DEFENCE

• RakshaMantri holds virtual interaction with his Vietnamese counterpart.
• Exchange of list of prisoners between India and Pakistan.
• 7th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) held.
• Participation in NCC Republic Day Camp for youth from friendly countries.
• Chief of Army Staff (COAS) on a visit to the United Kingdom and Italy.
• RakshaMantrihas a telephonic conversation with Deputy Prime Minister &Defence Minister of Israel.
• External Affairs Minister’s meeting with State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China, H.E. Mr. Wang Yi on the sidelines of SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Somalia

• Army killed 15 al-Shabaab terrorists in Galmudug.

Russia

• FSB averted series of IS-inspired terrorists plots in Russia.

Afghanistan

• Taliban claimed to control 85 per cent of Afghanistan.

Pakistan

• CTD arrested two JeM and IS terrorists from Punjab province.
• At least 13 people, including nine Chinese, killed in an explosion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• NIA arrested three Islamic State cadres from Anantnag.
• J&K administration dismissed 11 employees from services over alleged terror links.
• Security forces eliminated three LeT terrorists in Pulwama.

Left-Wing Extremism

• Maoist involved in major attacks surrendered in Telangana.
• Security forces averted major attack and seized 40 kg IED from Jharkhand.

Islamic Extremism

• NIA arrested a narcotics trafficker in HM Narco-Terror case, from Punjab.
• UP ATS arrested two al-Qa’ida-affiliated AGuH terrorists from Uttar Pradesh.
• Police arrested three JMB terrorists from West Bengal.
• Police arrested an Islamic extremist for disseminating propaganda on social media.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• NIA launched investigation against SFJ chief—Pannun.

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

• Chinese crackers attacked Nepal Telecom and stole CDR data.
• Pakistan-based cyber attackers targeted power sector and govt. organisations in India in 2021.
• “Government of India will release new Cyber Security Strategy in 2021,” said India’s NCSC.

Defence

RakshaMantri holds virtual interaction with his Vietnamese counterpart.

RakshaMantri held an online interaction with Minister of National Defence of Vietnam Sr Lt Gen Phan Van Giang on July 01, 2021. During the interaction, both Ministers reviewed the progress on the current initiatives and expressed commitment to further enhance engagements between the Defence Forces of the two countries under the framework of India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2016) and under the guidance of the Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People signed during the Virtual Summit between the Prime Ministers of the two countries in December 2020.Both Ministers acknowledged the significance of the Joint Vision Statement of 2015-20 in strengthening defence cooperation engagements between both the countries thus far and looked forward to concluding the Joint Vision Statement of 2021-25 at the earliest opportunity. The Ministers agreed to initiate measures to enhance cooperation in Defence Industry and Technology domain.

Exchange of list of prisoners between India and Pakistan.

India and Pakistan on 01 July exchanged, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody. This is in keeping with the provisions of the 2008 Agreement under which such lists are exchanged every year on 1st January and 1st July.India handed over lists of 271 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 74 fishermen in India’s custody to Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistan has shared lists of 51 civilian prisoners and 558 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed-to-be Indians.
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7th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) held.

The 7th edition of IONS, a biennial event, was hosted by the French Navy at La Réunion from 28 June to 01 July 2021. Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy, participated virtually in the inaugural session of the event and provided his congratulatory remarks to the Outgoing and Incoming Chairmen.IONS, conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008, seeks to enhance maritime cooperation among Navies of the littoral states of the IOR by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues that would lead to common understanding on the way ahead. France has assumed the Chairmanship on 29 Jun 21 for a two-year tenure from Iran.

Participation in NCC Republic Day Camp for youth from friendly countries.

The National Cadets Corps (NCC) will be inviting youth delegations of 25 countries from across all six inhabited continents to participate in the Republic Day 2022 celebrations. Out of these, youth delegations would be invited for the first time from 15 countries – USA, Canada, UK, France, Japan, Oman, UAE, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria and Seychelles. They will be in India from January 15-29, 2022, as part of ‘AzadikaAmritMahotsav’, commemorating 75 years of India’s Independence.

These 15 countries will be in addition to the existing 10 foreign countries – Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Kyrgyz Republic, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Vietnam – with whom NCC already has an ongoing Youth Exchange Program. All together, approximately 300 cadets of National Cadet Corps/equivalent/youth organisations from these 25 countries would be invited to participate in the celebrations. As part of the visit, ten cadets/youth, along with their supervisors, of each of the 25 countries, will attend important events of Republic Day celebrations.
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Chief of Army Staff (COAS) on a visit to the United Kingdom and Italy.

General MM Naravane, had a visit to the United Kingdom and Italy from 05 to 08 July 2021. During the four day visit, he met his counterparts and senior military leaders of these countries with an aim of enhancing India’s defence cooperation.

In his visit to United Kingdom h the COAS interacted with the Secretary of State for Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of General Staff and other dignitaries. During the second leg of his tour (07 and 08 July 2021), the Army Chief held important discussions with the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Staff of the Italian Army. Additionally, the COAS also inaugurated the Indian Army Memorial in the famous town of Cassino.

RakshaMantri has a telephonic conversation with Deputy Prime Minister &Defence Minister of Israel.

RakshaMantri(RM) a telephonic conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Israel Lt Gen (Res) Benjamin Gantz on July 09, 2021. He congratulated Lt Gen (Res) Benjamin Gantz on assuming the charge of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Israel. The RM looked forward to working closely with Israel to deepen defence cooperation and advance the strategic partnership.

External Affairs Minister’s meeting with State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China on the sidelines of SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

They met on 14th July 2021 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on the sidelines of the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting. The two Ministers had a detailed exchange of views on the current situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh and also on other issues related to the overall India-China relations. The External Affairs Minister(EAM) emphasized the need to follow through on the agreement reached then and complete the disengagement, resolving the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh at the earliest. EAM pointed out to State Councilor that the successful disengagement in the Pangong Lake Area earlier this year had created conditions for resolving the remaining issues. It was expected that the Chinese side would work with us towards this objective. EAM noted however that the situation in remaining areas is still unresolved.

Assessing the overall relationship, EAM emphasized that maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas has been the foundation for the development of ties since 1988. The attempts to change status quo last year that also disregarded commitments under the 1993 and 1996 agreements have inevitably affected ties. He emphasized that it was, therefore, in mutual interest that the two sides work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols.

The two Ministers noted the agreement between both sides in the last meeting of the WMCC on 25 June 2021 to hold another round of the Meeting of Senior Military Commanders. They agreed that this should be convened at the earliest.
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INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Somalia

Army killed 15 al-Shabaab terrorists in Galmudug.

On 04 July 2021, the Somali National Army (SNA) eliminated at least 15 al-Shabaab terrorists in a gun-battle between Guriel and Dhusamareb town in Galmudug State. The counter-terrorism (CT) operation was launched after the SNA received credible intelligence report that al-Shabaab terrorists were planting landmines along the main road.
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Russia

FSB averted series of IS-inspired terrorists plots in Russia.

In a series of counter-terrorism (CT) operations carried out during 29 June-03 July 2021, Russia’s Federal Security Bureau (FSB) foiled a series of Islamic State (IS)-inspired terrorists plots to be carried out in Russia this summer. On 29 June, a Russian citizen was arrested for conspiring attacks on citizens using firearms and cold weapons on the busy streets of Moscow, while his accomplice was eliminated in Astrakhan region. On 01 July, a Russian citizen was arrested while preparing explosives to be detonated at places of mass gatherings in Moscow city.
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Afghanistan

Taliban claimed to control 85 per cent of Afghanistan.

On 09 July 2021, Taliban claimed to be in control of 85 per cent of Afghanistan after capturing key border crossings with Iran and Turkmenistan. In Moscow, a visiting delegation of Taliban representatives informed that they have controlled about 250 of 398 districts of Afghanistan.
“Taliban fighters had captured the border town of Islam Qala on the Iranian frontier and the Torghundi crossing with Turkmenistan,” said Taliban spokesman ZabihullahMujahid during an interview with the AFP.
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Pakistan

CTD arrested two JeM and IS terrorists from Punjab province.

In two separate counter-terrorism (CT) operations on 10 July 2021, Punjab Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested two terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Islamic State (IS), from Sri Nankana Sahib district and Sialkot district, respectively.
In first incident, CTD officials arrested IkramUllah Khan—a JeM terrorist from Sri Nankana Sahib district. “Some 25 stickers of JeM, eight monthly booklets on ‘Muslim Children and Al-Merabtoon’ and PKR 76,100 were recovered from his possession,” read the statement released by CTD. In second incident, CTD officials arrested Abdul Samad—an IS terrorist, from Sialkot district. Few IS stickers, 980 gm of explosive material, safety fuse, a non-electric detonator, and some cash was recovered from his possession.
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At least 13 people, including nine Chinese, killed in an explosion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

On 14 July 2021, at least 13 people, including nine Chinese workers were killed in an explosion on a bus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The bus was carrying Chinese engineers, surveyors and mechanical staff to the Dasu Dam construction site in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The blast caused fire in the engine plunging the bus into a ravine, said a Pakistan government official on the basis of anonymity. Further, 28 Chinese nationals were injured in the blast.
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DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

NIA arrested three Islamic State cadres from Anantnag.

On 11 July 2021, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials arrested three Islamic State (IS) operatives—Umar Nisar, Tanveer Ahmad Bhat, and Rameez Ahmad Lone, from Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The Islamic State terrorists in India, by assuming pseudo-online identities, have created a network to disseminate IS propaganda for radicalising and recruiting youth for the proscribed group. In connection to the motive, “Voice of Hind”—an India-centric online propaganda magazine of the Islamic State is published on monthly basis. The NIA raided the houses of arrested IS operatives and seized large number of incriminating materials, several digital devices, and T-shirts with IS logo.
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J&K administration dismissed 11 employees from services over alleged terror links.

The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration sacked 11 of its employees, including sons of Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM) chief Syed Salahuddin—Syed Ahmed Shakeel and ShahidYousuf, for allegedly working as Over-Ground Workers (OGWs) for terrorists, said an official on the basis of anonymity on 10 July 2021.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) tracked terror funding trails of the duo—Shakeel and Yousuf, and discovered them raising, recovering, and transferring funds through non-banking transactions, including Hawala, for terrorist activities of HM.
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Security forces eliminated three LeT terrorists in Pulwama.

On 14 July 2021, security forces killed three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including a commander from Pakistan, in a gun-battle in New Colony Hospital Road area of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The slain terrorists were identified as Javeed Ahmad Rather and ShahnawazNazirGanie from Awantipora.
Security forces gave terrorists an opportunity to surrender; however, they opened fire which led to the exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists.
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Left-Wing Extremism

Maoist involved in major attacks surrendered in Telangana.

On 14 July 2021, RavulaRanjithaka Srikanth (23 years-old)—a Platoon Party Committee (PPC) member in the CPI (Maoist), had surrendered before Telangana Police. Ranjith was involved in four major attacks on security forces during 2018 and 2021. Ranjith decided to quit the group after realising there was no acceptance for the armed violence in the present-day context, said Telangana Director-General of Police (DGP)—M Mahendra Reddy.
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Security forces averted major attack and seized 40 kg IED from Jharkhand.

On 09 July, the joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand police, foiled a major Maoist attack and recovered 40 kg Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from Giridih district in Jharkhand. The inputs suggested that the Maoists have planted an IED in the forest area of village Tengrakhurd under Nimiyaghat police station to target the security forces, an operation was immediately launched by the troops of Quick Action Team (QAT) 154 CRPF and State police to detect and defuse the IED and avert any losses, said the spokesperson of the CRPF.
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Islamic Extremism

NIA arrested a narcotics trafficker in HM Narco-Terror case, from Punjab.

On 05 July 2021, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials arrested a narcotics trafficker—Gurjant Singh aka Ashish Gattu, from Amritsar city in Punjab. The arrest was made in connection to the case registered on the arrest of Hilal Ahmad Shergojri, anHizbul-Mujahideen (HM) Over-Ground Worker (OGW) and a close associate of Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo. Shergojri had come to Amritsar to collect funds and proceeds of narcotics sale, for furthering terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Gurjant used to purchase illegally smuggled heroin from other accused persons Bikramjit Singh aka Vicky and Sarwan Singh and further sell it locally. The proceeds collected from the sale of such heroin were sent to Kashmir & Pakistan through hawala.
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UP ATS arrested two al-Qa’ida-affiliated AGuH terrorists from Uttar Pradesh.

On 11 July 2021, the Uttar Pradesh (UP)’s Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) officials raided the houses in Dubagga and Mandiyaon areas and arrested two al-Qa’ida-affiliated AnsarGhazwatul-Hind (AGuH)’s terrorists—Minhaz Ahmad (30 years-old) and Masiruddinaka Mushir (50 years-old), for alleged conspiracy to carry out serial blasts and lone-wolf suicide attacks in various parts of the State.

“The two men arrested from separate police station areas on Lucknow’s outskirts were among the three key members (another terrorist—Shakil) of the global terror outfit’s UP module, which has members in other parts of UP also. The arrested duo and their aides were being handled by their Al-Qa’ida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) handler identified as Umar Al-Mandi, who has been handling them from Quetta and Peshawar cities of Pakistan close to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border,” said the UP Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP) (Law & Order).
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Police arrested three JMB terrorists from West Bengal.

On 11 July 2021, Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested three Jamaatul-Mujahideen-Bangladesh (JMB) terrorists—Naziur Rahman Pavel (30 years-old), Mekail Khan (30 years-old), and Rabiul Islam (22 years-old), from Haridevpur in the outskirts of Kolkata. The trio posed as traders and used to sell fruits and mosquito nets. “Literature and documents seized from the [terrorists] prove their links with JMB. Fake identity cards were also seized. There is a diary that contains the names of Islamic State (IS) leaders,” informed Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) of STF—V Solomon Nesakumar.
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Police arrested an Islamic extremist for disseminating propaganda on social media.

On 07 July 2021, Rajasthan police arrested Asruddin (30 years-old) alleged Islamic extremist for disseminating propaganda of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM) on his Telegram groups that included members from Pakistan, Myanmar and Iran. Asruddin was arrested from Tijara area of Alwar district in Rajasthan. Asruddin was under police surveillance which revealed that he was spreading provocative speeches and messages on social media groups. In a raid on Asruddin’s house, police recovered four cellular SIM cards, two bank passbooks, and a suspected financial transaction of ₹ 90,000.
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Khalistan-inspired Extremism

NIA launched investigation against SFJ chief.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) launched a probe against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun—Head of Sikh For Justice (SFJ)—a Khalistan-sympathiser group based in the United States (US). Pannun is accused of releasing a video on social media in June 2021, calling the ‘Balkanisation of India’ through its military. “In the latest video, Pannun is propagating the idea of Balkanisation (division of a country into several small political units) of India, openly spreading disaffection in the country, and making imputations prejudicial to national integration,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.
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CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

Chinese crackers attacked Nepal Telecom and stole CDR data.

China-based crackers attacked the Nepal Telecom and stole the Call Detail Record (CDR) data of all Nepalese subscribers. According to technical experts, the crackers used 41 and 71 Tactics of the Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), along with backdoor techniques to crack the Oracle Glass Fish Server used by the Nepal Telecom. The stolen data has been kept on Dark Web for sale on 29 June 2021.

“Hackers might have breached into a dated server of CDMA. The company’s team of expert technicians are looking into the matter to trace the culprits. Our main server is protected by a highly secure firewall and remains safe,” said Nepal Telecom Managing Director Dilli Ram Adhikari. “We have not deciphered the identity of the hackers. We switched off the server to save our data after we received information of a possible interference into our server,” said Nepal Telecom spokesman—Rajesh Joshi.
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Pakistan-based cyber attackers targeted power sector and govt. organisation in India in 2021.

According to a report released by Black Lotus Labs—a threat intelligence arm of US-based Lumen Technologies, Pakistan-based cyber attackers targeted Critical Infrastructure of the power sector and a government organisation in earlier 2021.
Speaking exclusively to India TV, Michael Benjamin (Vice President of Product Security at Lumen Technologies-Black Lotus Labs) said that “there were a number of indicators suggesting how the campaign was carried out that led us to believe that the individuals were located in Pakistan. And from the network telemetry and network visibility that we have, we were able to ascertain that the targeting was very Indian specific, focused on power companies as well as a single government entity.”
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“Government of India will release new Cyber Security Strategy in 2021,” said India’s NCSC.

At the event organised by Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI), on 02 July 2021, India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC)—Lt Gen Rajesh Pant (Retd) said that the government will release a new Cyber Security Strategy in 2021. The strategy would holistically cover the entire cyberspace ecosystem of India.
The new strategy would serve as a guideline to tackle various aspects, be it data as a national resource, building indigenous capabilities or cyber audit.
For more information: Click here to read…

DEFENCE

• RakshaMantri calls for open & inclusive order in Indo-Pacific at the 8th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus.
• Indian Navy – European Union Naval Force Exercise in Gulf of Aden.
• IAF and USN Exercise in Indian Ocean Region.
• Defence Secretary calls for active collaborations to fight COVID-19 at 9th Moscow Conference on International Security.
• 22nd Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.
• RakshaMantri reviews progress of construction of first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier at Kochi.
• Low intensity explosion at Jammu Air Force Station.
• DRDO successfully flight tests New Generation Agni P Ballistic Missile.
• Chief of the Air Staff to Bangladesh.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Nigeria

• In a video released, Boko Haram terrorists pledged allegiance to ISWAP.

