Ottawa, Oct 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Khalistani extremist network's dismissal of gang indictments and court charges as “irrelevant propaganda” does little to advance accountability and instead undermines the credibility of those who continue to associate with it, a report has stated.

Canadian Sikhs have every right to demand transparency and a fair process in the June 2023 killing of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but do not have to tolerate fringe elements that repeatedly turn this demand into a nuisance for the wider community, a report in 'Khalsa Vox' mentioned.

“Surrey police did what any responsible force must do: they restored order outside the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir after a Khalistani protest turned disorderly. Arrests were made amid the usual yellow flags, and the crowd dispersed. The protesters continued to demand justice for Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s ‘killer’ while denying any connection to criminal gangs. That combination of disruption and denial is not political advocacy. It is a recurring nuisance that damages the reputation of the broader Sikh community in Canada,” the report detailed.

“Nijjar’s 2023 killing outside a Surrey gurdwara was a crime. Four men face murder charges in Canadian courts. Separately, a US federal indictment unsealed in 2026 as part of Operation Hard Ball alleges that Lawrence Bishnoi and his North American lieutenant, Satinderjeet Singh (Goldy Brar), ordered the assassination. The FBI has placed Brar on its Ten Most Wanted list with a $1 million reward,” it added.

Citing RCMP officials involved in the joint probe, the report noted that investigators had found no evidence linking Indian government officials to the organised-crime charges.

It referred to leaked audio, in which Brar allegedly claimed responsibility and indicated drug-related grievances, which remained unauthenticated by Canadian authorities, while the formal US charges stand.

The protesters’ refusal to engage with these details while insisting that India is the only possible culprit reflects “selective blindness” rather than principle, Khalsa Vox mentioned.

“What makes these actions a particular nuisance is the location and the pattern. Protests repeatedly target Hindu temples and Indian consular events rather than confining themselves to gurdwaras or open public spaces. In November 2024, a similar confrontation at the same Mandir produced violence and three arrests during a consular camp for seniors,” the report stated.

“Court orders and buffer zones around temples in Surrey and elsewhere exist precisely because past gatherings linked to Sikhs for Justice and related groups have involved intimidation, clashes, and vandalism. Targeting a place of worship of another faith under the banner of Sikh sovereignty does not advance any legitimate grievance. It imports conflict into Canadian neighbourhoods and paints ordinary Sikhs with the same brush,” it noted.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) The bonhomie between Hamas and several terror outfits in Pakistan has been well-established by security agencies, with multiple meetings between the Palestinian group and local terror operatives having been held in the country with the blessings of the Inter-Services Intelligence.

A key meeting that was held in Rawalot on February 5, 2025, involving operatives of Hamas and Pakistani groups Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was titled "Kashmir Solidarity and Hamas Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" and was meant to discuss ideas and organisational experience.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that while operational details such as the use of drones were discussed, the main intention of these meetings was to merge the Palestine cause and Kashmir.

The idea of the leaders was to project both causes as a resistance drive. This was not just a mere attempt at getting these terror groups under one umbrella to merge the Palestine and Kashmir causes.

"The larger intention was to send a message into Jammu and Kashmir. Attempts are now being made to circulate images and videos of the meetings in Kashmir circles, with the hope that the locals in J&K may identify with the cause and join hands with these outfits," the official said.

Another official said that in Jammu and Kashmir, post abrogation of Article 370, the Kashmir cause as espoused by the Pakistanis has gone down considerably.

In fact, there are very few takers for the moment anymore as they realise that there is no gain in picking up a stone or a gun to fuel violence. This is where the Hamas angle becomes important. The ISI wants to send a message that Kashmir is not just an issue that the Pakistanis are raking up.

“Even international terror groups are coming forward and describing the Kashmir cause as a resistance-driven movement,” the official said.

Another official said that the ISI hopes that by roping in Hamas, many within Kashmir would get swayed and feel that their cause is extremely important as it is being raised by international groups.

"There are chances that some may fall prey and this propaganda with the added Hamas dimension may work when it comes to recruitments," the official said.

Officials say that the Hamas-Jaish-Lashkar nexus may attempt to enhance and also change operational tactics in Kashmir.

While Hamas-style attacks are part of the plan in Kashmir, the bigger agenda is to try and sway the Kashmiris into the battle.

This push is far more dangerous compared with the operational changes that the Jaish and Lashkar are trying to make with the help of Hamas.

Since the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed several positive changes. Mainly, terror is down, and tourism has seen a big boost.

The number of terror recruitments has dropped sharply, and several overground worker (OWG) networks have been dismantled, thus making it hard for the ISI-backed elements to operate.

Even the ideology and the cause that have been spread by Pakistan to get Kashmiris into the battle are fading rapidly, and this has left the ISI worried.

It now wants to add another dimension that could possibly get the Kashmiris back into the battlefield, and the hope is that the Hamas link would do the trick, an official said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) reportedly initiated a strategic push into Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate fake audio and video clips of its chief Masood Azhar, seeking to rebuild its declining cadre base following heavy losses in Operation Sindoor.

The Islamic State and Al-Qaeda were among the first terror organisations to adapt their operations to AI, with the Islamic State quickest to exploit the technology, according to intelligence assessments.

Al-Qaeda is also catching up, while Pakistan-based outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JeM have largely relied on conventional methods of communication and mobilisation.

Indian intelligence agencies have now learnt that the Jaish is making a major push to use AI-generated audio and video material. Officials believe the move became necessary after its top leadership stayed away from public appearances following Operation Sindoor last year.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that the recruitments, especially in the Jaish, have hit a major roadblock following Operation Sindoor. The outfit has seen several ups and downs since the Indian armed forces carried out the operation to avenge the Pahalgam attack in which several innocent tourists were killed.

During the operation, the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur was destroyed, while several cadres, including close family members of the outfit’s chief Masood Azhar, were killed.

With Azhar largely absent from public view, the outfit's recruitment efforts have suffered. Many had begun questioning his whereabouts and were unwilling to join an organisation whose leader they believed was no longer active.

“Moreover, several audio and video clips that were circulated to boost both the morale as well as recruitments were called out as old and recycled. This led to the Jaish deciding to use AI extensively to change the narrative,” the official said.

The Jaish has been preparing audio and video clips using AI. The clips are meant to send a message that Azhar is back in business and is very much active. The clips show a rejuvenated Masood Azhar making strong calls for recruitment and to wage jihad against India.

Another official said the old and recycled clips were called out easily since many had seen them in the past.

With AI and technology taking such a leap, it is hard for ordinary cadres or possible recruits to tell the difference between what is real and fake.

“The push has been exclusively made to the slightly uneducated cadres and recruits. This is deliberate as these persons do not have the capabilities of running fact checks or verifying the authenticity of the clips,” the official said.

Another official said the primary aim of the Jaish-e-Mohammed is to revive recruitment.

Those who have been tapped in recent months have been either reluctant or refused to join the outfit. They have been asking for proof that Masood Azhar is still in action, and the recruiters have not been able to answer those questions convincingly.

For these recruits and existing cadres, Masood Azhar is a hero. Without him, not many are ready to take the plunge, and this has hurt both the morale of the cadres as well as the recruitment drive.

While for now, the Jaish has managed to largely overcome the problem thanks to the use of AI, it also poses another challenge for the outfit, and that is after Azhar. The Jaish is planning this big AI push not just in Pakistan, but in rural India as well.

For the Indian market, the Azhar videos would be tailor-made to regions, with their respective languages being used. The JeM has deliberately targeted audiences who are from the lower strata and are part of the rural sector. Awareness regarding generative AI and similar technology is very low here, and the Jaish is aware that such persons will be easily swayed.

The JeM wants to keep the ship sailing and wants the morale of its cadres to be high, while also ensuring that recruitments go up significantly. It does realise that it needs a strong replacement, as Azhar is not in the best of health and is incapable of leading from the front now.

By using AI-generated videos, the Jaish not only plans to enhance the recruitment drive, but also seeks to buy time until it finds a replacement, an official said.

Source: IANS

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Lucknow, Oct 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Friday foiled an alleged plot to carry out targeted killing of police or military officials in Lucknow by arresting three accused linked to the banned Shehzad Bhatti Network (SBN) of Pakistan, officials said.

Police said that a juvenile has also been taken into custody.

Preliminary interrogation of the arrested accused revealed that they had reached Lucknow on the instructions of a Pakistani handler known as 'Rana Bhai'. They were allegedly tasked with killing a police or military personnel and sending a video of the act to the handler. The ATS recovered a foreign-made pistol and 20 foreign-made cartridges from the accused.

According to ADG, Law and Order, Amitabh Yash, intelligence inputs indicated that members of the banned Shehzad Bhatti Network were using youths from Punjab to carry out terrorist activities in India and target army and police establishments.

During the investigation, it was found that gangster Gagandeep Singh and his associates were in contact with Pakistani handler Rana Bhai.

Acting on this information, the ATS arrested the four individuals on Friday. The arrested accused have been identified as Gagandeep Singh, 26, of Amritsar, Rajat Kumar, 19, and Krish, 21, of Gurdaspur (Punjab). A juvenile has also been placed under police supervision.

During preliminary questioning, the accused further revealed that they had been promised Rs 3 lakh for carrying out the assignment. They said that they left Amritsar on October 27, travelled via Delhi, and reached Lucknow around midnight on October 29. The accused remained in contact with Rana Bhai through Instagram and WhatsApp.

After arriving in Lucknow, the arrested individuals reportedly recorded a video of Lucknow Railway Station and sent it to the handler as instructed. During questioning, it also emerged that Rana Bhai had told them that weapons and ammunition would be supplied from Pakistan.

Upon reaching Lucknow, the accused were allegedly provided with a pistol and cartridges through a local contact. The handler also transferred Rs 2,500 to each on two occasions for their expenses. They were allegedly promised that after completing the operation, they would be assisted to escape to Nepal.

Preliminary investigations by the ATS have found WhatsApp accounts operated through virtual numbers and communication with foreign numbers on the accused's mobile phones. Examination of the phones also revealed suspicious chats, videos, and information related to reconnaissance of sensitive installations. Investigators believe the locations of these sites were shared with the Pakistani handler.

A case has been registered at the ATS Police Station in Lucknow under Case No. 16/2026 under Sections 152 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, Sections 3/25 of the Arms Act, and Sections 18 and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The ATS is now investigating other individuals linked to the conspiracy, local collaborators, the weapon supply network, and financial transactions connected to the case. Police are also expected to seek custody remand of the accused for further interrogation.

Source: IANS

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Srinagar, Oct 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Jammu and Kashmir Police in Shopian district said on Friday that they have busted a jail-linked terror fundraising module and arrested 10 people in this operation.

Police said in a statement that in a significant breakthrough against the terror ecosystem, Shopian Police have busted an intra-UT terror financing module following a focused investigation into suspected financial networks linked to terrorist activities.

