Exercise SURYA KIRAN-XIV, a joint military training exercise between India and Nepal culminated today at Nepal Army Battle School (NABS), Salijhandi, Rupendehi district of Nepal, wherein the troops of both the Armies participated in 14 days long joint training based on counter insurgency operations in jungle and mountainous terrain and also practised response mechanism in the eventualities of natural and man-made disasters.
As part of the exercise, important lectures, demonstrations and drills related to counter insurgency, counter terrorism operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief response mechanism were rehearsed and executed jointly. The training culminated with a 72 hours outdoor exercise in which troops of both contingents carried out drills of counter insurgency operations. During the final phase of the exercise, Major General Gopal Gurung, Head of Indian Observer Mission was present as observer representative of Indian Army and Lieutenant General Sharad Giri, Chief of General Staff, Nepal Army was the chief guest during the ceremony.
In addition to training, both the contingents also participated in a number of extracurricular activities including friendly Football, Basketball, Volleyball matches and cultural events on the final day to showcase respective cultural lineage as also to increase the bonhomie amongst troops. The joint training was undoubtedly, an unprecedented success. Besides promoting understanding and interoperability between the two armies, it will further help in cementing ties between both the nations. Click here to read.... [2]
Exercise INDRA - 2019 is the second edition of Joint Tri Services Exercise between Indian and Russian Armed Forces which is being conducted from 10-20 December 2019 simultaneously at Pune and Gwalior for Air Force elements.
IAF is undertaking service specific and joint missions during the exercise. Russian Federation Air Force (RFAF) element is participating in the exercise along with IAF counterparts.
The broad theme for the exercise is to organise a Joint Task Force for undertaking planning and execution of air operations for eliminating terrorists at the request of the third country under UN mandate. However, combined missions between IAF and RFAF would also be undertaken for enriching experience and maximising training value in terms of interoperability.
The INDRA exercises are being regularly held since 2003, initially being a bilateral single service exercise between India and Russia. The first-ever Joint Tri Services Exercise was held in the Eastern Military District of Russia in Oct 2017. This year IAF has fielded Su-30MKI, Jaguar, MI-17 helicopters, Airborne Warning & Control System aircraft and Garuds of IAF are participating in the exercise.
Tri Services Ex INDRA-2019 will further strengthen mutual confidence, interoperability and enable sharing of best practices between the Armed Forces of both countries. The exercise show cases the long-standing bond of India and Russia friendship. Click here to read.... [3]
INS Aditya and RuFN ship Yaroslav Mudry casted off from Mormugao harbour on Monday 16 Dec 19 to commence the Sea Phase of the ongoing Indo-Russian joint tri-service exercise INDRA-2019.
INS Tarkash, INS Aditya and RuFN ship Yaroslav Mudry participated in an Encounter Exercise and cross-deck flying on the same day. Sea riders were also exchanged between the Indian and Russian ships which was followed by an Air Defence exercise involving four MiG29K aircraft.
On 17 Dec 19, a combined boarding team of IN and RuFN personnel conducted boarding exercise to train for anti-piracy operations on a hijacked merchant vessel. Other exercises included firing practice, aviation operations and other manoeuvres like maintaining station and replenishment at sea. " target="_blank">Click here to read.... [4]
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) organised the 18th National Maritime Search and Rescue Board (NMSARB) meeting here today to discuss policy issues, formulate guidelines & procedures and assess the efficacy of National Search and Rescue Plan. The apex-level meeting was chaired by Director General Indian Coast Guard and Chairman NMSARB Shri K Natarajan and attended by 48 Board members from various ministries, agencies, all Coastal States & Union Territories. For the first time, three strong components of the M-SAR - Secretary (Ministry of Shipping), Secretary (Ministry of Civil Aviation) and Secretary (Department of Fisheries) participated in the annual meeting.
