported the Taliban earlier, the report said.

“The Taliban are doing nothing wrong. The government is responsible for violations,” Sufi had said after the Swat peace deal was severed.

Meanwhile, the NWFP Information Minister, Iftikhar Hussain said the government has no information regarding the arrest or release of Sufi Muhammad.

“The provincial government has no information about the whereabouts of Maulana Sufi Muhammad,” Hussain said. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Abdullah Aziz, accord, aide, ANI, army, arrest, Baitullah, blunder, cart, custody, deal, extremist, failure, foot, game, Government, Hafeez, Hafiz, hardcore, home, hussain, Iftikhar, information, intelligence, Islamabad, journal, July, lal masjid, Lashkar-e, LeT, Long, maulana, Mehsud, minister, mohammad, Mohammed, muhammad, Muhammad Saeed, Nifaz-e, note, nothing, NWFP, official, outfits, Pak, Pakistan, peace, problem, release, report, round, Saeed, seriousness, shadow, Shariat-e, South Waziristan, surge, swat, Taliban, Tehrik-e, terror, time, timing, TNSM, toiba, ttp, United States, US, war, Washington, way, whereabouts

Lashkar’s Gulf based terror cells planning attack on India: Report

July 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Virginia (US), July 7 (ANI): The threat perception on vital installations in three coastal states Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa has been increased manifold following intelligence reports of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) channelising huge amounts of money from its Gulf-based networks for terror strikes against the country.

According to a report in the Terrorism Monitor, a periodical published by the Virginia based Jamestown Foundation, intelligence authorities have revealed that the LeT’s marine wing is planning a repeat of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, and is on the look out for an incursion into India via the western sea-coast.

Recently, Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram had also raised fears about terrorists using the sea route to strike at strategic locations along the western cost.

Intelligence authorities have also confirmed the Gulf link to terror in India.

There are several LeT cells operating in the Gulf that have financed and facilitated terrorist operations against India, the report said.

The arrest of Muhammad Omar Madni, who is believed to be a close aide of Lashkar chief Hafeez Muhammad Saeed revealed the impending threat to India through the sea route.

Madni’s arrest and interrogation revealed several startling details, including new routes used by terrorists, the location of bases inside and outside India, terrorist finances, and the recruitment strategy of the LeT.

The investigations carried out by Mumbai Police’s crime branch also revealed that the November 2008 Mumbai attacks were financed by LeT’s Gulf cells, the report said.

During the probe it was also found that it was the Gulf-based operatives that had masterminded and executed a series of blasts in various cities such as Bangalore, Ahmadabad, Delhi and Surat in 2008, it added.

These serial terror attack was carried out with of the Indian Mujahedeen (IM) operatives and the banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the report went on to add.

With the increasing threat perception from the middle-east, India is now seeking a comprehensive anti-terrorism treaty with the Gulf nations, the report concluded. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Ahmadabad, aide, ANI, arrest, attack, Bangalore, branch, coastal states, cost, country, Crime, crime branch, Delhi, Foundation, Goa, Gujarat, Gulf-based, Hafeez, home, impending threat, incursion, India, india report, Indian, intelligence, intelligence reports, interrogation, Islamic, Islamic Movement, Jamestown, Jamestown Foundation, July, Lashkar, Lashkar-e, LeT, link, location, look, Maharashtra, manifold, Minister P.Chidambaram, MONEY, monitor, movement, Muhammad Omar Madni, Muhammad Saeed, Mujahedeen, Mumbai, Mumbai Police, November, P. Chidambaram, perception, planning, police, probe, recruitment, Recruitment Strategy, repeat, report, route, sea, sea route, serial, series, SIMI, Startling Details, strategy, student, Surat, terror, terror attack, terror strikes, terrorism, terrorist operations, the Gulf, threat, threat perception, toiba, treaty, union, Union Home Minister, US, Virginia, Western Sea, wing

Pak government to file separate petition challenging Saeed’s acquittal

July 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, July 5 (ANI): Following the Punjab government’s decision to challenge the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict of releasing the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafeez Muhammad Saeed and Colonel (retired) Nazir Ahmad, both of whom are accused of masterminding the 26/11 Mumbai carnage, now the federal government has also decided to file a separate petition against the verdict.

The Pakistan government is likely to file the petition on Monday, July 6.

