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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
As IDF demolishes hundreds of houses in West Bank camps, residents are determined to return
2025-05-24
[IsraelTimes] Palestinians, whose homes were destroyed in counter-terror operation, speak of hardships after months of displacement; some say they only found out after the fact

With hundreds of structures demolished and thousands of residents displaced as the Israel Defense Forces escalates its most extensive counter-terror campaign in years across the northern West Bank, Paleostinian residents have spoken out about the difficulties of displacement and their determination to return ot their homes.

On January 21, the IDF launched Operation Iron Wall in the Jenin refugee camp, adjacent to the city of Jenin. In February, the operation expanded to include refugee camps near the city of Tulkarem in the western West Bank — Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps. In the first days of the operation, the IDF ordered all residents of those camps to evacuate their homes, and today they remain completely empty.

According to the UN agency for Paleostinian refugees, UNRWA, approximately 40,000 people have been displaced from the camps and are currently staying in nearby villages or the adjacent cities of Jenin or Tulkarem.

Early in the campaign, footage emerged showing the IDF demolishing some homes as part of its incursions and to achieve tactical control on the ground, as was seen in previous operations. However,
death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate...
 as the fighting progressed, destruction exceeded that of earlier IDF operations in the camps.

For example, in the Jenin refugee camp alone, the IDF demolished 25 homes in February — something not seen in recent years. According to an IDF statement, these were buildings that "served as terrorist infrastructure."

In early May, the IDF announced the demolition of 100 structures in the Jenin camp due to "urgent security needs," followed by a similar announcement regarding 90 structures in the Nur Shams and Tulkarem camps.

Mohammad Sabar, head of the Jenin camp’s Civil Services Committee, told The Times of Israel that around 200 homes have been destroyed there, previously housing approximately 600 families. In Tulkarem, according to Paleostinian reports, demolitions are still ongoing.

In early May, the IDF stated that "to prevent terrorism from reestablishing itself in northern Samaria, the IDF is making changes in the camps — including the opening of routes and roads — in order to allow freedom of movement and operational capability for IDF forces in the area."

In response to a query from The Times of Israel regarding the number of homes demolished so far in the refugee camps, the IDF replied: "In recent years, the refugee camps in northern Samaria have become terrorist strongholds, with button men operating from within civilian neighborhoods. To prevent the return and entrenchment of button men in the northern Samaria area, the IDF is reshaping and stabilizing the region, in part by demolishing homes, based on the operational needs of forces operating in the field."

It said that in the refugee camps mentioned, over 250 structures have been demolished. The demolitions were carried out following extensive discussions and careful review, and limited to the smallest number possible.

STRATEGY BEHIND DEMOLITIONS
Hebrew media have published several reports in recent weeks providing further details from security sources regarding the scope and purpose of the widespread demolitions.

In a report by Ynet, military officials were quoted explaining that the goal of the demolitions is "to preserve the IDF’s freedom of operation. The method — preventing the reconstruction of homes and roads that were destroyed — will turn the camps from fortified strongholds into urban neighborhoods. The psychological impact: Reducing the phenomenon of refugee camps as terror hubs."

In an interview with Channel 12, a military lieutenant colonel speaking anonymously stated: "We are building a network of routes throughout the entire [Jenin] camp. The idea is to turn it into a regular neighborhood. You’ll be able to drive here, walk here, and it will allow us freedom of operation."

The speakers in both interviews said the narrow alleys in the refugee camps were used by terror operatives against IDF soldiers. Aerial footage published by Haaretz in recent months has shown homes demolished to widen roads.

There are 20 historical refugee camps in the West Bank, all of which were established shortly after 1948, housing Paleostinians who fled or were expelled during the War of Independence from homes located in what is now the State of Israel. Over the years, these camps have evolved into densely populated and enclosed neighborhoods where both the Paleostinian Authority and Israeli security forces face operational challenges.

’A TERRORIST HUB? AN ISRAELI NARRATIVE’
Taqqiya.
One of the residents who learned of Israel’s plans through Israeli media is a resident of the Jenin camp who asked not to be named for safety reasons. His home was demolished during the operation.

Speaking to The Times of Israel by phone, he said: "The Israeli narrative is that every house destroyed to open a road won’t be rebuilt. Israeli media says the goal is to reduce the camp’s population by half, so that 8,000 people won’t return."

He said Israel talks of creating "a new Netzarim Corridor," a reference to a route the IDF carved out in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
 to better control the territory during the war, as well as "new streets, and that the army won’t withdraw from the camp until next year."

The IDF has stated that the operation was launched to combat armed gangs that had grown stronger within the camps and were using them as launching points for shooting attacks against Israelis.

On May 7, the IDF reported that 100 button men had been killed in the northern West Bank during the operation, including 36 senior operatives from various terror organizations. According to the military, around 320 wanted individuals have been arrested, approximately 450 weapons have been confiscated, hundreds of bombs destroyed, and dozens of homes used as weapons caches or explosives labs demolished.

The resident rejected this.

"This claim that it’s a hub for terrorists, it’s a narrative," he said. "The army itself says it didn’t find anyone in the camp." (This is incorrect.)

"The young men who were there were arrested by the Paleostinian Authority," the resident went on. "The army found nothing. It found civilians and attacked civilians. It’s my right to peacefully resist and hold onto my home. Is it a crime if I try to hold on to my home? Why do you come to my house, uproot me, and destroy it?"

Some camp residents who spoke to The Times of Israel denied that any significant activity by gangs had taken place in their neighborhoods. Others argued that such activity was legitimate in response to foreign forces entering Paleostinian areas.

Montaser Abu al-Hijaa, from Jenin camp, whose home was burned down during the operation in March, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir "know that there are only 20—30 gunnies in the entire refugee camp, but they want to satisfy a certain segment of Israeli society. The Israeli army has been in the refugee camp for 120 days. There are no festivities, no gunfire. The wanted individuals were arrested by the PA or by Israel, or they were killed."

Nihal al-Jundi from Nur Shams camp said, "Since 1948, there has been popular resistance. That’s the nature of resistance. [Israel] opposes any form of resistance. Every occupied people has the right to resist."

FINDING OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
A resident of the Jenin refugee camp, who spoke with The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity, said he was not informed by any official source that his home had been demolished. He only found out after seeing videos on social media.

The 36-year-old father of two recounted: "We left in January, as soon as the order was given for everyone to evacuate. Fourteen of us lived in that house — myself, my parents, my siblings, their kids, and my own children. My daughter cried and screamed at night from the sound of gunfire and explosions. The drone circled overhead and broadcast a message telling us to leave. We left against our will. They didn’t let us take anything — not even clothes. We left with what we were wearing."

He described his displacement journey after leaving the camp: "At first, I stayed with relatives in the city for a bit. Then at my sister’s, then at my uncle’s. But it’s not easy living like that, especially as the operation dragged on. So I rented a house in Jenin for NIS 2,500 ($700) a month. Now I live in a smaller, cheaper place — I can’t afford more. I currently pay NIS 1,700 ($470) a month. The place I’m renting doesn’t have a fridge or basic appliances. It’s two rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom, and 14 people live there."

According to Nihad Shuweish, head of the Civil Services Committee in Nur Shams, neither the IDF nor Israeli authorities officially informed Paleostinian residents of a plan to alter the structure of the refugee camps.

He told The Times of Israel in a phone call that the only official notification came from the District Coordination and Liaison Office (DCO), and it included a list of homes scheduled for demolition, so families could be notified. Those families were given about two hours, coordinated with the Civil Administration, to go in and retrieve belongings. Those notifications happened in Jenin and Tulkarem, according to the military.

However,
death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate...
 some resident said they weren’t notified and were not allowed to collect items from their house before the demolition. In response to The Times of Israel’s inquiry, the IDF stated: "The Coordination and Liaison Administration has conducted itself transparently throughout the operation and has coordinated with residents of the camps to arrange a proper schedule for evacuation and collection of belongings."

FINANCIAL HARDSHIP
One of the main challenges reported by displaced residents whose homes were demolished is the financial burden of living outside the camps. Many of meager means had previously lived in homes they owned, but are now forced to pay rent.

In addition, since the establishment of the Paleostinian Authority, residents of refugee camps have not paid for water, electricity, or municipal taxes.
I understand that Israel made sure the utility companies were paid, just like they did for Gaza.
This policy reflects the PA’s view of camp residents as "temporary" until a resolution to the Israeli-Paleostinian conflict is reached — one that, under the Paleostinians’ demanded right of return, would allow descendants of refugees to go back to their ancestral homes in pre-1948 Israel. Such an eventuality is highly unlikely.

Alaa Abu Zina, a resident of the Jenin refugee camp whose home was destroyed about a month ago, told The Times of Israel by phone: "I’m 50 years old. We left with the entire extended family — my brothers and their children. Ten of us lived in that house. We left on the first day of the military operation, in January, the moment the army entered and began shooting. My family and I left under fire. They shot at people who left before us. It was terrifying. We didn’t take anything.

"We went to live with relatives in a nearby village and then returned to the city. Now I live in an apartment with my sisters, and my brother and his kids live in another apartment in a different neighborhood. I pay NIS 2,000 ($550) in rent every month."

Jamal Abu al-Shalabi, whose home was demolished in a previous IDF operation in the Jenin camp in July 2024, has been living outside it ever since. "I’m 46 and have eight children. We were 10 people living in the house: me, my wife, and the kids. Now we live in a rented apartment. We want to return to the refugee camp," he said.

"We can’t afford life in the city: rent, transportation, water, electricity. In the camp, we didn’t pay for water or electricity, and there was no need to pay for transportation. Everything was nearby, even education. There are no UNRWA schools outside the camp, only private ones."

Nihaya al-Jundi, a resident of Nur Shams refugee camp, left with her family when the military operation began there in February. Her home was demolished a day after she left, likely due to its location on the edge of the camp, where the military sought to gain access.

"Soldiers came into the house on February 8, told me to leave, and then demolished it with a bulldozer. I left Nur Shams on February 9 and haven’t returned since. We were three living in the house. I’m 35, married, and have a 14-year-old daughter. I now live in a rented apartment in Tulkarem, paying NIS 3,000 ($830) a month for a two-room unit with a kitchen and bathroom. I left without a fridge or washing machine. All the residents of Nur Shams are in the same situation, searching for furniture and renting homes."

