Warlords, jihadists and Islamic republics: the key players in Afghanistan

 Synopsis

Here is a rundown of what these powers, from the government in Kabul and local militias to regional nations, seek to gain or lose in Afghanistan as fighting intensifies for control of the war-weary country:

This handout photograph taken on 1996 and released by courtesy of Obaidullah Baheer shows Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (top L) posing for a picture with his son his Ghairat Baheer (top R) and grandsons Abdullah Baheer (bottom R) and his elder brother in the Jalalabad


With US and international troops all but gone from Afghanistan and the Taliban making rapid gains, a number of players are positioning themselves for the next phase of the conflict.


Here is a rundown of what these powers, from the government in Kabul and local militias to regional nations, seek to gain or lose in Afghanistan as fighting intensifies for control of the war-weary country:


Thinly stretched with supply lines strained, the Afghan security forces have come under immense pressure in the final stages of the US military withdrawal.


Afghan troops are facing blistering attacks from the Taliban, including onslaughts on positions in the militants' southern strongholds and a lightning offensive in the north.


But government forces continue to maintain control over the country's cities, with most territorial losses in the sparsely populated rural areas.


"Many of the districts that have fallen were low-hanging fruit -- remotely positioned and difficult to resupply or reinforce, with little strategic military value," said Andrew Watkins, a senior analyst on Afghanistan for the International Crisis Group.


The Afghan military's ability to weather the remaining months of the summer fighting season will likely be crucial to their long-term staying power.


Crucially, the US withdrawal means Afghan forces have lost vital American air support.


"Essentially, this year the war will be the war over districts and highways," said Tamim Asey, the executive chair of the Kabul-based Institute of War and Peace Studies.


"Next year, we could potentially see that the Afghan Taliban might focus on provincial capitals and major urban centres."


Never has the jihadist movement appeared so strong since being toppled by US forces two decades ago.


The group has executed a successful string of offensives across Afghanistan, capturing fully or partially about 100 out of more than 400 districts at a dizzying rate since early May.


The international community blames the Taliban for stalling landmark peace talks with the Afghan government in Doha.


Instead of a political settlement, the insurgents seem focused on positioning their troops for a military takeover.


"Strategically, it makes sense that they would test the Afghan security forces in the absence of US support to see how far they can get," said Jonathan Schroden, director of the military think tank CNA's Countering Threats and Challenges Program.


The Taliban appear to be united, operating under an effective chain of command, despite perennial rumours of splits among the group's leadership.


Known for his academic disposition and infamous temper, Ghani is said to be increasingly isolated at a moment when he is in desperate need of allies.


He has remained defiant despite mounting pressure on his government in the face of territorial losses.


"He was the creature, the man of the Americans, but he is now considered to be uncontrollable and an obstacle to the peace process," a Western diplomat in Kabul said.


A recent shakeup of the country's defence and interior ministries pulled his supporters closer, and may prove pivotal to his future political survival along with continued backing from Washington.


However, many of his team, who have spent years living abroad, are accused of being out of touch with the complex fabric of Afghan society.


Still, a recent trip to the White House saw Ghani secure promises of billions of dollars in security and humanitarian assistance.


Afghanistan's warlords may be waiting to make a comeback as the country's security forces increasingly look to militia groups to bolster their depleted ranks.


As the Taliban battered their way through the north in June, a call for national mobilisation was sounded, with thousands taking up arms in scenes reminiscent of the 1990s civil war.


"The recent calls for such mobilisation will also likely increase fragmentation on the republic side and undermine command and control, putting civilians at increased risk," said Patricia Gossman, the associate Asia director for Human Rights Watch.


Militia leaders may attempt to leverage their past contacts with foreign intelligence agencies to secure cash and weapons in exchange for on the ground reconnaissance.


New strongmen among Afghanistan's ethnic minorities have also begun arming and training recruits, which may further inflame the country's deep ethnic and sectarian divisions.


A new front in the region's great game is opening with neighbouring countries looking to influence momentum on the ground in Afghanistan while also courting the conflict's likely winners.