“We are filing the appeal because we are not satisfied with the order of the LHC. The federal government’s challenge was almost ready, but it could not file the petition on Saturday as the representative of Punjab government was not available on time,” The Dawn quoted the Deputy Advocate General, Shah Khawar, as saying.

On June 2, a full bench of the Lahore High Court had ordered Saeed’s release from house arrest on the basis of a habeas corpus petition filed by his lawyer.

The high court said that it had not received substantial evidence to continue the detention of Saeed, the prime accused of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The court also ordered the release of another JuD leader Colonel (retired) Nazir Ahmad.

Saeed was put under house arrest on December 11 last year, day after the JuD, the political wing of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was declared a terrorist group by the United Nations (UN). (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: acquittal, Advocate, Ahmad, ANI, appeal, arrest, basis, bench, carnage, challenge, colonel, corpus, Court, dawa, dawn, day, December, decision, Deputy Advocate, detention, evidence, federal government, general, Government, group, habeas corpus, Hafeez, High, house, Islamabad, Jamaat-ud, jud, July, June, Khawar, Lahore, lahore high court, Lashkar, Lashkar-e, lawyer, leader, LeT, lhc, masterminding, Monday, muhammad, Muhammad Saeed, Mumbai, Nazir, nazir ahmad, November, order, Pak, Pakistan, Pakistan government, petition, Punjab, punjab government, release, Release From House Arrest, representative, Saeed, Saturday, Shah Khawar, Substantial Evidence, terrorist group, time, toiba, united, verdict, wing, year

US freezes assets of LeT operatives linked with Mumbai attacks

July 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 2 (ANI): The United States has decided to freeze the assets of three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commanders, who were supposedly behind the November 2008 Mumbai carnage.

Sanctions would also be imposed on an Al-Qaeda backer, Ameen Al-Peshawari, The Nation reports.

According to the US Treasury, three top LeT commanders, Arif Qasmani, Mohammed Yahya Mujahid, and Nasir Javaid played an important role in the Mumbai terror attack.

Sources said Qasmani is chief coordinator of LeT, while Mujahid heads the media wing of the banned terror outfit.

Qasmani has also been linked to the July 2006 Mumbai train bombing in which 186 people were killed, and the Samjhouta Express blast that killed 68 persons.

The US’ decision to ban the LeT and Al-Qaeda operatives comes days after the United Nations (UN) added Al-Peshawari, Qasmani and Mujahid to its blacklist, which includes many other Al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives.

A statement issued by the US Treasury asked all the member nations of the UN to freeze the assets of all the persons listed by it, and impose other sanctions also.

“All UN member states are obligated to freeze the funds and other assets of listed individuals and entities included on the blacklist, and to apply other sanctions such as travel ban and arms embargo,” the statement said. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: al, Al-Peshawari, al-Qaeda, Ameen, ANI, Arif, arms embargo, attack, backer, ban, blast, bombing, carnage, Chief Coordinator, coordinator, decision, embargo, Express, Javaid, July, Lashkar, Lashkar-e, LeT, member, Member Nations, member states, Mohammed, Mohammed Yahya Mujahid, Mujahid, Mumbai, nasir, nation, November, Operatives, outfit, qaeda, Qasmani, role, Samjhouta, sanctions, statement, Taliban, terror, terror attack, toiba, train, train bombing, travel, Travel Ban, Treasury, United States, US, Us Treasury, Washington, wing, Yahya

Security forces gun down three militants in Doda

July 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Doda, July 2 (ANI): Three militants were killed in a fierce encounter by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda District on Wednesday evening.

The encounter took place in forest area of Doda district of the valley and lasted for several hours.

“An encounter took place between terrorists and Rashtriya Rifles in general area Bharat in district Doda. In the encounter, three terrorist were eliminated,” said Colonel Biplab Nath, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Defence, Jammu.

According to the army, the militants owe allegiance to Pakistan based outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba, accused of carrying out last year’s terror attacks in Mumbai.

Of the three militants killed in the gun battle, one was identified as a former soldier of the Indian Army, who had deserted his unit in March this year. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: allegiance, ANI, area, army, battle, bharat, Biplab, colonel, defence, district, Doda District, encounter, evening, forest, forest area, gun, gun battle, Gun Down, Indian, indian army, jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, July, Kashmir, Lashkar-e, March, militants, Mumbai, Nath, officer, outfit, Pakistan, place, Public, Public Relations Officer, rashtriya, rashtriya rifles, rifles, security, security forces, soldier, terror, terror attacks, terrorist, terrorists, toiba, unit, valley, Wednesday, Wednesday Evening, year

JuD expanding operations, recruiting in PoK

July 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lahore, July 1 (ANI): The banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), the political wing of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), is expanding its operations, and carrying out recruitment drives in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), police has said.