’WE’LL RETURN THE MOMENT IT’S ALLOWED’
Many of the displaced residents from the Jenin and Tulkarem camps, whose homes were demolished, said they intended to return as soon as the army allows it, despite the destruction of their homes.

Mohammad Amer, a resident of Jenin camp whose home was demolished by the IDF in January, said: "Historically, we’re not from the refugee camp. I’m from Haifa. My grandfather was a refugee from Haifa. For me, returning to Haifa would be better, but our aspirations are smaller. We want to return to the refugee camp."

Abu al-Hijaa, from Jenin camp, said his house was burned during the operation in March, though the circumstances remain unclear. He told The Times of Israel: "I heard from journalists who entered the camp and took photos. I saw that my house had completely burned. I saw the photos in March and saw that it was scorched. I don’t have more details, and I don’t know if it was demolished afterward."

He added, "Everyone sees their home as a palace, it’s their life. You don’t give that up. We grew up there. The moment they say we can go back to the refugee camp — at 2 a.m., 3 a.m. — we’ll go back, put down a mattress, and live in the burned house."

However,
death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate...
 entire residential areas have been razed, and many Paleostinians fear that the number of returning residents will be reduced. These concerns stem from statements by Israeli military officials indicating that homes demolished for road-widening purposes will not be allowed to be rebuilt.

There is currently no clear timeline for when the military operation in the camps will end. In February, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that he had instructed the IDF to remain in the camps throughout the coming year.
Related:
Operation Iron Wall: 2025-05-10 IDF says ‘most wanted West Bank terror operative’ killed in Nablus operation
Operation Iron Wall: 2025-05-08 3 months into major Jenin operation, IDF signals gains as residents face ruin
Operation Iron Wall: 2025-05-08 3 soldiers wounded, 2 seriously, in West Bank attacks
Link


India-Pakistan
Times of India liveblog
2025-05-11
SUMMARY
India on Saturday accused Pakistan of violating a ceasefire agreement reached earlier the same day between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations. Speaking at a late-night press conference, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Indian forces had been directed to give a firm response to any further ceasefire breaches along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border.

“An understanding was reached this evening between the DGMOs of India and Pakistan to halt the ongoing military action. However, in the last few hours, Pakistan has violated this understanding,” Misri stated. He confirmed that Indian forces were already retaliating against the latest cross-border attack, which he called “extremely condemnable.”

Misri held Pakistan fully accountable for the renewed hostilities and called on Islamabad to immediately put an end to these provocations. “The armed forces are maintaining strict vigilance, and instructions have been issued to deal strongly with any further violations,” he added.

Earlier, Misri had confirmed that both sides agreed to stop all military operations — whether by land, air, or sea — from 5:00 pm IST. But within hours, reports of gunfire emerged from Pakistan’s side in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir, along with sightings of multiple drones near the border.

Tensions between the two countries are at their highest in years, sparked by India’s launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025. Early Friday, powerful explosions shook Jammu city, leading to a complete blackout shortly after Indian forces thwarted Pakistani attempts to hit military targets near the border. Reports suggested that loitering munitions were present in the airspace.

In a similar pattern, loud blasts were heard in the border town of Jaisalmer, while blackouts were enforced across several districts in western Rajasthan bordering Pakistan, throwing entire areas into darkness. A senior official confirmed that explosions continued for nearly an hour.

Several parts of Punjab, Chandigarh, and Haryana — including Panchkula, Ambala, and Sirsa — were also affected by blackouts. These were seen as precautionary steps amid mounting military friction and fears of airstrikes following Operation Sindoor.

The operation itself was launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, including 25 Indians and one Nepali national. The strike targeted nine key terror infrastructure sites tied to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), located across both Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Sources said the operation began at 1:05 am and wrapped up by 1:30 am, with follow-up hits reported at 1:44 am. Officials stated that the mission deliberately avoided Pakistani military assets to prevent wider escalation while still delivering a strong counter-terror message.

Key targets included JeM’s base in Bahawalpur and LeT’s hub in Muridke. Other locations hit included sites in Sialkot and Tehra Kalan in Pakistan, and Muzaffarabad and Kotli in PoK. The Indian military described the strikes as "focused, measured, and non-escalatory," exclusively aimed at terror networks. The operation was jointly detailed by Foreign Secretary Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh at a media briefing in New Delhi.

In retaliation, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the strikes as an “act of war,” asserting that Pakistan’s response was already in motion. He declared the full backing of the Pakistani people for their armed forces and warned of further retaliatory action, fuelling fears of a broader conflict.

Back in India, the government defended the move as necessary and justified. At a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the armed forces for their precision and courage. He expressed satisfaction with the success of the operation and emphasised the need for ongoing alertness.

The conflict has drawn international attention. US President Donald Trump commented on the situation, expressing alarm over the worsening scenario. "It’s so terrible," he said, while noting his strong ties with both India and Pakistan. Trump voiced hope that the two sides could bring the hostilities to an end. "Hopefully they can stop now, as they have gone tit-for-tat," he said, offering to assist with de-escalation if required.

04:17 (IST) May 11
Pakistan violates ceasefire: Firing, drones trigger blackouts in J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat
Shortly after the ceasefire pact between India and Pakistan was announced, multiple ceasefire violations and drone intrusions were reported across the western front, including along the LoC and international border in J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Firing and drone sightings occurred in Rajouri, Jammu, Akhnoor, R S Pura, Udhampur, and Srinagar, triggering explosions and panic. Nearly 50 drones were reportedly shot down over Srinagar, with similar activity noted in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer and Barmer, and Gujarat’s Kutch.

The violations led to widespread blackouts in border districts to avoid detection of targets, as advised by Indian defence authorities. Local administrations in affected regions enforced night-time blackouts, and residents were urged to remain in bunkers. In response to Pakistani aggression, Indian forces retaliated strongly, causing heavy damage to Pakistan Rangers’ posts and destroying a terror launchpad in Sialkot, PoK.

03:47 (IST) May 11
India-Pakistan Tensions Live: Lashkar’s Muridke HQ chief among 140 terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor
India’s covert Operation Sindoor, carried out on the night of May 6-7, resulted in the elimination of around a dozen top-tier terrorists in Pakistan, including IC-814 hijacker Yusuf Azhar, Lashkar’s Muridke head Abu Jundal alias Mudassar, and the son of the 2016 Nagrota attack planner. Sources confirmed that the strikes, launched in retaliation for the recent Pahalgam massacre, killed an estimated 130-140 terrorists. The operation dealt a severe blow to Pakistan's military-terror nexus, as seen in the high-profile funerals of several terrorists, attended by Pakistani military and political leaders.

Among the key targets was Yusuf Azhar, a long-wanted terrorist with an Interpol Red Notice, and Mudassar, who was given a military-style funeral by Pakistan Army. Lashkar's Abu Akasha and JeM’s Mohammad Hassan Khan were also killed. India’s intelligence claimed to possess video proof of military officials at these funerals, confirming direct links between the Pakistani state and terrorist groups. Two major terror hubs—Muridke and Bahawalpur—were destroyed in the strikes. These facilities had been central to planning and training for attacks like Pulwama (2019) and Nagrota. Officials called Operation Sindoor a clear signal of India’s capability to locate and eliminate high-value targets across the border.

03:19 (IST) May 11
Pakistan shelling kills 2 Army men, an IAF Sergeant and a BSF SI in Jammu
Intensified shelling and drone attacks by Pakistani forces across the Jammu region resulted in the loss of four Indian security personnel. Among the casualties were an Army JCO and a rifleman, an IAF sergeant stationed in Udhampur, and a BSF sub-inspector positioned along the international border in the RS Pura sector.

01:31 (IST) May 11
India-Pakistan Tensions Live: Soldier injured in firing at Nagrota Army station in Jammu, search ops underway to track intruder
An alert sentry at Nagrota Military Station thwarted a potential intrusion, sustaining minor injuries during a brief exchange of fire. Simultaneously, a precautionary blackout was enforced in parts of Punjab. India reported ceasefire violations by Pakistan, responding firmly and maintaining a strong vigil along the border and Line of Control after terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

00:21 (IST) May 11
Loud explosions, red streaks and sirens haunt Jammu and Kashmir, border districts again as Pakistan breaches ceasefire: What we know so far
Despite a newly agreed ceasefire, loud explosions and drone sightings have triggered widespread concern across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan, prompting a complete blackout in several districts. Following the explosions in Srinagar, air defense units were activated, while a firing incident occurred at an Army unit near Jammu. Security forces are investigating the threats as tensions escalate.

00:16 (IST) May 11
Ceasefire violations: India accuses Pakistan, orders strong response to border breaches

India on Saturday held Pakistan responsible for breaching a ceasefire understanding reached earlier in the day between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri, addressing a late-night press briefing, said Indian armed forces had been directed to respond firmly to any further violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border.

"An understanding was reached this evening between the DGMOs of India and Pakistan to halt the ongoing military action. However, over the past few hours, Pakistan has breached this understanding," Misri said.

00:11 (IST) May 11
India Pakistan News Live: Nagrota Military Station; Sentry injured in brief gunfire after spotting suspicious movement
A sentry posted at the Nagrota Military Station opened fire after detecting suspicious movement near the perimeter late Friday night, the White Knight Corps said in a statement. Upon issuing a challenge, the sentry was met with retaliatory fire, resulting in a brief exchange.

The sentry sustained a minor injury during the incident but managed to alert security forces immediately. A search operation has since been launched in and around the area to trace the suspected intruder(s).

SUMMARY
India on Saturday blamed Pakistan of breaching a ceasefire understanding reached earlier in the day between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries. At a late-night press briefing, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said Indian armed forces had been instructed to respond firmly to any further violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border.

“An understanding was reached this evening between the DGMOs of India and Pakistan to halt the ongoing military action. However, in the last few hours, Pakistan has violated this understanding,” Misri stated. He confirmed that Indian forces were retaliating against the latest cross-border intrusion, which he termed “extremely condemnable.”

Misri said Pakistan bore full responsibility for the latest escalation and urged Islamabad to act immediately to halt the provocations. “The armed forces are maintaining strict vigilance, and instructions have been issued to deal strongly with any further violations,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Misri announced that the DGMOs had agreed to cease all military activity — including on land, air, and sea — starting at 5:00 pm IST. However, just hours later, firing was reported from the Pakistani side in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir, with multiple drone sightings along the border.