Pakistan has backed the Taliban for decades and may finally be able to cash its chips in a future government the insurgents either participate in or lead.


Islamabad's major goal will focus on preventing arch-rival India from establishing any influence and posing a threat to its western border.


Iran is also hedging its bets.


After nearly going to war with the Taliban in the 1990s, Tehran has engineered considerable clout over at least one major faction within the group.


It also retains links with warlords who fought the Taliban during the country's civil war.


"Some in Iran and Pakistan might certainly wish their favourites to get a bigger portion of the pie," said Asad Durrani, the former head of Pakistan's formidable spy agency.


"I doubt if the Taliban will let them have their way."

United States left Afghan airfield at night, didn't tell new commander

 Synopsis

Before the Afghan army could take control of the airfield about an hour's drive from the Afghan capital Kabul, it was invaded by a small army of looters, who ransacked barrack after barrack and rummaged through giant storage tents before being evicted, according to Afghan military officials.


Afghan army soldiers stand guard after the American military left Bagram air base, in Parwan province north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, July 5, 2021


The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base's new Afghan commander, who discovered the Americans' departure more than two hours after they left, Afghan military officials said.


Afghanistan's army showed off the sprawling air base Monday, providing a rare first glimpse of what had been the epicenter of America's war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on America.


The U.S. announced Friday it had completely vacated its biggest airfield in the country in advance of a final withdrawal the Pentagon says will be completed by the end of August.


``We (heard) some rumor that the Americans had left Bagram ... and finally by seven o'clock in the morning, we understood that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram,`` Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani, Bagram's new commander said.


U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett did not address the specific complaints of many Afghan soldiers who inherited the abandoned airfield, instead referring to a statement last week.


The statement said the handover of the many bases had been in the process soon after President Joe Biden's mid-April announcement that America was withdrawing the last of its forces. Leggett said in the statement that they had coordinated their departures with Afghanistan's leaders.


Before the Afghan army could take control of the airfield about an hour's drive from the Afghan capital Kabul, it was invaded by a small army of looters, who ransacked barrack after barrack and rummaged through giant storage tents before being evicted, according to Afghan military officials.


``At first we thought maybe they were Taliban,'' said Abdul Raouf, a soldier of 10 years. He said the the U.S. called from the Kabul airport and said ``we are here at the airport in Kabul.''


Kohistani insisted the Afghan National Security and Defense Force could hold on to the heavily fortified base despite a string of Taliban wins on the battlefield. The airfield also includes a prison with about 5,000 prisoners, many of them allegedly Taliban.


The Taliban's latest surge comes as the last U.S. and NATO forces pull out of the country. As of last week, most NATO soldiers had already quietly left. The last U.S. soldiers are likely to remain until an agreement to protect the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport, which is expected to be done by Turkey, is completed.


Meanwhile, in northern Afghanistan, district after district has fallen to the Taliban. In just the last two days hundreds of Afghan soldiers fled across the border into Tajikistan rather than fight the insurgents.


``In battle it is sometimes one step forward and some steps back,'' said Kohistani.


Kohistani said the Afghan military is changing its strategy to focus on the strategic districts. He insisted they would retake them in the coming days without saying how that would be accomplished.


On display on Monday was a massive facility, the size of a small city, that had been exclusively used by the U.S. and NATO. The sheer size is extraordinary, with roadways weaving through barracks and past hangar-like buildings. There are two runways and over 100 parking spots for fighter jets known as revetments because of the blast walls that protect each aircraft. One of the two runways is 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) long and was built in 2006. There's a passenger lounge, a 50-bed hospital and giant hangar-size tents filled with supplies such as furniture.


Kohistani said the U.S. left behind 3.5 million items, all itemized by the departing U.S. military. They include tens of thousands of bottles of water, energy drinks and military ready-made meals, known as MRE's.


``When you say 3.5 million items, it is every small items, like every phone, every door knob, every window in every barracks, every door in every barracks,'' he said.


The big ticket items left behind include thousands of civilian vehicles, many of them without keys to start them, and hundreds of armored vehicles. Kohistani said the U.S. also left behind small weapons and the ammunition for them, but the departing troops took heavy weapons with them. Ammunition for weapons not being left behind for the Afghan military was blown up before they left.


