Monthly Archives: August 2018

Three Baloch “pro-independence” armed groups have claimed responsibility for a series of attacks across Balochistan on Thursday, reportedly killing 14 Pakistani military personnel and 2 alleged agents, while injuring several others, reported Balochistan Post.

BLA Claims Responsibility For Three Separate Attacks

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for three separate attacks in Mach, Turbat, and Mastung. In a statement to the media, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that the group’s fighters targeted Pakistani military personnel and alleged state agents.

In the first attack, BLA fighters ambushed Pakistani forces at Panir Station in Mach, Bolan district. According to the BLA, one Pakistani soldier was killed in a sniper attack, followed by an assault on the military post using automatic weapons. The group claimed there were further casualties and damage to military equipment.

In a second attack, BLA fighters killed Amanullah, an alleged agent of a “state-backed death squad” in the Noodaz area of Turbat. The BLA accused Amanullah of involvement in enforced disappearances and raids on civilians since 2011. Another associate of Amanullah was reportedly injured in the attack.

Jeeyand Baloch added that four days prior, in Spilinji Muru, Mastung district, BLA fighters captured Mujeeb ur Rehman, an alleged agent working for Pakistan’s military intelligence.

According to the BLA, Rehman had been posing as a “Malang” (wandering ascetic) to avoid detection. During interrogation, he reportedly admitted to working as an informer for Pakistan Army’s Military Intelligence (MI) for ten years in Quetta, Spilinji, and Maru.

The BLA further said that Rehman disclosed his direct involvement in the enforced disappearances of Baloch students and raids on Baloch civilians’ homes. The group claims that Rehman was tried by the “Baloch National Court,” sentenced to death, and subsequently executed.

BLF Ambush In Tump Leaves Four Soldiers Dead

The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for an attack in the Gomazi area of Tump, where four Pakistani soldiers were killed and two others wounded.

BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch said that BLF fighters ambushed Pakistani forces as they were returning from a military operation in Tump’s mountainous regions. Using guerrilla warfare tactics, the fighters attacked the convoy, killing four soldiers on the spot. The BLF fighters reportedly withdrew safely after the ambush.

The BLF spokesperson said the group accepts responsibility for the Gomazi attack and vowed to continue its operations until the “complete withdrawal of enemy forces” from Balochistan is achieved.

BRA Attack in Dera Bugti: Nine Soldiers Killed

The Baloch Republican Army (BRA) claimed responsibility for another attack in the Sughari area of Dera Bugti district. According to BRA spokesperson Sarbaz Baloch, nine Pakistani soldiers were killed and 11 others injured when a military convoy was targeted with a remote-controlled bomb, followed by an assault with rockets and automatic weapons.

The BRA accused the Pakistani military of shelling civilian areas in Dera Bugti’s Lanju, Sughari, and Raees Tokh regions in recent days. The group said its attacks were in retaliation for these military operations and warned of continued resistance.

Agencies

Around 150 terrorists are waiting at launchpads across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into the Kashmir valley as winter approaches, but security forces would foil any such bid, a senior BSF officer said on Friday. “Attempts of infiltration continue to take place. Based on the intelligence inputs we receive from various agencies, we coordinate with the army to establish a domination plan along the border.

“We also keep in mind the number of terrorists at the launching pads, which helps us shape our strategy and domination plan to ensure we foil any plans,” BSF Inspector General (Kashmir Frontier) Ashok Yadav told reporters.

He said the security forces would ensure any infiltration attempt is thwarted.

Asked how many terrorists were waiting at terror launchpads now, he said, “The number of terrorists at the launching pads usually varies between 130 and 150, at times it may be slightly higher.”

On the challenges after conducting peaceful assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Yadav said the security forces coordinated closely with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the administration to ensure fair and peaceful polls.

“There were numerous threat inputs, but with our well-coordinated domination plan, we prevented any attack, and the elections were successful.

