SWAT and CRPF's Cobra Force engaged in gun battle with Garo militants

Shillong An encounter was underway on Thursday between security forces and Garo militants responsible for the gruesome killing of a tribal woman after molestation and attempted rape, in South Garo Hills district in Meghalaya.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Home Minister Roshan Warjri assured 'justice' to members of the bereaved family of the woman. "All efforts are being made to ensure that justice is delivered to members of the bereaved family especially to the father and children who are going through a tough time after the shootout in the premises of their home," Warjri said.

He also reviewed the security scenario in the entire Garo Hills region at Tura, the headquarters of Garo Hills division taking into consideration activities of the militant groups.

The encounter followed an operation launched in the Durama hills range across the Simsang River where 40 to 50 militants of the Garo National Liberation Army were holed up in a camp, Inspector General of Police G H P Raju said.

At the time of going to press, commandos of Swift Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and CRPF's Cobra Force were engaged in the encounter.

The Centre had on Wednesday rushed five companies each of BSF and CRPF to Meghalaya to assist the state government in maintaining law and order.

The security forces were sent at the request of Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.

The Garo militants shot dead a 35-year-old tribal woman, a mother of four, with an assault rifle splitting her head in two claiming her to be a police informer after she resisted their attempts at molestation and rape in Raja Rongat village on June 3.

The GNLA in a statement had denied that the woman was molested or raped and said that she was 'executed' as she was a 'police informer'.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and MoS (Home) Khiren Rijiju had on Wednesday sought a detailed report of the horrific killing.

"We urge the Central Government to extend their full support in terms of manpower and other resources in view of the challenges posed by the mushrooming of militant outfits," Joint Home secretary V R Syiem said in the report sent to the Centre.

"There are reports that an encounter is going on between the militants and the police. I only hope this is not a fake encounter, because very often, in Meghalaya, we have witnessed fake encounters where innocent people have been killed. The culprits as they have already been identified should be arrested and punished. “Said senior leader PA Sangma.

Condemning the act, he appealed to the people to be calm and maintain peace. "The incident that took place yesterday is a horrible incident, I have condemned that already, and I appeal to the people to be very calm," added Sangma.

Source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com/News/India/Gun-battle-erupts-between-Garo-rebels-security-men/articleshow/36113863.cms

BSF foils infiltration attempt in Kathua district of J&K

An infiltration attempt from across the international border was foiled by security forces on Tuesday in Kathua district of Jammu & Kashmir.

There was suspected movement of infiltrators near Zeroline on International Border in Bobiya forward Border Out-post in Hiranagar tehsil during midnight, a senior Border Security Force officer told sources.

Alert troops of BSF challenged them and opened fire following which they returned to the Pakistani side, he said.

During search conducted in the area on Tuesday morning, blood stains were found in the area, he said.

The infiltration bid took place in the ‘most-vulnerable’ Via Tarnah nallah area in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district.

BSF has put border guards along IB on high alert to foil the infiltrations.

Source: http://www.niticentral.com/2014/06/03/jk-bsf-foils-infiltration-attempt-in-kathua-district-230173.html

Assam Rifles nab a cadre of newly raised DHNA with arms and ammunition

SILCHAR, May 31: With the increased activities of militant groups in the district, the security forces are pursuing their movement and intentions vigorously. An input was received by the Haflong based Assam Rifles Battalion regarding presence of a cadre of newly raised group DHNA in general area of Longmang for extortion and other activities.

Accordingly, the Haflong based Assam Rifles Battalion along with Assam Police launched an operation to nab the cadre recently. The party reached the designated location, cordoned the suspected house, and started searching. On positive identification of the individual, the party sprang into action and apprehended an individual named Babul Haflongbar, self-styled ‘c–in–c’ of DHNA with a pistol and ammunition.

On spot interrogation, the individual confessed of delivering demand to Bokul Bodo, Kalijui Sengyung, Town Committee Chairman, Rinta Hojai, a private contractor and other shopkeepers in Haflong market. A mobile hand set with SIM card was also recovered from the individual. The cadre was handed over to Haflong Police Station for further interrogation.

Source: http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=193402&dtP=2014-06-01&ppr=1

Buddha idol worth Rs 1 cr recovered in Bihar

An ancient idol of Lord Buddha valued at Rs 1 crore was seized from a man by security forces in Bihar's West Champaran district today, police sources said.