Afghan soldiers who wandered Monday throughout the base that had once seen as many as 100,000 U.S. troops were deeply critical of how the U.S. left Bagram, leaving in the night without telling the Afghan soldiers tasked with patrolling the perimeter.


``In one night, they lost all the goodwill of 20 years by leaving the way they did, in the night, without telling the Afghan soldiers who were outside patrolling the area,'' said Afghan soldier Naematullah, who asked that only his one name be used.


Within 20 minutes of the U.S.'s silent departure on Friday, the electricity was shut down and the base was plunged into darkness, said Raouf, the soldier of 10 years who has also served in Taliban strongholds of Helmand and Kandahar provinces.


The sudden darkness was like a signal to the looters, he said. They entered from the north, smashing through the first barrier, ransacking buildings, loading anything that was not nailed down into trucks.


On Monday, three days after the U.S. departure, Afghan soldiers were still collecting piles of garbage that included empty water bottles, cans and empty energy drinks left behind by the looters.


Kohistani, meanwhile, said the nearly 20 years of U.S. and NATO involvement in Afghanistan was appreciated but now it was time for Afghans to step up.


``We have to solve our problem. We have to secure our country and once again build our country with our own hands,'' he said.

Scenarios for Afghanistan with foreign troops all but gone

 Synopsis

Fears are growing that the loss of vital American air cover -- massively curtailed by the closure of Bagram air base -- will knock the Afghan government's ability to hold power, as multiple players circle to take advantage of the power vacuum. Here are some of the scenarios at play:


In this file photo taken on November 11 2009, US Army soldiers from 2-506 Infantry 101st Airborne Division and Afghan National Army soldiers race to get out of the way of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter landing in hostile territory during the launch of Operation Radu Bark VI


With the United States military presence in Afghanistan effectively over, the country faces an uncertain future with Taliban attacks rampant and the threat of civil war looming.


Fears are growing that the loss of vital American air cover -- massively curtailed by the closure of Bagram air base -- will knock the Afghan government's ability to hold power, as multiple players circle to take advantage of the power vacuum.


Here are some of the scenarios at play:


While Washington's withdrawal ends America's longest war, the conflict in Afghanistan continues, with no obvious signs of a ceasefire.


The insurgents appear focused instead on a total military victory and the overthrow of President Ashraf Ghani.


They have recently made huge advances across the country, claiming control of dozens of new districts, but Afghan security forces remain in firm control of major cities.


"For now, the fighting will intensify and Afghan forces will have a hard time sustaining militarily on their own," Afghan security analyst Bari Arez said.


A leaked internal US intelligence assessment reportedly said the Taliban could take Kabul within six months of the US departure.


Government forces and the Taliban regularly claim to have inflicted enormous casualties on each other, but independent verification is impossible.


However, the number of targeted assassinations of educated Afghans, and sticky bomb attacks against civilians, has dropped in recent weeks.


That remains to be seen, with an all-out civil war looming.


US air power had been a key factor in the ongoing fight, offering vital support to Afghan security forces when they risked being overwhelmed.


In a sign of possible growing desperation, the Afghan government has made calls for civilians to form militias to fight the Taliban -- a move some analysts say could only add fuel to the fire.


"This strategy has to be well-led, well-orchestrated and well-controlled or else it might backfire," said a foreign security analyst who did not want to be named.


With warlords re-emerging, there is a risk of Afghanistan falling back into a state of civil war as security deteriorates, with armed factions entering the fray in a free-for-all power grab.


President Ghani wants a ceasefire with the Taliban ahead of a presidential election where voters will choose a "government of peace". He has refused calls for an unelected interim government that includes the Taliban.


The United States favours such a caretaker government, pushing for a consensus between the warring sides at landmark talks in Doha, which have stalled.


While loose on specifics, the Taliban insist Afghanistan should return to being an emirate, run along strict Islamic lines and led by a council of religious elders.


