Of late, the Balochi tribesmen of Makkaran have been in the news because of their resentment and armed conflict against the Pakistani government. In India, not much is remembered about these people any more, particularly by the post-partition generation. In view of the security implications in our neighbourhood, it might be of interest to many to learn a little about the Balochis.

Agro-terrorism has received little or no attention in India [or for that matter in South Asia] because terrorists have yet to employ agricultural assaults as a method of operation in this region. The threat scenario would involve a deliberate introduction of a disease agent, either against livestock or into the food chain, for purposes of undermining stability and/or generating fear among masses. Even terrorist group can achieve their objective by using radiological dispersal devices against food or water supply.

It has been proved several times in the history of nation states that credible mechanism of governance takes years to build but may collapse in a single stroke. Nepal, today, is experiencing the same. Over the years Nepal has been forced to witness the systemic collapse of its political institutions. Democracy in Nepal is still far from realization, as the landlocked Himalayan Kingdom remains entangled in a two-way fight between the autocratic monarchy and Maoists.

The forests of India are now under a novel threat posed by the extremist outfits. Starting from the Hizbul Mujahideen to Naxals (the Left-wing extremists), all find the forest their safest hideouts to continue their anti-social and anti-national activities including planning and deployment. According to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), half a million crimes are reported from India’s forest areas every year and about 30% of it, is related to militancy in these areas.

After months of investigations, authorities in Bangladesh slapped a 40 year jail sentence to three militants of the outlawed Islamic outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) blamed for series of bombings in the country in 2005. Two convicts— Mohammad Awal and Ataur Sunny— have confessed their involvement in the 17 August countrywide bombings that killed three people and left over 150 injured. They also confessed that two British nationals financed the August serial bombings.

More than 60 people were killed and over 200 injured in one of the bloodiest ever terrorist attacks that shook New Delhi with three synchronized explosions on October 29. The first blast took place in the evening at 5.38 p.m. outside a Jewelers shop at Paharganj area, close to Delhi’s main railway station. At 5.52 p.m., a bag was spotted inside a public transport bus in Govindpuri, which exploded when it was thrown out. Sarojini Nagar’s crowded mini market was hit by a powerful explosion at 5.56 p.m.

The arrest of three Babbar Khalsa militants on July 17 near Madhopur Chowk in Fatehgarh Sahab district of Punjab, along with assault rifles and explosives have not only underscored the outfit’s weakening stature in Punjab, but also show a trend of desperation within the residual Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) elements who either are attempting to come over ground or to flee the country.

Tryst with Modern Jihadi Terrorism:

The North African State of Libya has been in the news recently for reasons other than the controversial antics of its President, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The capture of the Al Qaeda operative, Abu Firaj al Libby, a Libyan citizen, in early May this year in Mardan (Pakistan) calls for a deeper study of the Al Qaeda-Libya connection. Almost exactly a month later, on June 3, 2005, Libya was in the news again when it was reported that an Al Qaeda cell in Libya had threatened an attack on the northeast coastal city of Darna if one of its cell leaders was not released from prison.