A joint operation by the Bihar Police and Sashastra Seema Bal personnel was conducted on a tip-off by intelligence sources that a man named Vinod Tiwary was transporting the idol on his motorcycle, the sources said.

The man was intercepted near Chakhani village under Nagar police station.

The idol weighing 11 kilogrammes was valued at over Rs 1 crore, they said, adding that the man was being interrogated.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai lauded the Indo-Tibetan Border Police

NEW DELHI: Even as India has stopped short of blaming any Pakistan-based terrorist group for the attack on its consulate in Heart last Friday, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has blamed the Lashkar-e-Taiba for the strike that was foiled by Afghan security forces and Indian paramilitary forces. Karzai, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Tuesday, claimed that the Afghanistan government had received information from a Western intelligence agency that the attackers belonged to the LeT.

This is not first time that the LeT has been blamed for an attack on the Indian Embassy or consulates in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan President did not name the agency, which gave a written report to the Afghanistan government in this regard. Besides, Karzai, whose comments came at a time when Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was still in India, did not blame Pakistan directly for the attack in Herat last Friday. Karzai shared the information with a select section of the media on Tuesday before leaving for Kabul. He was in India to participate in Modi's swearing-in ceremony held on the previous evening.

The outgoing Afghan President also lauded the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel and the Afghan National Security Forces for their response. "Herat attack was very clearly a terror strike against Indian and Afghan interests. The Indian and Afghan security forces were alert and they prevented major damage to life and property," Karzai said. While he did not specify whether he had shared the information with Modi, he is understood to have shared information with the Indian authorities.

Asked whether India and Afghanistan were victims of cross-border terror emanating from Pakistan, Karzai said, "Both Afghanistan and India hope that Islamabad would act against terror sanctuary." Pointing out that India has been a great friend of Afghanistan for decades, Karzai said, "We have given a weapons wish list to the Indian government. Some equipment has been supplied and the remaining will hopefully be done." India has worked out a deal with close ally Russia to supply arms as desired by Afghanistan. Responding to a question on whether a Taliban government could return to Kabul, Karzai said, "All powers in the region need to come together to defeat terror."

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/35644252.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

A noble initiative by ITBP to wean away youths from opium addiction

In a noble but serious initiative to wean away the youths from opium addiction and to bridge the gap between the local community and the security forces, the 25th Bn Indo-Tibetan Police Force (ITBP), Tezu in association with Amik Matai Society, a local NGO organized a one-day friendly T20 cricket match here today.

The match played between the Rusan Club, promoted by Amik Matai Society, and the 25th Bn ITBP cricket team was inaugurated by W Inaobi Singh, 2nd-in-command, 25th Bn ITBP Force in presence of the NGO representatives and other ranks of the force. Rusan Club won the match by 10 wickets.

In his concluding speech, W Inaobi Singh informed that the force will promote sports and games to build people-to-people contact and to establish trust with security authorities by the local community.

He advised the youths to refrain from opium addiction and assured to extend all possible support to promote sports and games for the benefit of the local community.

The secretary of Amik Matai Society requested the ITBP authorities to support the initiatives of the organization in the field of sports and games under their civic action programme. He felt that their support will not only develop cordial relations and co-operation with the villagers in rural areas but also divert the youth energy in a constructive way for the benefit of the society.

Source: http://www.echoofarunachal.com/?p=45843

Naxals-CRPF Encounter in Sukma, Ammunition Recovered

A brief encounter took place today between the CRPF and Naxalites in the forests of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh leading to recovery of arms and ammunition.

Officials said the encounter took place under the Gorkha police station area of the Maoist-affected district of Bastar region of the state.

The encounter, after which the Naxals fled, led to the recovery of a gun of local make, two magazines of self-loading rifles, a hand grenade and 23 rounds of other ammunition.

Security forces have launched a combing operation in the area, they said.

Source: http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=841821

CRPF seizes 400 kg IEDs from poll-bound Maoist zone

Security forces seized about 400 kg explosives in the form of IEDs from Maoist-hit districts across four states where polling was held on Thursday. However, at Bihar's Munger Maoists exploded landmines killing two CRPF men who were part of a team escorting an election officials on way to polling booths.

The biggest recovery was from Bihar where the CRPF, nodal agency for force movement deployment in 2014 elections, seized 225 kg IEDs —135 kg from Gaya and 90 kg from Aurangabad. Besides, about 90 kg explosives were found from Bastar in south Chhattisgarh, about 52kg from Jharkhand and about 20 kg from Odisha, said Zulfiquar Hasan, CRPF IG (operations), who is EC-appointed chief force coordinator.