Somalia

• At least 30 killed in al-Shabaab attack in Galmudug.

Afghanistan

• ‘Serious threat of Kidnapping’ in Afghanistan, warned security advisory from Indian embassy.
• “Al-Qa’ida active in a third of Afghanistan,” said MFA Atmar.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• Security forces killed a HM terrorist in Shopian.
• NIA filed charge-sheet against seven TuM terrorists in “PoonchTuM conspiracy” case.
• Security forces eliminated three LeT terrorists in Baramulla.
• Security situation has improved in J&K but need to vigil along LoC.

Left-Wing Extremism

• Security forces eliminated a Maoist in Chhattisgarh.
• 19 Maoists surrendered to Police in Telangana.

Islamic Extremism

• NIA arrested two LeT terrorists in Darbhanga Railway Station blast, from Telangana.
• India’s NSA proposed an Action Plan against LeT and JeM as part of SCO framework.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• NIA arrested two KLF terrorists in Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu murder case.

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

• India and Australia to expand cyber security cooperation.
• Pakistan to join China to carry out an IW campaign globally.
• “Ransomware is a biggest threat,” said GCHQ Cyber Security Chief.

Defence

RakshaMantri calls for open & inclusive order in Indo-Pacific at the 8th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus.

The ADMM Plus is an annual meeting of Defence Ministers of 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries and eight dialogue partner countries – Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States. Brunei is the Chair of the ADMM Plus forum this year. He brought out the need for peaceful resolutions of disputes through dialogue and adherence to international rules and laws. The RM said that “India has strengthened its cooperative engagements in the Indo-Pacific based on converging visions and values for promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. Premised upon the centrality of ASEAN, India supports utilisation of ASEAN-led mechanisms as important platforms for implementation of our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific”.
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Indian Navy – European Union Naval Force Exercise in Gulf of Aden.

A total of five warships from four navies participated in the exercise in the Gulf of Adenon 18th and 19th June 2021. Besides India other warships were from the Italian Navy, Spanish Navy Ship and two were from the French Navy.
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IAF and USN Exercise in Indian Ocean Region.

As a strategic outreach exercise with the defence forces of friendly foreign countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), Indian Air Force participated in an operational engagement with the US Navy in an exercise carried out with Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG) on 23 and 24 Jun 21. The CSG was deployed in the IOR. The Exercise in the AoR of Southern Air Command will see the IAF forces operate from bases under four operational commands and will include Jaguars & Su-30 MKI fighters, AWACS, AEW&C and Air to Air Refueller aircraft. The Indian Navy also participated. The US CSG fielded F-18 fighters and E-2C Hawkeye AEW&C aircraft. The exercise was carried out south of Thiruvananthapuram, on the western seaboard, over two days. This engagement with the US CSG offers one more opportunity to undertake joint operations in the maritime domain with a friendly foreign power.

The exercise with the US CSG was focused on multiple areas including enhancing aspects of interoperability, nuances of international integrated maritime SAR operations and exchange of best practices in the maritime airpower domain.

Defence Secretary calls for active collaborations to fight COVID-19 at 9th Moscow Conference on International Security.

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation held the 9th Moscow Conference on International Security between June 22-24, 2021. The conference, held annually since 2012, is an important security dialogue.The theme of the conference was the ‘Role of Military Agencies in fighting against COVID-19’, and was held in Moscow, Russia. In the plenary session Defence Ministers of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Zimbabwe, Sudan and UN Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping among others participated in the session.On the India-Russia defence relations, Dr Ajay Kumar termed the ties as an integral pillar of the Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries. He welcomed Russia’s willingness to actively engage in India’s ‘Make in India’ program for co-development and production of high technology defence items. He looked forward to the visit of Russian Defence Minister General Sergei Shoigu to India later this year for the next meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military-Technical Cooperation.
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22nd Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs.

The 22nd meeting of the WMCC on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) as held on 25 June 2021. The two sides had a frank exchange of views on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of the India-China Border areas. Both sides agreed on the need to find an early resolution to the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh keeping in view the agreement reached between the two Foreign Ministers in September 2020. The two sides agreed to hold the next (12th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all the friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols.

RakshaMantri reviews progress of construction of first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier(IAC) at Kochi.

The RakshaMantri visited the IAC construction site and was briefed about the successful Basin Trials completed during November 2020. He was also appraised of the progress achieved on integration of a number of other navigational, communication and operational systems since then. The IAC would be commissioned as INS Vikrant in the first half of 2022. The ship shall operate MiG-29K fighter aircraft, Kamov-31 Air Early Warning Helicopters, the soon to be inducted MH-60R multi-role helicopter and the indigenously manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters.

Low intensity explosion at Jammu Air Force Station.

Two low intensity explosions were reported early Sunday morning in the technical area of Jammu Air Force Station. One caused minor damage to the roof of a building while the other exploded in an open area. It is suspected to be a drone attack.
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DRDO successfully flight tests New Generation Agni P Ballistic Missile.

Agni P is a new generation advanced variant of Agni class of missiles. It is a canisterised missile with range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 kms.
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Chief of the Air Staff to Bangladesh.

Chief of the Air Staff was invited by his counterpart Air Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan BUP, Chief of Air Staff, Bangladesh Air Force to review the Passing Out Parade and Commissioning Ceremony at Bangladesh Air Force Academy (BAFA) in Jashore on 28 June 2021, on the occasion of ‘President Parade 2021’. The two day visit was highly significant in view of the Golden Jubilee of the historic victory in 1971 War for Liberation of Bangladesh. This occasion also marks the first instance when any foreign Chief was invited to review the Parade as the Chief Guest – a re-affirmation of the strong bonds of friendship and trust between India and Bangladesh and their Armed Forces.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Nigeria

In a video released, Boko Haram terrorists pledged allegiance to ISWAP.

In a video, produced by Islamic State’s (IS) official media wing, several Boko Haram terrorists pledged allegiance to the Islamic State West Asia Province (ISWAP) weeks after the death of the group’s leader—AbubakarShekau, on 19 May 2021. “We will unite together to fight the unbelievers. What will happen now will by far exceed what transpired in the past now that we’re united,” said a Boko Haram terrorist in the video.
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Somalia

At least 30 killed in al-Shabaab attack in Galmudug.

On 27 June, al-Shabaab terrorists attacked a military base in Galmudug’sWisil town, followed by an exchange of fire between terrorists and troops. In attack, 17 soldiers were martyred, and 13 civilians were killed, said Major Mohamed Awale, a Somali military officer based in Galmudug.
The al-Qa’ida-allied al-Shabaab has been fighting in Somalia for more than a decade to try to topple the country’s central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
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Afghanistan

‘Serious threat of Kidnapping’ in Afghanistan, warned security advisory from Indian embassy.

On 29 June, the Indian embassy issued a security advisory for its nationals in Afghanistan, warning that “they must exercise utmost vigilance as they faced a serious threat of kidnapping”. The advisory was issued amid a massive surge in violence by Taliban, as the United States (US) continues withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan.
“The security situation in Afghanistan remains dangerous in several provinces. Terror groups operating in Afghanistan have escalated violent activities and carried out a series of complex attacks in various parts of Afghanistan, including targeting Afghan defence and security forces and Afghan government institutions and even civilians. Indian nationals are not exceptions, and they additionally face a serious threat of kidnapping,” read the security advisory.
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“Al-Qa’ida active in a third of Afghanistan,” said MFA Atmar.

In an international meeting held in Turkey on 19 June, Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs—Mohammad HanifAtmar informed that “the roots of the al-Qa’ida network are very much active in 11 provinces (around third of Afghanistan) and the organisation still poses a threat to the country.”
Despite agreement, Taliban maintains close relations with al-Qa’ida, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and Islamic State (IS) together, said MFA Atmar.
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DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

Security forces killed a HM terrorist in Shopian.

On 23 June, security forces carried out a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in Shirmalarea of Shopian district, followed by a gun-battle in which a Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM) terrorist—Sajad Ahmed Bhat was eliminated. Sajad was an active terrorist since September 2000 and was involved in several terrorist activities, read a statement released by police. Arms and ammunition, including a pistol with magazine, one grenade and other incriminating materials were recovered from the site.
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NIA filed charge-sheet against seven TuM terrorists in “PoonchTuM conspiracy” case.

On 24 June, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed charge-sheet against seven Tehreekul-Mujahideen (TuM) terrorists—Mohd. Mustafa Khan, Mohd. Yaseen, Mohd. Farooq, Mohd. Ibrar, Mohd. Javid Khan, Sher Ali, and Mohd. RafiqNaiaka Sultan, in connection with the arrest of Mohd. Mustafa Khan and recovery of six hand grenades, along with incriminating documents during his arrest.
Investigation has revealed that the seven charge-sheeted terrorists were part of a deep-rooted criminal conspiracy by Pakistan-based handlers of TuM and their terror associates based in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Kuwait to execute terrorist activities and wage war against India.
For more information: Click here to read…

Security forces eliminated three LeT terrorists in Baramulla.

In counter-terrorism (CT) operation on 20 June, security forces eliminated three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including a top commander—MudasirPandit, in Sopore area of Baramulla district. Among other two terrorists, one was identified as Khurshid Ahmad Mir, while the other was a foreign terrorist. Post-operation, huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the site.
‘Two major attacks have happened in last three months. We installed posters in Sopore area of these terrorists and put-up rewards too. We kept getting information from locals. We want to thank locals for supporting us in eliminating these terrorists,” said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar.
For more information: Click here to read…

Security situation has improved in J&K but need to vigil along LoC.

In a review meeting of the Core Group on Security of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), on 22 June, security officials has said that all security parameters in J&K have improved in 2021, but there is a need to stay alert due to indications of heightened activity in terror launchpads across the Line of Control (LoC) in the last two months. The meeting was co-chaired by the General Officer Commanding (GCO) of the Army’s Chinar Corps, Lt Gen D P Pandey, and Director-General of Police (DGP) of J&K Dilbag Singh.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism

Security forces eliminated a Maoist in Chhattisgarh.

In an anti-Maoist operation on 18 June, security forces killed a woman Maoist (identity undisclosed) near Chadameta village of Bastar district in Chhattisgarh. According to police statement, three weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, two pistols, and huge amount of camping material was recovered from the operation site.
“Acting upon specific inputs regarding the presence of Maoists, a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) carried out a search operation in the jungles near Chadameta village of Bastar district. When the forces were cordoning off the area, an exchange of fire took place with the Maoists. Later, the body of a woman Maoist, along with arms and ammunition, was recovered from the operation site,” informed Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Bastar range.
For more information: Click here to read…

19 Maoists surrendered to Police in Telangana.

On 15 June, at least 19 Maoists, including three female members of the Communist Party of India [CPI] (Maoist) surrendered to the BhadradriKothagudem police of Telangana and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
For more information: Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism

NIA arrested two LeT terrorists in Darbhanga Railway Station blast, from Telangana.

On 30 June, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists—Imran Malik aka Imran Khan and Mohd. Nasir Khan aka Nasir Malik, from Nampally in Hyderabad in Telangana. Both terrorists were involved in an explosion in a parcel at Darbhanga Railway Station, Bihar, on 17 June.
According to preliminary investigation, both terrorists has revealed a conspiracy of terrorist activities across India and cause large scale damage to life and property. Acting upon instructions from their LeT handlers based in Pakistan, Imran and Nasir fabricated an incendiary IED (Improvised Explosive Device) and packed it in a parcel of cloth and booked the same in a long-distance train from Secunderabad to Darbhanga. This was aimed at causing explosion and fire in a running passenger train resulting in huge loss of lives and property, read the statement released by the NIA.
For more information: Click here to read…

India’s NSA proposed an Action Plan against LeT and JeM as part of SCO framework.

During the meeting of National Security Chiefs in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on 24 June, India’s National Security Advisor (NSA)—AjitDoval proposed an action plan against Pakistan-based terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), as part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) framework. The NSA Doval also emphasised that “there is a need to monitor new technologies used by terrorists, including drones—for smuggling weapons, and misuse of Dark Web, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and social media.
Strongly condemning terrorism in all forms and manifestations, the NSA emphasised on the need for full implementation of United Nations (UN) resolutions and targeted sanctions against UN-designated terrorist individuals and entities. The perpetrators of terrorism including cross-border terror attacks should be expeditiously brought to justice, said NSA Doval.
For more information: Click here to read…

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

NIA arrested two KLF terrorists in Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu murder case.

On 21 June, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorists—Harbhinder Singh aka Pinderaka Dhillon, and Navpreet Singh aka Nav, in connection with the murder of Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a Shaurya Chakra awardee, in Taran Tarn, Punjab on 16 October 2020.
For more information: Click here to read…

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

India and Australia to expand cyber security cooperation.

According to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India and Australia discussed various issues related to emerging technologies in the cyberspace during the first meeting of the India-Australia Joint Working Group (JWG) on cyber security cooperation. Both nations agreed to strengthen the cooperation in the areas of the digital economy and cyber-enabled critical technologies, further strengthening the Critical Information Infrastructure (CII).
The JWG is a mechanism established under a framework arrangement on the cyber and cyber-enabled critical technology cooperation between the two countries to implement a five-year (2020-25) plan of action.
For more information: Click here to read…

Pakistan to join China to carry out an IW campaign globally.

According to a leaked concept paper titled ‘Building capacity to contest inimical narratives through counter on alternative narratives’, Pakistan willing to collaborate with China to carry out an information war (IW) campaign globally, with finances and guidance provided by Beijing. The planned ‘international news media’ platform will be funded by China to establish a favourable narrative as a part of Pakistan’s information warfare.
“There is a need for a media house of the stature of Al-Jazeera and Russia Today (RT) to propel amenable narrative. A media house by Pakistan, funded by China will achieve the stipulated objectives,” read the paper.
Recently, Pakistan wanted to collaborate with Turkey to set up an Islamic channel for portraying ‘correct Islamic values’ to the world. That project has been shelved due to lack of interest and energy from either stakeholder.
For more information: Click here to read…

“Ransomware is a biggest threat,” said GCHQ Cyber Security Chief.

During a meeting organised by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), on 14 June, Lindy Cameron—the Head of the United Kingdom (UK)’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) at the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), has warned that Ransomware problem must be taken seriously as it is a biggest threat to British people and businesses.
“Far more worrying is the cumulative effect of a failure to manage cyber risk and the failure to take the threat of cyber criminality seriously. For the vast majority of UK citizens and businesses, and indeed for the vast majority of critical national infrastructure providers and government service providers, the primary key threat is not State actors but cyber criminals,” said Cameron.
For more information: Click here to read…

DEFENCE

• Raksha Mantri reviews bilateral defence cooperation with Australian counterpart.
• General MM Naravane reviews the prevailing security situation in the Kashmir UT.
• MoD signs contract for 11 Airport Surveillance Radars.
• Defence Acquisition Councilapproves RFP for construction of six submarines at approx cost of Rs 43,000 crore.
• Releases of E-booklet on 20 MoD reforms in 2020.
• Raksha Mantri invites Swedish firms to invest in defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh & Tamil Nadu.
• India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol.
• Policy on archiving, declassification & compilation of war/operations histories.
• Budgetary support for Defence innovation through iDEX – DIO.
• Indian Army Conducts Rail Trials on Dedicated Freight Corridor.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Afghanistan

• Three bomb explosions killed at least 10 people in Kabul.
• Al-Qaida leader al-Zawahiri believed to be in Afghan-Pak border, reports the UN.

Pakistan

• Islamic State-Pakistan launched its first Urdu-language jihadist magazine.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• NIA Court sentenced three LeT terrorists to 10 years imprisonment in Nanded LeT case.

Security forces arrested seven JeM OGWs from Pulwama.

Left-Wing Extremism

• NIA charge-sheeted three CPI (Maoist) operatives in 2020 Madurai CPI (Maoist) case.

Islamic Extremism

• NIA charge-sheeted an IS terrorist in Chennai IS/ ‘Q’ branch case.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• British-Sikhs insulted the Indian flags during a rally to mark the anniversary of Operation Blue Star.

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

• MI wing busted Pakistan’s espionage racket on Army’s installations in Eastern India.
• Microsoft launched the first-ever Asia-Pacific Cyber Security Council.
• JBS S.A.’s computer networks assaulted under cyber-attack.
• Facebook suspended Pakistan-linked fake news outlets targeting India.

Defence

Raksha Mantri reviews bilateral defence cooperation with Australian counterpart.

Raksha Mantri in a telephonic conversation with Australian Minister for Defence Mr Peter Dutton on June 01, 2021, both Ministers reviewed the defence cooperation between the two countries in the backdrop of the current regional situation. Both Ministers acknowledged the momentum that defence cooperation between India and Australia has achieved following the upgradation of the partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in Jun 2020. The participation of Australia in Exercise MALABAR has been an important milestone in this enhanced partnership. Both Ministers expressed satisfaction at the growing defence ties between the two countries and reviewed the progress on various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives and expressed commitment to further elevate engagements between the Armed Forces. During the dialogue, the Ministers expressed their intent to convene the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue at the earliest. The RM thanked Australia for their assistance to India in fight against COVID-19.

General MM Naravane reviews the prevailing security situation in the Kashmir UT.

The Army Chief visited units and formations in the hinterland where he was briefed by the local Commanders on the existing security situation and the measures being taken to identify & target the over ground workers’ (OGWs) network involved in radicalisation and recruitment of youth into terrorist ranks. Efforts to prevent local recruitment and facilitate surrender of local terrorists were also discussed.

