Part-1

                                                           Domestic

Balochistan:

1. A security forces soldier named Muhammad Bilal was martyred, and three others were injured during an exchange of fire with terrorists in the Duki mines area (1.5.24).
2. One person was killed, and 18 others injured in two landmine blasts in Dukki district (2.5.24).
3. The dead body of a person identified as Numan was recovered in the Chugman Kund area of Kech district (2.5.24).
4. CIA police in-charge, Maqbool Ahmed Masyani, and another official were injured in a grenade attack by unknown motorcyclists on their police vehicle in Khuzdar (2.5.24).
5. Unknown motorcyclists reportedly hurled two grenades at a security forces camp, landing in an open area. No loss of human life was reported (2.5.24).
6. Unidentified armed motorcyclists gunned down one Murad Ali in the Thump area of Kech district (2.5.24).
7. Unknown gunmen killed a person (name not known) in the Sariab area of Quetta (2.5.24).
8. Three persons, including Sadiqullah Mengal, president of the Press Club, were killed and 11 passersby injured in a bomb attack by unknown motorcyclists on his car at Sultan Ibrahim Khan Road near Chmrok Chowk in Khuzdar city. The incident coincided with World Press Day, and the journalist, who was reportedly affiliated with JUI-F, had also received a threatening letter and phone calls a month ago (3.5.24).
9. Police and CTD in a joint operation killed four terrorists on the Quetta-Sibi Road in the Shalkot area, Quetta (4.5.24).
10. Armed persons reportedly gunned down a person identified as Ghulam Haider near Ghaffar Market in Loralai (5.5.24).
11. Bugti tribesmen reportedly killed nine dacoits to avenge the murder of their leader Sardar Abdul Rehman Khan by them near the interprovincial border area of Balochistan and Punjab. Their leader and father of the deceased, Wadera Jalal Khan Kulpar Bugti, stated that his tribesmen were assisting the police and Rangers in their drive against dacoits in the Kucha Area (6.5.24).
12. One person was reportedly killed and several injured in an exchange of fire with law enforcement agencies (LEAs), consisting of ANF, FC, and Police, which raided the Gulistan area to destroy poppy crops in Qila Abdullah district (7.5.24).
13. Unidentified gunmen shot dead seven persons and injured another while they were sleeping in their residential quarters near Fish Harbour in Sarbandar, Gwadar. All the slain persons, who worked in barber shops and half from South Punjab, were identified as Haseebullah Qureshi, Asadullah Qureshi, Muhammad Sajid, Adnan Ahmed, Ameen Shan, and Muqarib. Last month after Eid holidays, nine persons from Punjab traveling in a passenger coach from Quetta to Taftan were killed. The responsibility for the killings was reportedly claimed by the defunct Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), but no militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the fresh incident in Gwadar (9.5.24).
14. Unidentified miscreants planted an IED device which detonated, causing injuries to two children – Abubakar and Arman in Panwal village of Jewan in Gwadar district (10.5.24).
15. A truck carrying goods reportedly en route from Gwadar to Punjab on CPEC Road was set on fire by unknown armed persons in the Jesak area of Kech district. They, however, let the driver go after giving him a warning (10.5.24).
16. Unknown shooters shot dead Hafiz Ali Ahmad Kianazai, a local leader of Jamiat-e-Ulema Pakistan (JUP), in Bolan Shake Goth Kamar Din, Dera Murad Jamali in Naseer Abad district (11.5.24).
17. Unknown persons gunned down a person on Raisani Road in Quetta (11.5.24).
18. A person by the name of Wali Muhammad Bugti was killed in an explosion at his home in Sohbatpur city (11.5.24).
19. A Frontier Corps (FC) soldier was martyred, and two others injured in an IED blast carried out by unknown terrorists near the FC security post in the Hazar Ganji area of Quetta (13.5.24).
20. Protest at Chaman Border Crossing: At least one person was killed and several injured.
21. An officer of Pak Army, Major Babar Khan, was martyred and three terrorists were killed as security forces conducted and Intelligence Based Operation (IBO) in the general area of Sambaza, Zhob District, Balochistan (14.5.24)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)

