NEW REPORT DOCUMENTS RISING CASES OF FEMICIDE UNDER THE TALIBAN – Afghan Witness produced the report and noted hundreds of cases of women being murdered by the Taliban. Some are beheaded and their bodies have been reputedly dumped in rivers and on the streets. The study recorded 188 cases of women who were murdered from January thru July of 2023 alone. A copy of the report can be accessed by clicking HERE.
PAKISTAN MEDIA CONFIDENT TTP LEADER KILLED IN AIRSTRIKE ON 14 AUGUST – Citing anonymous government sources, several mainstream journalism outlets in Pakistan began reporting that Dost Muhammad (aka Asad Afridi), a key leader in the TTP, was killed in a drone strike carried out on a hotel in Khost. While several rumors had been circulating that he had been targeted, few news sites published the accusations until yesterday. The stories also referenced the use of a drone to carry out the attack on the hotel. If true, it is likely the Government of Pakistan sanctioned the attack.
MARSHAL DOSTUM THREATENS ACTION – The exiled politician made the comments during a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Resistance on 17 August. In the meeting, Dostum listed the many overtures that had been made to the Taliban over the previous two years and opined that the regime is incapable of compromise. He then stated that his fighters who remain in Afghanistan are ready to oust the Taliban from power. While the Taliban have made light of Dostum’s remarks in the past, a source in Kabul says that he is probably the only exiled leader who the Taliban fears. It is not clear if his comments were mere saber rattling or if a strategy to intervene is on the table.
CONFLICT TRACKER Parwan: Follow up to 18 Aug report - The AFF released additional information about the clash in Parwan province yesterday. The clash reportedly resulted in the deaths of 5 Taliban with 2 others wounded.
RUSSIA DOUBLES DOWN ON CLAIMS THAT WESTERN GOVERNMENTS ARE SUPPORTING RESISTANCE GROUPS – After the Russian Defence Chief told reporters from the TASS news agency that Western countries are increasing their support for non-Pashtun Resistance groups, it appears that Russian media outlets have taken up the story with gusto. The new claims follow on the heels of others that suggest the US is working directly with the Taliban to target both ISIS and Al Qaeda. No evidence has been offered to support any of these claims and many have simply dismissed it as obfuscation tactics meant to draw attention away from Ukraine.
CHINESE COMPANY HUAWEI AGREES TO INSTALL NATIONWIDE CCTV CAMERA SYSTEM – The Afghan Digest recently reported on a visit by Huawei executives to discuss the possibility of setting up a national system for monitoring citizens and infrastructure. Recent reporting in international business journals indicates the company is moving forward with the project and intends to establish a network in all 34 Provinces. It was not immediately clear if the project involves a contract or is being done as a favor to the Taliban.
IRANIAN AUTHORITIES ARREST 12 WOMEN ACTIVISTS – Police and Intelligence personnel rounded up 12 noted women’s rights activists in Gilan yesterday. There are unconfirmed rumors of additional arrests in Tehran and elsewhere in the country. Analysts say that arrests of those suspected of involvement in the protests that erupted last year have risen sharply over the last three weeks and believe the regime is attempting to thwart the return as the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death approaches (16 September).
CONFLICT TRACKER Parwan: A strike team from the AFF has reportedly attacked the Taliban outpost in the Sarjoi area late last night. The clashes lasted well into the early morning hours. Casualties were inflicted but an accurate count has yet to be provided.
Jammu and Kashmir ...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there.... Police on Friday recovered the dead body of a terrorist severely injured in Gundha Khawas encounter earlier this month, officials said.
They said that on August 05, two Pak bandidosLions of Islam were entrapped by Police in an encounter at Gundha Khwas area. "In the encounter one terrorist was eliminated and another one was severally injured. In the ongoing anti terror operation, joint teams of forces including teams of Reasi and Rajouri police were on lookout for the second terrorist who got injured during encounter at Gundha last Sunday but managed to escape from site taking benefit of thick foliage, " a police statement said.
It said that on Friday morning, joint teams of forces including Police, Army and CAPF located the body of terrorist from a gorge where he had fallen while trying to escape hot chase of security forces.