Afghanistan has seen four presidential elections since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001, and millions of Afghans have embraced a plural, democratic system -- though voting was fraught with corruption.


Now that the stage is set for the insurgents to return, analysts fear the democratic gains of the past two decades could be lost.


"The Taliban for now seem to be convinced they can take power forcefully," political analyst Ramish Salehi said.


"This is a fight that will determine... whether democracy will prevail against ideological forces."


There is palpable fear that hard-fought women's rights will be lost.


Before being deposed in 2001, the Taliban banned girls from studying and stoned to death women accused of crimes such as adultery.


With the Taliban out of power, Afghan women have become prominent politicians, activists, journalists and judges.


The Taliban insist they will respect women's rights in accordance with Islamic law, but activists note the multiple interpretations of that across the Muslim world.


"There is a general feeling of insecurity among women who think that the extremists would again imprison them in their homes," said activist Hosay Andar.


"But they would not give up this time... there would be resistance this time."


With the security situation deteriorating, development work will become increasingly hard to carry out across the impoverished country.


Afghanistan is one of the world's poorest countries, deeply indebted and utterly reliant on foreign aid.


While the nation boasts lucrative mineral reserves that neighbours including China and India are keen to exploit, the security situation has never been stable enough for revenues to boost state coffers.


In November, global donors pledged to offer aid to Afghanistan up to 2024, but there are concerns that with the imminent exit of foreign forces, the donors might not follow up on their commitments.


"The economy is already in a steep decline... and the already terrible unemployment rate will again hit the skies," said analyst Salehi.

Afghan forces deploy to counter Taliban assault

 Synopsis

Troops and pro-government militiamen were deployed in the northern provinces of Takhar and Badakshan where the Taliban have captured swathes of territory at lighting speed, often without any fighting. The militants' successes have spurred fears that Afghan forces are in crisis, particularly now vital US air support has been massively curtailed by the handover of Bagram Air Base.


U.S. Marines, from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, return fire on Taliban positions near the town of Garmser in Helmand Province of Afghanistan on May 2, 2008


Afghan authorities deployed hundreds of commandos and pro-government militiamen on Tuesday to counter the Taliban's blistering offensive in the north, a day after more than 1,000 government troops fled into neighbouring Tajikistan.


Fighting has raged across several provinces, but the insurgents have primarily focused on a devastating campaign across the northern countryside, seizing dozens of districts in the past two months.


Last week, all US and NATO forces left Bagram Air Base near Kabul -- the command centre for anti-Taliban operations -- effectively wrapping up their exit after 20 years of military involvement that began in the wake of the September 11 attacks


"We are planning to launch a big offensive to retake the lost territories from the enemy," Fawad Aman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence told AFP.


"Our forces are being organised on the ground for this operation."


Troops and pro-government militiamen were deployed in the northern provinces of Takhar and Badakshan where the Taliban have captured swathes of territory at lighting speed, often without any fighting.


Afghan defence officials have said they intend to focus on securing major cities, roads and border towns in the face of the Taliban onslaught, launched as US and NATO troops pressed ahead with their final withdrawal in early May.


The militants' successes have spurred fears that Afghan forces are in crisis, particularly now vital US air support has been massively curtailed by the handover of Bagram Air Base.


On Monday, more than 1,000 Afghan troops fled into Tajikistan, forcing the neighbouring country to bolster the frontier with its own soldiers.


Several hundred had already crossed into the country in recent weeks, in the face of a Taliban offensive.


Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon has ordered "the mobilisation of 20,000 reserve troops to further strengthen the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan," a statement from the presidency said late on Monday.


"We had to abandon our base because there was no coordination or interest among our commanders to counter the attack," said Mohammad Musa, a soldier who had fled to Tajikistan after his base in Kunduz province fell to the Taliban last week.


The fighting in the north has also forced Moscow to close its consulate in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province and one of Afghanistan's largest urban centres near the border with Uzbekistan.


"The situation is changing rapidly. The Afghan forces, as they say, have abandoned too many districts. This logically creates nervousness," Moscow's envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov told the state-run TASS news agency on Monday.