On Friday morning, panic gripped parts of Jammu following air-raid sirens and explosions near the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri. The Border Security Force (BSF) also thwarted an infiltration attempt in Samba late Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Indian Army reported shooting down more than 50 swarm drones during several Pakistani attempts to breach defences.

Advanced air defence systems including L-70, Zu-23mm, and Schilka guns were deployed across critical areas such as Udhampur, Jammu, Nagrota, Akhnoor, Samba, and Pathankot. Unverified reports claimed that a Pakistani Air Force jet may have been downed over the Pathankot sector. Two Pakistani drones were also destroyed in the Naushera sector amid intense artillery exchanges.

The Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) confirmed that key Indian military installations in Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur were targeted with drones and missiles, all of which were successfully intercepted with no casualties.

Union home minister Amit Shah chaired an emergency meeting with top officials from border forces and CISF to review security across India’s borders and airports.

Internationally, US Vice President JD Vance, who was in India during the Pahalgam terror attack, called the situation a “regional conflict” and said the US would not intervene but would support dialogue. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has been in touch with global leaders, assuring them that India’s response has been “targeted, proportional, and focused on terror infrastructure.”

India strongly rejected Pakistan’s accusation that it targeted the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), warning Islamabad against using such “blatant lies” as pretext for further escalation.

Foreign secretary Misri reiterated that the current crisis was triggered by the Pahalgam attack and said the onus now lay on Pakistan to de-escalate. He also accused Pakistan of running a disinformation campaign.

Pakistan, meanwhile, reportedly launched another round of drone and missile strikes on Thursday night, targeting areas including Satwari, RS Pura, and Arnia. All eight missiles were intercepted. Authorities confirmed the recovery of drone and missile debris from multiple sites, offering clear evidence of the assault.
Link


Afghanistan
'The people who control the country.' How Afghanistan has changed under the Taliban
2024-05-31
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Kirill Semeov
Russia is determined to normalize relations, and will say anything to do so. Count up the fictions as you read, dearReader.
[REGNUM] The problems of Afghanistan are known, but the real power there lies with the Taliban movement and this cannot be ignored, Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the press following his visit to Uzbekistan on May 28.

“There are problems in Afghanistan, they are undeniable, everyone is well aware of them. The question of how to build relationships with the current government is another question. But we have to build it somehow, these are the people who control the country, control the territory of the country. They are the power in Afghanistan today,” the Russian President said.

A day earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also made it clear that Russia is going to remove the Taliban from the list of terrorists, on which it is still included.

“Kazakhstan recently made a decision, which we are also going to make, to remove them from the list of terrorist organizations. Moreover, the UN Security Council did not declare the Taliban as a terrorist organization.
It only takes one veto, or the threat of one.
There are, in my opinion, 12–15 specific characters on the list of terrorists,” Lavrov told reporters.

Initially, the Taliban came under international sanctions and were included in terrorist lists not so much because of their own actions, but because of their support for other terrorist organizations. For example, Al-Qaeda, whose representatives received asylum in Afghanistan.
Al Qaeda is still there, as are all their little buddies. And ISIS-K is one of the leading exporters of jihad among the ISIS franchises. Some of these have connections, and have been causing trouble, in Russia.
Of course, the Taliban was and remains a fundamentalist movement, but both now and during the period of the first Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA - the Taliban state) distanced itself from obvious terrorist activities.

The Taliban, unlike Al-Qaeda and ISIS, have never advocated the dismantling of the world order and “global jihad.”
But they support — and intermarry with — those who do. Tomaytoes, tomahtoes.
During their first statehood in the 1990s, they maintained diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Pakistan. Neighboring Turkmenistan was then close to recognizing them.

At the moment, it has also become obvious that all concerns about the hypothetical expansion of the Taliban into neighboring countries have remained at the level of speculation and speculation. The Taliban movement has demonstrated in practice that it intends to build good neighborly relations with all its neighbors.
They’e still at the consolidation phase, and can’t afford external wars as well as the internal ones.
For Moscow, of course, the positive attitude of the Afghan authorities towards Russia itself and its approaches to international affairs also plays a role.

As political scientist and orientalist Mir-Ali Askerov, who recently returned from Afghanistan, told IA Regnum, “there has never been a situation in which, when you say that you are from Russia, it causes some kind of negativity, that is, it either causes at least something neutral, positive, or strictly positive attitude. The Afghans express their gratitude for the fact that you visited their country and, in general, offer their help there in every possible way.”
I assume Mr. Askerov is male.
Askerov emphasized that Afghans look with hope at the confrontation between Russia and the collective West, with the hope that Russia “will be able to withstand this onslaught, this pressure and will be able to achieve a revision of this monopolar world order.”
No doubt.
YOU CAN WALK AT NIGHT
As Russian officials have rightly noted, the Taliban are making good progress in nation-building.

Although the country has serious economic problems and terrorist groups continue to operate, the risk of political and economic collapse is assessed as minimal, and the country has also managed to overcome crime and make the lives of citizens safer.

According to Askerov, the crime situation has become much better than during the reign of Ashraf Ghani and the Americans, and during that period he also had the opportunity to visit Afghanistan.

“ You can now walk around Kabul at night, during the day, at any time of the day and in any area, it is absolutely safe. The only problem is pickpockets, but this is only a problem of large markets,” said the orientalist.
Again, Mr. Askerov is not female.
At the same time, security is ensured in a much “softer” way than during the American occupation.

“Of course, there are many guards and checkpoints in the city, but they do not create the impression of a police state, as during the American presence with rough searches and searches of everyone. On the streets you can also see employees of the ministry of “commanding what is good and prohibiting what is bad” (morality police), but they act unobtrusively, politely and rather try to explain or explain something rather than prohibit and detain, so this does not cause any rejection or conflicts,” Askerov noted.
No, no, perish the thought.
At the same time, he said, some problems remain, despite the optimism of Afghans:

“The population perceives current changes positively and looks to the future with hope. But, of course, Afghans live poorly, and even the wealthiest live very modestly by our standards; economic problems have not gone away.”

Nevertheless, the Taliban still managed to somewhat stabilize the economy.

Afghanistan's foreign trade fell after they seized power. However, despite the decline in imports, most of the country's income now comes from taxes.

As experts note, the Afghan economy is no longer in a state of free fall and appears to be frozen in a precarious balance, albeit at the lowest level.

Modest positive trends include lower inflation, exchange rate stability, some recovery in imports, a more than doubling of exports,
…opium and heroin, right?
stable or slightly increased labor demand and continued wage levels.

Of course, the problem of Afghan drug trafficking remains.
Opium and heroin, yes.
However, it arose long before the Taliban came to power and was “chronic” for this country.
The Taliban took control of it during their first tenure, and never let go.
Nevertheless, the IEA leadership is making efforts to limit the production of opiates.

Thus, according to a 2023 UN report, poppy cultivation in southern Afghanistan fell by more than 80% as a result of Taliban campaigns to stop its use in opium production. For example, the decline in poppy cultivation in Helmand province has dropped by 99%.

In November 2023, a UN report found that throughout Afghanistan, poppy cultivation had fallen by more than 95%, depriving the country of its status as the world's largest opium producer.
The warehouses were full to bursting. No point in producing more until that supply is used up and the price increases.
Although Iran does not agree with such optimistic assessments, since, according to Iranian officials, supplies of opium and heroin from Afghanistan to their country continued in large volumes.
See?
The Taliban have also made progress in dialogue and taking into account the interests of ethno-confessional minorities living in the country, primarily the Shiite Hazaras, who were able to gain access to some leadership positions, which may indicate the movement’s readiness to follow the path of forming an inclusive government.
Tokens to shut up the rubes.
However, problems remain with the Uzbek and Tajik minorities, who are dissatisfied with the fact that their representatives, not associated with the Taliban, are still not represented in the IEA power structures.

"RED TROOPS"
An important factor in recognizing the Taliban and removing terrorist labels from the movement is its success in suppressing the activity and presence of international terrorist organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

It is significant that the Americans, who spent 20 years trying to eradicate the brainchild of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, were forced to recognize this success. But as soon as they left, the Taliban themselves solved this problem.

In particular, as Christy Abizaid, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, stated on September 11, 2023, "al-Qaeda is in its historic decline in Afghanistan and Pakistan and its resurgence is unlikely."

She also cited declassified data that the group had "lost access to targets, leadership talent, group cohesion, grassroots commitment, and supportive local environment." She said the terrorist organization's ability to threaten from Afghanistan " is at its lowest level" since it moved there in 1998.

The Taliban were also able to suppress the activity of ISIS and its local affiliate ISIS-K in Afghanistan.
Within Afghanistan, anyway. Or perhaps just reports of their activities. But not abroad.
After a significant increase in their activity, due to the security vacuum created in some parts of the country after the US withdrawal, the Taliban changed this dynamic, depriving the terrorists of control over certain territories that they were able to acquire by following the Americans fleeing the country.

Their activities were dealt a blow, and activity over the past year has decreased significantly, which was noted in the relevant reports of international structures.

It is noted that the Taliban were able to conduct a successful campaign against ISIS-X and eliminated most of the sleeper cells that were ready to continue terrorist attacks in Afghan cities. After a surge in the number of terrorist attacks in the first months after the Taliban came to power, their number begins to decline as a result of counter-terrorism measures by the IEA security structures.

In particular, in 2022–2023. the number of terrorist attacks and other attacks by ISIS-X has decreased significantly. If in the first year of Taliban rule (2021-2022) there were 314 attacks and assaults, then in 2022-2023. only 69 - that is, less than during any period of activity of the group in Afghanistan since its inception.

The Taliban’s fight against ISIS is systematic and consistent; for this purpose, special counter-terrorism forces have been created in Afghanistan that can effectively counter it.