While interacting with troops, the COAS expressed his appreciation to the jawans and commanders who are relentlessly battling the dual challenges of Pakistan abetted terror and the global pandemic. He further reinforced the need to be prepared to meet emerging security challenges effectively. Later, the COAS was briefed by the Chinar Corps Commander on the overall situation pertaining to the Line of Control and the hinterland.

MoD signs contract for 11 Airport Surveillance Radars.

Ministry of Defence signed a contract with M/s Mahindra Telephonics Integrated Systems Ltd., Mumbai for procurement of 11 Airport Surveillance Radars with Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar at a cost of Rs 323.47 crore, will be made under the ‘Buy & Make’ category. The installation of these radars will increase the air domain awareness around airfields and enhance safety & efficiency in flying operations of Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approves RFP for construction of six submarines at approx cost of Rs 43,000 crore.

The DAC accorded approval of procurement of Air Defence Guns and Ammunition at an approx. cost of Rs 6,000 crore under the Buy & Make (Indian) category, on June 04, 2021. In addition, the DAC also approved issue of RFP for construction of six Conventional Submarines under Project P 75 (I) under the Strategic Partnership (SP) Model. This project envisages indigenous construction of six conventional submarines equipped with the state-of-the-art Air Independent Propulsion system at an estimated cost of Rs 43,000 crore.
For more information: Click here to read…

Releases of E-booklet on 20 MoD reforms in 2020.

The compilation provides a brief overview of defence reforms undertaken in the year 2020 by MoD through policy changes, innovation and digital transformation. Reforms also focused on the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ initiative of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi; increased collaboration with the industry to boost defence exports; measures to accelerate defence acquisitions with greater transparency; digital transformation; strengthening of border infrastructure; increased participation of women in Armed Forces; transformation in R&D to boost innovation; expansion of NCC to remote locations and aid extended to the civil administration in fight against COVID-19.
For more information: Click here to read…

Raksha Mantri invites Swedish firms to invest in defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh & Tamil Nadu.

A webinar on India-Sweden Defence Industry Cooperation, with the theme ‘Capitalizing Opportunities for Growth and Security’, was organised on June 08, 2021. It was organised under the aegis of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence through Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and Swedish Security and Defence Industry (SOFF).
For more information: Click here to read…

India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol.

The 31stedition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navyand the Royal Thai Navy was conducted from 09 – 11 June 2021. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Saryu, and His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Krabi, along with Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both navies are participated in the CORPAT.

Policy on archiving, declassification & compilation of war/operations histories.

Raksha Mantri has approved the policy on archiving, declassification and compilation/publication of war/operations histories by the Ministry of Defence. According to the policy, records should ordinarily be declassified in 25 years. Records older than 25 years should be appraised by archival experts and transferred to the National Archives of India once the war/operations histories have been compiled. The policy also set clear timelines with regard to compilation and publication of war/operations histories. The above-mentioned Committee should be formed within two years of completion of war/operations. Thereafter, collection of records and compilation should be completed in three years and disseminated to all concerned.

Budgetary support for Defence innovation through iDEX – DIO.

Raksha Mantri approved the budgetary support of Rs 498.8 crore to Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) – Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) for the next five years. The budgetary support will provide a big boost to the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ as its primary objective of self-reliance and indigenisation in defence & aerospace sector of the country. It is aimed at providing financial support to nearly 300 start-ups/MSMEs/individual innovators and 20 partner incubators under the DIO framework.
For more information: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1726722″ target=”_blank”>Click here to read…

Indian Army Conducts Rail Trials on Dedicated Freight Corridor.

The recently developed “Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)” by the Indian Railways provides faster movement of freight across the Country. The Indian Army on Monday (14 June 2021), conducted a successful trial by moving a military train loaded with vehicles and equipment from New Rewari to New Phulera validating the efficacy of the DFC.
For more information: Click here to read…

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Afghanistan

Three bomb explosions killed at least 10 people in Kabul

Three bomb explosions, on 01 June 2021, killed at least 10 people and wounded a dozen others, in Kabul. In first incident, two bombs exploded at separate locations of a west Kabul, in which at least 10 people were killed. Out of two, the first explosion took place near the home of a prominent Hazara leader—Mohammad Mohaqiq, and in front of a Shia Mosque. The third bomb explosion damaged an electric grid station in north Kabul.
No terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State (IS) affiliate operating in Afghanistan has previously declared war on minority Shia Muslims, who make up roughly 20 percent of the majority Sunni Muslim nation of 36 million people.
For more information: Click here to read…

Al-Qaida leader al-Zawahiri believed to be in Afghan-Pak border, reports the UN

On 04 June 2021, the United Nations (UN)’s 12th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team reported that a significant part of the al-Qaida leadership resides in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, including group’s leader Aiman al-Zawahiri. The report confirmed that the large numbers of al-Qaida terrorists and other foreign Islamic extremists aligned with Taliban are located in various parts in Afghanistan. The report also suggests that al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operates under Taliban umbrella from Kandahar, Helmand, and Nimruz Provinces.
For more information: Click here to read…

Pakistan

Islamic State-Pakistan Province launched its first Urdu-language jihadist magazine

At the end of April 2021, Islamic State-Pakistan Province (IS-PP) launched its first Urdu-language magazine—Yalghar (invasion), on social media platform that regularly disseminate the IS-PP propaganda materials. IS-PP has mainly translated IS’s central propaganda materials from Arabic and English language to Urdu. In May 2019, the IS central established IS-PP by dividing Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP) into branches for India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
For more information: Click here to read…

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

NIA Court sentenced three LeT terrorists to 10 years imprisonment in Nanded LeT case

On 15 June 2021, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Mumbai, sentenced three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists—Mohammad Muzammil, Mohammad Sadiq, and Mohammad Akram aka Imran Khan aka Khaled, to 10 years rigorous imprisonment under various Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A], in connection with 2012 Nanded LeT case. The case was registered under the Arms Act upon recovery of firearms from accused.
For more information: Click here to read…

Security forces arrested seven JeM OGWs from Pulwama

Acting upon specific input, on 27 May 2021, security forces arrested seven Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Over-Ground Workers (OGWs) from Awantipora area in Pulwama district and prevented six other youths from joining the ranks of the terrorist group. “Youth developed contact with active terrorists in the area and was lured into joining the terrorist group. The arrested youths were motivated by Pakistan-based self-style commanders to join militancy and asked to establish contact with their ground cadre in Awantipora and Tral area. The arrested OGWs were involved in providing logistics, shelter, transporting of arms/ammunition and other kind of support to JeM terrorists in Tral and Awantipora areas,” read the statement released by Awantipora police.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism

NIA charge-sheeted three CPI (Maoist) operatives in 2020 Madurai CPI (Maoist) case

On 11 June 2021, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet before Special Court in Chennai against three Maoists—Vivekanandan aka Vivek, Suresh Rajan, and Mohan Ramasamy aka Advocate Mohan, under Section 120-B, 124-A, 201, and 505(i)(b) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 13(1)(b), 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A], in connection with 2020 Madurai CPI (Maoist) case.

The case is related to uploading of objectionable contents on Facebook account “Thozhar Vivek” denigrating celebration of Independence Day as a sham. Investigation and scrutiny of posts uploaded on social media accounts of accused persons have revealed their support and active role in propagating cause and ideology of proscribed terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist) and its frontal organisations.
For more information: Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism

NIA charge-sheeted an IS terrorist in Chennai IS/ ‘Q’ branch case

On 14 June 2021, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet before Special Court in Chennai, against an Islamic State (IS) terrorist—Syed Ali, under Section 120-B, 471, and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 18, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A], and Sections 4 & 5 of Explosive Substances Act (ESA) in 2019 Chennai IS/ ‘Q’ branch case.

The case is related to arrest of few people who had conspired at Salem and Chennai and fraudulently activated Airtel and Vodafone SIM cards by using multiple identity documents of various persons without their knowledge and consent. Upon investigation, it was found that the accused had used the SIM cards for terrorist activities.
For more information: Click here to read…

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

British-Sikhs insulted the Indian flags during a rally to mark the anniversary of Operation Blue Star

On 07 June 2021, British-Sikhs set ablaze two Indian flags during the “remembrance march and freedom rally” organised to mark the anniversary of Operation Blue Star, in London, the United Kingdom. The Indian High Commission in London condemned the incident as “extremely distressful” and vowed to take action against those who insulted the Indian flag.
Two police officers appeared once both flags were gutted, and the culprit poured water over whatever remained of them. “I was not specifically aware of any flag being burnt” and that nobody had been arrested, said a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police. The officer pointed out that setting flags alight was, in any case, not a criminal offence in Britain.
For more information: Click here to read…

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

MI wing busted Pakistan’s espionage racket on Army’s installations in Eastern India

Indian Army’s Military Intelligence (MI) wing busted a Pakistan’s espionage racket targeting the military installations in the Eastern India. In the racket, Pakistan-based intelligence operatives exploited illegal exchanges to route their calls to connect with Indian citizens and obtain information of military installations. “A call from a Pakistani spy agency to an Army installation in eastern India has uncovered an illegal telephone exchange in Bengaluru, with suspicion of other such operations in other parts of the country,” said an official (on the basis of anonymity).
The racket was revealed after the Anti-Terror Cell (ATC) of the Bengaluru Police, with the help of MI of the Southern Command, arrested two men who ran an illegal phone exchange, converting international calls to local ones, causing a huge revenue loss and posing a threat to national security.
For more information: Click here to read…

Microsoft launched the first-ever Asia-Pacific Cyber Security Council

With aim to accelerate public-private partnerships in cyber security, share threat intelligence, Microsoft launched the first Asia-Pacific Cyber Security Council (APCSC). The council consists of policy-makers and influencers from Brunei, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, supported by cyber security professionals.
“Our joint mission is to build a strong coalition, to strengthen our cyber security defence,” said Sherie Ng, General Manager, Public Sector, Microsoft Asia-Pacific. The APAC countries continue to experience a higher-than-average encounter rate for malware and ransomware attacks—1.6 and 1.7 times higher respectively than the rest of the world.
For more information: Click here to read…

JBS S.A.’s computer networks assaulted under cyber-attack

On 30 May, the computer networks and servers of the JBS S.A.—the world’s biggest meat supplier, assaulted under cyber-attack. JBS S.A. shut its North American and Australian computer networks after an organised cyber-assault on some of its servers. The incident delayed certain transactions with customers and suppliers. The attack side-lined two shifts and halted processing at one of Canada’s largest meat-packing plants, while the company cancelled all beef and lamb kills across Australia. Crackers now have the commodities industry in their crosshairs with the JBS S.A. cyber-attack coming just three weeks after the operator of the biggest US gasoline pipeline was targeted.
For more information: Click here to read…

Facebook suspended Pakistan-linked fake news outlets targeting India

In the recent “Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour” (CIB) report of Facebook, 40 Facebook accounts, 25 Pages, six Groups, and 28 Instagram accounts, based in Pakistan were suspended for propagating misinformation targeting India. “Although the people behind it attempted to conceal their identities and coordination, our investigation found links to individuals associated with AlphaPro, a Pakistan-based PR firm,” informed Facebook.
“Key narratives advanced by the AlphaPro network included: praise for Pakistan and its armed forces; efforts to denigrate India and highlight attacks by Hindu nationalists targeting religious minorities; support for Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan; and promotion of the Pakistan-backed China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) investment project,” mentioned a report prepared by the Graphika, a research firm that studies misinformation and analyses manipulation of social networks.
For more information: Click here to read…

DEFENCE

• Raksha Mantri reviews Armed Forces efforts to tackle Cyclone Tauktae.
• Raksha Mantri unveils first batch of anti-COVID drug developed by DRDO.
• India & Oman renew MoUs on military cooperation & maritime issues.
• Army Chief Reviews Operational Readiness & Security Situation In North-East.
• Visit of External Affairs Minister to the United States (24-28 May 2021).
• Armed Forces prepare to mitigate Cyclone YAAS.
• Indian Coast Guard’s operations continue to control the fire onboard MV X-Press Pearl.
• DRDO develops Critical Near Isothermal Forging Technology for aeroengines.
• MoD notifies ‘Second Positive Indigenisation List’ of 108 items to promote self-reliance & defence exports.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Nigeria

• Boko Haram leader Shekau killed himself during confrontation with ISWAP terrorist in Borno State.

Somalia

• “In next 12 months, Britain will send 250 Special Operations troops to Somalia to fight al-Shabaab terrorists”, said Gen Sir Mark Carleton-Smith.

Afghanistan

• Army conducted counter-terrorism operation against Taliban in Laghman province.
• Bomb explosion in a mosque killed at least 12 people in Kabul.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• NIA charge-sheeted three HM terrorists in 2019 Kishtwar conspiracy.
• Police disintegrated a narco-terror module in Kupwara.
• Wilayat-e-Hind claimed burning of Hindu temple in Srinagar; Police debunked the fake news.
• Security forces eliminated two terrorists in Srinagar.
• Police recovered IEDs recovered from Pulwama.

Left-Wing Extremism

• NIA filed charge-sheet against seven Maoists in Andhra Pradesh case.
• Security forces eliminated 15 Maoists in a gun-battle in Maharashtra.

Islamic Extremism

• NIA raided four places in Tamil Nadu in connection with social media posts advocating IS ideology.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• Police arrested two KTF terrorists from Punjab.

Defence

Raksha Mantri reviews Armed Forces efforts to tackle Cyclone Tauktae.

The Raksha Mantri was briefed that Indian Air Force has deployed its aircraft to transport personnel and tonnes of load of NDRF to Ahmedabad. On May 16, 2021, IAF had deployed two C-130J and one An-32 aircraft for transportation of 167 personnel and 16.5 tonnes of load of NDRF from Kolkata to Ahmedabad. Another C-130J and two An-32 aircraft carried 121 NDRF personnel and 11.6 tonnes of load from Vijayawada to Ahmedabad for the same purpose. Two C-130J aircraft transported 110 personnel and 15 tonnes of cargo for NDRF from Pune to Ahmedabad. Two Army columns have been mobilised from Jamnagar for Diu along with Engineer Task Force. Two more columns staged forward to Junagadh for immediate response in case need arises.
In addition 11 Indian Navy Diving Teams have been kept on standby in case of any request from authorities of affected states. Twelve flood rescue teams and medical teams have been earmarked for immediate response and deployment. Repair and rescue teams have also been formed to undertake urgent infrastructural repairs post cyclone, if required. Three ships (Talwar, Tarkash and Tabar) are on standby with aid and relief material.
For more information: Click here to read…

Raksha Mantri unveils first batch of anti-COVID drug developed by DRDO.

The first batch of the adjunct COVID therapy anti-COVID drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), was released in New Delhi on May 17, 2021. An anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), along with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad.
For more information: Click here to read…

Army Chief Reviews Operational Readiness & Security Situation in North-East.

Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane arrived at Dimapur (Nagaland) on 20 May 2021 on a two day visit to review the operational readiness along the Northern Borders of Arunachal Pradesh and security situation in hinterland of North East.
For more information: Click here to read…

Visit of External Affairs Minister to the United States (24-28 May 2021).

External Affairs Minister was visiting the United States from 24-28 May 2021. In New York, he was expected to meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. In Washington DC, External Affairs Minister held discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He also met Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship. External Affairs Minister also had two interactions with business forums on economic & COVID-related cooperation between India and the US.

Armed Forces prepare to mitigate Cyclone YAAS.

Armed Forces have commenced preparations to mitigate the impact of Cyclone YAAS, which is expected to hit the Eastern Coast on May 26, 2021. Indian Air Force (IAF) has airlifted 950 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and 70 tonnes of load from Jamnagar, Varanasi, Patna and Arakonnam to Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Port Blair in 15 Transport Aircraft, as on May 23, 2021. Sixteen transport aircraft and 26 helicopters are on standby for immediate deployment. Indian Navy, fresh from Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and rescue operations on the Western Coast, has moved 10 HADR pallets to Bhubaneswar and Kolkata, while five HADR pallets are ready at Port Blair. Eight ships of Eastern Naval Command and Andaman and Nicobar Command have been embarked with HADR Bricks to provide succour to the people likely to be impacted. Four diving and 10 flood relief columns have been pre-positioned at Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Chilika for rendering assistance to civil administration at short notice.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indian Coast Guard’s operations continue to control the fire onboard MV X-Press Pearl.

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is working tirelessly to extinguish the massive fire onboard container vessel MV X-Press Pearl off Colombo, Sri Lanka. The challenging round-the-clock fire-fighting operation, underway since May 25, 2021 jointly with Sri Lankan authorities, has been named as Operation Sagar Aaraksha 2 which symbolises growing maritime cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.

The distressed vessel MV X-Press Pearl was carrying 1,486 containers with nitric acid and other hazardous IMDG code chemicals. The extreme fire, damage to containers and prevailing inclement weather has caused the vessel to tilt to starboard resulting in falling of containers overboard. As on 30 May 2021, three ICG ships and four tugs deployed by Sri Lanka were involved in the operation and continuously fighting the fire by spraying AFFF and sea water using external fire-fighting systems. The non-stop joint firefighting efforts have yielded positive results with increasing signs of fire being under control. Smoke density has also reduced. The fire has been localised to a small area near the aft section of the vessel.
For more information: Click here to read…

DRDO develops Critical Near Isothermal Forging Technology for aeroengines.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has established the near isothermal forging technology to produce all the five stages of high-pressure compressors (HPC) discs out of difficult-to-deform titanium alloy using its unique 2000 MT isothermal forge press. The technology has been developed by Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), a premier metallurgical laboratory of DRDO at Hyderabad. This is a crucial technology for establishing self-reliance in aeroengine technology. With this development, India has joined the league of limited global engine developers to have the manufacturing capabilities of such critical aero engine components.
For more information: Click here to read…

MoD notifies ‘Second Positive Indigenisation List’ of 108 items to promote self-reliance & defence exports.