The insurgents on Tuesday claimed to have captured a district in Nimroz province in the southwest.


The speed and ease of the Taliban's effective takeover of swathes of areas in Takhar, Badakhshan and Kunduz represent a massive psychological blow to the Afghan government.


The area once served as the stronghold for the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance during the gruesome civil war in the 1990s and was never routed by the militants.


A psychological war has also been taking shape online.


The Taliban has marshalled its forces on social media, with insurgent-affiliated accounts providing live updates of the fall of districts and posting numerous videos of Afghan soldiers surrendering and handing over huge weapons caches and equipment to the group.


The Afghan government in turn has been releasing its own footage on social media -- mostly grainy black and white videos of airstrikes obliterating alleged Taliban positions, while boasting of inflicting heavy casualties on the jihadist group.


Afghan commander General Mirassadullah Kohistani, who is now in charge of Bagram Air Base -- from where American warplanes bombed the Taliban hideouts for 20 years -- put on a brave front when asked about the insurgents rapid gains.


"We are trying to do the best and as much as possible secure and serve all the people," he said.

Russia drills attack helicopters, pledges help to secure Tajik-Afghan border

 Synopsis

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon on Monday ordered the mobilisation of 20,000 military reservists to bolster the border with Afghanistan after more than 1,000 Afghan security personnel fled across the frontier in response to Taliban militant advances.


A file image of Vladimir Putin and Emomali Rakhmon

Russian military helicopters based in Tajikistan fired air-to-surface missiles during a training exercise on Tuesday as Moscow said its forces in the Central Asian nation were fully equipped to help secure the border with Afghanistan.


Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon on Monday ordered the mobilisation of 20,000 military reservists to bolster the border with Afghanistan after more than 1,000 Afghan security personnel fled across the frontier in response to Taliban militant advances.


Russian President Vladimir Putin told Rakhmon on Monday that Moscow would help the impoverished former Soviet republic contend with the fallout from NATO's exit from neighbouring Afghanistan if necessary.


Russia, which operates one of its largest military bases abroad in Tajikistan equipped with tanks, helicopters, drones and ground attack aircraft, would help stabilise the border with Afghanistan if needed, both directly and through a regional security bloc, the Kremlin said in a statement.


Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko repeated that pledge on Monday and was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying it appeared that the Taliban was now in control of most of the border on the Afghan side.


"The situation there is rather tense because according to some sources, up to 70% of the Tajik-Afghan border is now controlled by the Taliban," Rudenko was quoted as saying.


Russia's defence ministry said on Monday that two MI-24 attack helicopters and two military transport helicopters had taken part in a training exercise in Tajikistan during which unguided missiles had been launched at more than 15 ground targets.


The exercise had simulated an attack on illegal armed groups along with a convoy of cars, enemy firepoints and arms caches.

Jammu hit spurs IAF to quickly acquire ten anti-drone systems

 Synopsis

A day after the Jammu attack, which exposed operational gaps in tackling small commercially-available drones rigged with explosives, the IAF issued a RFI (request for information) to seek responses from Indian companies for the counter-drone systems called CUAS.




Indigenous anti-drone system developed by DRDO.

(This story originally appeared in  on Jul 05, 2021)

The IAF now wants to acquire 10 counter-unmanned aircraft systems (CUAS) in the aftermath of the first-ever drone terror strike in the country at the Jammu air force station on June 27.


A day after the Jammu attack, which exposed operational gaps in tackling small commercially-available drones rigged with explosives, the IAF issued a RFI (request for information) to seek responses from Indian companies for the counter-drone systems called CUAS.


The existing IAF air defence systems, with advanced radars and missile systems, are geared towards thwarting air intrusions by larger unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aircraft and helicopters, as was earlier reported by TOI.


“The CUAS is intended to detect, track, identify, designate and neutralise hostile UAS. Laser-Directed Energy Weapons (Laser-DEWs) are essentially required as a kill option,” said the RFI.


With the formal selection and procurement process to kick off in the third quarter of this year, the Indian vendors have to specify the delivery schedule. The IAF is keen to commence delivery of the CUAS at the earliest after the contract is inked and complete it within a year.


