Indian Homeland Security Watch

[ajtr]

'4 prime suspects in German Bakery blast fled to Pakistan'​

PUNE: Officers probing the deadly German Bakery blast that killed 17 people on February 13 have claimed that four prime suspects in the attack have fled to Pakistan.

Initial suspicion had fallen on the Indian Mujahideen group and police leaks had hinted at the involvement of the terror group's founder Riyaz Bhatkal, his brother Iqbal and Yaseen, who is said to be a relative of the Bhatkal brothers. But for months there has been little headway into the case and the cops now privately admit that the IM may have little to do with it.

In that light, the sudden talk of four prime suspects fleeing to Pakistan could also indicate a failure by the Anti-Terror Squad to find enough evidence to nail any suspect and fend criticism by saying that the main attackers had fled.

"We are now considering asking the central government to approach Pakistan to help bring these suspects to India," a senior police officer, who is part of the investigations, told TOI.

"We have enough evidence to establish the involvement of these four suspects in the actual execution of the blast. We were able to trace their residences in India and have even questioned the family members of some of the suspects. We have information that all four suspects are presently in Pakistan," he said.

The officer refuted the charge that investigations had made no headway in the three months since the powerful explosion ripped through Pune's favourite hangout for the young hip set.

 

[nandu]

Two arrested with cartridges from North Block

New Delhi, May 13 (PTI) Two men allegedly carrying live catridges were today picked up by security forces from the high-security North Block housing Home and Finance Ministries in the capital, police said.

Mukesh Kumar and Moti Lal, hailing from Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur, were arrested by CISF officials guarding the North Block after they were found carrying two live cartridges, they said.

The duo were trying to enter the office of Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena to give him a wedding card when they were caught at Gate No 2 of the North Block by security personnel at around 2:30 pm.

Earlier in the day they had gone to Meena's residence to invite him for the wedding but could not meet him, they said quoting the detenues.

"The bullets were of 9mm. It was detected when the bags were passed through X-Ray machines.

 

[nandu]

Man held at airport with 14kg ketamine

Chennai, May 13 (PTI) A 32-year-old man was arrested at the airport here for allegedly attempting to smuggle 14.7 kg of ketamine, valued at Rs 1.47 crore, to Malaysia, a top customs official said today.

The drug was concealed in cavity in ice-cream vending machines, R Periasami, Commissioner of Customs (Airport and Air Cargo), said.

The passenger, identified as Mani Vijayakumar, was picked up for questioning on suspicion yesterday and he revealed that he was trying to smuggle ketamine hydrochloride, Periasami said in a release here.

 

[Pintu]

Terror attack in Hyderabad, police constable killed near Mecca Masjid

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...a-Masjid-in-Hyderabad/articleshow/5932748.cms

Cop shot dead near Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad
15 May 2010, 0106 hrs IST,ET Bureau

HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: A policeman was shot dead and two more injured by unidentified people on a motorcycle in Hyderabad on Friday. The city is under high alert after the incident in which the police have not ruled out terrorist involvement.

The incident took place on Friday evening in Shahali Banda, which is very close to the Charminar and Mecca Masjid in the old city area. Agencies quoted eye witness accounts as saying that two persons on a motorcycle fired on a police picket. The police patrol was in the area as part of security arrangements ahead of the third anniversary of the Mecca Masjid blasts on May 18. The assailants escaped after firing at policemen.

Andhra Pradesh special police constable Ramesh died while being shifted to the Osmania Hospital. Two other policemen were being nursed for injuries. Hyderabad police commissioner A K Khan said the city police was examining witnesses. "It seems one or two rounds were fired at him (the constable). Who did it and in what context, we are examining it," Mr Khan said.

The city has been on a terror alert post the Bangalore blast last month. Police has mounted search operations over the last fortnight and made arrests. Police had arrested an alleged terror suspect belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba on May 3. The 34-year-old Mohammed Zia-ul-Haq is accused of plotting explosions in busy areas of the city.

It is not clear whether there is a link between that arrest and Friday's firing. However, the police believe the incident to be the handiwork of terror suspect Viqaruddin, being investigated in connection with the killing of another policeman in a similar incident on the second anniversary of the Mecca Masjid blasts last year. Two policemen were injured on December 3, 2008, in an attempt to arrest the terror suspect, who managed to escape with two alleged accomplices. Mr Khan confirmed that Mr Viqaruddin was a suspect in the case. "He is also one of the suspects we are looking for and there are others too," the commissioner said.