This counter-terrorism unit is called "Red Squad", or "Sara Kheta" in Pashto.
... also known as Red Unit, Red Brigade, Blood Unit, Danger Group, and Taliban Special Forces Unit. The Taliban’s special forces/shock troops unit was first deployed in Sangin town in Helmand province in 2016, then claimed a victory against ISIS-Khurasan in 2018. They were most active in Kunduz, Baghlan, and Faryab Provinces.
It is divided into several battalions of 300–350 men, selected by field commanders from among the fighters based on their discipline, dedication and skills. Each battalion operates in a separate province, but within the Red Squad there is also a battalion-sized group of the most trained elite forces known as Badri 313.
The Badri 313 Battalion was trained by the Haqqani network and based at Salahaddin Ayyubi Military Operations Academy. There is evidence it was at one point al Qaeda's military arm in Pakistan, with members gleaned from the Taliban and Pakistan’s pet jihadi groups including Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Jundallah, used for nasty attacks on the Pakistani army under the leadership of Ilyas Kashmiri (until 2011) followed by Shah Sahib.
In emergency situations, units work together to cover a multi-province area.

It was the “Red Detachments” that defeated the ISIS in the province of Nangarhar, which was a stronghold of terrorists. After which part of the “Red Detachment” battalions was transferred to the province of Kunar, which was soon also cleared of ISIS militants.

Of course, it is too early to talk about a complete victory over ISIS in Afghanistan.

But a significant decrease in terrorist activity allows the Taliban movement to establish economic ties with foreign partners and organize business trips to this country.

Therefore, Russia, acting proactively, can economically enter Afghanistan before others, officially recognizing the Taliban movement as the legitimate Afghan government.

Before this, there were many factors that forced our entrepreneurs to act with caution in Afghanistan, including the fear of persecution for justifying and financing terrorism.

By removing the Taliban from the terrorist lists, Moscow can speed up the implementation of economic projects in Afghanistan and begin absolutely legal, not “gray” investments.
Related:
US National Counterterrorism Center: 2017-09-01 Spain admits receiving Barcelona attack warning
US National Counterterrorism Center: 2015-05-19 Zarif: US not Seriously Willing to Fight ISIL
US National Counterterrorism Center: 2013-11-02 Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud killed in drone attack
Related:
Red Squad: 2019-11-02 The Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi takedown - Why Delta and not ST6?
Related:
Badri 313: 2023-10-30 CTD nabs 10 members of banned outfits across Punjab
Badri 313: 2022-01-13 Taliban Defense Minister Threatens to Put 2,000 Jihad Suicide Bombers at Afghan Embassy in DC
Badri 313: 2021-11-13 Kidnapped Balkh Child Still Held Since Last Year
Related:
Nangarhar: 2024-02-25 Resurgent al-Qaida training camps latest black eye from Biden Afghanistan withdrawal
Nangarhar: 2023-09-24 Daily Evacuation Brief September 24, 2023
Nangarhar: 2023-09-20 Over 100 Afghan Security Outposts Built Along Durand Line
Related:
Kunar: 2024-03-26 Between ISIS and Ukraine. What does the handwriting of the terrorist attack at Crocus say?
Kunar: 2024-02-25 Resurgent al-Qaida training camps latest black eye from Biden Afghanistan withdrawal
Kunar: 2024-01-04 Ex-MNA Mohsin Dawar survives gun attack in North Waziristan
Related:
Red Unit: 2024-01-08 ISIS claims responsibility for attack on civilians in Kabul
Red Unit: 2023-07-12 Former Military Officer Targeted and Killed in Paktika: Unidentified Gunmen Strike Again
Red Unit: 2023-02-21 Daily Evacuation Brief February 20, 2023
Related:
Red Brigade: 2023-05-14 With its economy in meltdown and malnutrition rising, now Afghanistan is hit by swarms of locusts
Red Brigade: 2021-05-15 Italy: Matteo Salvini avoids migrant kidnap trial
Red Brigade: 2021-04-30 Identity Of Ruthless Bandits' Leader Holding 29 Kaduna Students Exposed
Link


India-Pakistan
Iran and Pakistan exchanged missile strikes. What to expect next
2024-01-19
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Kirill Semeno

[REGNUM] On January 18, Islamabad said its forces had launched "a series of well-coordinated and targeted precision military strikes" against Iran's southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province in an operation called Marg Bar Sarmachar. This broadly translates to “death to the partisans.”

"Several" militants were killed during the operation, Pakistan's foreign ministry added.

Islamabad also noted that in recent years it has expressed concern to Tehran about “shelters and shelters” in Iran for Pakistani Baloch separatists, whom Pakistan calls “Sarmachar.” The Pakistani authorities, as they themselves claim, wanted the Iranian side to share data regarding the presence and activities of these militants.

“Sarmachar” refers to two groups, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), that are fighting for greater regional autonomy for Pakistani Balochistan, even to the point of granting it independence from Pakistan. At the same time, their militants often commit terrorist acts and kill journalists.

ISLAMABAD'S "MIRROR RESPONSE"
Pakistan's actions are a "mirror response" to Iran's attacks on Pakistani soil two days earlier.

On Tuesday evening, January 16, Iran's IRGC forces allegedly attacked the headquarters of the Jaysh al-Adl movement in Pakistan. This group conducts its anti-government activities in the province of Sistan and Baluchistan in Iran, seeking to transform this region into an independent Islamic emirate.

The Pakistani government strongly condemned Tehran's actions and said the strikes killed two children and wounded three others.

“ What is even more alarming is that this illegal act occurred despite the existence of multiple channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran, ” the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said. “ Pakistan has always said that terrorism is a common threat to all countries in the region, which requires coordinated action.”

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry recalled the ambassador from Iran, and Islamabad stated that it reserves the right to retaliate. And, as you can see, these measures did not take long to arrive.

In turn, Tehran has now expressed protest against Pakistan’s “anti-terrorist operation” on its own territory. According to the Iranian Tasnim agency, Pakistan's charge d'affaires in Tehran was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry after a missile strike on the territory of the Islamic Republic.

“A Pakistani diplomat was summoned to the ministry in the absence of the ambassador (as the ambassador was recalled for consultations after the Iranian attacks) to give an explanation regarding several explosions in areas near the city of Serawan in the province of Sistan and Baluchistan that occurred earlier today,” the report said.

Thus, we can say that Tehran, with its great-power ambitions, has finally met with an equally ambitious regional player in the person of Islamabad, and at the same time possessing nuclear weapons.

Pakistan, unlike many neighboring countries that have suffered to one degree or another from Iran’s actions, did not wait to respond and was not afraid of a possible escalation.

Another question is that such Pakistani-Iranian disagreements can, if the parties wish, be resolved quickly enough, since both countries are China’s closest partners, with which they are closely connected not only economically, but also military-politically. Islamabad, however, is larger, Tehran somewhat smaller.

In general, it cannot be ruled out that Pakistan’s retaliatory actions were carried out under the control of Beijing and could even be coordinated with Tehran. But we will know about this only by how Iran ultimately responds to Pakistani attacks.

In addition, both Pakistan and Iran are members of the SCO and the Organization has a good reason to remind itself and its security dimension in the form of the SCO anti-terrorist center in Tashkent. The SCO could invite both countries to develop a certain algorithm for joint actions against terrorist and separatist Baloch groups that use the territories of Pakistan and Iran for attacks from both sides of the border.

HOT BALOCHISTAN
The territory of Baluchistan, a geographical region inhabited by the Baluchis, one of the Indo-European peoples, is divided between Pakistan and Iran. In these territories there are various groups seeking independence from Islamabad and Tehran, respectively. Moreover, these movements are often sponsored by external forces.

Thus, Iran previously, before normalizing relations with Riyadh, accused Saudi Arabia of supporting Sunni jihadist groups present in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan.

At the moment, a whole mosaic of various Sunni formations is still active there. Most of them arose from the foundations of the leading rebel faction of Iranian Balochistan, Jundallah, which was never able to recover from the defeat in 2010-2011.

It should be noted that the leader of Jundallah himself, Abdulmalik Rigi, rejected accusations that Jundallah is a radical Salafi organization.
“We’re not radical,” he said. “We’re correct. It’s just that everyone else is lax or straight-up heretical. Dunno why they all call us taqfiris.”
Its closest analogue before the split was the Afghan Taliban (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation), which adheres to Hanafi jurisprudence and Maturidi theology, traditional for the region.

Nowadays, Jaysh al-Adl, close to Jundallah and founded by its former members, is among the most active Sunni jihadist groups in Iranian Balochistan.

There are also other anti-government groups operating in Iranian Balochistan. Such as “Harakat Ansar al Iran”, renamed “Harakat al Ansar” - also a “splinter” of “Jundallah”, part of which merged with another independent Islamist Baloch faction “Hizb al Furqan” into a new structure - “Ansar al Furqan”. However, the activity of this group began to decline after the death of its leader Hisham Azizi in 2015.
It’s been a while since we used the Toad the Wet Sprocket analogy.
In turn, secular nationalist groups of Baloch separatists with a left-wing Marxist bias, such as the Balochistan Liberation Front and the Baluchistan Liberation Army, are active in Pakistan. They also, according to the Pakistani authorities, enjoy the protection of external forces, primarily India.
Pakistan would say that.
During their first stage of activity in the 70s of the last century, they fought not only against Pakistan, but also against Iran. And only in the 2000s did they completely refocus on the confrontation with Islamabad. It is likely that the FOB and AOB were able to maintain their secret bases on Iranian territory, ceasing the fight with Tehran, so as not to further irritate the Iranian authorities.

On the other hand, it is obvious that the attacks on the secret cells of Jaysh al-Adl by Iran were largely in the nature of a PR campaign and were not aimed at suppressing terrorist activity.

They were supposed to demonstrate that Iran has become a full-fledged regional power that is capable of suppressing any threats in neighboring states. And thereby putting it on a par with the United States or Israel, which also act against any hostile forces outside their territory.
*Snicker*
ECHO OF GAZA
But in any case, it should be borne in mind that the current Iran-Pakistan escalation is associated with Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.
“Doze Juices made us do it!”
The events of October 7 thus became a trigger for regional escalation, which is already extending beyond the Middle East.