“Now, with winter approaching, preparations are in place. Before winter sets in, terrorists often attempt infiltration, and we are dominating the area accordingly,” he said, adding there are inputs about possible infiltration attempts along the LoC.

Asked about the volatile West Asia situation having any impact in the Valley, the IG BSF said while the security forces do not have specific inputs on terrorists trying to take advantage of the crises “we keep these international developments in our analysis and factor them into our operational plans”.

On a question about narcoterrorism, Yadav said narcotics comes in from across the LoC and is a good source for terror financing.

“There are some villages along the LoC, some vulnerable patches like Tangdhar and Keran sectors, but we have deployed mobile bunkers and women troopers as well because there were inputs that they might use some women as couriers, to stop the inflow of narcotics. There has a been huge impact and we have been successful in bringing it down to a large extent,” he added.

The BSF officer said the forces strive to ensure that soldiers are trained not only in traditional aspects of border management such as weapon handling, firing, field craft and tactics and endurance activities, but also in the latest technology.

“With the evolving nature of technology, we have integrated various types of surveillance equipment into border management. Given the growing issue of drones, we are incorporating training on how to effectively use new technology for better border security.

“Additionally, we are utilising the Government of India’s platform, iGOT, which offers various types of training that we provide to our trainees,” he said.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 16 Corps, along with GOC Counter-insurgency force ‘Delta’, visited the hinterland areas and reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness of troops deployed on ground zero in Doda district. He…

Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 16 Corps, along with GOC Counter-insurgency force ‘Delta’, visited the hinterland areas and reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness of troops deployed on ground zero in Doda district.

He appreciated the troops for their unwavering commitment and dedication towards counter-terrorism operations, the White Knight Corps said on X.

Earlier, on Thursday and Wednesday, the General Officer Commanding reviewed preparedness of troops at forward areas of Rajouri and Akhnoor.

Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, in a warning to countries who have nuclear weapons not to use them. Working for world free of…

Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, in a warning to countries who have nuclear weapons not to use them.

Working for world free of Nukes

• Nihon Hidankyo, chaired by Tomoyuki Mimaki, was formed by Nagasaki & Hiroshima survivors
• The group was awarded the prize for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons

Many survivors of the only two nuclear bombs ever to be used in conflict, who are known in Japanese as “hibakusha”, have dedicated their lives to the struggle for a nuclear-free world. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the group was receiving the prize for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again. Hidankyo’s Hiroshima branch chairperson, Tomoyuki Mimaki, who was standing by at the city hall for the announcement, cheered and teared up when he received the news. “Is it really true? Unbelievable!” Mimaki screamed. The US dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, killing 70,000 people, three days after its bombing of Hiroshima killed 140,000. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945,ending the World War II and its nearly half-century of aggression across Asia.

Nihon Hidankyo was formed in 1956 by survivors of the attacks and victims of nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific amid demands for government support for health problems. Mimaki, a survivor himself, said the award would give a major boost to its efforts to demonstrate that the abolition of nuclear weapons was possible. “(The win) will be a great force to appeal to the world that the abolition of nuclear weapons and everlasting peace can be achieved,” he said, adding, “Nuclear weapons should absolutely be abolished.”

“The atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as the hibakusha, are selfless, soul-bearing witnesses of the horrific human cost of nuclear weapons,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a congratulatory statement.

Without naming specific countries, Joergen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, warned that nuclear nations should not contemplate using atomic weapons. “In a world ridden (with) conflicts, where nuclear weapons are definitely part of it, we wanted to highlight the importance of strengthening the nuclear taboo, the international norm, against the use of nuclear weapons,” Frydnes said.

The annual pilgrimage to Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib officially ended today. According to the Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib Management Trust, over 1.83 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine this year. The pilgrimage to the holy place had started on May 25.

he annual pilgrimage to Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib officially ended today. According to the Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib Management Trust, over 1.83 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine this year. The pilgrimage to the holy place had started on May 25.