The vendors also have to specify whether the CUAS is designed, developed and manufactured in India or will be manufactured under transfer of technology from a foreign company.


The CUAS should provide “a multi-sensor, multi-kill solution” to enforce effective no-fly zones for micro and mini drones while inflicting “minimal collateral damage” to the surrounding environment.


The sensors should have active phased array radars with 360-degree coverage and a 5-km range, RF (radio frequency) sensors, electro-optical and infra-red systems.


The “soft kill” options should have global navigation satellite jamming systems (GNSS) to disrupt or spoof the GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo used by drones. The “hard kill”, in turn, will through the Laser-DEWs.


“All the ten CUAS are required in mobile configuration mounted on indigenous vehicles with cross-country capability and powered by indigenous electrical power supply systems,” said the RFI.


Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria had last week said IAF did have a limited number of “soft kill” jammers to disrupt the command-and-control links of small drones and “hard kill” counter-drone systems but they had not been deployed at the Jammu air station because it did not have “critical assets” like fighter jets.


IAF is closely working with DRDO on its anti-drone systems, which have directed energy weapons like lasers and will soon finish their trials. “It’s a new kind of threat. Many of the projects have already been undertaken and some of the systems were already fielded," he had said.


DRDO has developed two anti-drone DEW systems, with a 10-kilowatt laser to engage aerial targets at 2-km range and a compact tripod-mounted one with a 2-kilowatt laser for a 1-km range. But they are yet to be productionised in large numbers, as was earlier reported by TOI.

Japan deputy PM Taro Aso says need to defend Taiwan with United States if invaded: Media

 Synopsis

"If a major problem took place in Taiwan, it would not be too much to say that it could relate to a survival-threatening situation (for Japan)," Japan's deputy prime minister Taro Aso said at a fundraising party by a fellow Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, according to Kyodo.




Members of the self-defence ground forces repel onto the ground from a carrier helicopter during the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force annual live fire exercise at East Fuji Maneuver Area on August 19, 2014


Japan's deputy prime minister said the country needed to defend Taiwan with the United States if the island was invaded, Kyodo news agency reported late on Monday, angering Beijing which regards Taiwan as its own territory.


China has never ruled out using force to reunite Taiwan with the mainland and recent military exercises by China and Taiwan across the Straits of Taiwan have raised tensions.


"If a major problem took place in Taiwan, it would not be too much to say that it could relate to a survival-threatening situation (for Japan)," Japan's deputy prime minister Taro Aso said at a fundraising party by a fellow Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, according to Kyodo.


A "survival-threatening situation" refers to a situation where an armed attack against a foreign country that is in a close relationship with Japan occurs, which in turns poses a clear risk of threatening Japan's survival.


Such a situation is one of the conditions that need to be met for Japan to exercise its right of collective self-defence, or coming to the aid of an ally under attack.


"We need to think hard that Okinawa could be the next," Aso was quoted by Kyodo as saying.


China foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular news conference on Tuesday that Aso's remarks "harmed the political foundation of China-Japan relations", and China "resolutely opposed" them.


"No one should underestimate the Chinese people's staunch resolve, firm will, and formidable ability to defend national sovereignty," he said.


China claims a group of Japanese-controlled islets in the East China Sea. The tiny uninhabited isles, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are off Japan's southern island of Okinawa.


Aso, asked about Japan's stance on the cross-strait issue at a news conference on Tuesday, said any contingency over Taiwan should be resolved through dialogue.


"We are closely monitoring the situation," Aso, who doubles as finance minister, told reporters.


Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, when asked if Aso's Monday comment was in line with the government's stance, declined to comment, saying he was not aware of the Aso comment in detail, but reiterated Japan's official policy on the matter.


"Japan hopes the Taiwan issue will be resolved through direct dialogue between parties concerned in a peaceful manner. That has been our consistent stance," the top government spokesman said.

Iraqi militia commander vows to avenge deaths in United States strike

 Synopsis

On June 27, U.S. Air Force planes carried out airstrikes near the Iraq-Syria border against what the Pentagon said were facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups to support drone strikes inside Iraq. Four militiamen were killed.