"The said terrorist initially seems to be a FT (Foreign Pak Terrorist) and is suspected to be involved in many terror - crime cases of Rajouri Poonch region including recent attack on SFs at Kesari Hill and Dhangri terror incident, " it said.
Police and security forces have arrested two terrorist associates linked with proscribed outfit LeT in Sopore area of Baramulla district, officials said on Friday.
They said that the police also recovered two grenades and eight pistol rounds and other incriminating materials from their possession.
A police statement said that the police personnel along with Army's 52 RR at a joint checkpoint established at Sher Colony Tarzoo intercepted two suspicious persons who on seeing the joint party tried to flee from the spot but were apprehended tactfully. They have been identified as Manzoor Ahmad Bhat son of Ab. Rashid Bhat and Tanveer Ahmad Lone son of Gh. Mohd Lone both residents of Darnambal Tarzoo, linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT. "During search, 02 Grenades and 8 Pistol rounds and other incriminating materials were recovered from their possession, " the statement said.
Accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 78/2023 under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation initiated.
The Indian Army has recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition near Line of Control in Machil sector of Kupwara, officials said on Friday.
Chinar Corps, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said that the operation was launched jointly on August 15.
"Joint operation launched by Indian Army, @BSF_Kashmir ...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there.... and @JmuKmrPolice in Machhal Sector of Kupwara from 15-18 Aug based on Intelligence inputs by various agencies of likely presence of a cache of war like stores, " it said. The army said that huge cache of arms and ammunition including five AK Rifles, seven Pistols, four Hand Grenades and other incriminating materials were recovered. " The search is (still) in progress," it said.
The mixture of English technical vocabulary and whichever Indian language the very sharp-looking spokesman is speaking in the video is absolutely charming.
[OneOndia] The Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh on Friday arrested a man for collecting illegal weapons under a criminal conspiracy with the Pak intelligence agency, according to ANI.
The man has been identified as Kaleem. "By gathering illegal weapons under the conspiracy, they were planning to carry out some major incidents in an attempt to disintegrate the unity, integrity, illusory sovereignty and social harmony of the country and to damage the internal and external security of India and on mobile," ANI quoted STF Uttar Pradesh as saying.
The photographs and WhatsApp messages of security-related places in India were sent to ISI and terrorist organizations in Pakistain through WhatsApp, he added.
According to Navbharat Times, Kaleem was trying to spread Jihad in India. The cops got a tip-off about his alleged activities from an informant and they have also been informed that his brother Tehseen or Taseem is also involved in anti-national activities.
A raid was carried out at Kaleem Ahmed's house. Subsequent questioning revealed that, during a trip to Pakistain to visit relatives, he had met ISI officials. These officials then offered money for the purpose of manufacturing explosives and executing attacks within India.
During the course of interrogation, Kaleem Ahmed admitted to being instructed to disrupt communal harmony in India and actively work towards the establishment of an Islamic state. Notably, he had acquired a SIM card using fraudulent identification and employed it to transmit photographs of defense installations, including images of Rafale fighter jets, to his contacts in Pakistain, as outlined by officials.
[NINANEWS] A force from the 30th Brigade affiliated with the Nineveh Operations Command of the Popular Mobilization Forces, in cooperation with the Command Intelligence, arrested today, Friday, one of those wanted by the judiciary according to Article 4 / terrorism on the left coast of Nineveh.
A statement by the Popular Mobilization Commission stated: "The arrest of the accused took place after receiving intelligence information about his presence on the left side of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... It added, "The accused belongs to the so-called (Diwan al-Jund), and he is wanted by the judiciary in accordance with Article 4 / terrorism."/ "Diwan al-Jund is the "Department of Soldiers" of ISIS.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/19/2023 00:00 ||
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[NINANEWS] The Fourth Region Border Command announced that it had thwarted an infiltration attempt from the Iranian side in the Shalamjah area, east of Basra.