Located at a height of over 15,000 feet on the banks of a Himalayan lake in Uttarakhand, this is the highest Sikh shrine in the world. Narinderjit Singh Bindra, president of the trust, said the portals of the shrine were closed after the mid-day prayers.

All the equities that the West Asian/ GCC countries have with the US pale into insignificance in the face of the powerful domestic US Jewish lobby.

Manish TewarMP Chandigarh

WHY is Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu going for broke? Why has Israel upped the ante in the one-year-old conflagration by expanding military operations into Lebanon and, perhaps, beyond? Will Israel take the high-risk route of attempting to neutralise Iran’s nuclear capabilities?

The answers are fairly linear. What Netanyahu is simply doing is taking advantage of a unique six-month window in the US presidential electoral cycle, coupled with a lame duck President in the Oval Office who has lost control of the events in West Asia.

The reason why the electoral cycle provides space for manoeuvre is because of the very influential Jewish special interest groups in the US that have been courted and coveted by both Democrats and Republicans alike for more than a century — the famed and feared Jewish lobby.

Some of the most prominent and formalised pro-Israel groups that have both financial and electoral muscle are the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), American Jewish Committee (AJC), Christians United for Israel, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish organisations, Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) and J Street. Then, there are the informal groups that promote a pro-Israel narrative, namely the Christian Broadcasting Network, Christian Television Network, Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem and a host of others.

None of these groups are illegal or constitute a great conspiracy to subvert democracy in the US. This is just how the electoral system in the US works.

Individually, and collectively, these groups mobilise billions of dollars to support openly pro-Israel candidates on both sides of the aisle and defeat those both pro-Arab/ Palestinian or anti-Israel. The AIPAC has set up its Super Political Action Committee (S-PAC), namely the United Democracy Project (UDP) to further this cause which acquired a new urgency after the barbaric events of October 7, 2023.

Israel’s disproportionate response has alienated young people in the US and could lead to an erosion in the bipartisan support for it in the rarefied corridors of power and influence in Washington DC.

In contrast, Arab and, especially, Palestinian influence and support groups have been historically weak in the US, allowing organisations like the AIPAC and AJC to have a relatively smooth run.

Had this unique window and constellation of circumstances not manifested themselves, the US Administration may just have been more assertive in tamping down Israel’s newfound enthusiasm for widening the war. Especially relevant is the fact that the US has a military base presence and military-diplomatic ties across at least 19 Muslim Arab nations in the wider West Asia, not limited to Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the UAE.

Across the wider West Asia, the sentiment on the street has traditionally been anti-Israel, even though its ‘regimes’ have nimbly finessed hosting US military bases/boots on their soil, despite the US being Israel’s principle security guarantor.

However, all the equities that the West Asian/ GCC countries have with the US pale into insignificance in the face of the powerful domestic US Jewish lobby. This is the window of political paralysis in the US which Netanyahu has deftly exploited, pushing the envelope as far as he can.

The next question is: why is Israel’s War Cabinet — consisting of Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, head of Israeli Resilience Party Benny Gantz and three non-voting observers General Gadi Eisenkot (retd), Aryeh Deri and Ron Dermer, Minister of Strategic Affairs — upping the ante by widening the war in the region?

Here, there is strategic convergence between the US and Israel. Both believe that the way to circumscribing the influence of Iran is to weaken its influential proxies across the Shia Crescent, which became powerful as an inadvertent consequence of the US military intervention in Iraq in 2003.

The obvious proxy on the list that needed to be first kneecapped was Hezbollah in Lebanon. Then there are the Houthis in Yemen, who recently fired a powerful ballistic missile at Israel; Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Badr Organisation and Kataib Sayyad al-Shuhada in Iraq; Zaynabiyoun Brigade andFatemiyoun Division in Syria; Hezbollah al Hejaz in Saudi Arabia and Saraya al Ashtar, Saraya al Mukhtar in Barhain, to name a few.