It is unlikely that Iran would launch strikes on the territory of Pakistan, where, according to Tehran, Jaish al-Adl terrorists are hiding, if it were not for the need to respond to the actions of the United States and Israel, which killed IRGC officers in Damascus and the leaders of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
So they killed a couple of Pakistani tribals? How does that punish The Two Satans?
Also, according to Iran, they directed the actions of the terrorist group ISIS (banned in the Russian Federation) during the terrorist attack in Kerman. All this was a consequence of growing tensions between Iran, on the one hand, and the United States and Israel, on the other, due to the events in Gaza.
Oy.
But against this background, Iran had to somehow demonstrate its readiness to suppress threats from another direction, namely from Pakistani Baluchistan, from where jihadist militants infiltrated into the country and committed terrorist attacks. In this case, an Iranian strike on “friendly” Iraq while ignoring the response in the direction of Pakistan could cause even greater misunderstanding in Baghdad.
It must be really interesting inside their heads...
Iraq, despite its close ties with the Islamic Republic, filed a complaint against the actions of its neighbor to the UN Security Council.
Client kitten bares claws?
However, it is unlikely that Iran's actions will lead to anything more serious. Of course, tensions in the region will increase, but Tehran’s actions themselves are more likely aimed at the domestic Iranian audience. It should have no doubt that the Islamic Republic is ready to destroy its opponents along the perimeter of the country's borders and is not afraid to do this by striking American and Israeli targets.
Did they find their targets by tracking the spy squirrels?
Another question is, are the places where the Iranian missiles fell really the CIA and Mossad bases from where attacks on Iran were coordinated, or were they simply declared so by the IRGC itself?
To ask the question is to answer it.
The same applies to Jaysh al-Adl cells in Pakistan.

The bottom line is that the result of the Iranian attacks on Iraq was the murder of the Kurdish tycoon Peshrav Zeya, who, if the Iranians are to be believed again, was a Mossad agent, but it is not possible to verify or refute this.

Thus, Tehran’s algorithm of actions is as follows:

First, blame the terrorist attack in Kerman on the United States and Israel, which allegedly manage and direct ISIS terrorists. Then take revenge for this terrorist attack by targeting some CIA and Mossad bases in Iraq, which, by the way, neither the United States nor Israel consider their targets. Iran itself declared them as such, and therefore the United States will not take retaliatory actions. Which is exactly what Tehran needed.

All this fits well within the framework of a resonant response that would not lead to a regional war that Iran does not need.
Ouch.
At the same time, the initial story about the alleged complete destruction of the American consulate in Erbil as a result of an Iranian strike with the corresponding footage was most likely made deliberately. For many in the Middle East, this fake story began to take on a life of its own as evidence that it is not only the Houthis who are capable of challenging the United States.
Even though the destruction never happened, those perfidious Yanks being entirely too facile with their anti-drone technology. But reality is not really a factor in that part of the world, poor darlings.
Resonance was all Tehran needed in this situation.

But it is obvious that in the case of Pakistan, Iran did not calculate the reaction. Pakistan has never been afraid to escalate with the much stronger India, and certainly will not retreat in front of Iran.

But at the same time, Tehran itself is by no means eager to enter into confrontation with Islamabad, opening up another front for itself. Therefore, the question is whether Iran will be able not to “follow the principle” and not respond with blows to blows, taking the escalation to a new level.
Interesting times. Especially for the Mad Mullahs, who aren’t getting any of the wars they want.

Link


India-Pakistan
Iran strikes Pakistan killing two children
2024-01-17
[Daily Mail, Where America Gets Its News] An Iranian strike on targets inside Pakistain have killed two children and maimed three other people, the Pak government has said.

Pakistain's foreign ministry issued a statement confirming Tuesday's attack, which was first announced by Iranian media reports that were later withdrawn.

It called the attack an 'unprovoked violation' of the country's airspace, with the strikes reportedly targeting bases of Sunni Death Eater group Jaish al-Adl.
The Army of Justice is a Salafi separatist group fighting for the independence of Sistan and Balochistan province in southeastern Iran, spilling over to the Pakistani side of the border. It split off from the anti-Shiite Jundallah jihadi group in Pakistan in 2012.
The attack further raises tensions in a Middle East already roiled by Israel's war on Hamas
...the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
 in the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
 Strip.

It also threatens relations between Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
and Pakistain, which have long eyed each other with suspicion while maintaining diplomatic relations.

The foreign ministry statement said Pakistain strongly condemns the attack on its Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
 province.

It said: 'Pakistain strongly condemns the unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran which resulted in death of two innocent children while injuring three girls.

'This violation of Pakistain´s illusory sovereignty is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences.'

'Pakistain has always said terrorism is a common threat to all countries in the region that requires coordinated action.

'Such unilateral acts are not in conformity with good neighbourly relations and can seriously undermine bilateral trust and confidence.'

Two Pak security officials said the Iranian strikes damaged a mosque in Balochistan's Panjgur district, about 30 miles inside Pakistain from the Iranian border.

The foreign ministry said the three maimed were girls.

Balochistan has faced a low-level insurgency by Baluch nationalists for more than two decades.

Baluch nationalists initially wanted a share of provincial resources but later initiated an insurgency for independence.

Iran has long suspected Sunni-majority Pakistain as hosting murderous Moslems, possibly at the behest of its regional arch-rival Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
However,
if you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning...
 Iran and Saudi Arabia reached a Chinese-mediated detente last March, easing tensions.

Late on Monday, Iran fired missiles into northern Syria targeting the so-called Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 terror group and into Iraq at what it called an Israeli 'spy headquarters' near the US consulate compound in the city of Irbil.

Iraq on Tuesday called the attacks, which killed several civilians, a 'blatant violation' of Iraq's illusory sovereignty and recalled its ambassador from Tehran.
Related:
Jaish al-Adl: 2023-12-16 Gunmen kill 11 victims, including police officers, injure others during attack on Iranian police station
Jaish al-Adl: 2023-09-09 Daily Evacuation Brief September 8, 2023
Jaish al-Adl: 2023-07-09 ‘Army of Justice’ Claims Responsibility for Deadly Attack in Zahedan, Iran
Link


India-Pakistan
PML-N, JUI-F hit back at Bilawal as electioneering picks up pace
2023-11-22
[GEO.TV] The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have hit back at Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari after the latter raised concerns over upcoming general elections' transparency and the “denial” of the level-playing field to all political parties.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday, senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah said he would not resort to using Bilawal’s language to respond to his criticism, Geo News reported.

The PPP chief in his recent public addresses launched a tirade against the PML-N leadership, calling it “mehangai [inflation] league” and accusing its supremo Nawaz Sharif of receiving preferential treatment from the caretaker government.

Bilawal has also cast doubts on the transparency of the upcoming general elections, claiming that no one would accept the results of the polls if results were manipulated in favour of any political party.

“The PML-N does not want to increase bitterness that’s why we are not responding to Bilawal’s [criticism] in his own language,” Sanaullah said in today’s media talk.

Despite adopting anti-PML-N rhetoric, the former security czar said the ex-foreign minister would not be able to woo anti-PML-N voters by “heaping praise” on the PML-N.

Besides Punjab, he said the PML-N would secure a majority from other provinces as well in the upcoming elections.

The PML-N stalwart also emphasised the need for working together for the country’s betterment. “We have to work together If the country has to move forward.”

Sanaullah said that his party exercised restraint as both parties were allies in the previous coalition government led by the PML-N.

Fazl advises against political bitterness
Meanwhile, speaking to the media after meeting Nawaz Sharif, Maulana Fazl said his party would not adopt an aggressive stance against the PPP and would maintain contact with other political parties as well.

“There is a difference between the thinking of an elderly person and a child. This difference is visible in the statements of Bilawal,” the JUI-F chief said referring to his statement that youth should be given a chance to lead the country instead of the elderly.

Fazl called for promoting reconciliation and harmony in order to avoid confrontational politics during the election campaign.

He also advised against casting aspersions on the transparency of polls saying that the country cannot afford the disputed elections.

The JUI-F said his party has decided to work together with PML-N in the future and would also enter into seat adjustment with its ally.

Political activities are on the rise in the country after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), following the Supreme Court's intervention, announced that the polls in the country will take place on February 8, 2024.

Related:
PML-N: 2023-11-18 After blasting old-timers, Baby Bhutto says old politics Pakistan's worst enemy
PML-N: 2023-11-17 'Old politicians ought to be sent home,' Bilawal stresses need for new leadership
PML-N: 2023-11-12 Dar says 2018 deal with Kabul, release of militants behind rise in terrorism
Related:
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl: 2023-07-30 Suicide bomber suspected as explosion at Islamist rally in Pakistan kills at least 40, wounds more than 150
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl: 2019-12-02 Fazl reiterates demand for new elections, warns govt of serious consequences
Listen
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl: 2016-11-13 Rangers kill Jundallah chief in Hub
Related:
Pakistan Peoples Party: 2023-08-28 Nawaz Sharif has no plan to return to Pakistan soon: Khursheed Shah
Pakistan Peoples Party: 2019-12-04 Mob besieges Dawn offices in Islamabad
Pakistan Peoples Party: 2019-10-21 JUI-F threatens road blockades if marchers stopped
Related:
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari: 2023-11-18 After blasting old-timers, Baby Bhutto says old politics Pakistan's worst enemy
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari: 2023-04-25 427 Pakistanis reach Port Sudan for repatriation
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari: 2023-04-17 IMF wants ‘more guarantees’ as PM insists all demands met
Related:
Lahore: 2023-11-11 Court orders to unseize Nawaz Sharif's properties in Toshakhana case
Lahore: 2023-10-31 Parvez Elahi sent on 14-day judicial remand in illegal appointment case
Lahore: 2023-10-30 CTD nabs 10 members of banned outfits across Punjab
Related:
Rana Sanaullah: 2023-09-04 'Puppet being used to defame Pakistan globally,' Sanaullah slams Imran for hiring UK lawyer
Rana Sanaullah: 2023-08-04 Midnight Raid: Pakistani Police Descend on Afghan Refugee Homes in Islamabad, Detentions Reported
Rana Sanaullah: 2023-06-26 FIA arrests 8 for alleged involvement in smuggling of Greece boat tragedy victims
Related:
Nawaz Sharif: 2023-11-18 After blasting old-timers, Baby Bhutto says old politics Pakistan's worst enemy
Nawaz Sharif: 2023-11-17 'Old politicians ought to be sent home,' Bilawal stresses need for new leadership
Nawaz Sharif: 2023-11-11 Court orders to unseize Nawaz Sharif's properties in Toshakhana case
Related:
Punjab: 2023-11-10 Pakistan to 'send back registered refugees' after deporting illegal migrants
Punjab: 2023-11-02 Six terrorists killed in Zhob operation
Punjab: 2023-10-31 Parvez Elahi sent on 14-day judicial remand in illegal appointment case
Link


India-Pakistan
CTD nabs 10 members of banned outfits across Punjab
2023-10-30
[Dawn] The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed on Saturday to have arrested 10 suspected forces of Evil linked with different banned
...the word banned seems to have a different meaning in Pakistain than it does in most other places. Or maybe it simply lacks any meaning at all...
organizations during operations in separate areas of the province.