In his inaugural address, the NMSARB Chairman welcomed three new members, the Ministry of Shipping, Department of Animal husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services as permanent members. The meeting was also attended by Fisheries Department officials from West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
Shri K Natarajan highlighted various initiatives of ICG in coordination with other stakeholders to improve the search and rescue effectiveness within the 4.6 million sq km vast Indian Search & Rescue Region. He brought out the importance of three Maritime Rescue Coordination centers at Mumbai, Chennai and Andaman & Nicobar Islands established by ICG and voluntary ship reporting system INDSAR developed by the Coast Guard to divert the ship nearest to the site of incident for immediate Search & Rescue (SAR) assistance. The Prevention and Measured SAR mechanism adopted by ICG resulted in no loss of life at sea during passage of many cyclones in the recent past.
The Chairman advocated the need for collaborative approach with capacity building of stakeholders towards strengthening the maritime SAR architecture. He reiterated the need to focus on sustainable maritime safety in Area of Responsibility (AOR) and address regulations governing mandatory carriage of life saving safety equipment, seaworthiness of fishing vessels by fisher-folk as preventive mechanism, proper training and accounting of the crew on-board.
Delivering the keynote address, Secretary (Shipping) Shri Gopal Krishna complimented ICG and NMSARB members for their exemplary coordination which resulted in incorporation of various ingenious measures to improve the SAR mechanism. He stressed upon the need to harmonise the Maritime-Air SAR system.
In his address, Secretary (Civil Aviation) Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola emphasised the importance of reducing the divide between Aeronautical & Maritime SAR as about 60 per cent of Indian airspace comprises of ocean areas. He assured the forum that his ministry would provide all assistance for enhancing the coordination further.
Secretary (Fisheries) Smt Rajini Sekhri Sibal said, 2.5 lakh fishing boats with about 38 lakh fishermen are engaged in fishing which requires frequent SAR assistance. She complemented ICG for having a robust SAR mechanism in place.
Apart from deliberations on various maritime safety issues and identifying areas of improvement of Search and Rescue services, the NMSAR Board recognises the SAR efforts of merchant mariners, Govt. Owned Vessels and Fishermen every year. For the year 2018-19, MV Asia Emerald III was awarded the SAR Award for Merchant Vessel for saving 06 lives from a distressed fishing boat. SAR Award for Fisherman was awarded to Shri Anand A Ambhire from Maharashtra for saving 11 lives from a sinking fishing boat. SAR Award for Government Owned SAR Unit was awarded jointly to Indian Coast Guard Ships Sujoy and Vikram for saving 46 lives from ROSV Sagar Sampada off New Mangalore.
Indian Coast Guard being the nodal agency for Maritime Search and Rescue has rescued 9,672 lives by coordinating 3,180 search and rescue missions, which inter alia includes 2,479 air sorties and 3,540 ship deployments, since inception. ICG thus saves one precious life every second day. Further, ICG also escorted more than 6,000 fishing boats to safe locations during the passage of three severe cyclonic storms this year. In this year alone, ICG took 300 SAR missions involving rescue of close to 1,000 lives at sea which includes 27 MEDEVAC operations and some of the rescue operations were conducted at the fringes of Indian Search and Rescue Region. Click here to read.... [5]
The second edition of bilateral tri-services Exercise INDRA-2019 between Indian and Russia concluded today at Babina, Pune and Goa. The exercise included joint training in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations under the United Nations mandate. Important lectures, demonstrations and drills related to counter terrorism operations were rehearsed and executed jointly. Both the contingent shared their expertise and experience.
As part of validation exercise held on 19 December 2019, troops of both the countries carried out specialised joint counter terrorist operations which was witnessed by dignitaries of services of both countries. The validation exercise was reviewed by Hon’ble Rajya Raksha Mantri Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in presence of Lieutenant General SK Saini, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command and other senior officers of both the participating countries. The Russian side was represented by Lieutenant General Sergei Serukov, Deputy Commander, Eastern Military District. The exercise concluded on 19 December 2019 with a ceremonial closing ceremony by both the contingents.