According to a secret report submitted to the Pakistan government, the JuD is planning to set up mosques, schools and dispensaries in the region and has already bought a vast piece of land in the Dulai area of Muzaffarabad.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the region, Javed Iqbal said that the authorities were closely monitoring the JuD’s activities.

However, the Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, denied any such ‘secret’ report being shared with the government.

“No such report has come before the government claiming these organisations have revived their activities,” The Daily Times quoted Kaira, as saying. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: ANI, area, authorities, daily, dawa, dispensaries, Dulai, Government, IGP, information, information minister, Inspector General, iqbal, Jamaat-ud, javed, jud, July, July 1, kaira, Kashmir, Lahore, land, Lashkar, Lashkar-e, LeT, minister, mosques, muzaffarabad, organisations, Pakistan, Pakistan government, piece, pok, police, qamar, Recruiting, recruitment, Recruitment Drives, region, report, times, toiba, wing, zaman

Pak only ‘orchestrating terrorism’ by blaming India for every terror attack: Editorial

June 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, June 19 (ANI): While terror strikes across Pakistan continues unabated, authorities have not spared a single opportunity to blame India for creating havoc inside Pakistan, but an editorial carried out in Pakistan’s leading daily highlights the fact that Islamabad must introspect on its own deeds before putting the blame on its neighbour.

Recently, Lahore police nabbed one Zubair alias Naik Muhammad, allegedly involved in the terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team.

Zubair is a member of the Punjab Taliban, an offshoot of the banned terror organisation Lashkar-e Jhangvi, which has strong ties with Al Qaeda, the editorial said.

While announcing the arrest of Zubair, and his nefarious links with several militant groups, the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) of Lahore, Pervaiz Rathore, forgot that it was him who had held India responsible for the terror strike on the islanders immediately after the brazen incident on March 3, it added.

How many times we have seen Pakistan denying links with extremists, or providing safe haven to terrorist organizations? Innumerable, the editorial opined.

However, Pakistan, by denying the world known fact, is actually orchestrating terrorism, which is now even threatening its own sovereignty, it went on to add.

It feared that what was really disturbing was the involvement of militias based in South Punjab in different terror acts.

“Mumbai was attacked from South Punjab. Most of the suicide-bombers have been from this region which is characterised by large feudal holdings in the countryside and extreme poverty in the cities,” the editorial said.

It quoted the famous US writer, Selig Harrison, as also having raised fears about the increasing threat perception emanating from the region which stretches from Jhang to Bahawalpur, and is dotted with madrassas.

“The danger of an Islamist takeover of Pakistan is real. It comes from a proliferating network of heavily armed Islamist militias in the Punjab heartland and major cities, directed by Lashkar-e-Toiba, a close ally of Al Qaeda, which staged the terrorist attack last November in Mumbai,” said Harrison.

Apart from the madrassas, which are categorised by the people as jihadi and non-jihadi, there are mosques that supply fighters and suicide-bombers to the Taliban and Al Qaeda, the editorial said.

The trend had started during the Taliban rule in Kabul in the 1990s and has continued after the establishment of Lal Masjid as an entrepôt of warriors moving between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the editorial concluded. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Afghanistan, al-Qaeda, ally, ANI, arrest, attack, bahawalpur, blame, capital-city, CCPO, City Police Officer, countryside, Cricket, danger, editorial, entrepôt, establishment, extreme poverty, fact, harrison, haven, havoc, heartland, incident, India, Innumerable, introspect, involvement, Islamabad, Islamist, Jhang, Jhangvi, Jihadi, June, kabul, Lahore, lal masjid, lankan, Lashkar, Lashkar-e, March, member, militant groups, militias, muhammad, Mumbai, naik, neighbour, network, November, officer, offshoot, opportunity, organisation, Pak, Pakistan, perception, pervaiz, police, poverty, Punjab, Rathore, region, rule, safe haven, selig, selig harrison, South Punjab, sovereignty, sri, sri lankan cricket, Sri Lankan cricket team, strike, suicide bombers, supply, takeover, Taliban, team, terror, terror attack, terror strikes, terrorism, threat, threat perception, toiba, trend, US, world, writer, Zubair

Pak court doesn’t have a judge to hear Mumbai attack suspect’s case

May 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Rawalpindi, May 24 (ANI): The gravity with which Pakistan is handling the Mumbai terror attack case can be gauged by the fact that the Anti Terrorism Court here adjourned the hearing into the November 2008 terror attacks case till June 6 due to the unavailability of a judge.