During the investigation, suspicious online financial transactions carried out through various payment platforms were analysed, leading to the tracing of money trails across multiple layers.

The investigation revealed a wider network of individuals allegedly involved in terror financing and having links with terrorists and their associates lodged in different jails. So far, 10 terrorist associates have been arrested in connection with the case.

Accordingly, FIR No. 231/2026 under the relevant sections of law was registered at the Police Station Shopian.

The arrested persons have been identified as, Owais Shafi Naikoo, son of Mohammad Shafi Naikoo, resident of Saidpora Bala, Shopian; Tajamul Ahmad Shah, son Abdul Rashid Shah, resident of Rawalpora, Shopian; Moiz Iqbal, son of Mohammad Iqbal Hajam, resident of Chitragam Kalan, Imdad Yousuf Ganie, son of Mohd Yousuf Ganie, resident of Chitragam Kalan; Saqib Zahoor Wani, son of Zahoor Ahmad Wani, resident of Murray, Pulwama; Aamir Ahmad Ganie, son of Gh Nabi Ganie, resident of Armolah, Pulwama; Firdous Thokar, son of Gh Qadir Thokar, resident of Nadigund, Trenz; Liyaqat Nazir Lone, son of Nazir Ahmad Lone, resident of Murran, Pulwama; Mohd Hanief, son of Kaju Sheru resident of Check Haria, Kathua; and Kaju, son of Haji Sheeru, resident of Check Haria, Kathua.

Initial Investigation has revealed that the accused were clandestinely collecting and raising funds from the general public and channelising the money through established financial links to facilitate the terrorist activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/The Resistance Front (TRF).

The funds were also allegedly being utilised to provide logistical support, including smartphones, for furthering terrorist activities.

Further investigation is underway to ascertain the wider network, establish additional financial linkages and identify other individuals involved in the module. More arrests are expected.

The operation reflects the continued commitment of J&K Police, in coordination with other security agencies, towards dismantling terror-support networks, disrupting unlawful financial channels and safeguarding peace and security across the union territory.

Source: IANS

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Islamabad, Oct 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Highlighting that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has been named in an anti-terrorism case, linking him to the expanding list of lawmakers currently implicated under anti-terrorism legislation in Pakistan, a report has detailed that political showdown continues in the country as lawmakers from the opposition are being implicated under the 1997 anti-terror law while terrorists roam freely.

"Pakistan is home to numerous terror groups. However, anti-terrorism legislation is systematically used in cases involving politicians. Former PM Nawaz Sharif faced charges under it in 2000, as did General Pervez Musharraf, who overthrew Sharif in a military coup a year earlier," Turkey-born journalist Uzay Bulut mentioned in a report in PJ Media.

"Ironically, Pakistan's army was behind the downfall and sentencing of Sharif. The army also meddled in the country's 2018 elections. Former PM Imran Khan, who is currently in jail, is also facing terrorism charges. In recent years, Kashmiri, Pashtun and Baloch activists were also accused of terrorism," wrote Bulut.

Since its implementation, the anti-terrorism law has been amended multiple times to expand its definition and powers of law enforcement. The law can be misused to try any individual, including lawyers, politicians and human rights defenders.

Human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha have remained in prison since January and are being tried under anti-terrorism legislation. Each of them have been sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment in total, with the longest being a 10-year sentence.

Meanwhile, the United Nations-designated terrorists roam freely, give speeches and raise funds in Pakistan to support terror activities. Pakistan has a history of allowing terror groups and radical Islamic parties, particularly those from the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to operate in Pakistan.

"A striking example of how Pakistan's government gave in to Islamic supremacists' demands is when Charlie Hebdo cartoons were republished in France in 2020. Thousands of TLP supporters clashed with police on the edge of the capital, Islamabad, in protests over the display of the cartoons in France. The TLP only called off the protests, saying the Pakistani government had agreed to their demand for a boycott of French products," the report mentioned.

Later, the Pakistani government declared TLP as a terrorist group. Following Pakistan's decision, the TLP called for a march towards Islamabad, during which clashes erupted between police and protesters. Pakistan government once again agreed to the TLP's demands and released hundreds of its members. Pakistan's Interior Ministry also lifted the ban on the TLP, saying the party would now be allowed to participate in mainstream politics in the "larger national interest."

UN-designated terrorist and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has been placed under house arrest or detention on several occasions in Pakistan, only to be released by courts citing lack of proof. Despite designations and international bounties, Saeed and other terrorists continue to make public speeches at mass rallies in Pakistan.

Pakistan has two realities which create problems for its own society and neighbouring nations, one being its policy of identifying terrorists as "good and bad."

Bad terrorists are those who target the military, police and civilians of Pakistan, while good terrorists are those who carry out attacks against India and promote causes aligned with the Pakistan regime's ideology.

"The second fundamental problem is the profound inversion of power in the country. Pakistan's army – rather than a civilian government — controls state policy. The country does not have an army — the army has a country. Behind a fragile, rotational facade of civilian governance, Pakistan’s military establishment dictates national policy," Bulut wrote in PJ Media.

"Instead of seeking development and peace, Pakistan's military regime seeks internal suppression and external aggression. This includes using some terrorist groups for its perceived state interests. The tragedy of Pakistan is an army that views peace as a threat to its budget and dissent as a crime against the nation. Hence, many actual terrorists roam freely while human rights lawyers are incarcerated in the country," the author added.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which is once again in the news due to the ongoing plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), has been doing everything to cover its tracks when it comes to fundraising.

The JeM has massively reduced its reliance on the conventional style of fundraising, which involved charities and donations routed through hawala channels. Both the Indian and international agencies have been able to track the funding routes of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, and this has helped build pressure against the terror group on various platforms.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that the JeM is fine with receiving smaller amounts of money now. It has intentionally kept transaction amounts lower to avoid detection. The amounts are smaller, and the transactions are spaced out, which helps the outfit enjoy a cooling period when the agencies are on their trail, the official said.

The big change in the funding model now is the route that the outfit takes.

The causes the JeM cites while raising funds are the same as earlier. The issues it raises while seeking funds include the Gaza and humanitarian crisis, the construction of mosques, among others. Earlier, the Jaish-e-Mohammad cadres would hold rallies or go door-to-door seeking these funds. Today, the issues that it cites to raise funds are the same, but it no longer does it openly, the official said.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad is relying heavily on mobile payment platforms such as SadaPay and Easypaisa. Investigations show that some of the wallets where the funds come into are linked to Abdullah Azhar, the son of Jaish-e-Mohammad founder, Masood Azhar.

An official said that in addition to these mobile payment platforms, the outfit has also used the stable coin USDT to move funds. These funds are moved across channels linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives.

What is making tracking harder, when compared to earlier times, is the discretion with which these elements are operating. Further, the Jaish-e-Mohammad does not indulge in regular transactions and has spaced them out. After the funds are collected, the payments are moved once every five to 10 days. This gives them a cooling period, and there is always a break in the chain for the investigating agencies who are tracking the money trail, the official said.

Another official said there is also another change that has been noticed when it comes to using these funds. The JeM is currently not spending on training cadres. It is also not routing money to fund operations. These aspects are taken care of by the ISI, which has set up a unified command centre to run operations of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen.

The JeM collects money under the name of humanitarian aid and then sets up mosques and religious centres across the length and breadth of Pakistan. To the naked eye, these look like regular and legitimate buildings aimed at spreading religion. In reality, these are training centres that the JeM is setting up so that there is more access to youth across the country.

The outfit’s intention is to have a markaz and a mosque in almost every locality in the country, so that indoctrination and training could take place in the same place. This eliminates the need to travel to other parts of the country for training. Lesser travelling also means lesser tracking by the agencies. This, in fact, helps in covering the trail further. This is a big shift the JeM has made to evade international scrutiny.

These new tactics are making it extremely hard to track the funding activities of the Jaish-e-Mohammad. Moreover, the outfit keeps changing the platforms it used to receive and transfer funds. This adds another layer to the already tough job that the agencies have on their hand, an official said.

Source: IANS

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Jaipur, Oct 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Investigative agencies have made a significant breakthrough in the Rawla drone-based arms smuggling case, with the reported arrest in Punjab of Kulwant Singh, alias Sukkha, who is accused of orchestrating the operation to retrieve explosives and foreign-made weapons allegedly dropped by a drone from across the Pakistan border.

According to preliminary investigations, Sukkha was in contact with a Pakistan-based handler identified as ‘Chacha Ali’. Investigators suspect that he directed two men from Punjab to collect a consignment dropped by a drone in the Rawla area of Rajasthan.

Sukkha is currently being questioned by Intelligence agencies in Punjab, and the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is preparing to take him into custody in connection with the case.

The investigation is focussing on the suspected cross-border network, its handlers in Pakistan and the role of individuals involved in transporting and collecting the consignment.

The two men arrested earlier in the case, identified as Lakhwinder Singh Raisikh of Ferozepur district and Sukhwinder Singh Raisikh of Jalandhar district in Punjab, were produced before a court on Wednesday after their police remand ended.

According to Additional Superintendent of Police (ATS) Surendra Kumar, the court ordered that both accused be sent to judicial custody. During questioning, the two allegedly disclosed the involvement of Sukkha, a resident of Alika village in Punjab. Investigators believe the men had travelled to Rawla on his instructions to retrieve the consignment.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Dinesh M.N. had earlier questioned the accused at the RIICO police outpost on Hanumangarh Road.

ADG Biju George Joseph and Deputy Inspector General (ATS) Ramamurthy Joshi also questioned the accused as part of the investigation.

The case came to light on the night of October 12, when security agencies received information that a drone had dropped three packets in a field at Chak 4 KNM, under the 12 KND Gram Panchayat in the Rawla area. The location is approximately one kilometre from the Khanuwali Border Outpost (BOP) along the India-Pakistan border.

A joint operation involving the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Border Security Force (BSF) and other security agencies led to the two men who had allegedly arrived to collect the packets, being apprehended.

The recovery included 7.75 kilograms of RDX, two Zigana pistols, four magazines and 867 cartridges. Batteries and remote-control devices were also found. The Rajasthan ATS and Special Operations Group (SOG) are examining the suspected links between the Pakistan-based handler, the network operating in Punjab and the individuals allegedly tasked with retrieving the consignment in Rajasthan.

Investigators are also attempting to establish the intended destination of the explosives and weapons and identify other people connected with the operation.

The reported arrest of Sukkha is expected to help investigators establish further links in the alleged smuggling network. The allegations remain subject to investigation, and the role of each accused will be determined through the legal process, said officials.

Source: IANS

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Cebu, Oct 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India's expertise in counter-terrorism goes far beyond theoretical knowledge, having been shaped by decades of confronting cross-border security challenges.

He noted that every strategy adopted by the country has been tested in real-time situations and has proven effective.

Addressing the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Singh said that the theme for this year's meeting, 'Navigating Our Future Together', "deeply resonates" with India's defence and foreign policies, adding that it is also "deeply rooted in our civilisational ethos of 'Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah', reflecting our commitment to the happiness, prosperity, and welfare of the whole world and all people".