A source in the leadership told the National Iraqi News Agency / NINA /: "The detachments of the Sixteenth Brigade thwarted an infiltration attempt and arrested an Iranian infiltrator, after monitoring him with thermal cameras in the Shalamjah police point on the Iraqi-Iranian border.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/19/2023 00:00 ||
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[NINANEWS] The Rapid Response Squad Command announced the arrest of a suspect wanted by the Iraqi judiciary, in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 terrorism, in a security operation carried out in Salah al-Din Governorate.
The Rapid Response Forces Command stated in a statement today that "the Fourth Regiment of the Third Brigade, the Rapid Response Division, in cooperation with the National Security and the division's intelligence department, and within the sector of the controlling headquarters of Tuz Khurmato Operations Command, carried out a security operation during which it managed to arrest one of the wanted persons in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 / Terrorism."
It explained, "The operation came after a careful follow-up of the accused, in Tuz Khurmatu district, east of Salah al-Din Governorate," stressing that the security missions will continue to hunt down the remnants of terrorist gangs and implement judicial orders against them.
The leadership indicated that "the accused was handed over to the party of the request in order to receive his just punishment in accordance with the law."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/19/2023 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Teenager armed with Molotov cocktail hit by police gunfire; separately, man shot as vehicle speeds toward Border Police
Two residents of East Jerusalem were shot and badly maimed by police after attempting to attack officers in separate incidents on Friday night, police said.
In the Paleostinian neighborhood of Shuafat, a vehicle accelerated toward Border Police officers and "tried to injure them," police said in a statement. The officers shouted at the driver to halt, then fired live rounds at the vehicle when it continued driving at them, police said.
A passenger in the vehicle, a Paleostinian man in his 20s, was severely maimed by the gunfire and evacuated from the scene for treatment. The driver and a third man in the vehicle were arrested. The vehicle had fake license plates and officers were investigating the incident, police said.
During the arrests, other assailants threw stones at the officers, who responded with riot dispersal measures, police said. None of the Israeli officers were maimed.
Border Police had entered the neighborhood after a three-year-old girl was severely injured in a fall from a balcony. She was brought to a hospital, where she was declared dead, police said.
Shortly after, in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, Border Police officers shot a suspect who was attempting to throw a Molotov cocktail at them, police said. The 15-year-old suspect was badly maimed and taken for medical treatment.
[BenarNews] Two rogue Moro Islamic Liberation Front members suspected of taking part in an attack that killed a soldier and a police officer in the southern Philippines last weekend have surrendered and will be charged with murder, military officials said Thursday.
The suspects were among 10 MILF button men who ambushed a government security team on Aug. 12 as it escorted regional peace monitors in Ulitan, a barangay on Basilan ...Basilan is a rugged, jungle-covered island in the southern Philippines. It is a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, bandidos, and maybe even orcs. Most people with any sense travel with armed escorts... island, said Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of Joint Task Force Basilan and the 101st Brigade.
The two were "primarily responsible (among the) perpetrators in the recent ambush," Luzon told news hounds here.
He said the suspects surrendered on Tuesday and had provided the military with vital information used by government troops to hunt down the others involved in the attack that left seven other troops injured.
Basilan is one of several provinces in the southern Mindanao region that make up the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Moslem Mindanao (BARMM). In a 2014 peace agreement with Manila, the MILF gave up its long-running separatist insurgency in exchange for autonomous rule over predominantly Moslem areas in Mindanao.
Under the deal’s terms, the group promised to have its tens of thousands of members turn over and decommission their weapons, but the MILF has struggled to meet that target. In various phases so far, it has decommissioned about 4,500 weapons of 40,000 believed to be in the hands of the members of the former guerrilla force, according to Department of National Defense estimates.
In Sunday’s attack, the button men ambushed a security convoy guarding a Joint Peace and Security Team tasked with overseeing the decommissioning and disarming of former MILF combatants. The team — whose members are military, police, MILF and local officials — assists in monitoring and enforcing the peace pact.
On Thursday, Luzon pointed to the 2014 peace agreement as being instrumental, in close coordination with its leaders, for the "peaceful and voluntary surrender of the two rebel suspects."
He identified the suspects as Adzmin Manjapal, 20, and Mudzni Sapau, 27, saying they were both rogue members of the MILF.
The suspects were turned over to the Basilan police chief Col. Carlos Madronio to be charged with murder, Luzon said, while vowing to provide justice for those killed and seven injured in the ambush.