Raksha Mantri has approved a proposal of the Department of Military Affairs, Ministry of Defence (MoD) to notify the ‘Second Positive Indigenisation List’ of 108 items. All the 108 items will now be procured from indigenous sources as per provisions given in Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. The ‘Second Positive Indigenisation List’ comprises complex systems, sensors, simulator, weapons and ammunitions like Helicopters, Next Generation Corvettes, Air Borne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) systems, Tank Engines, Medium Power Radar for Mountains, MRSAM Weapon Systems and many more such items to fulfil the requirements of Indian Armed Forces. This second list is planned to be implemented progressively with effect from December 2021 to December 2025.
The complete list can be accessed at: Click here to read…

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Nigeria

Boko Haram leader Shekau killed himself during confrontation with ISWAP terrorist in Borno State.

According to various reports, on 19 May, Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau detonated in a confrontation with and to avoid capture by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)’s terrorists in Sambisa Forest, known to be Shekau’s base of operations, in Borno State. Nigerian military investigating the reports, but many officials and analysts have been wary, referring to the number of times Shekau has been reported killed, only to appear alive days later, said Nigerian army spokesperson. “The United States has not yet been able to independently verify these reports and continues to monitor the situation,” said a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.
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Somalia

“In next 12 months, Britain will send 250 Special Operations troops to Somalia to fight al-Shabaab terrorists”, said Gen Sir Mark Carleton-Smith.

While speaking at the Atlantic Council, the British Army’s Chief of the General Staff (CoGS)—General Mark Carleton-Smith said that “in next 12 months, Britain will send 250 troops of the Special Operations Unit to Somalia to fight against al-Shabaab terrorists. The move will support Britain’s regional East African partners.” Al-Shabaab is affiliated to al-Qaeda and currently battling the United Nations (UN) backed government in Somalia where government troops are reported to be poorly trained and equipped.
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Afghanistan

Army conducted counter-terrorism operation against Taliban in Laghman province.

During a clean-up operation on 24 May, Afghanistan army foiled Taliban terrorists’ attempt to gain ground control and killed more than 50 Taliban terrorists in Mehterlam in Langhman province. In another similar operation on 23 May, Army eliminated at least 36 Taliban terrorists in Baghlan province, confirmed the statement released by the Afghan army.
For more information: https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-soldiers-conduct-operation-against-taliban-387201″ target=”_blank”>Click here to read…

Bomb explosion in a mosque killed at least 12 people in Kabul.

On 14 May, a bomb explosion in a mosque during Friday prayers killed at least 12 people, including Imam, in northern Kabul. No terror group claimed the responsibility of the blast. It appeared that the explosive device was hidden inside the pulpit at the front of the mosque.
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DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

NIA charge-sheeted three HM terrorists in 2019 Kishtwar conspiracy.

On 22 May, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge-sheeted three Hizb ul-Mujahideen (HM) terrorists—Jaffer Hussain, Tanveer Ahmed Malik, and Taraq Hussain Giri, in connection to 2019 HM Kishtwar conspiracy case. The case is related to the snatching of service weapon of the Escort-in-Charge (E-in-C) of DC Kishtwar. The investigation of the case had revealed that the objective of all these terror acts was to revive militancy in Kishtwar by looting arms and targeting prominent persons of a particular community to create terror among the members of that community.
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Police disintegrated a narco-terror module in Kupwara.

On 23 May, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police disintegrated a Pakistan-sponsored narco-terror module and arrested a terrorist—Mujasir Ahmad Lone, during an operation in Kupwara district. Post-operation, police recovered incriminating material and eight kilograms of heroin worth ₹ 50 crore. “The module was in close connection with Pakistan-based terrorist handlers and was involved in drug trade and financially assisting active terrorists in the Valley. The recoveries also exposed the inter-connection between drug dealers and terrorists,” said a J&K police official.
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Wilayat-e-Hind claimed burning of Hindu temple in Srinagar; Police debunked the fake news.

On 19 May, the Islamic State’s (IS) Wilayat-e-Hind claimed to set fire to a famous Hindu temple in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). In a statement released on Telegram messaging platform, the group said that “With success from Allah Almighty, the Caliphate soldiers burned a famous temple of the ‘polytheist’ Hindus in Wagar Nak [a misspelling for Vichar Nag] area in the city of Srinagar, which resulted in material damages to it and burned parts of it.”

However, Srinagar police quickly debunk the false claim saying no such incident has taken place. “FIR has been registered and legal action initiated against those spreading this fake news”, Srinagar police tweeted from the official Twitter handle.
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Security forces eliminated two terrorists in Srinagar.

On 17 May, security forces killed two unidentified terrorists during a counter-terrorism operation in Khonmoh area in Srinagar district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Acting upon intelligence input, security forces carried out a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in the area. Soon, the search operation turned into a gun-battle after terrorists opened fire towards security forces positions.
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Police recovered IEDs recovered from Pulwama

On 15 May, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police averted a major terrorist attack after timely recovery of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from Barpora village in Pulwama district. Acting upon credible input about a conspiracy of a terrorist attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the police and Army’s 55 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) personnel questioned few suspected people, who provided information about the 10 kilogram IED hidden in the orchards of Barpora village.
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Left-Wing Extremism

NIA filed charge-sheet against seven Maoists in Andhra Pradesh case.

On 21 May, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet against seven Maoists—Pangi Naganna, Akkiraju Harigopal, Boppuddi Anjamma, Rela Rajeshwari, Anduluri Annapurna, Manukonda Srinivasa Rao, Jangala Koteshwar Rao, and Koti, for their involvement in conspiring, supporting and furthering the activities of CPI (Maoist) in Andhra Pradesh. In the case, Pangi Naganna was intercepted by police while carrying Maoist literature and other incriminating materials. On his disclosure a large cache of explosives and arms were recovered which were handed over to other Maoists by Pangi. The charge-sheet was filed under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 18, 20, 23, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A], Sections 4 and 5 of Explosives Substances Act [ESA], and Section 25(1A) of the Indian Arms Act [IAA].
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Security forces eliminated 15 Maoists in a gun-battle in Maharashtra.

On 21 May, security forces killed at least 15 Maoists, including seven women, in a gun-battle in forest area between Potegaon and Rajoli in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. Acting upon specific intelligence inputs, around 200 jawans of the elite C-60 anti-Maoist squad carried out raids when Maoist squad was trying to organise a meeting with villagers and tendu leaf contractors over wages for collection of tendu leaves.
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Islamic Extremism

NIA raided four places in Tamil Nadu in connection with social media posts advocating IS ideology.

On 16 May, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided four locations—Kazimar street, K Pudur, Pethaniyapuram, and Mehaboob Palayam, in Madurai in Tamil Nadu, in connection with an investigation of incriminating Facebook posts advocating Islamic State (IS)’s ideology. The posts were administered by Mohammad Iqbal who believed to be an Islamic extremist propagating ideology of IS and Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT).
“Investigation has revealed that the posts on the Facebook page ‘Thoonga Vizhigal Rendu is in Kazimar Street’ were uploaded by accused Iqbal for denigrating a particular community. The posts were designed to incite communal disharmony amongst different religious groups, in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order,” read the statement released by the NIA.
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Khalistan-inspired Extremism

Police arrested two KTF terrorists from Punjab

On 22 May, police arrested two Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) terrorists—Lovepreet Singh aka Ravi and Ram Singh aka Sonu, for their involvement in killing a Dera follower and injuring a priest in January 2021. Both, Lovepreet and Ram, were arrested at Mehna railway crossing in Moga district. Police seized four pistols and 48 rounds of live cartridges, and two magazines from their possession.
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DEFENCE

• Indian Navy Ships Deployed for Op Samudra Setu II.
• Raksha Mantri reviews efforts of MoD & Armed Forces in fight against second COVID-19 wave.
• Indian Air Force & Navy step up efforts to ferry oxygen and medical supplies.
• DCGI approves anti-COVID drug developed by DRDO for emergency use.
• Launch of Defence National OPD on e-Sanjeevani portal.
• Goa Maritime Symposium – 2021.
• IAF Prepares For Cyclone Tauktae.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

West Asia

• “Hezbollah is a threat to the US, its allies, and interests in the Middle-East”, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Afghanistan

• At least 50 people killed in an explosion near girls’ school in Kabul.
• Amid US pull-out, Taliban issued threat to Afghan journalists.

Maldives

• Former Maldivian President Nasheed injured in a bomb blast in Male.

Bangladesh

• Dhaka police’s CTTC arrested four people for links with Ansar al-Islam.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• Security forces eliminated two LeT terrorists in Baramulla.
• NIA filed charge-sheet against three LeT terrorists in an online recruitment module case.
• Security forces foiled major terrorist attack, recovered explosives from Poonch and Doda.

Left-Wing Extremism

• Several Maoists are battling with coronavirus, said anti-Maoist operations’ OSD.

Islamic Extremism

• Hefazat-e-Islam radicals infiltrating into India, warned Bangladesh Intelligence.

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

• Major gas pipeline in the US was shut down in Ransomware cyber-attack.
• Russia-backed hackers are new cyber-attack threat, claimed the US and the UK officials.

Defence

Indian Navy Ships Deployed for Op Samudra Setu II.

In support of the nation’s fight against Covid-19 and as part of operation ‘Samudra Setu II’, seven Indian Naval ships viz. Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat have been deployed for shipment of liquid medical oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment from various countries.

Raksha Mantri reviews efforts of MoD & Armed Forces fight against second COVID-19 wave.

The RM was briefed that approximately 600 additional doctors are being mobilised through special measures such as calling to duty those who had retired in the last few years. The National Cadet Corps (NCC) has deployed 300 cadets and staff at various locations in Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Haryana. A tele medicine service, to be operated by health veterans, will begin soon to provide consultation to those patients who remain at home. Indian Army has made available more than 720 beds for civilians in various states.

The RM was briefed that the 500-bed hospital being set up DRDO in Lucknow will start functioning in the next 2-3 days. Another hospital is also being set up in Varanasi which is scheduled to be completed by 5thMay. The DRDO Chairman said the first four out of 380 Oxygen PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) plants being manufactured under PM CARES fund will be deployed in hospitals in New Delhi by next week.

Raksha Mantri appreciated the logistics support being provided by the Armed Forces in transporting oxygen containers from abroad as well as within the country between places of consumption and production. While transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out several sorties from Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai and within the country, Indian Navy dispatched four ships – two to Middle east and two to South East Asia – to transport filled oxygen containers to India. As on May 01, 2021, IAF carried out 28 sorties from abroad, airlifting 47 oxygen containers with 830 MT of capacity, while from within the country, it carried out 158 sorties, airlifting 109 containers with 2,271 MT capacity. The Navy and the Air Force have also supplied nearly 500 portable oxygen cylinders from their stores to various civilian hospitals.

Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) are procuring 28 oxygen plants and other medical equipment worth Rs 40 crore under CSR for supplying to various hospitals in states. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has set up a 250-bed hospital in Bengaluru. Another 250-bed hospital is being set up in Lucknow.

Indian Air Force & Navy step up efforts to ferry oxygen and medical supplies.

Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy (IN) have intensified their efforts to aid the civil administration in tackling the current COVID19 situation by ferrying oxygen containers and medical equipment.As on early hours of May 10, 2021, the IAF aircraft carried out 534 sorties from various parts of the country.The cities covered are Jamnagar, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Panagarh, Indore, Ranchi, Agra, Jodhpur, Begumpet, Bhubaneshwar, Pune, Surat, Raipur, Udaipur, Mumbai, Lucknow, Nagpur, Gwalior, Vijayawada, Baroda, Dimapur and Hindan. The IAF aircraft also carried out 84 international sorties. The equipment has been procured from Singapore, Dubai, Thailand, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Indonesia and Israel.

The Indian Navy deployed its ships INS Talwar, INS Kolkata, INS Airavat, INS Kochi, INS Tabar, INS Trikand, INS Jalashwa & INS Shardul to ferry oxygen containers/cylinders/concentrators and related equipment from friendly foreign countries.
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DCGI approves anti-COVID drug developed by DRDO for emergency use.

An anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad. Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. Higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in COVID patients. The drug will be of immense benefit to the people suffering from COVID-19.
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Launch of Defence National OPD on e-Sanjeevani portal.

In order to mitigate the criticality of inadequate availability of specialised medical manpower, veteran defence doctors have come forward answering the call of the nation to provide free online consultation services on the e-Sanjeevani platform. After the successful roll out in 3 states, Ex-Defence OPD, now renamed as Defence National OPD, has been rolled out pan India on 14 May 2021 and is available on Click here to read….

Goa Maritime Symposium – 2021.

Towards fostering friendly relations with its maritime neighbours, Indian Navy hosted ‘GMS-21’ under the aegis of Naval War College, Goa on 11 and 12 May 21. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event for the first time was hosted in virtual mode, with online participation of Naval representatives from 13 Indian Ocean Littoral countries, which included India, Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The theme for GMS-21 was focused on “Maritime Security and Emerging Non-Traditional Threats: A Case for Proactive Role for IOR Navies,” with emphasis on capacity building amongst the IOR Navies to tackle emerging common maritime threats.

IAF Prepares for Cyclone Tauktae.

The IAF has kept 16 transport aircraft and 18 helicopters on op readiness in peninsular India in preparation for the Cyclone Tauktae which is expected to cause very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall along the western coast of India in the next few days.

One IL-76 aircraft has airlifted 127 personnel and 11 tonnes of cargo from Bhatinda to Jamnagar. A C-130 aircraft has airlifted 25 personnel and 12.3 tonnes cargo from Bhatinda to Rajkot. Two C-130 aircraft have airlifted 126 personnel and 14 tonnes cargo from Bhubaneswar to Jamnagar. Additionally, IAF Covid relief operations have been focused in these coastal areas for the coming few days, as bad weather is likely to affect air operations later. The cyclone relief operations are in addition to those underway for Covid relief.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

West Asia

“Hezbollah is a threat to the US, its allies, and interests in the Middle-East,” said US’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken

On 11 May, the United States’ Secretary of State—Antony Blinken called on the governments worldwide to take action against Iran-supported terrorist organisation—Hezbollah. The US Treasury Department sanctioned seven Lebanese nationals having connections with Hezbollah and its financial arm—Al-Qard al-Hassan (AQAH). Earlier, the US Treasury Department has blacklisted the chief of Hezbollah’s Central Finance Unit—Ibrahim Ali Daher as a global terrorist. The Treasury Department also accused six Lebanese nations of using the cover of personal accounts at Lebanese banks to evade sanctions targeting AQAH and transfer USD 500 million on behalf of the US-blacklisted firm [identity undisclosed].
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Afghanistan

At least 50 people killed in an explosion near girls’ school in Kabul

On 08 May, at least 50 people were killed and 100 other wounded in multiple explosions caused by a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) followed by two IEDs, near the Sayeed ul-Shuhada girls’ school in the Dasht-e-Barchi area in Kabul. No terror group claimed responsibility of the attack. In a message to media, Taliban’s spokesperson—Zabiullah Mujahid denied involvement of the terror group in the blast. The incident took place when students, majority of girls, were leaving the school, as reported by Tolo News.
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Amid US pull-out, Taliban issued threat to Afghan journalists

On 05 May, Taliban issued warning to Afghan journalists accusing them siding with Afghanistan’s intelligence agency in Kabul. The warning came amid the US troop withdrawal and fear of rising violence in country. In a statement released by the Taliban’s official spokesperson—Zabiullah Mujahid said that “those Afghanistan journalists who give one-sided news in support of Afghanistan’s intelligence service” and warned them to stop or face severe consequences. Since 2006, over 76 journalists have been killed in Afghanistan, according to the report by the United Nations Education and Cultural Organisation (UNECO).
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Maldives

Former Maldivian President Nasheed injured in a bomb blast in Male

On 06 May, former Maldivian President and Speaker of Parliament—Mohamed Nasheed was injured in a bomb explosion in Male. The explosion took place when former President Nasheed was about to get into his car near his residence. According to preliminary reports, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fastened to a two-wheeler vehicle parked nearby, blew up and injured former President Nasheed and one of his bodyguards.
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Bangladesh

Dhaka police’s CTTC arrested four people for links with Ansar al-Islam

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, on 09 May, arrested four people—three students, and a Madrassa teacher, from Mohammadpur in Dhaka, for their alleged links with Ansar al-Islam terror group. During a press conference, police’s media wing informed that arrested people were in contact with Ansar al-Islam’s recruiters—Farid aka Tarik, and Abdullah through the messaging application.
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DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

Security forces eliminated two LeT terrorists in Baramulla

On 04 May, security forces eliminated two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists—Waseem Ahmad Lone and a foreign terrorist identified as Hamas aka Asrar in a counter-terrorism (CT) operation at Nathipora in Bomai area in Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Post operation, security forces recovered arms and ammunition, including an AK47 rifle, an INSAS rifle and other incriminating materials from the site.
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NIA filed charge-sheet against three LeT terrorists in an online recruitment module

case
On 05 May, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet against three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists—Tania Parveen aka Isranoor aka Refite, Sayyad M Idris, and Ayesha aka Ayesha Burhan aka Ayesha Siddiqi aka Syed Ayesha, in connection with the West Bengal LeT online recruitment case. According to the charge-sheet, Tania Parveen, who is trained by Pakistan-based LeT recuriters, was co-admin of several social media groups for radicalising the youth and propagating the ideology of LeT.
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Security forces foiled major terrorist attack, recovered explosives from Poonch and Doda

Acting upon intelligence inputs, on 09 May, security forces foiled a major terrorist attack and recovered 19 hand-grenades from a terrorist hideout in Phagla area of Surankote in Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). According to specific intelligence inputs, terrorists were conspiring to target security forces on the National Highway (NH) 144-A (Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch Highway).
Earlier on 08 May, security forces recovered 40 kg of high explosive material, including five-litre pressure cooker Improvised Explosive Device (IED), five-inch iron pipe IED, four electronic detonators, electrical wire, power sources, six heavy-duty pencil batteries, and 1.5 kg iron splinters from Chakarandi village of Doda district.
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Left-Wing Extremism

Several Maoists are battling with coronavirus, said anti-Maoist operations’ OSD

Many senior Maoists are battling with coronavirus resulting in a pause in Maoist activities in Andhra Pradesh. “We have information about few Maoists affected by the infection, and we are ready to provide medical treatment. Upon surrender, police will admit them in hospital and they will sent to their native villages after recovery, said Anti-Maoist Operations’ Officer on Special Duty (OSD)—Satish Kumar.
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Islamic Extremism

Hefazat-e-Islam radicals infiltrating into India, warned Bangladesh Intelligence

Bangladesh intelligence agencies alerted Indian intelligence counterparts about the scores of Hefazat-e-Islam (HeI) terrorists infiltrating into West Bengal and Assam. In March, Bangladesh government directed its security forces to initiate massive crackdown on HeI after the radical group conspired a violent campaign opposing the visit of Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi to Bangladesh. More than 50 key leaders of HeI and around 300 sympathisers to the radical group were arrested during the crackdown in March. “The alert has been taken seriously as the State administration and police of West Bengal and Assam was until recently occupied during elections. State police forces and the Border Security Force (BSF) alerted to be extra vigilant,” said a top intelligence official on the basis of anonymity.