According to the front man, the CTD Punjab
1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots....
conducted 117 intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province to effectively deal with any untoward incident of terrorism, in which 117 suspected persons were interrogated and 10 suspected forces of Evil were arrested with weapons, explosives and other prohibited material.

Among the arrested forces of Evil are Syed Agha, Muhammad Nouman, Ataur Rehman, Muhammad Osama, Siddique, Shah Nawaz, Muhammad Sufyan Serwer, Muhammad Safdar, Qasim Khan and Abdul Haq, he said and added that they belongs to the banned murderous Moslem Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 group (ISIS), Tehrik-e-Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
 Pakistain (TTP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
... a 'more violent' offshoot of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain. LeJ's purpose in life is to murder anyone who's not of utmost religious purity, starting with Shiites but including Brelvis, Ahmadis, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Rosicrucians, and just about anyone else you can think of. They are currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of al-Qaeda ...
, al-Qaeda and 313-Brigade.
The Badri 313 Battalion is either an elite unit of the Taliban, trained by the Haqqani network and based at Salahaddin Ayyubi Military Operations Academy or al Qaeda's military arm in Pakistan, with members gleaned from the Taliban and Pakistan’s pet jihadi groups including Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Jundallah, and the habit of nasty attacks on the army of Pakistan under the leadership of Ilyas Kashmiri (until 2011) followed by Shah Sahib.
The spokesperson said the arrest of these forces of Evil was carried out during intelligence-based operations in Lahore, Rahim Yar Khan, Sergodha and Bahawalpur.

He said that two IED bombs, one hand grenade, three detonators, 11 feet of safety fuse wire, four banned books, 95 Pamphlets,114 stickers, one receipt book and Rs26,225 in cash have been recovered from the possession of the terrorists.

The front man further said that the suspected forces of Evil were planning to target important installations.

The CTD police have registered eight cases against the forces of Evil and shifted them to some unknown location.
Link


Iraq
Iraqi Intelligence Agency foils ISIS plot in Saladin, arrests four operatives
2023-10-16
[Shafaq News] On Thursday, the Iraqi Intelligence Agency announced the thwarting of an ISIS operation in Saladin Governorate and the arrest of four terrorists.

In a statement, the intelligence agency revealed, "Our Counter-terrorism intelligence units in Saladin Governorate received precise information regarding the presence of four wanted individuals in a specific area of Saladin Governorate; swift action was taken, with an intelligence team promptly formed to gather information and conduct necessary investigations. Utilizing a precise ambush, the team successfully apprehended all four suspects."

The arrested individuals confessed to their affiliation with ISIS factions, specifically the so-called (Diwan al-Jund, Diwan al-Miskar, and Diwan al-Zakat) branches. Their activities included planting and detonating bombs, targeting military and security patrols, attacking headquarters, kidnapping security personnel, and bombing civilians' houses across various areas in Saladin Governorate. Additionally, they confessed to extorting money from citizens and shop owners. The detainees were also transporting food supplies and vision devices to fellow ISIS operatives, for which they received monetary compensation.
Related:
Saladin: 2023-10-13 ISIS reveals toll of attacks in Syria, Iraq, Africa, Asia
Saladin: 2023-10-09 It would be unthinkable for Saladin to behave the way Hamas does
Saladin: 2023-10-04 Iraqi court hands down life sentences for ISIS terrorists
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Leb military court sentences IS group official to 160 years in prison
2023-09-29
[NAHARNET] A Lebanese military court has sentenced an official with the murderous Moslem Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 group to 160 years in prison for carrying out deadly attacks against security forces and planning others targeting government buildings and crowded civilian areas, judicial officials said Wednesday.

The officials said Imad Yassin, a Paleostinian in his 50s, confessed to all 11 charges against him, including joining a "terrorist organization," committing crimes in Leb
...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
's largest Paleostinian refugee camp of Ain el-Helweh, shooting at Lebanese soldiers, and transporting weapons and munitions for krazed killer groups.

Yassin, also known as Imad Akl, said he was planning several other attacks, including blowing up two main power stations, the headquarters of a major local television station in Beirut, killing a leading politician, as well as planning attacks on hotels north of Beirut, the officials said on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Ambitious...
Before joining IS, Yassin was a member of other krazed killer Islamic groups, includingo al-Qaeda-linked Jund al-Sham, which is still active in Ain el-Helweh. In later years, he became IS' top official in the camp.

Yassin was detained in Ain el-Helweh, near the port city of Sidon, six years ago and has been held since.
Not the best time to be living at state expense. Possibly a Turkish prison would be a step up...
The total 11 sentences that he received count to up to 160 years in prison, the officials said.

The session during which he was sentenced started Monday night and lasted until the early hours of Tuesday, the officials said. The news about his sentence became public on Wednesday.

At the height of its rise in Iraq and Syria after it declared a caliphate in 2014, IS grabbed credit for deadly attacks in different parts of Lebanon that left scores of people dead. Lebanese troops launched a major operation in 2017 during which they captured IS-held areas along the Lebanon-Syria border.
Related:
Ain el-Helweh: 2023-09-24 Hamas cadre arrested in Sidon over spying for Israel
Ain el-Helweh: 2023-09-21 Abbas holds onto the past as the Palestinian future slips away
Ain el-Helweh: 2023-09-21 Amid tensions, Fatah offshoot accuses Islamist rivals of turning West Bank into Syria
Related:
Jund al-Sham: 2023-08-19 UN suspends services in Ain el-Hellhole over gunmen inside its facilities
Jund al-Sham: 2023-08-04 Lebanon warns Palestinian president that troops may intervene if clashes continue in refugee camp
Jund al-Sham: 2023-08-02 HTS hands over foreign fighters to Turkish intelligence
Link


Afghanistan
Heaven of Foreign Militants: The Taliban Are Extensively Hosting Extremist Groups
2023-09-10
[8am] The Doha Agreement obligated the Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
 to cut their connections with regional and international terrorist groups. Despite this commitment, with the Taliban’s return to power, concerns have been raised by the United Nations
...where theory meets practice and practice loses...
 Security Council, United States, Russia, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and other security bodies regarding the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan. A report from the Hasht-e Subh Daily, two years after the Taliban’s resurgence, reveals that a considerable number of regional jihadists, along with their families, are actively operating within Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

These findings indicate that approximately 300 families linked to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Ansarullah of Tajikistan have settled in the northeastern region, particularly in Badakhshan province. Reliable sources in eastern Afghanistan further verify that thousands of families associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) murderous Moslems are currently residing under Taliban governance. Moreover, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) fighters, despite China’s backing of the Taliban, are capitalizing on the benefits of their presence in Afghanistan. Many of these murderous Moslems maintain ties not only with the Taliban but also with al-Qaeda.

Moreover, the Taliban not only incorporate certain jihadists into their own ranks but also furnish them with Afghan identification documents and passports, dispersing them across different regions of the nation. Intriguingly, these murderous Moslems have also formed familial connections with Afghan households to strengthen their foothold under Taliban governance in Afghanistan.

UNVEILING AL-QAEDA: THE PRESENCE EXPOSED BY AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI
One of the groups that causes widespread concern among many countries is al-Qaeda, which they believe should not be present in Afghanistan. The Doha Agreement directly addresses this issue, with the United States securing a commitment from the Taliban to sever ties with this group. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
 in Afghanistan exposed a remarkably close relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaeda—one that not even the Doha Agreement managed to break. Even prior to al-Zawahiri’s demise, suspicions lingered about the Taliban’s intentions. The United Nations Security Council repeatedly asserted that the Taliban maintained connections with al-Qaeda hard boys. During that time, reports indicated that al-Qaeda operated in 15 provinces across Afghanistan. al-Qaeda members usually assumed a secondary role in battles alongside the Taliban, primarily focusing on offering guidance and training. Now, with the Taliban’s resurgence to power, this group’s members are inclined to rejuvenate their network and leverage the Taliban’s rule.

Zawahiri’s Letter to bin Laden, discussed in the Hasht-e Subh Daily during the reexamination of the Abbottabad
... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden....
 case, indicates that al-Qaeda does not intend to leave the Afghan geographical sphere under any circumstances. In the letter, Zawahiri states that al-Qaeda must remain close to the Taliban leadership and work on building trust. Conversely, the letter also demonstrates the commitment of the Taliban leadership to preserve and support al-Qaeda. While the undeniable presence of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan is evident, determining the exact number of individuals in this network remains challenging. The Taliban even deny the presence of a single al-Qaeda member and have made significant efforts to conceal the identities of these individuals.

However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the National Directorate of Security
...the Afghan national intel agency...
 (NDS) of the previous government recently reported that around 300 al-Qaeda members are fighting alongside the Taliban in their conflict. The UN Security Council Sanctions Committee, on the other hand, has cited estimates ranging from 400 to 600 hard boys. Despite the Taliban’s concerted efforts over the years, particularly in the past two years, to avoid exposing the identities and locations of al-Qaeda members, their active presence within the Taliban’s structures as advisors is a detail that the Taliban cannot conceal.

TTP AND SANCTUARIES ON THIS SIDE OF THE BORDER
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) is also one of the murderous Moslem groups aligned with the Taliban. These two groups share a deep bond, and their recent activities have demonstrated that both, adhering to a common ideology, have been collaborating against the republic system. In the past, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) provided refuge to the Afghan Taliban, but now the hosting role has shifted to the Afghan Taliban. Among all jihadist groups worldwide, they are the sole entity with territorial control. Alongside their close interaction and alignment with the Taliban, the Pak government has repeatedly urged the Taliban to deny sanctuary to the TTP within Afghan soil. In response, the Taliban asserts that no foreign jihadist group has a place in Afghanistan and poses no threat to other countries.