The case was adjourned as there was no judge available to hear the case after the transfer of Judge Sakhi Muhammad Kahoot, The Daily Times reports.

It may be noted that the court is trying Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and several others to determine their involvement in Mumbai attacks.

All the suspects are presently locked in Rawalpinkdi’s Adiala jail.arlier, the ATC had distributed copies of charge sheets among the suspects, but now it has adjourned the hearing without framing any charges against them.

Similarly, the court also adjourned hearing into bomb-laden vehicles case registered with Sadiqabad Police Station till June 6. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Adiala, ANI, anti, Anti-terrorism, arlier, ATC, attack, Bomb Laden, case, charge, Charge Sheets, commander, Court, daily, fact, gravity, hearing, involvement, jail, judge, Judge Sakhi, June, lakhvi, Lashkar-e, May, may 24, muhammad, Muhammad Kahoot, Mumbai, November, Pak, Pakistan, police station, rawalpindi, Rawalpinkdi, rehman, Sadiqabad, sakhi, shah, terror, terror attack, terror attacks, terrorism, times, toiba, transfer, unavailability, Zakir-ur, zarar

Top LeT commander killed in Jammu and Kashmir

May 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, May 9 (ANI): At least three militants have been killed in two separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

In Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, a top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander and his local militant associate have been killed in a fierce gun-battle with security forces early on Saturday.

LeT’s self-styled divisional commander Abu Sumama, resident of Pakistan, and his local aide Barkat Ali alias Yasir were killed by the counter-insurgency forces in Dhar Dashnan hills near Doda town early this morning.

A combing and search operation was launched by security forces in the area following specific information about the presence of militants, an official spokesman said.

”Contact with the militants, who were holed up in an isolated dhoke (cattle shed), was established at about 0100 hrs,” he added.

One AK rifle and a pistol were recovered from the site of operation.

Encounter of Sumama, who was active in the area for the past four to five years, is said to be a big blow to the LeT in Doda.

According to the spokesman, one army jawan also sustained wounds in the gun-battle.

In Ganderbal district, a militant has been killed in an encounter with security forces on Saturday, army sources said.

On Saturday morning security forces sealed Kangan area that is 40 kilometers from Srinagar.

As the troops zeroed in at a particular house, where the militants were hiding, the ultras opened fire at the forces and in the ensuing gunbattle a militant was killed.

The operation was still in progress when reports last came in, the sources said. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: abu, aide, ali, alias, ANI, area, army, army sources, Barkat, blow, cattle, commander, contact, counter-insurgency, Dashnan, dhar, dhoke, district, divisional commander, Doda, Doda District, encounter, fire, Ganderbal, gun battle, gunbattle, house, information, jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, jawan, Kangan, Kashmir, kilometers, Lashkar-e, LeT, May, militants, morning, operation, Pakistan, pistol, presence, progress, resident, rifle, Saturday, saturday morning, search, search operation, security, security forces, site, spokesman, srinagar, Sumama, toiba, top, town, ultras, yasir

Lashkar ‘divisional commander’, aide killed in J-K

May 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jammu, May 9 (ANI): A self-styled divisional Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) commander and his aide were killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district early this morning.

According to sources, the army and police threw a tight cordon around the Dhar Dashnan hills near Doda town late on Friday night following a tip off about the presence of militants. Lashkar self-styled commander Abu Sumama and his aide Barkat Ali alias Yasir were killed.

One soldier also sustained injuries in the gun-battle. An AK rifle and a pistol were recovered from the site of operation.
In another incident in Ganderbal district, a militant was killed in an encounter with security forces.

Acting on a specific information, security forces sealed the Kangan area to flush out the militants.

The operation was still in progress. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: abu, acting, aide, ali, alias, ANI, area, army, Barkat, commander, cordon, Dashnan, dhar, district, divisional commander, Doda, Doda District, encounter, Friday, friday night, Ganderbal, gun battle, gunbattle, incident, information, Information Security, jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, Kangan, Kashmir, Lashkar, Lashker-e, LeT, May, morning, night, operation, pistol, police, presence, progress, rifle, security, security forces, site, soldier, Sumama, tip, toiba, town, yasir

2 Lashkar commanders killed in J and K gunbattle

April 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

The three-day long gun-battle between militants and security forces in the forests of Maidanpora village in Lolab valley of frontier Kupwara district ended on Tuesday evening leaving two soldiers and two top commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba dead. Three other soldiers were also injured in the clash.