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CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

Major gas pipeline in the US was shutdown in Ransomware-based cyber-attack

On 07 May, a Ransomware-based cyber-attack has forced the shutdown of major gas pipeline in the United States (US)—Colonial Pipeline, which runs from Houston to Linden, New Jersey. According to the statement released by the company, certain systems were proactively taking offline to contain the threat, which has temporarily halted all pipeline operations, and affected some of company’s IT systems.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) engaged with the Colonial Pipeline company in investigation of the attack.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the attack was carried out by so-called “DarkSide” criminal organisation based in the Eastern Europe. The federal officials were actively trying to determine any involvement of a foreign nation or support provided to cyber criminals to execute this cyber-attack.
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Russia-backed hackers are new cyber-attack threat, claimed the US and the UK officials

A joint advisory report prepared by the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) security agencies claimed that Russia’s foreign intelligence service—SVR aka APT29 aka Cozy Bear, and the Dukes, have updated Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) after it was found that Russia-backed hackers continue target governments, organisations, and energy providers around the world.
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DEFENCE

• IAF Commanders’ Conference 2021.
• Bilateral defence cooperation with the French Air and Space Force.
• DRDO develops SpO2 based Supplemental Oxygen Delivery System.
• Indian Navy Seizes Narcotics worth Rs 3000 Crore.
• Indigenously built ALH MK III enters Naval Service.
• Webinar cum expo organised between Defence Ministries of India & Vietnam.
• Indian Navy dispatches its Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel to support Search and Rescue of Missing Indonesian Submarine.
• Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has decided to import oxygen generation plants.
• IAF airlifting oxygen containers, essential medicines & other medical equipment.
• Emergency financial powers to Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS).
• Raksha Mantri (RM) holds meeting to review efforts of Armed Forces to fight current COVID-19 crisis.
• Indian and French Navy bilateral exercise ‘VARUNA-2021’.
• DRDO to set up 500 Medical Oxygen Plants within three months under PM CARES Fund.
• DRDO develops Single Crystal Blades for helicopter engine application.
• Maiden trial of Python-5 Air to Air Missile.
• Telephone Conversation between Prime Minister and President of the Russian Federation.
• Telephone conversation between Prime Minister and President of the United States of America.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Nigeria

• Boko Haram terrorists killed 18 people in Borno State.

Afghanistan

• Car bomb explosion killed 30 people in Logar province.
• 12 policemen martyred in two separate terrorist attacks in Logar and Kandahar provinces.

Pakistan

• Taliban commander killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Four people killed in a bomb blast at a hotel in Baluchistan.
• CTD arrested five TTP terrorists from Sindh.

Philippines

• Security forces eliminated an Egyptian bomb-maker and two ASG terrorists in Sulu province.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• NIA filed charge-sheet against seven narco-smugglers in Jammu narco-terrorism case.
• NIA arrested a LeT terrorist from Bandipora.
• Police arrested two HM terrorists from Baramulla.

Left-Wing Extremism

• NIA filed charge-sheet against 34 CPI (Maoist) terrorists in 2019 Latehar case.
• Telangana govt banned 16 NGOs linked with Maoists.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• NIA filed charge-sheet against eight KLF terrorists in Tarn Taran case.

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

• Cyber-attacks 52 per cent of organisations in India in last one year.

Defence

IAF Commanders’ Conference 2021.

The IAF Commanders’ Conference 2021, themed ‘Reorienting for the Future’ concluded at Air HQs on 16 Apr 21. The three day conference saw detailed deliberations on ways and means to enhance the operational capabilities of the IAF. The actions and follow-up plans for implementing the directions given by the Hon’ble PM during the Combined Commanders’ Conference were discussed by the participants. The other key subjects included reorientation of the IAF for future challenges across all threat domains, and the roadmap for effective utilisation of assets and future inductions. The contours of the operational philosophy and organisational aspects of Air Defence and Joint Command Structures were also discussed. In his address to the Commanders, the CAS emphasised the need for incorporation of new technologies such as AI and 5G, enhanced utilisation of cyber and space domains and continuous update of doctrines, tactics and procedures.

Bilateral defence cooperation IAF with the French Air and Space Force (FASF).

Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) was on a visit to France from 19-23 Apr to enhance potential avenues for strengthening the level of interaction between the two Air Forces. The CAS held meetings and discussions with senior military leadership of France and visit operational facilities and airbases. The two Air Forces have seen significant operational interaction in the recent past. IAF and FASF engage in the bilateral air exercise series ‘Garuda’, as well as hop exercises, the last being Ex Desert Knight 21 held at Air Force Station Jodhpur in January 2021. IAF and FASF also participated in Ex Desert Flag hosted by UAE Air Force along with other friendly countries in March 2021.

DRDO develops SpO2 based Supplemental Oxygen Delivery System.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed SpO2 (Blood Oxygen Saturation) supplemental Oxygen Delivery System for soldiers posted at extreme high-altitude areas. This automatic system can also prove to be a boon during the current Covid-19 situation. The system reads SpO2 levels of the subject from a wrist-worn pulse oximeter module through wireless interface and controls a proportional solenoid valve to regulate the oxygen supply to the subject. The oxygen is delivered from a lightweight portable oxygen cylinder through nasal nares. The system is available in various sizes from one litre and one kg weight with 150 litres of oxygen supply to 10 litres & 10 kg weight with 1,500 litres of oxygen supply which can sustain for 750 minutes with a continuous flow of two liters per min (lpm).
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Indian Navy Seizes Narcotics worth Rs 3000 Crore.

Indian Naval Ship Suvarna, whilst on surveillance patrol in the Arabian Sea, encountered a fishing vessel with suspicious movements. On conducting a boarding and search operation led to the seizure of more than 300 Kgs of narcotics substances. The boat with its crew have been escorted to the nearest Indian Port of Kochi, Kerala for further investigation. The approximate cost the catch in the international market is estimated to be Rs. 3000 Crore.

Indigenously built ALH MK III enters Naval Service.

The first unit of the indigenously built ALH Mk III aircraft, was commissioned into the Indian Navy at INS Hansa, Goa on 19 Apr 21. The squadron will operate three state-of-the-art ALH Mk III, a multirole helicopter with Shakti engine manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Mk III version of the ALH has an all glass cockpit and will be used for Search and Rescue, Special Operations and Coastal Surveillance. 16 aircraft are under procurement and the aircraft are being delivered in a phased manner to the Indian Navy.

Webinar cum expo organised between Defence Ministries of India & Vietnam.

A webinar cum expo was organised on April 20, 2021. The theme of the webinar was ‘India – Vietnam Defence Cooperation’. Various Indian companies such as Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Forge, Economic Explosives Limited, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Goa Shipyards Limited, HBL Power Systems, Larsen & Toubro Limited, Mahindra Defence, MKU, SMPP, Tata Advanced Systems made company and product presentations. Thirty-seven companies setup virtual exhibition stalls in the expo.

Ambassador, Embassy of India, Hanoi Shri Pranay Verma, Chief of General Department of Defence Industries, Ministry of National Defence, Vietnam Lt Gen Tran Hong Minh and other senior officials from both sides participated in the webinar. Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Production) brought out that Indian shipbuilding has come of age and gained tremendous expertise in this field. Indian shipyards are willing to work with Vietnamese shipyards for construction, repair and maintenance of platforms.

Indian Navy dispatches its Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel to support Search and Rescue of Missing Indonesian Submarine.

Indian Navy dispatched its Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) on 22 April to assist Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Laut (TNI AL – Indonesian Navy) in search and rescue efforts for the Indonesian Submarine KRI Nanggala which was reported missing on Wednesday 21 Apr 21.On 21 April, an alert was received by Indian Navy through International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO), regarding the missing Indonesian submarine. The submarine was reportedly exercising in a location 25 miles North of Bali with a crew of 53 personnel.

India is amongst the few countries in the world capable of undertaking Search and Rescue of a disabled submarine through a DSRV. Indian Navy’s DSRV system can locate a submarine upto 1000 meter depth utilising its state of the art Side Scan Sonar (SSS) and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). After the submarine is successfully located, another sub module of DSRV- the Submarine Rescue Vehicle (SRV) – mates with the submarine to rescue the trapped personnel. The SRV can also be used to provide emergency supplies to the submarine.
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Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has decided to import oxygen generation plants.

Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has decided to import oxygen generation plants and containers from Germany, amid shortage of oxygen in the hospitals during the second wave of Covid-19 across the country. Twenty-three mobile oxygen generation plants are being airlifted from Germany that will be deployed in AFMS hospitals catering to the COVID patients. Each plant has a capacity to produce 40 litres of oxygen per minute and 2,400 litres an hour. At this rate, it can cater to 20-25 patients round the clock. The advantage of these plants is that they are easily portable. These oxygen generating plants are expected to arrive in India within a week.

IAF airlifting oxygen containers, essential medicines & other medical equipment.

Indian Air Force (IAF) has been carrying out sorties from various parts of the country to airlift oxygen containers, cylinders, essential medicines, equipment required for setting up and sustaining COVID hospitals and facilities in the fight against fresh surge in COVID-19 cases. The IAF Transport aircraft and helicopters have been pressed into service for carrying out these tasks. These include transport aircraft C-17, C-130J, IL-76, An-32 and Avro. Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters are on standby. Tasks undertaken include airlift of doctors and nursing staff from Kochi, Mumbai, Vizag and Bangalore for various hospitals at Delhi.

The C-17 and IL-76 aircraft of IAF have started airlifting big empty oxygen tankers from their place of use to the filling stations across the country to speed up the distribution of much needed oxygen. In addition to this, the C-17 and IL-76 have transported large quantity of load comprising bio safety cabinets and autoclave machines for setting up of an additional COVID test facility at Leh. The IAF transport and helicopter assets are on standby to be deployed at short notice.

Emergency financial powers to Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS).

Raksha Mantri sanctioned delegation of emergency financial powers to Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) to fight the recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the country. As per the order issued on April 23, 2021, emergency financial powers have been delegated to Director General Medical Services (Army/Navy/Air Force), head of Medical Branches at Formation/Command Headquarters of Army/Navy/Air Force/Andaman & Nicobar Command and Joint Staff including Command Medical Officers of Navy and Principal Medical Officers of Air Force (Major General and equivalent/Brigadiers and equivalent). The emergency financial powers have been delegated under Sl No 8.1 of Schedule 8 of Medical Schedule of Powers (MSP) to Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services (DFPDS) 2016. The delegated financial powers are:-

• DGsMS (Army/Navy/Air Force) – Rs 500 lakh
• Major General & equivalent – Rs 300 lakh
• Brigadier & equivalent – Rs 200 lakh

Emergency powers to these Lower CFAs have been delegated upto September 30, 2021 with a provision for revision/extension to expedite procurement of medical items/materials/stores and provisioning of various services for treatment/management/tackling of COVID-19 cases.

Raksha Mantri (RM) holds meeting to review efforts of Armed Forces to fight current COVID-19 crisis.

Raksha Mantri reviewed and expressed satisfaction on the assistance being provided by Indian Air Force (IAF) in moving oxygen tankers and plants from abroad as well as within the country. DRDO Chairman briefed that another 250 beds would become functional at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel COVID hospital in New Delhi by the evening of April 24, 2021, taking the total number of beds to 500. In Gujarat, DRDO has completed setting up of a 1,000-bed hospital. He informed the Raksha Mantri that work is in full swing to establish a COVID facility in Lucknow that would become operational in the next 5-6 days. These hospitals would be run by AFMS in coordination and with assistance of local state governments. Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has deployed additional doctors, including specialists, super specialists and paramedics, at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) COVID hospital in Delhi to cater to the current surge in COVID-19 cases. As against 294 doctors and health workers in 2020, 378 have been mobilised in 2021. These include 164 doctors in 2021 as against 132 doctors in 2020. Last year, only 18 specialists were mobilised, as against 43 specialists and 17 super specialists this year.

Senior officials of MoD are in constant touch with the officials of state governments for necessary coordination in this regard. As AFMS has its resources stretched to the limit, services of local doctors and health professionals might be enlisted for the 750-bed hospital that is coming up at Varanasi. To augment the work force of health professionals, Raksha Mantri approved a suggestion to deploy those who have recently retired from AFMS.
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Indian and French Navy bilateral exercise ‘VARUNA-2021’.

The 19th edition oftheIndian and French Navy bilateral exercise ‘VARUNA-2021’ was conducted from 25-27 Apr 2021 in the Arabian Sea. Exercise VARUNA has been a key enabler in building interoperability and strengthening the coordination between the two navies. Indian Navy’s guided missile frigate Tarkash continues to exercise with the French Navy’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) from 28th April to 1st May 2021 participating in advanced surface, anti-submarine and air-defence operations with the French CSG (Aircraft Carrier Charles-de-Gaulle).
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DRDO to set up 500 Medical Oxygen Plants within three months under PM CARES Fund.

The Medical Oxygen Plant (MOP) technology, developed by DRDO for On‐Board Oxygen Generation for LCA, Tejas by DEBEL, DRDO is designed for a capacity of 1,000 litres per minute (LPM). The system can cater to 190 patients at a flow rate of 5 LPM and charge 195 cylinders per day. Transfer of Technology has been done to M/s Tata Advanced Systems Limited, Bengaluru and M/s Trident Pneumatics Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore, who will be producing 380 plants for installation across various hospitals in the country. 120 plants of 500 LPM capacity will be produced by industries working with Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, belonging to CSIR. The installation of this plant helps in avoiding hospital dependency on scarce oxygen cylinders especially at high altitude and inaccessible remote areas. MOP has already been installed at some of the Army sites in North East and Leh-Ladakh region. Site preparation for 5 plants to be installed in Delhi/NCR region has already been initiated.
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DRDO develops Single Crystal Blades for helicopter engine application.

Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed single crystal blades technology and supplied 60 of these blades to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as part of their indigenous helicopter development program for helicopter engine application. It is part of a program taken up by Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), a premium laboratory of DRDO, to develop five sets (300 in number) of single crystal high pressure turbine (HPT) blades using a nickel-based super alloy. The supply of remaining four sets will be completed in due course.Helicopters used in strategic and defence applications need compact and powerful aero-engines for their reliable operation at extreme conditions. To achieve this, state-of-the-art Single Crystal Blades having complex shape and geometry, manufactured out of Nickel based super alloys capable of withstanding high temperatures of operation are used. Very few countries in the world such as USA, UK, France and Russia have the capability to design and manufacture such Single Crystal (SX) components.
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Maiden trial of Python-5 Air to Air Missile

Tejas, India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, added the 5th generation Python-5 Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) in its air-to-air weapons capability on April 27, 2021. Trials were also aimed to validate enhanced capability of already integrated Derby Beyond Visual Range (BVR) AAM on Tejas.The missiles were fired from Tejas aircraft of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) flown by Indian Air Force (IAF) Test pilots belonging to National Flight Test Centre (NFTC).

Telephone Conversation between Prime Minister and President of the Russian Federation.