The Defence Minister stated that India has always respected the role of ASEAN.

"We envision an Indo-Pacific region that is open, inclusive, and based on a rules-based international order. Our long-term strategic engagement with ASEAN is based on shared interests, mutual respect, and practical cooperation," he said.

Over the past year, Singh said the India-ASEAN defence cooperation has gained further momentum.

Recalling the 2nd ASEAN-India Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur Last October, he said, "In this meeting, we reaffirmed our commitment to defence security under the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the ASEAN-India Plan of Action for the period 2026 to 2030."

The Defence Minister mentioned that counter-terrorism is an "important area" of cooperation under the ADMM-Plus framework.

"For the 2024 to 2027 cycle, India and Malaysia are co-chairing the Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism. India reiterates its firm resolution to increase security measures in this field and eliminate the roots of terrorism. India's experience in counter-terrorism is not just limited to theoretical or classroom knowledge, but it has been attained by facing cross-border security challenges for decades. Our every strategy is tested in real-time situations and has been successful," he added.

A significant example of India's approach to countering terrorism, Singh said, was demonstrated last year during 'Operation Sindoor,' where the Indian armed forces dismantled a substantial amount of terrorist infrastructure.

"This also served as a clear statement of India's firm stance against state-sponsored terror," he added.

India knows that terrorism has no geographical boundaries, Singh said, adding, "Therefore, India is fully prepared to share its practical and battle-tested counter-terrorism experience with its ADMM-Plus partners. Through joint military exercises, capacity-building programs, and robust intelligence sharing, we can further strengthen our collective capabilities."

"We support an Indo-Pacific that is secure, strong, and where peace and stability are not merely aspirations, but the result of our collective efforts," he said.

"In the year 2026, India has attached special importance to maritime cooperation in its engagement with ASEAN. India has also declared 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation. In this context, the 2nd ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise was also organised. We have demonstrated this through our continuous maritime engagements in this region," he added.

The Defence Minister stressed that India not only advocates for international maritime law but also strictly adheres to it in the realm of maritime security.

"Our commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and safeguarding global Sea Lines of Communication is built upon decades of sustained experience. Since 2008, the Indian Navy has maintained a consistent and active presence in highly volatile maritime corridors, such as the Gulf of Aden. Throughout this period, India has not resorted to any form of the use of force that would undermine the interests of other nations."

"By deploying its frontline warships, the Indian Navy has provided security to thousands of merchant vessels and thwarted numerous attempts at maritime hijacking. Our security arrangement has not been limited to any specific flag or nationality. India has viewed the security of commercial shipping as a responsibility," he added.

Emphasising maritime security, Singh said that when global trade routes are facing various new international threats, "merely issuing statements regarding maritime security is not enough".

"Our resolve is clear: India will continue to act as a trusted net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific. India considers maritime security as an issue linked to the peace, security, and prosperity of this region. India's emphasis on the rule of law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and its advocacy for freedom of navigation and overflight, is not directed against any country. Rather, the objective is to safeguard the collective interests of all regional stakeholders who depend on open sea lanes and stable maritime governance," he added.

The Defence Minister stressed that India is committed to maritime safety, search and rescue operations, humanitarian assistance, professional engagement, capacity building, and respect for international law, while adding that New Delhi looks forward to working closely with its ASEAN partners to strengthen cooperation in these areas.

"To translate this potential into reality, India proposes the establishment of a robust defence 'Youth Bridge.' This framework aims to foster people-to-people connectivity, digital innovation, and capacity building. Such an initiative will help align the aspirations of our youth with the objectives of the ADMM-Plus," he said.

"This vision for empowering the next generation is also fully consistent with the 'Youth, Peace and Security' theme highlighted in the joint statement of this meeting. By empowering our youth, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future for this region," Singh added.

He said that as steps are taken to further strengthen the relationship between India and ASEAN, "India recognises that our greatest strength lies in our young population -- in their energy, dynamism, and aspirations. The populations of India and the ASEAN countries are comparatively young. This similarity provides us with a distinct advantage and links our futures together."

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) As the plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gets underway on Wednesday, all eyes will be on India’s move to corner Pakistan on terror funding.

Over the last few days, there have been several backchannel talks whereby India has instructed its diplomats from other nations to drum up as much support as possible so that India can make out its case against Pakistan’s terror-funding activities.

An official said the main focus would be around Jaish-e-Mohammed and its chief Masood Azhar. At the FATF plenary, Indian officials would build a strong case against Azhar, while accusing Pakistan of doing little or nothing to curb his activities, the official said.

After the push made in 2018, Pakistan was placed in the Grey List. This was thanks to the sustained action by India and the United States and its global allies against Lashkar-e-Taiba. India had also brought up the issue of Jaish-e-Mohammed during the 2018-2019 enforcement period and cited the terror outfit’s role in the Pulwama attack.

This time around, New Delhi has sharpened its focus on the Jaish-e-Mohammed and its chief Masood Azhar. All these years, Pakistan got away with it by stating that Azhar is in Afghanistan. At that time, Pakistan and Afghanistan shared good ties, and this helped Pakistan conceal Azhar’s whereabouts.

Officials say the case relating to Azhar is different today. Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have had a fallout and even engaged in a battle that continues even today. In September, Taliban spokesperson Zia Ahmed categorically called out Pakistan’s lies while stating that Azhar was not in Afghanistan.

He clarified that Pakistan had not sent any formal commutation regarding Masood Azhar’s presence in Afghanistan. Further, Zia said that Afghanistan would not let its territory be used against any country.

This statement by the Taliban spokesperson has added weight to India’s case, and at the FATF, India would continue to insist that Pakistan has always shielded Azhar and sheltered him.

Another official said that India is making the big push at a time when the FATF is under the presidency of Giles Thomson of the United Kingdom, who would review Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts.

The plenary is being held from October 28 to 30 in Paris. India aims to corner Pakistan and will try to get the FATF to act against Islamabad. India has repeatedly said that Azhar has remained on Pakistan soil and planned major attacks on Indian soil, the official said.

India argues that there is at least some perceived action against Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed. During the 2018-19 enforcement period, the FATF did place Pakistan in the Grey List after it was convinced that its actions against Lashkar-e-Taiba and Saeed were not sufficient. This time around, by focusing mostly on the Jaish-e-Mohammed, India hopes to get the FATF to act against Pakistan and its complicity in acting against this group, the official said.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that at first Pakistan managed to get away by lying that Azhar was in Afghanistan. However, with that bluff now caught, Islamabad has been spinning stories about Azhar’s well-being. It has also indulged in rumour-mongering by stating that Azhar may not be alive after all.

Most recently, Pakistan made an announcement stating that the bounty on Azhar had been enhanced. This in itself is a joke, as the announcement was made at a time when Azhar was very much in Pakistan and under protection by the state, the official said.

Although the latest Intelligence reports state that Azhar is not in the best of health, reports about him being out of action or dead are completely false, the official said, adding that he is very much in Pakistan.

Moreover, the Jaish-e-Mohammed, which faced a setback during Operation Sindoor, is very much operational. In fact, Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists are very much part of the launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). They are part of teams in these launchpads which comprise terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, Intelligence inputs state.

Azhar was in Bahawalpur when Operation Sindoor was carried out. However, he was not at the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters, which was razed to rubble by the Indian armed forces. Instead, he was immediately shifted to Military Hospital Rawalpindi, which is officially known as the Pak Emirates Military Hospital or PEMH. Azhar has been shifted to this facility several times in the past as well. He has been there in protective custody and has also been treated at the same facility for renal failure.

Ahead of the FATF plenary, India has been building up a strong case against Masood Azhar. These include his whereabouts and terror activities, relating to funding and operational capabilities. India has managed to get several member nations on board and would be able to make out a strong case against Masood Azhar and his Jaish-e-Mohammed, which have been responsible for the Parliament, Pathankot and Pulwama attacks, an official said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Al-Qaeda has been making rapid changes in recent times to its organisational structure, while also pushing its agenda hard with a major focus on India. The outfit, which faced severe losses after the death of Osama Bin Laden and the rise of the Islamic State, is on a complete rebranding spree of late.

The Intelligence community has learnt that the outfit is fully redoing its propaganda magazine, Nawa-e-Ghazwa-e-Hind, with a particular focus on India. An Intelligence Bureau official said Al-Qaeda has been looking for fresh members to run the magazine in Urdu, keeping the Indian audience in mind.

While focusing extensively on highly provocative content, Al-Qaeda is also trying to widen its reach within India, the official said. Its recent publications have extensively focused on airborne attacks and provided suggestions on how to execute the same.

It is trying to appeal to Muslim professionals in the aviation sector. Through the publication, it has been urging such professionals to use their expertise and experience to carry out airborne attacks on Indian interests both within the country as well as abroad, the official said.

An official said the Nawa-e-Ghazwa-e-Hind content has heavily cited the recent Flydubai incident of September 30. Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv witnessed a hijacking incident when an Omani first officer attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit. Investigations have shown that an attempt was made to either hijack or crash the aircraft.

Another official said that while Al-Qaeda is not claiming responsibility for the attack, it wants potential recruits to seek inspiration from the incident. This explains why the recent publications of the Nawa-e-Ghazwa-e-Hind are not targeting fresh recruits, but trying to brainwash and exploit those within the system to create a major crisis, the official said.

Al-Qaeda has not just trained its guns on those who are part of the commercial aviation sector. It has also been reaching out to those who are in defence and maritime operations, the official said.

Officials say that while Al-Qaeda does have in its possession highly charged content against the Indian state, it has not been able to reach the desired number of people. Currently, the outfit appears to be inclined to maximising reach and hopes that at least 2 of the 10 people it manages to get will bite the bait and carry out a critical operation capable of creating a major crisis in India.

Further, the outfit also wants Indians to be part of the publication exercise. It would rely more on the Indian operatives to undertake covert operations whereby they would be able to increase the reach of the outfit.

These operatives are expected to work in small groups and then spread the message around discreetly. There is no one place in India that Al-Qaeda is focusing its Nawa-e-Ghazwa-e-Hind on. It wants the message through this magazine to reach as many people as possible and hence has planned to target the length and breadth of the country.

Al Qaeda in the Sub-Continent (AQIS) first launched the Nawa-e-Ghazwa-e-Hind to radicalise Indian Muslims against the government of India. Its primary focus was to recruit youth in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam. However, with the rebranding now, the focus has shifted to pan-India, and this is what makes the task of the Indian agencies far more challenging.

The magazine is no longer just speaking about Jammu and Kashmir or Assam. Instead, it has become a weapon to radicalise people from across the country, with the prime focus being on those who are part of the commercial aviation and maritime sector, an official said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) The member countries of the BRICS grouping on Tuesday once again strongly condemned the 2025 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and reaffirmed their commitment to combatting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens.