Israel could well widen the conflict by going after these Iranian proxies across West Asia. It certainly believes that this high-risk-high-reward strategy of proxy decapitation will bring a tense but enduring strategic stability to the region.

The problem with this strategy is the inherent danger it poses of getting drawn into a conflict with various other Westphalian entities which may host and encourage these semi-state actors — as evidenced by reports of Houthis turning up in Russia, ostensibly for tactical support.

This could well prove to be both an escalatory ladder without any off-ramps, a surefire recipe to a prolonged quagmire. If Israel, indeed, goes down this path, then all bets are off.

Finally, will Israel have a go at Iran’s yet undeclared nuclear weapons programme or its nuclear enrichment processes that are a precursor to the production of a nuclear bomb? There is a lot of commentary in influential western strategic and foreign policy journals that this is the moment when Israel may well go for Iran’s ‘crown jewels’. However, the fact is that it is one thing to go after an enemy’s proxy terror groups and a completely different ball game to strike at the enemy — read, Iran’s — nuclear programme.

Even Israel in its current state of paranoia has to be aware of that.

Coupled with that is the fact that Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist parliamentarian, has just been elected Iranian President, following the tragic demise of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May. An Israel attack on Iran will only strengthen the hands of ultra-conservative hardliners who already seem to have the upper hand following Israel’s strike on Hezbollah.

Israel may want to give the new person in Tehran a chance by not taking this ‘extreme precipitate step,’ while maintaining pressure on the proxies.

The fact remains that the strategic calculations it made in the wake of the October 7, 2023, attack are making Israel play for broke. This has serious implications, to say the least.

ISRO says a massive black hole has torn apart one star and is now using that stellar wreckage to pummel another star or smaller black hole that used to be in the clear

ndia’s AstroSat and NASA’s space observatories have captured dramatic eruptions from stellar wreckage around a massive black hole, the ISRO said on Thursday.

A massive black hole has torn apart one star and is now using that stellar wreckage to pummel another star or smaller black hole that used to be in the clear — this discovery was made using NASA’s space observatories — Chandra, HST, NICER, Swift — and ISRO’s AstroSat, the Indian space agency said.

“It provides astronomers with valuable insights, linking two mysteries where there had previously only been hints of a connection”, Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) said in a statement.

In 2019, it was noted, astronomers witnessed the signal of a star that got too close to a black hole and was destroyed by the black hole’s gravitational forces. Once shredded, the star’s remains began circling the black hole in a disk in a type of stellar graveyard.

Over a few years, however, this disk has expanded outward and is now directly in the path of a star, or possibly a stellar-mass black hole, orbiting the massive black hole at a previously safe distance, according to ISRO.

The orbiting star is now repeatedly crashing through the debris disk, about once every 48 hours, as it circles. When it does, the collision causes bursts of X-rays that astronomers captured with Chandra, it stated.

“Imagine a diver repeatedly going into a pool and creating a splash every time she enters the water,” Matt Nicholl of Queen’s University Belfast, the United Kingdom, the lead author of the study that appears in the current issue of ‘Nature’ was quoted as saying in the ISRO statement.

“The star in this comparison is like the diver and the disk is the pool, and each time the star strikes the surface it creates a huge ‘splash’ of gas and X-rays. As the star orbits around the black hole, it does this over and over again,” he said.

According to ISRO, scientists have documented many cases where an object gets too close to a black hole and gets torn apart in a single burst of light. Astronomers call these “tidal disruption events” (TDEs).

In recent years, astronomers have also discovered a new class of bright flashes from the centers of galaxies, which are detected only in X-rays and repeat many times. These events are also connected to supermassive black holes, but astronomers could not explain what caused the semi-regular bursts of X-rays. They dubbed these “quasi-periodic eruptions,” or QPEs, it was stated.