Prime Minister Modi conveyed appreciation for the support received from Russia for India’s Gaganyaan Program and the completion of the Russian phase of training of the four Gaganyaan astronauts. The leaders noted the scope for increasing cooperation in the area of renewable energy, including the Hydrogen economy.The leaders decided to establish a new 2+2 dialogue at Minister level comprising Foreign and Defence Ministers from both countries.
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Telephone conversation between Prime Minister and President of the United States of America.

President Biden conveyed solidarity with India and affirmed that the United States was determined to support India’s efforts by quickly deploying resources such as therapeutics, ventilators and identifying sources of raw materials to be made available for the manufacture of Covishield vaccines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his heartfelt appreciation for the offer of assistance and support from the Government of the United States of America. He mentioned India’s commitment to contain the COVID-19 pandemic globally through Vaccine Maitri, and its participation in COVAX and the Quad Vaccine Initiatives. The Prime Minister underscored the need to ensure smooth and open supply chains of raw materials and inputs required for manufacture of vaccines, medicines, and therapeutics related to COVID-19.
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INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Nigeria

Boko Haram terrorists killed 18 people in Borno State

On 13 April, Boko Haram terrorists attacked and killed 18 people in the Damasak town in the north-eastern state of Borno in Nigeria. According to the Governor Babagana Zulum, around 21 people were injured in the attack. The Nigerian army had launched air and ground operations against the terrorists in the same region. During the operation, terrorists were eliminated, and their shelters were destroyed, said Mohammed Yerima—an army spokesperson.
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Afghanistan

Car bomb explosion killed 30 people in Logar province

On 30 April, a car bomb explosion killed 30 people, including high school students, in Pul-e-Alam in Logar province. The blast took place near to the guesthouse where students were reportedly staying. As per the reports from the Interior Ministry, as many 90 people were injured in the blast. No group claimed responsibility of the attack. Afghanistan has seen a surge in terror attacks since the United States (US) President Joe Biden announced the complete US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan by 11 September 2021.
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12 policemen martyred in two separate terrorist attacks in Logar and Kandahar provinces

On 25 April, 12 policemen were martyred in two separate terrorist attacks in Logar and Kandahar provinces in Afghanistan. In first incident, Taliban terrorists attacked the police convoy and killed seven policemen in Mohmmad Agha district in Logar province, informed Dedar Lawang—spokesperson for the provincial governor.

In second incident on the same day, a suicide bomber struck explosive-laden car into a police vehicle and killed five policemen in Maiwand district of Kandahar province in Afghanistan. Four policemen were injured in the same attack. According to the statement released by the Interior Ministry, in last 10 days, Taliban terrorists carried out six suicide attacks and 62 bombings, leaving more than 60 civilians dead and 180 wounded.
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Pakistan

Taliban commander killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

On 19 April, a key Taliban commander—Maulvi Nek Mohammad was killed, and two of his associates, including Azizullah aka Mustafa, were wounded in Haji camp area in Peshawar of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. No group claimed responsibility of the killing.
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Four people killed in a bomb blast at a hotel in Baluchistan

In a bomb explosion, on 21 April, four people were killed, and 12 others were injured at the car parking of the Serena, a luxury hotel in Quetta in Baluchistan. According to the security officials, four members of the Chinese delegation, including the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, were lodged in the hotel at the time of the blast. “The Chinese ambassador was staying in the hotel but was not present at the time of the blast,” said Azhar Ikram—a senior police officer. Hours later to the incident, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the responsibility of the attack.
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CTD arrested five TTP terrorists from Sindh

Addressing the press conference on 20 April, Sindh’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD)’s Deputy Inspector-General (DIG)—Omar Shahid informed that in a joint operation with Rangers, CTD officials arrested five Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists—Sheeraz Akbar, Liaquat Ali, Meer Wais, Mohammad Aamir, and Nigar Ali, from Jamshoro district in Sindh province.

The arrested terrorists, including two “would-be” suicide bombers, were involved in six major terrorist attacks in Pakistan and were conspiring to carry out suicide bombings to target police in Karachi. The officials recovered two suicide vests, six hand-grenades, three Submachine Gun (SMGs), two 9mm pistols, two police uniforms, a map of Police Training Centre (PTC) at Saeedabad, a mobile phone, and Compact Disks (CDs) from their possessions.
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Philippines

Security forces eliminated an Egyptian bomb-maker and two ASG terrorists in Sulu province

In a counter-terrorism (CT) operation on 16 April, the Philippines security forces killed an Egyptian bomb-maker—Yusop, and two Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) terrorists—Abu KhattabJundullahaka Saddam, and Akram, in Ipasan village of Patikul town in Sulu province. “Yusop was the son of the woman who carried out a suicide bombing attack on a military detachment in Indanan town in September 2019”, said Lt Gen Corleto Vinluan Jr. From the operation site, security forces recovered three high-powered firearms—M653, M203, and R4, nine magazines, 85 rounds of M16 ammunition, and personal belongings of the terrorists.
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DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

NIA filed charge-sheet against seven narco-smugglers in Jammu narco-terrorism case

On 17 April, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet against seven narco-smugglers associated with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror group, in connection to case of September 2020 in which heroin weighing 61 kgs, opium weighing 1.2 kgs, along with two pistols, three magazines, and 100 live rounds were recovered at the International Border (IB), near R S Pura, Jammu.
Investigation had revealed that accused were part of narco-terrorism module of the BKI and was conspiring to raise funds for the terror group through proceeds of narcotics.
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NIA arrested a LeT terrorist from Bandipora

On 15 April, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials arrested a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist—Altaf Ahmed Rather, in connection to LeT recruitment module case, from Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Investigation has revealed that Altaf hid his real identity and worked as a school-teacher in Bandipora. He met another charge-sheeted terrorist—Tania Parveen over social media and introduced her to other LeT operatives based in Pakistan.
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Police arrested two HM terrorists from Baramulla

On 26 April, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police arrested two Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM) terrorists—Liyaqat Ahmad Kakroo and Akhtar Ahmad Mir, from Baramulla and recovered incriminating material, including two Chinese grenades from their possession. The preliminary investigation has revealed that both terrorists were involved in smuggling and arranging of arms and ammunition for terror group.
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Left-Wing Extremism

NIA filed charge-sheet against 34 CPI (Maoist) terrorists in 2019 Latehar case

On 30 April, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet against 34 CPI (Maoist) terrorists in a 2019 case in connection to an attack on police patrolling party on 22 November 2019 at Lukuiya More in Latehar district in Jharkhand. The investigation by NIA has revealed that Anal Da aka Ramesh aka Patiram Manjhi—member of the Central Committee and Secretary of Bihar Jharkhand Special Area Committee of CPI (Maoist), in collusion with other senior Maoist leaders, had conspired and planned the attack on the Police Patrolling Party at Lukuiya More.
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Telangana govt banned 16 NGOs linked with Maoists

In a Government Order (GO) issued on 30 March by the Telangana Chief Secretary—Somesh Kumar, and subsequent GO on 23 April, 16 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Rights organisations were proscribed as frontal organisations for the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Following organisations were banned as unlawful associations in the State of Telangana for a period of one year from 30 March 2021:
Telangana Praja Front (TPF), Telangana Asanghatitha Karmika Samakhya (TAKS), Telangana Vidyarthi Vedika (TVV), Democratic Students Organisation (DSO), Telangana Vidyarthi Sangham (TVS), Adivasi Students Union (ASU), Committee for Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP), Telangana Raithanga Samithi (TRS), Tudum Debba (TD), Praja Kala Mandali (PKM), Telangana Democratic Front (TDF), Forum Against Hindu Fascism Offensive (FAHFO), Civil Liberties Committee (CLC), Amarula Bandhu Mithrula Sangham (ABMS), Chaitanya Mahila Sangham (CMS), and Revolutionary Writers’ Association (RWA).
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Khalistan-inspired Extremism

NIA filed charge-sheet against eight KLF terrorists in Tarn Taran case

On 27 April, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet against eight Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorists in a case related to murder of Balwinder Singh Sandhu—a Shaurya Chakra awardee, on 16 October 2020 in Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran district. The charge-sheet was filed in the NIA Special Court, Mohali, Punjab inter-alia under sections 120B, 201, 212 and 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 25(1B) and 27 of Arms Act and Sections 16, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 23, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A].
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CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

Cyber-attacks 52 per cent of organisations in India in last one year

According to a report- “The Future of Cyber Security in Asia Pacific and Japan” prepared by the Sophos and Tech Research Asia (TRA), in last one year, cyber-attacks impacted 52 per cent of organisations in India, out of which 71 per cent of firms confirmed that these “attacks were of serious/very serious in nature”. The findings of the report highlighted the budget allocated for cyber security framework in India, however it is not enough,” said Sunil Sharma, the Managing Director at the Sophos India (Sales). “The malware, Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML)-driven attacks and nation state attacks will be the most serious threats to enterprise cyber security over the next 24 months,” read the report.
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DEFENCE

• CDS General Bipin Rawat operationalises Joint Logistics Node in Mumbai.
• Indian Army to participate in multinational exercise in Bangladesh: Exercise Shantir Ogroshena-2021.
• DRDO develops Advanced Chaff Technology.
• Indian Navy Ships and Aircraft to participate in exercise La Perouse.
• Kazakhstan Defence Minister visits India for bilateral talks.
• 2nd India – Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue.
• General MM Naravane, COAS proceeds on visit to Bangladesh.
• Passage of USS John Paul Jones through India’s EEZ.
• 11th Round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting.
• Air Force Commanders’ Conference Apr 2021.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Yemen

• Houthis are working with al-Qaeda and Islamic State, claimed Yemeni government.

Africa

Nigeria

• Nigerian Army killed 11 Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.

Somalia

• al-Shabaab issued warning against AstraZeneca vaccine.

Afghanistan

• Afghan security forces eliminated 35 Taliban terrorists in Faryab and Baghlan provinces.
• At least five civilians were killed in a roadside explosion in Helmand province.
• Pentagon condemned Taliban’s attack on Kandahar airfield.

Pakistan

• At least 12 people were injured in an explosion during football match in Baluchistan.
• Security forces eliminated a TTP terrorist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka proscribed 11 Islamic extremist organisations, including al-Qaeda and IS.

Bangladesh

• RAB arrested radical Islamic preacher from Mymensingh division.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• Security forces arrested IS-JK commander from Jammu-Srinagar Highway.

Left-Wing Extremism

• NIA raided 31 locations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in Munchingput Maoist case.
• 23 security personnel attained Veergati in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• NIA filed charge-sheet against three narco-traffickers in KLF narco-terror case.

Islamic Extremism

• Special NIA Court sentenced ABT terrorist to 07 years’ imprisonment in 2018 ABT case.
• NIA filed charge-sheet against two IS sympathisers in 2020 Bengaluru case.

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

• MeitY trained over 4000 officials in cyber safety.

Defence

CDS General Bipin Rawat operationalises Joint Logistics Node in Mumbai

The 3rd Joint Logistics Node (JLN) in Mumbai was operationalized through video conferencing from New Delhi on April 01, 2021. These JLNs will provide integrated logistics cover to the Armed Forces for their small arms ammunition, rations, fuel, general stores, civil hired transport, aviation clothing, spares and also engineering support in an effort to synergise their operational efforts. Speaking on the occasion, General Bipin Rawat said, “Establishment and operationalisation of JLNs is a very important first step in the direction of logistics integration of our three Services. The Joint Operations Division (JOD) under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) enabled establishment of the JLNs as the first concrete step towards logistics integration of the Tri-Service. Government Sanction Letter for establishment of JLNs in Mumbai, Guwahati and Port Blair was signed on October 12, 2020. The JLNs in Guwahati and Tri-Services, Andaman and Nicobar Command, Port Blair were operationalised on January 01, 2021.

Indian Army to participate in multinational exercise in Bangladesh: Exercise Shantir Ogroshena-2021

Multinational Military Exercise SHANTIR OGROSHENA 2021 (Front Runner of the Peace) was held in Bangladesh to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangladesh ‘Father of the Nation’ Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and mark glorious 50 years of liberation. Indian Army contingent comprising of 30 personnel including Officers, JCOs and Jawans of a Battalion participated in the exercise along with contingent of Royal Bhutan Army, Sri Lankan Army and Bangladesh Army from 04 Apr to 12 Apr 2021. The theme of the exercise was “Robust Peace Keeping Operations”. Military observers from USA, UK, Turkey, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore were also be in attendance throughout the exercise.

DRDO develops Advanced Chaff Technology

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an Advanced Chaff Technology to safeguard the naval ships against missile attack. Defence Laboratory Jodhpur (DLJ), a DRDO laboratory, has indigenously developed three variants of this critical technology namely Short Range Chaff Rocket (SRCR), Medium Range Chaff Rocket (MRCR) and Long Range Chaff Rocket (LRCR) meeting Indian Navy’s qualitative requirements. The successful development of Advanced Chaff Technology by DLJ is another step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. The Indian Navy conducted trials of all three variants in the Arabian Sea on Indian Naval Ship and found the performance satisfactory.

Indian Navy Ships and Aircraft to participate in exercise La Perouse

Indian Navy Ships INS Satpura and INS Kiltan alongwith P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft participated, for the first time; in multi-lateral maritime exercise La Pérouse, being conducted in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region from 05 to 07 Apr 2021. The Indian Navy ships and aircraft will exercise at sea with ships and aircraft of French Navy (FN), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and United States Navy (USN) during the three day exercise at sea.

Kazakhstan Defence Minister visits India for bilateral talks

Minister of Defence of Republic of Kazakhstan Lieutenant General Nurlan Yermekbayev was on an official visit to India from April 7-10, 2021. The General held a bilateral meeting with Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on April 09, 2021. The Defence Minister of Kazakhstan thanked Raksha Mantri for the opportunity given to the Kazakh troops for deployment as part of the Indian battalion in United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Both Ministers also positively assessed the annual KAZIND Exercise. This was the first meeting after Lieutenant General Nurlan Yermekbayev was re-appointed as Defence Minister of Kazakhstan. The two Ministers had last met in Moscow on September 05, 2020 on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting. The Kazakh Defence Minister is in India on the invitation of Raksha Mantri.

2nd India – Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue
India and Vietnam held their second maritime security dialogue in a virtual format on 06 April 2021. The consultations involved exchanges on developments in the domain of maritime security, regional cooperation activities and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries.

General MM Naravane, COAS proceeds on visit to Bangladesh

General MM Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff was on a visit to Bangladesh from 08 to 12 April 2021. General Naravane’s visit was in the midst of Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations which mark 50 years of the liberation of Bangladesh.
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Passage of USS John Paul Jones through India’s EEZ

The Government of India’s stated position on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is that the Convention does not authorise other States to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state.

The USS John Paul Jones was continuously monitored transiting from the Persian Gulf towards the Malacca Straits. We have conveyed our concerns regarding this passage through our EEZ to the Government of U.S.A through diplomatic channels.
Reference:Passage of USS John Paul Jones through India’s EEZ (mea.gov.in)

11th Round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting

The 11th round India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on 09 April 2021. The two sides had a detailed exchange of views for the resolution of the remaining issues related to disengagement along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. The two sides agreed on the need to resolve the outstanding issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols. In this context it was highlighted also that completion of disengagement in other areas would pave the way for two sides to consider de-escalation of forces and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquillity and enable progress in bilateral relations. The two sides agreed that it was important to take guidance from the consensus of their leaders, continue their communication and dialogue and work towards a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest. They also agreed to jointly maintain stability on the ground, avoid any new incidents and jointly maintain peace in the border areas.
Reference:11th Round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting (mea.gov.in)

Air Force Commanders’ Conference Apr 2021

The first bi-annual IAF Commanders’ Conference for the year 2021 was inaugurated by the Raksha Mantri on 15 Apr 21 at Air Headquarters. During his address the Raksha Mantri congratulated IAF for ensuring a timely and befitting response to the sudden developments in Eastern Ladakh. He advised the Commanders to draw up long term plans and strategies for capability enhancement to counter future threats. He appreciated the critical focus of IAF towards reorienting for the future.