In the Joint Declaration adopted after conclusion of the two-day 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi, India and other BRICS members called for ensuring zero tolerance for terrorism and rejected any double standards in countering it.

"We express strong condemnation of any acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed. We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, during which 26 people were killed and many more injured. We reaffirm our commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens," the Joint Declaration stated.

"We reiterate that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group and that all those involved in terrorist activities and their support must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with relevant national and international law. We urge to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism and reject double standards in countering terrorism," it added.

The participants from the BRICS member countries also welcomed the activities of the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) and its five subgroups based upon the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan and the CTWG Position Paper. They looked forward to further deepening counter-terrorism cooperation and called for an expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN framework besides also calling for concerted actions against all UN designated terrorists and terrorist entities.

The forum expressed deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in West Asia and called for exercising maximum restraint, as well as avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation. The members also called for ensuring the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in their entirety and interconnectedness, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the States.

The BRICS members encouraged increasing efforts, through dialogue and diplomacy, towards a long-term understanding that will contribute to lasting peace, security and stability in the region. The Forum stressed the need to work together to maintain smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy, in accordance with applicable international law.

"We condemn the imposition of unilateral coercive measures that are contrary to international law, and reiterate that such measures, inter alia in the form of unilateral economic sanctions and secondary sanctions, have far-reaching negative implications on human rights, including the right to development, health and food security of the general population of targeted states. We call for the elimination of such unlawful measures which undermine international law and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter," the Joint Declaration stated.

Last month, top BRICS leaders had gathered in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit in the national capital where the 'New Delhi Declaration 2026' was adopted which also condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack and adopted strong language against cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorist financing, safe havens and double standards in dealing with terrorism.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Al-Qaeda released a video featuring Hamza bin Laden, son of slain former Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

The release appeared to be a calculated attempt to revive the Bin Laden legacy within the terror outfit, overcome its fragmented leadership structure and bring its multiple command centres under a unified command.

Intelligence agencies across the world are closely monitoring Al-Qaeda's activities, with inputs suggesting a gradual resurgence of the terror network.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that while Al-Qaeda had initially set out to take on America and European nations, it began to realise it was futile battling against superpowers.

When Al-Qaeda launched its sub-continent edition known as Al-Qaeda in the Sub-Continent, it said that it was taking on the Indian government directly. Over time, it realised that it was impossible to take on the mighty Indian state, and this led to the outfit altering its game plan.

“In recent communications, Al-Qaeda through its various communication channels has been propagating heavily for the revival of the vanguard doctrine,” the official said.

The revival of this doctrine suggests that the battle may not be directed at the Indian State through confrontation. Al-Qaeda recognises that engaging Indian security agencies in a conventional fight would be futile. Instead, the focus could shift towards high-profile, spectacular attacks on the lines of the September 11, 2001, strikes in the US, the official said.

Officials say that while planning attacks is one part of the problem for the agencies, the main issue lies in Al-Qaeda’s plan to force the Indian state into battling against Islamic nations. This would help Al-Qaeda reach out to the local population and radicalise them.

Another official said that in the current scenario where protests are erupting almost across the globe, including in India, the “vanguard doctrine” of Al-Qaeda would come into play.

“The outfit would use its media channels to spread disinformation, promote its violent ideology and circulate propaganda. The aim is to incite people and gradually draw them into the radicalisation process,” the official added.

The official further said that this dates back to Al-Qaeda’s original strategy that it came up with in 1998. It was that year that Al-Qaeda coined the term al-Qaeda al-Sulbah (The Solid Base) to describe the “vanguard doctrine.”

The idea was to transform localised issues into global campaigns. Each of these campaigns would be motivated by nothing other than religion.

The idea is to pick on local issues taking place in other parts of the world and then give a religious spin to it, so that it becomes a global campaign, the official said.

Counter-terrorism experts say that Bin Laden had built Al-Qaeda on the “vanguard doctrine.” However, following his death, Al-Qaeda gradually changed its modus operandi, whereby it began focusing on taking on superpowers. However, that strategy fell flat as it realised that taking on mighty nations would not work. Further, Al-Qaeda was also bogged down by the violent Islamic State, which began gaining traction globally.

The experts also say that the Indian security agencies, in coordination with their counterparts abroad, need to keep a very close watch on the developments taking place within Al-Qaeda.

“The progress is slow, and the outfit is taking its time. On the surface, it would appear as though the outfit is in retreat mode. However, there is a dangerous undercurrent whereby the outfit is playing a big game which would eventually have a devastating effect on society,” the experts warn.

Al-Qaeda, for its India operations, would focus heavily on issues that are sensitive in nature, with an extensive focus on the northeastern states and Jammu and Kashmir. It would look to take advantage of even small protests and then give it a religious spin before trying to make it into a global issue, an official said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pakistan’s military establishment appears to be turning around its decades-old strategy of using militant proxies against its former allies, the Afghan Taliban, by reportedly recruiting and arming Afghan factions to fight anti-Pakistan insurgents, a report said.

According to South Asia Press, the concern was raised by Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special envoy to Afghanistan, who pointed to emerging reports that the Pakistani military had begun arming Afghans to take on militants hostile to Islamabad.

“As things currently stand, relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are likely to get much worse,” Khalilzad warned, as per the report.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information has rejected the allegations as "baseless and misleading", but analysts see in the move a long-standing institutional habit of Pakistan’s security establishment, the report said.

It noted that Islamabad had for nearly four decades treated the Afghan Taliban as a strategic asset to keep India at bay and secure a friendly regime in Kabul, but ties have since soured into a low-intensity border conflict over the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Pakistan accuses Kabul of sheltering.

"Frustrated by Kabul’s refusal to rein in its ideological brethren, Islamabad appears to be reverting to its historical playbook: fighting fire with fire, or more accurately, proxies with proxies," the report stated.

Warning that the gamble was fraught with risk, the report said Pakistan’s past reliance on militant proxies had repeatedly backfired, with groups armed to fight abroad later turning their guns on Pakistan itself.

"By allegedly arming new Afghan factions to suppress the TTP, Islamabad risks opening a Pandora’s box of uncontrollable local militias, further destabilising an already volatile border region," it said.

The report pointed to the recent exchange of heavy artillery fire between Pakistani forces and Afghan Taliban personnel in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where Pakistani officials claimed to have destroyed Taliban border posts.

"The very proxies that Islamabad nurtured to guarantee its western flank have become its primary security threat. If the reports of Pakistan arming new Afghan proxies are validated, it signals a desperate gamble by a nuclear-armed state running out of options," the report said.

"In trying to contain the monsters of its past, Pakistan may simply be breeding the adversaries of its future," it added.

Source: IANS

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Toronto, Oct 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) appears in multiple independent assessments as an external sponsor of the Khalistan campaign operating from North America, helping establish and sustain drug-cartel networks involving Punjabi-Canadian operators because traditional diaspora donations have proved insufficient to maintain desired levels of activity, a report has highlighted.

Writing in 'Khalsa Vox', Harleen Kaur mentions that the extremist movement is not a spontaneous expression of diaspora grievance but a sustained political and organisational enterprise. The Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies, the report suggested, should treat the financing of the Khalistan campaign as a priority for rigorous, evidence-based scrutiny considering that the funding sources have become a matter of national security.

"Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has run a multi-year series of non-binding 'referendums' across Canadian and American cities. It maintains legal and advocacy infrastructure, stages regular public events, produces propaganda, and supports legal defence and lobbying efforts. These activities require continuous funding for venues, logistics, materials, personnel, communications, and travel. Many of the people involved entered Canada or the United States as asylum seekers or temporary residents who described themselves as having fled with few resources. The operational scale of the campaign raises a basic question: where does the money come from?" questioned Kaur.

The report cites that the Department of Finance's 2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks in Canada states that Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation — both listed terrorist entities under the 'Criminal Code in the Politically Motivated Violent Extremism' category — have been observed by law enforcement and intelligence agencies to receive financial support originating from Canada.

"The assessment notes that these groups are suspected of raising funds in Canada and elsewhere. Previously they maintained extensive fundraising networks; today they operate through smaller pockets of committed individuals. Documented methods include soliciting donations from diaspora communities, abuse of non-profit and charitable organisations, cryptocurrencies, and criminal activity. CSIS has separately confirmed that a subset of Canada-based Khalistani extremists continues to use the country as a base for the promotion, fundraising, or planning of violence primarily in India," the report details.

Highlighting the nexus, it mentions that criminal proceeds form a documented financing channel for listed entities operating on Canadian soil.

"Illegal drug trafficking is identified as the highest money-laundering threat in Canada, involving billions of dollars annually. A subset of Punjabi-Canadian organised crime groups has long controlled significant portions of the cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl trade moving through Western Canada and Ontario’s trucking corridors. Since 2007, more than 200 gang-related homicides in British Columbia alone have been linked to rival Punjabi-Canadian gangs contesting that trade. Trucking companies have repeatedly served as cover for bulk shipments; major seizures, including hundreds of kilogrammes of cocaine in Peel Region, have involved Indo-Canadian suspects," the report emphasises while asserting that Indian investigators and Canadian law-enforcement sources have already flagged that a portion of these revenues is diverted toward diaspora political campaigns, legal defence funds, and organisational support.

"In at least one reported case, financial intelligence traced tens of thousands of dollars from a raided drug house to a registered Canadian charity associated with pro-Khalistan causes," it said.

Kaur details that high-profile figures involved in the organisation of so-called referendums have faced firearms charges. These, it said, are not abstract concerns but patterns repeatedly observed by Canadian police and intelligence agencies.

Citing recent intelligence inputs, Kaur wrote that the ISI is reassessing its spending as grassroots support for Khalistan weakens on the ground in Punjab and some former backers distance themselves from what they describe as a criminal syndicate involved in drugs, arms trafficking, and extortion.

"The logical next step is to follow the specific money that sustains SFJ referendums, legal efforts, propaganda, and organisational infrastructure—through financial intelligence analysis, charity audits, and proceeds-of-crime investigations," the report concluded.

Source: IANS

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Amman/New Delhi, Oct 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) India on Saturday strongly condemned the heinous church attack in Jordan's Karak which has resulted in the tragic loss of several innocent lives and injuries to many others.

Seven people were killed and 34 others injured in a shooting attack during a funeral in Jordan's southern governorate of Karak, the Jordanian Public Security Directorate said Friday.

India unequivocally condemned the shocking development and said that it stands firmly with the government and the friendly people of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in this difficult hour.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish a swift recovery to those injured in this cowardly attack... We also reaffirm our strong commitment to the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar also expressed his shock at the Karak church attack.

"Deeply shocked at the heinous attack at a Church in Karak, Jordan yesterday, which resulted in the tragic loss of several innocent lives and injuries to many others. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish a swift recovery to those injured. India stands firmly with the Government and the friendly people of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in this difficult hour. We also reaffirm our strong commitment to the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

A spokesperson for the Jordanian Public Security Directorate said in a statement Friday that the criminal act was carried out by unidentified individuals, noting that investigations are proceeding intensively.