“There had been feverish speculation that these phenomena were connected, and now we’ve discovered the proof that they are,” said co-author Dheeraj Pasham of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “It’s like getting a cosmic two-for-one in terms of solving mysteries.”  This tidal disruption event, now known as AT2019qiz, was first discovered by a wide-field optical telescope at the Palomar Observatory, called the Zwicky Transient Facility, in 2019. In 2023, astronomers used both Chandra and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to study the debris left behind after the tidal disruption had ended.

The Chandra data were obtained during three different observations, each separated by about four to five hours. The total exposure of about 14 hours of Chandra time revealed only a weak signal in the first and last chunk, but a very strong signal in the middle observation, it stated.

“From there Nicholl and collaborators used NASA’s Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) to look frequently at AT2019qiz for repeated X-ray bursts. The NICER data showed that AT2019qiz erupts roughly every 48 hours. Observations from NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and India’s AstroSat telescope cemented the finding,” ISRO stated.

The ultraviolet data from Hubble, obtained at the same time as the Chandra observations, allowed the scientists to determine the size of the disk around the supermassive black hole. They found that the disk had become large enough that if any object was orbiting the black hole within a period of about a week or less, it would collide with the disk and cause eruptions.

The Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) ‘Prachand’, developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is emerging as a significant asset for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in countering drone threats on the battlefield. Since its induction into service in October 2022, the Prachand has been recognized not only for its primary role as an attack helicopter but also for its potential in anti-drone operations.

The Prachand is designed to operate effectively in “hot and high” conditions, making it particularly suited for high-altitude drone engagements. It can reach altitudes of up to 20,000 feet, which is critical in regions like the Himalayas where drone threats may be prevalent.

Capable of flying at speeds up to 280 km/h and climbing to significant altitudes rapidly, the Prachand’s agility allows it to engage drones effectively. Its design incorporates advanced manoeuvrability, enabling quick responses to aerial threats.

The helicopter is equipped with a chin-mounted 20mm cannon and can carry various munitions, including air-to-air missiles and unguided rockets. This versatility allows it to engage both ground targets and aerial threats like drones.

The Prachand features sophisticated targeting systems, including an electro-optic pod and a helmet-mounted display that allows pilots to aim at targets simply by looking at them. This capability enhances its effectiveness against fast-moving aerial targets such as drones.

The rise of armed drones in modern warfare necessitates innovative countermeasures. The Prachand fills a crucial gap within the Indian Armed Forces by providing a dedicated platform for engaging unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As conflicts evolve with increased reliance on drone technology, the Prachand’s role as a “drone destroyer” will likely become more pronounced.

Agencies

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of India has recently approved a significant proposal to construct two nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) domestically. This decision marks a strategic enhancement of the Indian Navy’s capabilities, particularly in response to regional threats, especially from China.

The submarines will be built at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam, with an estimated budget of around ₹40,000 to ₹45,000 crore. The project aims for over 90% indigenous content, involving substantial participation from the private sector, including firms like Larsen and Toubro.

The SSNs are designed to enhance India’s underwater combat capabilities and serve as a deterrent against the increasing presence of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean Region. Currently, China operates six Shang-class nuclear-powered attack submarines and is expanding its naval assets rapidly.

These submarines will provide extended underwater endurance, limited only by crew fatigue and supplies, unlike conventional diesel-electric submarines that must surface regularly for battery recharging. This capability is crucial for maintaining operational secrecy and strategic advantage.

Alongside the submarine project, the CCS also approved the acquisition of 31 Predator drones from the United States. This deal is expected to enhance reconnaissance and strike capabilities across the Indian military services.

The approval of these nuclear submarines is part of India’s broader strategy to bolster its defence capabilities amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. The move aligns with India’s long-term goal of achieving greater self-reliance in defence production and enhancing its naval deterrence posture against potential adversaries.

Agencies