A defence spokesperson in Srinagar said that the operation was over. Bodies of two senior Lashkar commanders were found on the site of encounter, he said.

The slain militants were identified as Abu Musa and Abu Muawiya, both Pakistan nationals, owing allegiance to Lashkar-e-Toiba. Abu Musa was divisional commander of the outfit.

Police sources said that the militants had made underground hideouts and gave tough resistance to the troopers. “They were well trained”, sources said adding that the army had to use helicopters for rushing in more troops in the operation.

“The operation was meticulously carried out and entire area was divided into five zones”, they said, adding that two bodies were found when the clashes ended on Tuesday evening. The clash had occurred on Sunday afternoon after troops launched a search operation in the area to flush out militants.

Two soldiers Naik Vipin Thakur and paratrooper Kamaljeet Singh of the 9 Para regiment were killed and three other soldiers were injured in the firing. Even though the army has called off the operation, they have not lowered the guard.

“An alert has been sounded all along the line of control (LOC) and mountainous regions of Kupwara”, said an officer, who did not want to be named. He said that the reported infiltration by Taliban militants was a matter of concern and “we are fully prepared to neutralise them”.

There has been sudden spurt in clashes between militants and security forces in the past three weeks. Over 30 militants and 11 soldiers have died in these encounters.

Seventeen militants and eight soldiers, including an army major, were killed in a five-day long encounter at Drangyari and Hafradu forests. Syed Ali Geelani, chairman of hard-line faction of Hurriyat Conference, has rubbished the claims of Taliban presence in Kashmir.

He said that neither Taliban nor Al Qaedah had any presence in Kashmir.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: abu, Abu Musa, afternoon, Al Qaedah, alert, allegiance, area, army, bodies, chairman, clash, clashes, commander, concern, conference, control, dead, defence, Defence Spokesperson, district, divisional commander, Drangyari, encounter, evening, faction, firing, frontier, guard, gun battle, gunbattle, Hafradu, hideouts, Hurriyat, infiltration, Kamaljeet, Kashmir, Kupwara, Lashkar, Lashkar-e, Lashkar-e-Toiba, line, LOC, Lolab, Maidanpora, Major, matter, militants, mountainous regions, Muawiya, musa, naik, neutralise, officer, operation, outfit, Owing Allegiance, Pakistan, Para, paratrooper, police, police sources, presence, Regiment, resistance, search, search operation, security, Singh, site, spokesperson, spurt, srinagar, Sudden Spurt, sunday, Syed Ali Geelani, Taliban, thakur, toiba, Tuesday, tuesday evening, two soldiers, valley, village, vipin, Vipin Thakur

LeT militant arrested in Anantnag

April 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, April 1 (ANI): Security personnel arrested a Laskkhar-e-Toiba militant in Mohripora Achabal in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Wednesday in a joint operation of Anantnag Police, 162 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force and 36 and 187 Rashtriya Rifles.

A pistol, one pistol magazine and two hand grenades were recovered from the arrested militant.

Acting upon tip off Anantnag Police, 36 RR, 187 RR and 162 Bn CRPF raided a house of Majid Margay, son of Raheem, a resident of Mohripora, falling under the jurisdiction of Police Station Achabal and arrested one Lashkar-e-Toiba militant.

The arrested militant’s name is stated to be Bilal Ahmad Koley ,son of Ahmad Koley, a resident of Kokernag. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Achabal, acting, Ahmad, Ahmad Koley, Anantnag, ANI, April, april 1, battalion, Bilal Ahmad Koley, central, CRPF, district, force, hand, hand grenades, house, jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, jurisdiction, Kashmir, Kokernag, Koley, Lashkar-e, Laskkhar-e, LeT, magazine, Majid, Margay, Mohripora, name, operation, pistol, Pistol Magazine, police force, police station, Raheem, rashtriya, rashtriya rifles, reserve, reserve police, resident, rifles, security, security personnel, son, srinagar, tip, toiba, Wednesday

LeT trying to push 300 terrorists across LOC: General Kapoor

March 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, March 25 (ANI): Army chief General Deepal Kapoor on Wednesday said that the Pakistan based militant group, Lashkar-e-Toiba, is attempting the biggest ever push of around 300 terrorists across the Line of Control into India.