At Bhimbandh in Munger though a CRPF team was attacked by Maoists. Around 2.30 am, the CRPF team walked about 12 km on mud road before they could take a vehicle. Around 4.30 am, Maoists ambushed the CRPF vehicle. Two CRPF men were killed in landmine blasts followed by a 30-minute gunbattle.

"After the encounter, the CRPF team escorted the polling party to the booths and polling began on time," said Hasan.

This is the same area where Munger SP K C Surendra Babu was ambushed and killed by Maoists in 2005.

In Chhattisgarh's Sukma, part of Bastar parliamentary constituency, three CRPF men were killed in an encounter when Maoists fired at a CRPF team escorting election officials. Three CRPF men were injured in the gunbattle, but polling was held despite boycott call by Maoists. At the end of the day, polling percentage in Bastar was 51.49%. In 2009 LS polls, this was 47.33%.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home/Lok-Sabha-Elections-2014/News/CRPF-seizes-400-kg-IEDs-from-poll-bound-Maoist-zone/articleshow/33576202.cms

2 lakh force, thousands of vehicles, dozen choppers for LS polls

More than two lakh gun-toting paramilitary personnel, thousands of vehicles and nearly a dozen helicopters will be deployed across the country to ensure smooth and violence-free elections beginning 7 April.

During the nine-phased polls, spread over nearly two months, the home ministry has chalked out the deployment plan for 543 constituencies having a total electorate of 81.4 crore with the special focus on violence-hit states.

“It is a massive exercise. But we will ensure peaceful polling. We are also taking special measures for Naxal-affected states, Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast,” joint secretary in the home ministry, M.A. Ganapathy, told PTI.

The two lakh paramilitary personnel along with vehicles are being requisitioned from forces like Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Assam Rifles for deployment across the country.

Home ministry will press into service more than 100 trains to transport paramilitary forces for deployment during the elections. In this mammoth exercise, the trains will be used for the swift movement of forces from one state to another according to the election schedule and security considerations.

Railways has been requested to provide two sleeper coaches for each company (around 100 personnel) and two coaches with special trains instead of general coaches for the smooth mobilisation of troops. The hired trains will be used for long-distance transportation of forces while, for shorter distances, security personnel will travel by road.

Thousands of private vehicles will also be requisitioned to ferry the forces.

Source: Live Mint. Com 30 March, 2014

BSF seizes silver worth Rs.10 lakh near India-Bangladesh border in Bengal

A gunny bag with 24.8 kg silver worth Rs.10 lakh value was seized by the Border Security Force (BSF) in the Nadia district of West Bengal on Friday. The BSF has detained a woman from a village near the Ranaghat Border out Post (BOP) in connection with the case.

Acting upon a specific input concerning the silver smuggling in the area, a BSF team comprising of lady constables raided the house of Rashida Mandal in Harihaput village under the Bagdah police station in North 24 Parganas and recovered the silver.  

In the last six months security forces have seized nearly 100 kg of silver in the South Bengal Frontier region.

Huge cache of explosives seized by security forces.

A huge cache of explosives and Naxal-related material were recovered during a special search operation in Odisha's Nabarangpur District, BSF sources said here today. 

According to the sources, the Naxal material was seized by jawans of 77 battalion of BSF and Odisha police yesterday in the forest in Jharigaon reserve forests near Gaurjhariya village under Chandahandi police station. 

Security Forces have recovered two SBML Guns, 41 electric detonator, 500 gms nails, a 3 litre steel cane, 30kg ammonium nitrate, 1.5 kg charcoal, flexible wires, 250 gms sulphur and 100 gms potassium permanganate during the operation.

Source: Business Standard 15 March, 2014

Security forces arrest 11 Maoists in Chhattisgarh

Eleven suspected Maoists, including six women, were apprehended by security forces from the jungles of Balrampur district in Chhattisgarh.

Officials said that a joint squad of paramilitary CRPF and State police apprehended the Maoist during a combing operation in Lahsunpath forest of Kushmi area in Sarguja division of the State.

Two Maoists arrested in connection with Chhattisgarh Congress convoy attack.

“Eleven Maoists including six women have been handed over to the local police after they were held from the jungles,” they said.

“One .315 bore gun, a pistol and two detonators along with some other explosive material have been seized from the squad,” they said.

The suspected Maoists are being interrogated, they said.