Exercise INDRA-2019 was very successful in increasing the bonhomie and camaraderie amongst both the participating nations. The exercise provided an opportunity to both the Armies for greater understanding and strengthening of mutual trust and cooperation. Click here to read.... [6]
The eighth edition of India-China joint training exercise Hand-in-Hand 2019 culminated on 20 December 2019 at Joint Training Node, Umroi, Meghalaya. The exercise was aimed at practicing the joint drills of counter terrorism operations in a semi urban terrain under United Nation mandate. The exercise entailed firing of each other's weapons, conduct of tactical lectures & demonstration by both countries with respect to various aspects of counter terrorism operations.
The high joint training standards achieved by both contingents were on display during a 72 hours field training exercise which encompassed various drills requiring seamless integration of action of part of troops involved in the facets of counter terrorism operations in conjunction with gruelling methods to execute the assigned tasks.
The exercise culminated with a glittery closing ceremony where the participating troops displayed high standards of military drill. The closing ceremony was reviewed by Major General JS Sandhu in presence of other senior officers of both the participating countries. The Chinese side was represented by Major General Li Shizong.
The bonhomie achieved between the troops was at display during the Camp fire. The two armies have gained from each other's expertise and experience in conduct of counter terrorism & company level operations. Click here to read.... [7]
A cycling expedition consisting of staff from National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (NIMAS) based in Dirang reached Yangon on 25 Dec 2019. It has three serving Indian Army officers and a civilian instructor. It will be cycling (on mountain terrain bikes) through Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia upto the Malaysia- Singapore border.
The expedition began its journey at the Moreh-Tamu IMB crossing on 16 Dec 2019. It is being led by Col Sarfaraz Singh, Director NIMAS.
Being an MoD funded expedition, the Defence Wing was at the forefront in coordination with various agencies in Myanmar such as Foreign Ministry, MoD and Ministry of Health and Sports. The coordination effort was focused on ensuring smooth immigration, safe and secure passage through the host country, access to logistics and local media. A value addition was the incorporation of cyclists of Myanmar Cycling Federation which had its cyclists accompany the Indian Team through their journey. The team was welcomed at Mandalay and also at Embassy in Yangon. A felicitation ceremony was held at Yangon. The expedition was flagged off by the Ambassador on 26 Dec 2019 for the balance of its journey. It is scheduled to cross into Thailand on 29 Dec 2019. Click here to read.... [8]
Indian Army in its quest for modernisation through use of emerging technologies, conducted Army Technology Seminar on the theme 'Technologies for Non-Contact Warfare' at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantonment on 23 December 2019.
This event was attended by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India Prof K Vijay Raghavan, Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General MM Naravane, President SIDM Shri Jayant Patil alongwith other dignitaries from the Ministry of Defence, three Services, DRDO, leading academic institutions and industry.
The seminar brought Military, Academia and Industry together on a single platform to provide an in depth perspective on the available and emerging technologies, which could have an impact on war fighting in the non-contact domain.
While addressing the seminar, Chief of the Army Staff highlighted that although the importance of troops and equipment on ground continues to remain, the domain of Non-Contact Warfare is gaining relevance for the future wars and will help us in gaining critical advantage. Chief of the Army Staff said that Indian Army has been at the forefront of technology embrace wherein there is a need to look at the technology temper and build culture of innovations. He also stressed on the need of dual use technologies for the future. Towards this, Indian Army has endeavoured to be more open towards the industry and has converted stringent military specifications for number of its equipment into commercial grade specifications.
Four achievers from varied background were facilitated during the seminar for their exceptional work done in their fields of excellence. On this occasion, Chief of the Army Staff also released the Compendium of Problem Definition Statements. The seminar, also provided a platform to the selected Start Ups to put forward their research work and achievements. Think tanks from varied fields in industry, academia, subject matter experts, users and policy makers also gave out their views during the Seminar. A display showcasing select military innovations developed by the Army, DRDO, Academia and Industry was also organised as part of the ARTECH Seminar. Click here to read.... [9]
Pinaka Missile System developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully flight-tested from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the Odisha coast at 1200 hrs today. The Pinaka is an Artillery Missile System capable of striking into enemy territory up to a range of 75 kilometres with high precision.