Luzon credited MILF leaders with facilitating the surrender, naming Malik Cadil, officer-in-charge of Western Mindanao Front MILF; and Hadji Sammad Ahaddin, member of the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostility. Abdurahman Rajan, deputy commander of MILF 114th Base Command, also played a role.
The military commander had previously said that the MILF’s leaders do not have control over people not identified as their members.
The MILF leaders did not immediately respond to BenarNews requests for comment.
During a decommissioning ceremony for 1,300 ex-combatants earlier this month, Murad Ebrahim, who heads the BARMM, blamed holy warrior groups with endangering efforts to disarm former MILF guerrillas.
Under the decommissioning process, each former combatant who hands over weapons is expected to receive about U.S. $2,400 per weapon, including funds for education.
"We are facing a very challenging situation because there are still groups out there that encourage our members to join them," Murad said at the time.
The surrender came amid an intense military-police manhunt for the suspects who were believed to be linked to a MILF faction led by Huram Malangka. The faction was alleged to be involved in killings including acting as guns for hire for criminal gangs.
"Under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., such attacks will not go unpunished. Justice will be served," Philippine presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez said on Thursday.
"The blatant disregard for human life and hostilities against our peace builders is an affront and an act of contempt against the tenets of peacebuilding, human dignity and respect to the rule of law."
#1
I'm probably going to hell for being excited to see MILF in the headlines - so excited, I shouted to the wife, "Hey, there's MILF in the news again"
Posted by: Abu Ga ||
08/19/2023 18:54 Comments ||
Top||
#2
We thought they had retired from the lists, Abu Ga, but it appears that some, at least, have not. If only I knew how to categorize them!
[NPASyria] On Friday, Ottoman Turkish forces launched a dronezap on the northern countryside of Hasakah in northeast Syria.
A military source from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said the Ottoman Turkish drone targeted the village of al-Tawila in the west of the town of Tel Tamr.
This is the second strike within 24 hours. However, some men learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves... both strikes resulted in no casualties, according to the source.
On Thursday, the village of al-Tawila was hit by a Ottoman Turkishdronezap. The incident caused damage to the material possessions and homes of the villagers.
Tel Tamr, which has a population of about 25,000 and is 30 km away from the Syrian-Ottoman Turkish border, is of strategic importance as it is a junction on the M4 Highway linking Hasakah to Aleppo in the northwest.
The town has been under constant attacks by Ottoman Turkish forces and the Ottoman Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka Syrian National Army (SNA), for more than two years.
Parts of the northern and western countryside of the town and the entire southern countryside are protected by the Syriac Military Council and the Assyrian Khabour Guards Forces, while the SNA controls the northern countryside up to the city of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) on the northern border of Syria.
[NPASyria] On Friday, Ottoman Turkish border guards shot a Syrian woman and arrested six men while trying to cross the border the Ottoman Turkish territory.
The incident took place in Alouk, a village lies on the west of the city of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) in the north of Hasakah, northeast Syria, a local source told North Press.
The guards shot a woman, injuring her, and arrested other six men and took them to Urfa province, the source added.
Most of those who try to enter Ottoman Turkish territory resort to dangerous smuggling routes to reunite their families or get a job opportunity to meet their needs, especially in light of poor living and economic conditions people suffer from in northwestern Syria.
Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad, north of Raqqa, have been under the occupation of the Ottoman Turkish forces since 2019 following the so-called "Peace Spring" military operation that aimed to push away the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) under the pretext of protecting the Ottoman Turkish national security.
[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] The United States imposed on Thursday sanctions on two Turkiye-backed Syrian gangs and some of their leaders accused of human rights ...which are often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless... abuses in areas under their control.
"The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating two Syria-based armed militias and three members of the groups’ leadership structures in connection with serious human rights abuses against those residing in the Afrin region of northern Syria," it said.
"An auto sales company owned by the leader of one of the gangs is also being designated," read the blurb.
The Treasury said that "the Afrin region of Syria is largely controlled by a patchwork of gangs, many of which use violence to control the movement of goods and people in their respective territories."