There were communal clashes in the old city area of Hyderabad that left three persons dead in March. Curfew had been imposed in the area for nearly a fortnight then. Mr Khan, however, said it was not correct to link this incident with communal tension in the area. "After recent communal clashes, we have been operating pickets and the city police is in full alert," the commissioner said.

The bomb blast during Friday prayers in the 17th century Mecca Masjid mosque on May 18, 2007, had killed nine people. Five people died in the subsequent police firing on protesters outside the mosque.

 

[tarunraju]

Police initially played it down. Now they claim it's a SIMI module that's active in old city.

 

[gogbot]

Police initially played it down. Now they claim it's a SIMI module that's active in old city.

What's a SIMI module ?

 

[tarunraju]

What's a SIMI module ?

SIMI stands for "Students Islamic Movement of India". Due to credible evidence of links with extremist groups, India banned that organization. A 'module' is a sleeper-cell.

 

[Agantrope]

Challenges before india's internal security: Countering terrorism

CHALLENGES BEFORE INDIA'S INTERNAL SECURITY: COUNTERING TERRORISM

The dawn of the 21st century has witnessed the rise of a most serious crisis in the form of global terrorism. Irrespective of their position, power, influence and progress, all nations across the globe have experienced the disastrous impact of terrorism. India has been a particular victim of this form of warfare for at least the last four decades. In the backdrop of the growing and altering non-conventional and conventional threat perception and the metamorphosis of the world into a global village coupled with easier access to technology, today terrorism is one of the most challenging internal security threats that India is dealing with.

The term 'terrorism' is exceedingly difficult to explain. A Chinese philosopher describes it as, "to kill one and frighten a thousand". In simple words, "terrorism is the indiscriminate use of force to achieve a political aim". It involves committing outrageous acts in order to precipitate political change. Terrorism is also distinguished by its non-state charter even when terrorists receive military, political, economical and other means of support from states. The object of a terrorist act is to deliberately target the innocent with surprise use of violence.

Terrorism in India has had a long and violent history going back several decades. But, in the recent past it has witnessed a series of strikes in many parts of the country. The last decade has witnessed lethal strikes on the Indian Parliament on 13 December 2001, synchronized series of attacks in the economic hub of India, Mumbai on 26 November 2008, and the bomb blast in the technology, educational and real estate hub of India, Pune on 13 February 2010. As per the Annual Report of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) 2009-2010, "there are subversive/extremist/terrorist activity in Jammu and Kashmir and various States in the North- Eastern region particularly Assam and Manipur; Left Wing Extremism is concentrated in five or six States but is found at some places in other States also."

As terrorism emerges as one of the greatest threats to India's internal security, the government, policy makers and strategic community continue their efforts to find an anti-dose to counter the menace of terrorism. Poignantly, the Mumbai terror strike in 2008 exposed the fissures in the India's internal defense apparatus as it was caught unaware and unprepared. However, the incident provided the Indian government an important lesson to prepare itself and deal with the new-age terrorism. A stringent series of measures have since been initiated to revamp its existing homeland security apparatus to shield and secure the country against future terror aggressions.

The Annual Report of the MHA 2009-2010, has identified a number of new measures undertaken by the government to strengthen the country to meet the grave challenge posed by global terrorism. These include operationalization of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), establishment of four National Security Guards (NSG) hubs to ensure quick and effective response to any possible terror attack, augmentation of the strength of Intelligence Bureau (IB), strengthening of the Multi-Agency Centre in the IB to enable it to function on a 24X7 basis and strengthening coastal security.

With an alarming rate, the threat of terrorism is changing and becoming more and more deadly. Terrorism is no longer confined to a particular region or state, but it has become globalized and operates in a network system. With globalization and advancement in technologies, terrorism has also spread in the veins of all nations and India is no exception. Before 11 September 2001, terrorism was perceived as a local affair. It was condemned but not seriously dealt with by the international community. However, the massive blow of 9/11 came as a wake-up call to the international community and shattered the earlier complacency. Today terrorism is no longer considered an internal affair of one state, but one that has an international connotation. Each act of terror, no matter where, is often linked to, or supported by terrorists somewhere else.

