Category: South East Asia

IS-K Leader in Afghanistan Reported Dead

The leader of a regional affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist outfit was reportedly killed in Afghanistan this week in an area along the border with Pakistan, intelligence officials in both countries confirmed to VOA. Sanaullah Ghafari, the so-called slain emir of Islamic State Khorasan, or IS-K, has led the terrorist group since June 2020. He was widely known as […]

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Islamic State claims responsibility for Afghanistan mosque blast

Islamic State on Friday claimed responsibility for an explosion inside a mosque in northern Afghanistan the day before, the militant group said in a statement. The blast inside a mosque in northern Afghanistan on Thursday killed at least 11 people during the funeral of the Taliban’s provincial deputy governor, who died in an attack earlier this week, officials said.

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Three Pakistani soldiers killed in gun battle with Taliban

Attacks by TTP have been rising since peace talks with government broke down in November Three Pakistani soldiers were killed in a gun battle with Taliban militants near the Afghan-Pakistan border on Saturday, the latest violent incident in the restive, semi-mountainous frontier region. Pakistan’s army has been battling an escalating number of attacks from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or the Pakistani Taliban […]

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UN report finds ‘strong and symbiotic’ links between Afghan Taliban, TTP

The link between the Afghan Taliban and proscribed militant outfits Al-Qaeda and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains “strong and symbiotic”, a report published by the United Nations (UN) said. The fourteenth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the UN Security Council’s 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee — released on Friday — noted that a “range of terrorist groups […]

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Two militants neutralised in J&K’s Kupwara; operation continues

Two terrorists have been neutralised in a joint operation by the army and Kashmir Police on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara. “Two (02) terrorists have been neutralised in a joint operation of Army and Kupwara Police in Dobanar Machhal area (LoC) of Kupwara district. Search still continues,” informed Kashmir Police in a tweet.

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China, Pakistan and Turkey Eyeing Kashmir

The history of the Islamization of indigenous non-Muslim populations of Kashmir is similar to that of the Middle East and North Africa: native non-Muslim peoples were first conquered by Islamic armies and then subjected to discrimination and persecution, which led to either death, conversion to Islam or departure/flight. Due to killings and forced conversions, there are no Hindus remaining in […]

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CTD arrests three terrorists in Karachi

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Monday nabbed three terrorists in Gulistan-e-Jauhar in an intelligence-based operation (IBO). The CTD authorities said that the terrorists belonged to a banned outfit, adding that they wanted to launch attacks on important installations. “They also wanted to attack important personalities,” the authorities added. The authorities recovered three hand-grenades and six pistols from the arrested terrorists.

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China-Saudi Ties Boost While U.S. Influence Wanes

Days after welcoming Secretary of State Antony Blinken as part of efforts to reset relations with the U.S., Saudi Arabia turned its attention to boosting ties with one of Washington’s main competitors: China, says Bloomberg. A Bloomberg report — Saudi Arabia Looks to China for Business as US Influence Wanes — said on June 13, 2023: For the past two […]

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The Afghan And Ukrainian War Contexts And Features: A Comparative Perspective

It was Afghanistan’s irresistible desire for independence from foreign occupation that bled and weakened the Soviet Union substantially during its nine-year occupation and led to its subsequent disintegration. Thus, Ukraine emerged as an independent sovereign state from Afghanistan’s unremitting desire for independence. Now that Ukraine is fighting for its own independence, it is worthwhile to make a comparison between the […]

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Taliban Vs. ISKP: Warring Actors In An Unstable Afghanistan – Analysis

Recent DevelopmentsUnconfirmed reports arguing that the Afghan Taliban has neutralised Sanaullah Ghafari alias Shahab al-Muhajir, the Emir of Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) during a raid in Kunar (bordering Pakistan), have trickled in gradually this month. However, besides speculative rhetoric, there is little to go on, considering there is a lack of eulogising by pro-ISIS media or celebratory announcements […]

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