Abu Alaa al-Walae, commander of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhadam, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, Monday, July 5, 2021, in Baghdad, Iraq


The leader of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia has vowed to retaliate against America for the deaths of four of his men in a US airstrike along the Iraq-Syria border last month, saying it will be a military operation everyone will talk about.


Abu Alaa al-Walae, commander of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad that the electoral victory of Iran's hard-line judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi as president will strengthen Iran-backed militant groups throughout the Middle East for the next four years.


Al-Walae, who rarely gives interviews to foreign media organisations, spoke to AP on Monday in an office in a Baghdad neighborhood along the Tigris River.


On June 27, U.S. Air Force planes carried out airstrikes near the Iraq-Syria border against what the Pentagon said were facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups to support drone strikes inside Iraq. Four militiamen were killed.


The Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iraqi state-sanctioned umbrella of mostly Shiite militias — including those targeted by the U.S. strikes — said their men were on missions to prevent infiltration by the Islamic State group and denied the presence of weapons warehouses.


U.S. troops in eastern Syria came under rocket fire the day after the airstrikes, with no reported casualties.


The U.S. has blamed Iran-backed militia groups for attacks, most of them rocket strikes, that have targeted the American presence in Baghdad and military bases across Iraq. More recently, the attacks have become more sophisticated, with militants using drones.


U.S. military officials have grown increasingly alarmed over drone strikes targeting U.S. military bases in Iraq, which have been more common since a U.S.-directed drone killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani near the Baghdad airport last year.


Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the attack. The strike drew the ire of mostly Shiite Iraqi lawmakers and prompted parliament to pass a nonbinding resolution to pressure the Iraqi government to oust foreign troops from the country.


In mid-April, an explosives-laden drone targeted the military section of the international airport in Irbil, in Iraq's northern Kurdish-run region, causing no casualties or damages. The base also hosts American troops.


U.S. officials said Iran-backed militias have conducted at least five drone attacks since April.


The bearded al-Walae, wearing a black shirt and trousers and an olive-green baseball cap, hinted his militia might use drones in future attacks but did not go into details. When asked if they used drones in the past against American troops in Iraq, he gave no straight answer and moved to other subjects.


“We want an operation that befits those martyrs,” he said referring to the four fighters killed in late June. “Even if it comes late, time is not important.”


“We want it to be an operation in which everyone says they have taken revenge from the Americans,” al-Walae said. “It will be a qualitative operation (that could come) from the air, the sea, along Iraq's border, in the region or anywhere. It's an open war.”


Al-Walae spoke in an office decorated with a poster of Soleimani. On a table next to him, al-Walae had a framed photo of him standing next to Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah group.


He praised Iran's new president, Raisi, who is scheduled to take office next month, saying Iran-backed militant groups “will have their best times.”


Days after he was elected last month, Raisi said in his first remarks after the vote that he rejects the possibility of meeting with President Joe Biden or negotiating Tehran's ballistic missile programme and support of regional militias.


Al-Walae, who was once held prisoner by U.S. troops in Iraq, boasted that his men were among the first to go to neighbouring Syria to fight alongside President Bashar Assad's forces in 2012, a year after the civil war there broke out. He said their first mission was to protect a Shiite holy shrine south of the capital Damascus. They later fought in different parts of Syria.


Iran-backed fighters from throughout the region have joined Syria's conflict, helping tip the balance of power in Assad's favor. Thousands of Iran-backed fighters remain in Syria, many of them deployed close to the Iraqi border in the towns of Boukamal and Mayadeen.


Al-Walae also said he doesn't expect Iraq's parliamentary elections to take place on time in October, saying they might be postponed until April next year. He attributed the delay to the deep crisis the country is experiencing, including severe electricity cuts during the scorching summer.

Russia, Indonesia talk up ASEAN's consensus on Myanmar peace

 Synopsis

After holding talks with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi, Lavrov said he briefed Marsudi on the messages Russia has sent to Myanmar's military leaders and told Marsudi that Russia considered the ASEAN position “a basis for restoring the situation back to normalcy.”