1. An attack by a group of terrorists on a security post in Lakki Marwat city was repulsed by police in the early hours. No damage to human life was reported (1.5.24).
2. Police repulsed an attack by terrorists on a security post in the Kingri Bridge area of Bannu district. No damage to human life was reported (1.5.24).
3. CTD killed a target killer involved in extortion and murder cases, identified as Ismail. However, during the exchange of fire, police personnel was also injured in the Loharan Khotka area of Bannu district (1.5.24).
4. Police Constable Azam Khan, escorting a polio vaccination team, was martyred by terrorists in Kitkot Hillay area of Mamund tehsil in Bajaur district (1.5.24).
5. Security forces in an IBO killed three terrorists, identified as Azmat @ Azmati, Karamat, and Rehan, during an exchange of fire in Tank district. They were reportedly involved in attacks on security forces, murders, extortion, and the recent kidnapping of South Waziristan Session Judge Shakirullah Marwat (2.5.24).
6. Two children named Hafizullah and Abdul Karim were injured in a landmine blast in Makin tehsil of South Waziristan district (3.5.24).
7. Security forces killed six terrorists during an exchange of fire in an IBO in North Waziristan district (4.5.24).
8. Police repulsed a terrorist attack on Shaheed Habit Ali Khan Police Station from two sides at night in Dera Pezu town of Lakki Marwat district (6.5.24).
9. Police Constable Usman was martyred by armed shooters in Tank Bazar (6.5.24).
10. Unknown armed motorcyclists shot and injured police constable Zafar in Bara area of Khyber district (6.5.24).
11. Five terrorists were killed by security forces in an IBO during an exchange of fire in Dera Ismail Khan district (8.5.24).
12. One terrorist was killed by security forces during an exchange of fire in North Waziristan district (8.5.24).
13. Seven security forces personnel embraced martyrdom in two separate incidents in North Waziristan district. Out of them, five lost their lives in an IED blast followed by open fire targeting a bomb disposal team in Hasankhel area of Datakhel tehsil, while the other died in an attack on a security post in Seema area of Mirali tehsil in the said district (11.5.24).
14. Unidentified armed persons shot dead police constable Afraid and injured his two relatives during a gun attack on their vehicle in Jamrud area of Khyber district (12.5.24).
15. Police foiled an attempt by terrorists to attack in the dark by opening preemptive fire on Sarband police station in Peshawar (13.5.24).

Punjab

1. Seven police personnel were injured during an attack by 15-20 heavily armed terrorists with rocket launchers and grenades at Hazrat Umar Farooq (Jhangi) check post in Tonsa area of Dera Ghazi Khan. However, police, reportedly alert after having advanced intelligence about the possible attack, repulsed the terrorists by retaliatory fire which lasted over four hours. The terrorists seemed to aim to take police personnel hostage after capturing the check post, located at the juncture of the inter-provincial border of Punjab and KPK. It was reportedly the third attack on the said security post (1.5.24).
2. CTD police killed two terrorists, out of four identified as Naseeb Ullah and Ehsanullah affiliated with the defunct TTP, during an exchange of fire in Rawalpindi. They were involved in numerous cases of terrorism in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank, besides martyring a Dolphin police constable Ismail Rauf and injuring another couple of days ago in Waris Khan area of Murree Road, Rawalpindi (5.5.24).
3. Police, in a tip-off raid in DHA Lahore, busted an international gang known as ‘Jordan’s gang’ run by one Ayub Khan living in Thailand. Its members were involved in smuggling and supplying expensive drugs to students of educational institutions and others across the country. Besides seizing a huge quantity of narcotics, police also arrested several members of the gang including Muhammad Ali, Uzair, Muhammad Nadeem, Samina Iftikhar, and Fatima Zohra (6.5.24).
4. Members of the Lund gang from the Kacha riverine area reportedly shot dead two abductees named Haseeb and his gunman Karka Jarkhani when they were chased by the police to free them near Jewan Mor in Bhong area of Rahimyar Khan district. However, during the exchange of fire, police killed a dacoit identified as Manzoor Lund (7.5.24).
5. CTD police claimed that four terrorists, including the main accused Faizan Butt @ Khorasani affiliated with the defunct TTP and involved in the martyrdom of two police personnel during a targeted attack on them in Lahore, were killed by their own accomplices during an exchange of fire with the CTD in Karol Jungle area of Lahore in an unsuccessful attempt to free him from custody. Faizan Butt was reportedly arrested by police on 3rd May from DHA Lahore and was taken to Karol Jungle for the recovery of the weapons used by him in the targeted attacks. Police also reportedly recovered two Kalashnikovs, two grenades, and a pistol from the spot (12.5.24).

