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More attacks feared as ‘battle-hardened’ militants come back from Syria

Kabira

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KARACHI: The emergence of a new militant outfit — Ansar-ul-Sharia Pakistan — has posed a serious challenge to the country’s security establishment, which believed that an unknown number of “battle-hardened Syria-returned” militants could launch major attacks in Pakistan after the announcement of the group’s formation on social media, it emerged on Thursday.

Well-placed sources in the police’s Counter-Terrorism Department said: “It is actually the Pakistan chapter of the Ansar-ul-Sharia that had been fighting in Syria.” As the group had been operating under the umbrella of Jabhat al-Nusra, its loyalty was to the traditional Al Qaeda leadership under Ayman al-Zawahiri rather than militant Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, said a senior official on condition of anonymity.

No one can exactly tell how many militants have returned from Syria, but according to some intelligence estimates a significant number of both Shia and Sunni militants have come back.

The group claimed on social media that a large number of individuals, specifically from Karachi and south Punjab, who had travelled to Syria to fight alongside IS, were returning home after they had become ‘disillusioned’ with the message and practices of IS. But based on the current situation in Syria, the CTD official believed that so far the militants had not come back home in large numbers.

Serving and retired security personnel are prime targets of terrorists

Even if a small number of militants had arrived they were ‘battle hardened’ and had greater experience than local militants, the official said, explaining that they could act as a ‘force multiplier’ enabling small splinter groups such as Ansar-ul-Sharia Pakistan to launch major targeted attacks.

Since April the Ansar-ul-Sharia had carried out three attacks targeting police officials and an ex-army officer. Retired Col Tahir Nagi was sprayed with bullets near Baloch Colony bridge in April, followed by the killing of two policemen in New Town in May and four policemen in SITE on June 23. Although the group claimed responsibility for two of the attacks, a forensic examination of spent bullet casings found that the same weapon — a 9mm pistol — was used in the killing of the two policemen in May.

The CTD official said that evidence collected from the three crime scenes indicated that the acts of terrorism were carried out by a small but proficient group. Six shots were fired within 10 seconds in the April attack and 28 shots were fired in last Friday’s attack, indicating that the gunman had ‘professional battlefield experience’.

The sources said this group was likely to assume a similar target pattern as that of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

The group was targeting retired and serving officers of the law enforcement agencies to create a ‘shock value’ as the victims appeared to be a ‘soft target’, the sources added.

According to intelligence estimates, with IS having suffered significant territorial losses in Syria and Iraq in recent months, it would be paramount for the IS to retain as many militants as possible to continue the fight. However, the number of returnees is likely to surge in the event of the collapse of the so-called caliphate of IS as in that case all surviving foreign fighters will attempt to return to their home countries to establish militant networks there.

This scenario would be reminiscent of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan when a large number of foreign fighters left the war-torn country and returned to their homelands between 1989 and 1993 and used violence as a tool to implement their agendas and forcibly impose their school of thought.

The sources said that the CTD had sent its analysis of Ansar-ul-Sharia Pakistan to the Sindh home department and other stakeholders on June 14 and had forewarned about the threats posed by the newly established outfit.

Meanwhile, Additional IG CTD Dr Sanaullah Abbasi told Dawn that the law enforcers had ‘neutralised’ militant outfits which had been carrying out targeted killings of policemen and other terrorist acts in the West and South zones of police in recent past except one group that has been ‘active’ in the East zone of police.

He said the same outfit might have become ‘active’ in the West zone and targeted four policemen in SITE on Friday.

Dr Abbasi believed that the CTD was working on some “positive leads” in the case. He said the footage of the crime scene obtained from a CCTV camera could ‘help’ police investigators to ascertain the identity of the killers.

The CTD chief claimed that “some suspects” had also been detained in the policemen’s killing case for interrogation.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2017
https://www.dawn.com/news/1342170/m...attle-hardened-militants-come-back-from-syria
 
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If security forces know they are coming back then why not they give them one way quick ticket (bullet in the head) to jannah where they can meet 72 hoors and spare innocents?
 