The warning from the Army chief came on a day when Lashkar spokesman Abdullah Ghaznavi told a news agency that the attacks will continue on the Indian soil and the Kupwara encounter was a part of it.

Lashkar has also been found to be behind the ghastly attacks in Mumbai last year and its top leadership is under investigation in a Pakistan court.

“There are atleast 300 militants waiting to crossover to our side over LOC. There are 30-40 militant training camps active in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir,” General Kapoor said.

Pakistani troops have been firing throughout the last night at Indian posts in Uri sector reportedly to give cover to militants’ crossing over. The Indian Army has lodged a formal protest with their Pakistani counterparts on the same.

Commenting on the Kupwara encounter, General Kapoor said the Army had recovered 23 AK assault rifles, one pistol, four Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGLs), 19 UBGL grenades, two hand grenades, two global positioning systems and 10 radio sets were recovered from the slain militants.

Earlier in the day, the Army said that the Pakistan-based terrorist group Laskar-e-Taiba (LeT) along with some other foreign outfits, were responsible for the gunbattle with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir”s Kupwara district.

Addressing the press here, Brigadier General Gurmeet Singh said that high-order arms and ammunitions recovered from the terrorists indicate Pakistani help.

He pointed out that the terrorists couldn’t have accessed the weaponry without state backing.

According to reports, the Lashkar-e-Taiba has itself owned up responsibility for the encounter, which went on for five days and claimed the lives of seventeen militants and eight security personnel.

Brigadier Singh warned of more attacks against the Indian troops.

He further revealed that the Army, with the help of human intelligence agencies, had accurate information regarding the movements of the militants and assured that the security forces were ready to fight all the challenges.

The militants had sneaked into Kupwara as the dense forest range is close to the Line of Control (LoC).

On receiving information about militant infiltration in the forest area, the Army, assisted by local police had acted promptly and launched a gun battle on March 20. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Abdullah Ghaznavi, agency, ammunitions, ANI, area, army, army chief, assault, Assault Rifles, atleast, backing, barrel, battle, Brigadier General, Brigadier General Gurmeet, Brigadier Singh, Chief, chief general, control, Court, crossover, day, Deepal, district, encounter, forest, formal protest, General Kapoor, global positioning systems, grenade, grenade launchers, group, gun, gunbattle, gurmeet singh, hand, hand grenades, help, India, Indian, indian army, indian soil, infiltration, information, intelligence, investigation, jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir, Kupwara, Lashkar, Lashkar-e, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Laskar-e, launchers, leadership, LeT, line, LOC, March, militant group, Mumbai, New Delhi, NEWS, night, occupied, outfits, Pakistan, pakistan based, Pakistan Court, Pakistani troops, part, pistol, police, positioning, press, protest, push, radio, Radio Sets, range, responsibility, sector, security, seventeen, side, Singh, soil, spokesman, state, Taiba, toiba, training, UBGL, UBGLs, Uri, warning, weaponry, Wednesday, year

Pak blames India for using Afghanistan soil against Pakistan

March 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad,Mar. 10 (ANI): In a bid to come clean on the Lahore terror attack, Pakistan has reiterated the role of a foreign hand in it, and accused India of using Afghanistan’s soil against Pakistan.

Addressing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior Affairs, Advisor on Interior matters, Rehman Malik, said investigations have not found any evidence of the Lashkar-e-Toiba’s involvement.

Rehman asserted there is enough evidence to prove that a ‘foreign hand’ was behind the attack.

“India was using Afghanistan’s soil against Pakistan,” The Daily Times quoted Rehman, as saying.

Malik also admitted that security personnel guarding the Lankan convoy were not well equipped to counter the attack.

The committee, however, expressed discontent over the security cover provided to the Sri Lankan team.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has rebuked reports about an Indian involvement in the Lahore terror attack.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said India is a long ally of his country, and that the Lankan Government does see any Indian linkage in the attack in which seven Sri Lankan cricket players were injured.

“From our point of view, there is no Indian involvement. India has helped us in our counter-terrorist efforts. I don’t see a need for India to target the Sri Lankan cricket team,” Bogollagama said.

Bogollagama said the LTTE’s involvement can not be denied in the incident because of its links with international banned terrorist outfits.