Referring to changing international geopolitics, he observed that the perceptible shift of focus from Trans-Atlantic to Trans-Pacific has become more obvious in the recent past. Changing dimensions of war would now include advanced technologies, asymmetric capabilities and info-dominance, and it was very important that the IAF’s preparations for the future must include these aspects. In his closing remarks, the RM assured the AF Commanders of the wholehearted support from the Ministry of Defence in achieving the goal of being a potent Strategic Aerospace Force.
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INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Yemen

Houthis are working with al-Qaeda and Islamic State, claimed Yemeni government

The Yemeni government had submitted a memorandum to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), informing that the Houthis are working “closely” with al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS). The report also stated that the Houthi militias have freed at least 252 al-Qaeda prisoners, including a key conspirator behind the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole.
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Africa

Nigeria

Nigerian Army killed 11 Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State

On 05 April, Nigerian army eliminated 11 Boko Haram terrorists in a counter-terrorism (CT) operation in the Gwoza local government area of Borno State in Nigeria. In operation, several terrorists were wounded. Post-operation, army recovered weapons, motorcycles, and ammunition from the site.
According to the United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency, violence by Boko Haram has affected around 26 million people in the Lake Chad region and displaced 2.6 million others.
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Somalia

Al-Shabaab issued warning against AstraZeneca vaccine

In a statement released on 30 March, al-Shabaab terrorist group warned Somalis against administering AstraZeneca vaccine citing it as “deadly and unsafe”. The statement linked several other statements by European countries on rejecting AstraZeneca due to its side-effects.
“Do now allow your children and family members to be used as guinea pigs in the race to develop a potent vaccine for the coronavirus pandemic. Do not allow your family to be used as subjects in the experimentation of the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine at a time when a countless number of people have died, and hundreds of others have developed severe adverse reactions, including the formation of blood clots, as a result of administering the vaccine,” read the statement.
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Afghanistan

Afghan security forces eliminated 35 Taliban terrorists in Faryab and Baghlan provinces

In a statement released on 03 April, the Afghanistan Ministry of Defence (MoD) informed that in two separate operations, Afghanistan security forces eliminated at least 35 Taliban terrorists in Faryab and Baghlan provinces. At least 26 Taliban terrorists were killed, and 33 others wounded after the Afghan Air Force (AAF) carried out airstrikes on Taliban position in Sarchakan village of Gurziwan district in Faryab province. In another operation, nine Taliban terrorists were eliminated after the Afghan National Army (ANA) carried out counter-terrorism (CT) operation in Dand-e-Shahabuddin locality in Baghlan province.
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At least five civilians were killed in a roadside explosion in Helmand province

On 02 April, at least five civilians were killed, and seven others wounded in a roadside explosion near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province. No terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.
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Pentagon condemned Taliban’s attack on Kandahar airfield

While addressing the Press on 07 April, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby has said that the “United States condemned Taliban’s attack on Kandahar airfield which is home to several hundred US and coalition forces troops.” The attack did not cause any casualties, however it highlighted Taliban’s decision to provoke extreme violence against US interests despite ongoing ‘so-called’ peace process.
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Pakistan

At least 12 people were injured in an explosion during football match in Baluchistan

On 13 April, an explosion took place during a football match in Allahabad town in Hub (industrial centre) in Baluchistan province. At least 12 people were injured in the blast caused by the locally-manufactured IED (Improvised Explosive Device). The Hub town connects Karachi to Baluchistan. Baluchistan-based terrorists have been carried out terrorist attacks on police and security forces, including labour workforce from outside the province to work on the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in different part of province.
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Security forces eliminated a TTP terrorist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

In a counter-terrorism operation on 05 April, security forces killed an unidentified Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist in Boya area of North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka proscribed 11 Islamic extremist organisations, including al-Qaeda and IS

On 07 April, Sri Lankan government banned 11 Islamic extremist/terrorist organisations, including al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS). In a statement released from the office of Attorney-General Dappula de Livera, 09 local Islamic extremist groups alongside al-Qaeda and IS are proscribed and the proscription will come into force with a Gazette to be issued soon.
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Bangladesh

RAB arrested radical Islamic preacher from Mymensingh division

On 07 April, Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Rafiqul Islam Madani aka ‘shishubokta or child preacher’—a radical Islamic preacher of the Hefazat-e-Islam group in Bangladesh, from Purbatola area in Netrokona district in Mymensingh division in northern Bangladesh. Madani (28 years-old) has been charged under the Digital Security Act for making anti-State, provocative, arrogant remarks with further intentions to create chaos.
For more information: Click here to read…

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

Security forces arrested IS-JK commander from Jammu-Srinagar Highway

On 04 April, the Special Operation Group (SOG) and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police personnel averted a major terrorist attack with the arrest of commander of Islamic State-Jammu & Kashmir (IS-JK)—Malik Umair aka Abdullah, from Jhajjar Kotli on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. A pistol, eight rounds, and ₹ 1.13 lakh were recovered from Malik Umair’s possession.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism

NIA raided 31 locations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in Munchingput Maoist case

On 31 March, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at 31 locations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the case related to the activities of the proscribed Communist Party of India (CPI-Maoist) in Andhra Pradesh in the guise of frontal organisations. The case relates to the recovery of literature of CPI (Maoist), press notes, medicines, wire bundles and explosives substances from the accused Pangi Naganna , who was intercepted by Munchingput Police, District Visakhapatnam Rural, Andhra Pradesh during vehicle checking in November 2020.
For more information:
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23 security force personnel attained Veergati in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh

On 03 April, 23 security force personnel attained Veergati, and 33 others were injured in the gun-battle with Maoists in the jungles of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh. The attack was carried out by over 400 Maoists from three different sides. The gun-battle stretched over 2 km near Tekulguda village. Some of the soldiers carried their injured buddies into the Tekulguda village where Maoists trapped and attacked them with daggers.
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Khalistan-inspired Extremism

NIA filed charge-sheet against three narco-traffickers in KLF narco-terror case

On 08 April, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a supplementary charge-sheet in the NIA Special Court in Mohali in connection to Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) narco-terror case. The accused in charge-sheet were identified as Rajendra Singh aka Ganja, Parminder Pal Singh aka Bobby, and Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada. The case was registered on 31 May 2020 under Sections 21 and 29 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and Section 17 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA (P)A].
For more information:
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Islamic Extremism

Special NIA Court sentenced ABT terrorist to 07 years’ imprisonment in 2018 ABT case

On 08 April, the Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court-Kolkata, sentenced Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) terrorist—Rizual Islam aka Riyaz aka Sumon in a 2018 ABT case under Sections 120-B, 121-A, 125, 468, 471 of Indian Penal Code, Sections 18 and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A], Section 14 of Foreigners Act 1946. The Special NIA Court sentenced Rizual Islam to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and fine of ₹ 36,000.
The investigation had revealed that in ABT members of Bangladesh origin had entered India in 2016 and were conspiring to commit terrorist acts. Rizual had travelled and stayed at Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai in the guise of labourers. Rizual had tried to procure chemicals from a shop in Patna and planned to establish hide-outs in Ranchi. Along with other ABT members, Rizual aimed to procure arms and ammunition in Kolkata. Several incriminating materials like map of Sealdah Railway Station, Howrah Bridge, literature on explosives and bomb-making, fake Aadhaar Card, fake PAN Card were seized from the possession of the accused in the case.
For more information:
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NIA filed charge-sheet against two IS sympathisers in 2020 Bengaluru case

On 01 April, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed charge-sheet against two Islamic State (IS) sympathisers—Ahamed Abdul Cader and Irfan Nasir under Sections 120-B, 125 of Indian Penal Code and Sections 17, 18, and 18-B of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A] at NIA Special Court in Bengaluru. Ahamed and Irfan were sympathisers of IS which identified impressionable Muslim youth and further motivated, radicalised them and also provided funds for their visit to Syria to further the ideology and activities of the organisation.
The charge-sheet also revealed that Ahamed Cader, Irfan Nasir and some of other IS sympathisers who are members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), had formed a group namely ‘Quran Circle’ to further their IS related activities. On the basis of the forensic investigation of the digital devices seized during the search and analysis of funds raised and provided by the members of ‘Quran Circle’, roles of various accused/suspects located abroad and in India, has emerged which is under investigation in the case.
For more information:
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CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

MeitY trained over 4000 officials in cyber safety

In last three months (Jan-Mar 2021), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) virtually trained over 4000 government officials in cyber safety programmes. The programme was divided in two sections—i) one-day basic training to avoid incidents of ‘cyber breaches and digital sanitisation’, ii) a five-day programme consists of technical advancement of the previous programme.
The discovery of critical vulnerabilities in several government information system servers, which could have given attackers access to sensitive networks, underscores the need for the country’s digital infrastructure to be made more secure.
For more information: Click here to read…

DEFENCE

• Indigenisation and self-reliance in the defence sector.
• Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility L58 Commissioned at Port Blair.
• Contract with BDL to supply Anti-Tank Guided Missiles.
• Salient Points of the Statement by Raksha Mantri after bilateral talks with US Defence Secretary. New Inventions by DRDO.
• Indigenous designing and manufacturing of defence system.
• Contract with MDSL to supply Light Specialist Vehicles.
• Mission Sagar IV at Port Ehoala (Madagascar).
• Minister of National Defence of Republic of Korea to visit India from March 25-27, 2021.
• 7th Staff Talks between Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy.
• Webinar with Chile on Defence Industry Global Outreach.
• Exercise Desert Flag-VI.
• Indian and US Special Forces Conclude Joint Training Exercise.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Yemen

• Al-Qaeda attacked military post in Abyan province.

Afghanistan

• Taliban vow to restore Islamic rule in Afghanistan.
• Terrorists killed three women healthcare workers in Nangarhar province.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

NIA court sentenced LeT terrorist to ten years imprisonment in 2016 LeT conspiracy case.

“Sticky bombs are challenge to security forces in Kashmir,” said IGP Kashmir Range.

Security forces eliminated four LeT terrorists in Shopian.

Left-Wing Extremism

• Maoists killed a villager in Chhattisgarh.
• Security forces eliminated four Maoists in Bihar.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• NIA filed charge-sheet against seven Khalistani operatives.

Islamic Extremism

• NIA raided 11 locations in Delhi, Kerala and Karnataka in connection to IS module.

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

• “India’s Cyber Security critical for its growth,” said India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator
• Cyber-attacks impacted 52 per cent of organisation in India over the last 12 months

Defence

Indigenisation and self-reliance in the defence sector.

The Government is working on Second ‘Positive Indigenisation List’ as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan on domestic procurements.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility L58 Commissioned at Port Blair.

Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility (LCU) L58, the eighth and last ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mark IV Class, was commissioned into the Indian Navy at Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands on March 18, 2021.The LCU 58 is an amphibious ship which can carry 160 troops, in addition to its crew. With a displacement of 900 tons, the ship is capable of carrying various types of combat vehicles such as Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), BMPs, Armoured Vehicles, trucks, etc. The ship measures 63 meters in length and is fitted with two MTA 4,000 series engines, which are capable of propelling the ship at speeds of up to 15 knots (28 kmph). It would be based at Port Blair and will be deployed in a variety of roles such as Beaching, Search and Rescue, Disaster Relief, Coastal Patrol and Surveillance operations along the Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands, Bay of Bengal and in the Indian Ocean.

Contract with BDL to supply Anti-Tank Guided Missiles.

Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for supply of 4,960 MILAN-2T Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) to Indian Army at a cost of Rs 1,188 crore, in New Delhi on March 19, 2021. This will further boost the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government. It is a ‘Repeat Order’ of contract, which was signed with BDL on March 08, 2016.The Milan-2T is a Tandem Warhead ATGM with the range of 1,850 meters, produced by BDL under license from MBDA Missile Systems, France.

Salient Points of the Statement by Raksha Mantri(RM) after bilateral talks with US Defence Secretary.

The RM said “We are keen to work together to realise the full potential of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Our discussions today focussed on our wide ranging defence cooperation and expanding military-to-military engagement across services, information sharing, cooperation in emerging sectors of defence, and mutual logistics support. We reviewed the wide gamut of bilateral and multilateral exercises and agreed to pursue enhanced cooperation with the US Indo-Pacific Command, Central Command and Africa Command. Acknowledging that we have in place the foundational agreements, LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA, we discussed steps to be taken to realise their full potential for mutual benefit.” He further stated “The recent Leaders’ Summit of India, USA, Japan and Australia under the Quad framework emphasized our resolve to maintain a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. We discussed the need for enhanced capacity building to address some of the non-traditional challenges such as oil spills and environment disasters, drug trafficking, Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) fishing, etc.”
For more information: Click here to read…

New Inventions by DRDO.

During the past 3 years, 79 projects amounting to Rs.8201 Crores directly pertaining to development of new defence equipments i.e. Cruise Missile, Anti-Ship Missile, Surface-to-Air Missile, Air-to-Air Missile, Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket, Mounted Gun System, Ammunitions, Electronic Warfare System, Radars, Torpedoes, High Endurance Autonomous Underwater Vehicle etc. have been undertaken. Many DRDO developed technologies such as Battle Field Surveillance Rader (BFSR), Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC) Jammers, 5.56 mm Rifle, 40 mm Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBRL), Oleo Resin (OR) Grenade etc are being utilized by the State Police.
For more information: Click here to read…

Contract with MDSL to supply Light Specialist Vehicles

Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL) for supply of 1,300 Light Specialist Vehicles to the Indian Army, at a cost of Rs 1,056 crore, in New Delhi on March 22, 2021. The induction of vehicles is planned to be completed in four years.The Light Specialist Vehicle is a modern fighting vehicle and will be authorised to various fighting units for carriage of Medium Machine Guns, Automatic Grenade Launchers as well as Anti-tank Guided Missiles. The Light Specialist Vehicle is indigenously designed and developed by MDSL. These combat vehicles are extremely agile with all round protection against small arms fire and will assist small independent detachments which are required to operate this weapon platform in the operational area. This is a flagship project showcasing the indigenous manufacturing capabilities of the defence industry and will add another milestone to the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan’ and ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government.

Mission Sagar IV at Port Ehoala (Madagascar)

Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa arrived at Port Ehoala, Madagascar on 22 March 2021. The ship will deliver a consignment of 1,000 Metric Tonne of rice and 100,000 Hydroxychloroquine tablets in response to an appeal made by Madagascar for assistance to deal with natural calamities.An official ceremony for handing over the aid from the Government of India to Government of Madagascar was held on 23 March 2021.

Minister of National Defence of Republic of Korea to visit India from March 25-27, 2021

Minister of National Defence of Republic of Korea (RoK) Mr Suh Wook was on a visit to India from March 25-27, 2021. During the visit, the dignitary held bilateral meeting with Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi and discussed India–RoK defence cooperation along with other regional and international issues of mutual interest.

7th Staff Talks between Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy

Bolstering existing defence relations between India and Bangladesh in the maritime domain, 7th Staff Talks between Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy were conducted from 23 to 25 March 2021 at New Delhi.

Webinar with Chile on Defence Industry Global Outreach

A webinar between India and Chile was held on 25 March 2021. The Theme of webinar was “Indian Defence Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnership: Webinar and Expo”. It was organized under the aegis of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence through Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM). Secretary (Defence Production) highlighted the strong capabilities of Indian defence industry in various fields and their willingness to collaborate with Chilean defence companies for co-development and co-production in the areas of mutual interest. He further stated that Indian defence industry is keen to participate in the bidding procurement process of Chilean Armed Forces.

Indian companies L&T, Bharat Forge, Goa Shipyard Limited, HAL, Mahindra Defence, MKU, OFB and Tata Advanced Systems made presentations on major defence platforms and products. From Chilean side FAMAE/S2T, ASMAR/SISDEF and ENAER/DTS made company presentations.The webinar was attended by more than 130 delegates. More than 100 virtual exhibition stalls from Indian companies were set up.

Exercise Desert Flag-VI

Ex Desert Flag is an annual multi-lateral large force employment exercise hosted by UAE. The sixth edition of the exercise was conducted from 04 Mar to 27 Mar 21 at Air Force Base Al Dhafra, UAE. IAF participated in the exercise for the first time, fielding Su-30MKI fighter aircraft. Six countries; UAE, USA, France, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain apart from India participated with aerial assets. Jordan, Greece, Qatar, Egypt and South Korea participated as observer forces.
For more information: Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Taliban vow to restore Islamic rule in Afghanistan

Taliban, on 19 March, warned the United States (US) administration against defying “01 May” deadline for the withdrawal of the US troops and NATO troops from Afghanistan, promising a “reaction” in form of increased attacks by the terrorist group. A member of Taliban negotiation team—Suhail Shaheen said that the “Taliban were firm on their demand for an Islamic government, and the government of President Ashraf Ghani would not fit their definition of an Islamic government.”
For more information: Click here to read…

Terrorists killed three women healthcare workers in Nangarhar province

In two separate incidents on 30 March, unidentified terrorists killed three women healthcare workers administering polio vaccine, in Nangarhar province. Two women were shot and killed in District 7 and the third in District 4. No terrorist group claimed the responsibility. Several attacks have gone unclaimed. The government blames most attacks on Taliban, who today hold sway over nearly half the country. The Taliban, in turn, deny any role in some of the attacks and blame the government.
For more information: Click here to read…

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

NIA court sentenced LeT terrorist to 10 years imprisonment in 2016 LeT conspiracy case

On 26 March, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Patiala House Courts in Delhi, sentenced Bahadur Ali aka Saifullah Mansoor—Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist and Pakistan national, to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and fine. Bahadur Ali was convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A], Arms Act, Explosives Act, Explosive Substances Act, Foreigners Act, and Indian Wireless Telegraphy (IWT) Act.

The case was related to a larger conspiracy hatched by LeT to commit terror attacks in India. As a part of conspiracy, Bahadur Ali and two of his associates—Abu Saad and Abu Darda, had infiltrated in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) with intentions to carry-out attacks at different places in India, including Delhi.
For more information:
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“Sticky bombs are challenge to security forces in Kashmir,” said IGP Kashmir Range

In a response to a question during press conference on 22 March, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Range—Vijay Kumar said that “Sticky bombs aka Magnet-attached Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are challenge to security forces, but situation is not alarming. We [security forces] will deal with it effectively and ensure a peaceful pilgrimage [of Amarnath Yatra from 28 June].”
In an advisory, the administration appealed to civilians not to leave their vehicles unattended in public places. Sticky bombs had been found in February along with the International Border (IB) of India-Pakistan in the Samba sector of Jammu. Investigation revealed that the explosives had been air-dropped by drones.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism
Maoists killed a villager in Chhattisgarh
On 17 March, Maoists killed a villager—Munna Verma on suspicion of being a police informer in Khursipar Khurd village in Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh which comes under the newly formed MMC Zone (Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh) of CPI (Maoist). The Maoist abducted Munna and later shot him in the jungle. Several leaflets and pamphlets indicating that Munna was a police informer, were recovered from the spot where Munna was killed.
For more information: Click here to read…

Security forces eliminated four Maoists in Bihar

On 16 March, security forces eliminated four Maoists in a gun-battle in forests of Chakarbandha Hill in Gaya district in Bihar. Three AK-47 assault rifles and an INSAS rifle were recovered from the encounter site. The slain Maoists were identified as Amresh Singh aka Tuntun Bhokta (zonal commander-Gaya), Shivpujan Yadav aka Pramod (sub-zonal commander), Uday Paswan, and Sita Bhuiyan.
For more information: Click here to read…

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

NIA filed charge-sheet against seven Khalistani operatives

On 22 March, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed charge-sheet against seven Khalistani operatives—Jajbir Singh Samraaka Jazz aka Jass, Varinder Singh Chahal, Kulbir Singh, Manjit Kaur, Taranbir Singh, Kulwinderjit Singh, and Harmeet Singh aka PhD, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA (P)A], at the NIA Special Court, Mohali.