The Pinaka MK-II Rocket is modified as a missile by integrating with the Navigation, Control and Guidance System to improve the end accuracy and enhance the range. The Navigation system of the missile is also aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
The mission achieved all the objectives including enhancing the range, accuracy and sub-system functionality. The missile was fired from Pinaka launcher system in deployment configuration. The flight article was tracked by multiple range systems viz. Telemetry, Radars, Electro-optical targeting system (EOTS), etc. which confirmed the text book flight performance.
The missile system has been jointly developed by various DRDO Laboratories viz. Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Proof & Experimental Establishment (PXE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).
The trial was conducted under the supervision of Director RCI Shri BHVS Narayana Murthy, Director ARDE Dr V Venkateswara Rao, Director ITR Dr BK Das, and Director PXE Shri DK Joshi.
Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy congratulated the teams involved in the flight trial. Click here to read.... [10]
Defence PSUs Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) organised a roadshow here today in the run up to the 11th edition of DefExpo scheduled to be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from February 5-8, 2020. The roadshow was organised to urge vendors from the private sector, MSMEs and start-ups based in Delhi-NCR to actively participate in the upcoming Defence exhibition and take advantage of the potential business opportunities in the offing.
The theme of DefExpo 2020 is ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’. The event would provide a common platform for Defence industries, both public and private, MSMEs and start-ups to showcase their capabilities and R&D strengths to potential customers from both India and abroad.
Joint Secretary (Personnel & Coordination), Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence Dr Amit Sahai called upon the participants to be a part of DefExpo and widen their exposure and customer base. He emphasised that this is an international platform where many foreign companies participate. He also briefed the vendors about the Government policies in promoting industries and insisted that MSMEs seize this unique opportunity and take full advantage of it.
Joint Secretary SME Smt. Alka Arora said the Government is promoting MSME vendors and encouraging MSMEs to share innovative ideas with Defence organisations. DefExpo is an ideal platform for this.
Director (Marketing), BEL Smt Anandi Ramalingam said, more and more MSME partners must use this opportunity and showcase their products and capabilities.
General Manager (Network Centric System & Unit Head) BEL Ghaziabad Shri Joydeep Majumdar made a detailed presentation on DefExpo and elaborated the advantages of participating in the show to the business enterprises.
The roadshow, which ended with an interactive session, was a grand success with participation from more than 170 vendors from across Delhi-NCR. Click here to read.... [11]
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Air Force (IAF) and BrahMos jointly successfully conducted two BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles tests today, one each from land and air platforms.
The first missile launch was from a land based mobile launcher, where most of the components were indigenous, including the missile airframe, fuel management system and DRDO designed seeker.
The second launch of the missile was carried out by Indian Air force (IAF) from SU-30MKI platform against a sea target. The test conducted in user configuration, revalidated the ship attack capability of the advanced air-launched cruise missile. During the test, the missile was gravity dropped from the air combat platform's fuselage and the two-stage weapon’s engine fired up and the missile straightaway propelled towards the intended target positioned at the sea, piercing it with pin point accuracy.
Earlier on May 22, 2019, IAF had successfully tested the missile against a land-based target in the Car Nicobar Islands region. The BrahMos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) promises to bolster the air combat capability of IAF from stand-off ranges.
Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDODr G Satheesh Reddy congratulated the DRDO, BrahMos and Air Force teams for the successful tests. Director General BrahMos Dr Sudhir Mishra, Defence Research & Development Laboratory Director Dr Dashrath Ram, and Director Integrated Test Range Dr Binoy Kumar Das were present during the trials. Click here to read.... [12]
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has termed Integrated Finance as the backbone of any ministry/department, saying that desired objectives can only be achieved when a ministry/department is able to manage within its budgetary resources without compromising on operational needs. Addressing the Integrated Financial Advisors (IFA) Workshop here today, Raksha Mantri commended the Finance Division in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) for meeting the needs of the three Services and other allied organisations, like Ordnance Factories, Indian Coast Guard, Border Roads Organisation and DRDO with harmony and synergy and displaying the willingness and readiness to meet new challenges.
Shri Rajnath Singh highlighted that in the last three years, MoD has been able to fully utilise its allocations, ending the trend of non-utilisation of funds due to substantial delegation of financial powers. He said, financial powers have been delegated for capital and revenue procurement so that Armed Forces are able to make their own procurement of up to Rs 300-500 crore. Raksha Mantri added that emergency powers have also been given to the Armed Forces in view of their emergent operational needs. This, he said, has led to enhanced operational efficiency.
Raksha Mantri stressed that workshops like these not only play an important role in the evaluation of the Government’s policies and practices but also create a path for future policies. “Such events instil confidence in how responsible and committed we are to our financial matters. These responsibilities and commitments help us to make our administration accountable and the country financially independent”, he said.
Shri Rajnath Singh said, the functioning of the Government is being made effective and efficient under ‘Minimum Government Maximum Governance’, adding that performance standards are being established for government officials and mechanisms of prudence and accountability are being adopted in financial management. He said, in such a situation, this workshop creates a progressive and constructive feedback system according to which a roadmap for systemic improvements is made. Raksha Mantri hoped that the workshop will evolve more efficient methods of using delegated financial powers and expressed confidence that IFAs will act as a facilitator and help in timely implementation of projects.
In his address, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar termed IFAs as ‘eyes and ears of MoD’ and said their defining role is to guide the Services and other allied organisations in their way forward. He called for increased focus on non-financial resources saying that they are equally essential. Dr Kumar said, optimisation and utilisation of resources should be at the centre of the functioning of IFAs.
Secretary (Defence Finance) Smt Gargi Kaul described financial advice as an important pillar of good governance and accountability. She said, the role of IFAs is to help the executive achieve its goals and objectives keeping in mind financial prudence. She urged them to take a macro view, saying that micro-routine matters should not be stressed.
Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Controller General of Defence Accounts Shri Sanjiv Mittal, Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Subhash Chandra and other senior military and civil officers of MoD were present on the occasion. In addition to IFAs, officers from the three Services and Indian Coast Guard are attending the day-long workshop. Click here to read.... [13]
In a landmark decision with tremendous reform in higher defence management in the country, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved to create the post of Chief of Defence Staff in the rank of a four-star General with salary and perquisites equivalent to a Service Chief. The Chief of Defence Staff will also head the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), to be created within the Ministry of Defence and function as its Secretary.
The following areas will be dealt by the Department of Military Affairs headed by CDS:
Apart from the above, the mandate of the Department of Military Affairs will include the following areas:
The Chief of Defence Staff, apart from being the head of the Department of Military Affairs, will also be the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He will act as the Principal Military Adviser to Raksha Mantri on all tri-Services matters. The three Chiefs will continue to advise RM on matters exclusively concerning their respective Services. CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs, so as to be able to provide impartial advice to the political leadership.
As the Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, CDS will perform the following functions:
CDS will administer tri-services organisations. Tri-service agencies/organisations/commands related to Cyber and Space will be under the command of the CDS.
CDS will be member of Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Raksha Mantri and Defence Planning Committee chaired by NSA.
Function as the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.
Bring about jointness in operation, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance, etc. of the three Services, within three years of the first CDS assuming office.
Ensure optimal utilisation of infrastructure and rationalise it through jointness among the services.
Implement Five-Year Defence Capital Acquisition Plan (DCAP), and Two-Year roll-on Annual Acquisition Plans (AAP), as a follow up of Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP).