“We are not ruling out links with the LTTE. The LTTE are known to have links with international terrorist groups. Our initial suspicions are on the LTTE,” he said.(ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: advisor, Afghanistan, ally, ANI, assembly, Assembly Standing Committee, attack, bid, Bogollagama, committee, convoy, country, cover, Cricket, cricket players, daily, discontent, evidence, foreign, Foreign Minister, Government, hand, incident, India, India-Pakistan, interior, interior affairs, Interior Matters, International Terrorist Groups, involvement, Islamabad, Lahore, lankan, Lankan Government, Lashkar-e, Lashkar-e-Toiba, linkage, ltte, malik, mar, minister, national, national assembly, need, outfits, Pak, Pakistan, Pakistan islamabad, point, rehman, rehman malik, Rohitha, role, security, security personnel, soil, Sri Lanka, sri lankan cricket, Sri Lankan cricket team, sri lankan team, team, terror, terror attack, terrorist outfits, times, toiba, view

Pak cooperation on counter-terrorism will be sketchy at best: US expert

March 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Mar.10 (ANI): Divisions within the Pakistani intelligence and security forces over how to deal with the menace of terrorism, especially as it is well known that some of these groups have long enjoyed active or passive support of Pakistani institutions, suggests that cooperation from Islamabad in countering it will be sketchy at best.

Daniel Markey, a former senior South Asia State Department official under President Bush, told The Times: “What you are seeing are sharply different responses between different Pakistani agencies – none are sufficient and some are positively bad.”

US officials are particular concerned about the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), which Pakistani and Western intelligence agencies say has trained thousands of Pakistanis in its camps and now has the potential to reach all over the world.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Islamabad has undermined Washington’s efforts to identify and thwart the LET who are believed to have a strong presence in the US.

So deep is the concern that Robert S. Mueller III, the FBI Director, visited Islamabad last week to press for better cooperation after the Mumbai attacks.

According to The Times, the FBI and other US officials have been denied access to about 20 LET members, including about six senior officials suspected of heading its global operations and fundraising.

Senior FBI officials have also confirmed that Pakistan has dragged its heels for 16 months in the investigation into the 2006 airline plot by denying access to Rashid Rauf despite Mueller’s personal appeals.

Rauf escaped from a Pakistani jail in mysterious circumstances in December 2007 and was reported killed by a US missile in November last year.

British officials have made similar complaints. Pakistani officials deny dragging their feet in joint terror investigations. “It was because of our tip that Britain has been able to break terror networks,” one official said. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: access, airline, angeles, ANI, asia, Britain, british officials, concern, cooperation, counter-terrorism, Daniel Markey, December, department, director, divisions, expert, fbi, fbi director, fbi officials, Global Operations, intelligence, investigation, Islamabad, jail, Lashkar-e, Lashkar-e-Toiba, LeT, los, Los Angeles Times, mar, markey, menace, missile, Mumbai, mysterious circumstances, none, November, official, Pak, Pakistan, Pakistani officials, Pakistanis, Personal Appeals, plot, potential, presence, President Bush, Rashid Rauf, Robert S. Mueller III, security, security forces, Senior, senior officials, south, south-asia, state, State Department Official, support, terror, terrorism, times, tip, toiba, US, Washington, week, Western Intelligence Agencies, world, year

Territorial Army soldier feared to have joined Lashkar in Doda

March 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jammu, March 9 (ANI): Territorial Army and police sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, fear that one of their personnel has deserted his unit and joined the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Both claimed that Zafarullah, a soldier with the 169 Territorial Army, which is posted in Doda district, ran away with two rifles on Sunday morning.

Police said they were verifying a report that Zafarullah is the brother of dreaded Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant Hanief Mohammad, who has presently taken shelter in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Zafarullah was recruited by the Territorial Army three years ago.

He was attached with the 8 Rashtriya Rifles, which was deployed on Bharat Road at Deshnan near Doda.

A red alert has been sounded for the capture of the deserter.

PRO (Defense) Lieutenant Colonel Biplab Nath confirmed the news of Zafarullah’s desertion.