Jordan's King Abdullah II described the attack on social media platform X as a "terrorist attack," saying it will be met with the harshest retaliation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Al-Momani said on X that Prime Minister Jafar Hassan would chair a meeting in Karak to oversee the authorities' response to this "heinous terrorist crime."

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also on Friday strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Jordan's southern governorate.

The Secretary-General reiterated that attacks against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable. Places of worship must be places of peace and must be safe for all, said his spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement.

Guterres stressed that those responsible must be identified and brought to justice. He expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wished for a swift recovery to those injured, said the spokesman.

The United Nations stands with the government and people of Jordan, said the spokesman.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also offered his condolences to Jordan's King Abdullah II and the Jordanian people over the victims of what he described as a "treacherous terrorist attack."

"Egypt fully condemns these horrendous acts, which violate all human values," Sisi said in a Presidency statement.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) The arrest of a couple in Punjab for allegedly running a honey-trap operation to extract information about key military installations has exposed a suspected espionage network linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The husband and wife lived in Kalu Wala village in Ferozepur district, close to the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.

They have been accused of sharing sensitive information about Army movements and deployments in border areas. Investigations have revealed that the woman allegedly posed as a police officer to mislead people and gain access to confidential information.

An Intelligence Bureau official said honey-trapping had long been a tactic used by the ISI to extract sensitive information. However, the growing number of cases involving impersonation to gain access to confidential information has emerged as a major concern.

Those recruited by the ISI are forging communication channels to extract information. For instance, communication channels of high-ranking police and army officers have been forged.

“Once created, these communication channels do not begin operations immediately. They keep a watch on junior officers who are likely to fall into such communication channels,” the official said.

These communication channels remain silent for some time before they trigger a message to a junior officer.

The communication usually carries a severe sense of urgency.

Another official said that when an artificial emergency is created, the junior officer tends to pass on information almost urgently.

The officer tends to prioritise the urgency rather than cross-checking whether the communication channel is genuine or not.

Once the information is gathered, such forged communication channels are immediately shut down, the official added.

Another official said that these forged communication channels also trigger messages that put lower-ranking officials under stress. These officers very often are compelled to bypass protocols while transmitting sensitive information.

“There have been cases whereby officials have been told to provide access to unauthorised networks,” the official said.

During Operation Sindoor in May last year, India demonstrated its military strength against Pakistan while also gaining an advantage in the intelligence domain. An assessment of developments following the operation, launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, suggests that Indian intelligence agencies have maintained an edge over ISI.

Several modules have been busted, and honey-trapping networks have been shut down thanks to concrete and actionable intelligence.

Further, Pakistan has not been able to revive many of its proxies fully, and it also continues to struggle when it comes to infiltrations.

Officials say that these factors have led to the ISI reinventing tactics to pull out as much information as possible relating to the Indian armed forces.

It is currently pushing hard to set up several impersonation networks. This is a fresh challenge for the Indian Intelligence agencies.

The ISI’s strategy of using an impersonation network for a single operation, shutting it down and then setting up a new one, poses a major challenge for Indian intelligence agencies. The short operational life of these networks makes it harder for investigators to trace their links and identify those behind them, an official said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) India and Uzbekistan discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation across various sectors, including counter-terrorism, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday.

The meeting was held in New Delhi between MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George and Uzbekistan's Co-Chair of the India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, Pirimkulov Gulomjon Shodmonkulovich.

In a post on X, the MEA said, "Secretary (West) Sibi George received Mr Pirimkulov Gulomjon Shodmonkulovich, Head of Department for Cooperation with South Asian, Near, Middle Eastern and African Countries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan and Co-Chair of the India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism."

"They discussed India-Uzbekistan cooperation in counter-terrorism and other issues of mutual interest, reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation," the Ministry added.

Additionally, the 10th Meeting of the India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism was held on October 22 in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by MEA Additional Secretary (Counter Terrorism) Suhel Ajaz Khan and Pirimkulov Gulomjon Shodmonkulovich.

"The two sides discussed the threats posed by terrorist groups globally and in their respective regions. Both sides exchanged views on current and emerging challenges to counter-terrorism, including countering extremism and radicalisation, combating financing of terrorism, preventing use of technology for terrorist purposes, and the nexus between transnational organised crime and terrorism," the MEA said in a statement.

The Ministry mentioned that both sides agreed to cooperate in addressing the threats and challenges to national and regional security, and further strengthen the framework of the India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism.

"The two sides also deliberated on the measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the sphere of counter terrorism through information sharing, capacity building and sharing of best practices. They discussed the prospects of developing cooperation in the fight against terrorism between the relevant agencies of India and Uzbekistan. Both sides reaffirmed commitment to strengthen cooperation in multilateral fora including the UN, SCO-RATS and EAG," the statement read.

On October 4, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant met Uzbekistan Supreme Court's Chairperson Robakhon Makhmudova and discussed bilateral judicial cooperation.

"Hon'ble CJI Justice Shri Surya Kant held a bilateral meeting with Justice Robakhon Makhmudova, Chairperson of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan and discussed judicial cooperation between India and Uzbekistan. The efficient use of AI and digital technology in the judicial system was also discussed," the Embassy of India in Tashkent stated on X.

The CJI also participated in the 7th Congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts (AACC) in the Uzbek city of Samarkand.

Earlier in May this year, the 17th round of India-Uzbekistan Foreign Office Consultations was held in New Delhi.

The meeting was co-chaired by Sibi George and Uzbekistan's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhromjon Aloev.

The MEA said that during the consultations, both sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations with a focus on trade and investment, tourism, technology, innovation, energy, cooperation in educational and cultural fields and other consular issues. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Source: IANS

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Jammu, Oct 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) Security forces on Friday recovered a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) during a search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.

Officials said on Friday that the security forces recovered suspected IEDs and other explosive material from a hideout in Mankote sector of Poonch district in J&K.

The recoveries were made during a search operation launched by the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles in Kasbalari and adjoining areas following an input from the Territorial Army.

Recent recoveries of IEDs in J&K include on October 22, 2026 in Baramulla District where police and the Army's 52 Rashtriya Rifles arrested two terror associates/Overground Workers (OGWs) in the Darpura Nursery and Delina areas, recovering two IEDs weighing approximately 15 kg and 7.5 kg (22.5 kg total), along with a CANIK pistol, ammunition, a scooty, and cash.

On October 16, this year, security forces in Rajouri recovered and destroyed an IED during an anti-terror operation in the Thungwali area of Kandi.

A joint team of the Army and police recovered two IEDs, weighing roughly 5 kg and 7 kg, from the Wodhpura forest area of Handwara along National Highway 701, averting potential attacks, again this month.

Troops operating on specific Intelligence inputs recovered ready-to-use IEDs and explosive materials from hideouts in sectors like Degwar and Dalan in Poonch two days ago.

Security agencies generally classify the recovered materials into broad operational categories based on deployment methods documented in J&K as Vehicle-Borne and Magnetic Devices as Investigative reports highlight the use of devices designed to target transport infrastructure or specific vehicles, including magnetic attachments often referred to by security personnel as 'sticky bombs'.

Standard security briefings note that explosive materials are occasionally discovered hidden within everyday transport objects, such as tiffin boxes or standard household containers, to facilitate concealment in public spaces.

Discoveries in remote hideouts frequently include localised fabrications utilising common industrial or domestic items to house explosive compounds.

Counter-terrorism operations focus heavily on neutralising the components that enable these devices.

Source: IANS

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United Nations, Oct 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) India slammed the special rapporteur (SR) for religious freedom for bias in reporting on burials in India and failing to take into account the gravity of terrorism.

"Deriving political mileage out of people's pain and loss should not be a topic that SRs should base relevance on", Bhavika Mangalanandan, a first secretary in India's UN Mission, said on Thursday.

"We are surprised that the fervent advocacy for the rights of terrorists who violate the most sacred right of humans, the right to life, does not similarly extend to the victims of terrorism," she said.

"A terrorist not only kills innocent people, but damages the psyche of a nation", she said.

At the General Assembly's Third Committee, which deals with humanitarian affairs, Mangalanandan was responding to a report by Nazila Ghanea, the special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, on "Freedom of Religion or Belief and Funeral Rights in Exceptional Circumstances".

The report said the bodies of persons killed in security operations in Kashmir were not returned to their families and were buried in remote areas.

It also asserted that restrictions were placed on some persons killed during the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act by authorities, citing “law and order” concerns.

Ghanea is a professor of international human rights law at Oxford University. Rapporteurs are appointed by the Human Rights Council and not paid by the UN and work independently of it.

Mangalanandan criticised her for bias against the Global South in how she reported only on burials there during the Covid pandemic, while remaining silent about what went on in the industrialised nations.

"As per the report, all discrimination and wrong practices during Covid-19 supposedly took place only in the Global South," Mangalanandan said.

"What benefit does the report derive by not mentioning similar tragic situations in the developed world?" she asked. For example, in New York City, thousands of bodies of people who died of Covid-19 were thrown into mass graves on an isolated island off the city. There is no mention of such incidents in the report.

Manglanandan also responded to Pakistani allegations during the meeting, calling them ironic.

"It is deeply ironic that a state that did not even accept the bodies of its own soldiers who were killed in combat in 1999 in Kargil unabashedly speaks with fervour on faith, religious freedom and burials", she said.

"It was the Indian Army who buried a number of Pakistani soldiers with military honours and in accordance with Islamic rites," she said.

Instead of obsessing about India, Islamabad should direct its attention to what is happening in the part of Kashmir it illegally occupies, she said.

Minorities' rights are shrinking, and they are regularly abused in Pakistan, she said.

"A state that cannot ensure the safety of its own minorities has no standing to lecture India," she said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) The world takes note when a country responds firmly to terrorism, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Thursday, cautioning that “when you don’t respond, the world will play games”.

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit 2026, EAM Jaishankar said taking US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the 26/11 memorial in Mumbai should serve as a reminder of the enormity of what has been done to India and of the need to respond.

“To me, 26/11 (memorial), where I took Secretary Rubio, should serve as a reminder of the enormity of what is being done to us and the necessity for us to respond. And believe me, when you respond, the world will take note of it. When you don’t respond, the world will play games,” he said.

The EAM was referring to Tuesday’s visit, when Rubio, reaffirming the shared US-India commitment to combating terrorism, laid a wreath at the 26/11 memorial at Mumbai’s Taj hotel paying tribute to the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which saw Pakistani terrorists killing 166 people, including six Americans.

“At the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, I laid a wreath honoring the victims of the horrific November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks, including six American citizens. We remember those lost, honour the courage of those who responded, and reaffirm the enduring US-India partnership and our shared commitment to combating terrorism,” Rubio had posted on X.