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If security forces know they are coming back then why not they give them one way quick ticket (bullet in the head) to jannah where they can meet 72 hoors and spare innocents?
Sometime these CTD crew spread sensation .. for nothing.
 
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Adopt these nutters, send to rehabs and use them in Kashmir. Be smart!

ایسی کی تیسی
دشمن نے ان کو ہمارے خلاف کام کرنے کے لئے تیار کیا۔ ہمیں دشمن کی چال اسی پر الٹ دینی چاہئے۔
ان کو اٹھائیں، صبح شام 200 جوتے، 500 ڈنڈے لگائیں، سالوں کو جگائے رکھیں، سونے نہ دیں۔ ان کو بولیں، جنت وہاں ہے کشمیر میں، پہلے وہاں جا کے لڑو، پھر ملے گی اصلی والی جنت۔

Kashmir don't need our useless militants who may kill few bharatis here and there. Do you think elilte in Delhi care about soldiers? No, for them it means few less Indians to take care off and keep off the railway tracks. Watch that Yadav video where Indian soldier is pleading for food.

Pakistan need to keep diplomatic pressure on India, they are burning right now and running like headless chicken to declare students and all Kashmiris as global terrorists who throw stones in self defence.
 
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Raheel Sharif has elevated the standard and fierceness of army so much that unfortunately it seems like Bajwa is not doing anything. The terrorism in Pakistan seems to be returning at alarming pace, which, if not dealt with iron fist, have potential to drag Pakistan back to 2009 times.
 
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Raheel Sharif has elevated the standard and fierceness of army so much that unfortunately it seems like Bajwa is not doing anything. The terrorism in Pakistan seems to be returning at alarming pace, which, if not dealt with iron fist, have potential to drag Pakistan back to 2009 times.

I don't see it that way. All humans are unique with their own sets of skills and talents. Officers come and go, no one stays forever. The enemy is strong and as ambitious as we are. It's an even round. These wars do not give results quickly. They take time. Take example of Sri Lanka that finally defeated Tamil Tigers after a long struggle.
 
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Mistakes after mistakes or maybe just ignorance. Things don't correct themselves if the agencies turn a blind eye, which they are really proficient in doing.
 
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I don't see it that way. All humans are unique with their own sets of skills and talents. Officers come and go, no one stays forever.

I don't buy this. What skills can I count of Bajwa? Security situation has gone out of control in his tenure. Raheel Sharif had put extra efforts to almost eliminate terrorism. Any attack by terrorists were responded by PAF bombing the crap out of those rats during RS. Now countless terrorism incidents have happen since the start of 2017 but no significant action. Bajwa seems like Kayani. What is stopping Bajwa to declare war on Punjab based Lej supported by some members of nawaz league.

The enemy is strong and as ambitious as we are. It's an even round. These wars do not give results quickly. They take time. Take example of Sri Lanka that finally defeated Tamil Tigers after a long struggle.

The enemy got weaker but apparantly it is getting strong again now.
 
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We need to screen out all the individuals who are returning via Turkey, Afghanistan and Iran.

This is real danger because of Russian strikes scumbags fleeing rapidly from Syria, They are paid fighters and whoever pay them they will fight.
 
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I don't buy this. What skills can I count of Bajwa? Security situation has gone out of control in his tenure. Raheel Sharif had put extra efforts to almost eliminate terrorism. Any attack by terrorists were responded by PAF bombing the crap out of those rats during RS. Now countless terrorism incidents have happen since the start of 2017 but no significant action. Bajwa seems like Kayani. What is stopping Bajwa to declare war on Punjab based Lej supported by some members of nawaz league.



The enemy got weaker but apparantly it is getting strong again now.
Bajwa didn't get here he is by selling pakoray at your local bazaar, he is most qualified to lead the armed forces than anyone else.
 
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Bajwa didn't get here he is by selling pakoray at your local bazaar, he is most qualified to lead the armed forces than anyone else.

After looking at recent news of bombing spree, it doesn't seems like he is dealing with these terrorists with iron fist.
 
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Everything is a 'challenge' to our 'security' establishment! :D

Nah-uh not if you make me prime minister :drag: then the only challenge would be getting you to respond but the rest i'll handle
 
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