Sindh

1. 18 passengers boarding a van were looted at gunpoint by dacoits near New Sabzi Mandi, Sohrab Goth, Karachi (3.5.24).
2. Different gangs of dacoits operating in the Kacha riverine area continued kidnapping citizens and their vehicles. In separate incidents, two persons named Khalid Bhayo, in-charge of a polio vaccination team, and Waqil Unnar were kidnapped in Shikarpur district. A driver along with his mini truck in Pannu Aqil area was taken hostage while his two helpers managed to escape in Sukkur district. In another incident, police claimed to have recovered two abductees named Ramzan Khoso and Iqbal Khoso after an encounter in Shah Bela in Sukkur district while their captors managed to escape. A joint team of Police and Rangers from Sindh and Punjab killed three dacoits identified as Alam Shar, Haji Shar, and Mitho Shar affiliated with the dreaded Sanu gang in Daulatabad-Rawanti area alongside Rahimyar Khan Kacha riverine area in Ghotki district (5.4.24).
3. Police, in a joint operation with a security agency, claimed to have arrested two suspects identified as Khawar Hussain and Jabbar Mushraq from the Korangi industrial area and recovered two grenades and a 9mm pistol from their possession. They were allegedly affiliated with the Indian intelligence agency RAW and were planning to carry out acts of terrorism in the city (6.5.24).
4. Unknown armed persons killed Fayaz Khan, a local leader of the outlawed Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), in Korangi area of Karachi (11.5.24).
5. A blast of a locally made IED carried out by miscreants caused minor damage near a railway track in Latif Abad Unit-7 area in Hyderabad. The defunct Sindhudesh Liberation Army (SLA) reportedly claimed responsibility for the act (11.5.24).
6. A group of heavily armed dacoits kidnapped police constable Naveed Jakhro from Baho check post in Kandhkot and took him hostage. The chasing police party tried to rescue him, but the dacoits managed to escape to the riverine Kacha area, leaving behind one dacoit identified as Dalbar Malik who was killed in an exchange of fire with them. Later, the notorious Sabozi gang uploaded a video clip of constable Naveed under hostage on social media with a demand to release certain gangsters presently under police custody in exchange for his release (12.4.24).

Comments & Analysis: The terrorism and law & order scenario in various provinces of Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) remained tense during the fortnight under review. Balochistan and KPK were particularly affected by targeted killings of police and security forces officials. The security scenario in Chaman and Gwadar in Balochistan, and AJK, regarding various demands by the local population, particularly about high prices and increased governmental taxes, led to public demonstrations that turned violent, resulting in casualties among security forces personnel as well as protesters while restoring order. Despite the government’s efforts to facilitate by reducing prices and taxes, the situation remains grim. According to some political and security analysts, the possible infiltration of Indian intelligence agencies and miscreants in the protests cannot be ruled out.

Defence & Security/Technology

1. The Pakistan Space Technology Institute in Islamabad, in partnership with China, launched the iCube Qamar Satellite on 3rd May. Weighing 7 kg and equipped with two optical cameras and other advanced digital instruments, the satellite was sent into orbit around the moon from the Hainan Space site in China. The objective behind the launch is to advance the study of the upper space atmosphere, making Pakistan the sixth country in the world to undertake missions to the moon. The satellite has reportedly started sending images of the moon’s surface from two hundred miles (10.5.24).
2. General Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir at GHQ, Rawalpindi. During the meeting, matters of shared interest, particularly enhancing cooperation in regional security, were discussed. They also explored avenues in the training field and reiterated interactions between CENTCOM and the Pakistan Army. The visiting military commander acknowledged and appreciated the efforts of the Pakistan Army in combating terrorism and its contributions to regional peace and stability (9.5.24).