Contrasting India’s restraint after the 2008 Mumbai attacks with its decisive actions in recent years, including Pahalgam last year, the EAM said terrorism would now invite consequences, not a return to talks after a pause.

“If terrorism goes on, it will not be business as usual. It is not you’ll take a break and then say, okay, now it’s a long time, let me get back to talking to them again, which is what was the pattern,” he said.

Asked whether the defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan could have a bearing on a future Operation Sindoor-type scenario, EAM Jaishankar said “time will tell”, adding that countries, including India, would ultimately be judged by their actions and the world would be watching which positions translate into reality.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk on Thursday condemned terrorism, violent extremism and urged the international community to continue work towards eliminating terror havens and infrastructure.

The two leaders called for strong and concerted action against terrorists and terrorist entities, including those designated by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1267 sanctions committee. During their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Thursday, PM Modi and PM Tusk held discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

"The two leaders unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism leading to terrorism in all their forms and manifestations, irrespective of their motivations, including cross-border terrorism, and stressed that there can be no justification for terrorism on any grounds. They condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025," read the India-Poland Joint Statement released following the talks between PM Modi and Tusk.

"They called for strong and concerted action against terrorists and terrorist entities, including those designated by the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee. Both sides also called upon all countries to continue to work towards eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure as well as to disrupt terrorism financing networks. Both leaders called for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at the United Nations. They agreed to have a dialogue on counter-terrorism," it added.

PM Modi and Tusk underlined the importance of multilateralism with the United Nations (UN) Charter at its core. The two sides called for the structural reform of the United Nations, including through the expansion of the UN Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories in order to stay relevant, credible and effective.

"The Polish side expressed its support for India’s membership of a more inclusive, reformed and expanded UNSC, as well as reiterated its support for India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat in the UNSC for 2028-29," the Joint Statement read.

The two leaders highlighted the role of the G20 as a key forum for international cooperation and expressed their readiness to cooperate in the G20 tracks and workstreams in which Poland participates or may be invited to participate.

Both leaders expressed their "deepest concern" over the war in Ukraine, including its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences and reiterated the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also noted the negative impacts of the Ukraine conflict with regard to global food and energy security, especially for the Global South.

PM Modi and PM Tusk reaffirmed the importance of a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific and respecting international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They underscored the importance of freedom of navigation and the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law. India invited Poland to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), according to the joint statement.

The two leaders also welcomed the first Foreign Ministers' Meetings of India and the Visegrad Group (V4), comprising Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation through the V4+India format and building a forward-looking partnership based on shared interests and complementarities.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) The collapse of the Sri Lanka-based National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) dealt a major blow to both Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, which had sought to expand their influence in the region. The organisation had evolved into a dangerous extremist outfit, as demonstrated by its capacity to carry out the deadly Easter bombings in Sri Lanka.

Both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State had sought to use the NTJ to extend their reach in Sri Lanka and South India, in particular. However, the NTJ appeared to be more closely aligned with the Islamic State, whose emphasis on violent jihad and its methods of operation appealed more strongly to the group.

An official said that both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State had realised that they could not operate Mujahideen-style terror outfits in Sri Lanka and South India, noting that this model of terrorism had found success only in Jammu and Kashmir.

“In the rest of the country, groups such as the Indian Mujahideen and the Popular Front of India (PFI) found success. However, their operations were markedly different from those carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed or Lashkar-e-Taiba in Jammu and Kashmir,” the official said.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State were focusing heavily on radicalisation efforts in South India and Sri Lanka. However, both outfits had realised that radicalisation alone would not suffice and needed to be backed by ground operations, such as the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.

The official said both outfits were currently encouraging their operatives and sympathisers to form groups along the lines of the NTJ or the PFI.

Both terror outfits have also understood that when it comes to operations in South India, potential recruits have leaned more towards localised terror groups. Al Qaeda and the Islamic State do have traction when it comes to ideology, but recruits prefer local terror outfits such as the NTJ and PFI.

“This is because such groups are more capable of undertaking operations on the ground. Moreover, these groups connect more easily because of common language and other traits that are local in nature,” the official said.

Another official said that states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala are more charged when it comes to radicalisation. The Islamic State and Al Qaeda have managed to penetrate their ideology in Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively. However, it has failed to launch even one major operation in these states. In the absence of such operations, recruitment is hard, and both these outfits realise that.

Intelligence inputs suggest that groups such as the NTJ and PFI are not capable of an immediate revival. The agencies, both in India and Sri Lanka, are closely monitoring those sympathetic towards these groups. Moreover, neither group has made any serious attempt at a revival since they were banned.

Post the Easter bombings, the Sri Lankan government cracked down heavily on the NTJ, and this effectively eliminated the group.

In the case of the PFI, the crackdown was hard, and this led to multiple raids and subsequent arrests. The financial choking of these terror groups also has ensured that a revival anytime soon would not be possible, officials say.

Officials have not ruled out the possibility of Al-Ummah re-emerging in South India. The group, which was linked to the Coimbatore bombings, has reportedly been sending signals suggesting a possible comeback.

According to the officials, Al-Ummah is under the control of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), with some of its members continuing to find shelter in Pakistan.

Given the current situation and the ambitions of Al Qaeda and Islamic State, these groups would either wait for an Al-Ummah resurgence and ride on it or would focus entirely on creating completely new entities to run their operations in South India and Sri Lanka, an official said.

Source: IANS

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Srinagar, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Two terror associates were arrested by the security forces with arms and ammunition on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Officials said that while acting on intelligence inputs, troops of 52 Rashtriya Rifles and J&K Police in Baramulla arrested the two terrorist associates from the Darpura Nursery area near Delina Ghat of the district.

“During the search, one Turkish-made pistol, one magazine with 10 rounds and two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered from their possession," the officials said.

Both individuals belong to the Chinkipura area of Sopore Sub-Division, and were found to be working as Over Ground Workers (OGWs).

"They are likely involved in the movement of weapons and explosives for terrorists. Further investigation has been taken up,” the officials said.

More details are awaited as the probe progresses.

The Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and terror associates are civilian network members who support terrorist groups without directly participating in active combat.

They are individuals who operate covertly within local communities to provide the essential infrastructure, resources and intelligence that banned terrorist groups (such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen) need to function.

While "OGW" traditionally refers to individuals supplying logistical or material aid, security agencies often use "terror associates" or "hybrid terrorists" to describe individuals who also transition into active tasks, such as handling weapons, performing targeted killings, or moving explosives.

Both OGWs and terror associates provide safe houses, hiding spots, and food for active militants operating in the area.

They transport or distribute illegal arms, ammunition, IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), and cash dropped via drones or smuggled across borders.

They gather real-time information on the movements of security forces (Police, Army, CRPF) or tracking targets for designated hits, officials have said.

The associates or OWGs lure local youth into joining militant ranks, using digital platforms, encrypted apps, or social media to spread extremist ideology. They participate in or organise stone pelting, mob rioting and local civil disturbances to distract security operations.

Source: IANS

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Bengaluru, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to take up the probe into the suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion at an under-construction building in Bengaluru’s Pulakeshinagar, with preliminary investigations indicating that an IED was used to trigger the blast, police said on Thursday.

The NIA has sought a report from the Bengaluru Police regarding the incident and has obtained reports from the local police and the Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team. If further investigation is required, the agency is likely to inspect the scene.

Currently, the local police and the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) are investigating the incident, with officers focusing on the circumstances under which the explosive device was brought to the building and the identity of the person behind it.

According to preliminary information, the IED was concealed inside a box that was delivered to the under-construction building as a parcel. An unidentified person reportedly made an anonymous phone call to the security staff, asking them to receive the box and keep it inside the building. The caller allegedly claimed that the parcel contained a torchlight.

Acting on the instructions, the security guard collected the box and kept it inside the building. The box was subsequently opened, and the battery was switched on, triggering the explosion. A painter present at the spot and another person were injured in the blast. One of them reportedly lost a finger, while the other sustained minor injuries.

Investigating officers are now working to trace the anonymous call and identify the person who instructed the security guard to receive the parcel. The police are also examining how the box was delivered and whether anyone else was involved in placing the explosive device at the site.

The use of an IED has raised concerns among security agencies, with investigators examining whether the incident was part of a larger conspiracy or stemmed from personal enmity. The possibility of a personal dispute being behind the explosion is also being investigated.

The incident has drawn particular attention because Bengaluru is known as the Silicon Valley of India and is home to several defence establishments, scientific institutions, research centres and manufacturing facilities.

Security agencies are concerned about how the person or persons involved acquired the technical expertise to assemble an IED using a battery as part of the triggering mechanism. Investigators are expected to examine the device's design, the materials used and the method adopted to trigger the explosion to establish the motive and determine whether the incident has wider security implications.

It can be recalled that the explosion at an under-construction building in Bengaluru’s Pulakeshinagar is suspected to have been caused by an improvised explosive device (IED), even as Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday urged people not to believe rumours and said the authorities would have to wait for laboratory reports to establish the cause.

The blast occurred around noon on October 20 at a building owned by Abdul Rehman. Two workers, identified as Suraj and Allauddin, were injured in the incident. One of them reportedly lost a finger.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kharge said the investigation was underway and that the police were examining whether the explosion was caused by an IED or a chemical reaction.

“The matter is still being investigated. A preliminary investigation is underway, and the incident has been under investigation since last night. Let the laboratory reports come in. Before that, we should not pay heed to rumours,” he said.

Asked about the materials recovered from the site and whether the incident was a cause for concern, Kharge said, “There has been a blast, and that is all I can say.”

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Kuwait-flagged oil product tanker M/T Al Dasma, carrying 21 Indian seafarers, was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. All crew members are safe, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 21 (local time).

The Union Minister said that the authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

Taking to X, Sonowal said, "On Oct 21, Kuwait-flagged oil product tanker M/T AL DASMA, carrying 21 Indian seafarers, was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. All 21 of our Indian crew members, along with the rest of the crew are completely safe."

"We are continuously monitoring the situation and remain in close contact with the ship management company to ensure the ongoing security and wellbeing of our seafarers," he added.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also tracked the strike at 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, Oman.

According to Times Kuwait, the incident sparked a fire aboard the vessel, which was later extinguished. The report stated that the tanker remained stationary, and all crew members were reported safe.

This attack occurred amidst a series of regional commercial shipping incidents in the Gulf.

Earlier on October 16, a crude oil tanker MT ST 3, carrying 15 Indian seafarers, was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz.

All Indian nationals were safe, and no casualties were reported, Sonowal had said.

India has repeatedly condemned attacks on maritime navigation and commercial shipping amid escalating Middle East conflict.

New Delhi has reiterated, on several occasions, that all attacks on commercial shipping and merchant mariners are "legally and morally indefensible", while highlighting the need for freedom of navigation and "safe and unimpeded flow of maritime commerce through international waterways".