Maoist arrested in Chhattisgarh.

The Sarjuga-Ambikapur belt in northern part of Chhattisgarh is not an active Maoist hotbed compared to the southern parts of Bastar and this is after a longtime that Maoists have been apprehended in these areas, they said.

Source: NitiCentral 15 March, 2014

Maoist Attacks: How Many Jawan's Deaths Will be ‘TOO MANY’ for govt?

The Maoists in Chhattisgarh have added yet another number to their list of killings. This time, the toll is 16. In 2005, they had killed 55 cops in Bijapur, 76 CRPF jawans in 2010 and 30 people including senior Congress leaders of the state on 25 May, 2013. 
How many more innocent people and security personnel need to die for the government to wake up from its deep slumber and put an end to the red terror? What is the number that will finally force the government to do something about this? 
The writing on the wall had become clear on the very day when the first phase of assembly polls in Chhattisgarh had got over on 11 November, 2013, registering a record turnout of 75 percent. 

When will the government finally crack down on Maoist terror? AFP Ignoring the threats from the Maoists to boycott the polls, the voters in south Bastar – a Maoist stronghold – had come out in large numbers to exercise their right to vote for a change. It was then that the intelligence agencies had warned the state government of possible attacks by the Maoist cadre as an act of revenge, both on the security forces and the tribal villagers. 
A month before the country goes to the Lok Sabha polls, the Left-Wing Extremists again unleashed a reign of terror on 11 March – the deadliest strike Chhattisgarh has witnessed since the rebels wiped out almost the entire top Congress leadership at Darbha Ghati in May last year. The recent dastardly act again underscored the government’s failure in learning any lesson from previous attacks. The Centre’s strategy to scale up operations against the Maoists ahead of the Lok Sabha elections has faced a major setback. Post the attack, lip service is in full swing. 
The union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and the Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh have both reiterated, “Naxal movement has to be dealt with ruthlessly and we’ll do it...Our battle against the Maoists will continue”. Why do we repeatedly fail to respond to an intelligence alert? Why does the State continue to remain helpless in front of some thousand-odd rebels? What goes wrong every time, allowing the Maoists to wipe out so many young lives, leaving the government with no option but to pay tributes to the coffins of the deceased? 
There are many Naxal sympathisers, who question an encounter, but why doesn’t any activist come forward to question the government on the rampant killing of security personnel and poor tribals? “Everything is wrong in tackling the Naxal menace. From policy formulation to its implementation, nothing is right,” says former director general, Border Security Force, and member National Security Advisory Board, Prakash Singh. Immediately after the massacre of Congress leaders by the Maoists in 2013, prime minister Manmohan Singh had called for a two-pronged strategy to deal with Left Wing Extremism. 
To strengthen counter-terrorism efforts and address development issues simultaneously. But Prakash Singh adds, “Nothing is clear on the strategy front. There are differences in perception between the Centre and the Naxal-hit states.” Internal security experts believe that the need of the hour is to bring greater focus on improving the capability of state police rather than mindlessly raising the central armed police forces to combat Maoist violence. But, in a large number of cases, local police have been found to be ill-equipped to deal with insurgent operations. “Local police is the best, both for combating and gathering intelligence, but the state government needs to ensure its standard,” says Singh. As the dead don’t respond to allegations, Shinde was quick to say that there were lapses on part of the security forces while following standard operating procedures (SoP), after visiting Chhattisgarh to pay tribute to the killed security personnel. 
The security forces have even been blamed of failing to take note of the intelligence inputs from both the central and state agencies regarding the movement of Maoists in the area. If that really has been the case, then why have the state and police leaderships never been questioned, one wonders. The dead are always left with the additional burden of taking the blame for their own killings. “Rampant corruption in the state government as well as in the police administration and lack of commitment lead to failures in dealing with such grave situations in a war zone,” observes Singh. 
The state’s counter terrorism policies have been based principally on political posturing and not on objective, or considerations of strategy and response. “Though there is deployment of security forces in the Maoist hotbed, giving a sense of safety and security, the fact is that their hands are tied,” says a former top cop of Chhattisgarh on condition of anonymity. Within the police administration there is severe discontent among the field staff stationed at insurgency-hit locations, which has arisen due to apathy of senior officials. That’s the case in other insurgency-hit states as well. “After all, who cares if the jawans live or die? This is often the attitude of top officials,” laments Singh. Clearly, nobody seems to be bothered.