“A massive manhunt has been launched by a joint team of the army and police to nab the deserter. The cops have been put on alert and all routes have been plugged to stop the deserter from moving out of Doda district,” he said. By Tahir Nadeem Khan (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: alert, ANI, anonymity, army, Army Soldier, Bharat Road, Biplab, brother, capture, colonel, condition, cops, defense, deserter, desertion, Deshnan, district, Doda, fear, Hanief, jammu, Kashmir, khan, Lashkar, Lashkar-e, Laskhar-e, LeT, lieutenant, lieutenant colonel, manhunt, March, massive manhunt, mohammad, morning, Morning Police, nab, nadeem khan, Nath, NEWS, Pakistan, pakistan-occupied, pok, police, police sources, rashtriya, rashtriya rifles, Red Alert, report, rifles, shelter, soldier, sunday, sunday morning, Tahir Nadeem, team, territorial, territorial army, toiba, unit, Zafarullah

Lahore attack aimed at releasing Lakhvi: Pak investigation agency

March 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lahore, Mar.5 (ANI): Pakistan investigative agencies are of the view that militants are using Tuesday’s attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore to facilitate the release of Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

akhvi is currently detained at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi and is facing trial for his alleged role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

According to sources, investigation agencies are saying that the attack was planned and carried out by a Lashkar operative.

Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s Advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik, had also said that the Lahore attackers wanted to hijack the bus carrying the visiting team.

On the day the attack on the Lankan team was carried out, Lakhvi and four other 26/11 suspects were to appear in front of an Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi.

The court extended the physical remand of all five for another14 days.

It has also been revealed that the security cover provided to the Lankan team was inadequate. Officials said that it was sheer luck the players were saved.

The LeT, however, has denied playing role in the Lahore attack.

“These allegations are a malicious attempt not only to malign the Lashkar, but also the ongoing freedom movement in Jammu and Kashmir,” The News quoted a former LeT office-bearer, as saying. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Adiala, advisor, agency, akhvi, ANI, anti, attack, attempt, bus, commander, Court, cover, day, Freedom, front, gilani, Hijack, interior, investigation, jail, jammu, Kashmir, Lahore, lakhvi, lankan, Lashkar, Lashkar-e, LeT, luck, malign, malik, mar, minister, movement, Mumbai, NEWS, operative, Pak, Pakistan, prime, rawalpindi, rehman, release, remand, role, security, sri, team, terror, terrorism, toiba, trial, Tuesday, view, Yusuf Raza, Zakir-ur

Pak’s JuD clampdown result of incessant India, international pressure

January 16, 2009 By Rajesh Leave a Comment

London, Jan 16 (ANI): The Pakistan Government announced that it had widened its crackdown on banned terror organization Lashkar-e-Toiba’s frontal outfit, Jammat-ud-Daawa, under consistent pressure from India and West to act more decisively against the groups operating from its soil.

Bowing to weeks of international pressure, Interior Secretary Kamal Shah said that the number of people arrested had risen to 71 as a further 124 people had been placed under surveillance, The Independent reported.

The suspects in question are members of JuD, a charity affiliated to LeT, the Pakistan-based militant group blamed for the Mumbai terror attacks.

Earlier, Rehman Malik, the Interior Ministry chief, told reporters in Islamabad that authorities had moved to shut down 20 offices, 87 schools, two libraries, seven religious schools and six websites linked to JuD, a group now proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations Security Council.

Malik added that the crackdown included over a dozen JuD-operated relief camps, erected in the wake of 2005 Kashmir earthquake but alleged to be used for training militants.

Earlier, speaking at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband called on Pakistan yesterday to show “zero tolerance” toward militants based in the country.

The best solution to terrorist threat in the long term, Miliband said, was cooperation, adding that he would call on Pakistan to take urgent action to dismantle the militant networks that exist on its soil. It must display “zero tolerance,” he warned.

Miliband will arrive in Islamabad today for talks with Pakistani leadership as part of an ongoing bid to ease simmering tensions between the two neighbours.

Although the threat of war has receded, Delhi and Islamabad remain locked in a near-daily exchange of diplomatic crossfire, the paper said. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: action, ANI, bid, British, charity, Chief, clampdown, cooperation, Council, country, crackdown, crossfire, Daawa, Delhi, dozen, earthquake, exchange, foreign, Government, group, hotel, incessant, independent, India, interior, Islamabad, Jammat-ud, jan, jud, JuD-operated, Kamal Shah, Kashmir, Lashkar-e, leadership, LeT, London, malik, ministry, Mumbai, number, organisation, organization, outfit, Pak, Pakistan, pakistan based, paper, part, pressure, question, rehman, relief, result, Secretary David Miliband, security, soil, solution, surveillance, Taj, term, terror, threat, today, toiba, tolerance, training, united, wake, war, west, yesterday