Assign inter-Services prioritisation to capital acquisition proposals based on the anticipated budget.
Bring about reforms in the functioning of three Services aimed at augmenting combat capabilities of the Armed Forces by reducing wasteful expenditure.
It is expected that this reform in the Higher Defence Management would enable the Armed Forces to implement coordinated defence doctrines and procedures and go a long way in fostering jointmanship among the three Services. The country would be benefitted by coordinated action on greater jointmanship in training, logistics and operations as well as for prioritisation of procurements.
This follows the announcement made by the Prime Minister on 15th August 2019, in his address to the nation, inter alia, "India should not have a fragmented approach. Our entire military power will have to work in unison and move forward. All the three (Services) should move simultaneously at the same pace. There should be good coordination and it should be relevant to the hope and aspirations of our people. It should be in line with the changing war and security environment with the world. After formation of this post (CDS), all the three forces will get effective leadership at the top level." Click here to read.... [14]
The German parliament on 19 December 2019, urged Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government through a motion to proscribe all activities by the Iran-supported terrorist group—Hezbollah, on German soil. The motion stated that the German government must reject its current policy in distinguishing between Hezbollah’s political arm and military units which have fought alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s army in Syria. " target="_blank">Click here to read.... [15]
The US Africa Command (AFCOM) carried out an air-strike on 16 December 2019 against the al-Shabaab in the Dujuuma area of Middle Juba region in Somalia. According to the statement released by the US AFCOM, no civilians were injured or killed during the targeted air-strike. The US-AFCOM would continue to work with its allies to ensure the long-term security of Somalia, said US Marine Corps Brig Gen Bradford Gering- Deputy Director of AFCOM Operations. Click here to read.... [16]
The government of Sudan likely to announce the closure the offices of Hamas and Hezbollah— two terrorist organisation proscribed by the US government, located in Sudan. Under the newly formed government led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdon, Sudan has renounced the support for terrorist organisations and taking measures to disrupt their operations to avoid any sanctions imposed by the US. During PM’s trip to US in earlier of December 2019, US Secretary of State—Mike Pompeo has said that US is ready to elevate the relations with Sudan by exchanging Ambassadors for the first time in over two decades. Sudan shares the designation with three other countries – North Korea, Iran and Syria – and is therefore subject to sanctions that are meant to isolate it from the international economy. Click here to read.... [17]
In an attack by a Taliban infiltrator on 14 December 2019, 23 soldiers were killed in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. The attacker, who was on duty, opened fire on his colleagues and seized all weapons and equipment located in the base. The Afghan Ministry of Defence reported the killing of nine soldiers, however, Taliban claimed that 32 soldiers had been killed. Click here to read.... [18]
Unknown terrorists, including a suicide bomber, on 11 December 2019 attacked a medical facility under construction near the US Air base in Bagram district of Parwan Province in Afghanistan. In this attack, one civilian was dead, and 50 others were injured. The attack was an unsuccessful attempt to capture the air base. No terrorist group claimed the responsibility of the attack, however, Taliban and Islamic State (IS) frequently carried out the attacks against US establishments. Click here to read.... [19]
The Afghanistan government on 21 December 2019 has stated that up to 700 Islamic State (IS) terrorists, including their family members were arrested from the different locations in the Eastern Afghanistan, during June-December 2019. Most of the arrested IS terrorists are from Pakistan, Jordan, and Central Asian countries. Click here to read.... [20]
According to the intelligence reports, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is conspiring the relationship between Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP) to carry-out terrorist attacks on Indian Missions based in Afghanistan. The IS-KP is Islamic State’s regional branch based which is active in Af-Pak region and have recruited some Indians over the time. As per the report, Matin Mauvia—IS-KP commander based in Kabul has been tasked to carry-out the attacks. Click here to read.... [21]
In an audio message released on 29 December 2019, the Spokesperson of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has stated that in an attack carried-out by the Haqqani Network (HQN), TTP’s commander Qari Saifullah Mehsud was killed outside the Guloon camp in Khost province of Afghanistan. The TTP was founded in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud and currently divided into four factions— Swat group, Mehsud group, Bajaur Agency group, and Darra Adamkhel group. Click here to read.... [22]
The FATF (Financial Action Task Force) has sought more clarification and answers from Pakistan government on actions taken against the Madrasas connected with the banned terrorist organisations. The FATF kept Pakistan on the ‘Grey List’ until February 2020, and had warned the latter to transfer to ‘Black List’ if it failed to comply with the remaining 22 points out of 27 mentioned in the list. Click here to read.... [23]
Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Gujranwala district in Punjab filed another case and charged Hafiz Saeed—leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat ud-Dawa (JuD), on 11 December 2019 for terror-financing. Saeed is accused of operating and funding terrorist groups under the ‘umbrella’ of charity organisations. Saeed and his associate— Abdul Rehman Makki are facing trials in over two dozen cases on charges of financing terrorism and money laundering under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The cases are registered in the Punjab province after huge amounts of illegal funds were collected from organisations like Al-Anfaal, Dawatul Irshad Trust, Mauz Bin Jabal Trust among others. Click here to read.... [24]
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the parliament) Minister of State for Home Affairs— G Kishan Reddy has stated that post-August 2019, 84 infiltration attempts were made alongside the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and 59 terrorists could have entered the Kashmir Valley. This highlighted the support and sponsoring of terrorists being made from across the border by the neighbouring country—Pakistan. Click here to read.... [25]
The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police on 22 December 2019, arrested Rasiq Sheikh—a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist from Awantipora area in Pulwama district. Police also seized incriminating material from his possession. Click here to read.... [26]
The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police, on 23 December 2019, arrested three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists— Idrees Ahmed Mir, Mudassir Ahmed Tantray, and Shahid Nazir Wani from Shopian district in J&K. Police recovered incriminating material from their possession. Click here to read.... [27]
Telangana police on 18 December 2019 has arrested four people over the suspicion of Maoist links, from Hyderabad and Gadwal in Telangana. The police arrested Chaitanya Mahila Sangam (CMS) state committee member Gunta Renuka (21 years-old) from Gadwal town, and another team arrested CMS joint secretary Dongari Devendra (38 years-old), Dubasi Swapna (30 years-old), and Telangana Vidyarthi Vedika (TVV) general secretary Menchu Sandeep (26 years-old), from different locations in Hyderabad. Click here to read.... [28]
Following the directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) the Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Radicalisation (CTCR) division, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on 18 December 2019, re-registered the FIR (First Information Report) in the case of Maoist links of two youths arrested on 01 November 2019, from Kozhikode district in Kerala. The NIA will produce both accused— Alan Shuhaib and Thwaha Fasal before the Special NIA court in Kochi. Click here to read.... [29]
According to undisclosed intelligence sources, with support from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), pro-Khalistan groups such as Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) are conspiring to carry-out terrorist attacks in Punjab. The groups have escalated their efforts to smuggle the weapons across India-Pakistan border. Acting upon the intelligence inputs, the government has directed the Border Security Force (BSF), the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Central intelligence agencies- Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to monitor the activities of these groups and surveillance the bordering areas of Punjab to prevent the smuggling of weapons in the State. Click here to read.... [30]
In a Bengaluru terror module case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on 16 December 2019, arrested Mosaraf Hossain aka Hossain— a Jamaat ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorist from Kolkata in West Bengal and produced him in the NIA Special court seeking his transit warrant to produce him before the NIA Special Court in Bengaluru. On 08 July 2019, the NIA officials raided the house rented by JMB terrorists in Chikkabanavara in Bengaluru, and seized five Improvised hand grenades, three fabricated grenade caps and an equal number of circuits of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device), a 9mm live round, an air gun, suspected explosive powder and other incriminating material. Click here to read.... [31]
Acting upon the intelligence inputs, the Andhra Pradesh police on 20 December 2019, arrested eight people, including seven Indian Navy personnel for their involvement in an espionage network linked to Pakistan. The eight people were arrested from different parts of India, and were produced before the Special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court in Vijayawada, which later ordered them to be in judicial custody till 03 January 2020. According to the statement released by the police, the Intelligence wing, along with the Central Intelligence agencies and the Naval intelligence, had launched “Operation Dolphin’s Nose” and cracked the espionage network. " target="_blank">Click here to read.... [32]
India’s leading stock exchange—Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on 20 December 2019, has signed an agreement with Si Consult, a security services provider, to strengthen the cyber security services. The agreement was due to the implementation of strict cyber security framework regulated by the SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India). In December 2018, SEBI had asked brokers and depository participants to formulate a comprehensive cybersecurity and cyber resilience policy document encompassing the framework. Click here to read.... [33]
Links:
[1] https://www.vifindia.org/vifdigest/defensenationalsecurityterrorism/2020/february/06
[2] https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1596620
[3] https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1596684
[4] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?