However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the findings of the Hasht-e Subh Daily indicate that around 10,000 Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) murderous Moslems are present in Afghanistan with their families. Most of these hard boys, along with their families, reside in the districts of Goshta, Bati Kot, and Lal Pur in Nangarhar
The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country..
 province; areas close to the Durand Line, which provide convenient movement for TTP. According to local sources, while many TTP murderous Moslems have been in these areas, particularly in the Salalah region, for several years, their numbers have increased after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Sources state that TTP murderous Moslems and their families are present in regions like Salalah, Mama Khel, Ziarat-e Dagh, Zharai, and Ograi of the Goshta district, where they fulfill their basic needs from the markets of the Goshta district.

Most of these hard boys, who are also believed to be part of the Taliban’s reserve forces, have traveled from Lal Pur district in Nangarhar to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistain to wage war against the Pak government. An informed source, who prefers anonymity in the report, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily: "Many of them have gone from Lal Pur mainly to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. I know a commander who recently went with 30 individuals. The commander is known as Naaser, with the pseudonym Qahraman, he is for the Spin Tankai area in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Other commanders are named Bismillah and Enayatullah. Another one is known as Mullah Piran, originally from Swat, who is currently residing in Kashkot and Gaurik areas. Now the Emirates (Afghan Taliban) members also take the TTP’s seal of approval and head to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, claiming to wage jihad. This was a statement from a TTP commander who was saying that the Afghan Taliban have declared jihad against Pakistain."

On January 4, 2023, Pakistain conducted an aerial attack on the Salala area, but its Foreign Ministry denied responsibility. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 local sources and non-governmental individuals in the Goshta district confirm Pakistain’s Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s on the positions of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP). According to them, the attack took place in an area where families of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) were residing. Local sources stated that after the bombing, flames and smoke were observed in the region. The exact casualties of this event were not publicly disclosed, as the Taliban warned people not to discuss the matter among themselves. A source informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily, "No one can raise their voice out of fear, and [people] don’t talk about it among themselves."

Nonetheless, a recorded audio tape came into the possession of the Hasht-e Subh Daily in which members of the Taliban discuss the attack on TTP positions in the Arazi bazaar. The United Nations Security Council also confirmed the presence of TTP murderous Moslems on Afghan soil in a report. The monitoring committee of the UN Security Council referred to the TTP as the "largest constituent" of the Taliban. According to the report, the TTP has between 3,000 to 4,000 murderous Moslems in Afghanistan. The report identifies Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud as the current leader of the TTP and based on that, the TTP has become stronger and can pose a bigger threat in the region. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 Fazal Ur Rehman Khattak, the leader of the National Awami Party (NAP), in a conversation with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, regards the TTP as an inseparable part of the Afghan Taliban. He states, "The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) is an inseparable part of the Afghan Taliban. This organizational distinction between them required intelligence games so that the international community would not see their bases within Pakistain as the Afghan Taliban’s region. Like before, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) exists in Afghanistan." Khattak also confirms the presence of thousands of TTP murderous Moslems in Afghanistan, saying, "Regarding their numbers, it’s difficult to be certain, but their count is not less than a few thousand." Last year, this Pak politician mentioned in a special interview with the Hasht-e Subh Daily that most ISIS members are murderous Moslems of the TTP. Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of Afghanistan, mentioned the presence of TTP murderous Moslems in Afghanistan in his speech at the Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
 Security Conference which was held in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. In his speech, Mr. Nabil stated: "Currently, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP), under the leadership of Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, are active along the Durand Line, with six to six and a half thousand hard boys."

NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN: BASE OF OPERATIONS FOR TAJIK AND UZBEK MILITANTS
The presence of Central Asian murderous Moslems in the northern part of the country was a contentious issue in the former government. Security sources claimed the presence of dozens of foreign murderous Moslem groups in Badakhshan province. At that time, the Khostak Valley in the Jurm District of Badakhshan province hosted around 300 Central Asian hard boy families. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 after the collapse of the Republic system, most of these foreign groups redirected toward the central parts of districts and cities in the northeastern region of Afghanistan. A source informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily, "During the Republic regime, [foreign hard boys] were here in Khostak, and now they’ve all moved down to the valley. The majority of their families have gone to the province of Takhār. Another group has gone to the forests of Imam Sahib district in Kunduz province. About 20 to 30 families have gone to Baharak district. A few families are located in Fayzabad City. Five families have gone to Jurm District. Similarly, they’ve moved away from the Khostak Valley because no one is dealing with them, so they’re not causing any disturbances. They operate freely and conduct their activities normally. Another group of them has gone to Kalafgan District in Balkh province."

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 according to another informed source from Badakhshan province, the number of foreign murderous Moslems present in the Ragh district of Badakhshan province, along with their families, amounts to around 200 to 250 individuals. This source states that the conditions for living and operations have been established for these groups in various districts and urban centers, and as a result, they are attempting to spread out across different densely populated areas. The source adds, "The number of foreign murderous Moslems in Ragh has reached around 200 individuals. They are Tajiks, they are Uzbeks. Khostak Valley used to be their center, but now they have dispersed; they have come to the district of Raghistan, and they are seeking refuge. Some of them have gone to the Imam Sahib district in Kunduz province with their families. They are also present in Fayzabad city. A group of them is in the Maimay area too."

Another source confirmed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that a significant number of these groups have received support from the Taliban and have established family ties. This source adds, "Most of them have obtained Afghan identity cards with the help of the Taliban. Several Tajiks [Tajikistani hard boys] have obtained ID cards in Fayzabad City. A number of them have obtained ID cards in various districts." The source states that around 20 families of Tajikistani Taliban members are living in three villages in the Ragh district. The source elaborates, "Two families among them have married locally, giving and taking daughters of each other. They are living in areas like Sefidab, Dahn Shala, and Khonilar. Similarly, they have dispersed across various areas of Badakhshan province. They have a strong interest in Ragh district due to its gold resources. These people [foreign hard boys] possess resources and capital. Their true intentions and plans remain unknown. The situation is quite complex." The source further revealed, "Before the fall of Badakhshan province to the hands of the Taliban, the center of foreign murderous Moslems was in Khostak valley. A person named Gul Heidar Shafaq has conducted major coordination. Another person named Abdul Rahim is involved. These two Tajiks have plans in this region, but it’s unclear what they are doing."

Referring to the killing of a commander from the Tajikistan border forces at the Afghanistan border, a source states, "A group of them, who were in Maimay, around 6 to 8 individuals, intended to intimidate the Tajiks, transfer their substances [drugs], and monitor the situation. They went for sabotage but clashed with Tajik security forces, resulting in the death of two and the return of four. Foreign murderous Moslems who were in Badakhshan province have mostly gone to Imam Sahib district in Kunduz province, where they have established training centers. Their number exceeds a thousand. They have centralized their operations there, focusing on training and procuring military equipment. It appears significant plans have been laid for Central Asia, but no one dares to voice concern."

Another source tells the Hasht-e Subh Daily that those families of foreign murderous Moslems who have come to Faizabad City, the center of Badakhshan province, live in the area close to the "former national army recruitment center". Additionally, according to the source, foreign murderous Moslems who previously collaborated with the Taliban against former security forces are now in command of the former National Army recruitment center. The source adds, "Foreigners have their base in the same recruitment and mobilization center. Foreign groups that were with the Taliban, of them are now in the former recruitment and mobilization center. They have a very limited presence within the city. They go out during the evening and night." The source further states that some families of foreign murderous Moslems in Badakhshan province are involved in arms trading and gold mining activities.

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 one of the residents of Badakhshan province has shared his observation with the Hasht-e Subh Daily regarding the presence of foreign murderous Moslems in Kunduz province. They report seeing individuals who cannot speak languages like Persian, Pashto, Uzbek, and Turkmen. According to this source, "It was a few months after the fall [of the previous government]. Our vehicle’s diesel pump was broken. They had just opened a square in the city of Kunduz. There was an automobile repair shop nearby. There were two vehicles packed with individuals. One of their vehicles was broken, so they took it inside the shop. They had a model of a fielder vehicle without a license plate with Left Hand Traffic (LHT). They were dressed in white clothes and wearing handmade traditional skullcaps. They were speaking among themselves, and we couldn’t comprehend. I think they might have been Uighur or Kazakh because they sounded similar to Russian or Kazakh. They had long beards, and their hair was machine-cut. They resembled local Turkmen, but they weren’t Turkmen because it was clear they had no familiarity with the people or the region. Everyone was saying that these are foreign Taliban."

Simultaneously, sources in Badakhshan province reveal that most of the Tajikistani murderous Moslems have gone to the forests of the Imam Sahib district, where they are engaged in training and planning. An informed source estimates the number of Tajik murderous Moslems in this district to be around 30. According to them, the Taliban use these individuals as a means of pressuring Tajikistan. The source adds, "Their number is not more than 30. They have a couple of tanks. Some days, they go to Shir Khan Bandar with the Taliban. There, they showcase themselves to the Tajik trucks passing through the border. They engage in fishing in the Shir Khan Bandar River. Everyone knows them there because they are well-armed and possess American weapons. Tajiks believe they can conquer their country in a day. The Taliban employ them for psychological warfare and pressuring the Tajiks."

A former government official with an in-depth understanding of the northeastern region of the country also informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily that all jihadist groups, including ISIS, Ansar Allah, and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), are active in northern provinces, particularly the provinces of Badakhshan, Kunduz, Takhar, Balkh, and Sar-e Pol. They added, "Under the Taliban’s protection, they have bases in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province in Spin Zar housing schemes, Shah Ron area, and other locations."

Regarding the presence of leaders from ISIS, Ansar Allah, and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the source stated, "Sheikh Abdul Haq Uighuri, responsible for the military network of ISIS, and Mullah Ibraheem, head of Ansar Allah hard boy group have military bases in Baghlan province. Furqan (one of their commanders) lives in the house of Commander Gul Ahmad in the vicinity of Central Silo in the city of Pul-e Khumri, the center of the province."