"Today’s action demonstrates our continued dedication to promoting accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses, including in Syria," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.
"The United States is committed to supporting the Syrian people’s ability to live without fear of exploitation from gangs and without fear of violent mostly peaceful repression."
The sanctions include the militia of Suleiman Shah Brigade which is "a prominent element of the armed opposition to the Syrian government and a component of the Syrian National Army, a coalition of Syrian armed opposition groups."
"The brigade subjects the populace of this area to abductions and extortion," added the Treasury.
"The brigade has targeted Afrin’s Kurdish residents, many of whom are subjected to harassment, abduction, and other abuses until they are forced to abandon their homes or pay large ransoms for return of their property or family members."
Sanctions were also imposed on the Hamza Division.
"The Hamza Division, another armed opposition group operating in northern Syria, has been involved in abductions, theft of property, and torture. The division also operates detention facilities in which it houses those it has kidnapped for extended periods of time. During their imprisonment, victims are held for ransom, often suffering sexual abuse at the hands of Hamza Division fighters," according to the Treasury.
"Mohammad Hussein al-Jasim (Abu Amsha) is the leader of the Suleiman Shah Brigade. Under Abu Amsha’s leadership, members of the brigade have been directed to forcibly displace Kurdish residents and seize their property, providing vacated homes for Syrians from outside the region who are often related to fighters in the brigade.
Abu Amsha also ordered the brigade to kidnap local residents, demanding ransom in return for their release and confiscating their property as part of an organized effort to maximize the brigade’s revenue, likely generating tens of millions of dollars a year."
Sanctions also included al-Safir Oto which is a car dealership owned by Abu Amsha.
"Al-Safir Oto is headquartered in Istanbul and operates multiple locations in southern Turkiye that are managed by commanders of the Suleiman Shah Brigade. Abu Amsha allegedly owns al-Safir Oto in partnership with the leader of the Syrian gang Ahrar Alal-Sharqiya, Ahmad Ihsan Fayyad al-Hayes."
Mohammad Hussein al-Jasim is being designated "for being responsible" for "the commission of serious human rights abuses in relation to Syria," said the Treasury.
Moreover, Walid Hussein al-Jasim was sanctioned, and he is "a younger brother of Abu Amsha who also holds a leadership role in the Suleiman Shah Brigade, including serving as the head of the brigade when Abu Amsha left Syria to fight in Libya."
Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr who is "the leader of the Hamza Division and its public face, appearing in numerous propaganda videos produced by the Hamza Division" was also designated.
[An Nahar] The U.N. agency for Paleostinian refugees says it has decided to suspend all of its services 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 refugee camp on Friday in protest against the presence of button men in its facilities.
UNRWA's decision went into effect shortly before noon Friday at the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp near the southern port city of Sidon. Services will resume Saturday, UNRWA said.
Days of street battles took place in the camp between the Fatah group of Paleostinian President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ...aka Abu Mazen, a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial. While no Yasser Arafat, he has his own brand of evil, just a little more lowercase.... and two Islamic bad boy groups, Jund al-Sham and al-Shabaab ...... the personification of Somali state failure... al-Moslem. The festivities broke out on July 30, after Fatah accused its rivals of shooting dead a senior Fatah military official.
The fighting killed at least 13 people, injured dozens and caused millions of dollars' of damage in the camp, according to UNRWA officials.
Lebanese security forces don't operate inside the refugee camps, where security is in the hands of Paleostinian factions who often compete for clout.
UNRWA said in its statement Friday that armed fighters are still present in its facilities, including schools. It added that UNRWA reiterates its call on armed actors to immediately vacate its facilities, "to ensure unimpeded delivery of much-needed assistance to refugees."
UNRWA said it "does not tolerate actions that breach the inviolability and neutrality of its installations." It added that schools are unlikely to be available for 3,200 children at the start of the new school year given repeated violations and significant damage reported.
Ain el-Helweh is home to more than 50,000 people and is the largest of 12 Paleostinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
.jpg "Kashmir")
...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it 
...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it 
[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] The United States imposed on Thursday sanctions on two Turkiye-backed Syrian 
...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...