Working together in the fight against terrorism and supporting India's active role in its fight against it, the Obama Administration has recently asked Congress to double its anti-terrorism budget to India. While testifying before a Congressional Committee, the Coordinator for Counterterrorism in the Department of State Daniel Benjamin said, "Under our fiscal year (FY) 2011 request, India's Anti-terrorism assistance (ATA) bilateral budget would almost double, to US $4.5 million, to meet the increasing political will on the part of the Indian government, which has requested more and higher-level training in the aftermath of the Mumbai attack." However, apart from providing India with funds, the Obama Administration should help India in its battle with cross border terrorism and bring the brain behind terrorist strikes against India to books.

http://www.ipcs.org/article/india/c...ernal-security-countering-terrorism-3126.html

 

[BunBunCake]

I have a question!
Don't terrorists hate non-Muslims, and are trying to destroy anyone that doesn't like Islam?

Why are they attacking their own holy places?
Perhaps Sunni Shiite issue this is?

 

[ajtr]

Hyderabad has many L-e-T sleeper module.Rough estimates can range between 25-30 of various terror sleeper cells like those of L-e-T,HUJI,SIMI
ISI-Related Modules Neutralised
(Outside J&K and Northeast, 2004-08)

Fatalities In Islamist Terrorist Attacks In India
(outside J&K and Northeast) since 2001

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?236761

 

[ajtr]

Terror modules busted; Hyderabad's HITEC city on LeT radar​

The three modules busted by security agencies included LeT's plans to target the HITEC City, a major IT township Hyderabad, and the office of a multinational audit firm.

Mohammad Zia-ul Haq, who was arrested yesterday following a tip off by National Investigation Agency, was directed by his LeT handlers to bomb the Hyderabad office of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, one of the four largest auditors in the world, and was in the process of carrying out the plan, the sources said.

This was the guy last busted if someone can confirm it from the language on the pic he is Mohammad Zia-ul Haq????

 

[Srinivas_K]

Terror modules busted; Hyderabad's HITEC city on LeT radar​

This was the guy last busted if someone can confirm it from the language on the pic he is Mohammad Zia-ul Haq????

This guy indeed is haq and he is in the charlapalli jail in hyd.

 

[bhramos]

I have a question!
Don't terrorists hate non-Muslims, and are trying to destroy anyone that doesn't like Islam?

Why are they attacking their own holy places?
Perhaps Sunni Shiite issue this is?

View attachment 1047

yours is completly different Q's.
in India every body is same, not else every place in the world.
in muslim countries its common.
Talibans are sunnis so they attack only shiate mosques in Pak or any place in world.

 

[RAM]

Government bans 100 terror outfits

NEW DELHI: Armed with an amended Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the government has, in one stroke, formally banned over 100 outfits - linked to al-Qaida - from across the globe by declaring them "terrorist organizations" in India.

Though India had been keeping tabs on these outfits in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, a formal decision to put these 100-odd entities - along with 33 other terror organizations - in the list of banned organisations is seen as a move "to avoid any legal ambiguity" in case Indian cops lay their hands on anyone associated with these bodies.

These outfits include all the big Islamic terror outfits like Jemaah Islamiyah (Bali bombing fame) of Indonesia, Islamic Jihad Group of Libya, the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, International Islamic Relief Organization of Philippines and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan among others.

The ministry of home affairs has put these entities together (at entry number 33) in its `revised' list of banned outfits as "Organisations listed in the Schedule to the UN Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism (Implementation of Security Council Resolutions) Order, 2007".

"The number of these outfits will increase or decrease as amended from time to time. We have put them together under one head so that we do not have to revise it (the list) whenever it is amended at the UNSC level," said a senior home ministry official.

The home ministry's revised list of banned outfits - which is to be made public on its official website soon -- also for the first time includes the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) as one of the terrorist organizations under the UAP Act. Though names of three pro-Khalistan terror outfits - Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Comando Force (KCF) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) -- have been on the list for long, the move to include KZF in the revised list is seen in the light of increased activities of the outfit in India in the past couple of years.

"The KZF was put on the list of banned outfits just before the Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks in February," said the official. During the talks on February 26, India had handed over three dossiers to Pakistan, one of which had the names of seven Khalistani terrorists including the KZF commander Ranjit Singh Neeta.

The outfit was also in the news recently following the arrest of its terrorist Nirmal Singh alias Nimma in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) early this month. Nimma was given the task by the ISI to attack Adampur Air Force station in Punjab and to recruit youths from villages along the Indo-Pakistan border in the state.