[5] https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195952
[6] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1596940
[7] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1597081
[8] https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=196154
[9] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1597258
[10] https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195979
[11] https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195920
[12] https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195942
[13] https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=196071
[14] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1597425
[15] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-lebanon-hezbollah/german-parliament-passes-motion-urging-total-ban-on-hezbollah-idUSKBN1YN1ND?
[16] https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/us-military-carries-out-airstrike-in-somalia-targeting-al-shabab
[17] https://thehill.com/policy/international/474806-sudan-closing-hamas-and-hezbollah-offices-in-bid-for-us-sanctions-relief
[18] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/14/world/asia/afghanistan-soldiers-taliban.html
[19] https://www.dw.com/en/afghanistan-suicide-bomber-strikes-near-us-air-base/a-51616554
[20] http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=700-Islamic-State-terrorists-arrested-in-Afghanistan-over-past-six-months&id=376463
[21] https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pakistan-let-is-attack-indian-missions-afghanistan-1631081-2019-12-24
[22] https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/key-pakistan-taliban-commander-qari-saifullah-mehsud-shot-dead-afghanistan-1632464-2019-12-30
[23] https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/fatf-asks-150-questions-to-pak-seeks-answers-against-madrassas-linked-to-banned-outfits-15553
[24] https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/hafiz-saeed-indicted-terror-financing-pakistan-jamat-ud-dawa-let-1630372-2019-12-21
[25] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/84-infiltration-attempts-in-jammu-and-kashmir-since-august-2019/articleshow/72454900.cms
[26] https://zeenews.india.com/india/terrorist-linked-with-jaish-e-mohammad-arrested-by-jammu-and-kashmirs-police-2253890.html
[27] https://zeenews.india.com/jammu-and-kashmir/three-jaish-e-mohammad-terrorists-arrested-in-jammu-and-kashmirs-shopian-2254108.html
[28] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/four-more-held-for-maoist-link/article30341214.ece
[29] https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2019/dec/23/nia-takes-over-probe-into-maoist-links-of-youths-in-kerala-2079731.html
[30] https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-terror-attacks-in-punjab-being-planned-by-pro-khalistan-outfits-with-pak-s-support-intelligence-sources-2806891
[31] https://www.newsnation.in/india/news/bengaluru-terror-module-case-nia-arrests-jmb-member-mosaraf-hossain-from-kolkata-247768.html
[32] https://telanganatoday.com/7-navy-men-for-espionage-in-andhra-pradesh<br
[33] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/bse-signs-pact-with-si-consult-to-strengthen-cyber-security-services/articleshow/72900377.cms
[34] http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?title=VIF News Digest: National Security - Defence Studies & Terrorism, 16 December- 31 December 2019&desc=&images=&u=https://www.vifindia.org/vifdigest/defensenationalsecurityterrorism/2020/february/06
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