Source: IANS

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London, Oct 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) British leader and Padma Shri awardee, Bob Blackman, has reiterated his call for India's inclusion in the Five Eyes (FVEY) intelligence alliance citing the growing threats from Pakistani terror networks and Khalistani extremism.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, the United Kingdom Conservative Party leader and Member of Parliament (MP) spoke about the current security challenges being faced by both India and UK.

India is threatened by Pakistan in particular, where the terrorism is almost promoted into India. So we must share intelligence. Obviously, we are part of the Five Eyes network, which shares intelligence across the world. We should include India in that process. I've always said that India becomes an important part of the free world, obviously it is the biggest democracy in the world, enabling us to share intelligence on potential terrorist attacks. We know that our intelligence services, thanks to our friends in Israel and the United States, thwart terrorist atrocities in this country. We've got to do more to help attacks that take place in India," said Blackman.

The Five Eyes intelligence sharing grouping includes the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Calling for India's inclusion, Blackman highlighted two elements to the entire security scenario.

"One is obviously the threat from Pakistan, their promotion of terrorist atrocities. I'm not saying every Pakistani is a terrorist, but what we are saying is that terrorism from Pakistan keeps happening. The military rule that takes place in Pakistan doesn't seem to stop this, and that's very important. Equally, we've got the Khalistani movement, which is a direct threat both to India and increasingly over here. So we've got to make sure that that intelligence is shared. That's not going to be seen by the public. Anything we can do to prevent these sort of activities from going on has got to be positive," he stated.

The UK MP also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, crediting him for first transforming Gujarat and then India.

"Narendra Modi has obviously not only been Chief Minister of Gujarat and turned Gujarat from almost a desert into a powerhouse of the Indian economy. Since he's been Prime Minister in India, he's done the same thing for India. And most importantly, I think about his incredible enthusiasm and energy, and has brought the poor people, the poor sections of society, into economic capability in India. That's remarkable... the electrification of villages, enabling industry to thrive and grow, promoting India."

Calling PM Modi as a "symbol of modern India" who has enabled India to reach further on the world stage, Blackman stated that PM Modi has all the contacts and also the capability of the G20 and G7 to enable further growth of India-UK

friendship.

"There's more to do. You know, India should have a permanent place on the Security Council of the United Nations, if we're to continue with the United Nations. Equally, obviously, India needs to have more say what's going on, in terms of capability across the world, and has, because of its geographical position, and its economic power, the opportunity, I think, to be a buttress to China and the growth of China, and the serious threat that China poses to the whole of Asia, and in particular, to the sea lanes of the world," the British parliamentarian said.

"That's part and parcel, I think, of what India needs to do now. I always worry about the security position of China, literally surrounding India, with its links in Sri Lanka and in East Africa, that potentially there's a, with Pakistan, so that there's literally a ring around India, that that needs to be broken," he added.

Blackman also lauded the people-to-people contacts between India and the United Kingdom while praising the contribution of the Indian community in Britain's growth.

"Indian diaspora in this country have made a huge impact in terms of the economy and our public services. Generally speaking, it's fair to say they are the least likely to commit crime. They're also the most important element of the foundation of our economy. But they're often very quiet and one of the biggest problems is getting the community to come forward to participate in political discourse, standing for election so that we can actually get people from the community as representatives. We've done a lot of work in my constituency and in London Borough of Harrow to bring people forward and we have true representation in the Conservative Party across the various different communities now, which is very positive. But we need to do that countrywide."

The British MP also batted strongly for Hindu temples to get funding from the government to manage their security.

"I think one of the key elements here is that the government gives funding, and bear in mind the government only has money that gets from the taxpayer, that gives funding for places of worship protection. There's no funding for Hindu temples or Jain temples. Why? I mean, that question is constantly asked and they are at risk as well as any other religious place of worship. So we want to make sure that there's a fair share for those temples to make sure that they are protected and people can go about their law-abiding business and worship as they wish, but also have the community functions."

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, Oct 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday met Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace Hotel security Chief Sunil Kudyadi, who was present at the hotel during the 26/11 terror attacks and heard a first-hand account of the attack, including how long the siege lasted.

The meeting took place after Rubio laid a wreath at the 26/11 memorial at the hotel, with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar introducing the staffer to the US Secretary of State.

Reaffirming the shared US-India commitment to combating terrorism, Rubio laid a wreath at the 26/11 memorial at Mumbai's Taj hotel, paying tribute to the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which saw Pakistani terrorists killing 166 people, including six Americans.

"At the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, I laid a wreath honouring the victims of the horrific November 26, 2008, terrorist attacks, including six American citizens. We remember those lost, honour the courage of those who responded, and reaffirm the enduring US-India partnership and our shared commitment to combating terrorism," the US Secretary of State said in a post on social media platform X.

Later, during talks with EAM Jaishankar, Rubio pressed for greater energy trade with the US and increased purchase of American technologies and systems, the US State Department said.

"The Secretary (Rubio) reiterated that increased energy trade with the United States can play a transformative role in diversifying India's supply chains while meeting its sizeable consumer demand. He also commended recent progress in bilateral defence and civil nuclear cooperation, and advocated for the increased purchase of US technologies and systems, which can enhance the security and prosperity of both our countries," the State Department said in a statement.

The two sides also discussed regional and global issues, including developments in the Middle East, it added.

"Pleased to meet US Marco Rubio in Mumbai today. We shared views on further advancement of our ties, focusing on trade, energy, technology, defence and people-to-people ties. Also exchanged views on regional developments," EAM Jaishankar had said on X after the meeting.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, Oct 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday appreciated visiting US Secretary Marco Rubio laying a wreath at the Taj Hotel's 26/11 Memorial while emphasising that India remains clear on its right to defend itself against terrorism and expects its partners also to show zero tolerance toward terrorism.

Addressing the 'Freedom 250' reception in Mumbai to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence in the presence of Rubio and US Ambassador Sergio Gor, EAM Jaishankar spotlighted that the world order is clearly in transition, and countries are responding accordingly.

"Secretary Rubio, all of Mumbai, and indeed all of India, appreciate your laying a wreath today at the Taj Hotel's 26/11 Memorial. India also welcomes this administration's decision to extradite Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was one of the key culprits. We are clear on our right to defend ourselves against terrorism and expect our partners to show zero tolerance toward terrorism as well," said EAM Jaishankar.

"As we mark this anniversary together, it is natural to reflect on the way ahead. The world order is clearly in transition, and countries are responding accordingly. Each one of us will naturally pursue our national interests. In such an era, expanding our convergence is key to deepening our ties," he added.

The External Affairs Minister mentioned the "new opportunities" in India-US partnership in the fields of trade, investment, technology, and energy, that await both nations and engaging regularly and identifying common interests will certainly help provide a pathway.

He said that both countries also have a shared stake in strengthening peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

"Our ties have indeed come a long way. History records that many Americans were supportive of India's struggle for independence. After that, whether it was infrastructure and education or food, agriculture, and technology, our partnership has made a real difference to India's development. Conversely, Indian talent and Indian skills have helped shape the tech era in the United States. Of course, we've had our share of issues, including the manner in which we approach the world and its challenges. But in the last few decades, our partnership has steadily expanded, acquiring new dimensions and new facets. The Quad, Mission 500, Pax Silica, and the Forge Initiative are among some of the notable examples. Growth in the fields of energy, defense, and civil aviation has actually been striking," said EAM Jaishankar.

Holding celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence in Mumbai, said the External Affairs Minister, as the city holds a special significance for India and has a special place in its ties with the United States.

"Mumbai is, of course, India’s financial capital, but it is much more than that. Bollywood is an integral element of its personality, and the city is a centre of learning and a hub for research and technology. Its entrepreneurial spirit is reflected in the trade its ports facilitate and in its traditions across sports, culture, media and music. Most of all, Mumbai serves as a gateway to the world and is deeply invested in our relationship with the United States.

"Therefore, Secretary Rubio, it is particularly fitting that you celebrate this anniversary here in Mumbai. Mumbai’s connection with America began, as some of you may know, with what was called the ice trade. Today, the city is at the heart of our financial, commercial and technology ties. There is much about our shared past that can be cited in this regard," he mentioned.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, Oct 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Reaffirming the shared US-India commitment to combating terrorism, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday laid a wreath at the 26/11 memorial at Mumbai's Taj hotel paying tribute to the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which saw Pakistani terrorists killing 166 people, including six Americans.

“At the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, I laid a wreath honoring the victims of the horrific November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks, including six American citizens. We remember those lost, honour the courage of those who responded, and reaffirm the enduring US-India partnership and our shared commitment to combating terrorism,” Rubio posted on X.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met US Congressional staffers in Mumbai and highlighted the growing cooperation between India and the US in technology and defence, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

“Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with US Congressional staffers in Mumbai today. He highlighted the consequential nature of the India-US partnership, the important role played the US Congress in advancing bilateral ties, the enduring strength of people-to-people connections, and growing cooperation in technology and defence between the two democracies,” the MEA posted on X.

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with the delegation in Mumbai and appreciated their positive sentiments in taking forward ties between India and the US.

During the meeting, EAM Jaishankar and the US Congressional delegation discussed trade, energy, security and technology aspects of the India-US relationship.

The delegation comprised Jason Smith, David Schweikert, Elise Stefanik, Andy Ogles and Laura Friedman. Foreign Secretary Misri and other officials were present during the meeting.

“Pleased to meet US Congressional Delegation comprising Jason Smith, David Schweikert, Elise Stefanik, Andy Ogles and Laura Friedman in Mumbai today. Appreciate their positive sentiments and interest in taking forward India - US ties. Specifically discussed trade, energy, security and technology aspects of our relationship. Also spoke about ease of doing business in India, and deepening of our Indo - Pacific cooperation,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

Source: IANS

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Ottawa, Oct 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) The continued promotion of Khalistani extremism in Western capitals undermines Sikh interests, isolates the community, fuels suspicion, and diverts attention from pressing challenges such as integration, youth radicalisation, and drug and gang networks that some findings have linked to separatist financing, a report has stated.

It noted that the Khalistan movement has already exacted a devastating human cost, from the Air India bombing to years of militancy and bloodshed in Punjab.

Two years after pro-Khalistan radicals attacked devotees with sticks and flagpoles during a consular camp at Sabha Mandir in Canada’s Brampton, Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman unexpectedly found himself at the heart of the story, a report in Khalsa Vox stated.

The way Canadian broadcaster CBC framed the violence as somehow centred on him prompted a two-year global investigation. The result was Finding Khalistan, a documentary that traces the movement’s trajectory from the bloodshed after Partition and the 1980s insurgency to its present-day echo chambers in the West, it added.

“The film arrives at a moment when the cost of this ideology is impossible to ignore. Khalistan is not a legitimate expression of Sikh aspiration. It is a political project that has repeatedly turned violent, that has been sustained by external patrons, and that stands in direct contradiction to the core teachings of the Gurus. Guru Nanak rejected religious bigotry and political division; the Guru Granth Sahib repeatedly stresses the oneness of humanity (‘Na koi bairi nahin begana’),” the report detailed.