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of the former government of Afghanistan, stated that the Tajikistan Ansar Allah group, Jundallah
..."Soldiers of God," a name used by two multiple separate terror outfits, one active in Iran and the other in Pakistain. Both are Sunni organizations that target Shiites. The Pak version has close relations with al-Qaeda and the Pak Talibs and is probably a false nose and mustache for Lashkar-e-Jhangvi...
 group, and the Islamic Jihad
...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah...
 group led by Alim Beg Mohammadov and the Tajik Taliban led by Mehdi Arsalan/Mohammad Sharifov are also present in northeastern Afghanistan, with around 200 to 300 hard boys. Informed and local sources in Badakhshan province also confirm the number of murderous Moslems in these groups and state that they are mainly stationed in border areas with Tajikistan.

THE PRESENCE OF THE EAST TURKESTAN ISLAMIC MOVEMENT (ETIM) IN AFGHANISTAN
According to the findings of the Hasht-e Subh Daily, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is also actively present in Afghanistan. Haji Furqan, the overall commander of the military fronts of this group, spends most of his time in Faizabad City, the center of Badakhshan province. Informed and reliable sources confirm to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that this member of the leadership of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is currently residing in Faizabad city and his security is ensured by the Taliban. He has married in Badakhshan province and has acquired a forged identity and passport. This matter has also been confirmed by the United Nations Security Council’s monitoring committee report. The United Nations report states that Badakhshan province serves as the main base for this group. An individual named Abdul Haq al-Turkistani is responsible for leading this group.

Sources continue to confirm that this group is currently rebuilding its strongholds in the Wurduj district of Badakhshan province. A source tells the Hasht-e Subh Daily: "They have occupied the area and are reinforcing their strongholds. They control the region entirely." The United Nations Security Council’s monitoring committee report also states that this group has reconstructed several strongholds in Badakhshan province and expanded its operational area. According to the report, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) has clandestinely procured arms to enhance its military capabilities.

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of the former government of Afghanistan, estimates the number of murderous Moslems in the Turkestan Islamic Party
...... Uighur jihadi group based in Badakshan, Afghanistan and listed under Tehrik-e-Taliban in the Al Qaeda organization table. Their Syria subsidiary currently reports to Al Nusra in the Idlib-Latakia region, where the Russians and Americans have been taking turns shooting them — they’re on their third Number 1 in three years......
 (TIP/ETIM) to be around 700 to 800 individuals. Mr. Nabil has stated that the Uighur murderous Moslems are led by Haji Furqan and Sheikh Abuzar, who are mostly active in the northern and northeastern regions of the country. Mr. Nabil also mentions that this group is active in the provinces of Badghis and Ghor, with an estimated 100 to 150 hard boys.

According to the United Nations Security Council’s Monitoring Committee report, it has been mentioned that this group is actively engaged in exchanging military experiences and manufacturing kabooms in collaboration with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) and Ansarullah group. The Security Council’s report states that the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is focusing its attacks on China’s interests in Afghanistan. The East Turkestan Islamic Movement’s (ETIM) primary goal is to establish an independent Islamic state for Uighurs in China and other Turkic-speaking groups in East China and Central Asia. While this group was previously listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, Washington removed it from the list last year.

Sources speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily claim that Haji Furqan is between 65 to 70 years old. One source states: "[Haji Furqan] mostly resembles Afghan Turkmens. He has a long beard, and a strong build, and is considered a religious scholar. He possesses eloquence and fluency, speaking fluent Persian. His preaching has had a significant impact in the areas he has operated in, attracting a larger following. The Taliban hold him in high respect. He has also trained the Taliban in using mines, explosives, and tanks during their fight against the former Afghan government."

Another source, speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, stated that Haji Furqan spent most of his time during the Republic era in the village of "Keyu" in the Jurm district, near the Khostak and Warduj valleys. This source added, "During the Republic era, Haji Furqan was a primary financial supporter of Qari Fasihuddin [the chief of staff of the armed forces of the Taliban]. To the extent that Furqan gave money to the Taliban in Badakhshan province, the Taliban themselves [the Taliban regime] did not provide financial assistance." This source mentioned, "Furqan is currently on the move. He is mostly in Fayzabad. He has a close relationship with a drug smuggler and the third-ranking member of the Taliban in this province, and he spends most of his time at his house. He has taken a wife and established personal connections."
Furthermore, this source mentions another Taliban member who monitors the security situation of Haji Furqan, but due to security issues, the name of this Taliban member is not disclosed.

It is noteworthy that according to the claims of sources, Haji Furqan has also been involved in the Kharooq uprisings in Tajikistan’s Badakhshan province. According to one source, some members of this group operate under different aliases in a secretive manner in Tajikistan, and their financial resources are provided by drug smugglers. It is mentioned that Haji Furqan has spent some time with the al-Qaeda network and currently maintains close ties with that network as well. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the Hasht-e Subh Daily cannot independently confirm Haji Furqan’s role in the Kharooq uprisings in Tajikistan’s Badakhshan province.

Members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) have also attempted to establish familial ties in Afghanistan. Some members of this group have obtained Afghan identity cards and passports with the help of the Taliban. The United Nations Security Council report states that this group seeks to establish a presence in Afghanistan through various methods, including marriage, acquiring identities through fraudulent documents, and portraying their members as Afghan residents.

Earlier, Ramazon Rahimzoda, the Interior Minister of Tajikistan, had stated that the Taliban had distributed passports to around 3,000 members of "terrorist groups." He added that terrorist groups in northern Afghanistan are located near the Tajikistan border. Rahimzoda also asserted that over 20 terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan.

Previously, the Taliban have repeatedly declared that they have severed ties with terrorist groups in the region and denied the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan. This group, which interacts with regional countries, has also provided written assurances to China that it will not support the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and other groups opposing the government of China in Afghanistan. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 it is noteworthy that the leadership members of this group (ETIM) in northeastern Afghanistan receive protection and identity documents under the stringent security management of the Taliban. Rahmatullah Nabil has also confirmed that foreign terrorist groups, due to their deep and ideological connections with the Taliban, have obtained Afghan identities and have settled in various parts of the country under different names.

It should be noted that alongside the United States, China, Pakistain, and Central Asian countries, Russia has also expressed serious concerns about the infiltration of murderous Moslem groups in Central Asia. Although Vladimir Putin
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...
, the President of Russia, handed over the Afghan embassy in Moscow to the Taliban, he has issued warnings about the presence of terror groups in Afghanistan. He stated that these terrorist groups pose a threat to the stability and security of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. It remains unclear how long these concerns will persist, but documents and evidence indicate that the relationship between the Taliban and regional and global jihadist groups is not conclusively terminated. It appears that in any case, the group will either protect them within their structures or under their support.
Link


Europe
Germany arrests 2 Syrian rebel jihadists over alleged terror ties
2023-09-10
[IsraelTimes] Suspects include founder of group that later folded into Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
, who is accused of war crimes against Shiites

German prosecutors Thursday announced the arrests of two Syrians suspected of belonging to foreign terrorist organizations, including the alleged leader of a rebel group which joined Islamic State.

Amer A. and Basel O. were detained in Kiel and Munich on Wednesday and placed in pre-trial detention, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

Amer A. is alleged to have founded the "Liwa Jund al Rahman" in 2013 in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor. His fighters "repeatedly engaged in hostilities against the Syrian army," it said.

In June 2013, Amer A.’s fighters joined other jihadist groups in an attack on the eastern village of Hatlah that killed up to 60 Shiite residents.

Survivors were forced to flee "by intentionally stoking fears of death — also by means of arson and looting," prosecutors said.

Amer A. is suspected of having committed a war crime "by means of forced displacement" that "meant the end of all Shiite presence in Hatlah."

In 2014, Amer A. joined the IS jihadist group and placed his fighters and financial resources under IS authority, according to prosecutors.

Basel O. meanwhile is alleged to have held "a prominent military position" in Amer A.’s organization in 2013-2014. The suspect commanded combat units that fought Syrian troops, notably at Deir Ezzor’s military airfield, the statement said.

Germany has arrested several Syrians on its soil over crimes committed in their country.

One of the most high profile cases to be brought to trial was that of a former Syrian colonel who was in January 2022 found guilty of crimes against humanity committed in Damascus.
Related:
Hatlah: 2023-07-18 How Iran establishes influence in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor - Part 2
Hatlah: 2023-07-17 How Iran establishes influence in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor
Hatlah: 2023-07-15 Iranian-backed militant killed, 2 wounded in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor
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Iraq
Mobilization security arrests two ISIS fighters in their possession medium weapons and sticky bombs in Nineveh
2023-08-25
[NINANEWS] Detachments of the General Directorate of Security and Discipline of the Popular Mobilization Forces overthrew today, Thursday, two members of ISIS, in Nineveh.

The Popular Mobilization Authority stated in a statement that this qualitative operation took place after monitoring and following up two elements with a security status in ISIS, Nineveh Province, Kirkuk Province (Al-Bilawi Division - Abd al-Rahman al-Bilawi) and the other element works in the so-called (Diwan al-Jund)
...the so-called Soldiers Department — the military wing of ISIS in Iraq, and no doubt Syria as well...
affiliated with ISIS, where they were found. The two members have medium weapons and bombs (adhesive), and the reports of the Investigation and Preventive Security Authority indicate that they participated in a large number of invasions during the fall of Nineveh Governorate and beyond.

In its statement, the Commission indicated that the two members were preparing equipment to target the army and police units before the Commission's detachments were able to control the situation according to the course and legal methods, and after obtaining the approval of the competent judge and referring them to the Iraqi judiciary.
Related:
Nineveh: 2023-08-23 Five ISIS suspects arrested in Nineveh
Nineveh: 2023-08-22 Iraqi forces detain nine terrorists in coordinated operation
Nineveh: 2023-08-19 Good Morning
Related:
Kirkuk Province: 2019-07-17 PMF apprehend 2 Islamic State Leaders in Kirkuk
Kirkuk Province: 2019-07-16 PMF apprehend 2 Islamic State Leaders in Kirkuk
Kirkuk Province: 2019-07-15 Security forces dismantle IS explosives factory in Kirkuk
Related:
Diwan al-Jund: 2023-08-19 The PMF Arrests A Wanted Person On Charges Of Terrorism In Nineveh
Diwan al-Jund: 2023-05-06 INIS captures high-profile ISIS terrorist, Abu Talha, outside of Iraq
Diwan al-Jund: 2022-05-29 Iraqi forces arrested four terrorists; ISIS set fire in agricultural lands south of Kirkuk
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