The charge-sheet was in connection to the case of seizure of two hand grenades, and a mobile phone recovered by Punjab Police at a Bus Stop, while the unidentified bikers were stopped by the police during regular checking. Investigation revealed that Jajbir Singh Samra and Varinder Singh Chahal were part of a narco-terror cell involved in distribution of Heroin smuggled from Pakistan. Kulwinderjit Singh was an operative of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror group, and Harmeet Singh was a self-styled chief of Pakistan-based Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF).
For more information:
Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism

NIA raided 11 locations in Delhi, Kerala and Karnataka in connection to IS module

On 15 March, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials, along with local Police units, raided 11 locations—eight in Kerala, two in Bengaluru, and one location in Delhi, in connection to Islamic State (IS) module led by Mohammad Ameen aka Abu Yahya. The group have been running various IS propaganda channels on different social media and communication platforms such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram for propagating the violent jihadi ideology and radicalising and recruiting new members to this IS module.
According to the press statement released by the NIA, the searches were conducted at the premises of Mohammed Ameen and his associates who were members of the various groups/channels on encrypted communication platforms. Several digital devices including laptops, mobiles, Hard Disk Drives (HDD), pen drives, multiple SIM cards of different service providers and incriminating documents have been recovered.
For more information:
Click here to read…

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

“India’s Cyber Security critical for its growth,” said India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator

While addressing the conference ‘Militaria@Jaipur 2021 on Information Warfare (IW) on 13 March, India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC)—Lt Gen (Retd) Rajesh Pant cautioned that other nations could slow down India’s growth by interfering with its cyberspace. Due to cyber-crime, the global economic loss in 2020 was USD 06 trillion. “With automation and digitisation, all sectors have become critical sectors, and this has made cyber security that much more relevant. Cyber security is going to be one of the factors that will create headwinds in the economic growth the country [India] wants,” said Lt Gen Pant.
For more information: Click here to read…

Cyber-attacks impacted 52 per cent of organisation in India over the last 12 months

According to a report The Future of Cyber Security in Asia-Pacific and Japan by Sophos—a cyber security solution provider, cyber security attacks impacted 52 per cent of organisations in India in last over 12 months; of these attacks 71 per cent of firms admitted that “it was a serious or very serious attack” and 65 per cent said it took more than a week to fix the issue.

According to the same report, overall, 44 per cent of Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) organisations surveyed suffered a data breach in 2020, up from 32 per cent in 2019. Of these successful breaches, 55 per cent of companies rated the loss of data as either “very serious” (24 per cent) or “serious” (31 per cent). About 17 per cent of organisations surveyed suffered at least 50 cyber-attacks per week.
For more information: Click here to read…

DEFENCE

• Indigenisation and self-reliance in the defence sector.
• Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility L58 Commissioned at Port Blair.
• Contract with BDL to supply Anti-Tank Guided Missiles.
• Salient Points of the Statement by Raksha Mantri after bilateral talks with US Defence Secretary. New Inventions by DRDO.
• Indigenous designing and manufacturing of defence system.
• Contract with MDSL to supply Light Specialist Vehicles.
• Mission Sagar IV at Port Ehoala (Madagascar).
• Minister of National Defence of Republic of Korea to visit India from March 25-27, 2021.
• 7th Staff Talks between Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy.
• Webinar with Chile on Defence Industry Global Outreach.
• Exercise Desert Flag-VI.
• Indian and US Special Forces Conclude Joint Training Exercise.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Yemen

• Al-Qaeda attacked military post in Abyan province.

Afghanistan

• Taliban vow to restore Islamic rule in Afghanistan.
• Terrorists killed three women healthcare workers in Nangarhar province.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

NIA court sentenced LeT terrorist to ten years imprisonment in 2016 LeT conspiracy case.

“Sticky bombs are challenge to security forces in Kashmir,” said IGP Kashmir Range.

Security forces eliminated four LeT terrorists in Shopian.

Left-Wing Extremism

• Maoists killed a villager in Chhattisgarh.
• Security forces eliminated four Maoists in Bihar.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• NIA filed charge-sheet against seven Khalistani operatives.

Islamic Extremism

• NIA raided 11 locations in Delhi, Kerala and Karnataka in connection to IS module.

CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

• “India’s Cyber Security critical for its growth,” said India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator
• Cyber-attacks impacted 52 per cent of organisation in India over the last 12 months

Defence

Indigenisation and self-reliance in the defence sector.

The Government is working on Second ‘Positive Indigenisation List’ as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan on domestic procurements.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility L58 Commissioned at Port Blair.

Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility (LCU) L58, the eighth and last ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mark IV Class, was commissioned into the Indian Navy at Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands on March 18, 2021.The LCU 58 is an amphibious ship which can carry 160 troops, in addition to its crew. With a displacement of 900 tons, the ship is capable of carrying various types of combat vehicles such as Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), BMPs, Armoured Vehicles, trucks, etc. The ship measures 63 meters in length and is fitted with two MTA 4,000 series engines, which are capable of propelling the ship at speeds of up to 15 knots (28 kmph). It would be based at Port Blair and will be deployed in a variety of roles such as Beaching, Search and Rescue, Disaster Relief, Coastal Patrol and Surveillance operations along the Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands, Bay of Bengal and in the Indian Ocean.

Contract with BDL to supply Anti-Tank Guided Missiles.

Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for supply of 4,960 MILAN-2T Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) to Indian Army at a cost of Rs 1,188 crore, in New Delhi on March 19, 2021. This will further boost the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government. It is a ‘Repeat Order’ of contract, which was signed with BDL on March 08, 2016.The Milan-2T is a Tandem Warhead ATGM with the range of 1,850 meters, produced by BDL under license from MBDA Missile Systems, France.

Salient Points of the Statement by Raksha Mantri(RM) after bilateral talks with US Defence Secretary.

The RM said “We are keen to work together to realise the full potential of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Our discussions today focussed on our wide ranging defence cooperation and expanding military-to-military engagement across services, information sharing, cooperation in emerging sectors of defence, and mutual logistics support. We reviewed the wide gamut of bilateral and multilateral exercises and agreed to pursue enhanced cooperation with the US Indo-Pacific Command, Central Command and Africa Command. Acknowledging that we have in place the foundational agreements, LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA, we discussed steps to be taken to realise their full potential for mutual benefit.” He further stated “The recent Leaders’ Summit of India, USA, Japan and Australia under the Quad framework emphasized our resolve to maintain a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. We discussed the need for enhanced capacity building to address some of the non-traditional challenges such as oil spills and environment disasters, drug trafficking, Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) fishing, etc.”
For more information: Click here to read…

New Inventions by DRDO.

During the past 3 years, 79 projects amounting to Rs.8201 Crores directly pertaining to development of new defence equipments i.e. Cruise Missile, Anti-Ship Missile, Surface-to-Air Missile, Air-to-Air Missile, Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket, Mounted Gun System, Ammunitions, Electronic Warfare System, Radars, Torpedoes, High Endurance Autonomous Underwater Vehicle etc. have been undertaken. Many DRDO developed technologies such as Battle Field Surveillance Rader (BFSR), Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC) Jammers, 5.56 mm Rifle, 40 mm Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBRL), Oleo Resin (OR) Grenade etc are being utilized by the State Police.
For more information: Click here to read…

Contract with MDSL to supply Light Specialist Vehicles

Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL) for supply of 1,300 Light Specialist Vehicles to the Indian Army, at a cost of Rs 1,056 crore, in New Delhi on March 22, 2021. The induction of vehicles is planned to be completed in four years.The Light Specialist Vehicle is a modern fighting vehicle and will be authorised to various fighting units for carriage of Medium Machine Guns, Automatic Grenade Launchers as well as Anti-tank Guided Missiles. The Light Specialist Vehicle is indigenously designed and developed by MDSL. These combat vehicles are extremely agile with all round protection against small arms fire and will assist small independent detachments which are required to operate this weapon platform in the operational area. This is a flagship project showcasing the indigenous manufacturing capabilities of the defence industry and will add another milestone to the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan’ and ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government.

Mission Sagar IV at Port Ehoala (Madagascar)

Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa arrived at Port Ehoala, Madagascar on 22 March 2021. The ship will deliver a consignment of 1,000 Metric Tonne of rice and 100,000 Hydroxychloroquine tablets in response to an appeal made by Madagascar for assistance to deal with natural calamities.An official ceremony for handing over the aid from the Government of India to Government of Madagascar was held on 23 March 2021.

Minister of National Defence of Republic of Korea to visit India from March 25-27, 2021

Minister of National Defence of Republic of Korea (RoK) Mr Suh Wook was on a visit to India from March 25-27, 2021. During the visit, the dignitary held bilateral meeting with Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi and discussed India–RoK defence cooperation along with other regional and international issues of mutual interest.

7th Staff Talks between Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy

Bolstering existing defence relations between India and Bangladesh in the maritime domain, 7th Staff Talks between Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy were conducted from 23 to 25 March 2021 at New Delhi.

Webinar with Chile on Defence Industry Global Outreach

A webinar between India and Chile was held on 25 March 2021. The Theme of webinar was “Indian Defence Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnership: Webinar and Expo”. It was organized under the aegis of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence through Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM). Secretary (Defence Production) highlighted the strong capabilities of Indian defence industry in various fields and their willingness to collaborate with Chilean defence companies for co-development and co-production in the areas of mutual interest. He further stated that Indian defence industry is keen to participate in the bidding procurement process of Chilean Armed Forces.

Indian companies L&T, Bharat Forge, Goa Shipyard Limited, HAL, Mahindra Defence, MKU, OFB and Tata Advanced Systems made presentations on major defence platforms and products. From Chilean side FAMAE/S2T, ASMAR/SISDEF and ENAER/DTS made company presentations.The webinar was attended by more than 130 delegates. More than 100 virtual exhibition stalls from Indian companies were set up.

Exercise Desert Flag-VI

Ex Desert Flag is an annual multi-lateral large force employment exercise hosted by UAE. The sixth edition of the exercise was conducted from 04 Mar to 27 Mar 21 at Air Force Base Al Dhafra, UAE. IAF participated in the exercise for the first time, fielding Su-30MKI fighter aircraft. Six countries; UAE, USA, France, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain apart from India participated with aerial assets. Jordan, Greece, Qatar, Egypt and South Korea participated as observer forces.
For more information: Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Taliban vow to restore Islamic rule in Afghanistan

Taliban, on 19 March, warned the United States (US) administration against defying “01 May” deadline for the withdrawal of the US troops and NATO troops from Afghanistan, promising a “reaction” in form of increased attacks by the terrorist group. A member of Taliban negotiation team—Suhail Shaheen said that the “Taliban were firm on their demand for an Islamic government, and the government of President Ashraf Ghani would not fit their definition of an Islamic government.”
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Terrorists killed three women healthcare workers in Nangarhar province

In two separate incidents on 30 March, unidentified terrorists killed three women healthcare workers administering polio vaccine, in Nangarhar province. Two women were shot and killed in District 7 and the third in District 4. No terrorist group claimed the responsibility. Several attacks have gone unclaimed. The government blames most attacks on Taliban, who today hold sway over nearly half the country. The Taliban, in turn, deny any role in some of the attacks and blame the government.
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DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

NIA court sentenced LeT terrorist to 10 years imprisonment in 2016 LeT conspiracy case

On 26 March, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Patiala House Courts in Delhi, sentenced Bahadur Ali aka Saifullah Mansoor—Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist and Pakistan national, to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and fine. Bahadur Ali was convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A], Arms Act, Explosives Act, Explosive Substances Act, Foreigners Act, and Indian Wireless Telegraphy (IWT) Act.

The case was related to a larger conspiracy hatched by LeT to commit terror attacks in India. As a part of conspiracy, Bahadur Ali and two of his associates—Abu Saad and Abu Darda, had infiltrated in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) with intentions to carry-out attacks at different places in India, including Delhi.
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“Sticky bombs are challenge to security forces in Kashmir,” said IGP Kashmir Range

In a response to a question during press conference on 22 March, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Range—Vijay Kumar said that “Sticky bombs aka Magnet-attached Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are challenge to security forces, but situation is not alarming. We [security forces] will deal with it effectively and ensure a peaceful pilgrimage [of Amarnath Yatra from 28 June].”
In an advisory, the administration appealed to civilians not to leave their vehicles unattended in public places. Sticky bombs had been found in February along with the International Border (IB) of India-Pakistan in the Samba sector of Jammu. Investigation revealed that the explosives had been air-dropped by drones.
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Left-Wing Extremism
Maoists killed a villager in Chhattisgarh
On 17 March, Maoists killed a villager—Munna Verma on suspicion of being a police informer in Khursipar Khurd village in Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh which comes under the newly formed MMC Zone (Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh) of CPI (Maoist). The Maoist abducted Munna and later shot him in the jungle. Several leaflets and pamphlets indicating that Munna was a police informer, were recovered from the spot where Munna was killed.
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Security forces eliminated four Maoists in Bihar

On 16 March, security forces eliminated four Maoists in a gun-battle in forests of Chakarbandha Hill in Gaya district in Bihar. Three AK-47 assault rifles and an INSAS rifle were recovered from the encounter site. The slain Maoists were identified as Amresh Singh aka Tuntun Bhokta (zonal commander-Gaya), Shivpujan Yadav aka Pramod (sub-zonal commander), Uday Paswan, and Sita Bhuiyan.
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Khalistan-inspired Extremism

NIA filed charge-sheet against seven Khalistani operatives

On 22 March, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed charge-sheet against seven Khalistani operatives—Jajbir Singh Samraaka Jazz aka Jass, Varinder Singh Chahal, Kulbir Singh, Manjit Kaur, Taranbir Singh, Kulwinderjit Singh, and Harmeet Singh aka PhD, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA (P)A], at the NIA Special Court, Mohali.

The charge-sheet was in connection to the case of seizure of two hand grenades, and a mobile phone recovered by Punjab Police at a Bus Stop, while the unidentified bikers were stopped by the police during regular checking. Investigation revealed that Jajbir Singh Samra and Varinder Singh Chahal were part of a narco-terror cell involved in distribution of Heroin smuggled from Pakistan. Kulwinderjit Singh was an operative of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror group, and Harmeet Singh was a self-styled chief of Pakistan-based Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF).
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Islamic Extremism

NIA raided 11 locations in Delhi, Kerala and Karnataka in connection to IS module

On 15 March, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials, along with local Police units, raided 11 locations—eight in Kerala, two in Bengaluru, and one location in Delhi, in connection to Islamic State (IS) module led by Mohammad Ameen aka Abu Yahya. The group have been running various IS propaganda channels on different social media and communication platforms such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram for propagating the violent jihadi ideology and radicalising and recruiting new members to this IS module.
According to the press statement released by the NIA, the searches were conducted at the premises of Mohammed Ameen and his associates who were members of the various groups/channels on encrypted communication platforms. Several digital devices including laptops, mobiles, Hard Disk Drives (HDD), pen drives, multiple SIM cards of different service providers and incriminating documents have been recovered.
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CYBER, INFORMATION WARFARE & AI (SECURITY PERSPECTIVE)

“India’s Cyber Security critical for its growth,” said India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator

While addressing the conference ‘Militaria@Jaipur 2021 on Information Warfare (IW) on 13 March, India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC)—Lt Gen (Retd) Rajesh Pant cautioned that other nations could slow down India’s growth by interfering with its cyberspace. Due to cyber-crime, the global economic loss in 2020 was USD 06 trillion. “With automation and digitisation, all sectors have become critical sectors, and this has made cyber security that much more relevant. Cyber security is going to be one of the factors that will create headwinds in the economic growth the country [India] wants,” said Lt Gen Pant.
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Cyber-attacks impacted 52 per cent of organisation in India over the last 12 months

According to a report The Future of Cyber Security in Asia-Pacific and Japan by Sophos—a cyber security solution provider, cyber security attacks impacted 52 per cent of organisations in India in last over 12 months; of these attacks 71 per cent of firms admitted that “it was a serious or very serious attack” and 65 per cent said it took more than a week to fix the issue.

According to the same report, overall, 44 per cent of Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) organisations surveyed suffered a data breach in 2020, up from 32 per cent in 2019. Of these successful breaches, 55 per cent of companies rated the loss of data as either “very serious” (24 per cent) or “serious” (31 per cent). About 17 per cent of organisations surveyed suffered at least 50 cyber-attacks per week.
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