“The Khalsa was created to defend the oppressed, not to carve out an ethno-religious state through terror and intimidation. Modern Khalistani activism—temple attacks, glorification of terrorists, and ‘referendums’ staged in Canadian community centres—bears no resemblance to that spiritual and ethical inheritance,” it noted.

According to the report, the Khalistan movement is seen as a liability rather than a cause by the overwhelming majority of Sikhs, both in India and across the diaspora.

“In Punjab it has negligible electoral support. In Canada, former British Columbia premier Ujjal Dosanjh has repeatedly stated that less than five per cent of Canadian Sikhs endorse it; most simply want to work, raise families, and practise their faith without being tarred by association. Yet the loud minority has succeeded in equating ‘Sikh’ with ‘Khalistani’ in the public mind,” Khalsa Vox mentioned.

“The result is a global reputational tax paid by ordinary Sikhs: the hard-working truck drivers, entrepreneurs, soldiers, and professionals whose community is known for seva and prosperity now find their identity co-opted by those who traffic in grievance and, in some cases, organised crime,” it stated.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) The death of Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, alias Abu Hashim, a US-designated founding member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has raised questions about the financial health of the Pakistan-based terror outfit, with intelligence officials pointing to mounting pressure on its fundraising networks.

Sarwar was in charge of the LeT’s financial wing in Pakistan’s Punjab province. He oversaw fundraising for the outfit and used Pakistan's formal financial system to mobilise funds. He also led delegations of businessmen to LeT facilities to solicit donations.

Counterterrorism experts say Sarwar’s death is the second high-profile loss involving the outfit’s financial operations after the death of Javed Khanani in 2016. Both men were playing major roles in the LeT’s finances at the time of their deaths, they added.

An Intelligence Bureau official said the outfit had been facing financial difficulties for some time.

“Several factors have damaged the financial health of this outfit, putting considerable pressure on its top operatives, particularly those handling finances. The group was responsible for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks,” the official said.

The Narendra Modi government has always taken a tough stance against terror. While tackling this menace, the agencies have not only increased the offensive on ground operations, but targeted finances in equal measure.

“This has increased the pressure on these groups, and the top leadership has struggled to cope with it,” the official said.

Another official said the manner in which the LeT had been operating pointed to serious financial problems.

In 2010, the outfit reportedly had an annual turnover of $100 million, of which $5.2 million was earmarked for military operations. Current estimates suggest that its annual turnover has fallen by 75 to 85 per cent, leaving the organisation under considerable strain, the official said.

Operations against the LeT intensified after 2016, when Indian agencies increased pressure on both its ground networks and financial activities. Dossiers detailing the activities of the outfit and its financial proxy, Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), were submitted to international watchdogs, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The scrutiny led to the freezing of assets linked to the outfit and restricted its ability to raise funds through established channels. With financial transactions facing greater scrutiny, the LeT found it difficult to mobilise money on the scale it had achieved around 2010.

While this was not sufficient to run operations, it moved to a low-cost proxy strategy. This shifted the focus to the creation of The Resistance Front (TRF), which allowed the outfit to minimise its financial exposure.

Another official said that it is not just the FATF that dealt a blow to the finances of the LeT. The November 2016 demonetisation exercise also dealt a major blow to its counterfeit currency network, causing losses worth millions as the racket suffered a near-collapse.

“Although the outfit has managed to revive a part of the trade, it is nowhere near the levels it had achieved before demonetisation in 2016,” the official said.

The official also added that Khanani, who was heading the entire counterfeiting wing of the Lashkar, came under immense pressure after the decision, and this could have resulted in his death.

The Sarwar case, too, appears to be similar, although Pakistani agencies have not given the reason for his death. Sarwar, like Khanani, was under immense pressure to raise funds so that the Lashkar could regain what it lost during Operation Sindoor.

The LeT, during this operation, lost men and assets, including its primary training facility at Muridke. The intelligence agencies have reported several meetings in the past couple of months between members of the Lashkar financial wings and the Pakistani establishment.

Raising funds had become a nightmare, and Sorwar was feeling the pressure. With the Lashkar failing to scale up and Pakistan wanting a resurgence of the group post Operation Sindoor, it was decided that Islamabad would inject PKR 4 crore.

There have been rifts between the operatives and top leadership when it comes to finances. This has led to a major shakeup in the operations and forced the Lashkar to go with low-cost operations. This has led to resentment among the ground operatives and has ultimately translated into immense pressure for the top leadership, especially those in charge of finances and fundraising, an official said.

Source: IANS

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Kalaburagi, Oct 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Karnataka Police have traced alleged links between arrested suspected terrorist Mamtaz Mallik and individuals of Pakistani origin and terrorist outfits operating from the neighbouring country, officials said on Monday.

Mallik, a youth from West Bengal, was arrested by investigating agencies in Kalaburagi, North Karnataka, on Sunday. The Brahmapura police have registered a case and are investigating his alleged links with terrorist organisations and individuals suspected of engaging in anti-India activities.

Chowk Police Inspector Susheel Kumar lodged a complaint at the Brahmapura police station, following which an FIR was registered under Sections 113(3) and 197(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Section 113(3) deals with conspiring, attempting, abetting, advising, inciting or knowingly facilitating a terrorist act or preparatory activities, while Section 197(1) concerns imputations that a group of people cannot bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution or uphold India's sovereignty on grounds such as religion, race, language, caste, region or community.

During the investigation, police reportedly found that Mallik had been in contact with individuals and groups allegedly linked to terrorist outfits through WhatsApp groups and Instagram accounts.

According to the police, Mallik was a member of a WhatsApp group named 'Imam Mahdi'. During questioning, he reportedly claimed that a person identified as Jainul Abdin, allegedly from Pakistan, had added him to the group.

Investigators have gathered information suggesting that Jainul Abdin was working as a commander of the Lashkar e Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation. The police are investigating the lead to establish the nature and extent of the alleged connection.

The accused was also found to be following Instagram pages named 'Kashmir Tiger 313', 'I Love Pakistan, I Love Kashmir' and 'Major_Iqbal_ISI'. Police said he had allegedly been following and liking videos and reels related to Pakistan.

Investigators have seized or examined photographs and videos stored on Mallik's mobile phone as part of the probe. They are also collecting digital evidence to establish his alleged links, online activities and network.

The police are continuing the investigation to verify the leads and determine whether the accused had any direct involvement in activities linked to terrorist organisations.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) A recent report by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has punctured the myth on which Pakistan’s counterterrorism policy has rested for decades by naming Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Harakat-ul-Mujahideen among the factions linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a report said.

Writing for Parrhesia News, Italian journalist and South Asia expert Francesca Marino said the EUAA Country Guidance: Pakistan, released on October 1, does not claim that JeM takes orders from the TTP, but acknowledges that Pakistan’s militant landscape does not fit into the neat compartments projected by the state.

"The walls between the organisations have always been porous. Men move, commanders defect, factions merge, seminaries supply recruits to more than one battlefield, and ideological affinities survive changes of name or patronage," Marino wrote.

Islamabad has for years portrayed the TTP as an Afghan problem, with militants supposedly sheltered across the border and sent into Pakistan, an account the analysis described as convenient but "incomplete to the point of dishonesty".

"But geography is not genealogy. The presence of militants in Afghanistan does not make Afghanistan the author of a movement created by Pakistani commanders, rooted in Pakistan’s former tribal areas, and shaped by decades of Pakistani jihadist policy," it stated.

Tracing the roots of Pakistan’s ‘good Taliban, bad Taliban’ approach, Marino said it began when the state chose to sort armed Islamist groups by their strategic usefulness, treating those fighting in Afghanistan as assets and those targeting India as proxies, while branding only those who turned on Pakistan as terrorists.

"The policy assumed that organisations sharing seminaries, clerics, veterans, financiers, and a Deobandi-jihadist vocabulary would respect the filing system of the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate. They did not," the analysis said.

Highlighting Islamabad’s double standards, it noted that Pakistan bombs Afghan territory and demands that Kabul dismantle militant sanctuaries, even as JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur, struck by India, is being repaired.

“Apparently, the principle that governments are responsible for militant infrastructure on their territory becomes geographically flexible somewhere near the border,” Marino wrote.

The analysis said that after Operation Sindoor proved that India could find and hit visible terror camps, JeM has chosen dispersal over disbanding, reportedly rebuilding Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur and expanding digital fundraising.

Blaming Afghanistan for the TTP, the analysis said, lets Pakistan pass off blowback as foreign aggression, adding that the state’s “good Taliban, bad Taliban” doctrine “failed because the categories were never real to the militants themselves”.

"Pakistan built a proxy system for wars beyond its borders and eventually discovered that borders were the one thing the system did not respect," Marino contended.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) Four accused have been named in a supplementary chargesheet filed before a National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Haryana's Panchkula in connection with a grenade attack carried out near a Women Police Station in Sirsa in 2025, officials said.

The NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet before the NIA Special Court on Saturday against four accused, namely Rajbir Singh alias Fouji, Ved Parkash alias Pamma, Jiwanjot Singh Grewal alias Jyoti and Chirag Thakral, in connection with the grenade attack near a Women Police Station in Sirsa on November 25, 2025 (RC-24/2025/NIA/DLI), according to the officials.

The case, originally registered as FIR No. 710/2025 dated November 26, 2025, at Police Station Civil Line in Sirsa, was re-registered by NIA on December 30, 2025, as RC-24/2025/NIA/DLI.

Earlier on May 24 this year, the investigating agency had filed a chargesheet in the case before the NIA Special Court in Panchkula, against nine accused, including Pakistani nationals Shahzad Bhatti and Sohail Ahmad alias Sohail Baloch, officials said.

"The supplementary chargesheet details the conspiracy and the individual roles of the 4 accused, along with the supporting evidence collected during further investigation. It charges them under sections 61(2) r/w 109 and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, sections 5 and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, and sections 18, 18B and 20 of the UA (P) Act, 1967," the NIA said in a statement.

The investigators revealed that Rajbir Singh alias Fouji acted as the India-based coordinator of the cross-border network, working in coordination with foreign-based handlers for the collection and movement of weapons/hand grenades and narcotics in India.

Additionally, Chirag Thakral, Jiwanjot Singh Grewal alias Jyoti and Ved Parkash alias Pamma used to work under the directions of Rajbir Singh and played a key role in facilitating the movement of explosives used in the grenade attack at the Women Police Station in Sirsa, officials said.

"The attack was carried out by members of the Shahzad Bhatti network, acting pursuant to an organised conspiracy, with the intention of causing harm to police personnel and of creating terror and fear among the general public. NIA's investigation has traced the conspiracy in the case to foreign-based handlers operating a cross-border terror network," the NIA said.

It mentioned that further investigation in the case is continuing to identify and apprehend the other persons involved in the conspiracy and to unearth the complete cross-border terror network behind the attack.

Source: IANS

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