                                                                       PART-2

                                                          Regional Overview

Afghanistan

Gunmen killed six persons and injured another during an attack on a Shia community mosque in Andish town of Ghoryan district in Herat province. ISIS-K/Daesh reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. The tragic incident was condemned worldwide, including by Pakistan and Iran (1.5.24). Two persons were reportedly killed by security forces when protesters became violent during an attempt to eradicate their poppy cultivations in Badakhshan province. IEA spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the unruly situation was quelled while restoring law and order. However, the government, after a visit from the Chief of Defence Staff and other senior officials to the province, is considering several steps for the relief of people compelled to engage in such cultivation and other activities due to poverty (7.5.24). Three Afghan security forces personnel were reportedly killed in two bomb attacks on their convoy in Faizabad, the capital city of Badakhshan province. According to a government spokesman, the security forces personnel were enroute to destroy the poppy crops. ISIS-K/Daesh claimed responsibility for the blasts. Two protesters were killed due to clashes between of security forces, and customs staff with the protestors over the construction of complex walls in the 9th district of Jalalabad, Nangarhar province (9.5.24).

There were reports of at least two incursions of Afghan Taliban force members into Pakistan which were foiled, and the intruders were killed. Afghan Taliban resorted to unprovoked firing at Pakistan military’s Marrno Jabba post at Kurram on Pak-Afghan border. Resultantly a Pakistani soldier was martyred and five others, including a policeman, were injured. Pakistani forces retaliated and intense exchange of fire continued between the two forces till the filing of this report (15.5.24)

India/LOC/LAC

One soldier was killed, and four others injured in an attack on an Indian Airforce convoy in Poonch district. Indian security forces claimed to have martyred three Kashmiri youths, including Basit Dar, during a fake encounter in Redwani Payeen area of Kulgam district (4 & 8.5.24). Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande visited Corps HQ at Leh Cantonment, where he received a briefing about the security situation and operational preparedness of Indian troops facing the Chinese army along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh (10.5.24).

RAW’s covert operations in Canada bounce back:

Canadian police produced four arrested persons (non-permanent residents) of Indian origin before a court of law in Canada on 5th and 11th May. They were identified as Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh, Karan Brar, and Mandeep Singh, in connection with the murder of pro-Khalistan Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Najjar in June 2023. India termed such allegations absurd and did not cooperate with the Canadian government regarding the investigations. Investigations are underway to unearth more persons, including the alleged involvement of Indian intelligence agencies in the murder of the slain Sikh Canadian leader. According to “India Today,” a recently publicized report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) regarding the year 2023 alleged three countries, including India, of interfering in its internal affairs and espionage. The British newspaper “Guardian” on 5th April stated that around 20 persons were murdered in Pakistan by Indian intelligence operatives since 2020.

Elections in India:

The fourth out of seven phases of the Indian Parliamentary (Lok Sabha) elections, starting from 19th April to 1st June 2024 for the 524-seat house, was held on 13th May. This phase included 96 constituencies across 10 states (provinces) and union territories, including illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK). The main contenders, besides some local and regional parties, are the Bhartiya Janata Party led by PM Narendra Modi and the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance led by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, consisting of an alliance of 26 political parties. The elections, which started last month, have already completed three phases on 19th April, 26th April, and 7th May. According to the Election Commission schedule, the polling results are expected to be announced on 4th June (13.5.24).

Iran

The Iranian nation, along with its leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, cast their votes on 10th May in the 2nd round of the 12th Parliamentary elections. The first phase was held on 1st March this year. 61 million eligible voters are to elect 290 members of the house “Majlis” out of 15,000 candidates for a four-year period.

India-Iran Collaboration on Chabahar Port in Iran:

India and Iran, during the visit of Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to Tehran, signed a 10-year pact, extendable further, for the development and improved functioning of the terminal at Iran’s strategic Chabahar port, approximately 90 km from the Gwadar port of Pakistan. The aim is to boost connectivity to Afghanistan and other landlocked countries of Central Asia, even facilitating a land route to Russia. It will also enable India to promote business and import/export to these countries via sea route bypassing Pakistan. Reacting to the agreement, US State Department official Vedant Patel said that the India-Iran deal to develop and operate the Chabahar port is not exempt from US sanctions on Iran but did not specify whether sanctions on its close strategic partner, India, would be imposed. The US State Department also recently conveyed to Pakistan about the risk of such sanctions concerning the construction of the 80 km long Pakistan-Iran Gas Pipeline project. The reactions of China, Russia, regional countries, and the rest of the world are yet to be seen (13.5.24).