Officials believe that the revised list will help the cops in pursuing cases against the terrorists belonging to these organizations in courts more effectively.

Prominent in the list of banned outfits in India include: Lashkar-e-Taiba; Jaish-e-Mohammad; Tahrik-e-Furqan; Al Badr; Jamiat-ul-Mujahidden; Al-Qaida; Harkat-ul-Mujahideen; Harkat-ul-Ansar; Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami; Hizb-ul-Mujahideen; Al-Umar-Mujahideen; Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front; ULFA; NDFB; LTTE, SIMI, Deendar Anjuman; Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist-People's War); Maoist Communist Centre; and CPI (Maoist).

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Government-bans-100-terror-outfits/articleshow/5935393.cms

 

[Pintu]

http://www.ptinews.com/news/654714_SIT-to-investigate-Hyderabad-shooting-incident

SIT to investigate Hyderabad shooting incident

STAFF WRITER 21:49 HRS IST

Hyderabad, May 15 (PTI) Hyderabad Police Commissioner A K Khan today said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has taken over the probe into the killing of a police constable by three unidentified assailants here.

"After handing over the case to SIT - an expert probe wing of city police - we have formed a special team comprising various investigating agencies for speedy probe into the incident," Khan told reporters.

Motorcycle-borne assailants suspected to be terror operatives fired at least three rounds on U Ramesh (26) of Andhra Pradesh Special Police, resulting in his death on the spot.

The unarmed constable was posted at a picket duty in Shah-Ali Banda area in the sensitive Old City area here.

Probe has already began on the basis of the information gathered from eye-witnesses and evidences, the Commissioner said while hoping that the case would be solved soon.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...5L-for-info-on-guilty/articleshow/5936022.cms

20 held for Hyderabad shootout, Rs 5L for info on guilty
TNN, May 16, 2010, 03.11am IST

HYDERABAD: A day after a constable was gunned down by two motor-cycle borne youth, rattled Hyderbabad police on Saturday rounded up 20 people and announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for anyone providing information about the assailants.

Police constable U Ramesh of the 11th battalion of Andhra Pradesh Special Police was gunned down in Shah Ali Banda area of Old City on Friday. The SIT has been asked to probe the incident. Sources suspected that the group which was behind the killings of police personnel at Falaknuma (May 2009) and Santosh Nagar (December 2008) was responsible for the Friday's killing. Suspected militant Viquar Ahmed was the prime suspect, they said.

Police said Viquar in association with members of Tehreek Galba-e-Islam, a little known terror outfit, carried out the attacks. A CD left behind by the assailants claimed that the outfit was responsible for the constable's killing.

The forensic data collected from the spot revealed that a 7.65 mm pistol was used to kill the cop. The same pistol was used to kill cops at Santoshnagar and Falaknuma, police said. "We are sure Viquar and his Tehreek associates are the prime suspects," a police officer said.

The 20 suspects rounded up since Friday night are said to be linked to Darsgah-e-Jehad-e-Shehadat, an local outfit.

"Four of them are also close associates of DJS chief Mahbub Ali's grandson Najiullah as well as Viquar," he said. Among the others are Mohammed Bin Omer, Tarana Fayyaz, Rayeesuddin, Abdul Raoof and Nazir. The preliminary investigation revealed the assailants might have recced the spot.

"A few people informed us that less then an hour prior to the incident, two youngsters wearing maroon and black T shirts surveyed the area and made a note of the movement of police personnel at the picket," said a police officer.

"We are examining the video footage recorded in CCTV cameras installed on the Charminar-Shah Ali Banda, Charminar-Hussaini Alam-Baragalli road andDoodhbowli area-Bahadurpura road stretches," he said.

 

[nandu]

18 kg heroin, pistol recovered near Pakistan border

GURDASPUR : The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 18 kg heroin, a 9 mm pistol along with 12 cartridges near Border Outpost Bor Wadala in the Kalanaur area of the Gurdaspur sector this morning.

BSF sources here said the consignment was found by a patrol party it was concealed in a PVC pipe that in turn was placed in a wider pipe that carries tubewell water underneath the barbed wire fence to the fields lying between the fence and the zero line.

The PVC pipe had the marking of a 'Lahore' based company. The estimated value of heroin in the international market is Rs 90 crore.

The investigation is being conducted into the case.

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/newsrf.php?newsid=12874

 

[nandu]

Multi-layer security set up for Amarnath Yatra

May 16 (PTI) A multi-cordon security blanket will be thrown to thwart any terrorist plot during the two-month-long Amarnath Yatra beginning July one.

The Yatra to the cave, which houses the naturally-formed ice Shivlingam at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, is expected to draw nearly four lakh pilgrims from across the country.

"Fidayeen or no fidayeen, we will ensure that the Yatra takes place peacefully. If militants try to disturb peace, we will hunt them down," Inspector General (Kashmir) of CRPF P V K Reddy told a visiting group of journalists.

The multi-cordon security blanket will be thrown along the Yatra route. While the Indian Army is to man the heights to prevent any infiltration from the mountains, BSF personnel will guard the trek route. The safety of the camps put up for the pilgrims for night halts will be handled by CRPF jawans.

 

[ejazr]

Colours of terrorism: Hindu, Muslim: The Economic Times

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...errorism-Hindu-Muslim/articleshow/5960820.cms

The CBI has revealed that it is looking at links between the February 2007 blasts on the Samjhauta Express and the ones in Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad, and Ajmer that occurred in May and October, respectively, the same year.

Given that the prime suspects in the latter two blasts — as well as the ones in Malegaon in September 2008 and Goa in October 2009 — belong to Hindu extremist groups, the political class and Indian society at large must now fully comprehend the fact that 'Hindu' terrorism is as real as the 'Islamic' one.

And that comprehension, if terrorism — particularly the home-grown variety, involving Indian citizens — is to be defeated, must lead to the awareness that the spread of communal hatred and polarisation is the driving force for such acts. The point isn't that only a fringe element within communities is involved in terrorist attacks.

Rather, that there is a wider context of communal hatred and fundamentalism behind these attacks. And that jingoism and hatred is sustained by a discourse of difference, of narrow and sectarian interpretations of history, identity and nationhood.

It is quite true that hardline or even extreme religious or political views exist in societies and democracies. But when such views are sought to be imposed or institutionalised, attempts made to insert them into the workings of society and state, it becomes a recipe for ruptures and strife.

Manifested at the far end of the spectrum in a murderous cycle of violence in which zealots and fanatics from one group seek to avenge attacks from their exact counterparts from another group, who, in turn, seek justification from other acts of violence or riots et al.

The problem is that our politics is still largely based on competitive identity management, and some assumptions and ills linked to that have entrenched themselves. Both the security agencies and media, for example, were quick to suggest Islamic terrorist links to some of the blasts in question.

And it has also been pointed out that the abysmal representation of Muslims in the intelligence establishment is not only worrying, but impedes the fight against Islamic militancy. Fighting terror effectively is also about challenging communalism, its politics, and some assumptions and practices.

 

[ajtr]

Bhatkal, a haven for terrorists?​

Bhatkal, May 25, DHNS:

This town has become a hotbed of terrorist activity and whenever a blast occurs in any part of the country, the police immediately point a finger towards the coastal town.

The Mumbai rail blast, German Bakery blast near Pune and Bangalore blasts all had Bhatkal connections, suspect the police. With the arrest of one more suspected terrorist in Bajpe airport on Monday by the A T S police, the question being asked is just how many more terrorists are there in Bhatkal.

In the Mumbai rail blast when the name of Bhatkal's Riaz Shabandri came to light, the Mumbai Anti Terrorist police squad swooped down on him and collected all the information regarding the activities of India Mujahiddeen. They found out that more than 12 people were active members of this terrorist organisation which was involved in blasts all over the country.

When the Pune German Bakery blast happened it was found that terrorist Ahmed Yaseen was a associate of Riaz Shabandri. Now, it is being said that the terrorist Abudl Samad whom the police arrested on Monday is also the accused in the German Bakery blast.

The other 10 to 12 members in the terrorist list are there on whom the police is keeping an hawk's eye and they include Ahmed Siddique, Bapa Mohammad Hussain, Farhan, Hafeez Jailani, Mohammed Gurfan, Abdul Khadar, Sultan Iqbal, Syed Abdul, Majeed and Arif Mohateshyam. The names of these terrorists are no longer a secret and they have are all hiding in other countries, it is said.

If only Indian Mujahiddeen founder terrorist Riaz Bhatkal is arrested, it will not take much time to arrest other terrorists from Bhatkal. Along with this the stigma attached to Bhatkal will also go.