In this photo released by Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, walks with his Indonesian counterpart Marsudi, right, after their meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Russia's top diplomat expressed his backing for Southeast Asian efforts toward achieving peace in Myanmar on his visit Tuesday to Indonesia to demonstrate the region's importance to Moscow.


Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on a four-day visit to Southeast Asian countries, arrived in Jakarta on Monday from Brunei, where he met with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.


After holding talks with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi, Lavrov said he briefed Marsudi on the messages Russia has sent to Myanmar's military leaders and told Marsudi that Russia considered the ASEAN position “a basis for restoring the situation back to normalcy.”


At their joint video news conference, Marsudi emphasised the importance of following up on the five-point consensus to which ASEAN and Myanmar's military leader agreed in April and asked Russia to support its implementation.


“This requires the commitment of Myanmar's military to cooperate with other ASEAN member countries,” she said.


The five-point consensus called for violence to end immediately and for the start of constructive dialogue to find a peaceful solution “in the interests of the people.”


It was also agreed that a special envoy of the ASEAN chair will mediate in the talks.


“We reiterated our strong support for the ASEAN's five principles,” Lavrov said.


Lavrov also affirmed a deepening of economic and political ties with Indonesia, which will hold the G-20 presidency next year, and the two officials also discussed preparation for President Vladimir Putin's visit to Indonesia later this year.


The two officials also discussed the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.


Marsudi said Indonesia and Russia agreed to cooperate on health matters, including COVID-19 vaccines.


Surging infections have strained Indonesia's health care system while it also struggles to roll out vaccinations.


Lavrov and Marsudi are scheduled to co-chair a video meeting with other ASEAN foreign ministers before the Russian envoy departs for another Southeast Asia country, Laos.

30 years of independence: Kazakhstan eyes to widen strategic partnership with India

 Synopsis

PM Narendra Modi was in Kazakhstan in July 2015 (bilateral visit) and June 2017 (SCO summit). Modi participated in the 17th SCO Summit in Astana on June 8-9, 2017 and India was admitted as a full member of the SCO during the Summit. It is important to note that Kazakhstan along with Russia played important roles in getting India admitted to the SCO.


A general view shows the the city of Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan July 1, 2021

Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s biggest and resourceful state, celebrates 30 years of its independence in 2021 with a determination to play a wider global role and widen its strategic partnership with India, which was among the first few states to recognize it in 1991.


Kazakhstan is a descendant of the nomadic civilisation of the Great Steppe, represented by numerous nomadic state entities, including the Sakas (Asian Scythians), the Huns, the Turkic Khaganate, the Golden Horde and the Kazakh Khanate, which was established in 1465. After being part of the Tsarist empire and the Soviet Union for 260 years, Kazakhstan became independent on December 16, 1991 with Nursultan Nazarbayev elected as the country’s first President.


Relations between India and Kazakhstan are ancient and historical going back to more than 2000 years. There has been a constant and regular flow of trade in goods and, more importantly, exchange of ideas and cultural influences. The flow of Buddhism from India to Central Asia and Sufi ideas from Central Asia to India are two such examples. The first President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited India in February 1992. Thereafter, he has visited India in 1993, 1996, 2002 and 2009. He was the Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on January 26, 2009.


PM Narendra Modi was in Kazakhstan in July 2015 (bilateral visit) and June 2017 (SCO summit). Modi participated in the 17th SCO Summit in Astana on June 8-9, 2017 and India was admitted as a full member of the SCO during the Summit. It is important to note that Kazakhstan along with Russia played important roles in getting India admitted to the SCO.


At the dawn of independence, Kazakhstan embarked on a series of reforms aimed at shifting the country’s economy from a centrally planned system to a modern free market model and changing its one-party government to a multi-party democratic system.


Over the past 30 years, Kazakhstan has established diplomatic relations with 186 countries and transformed into one of the dynamically developing economies of Eurasia and a reputable diplomatic voice on the world stage.


Kazakhstan has a GDP of above $180 billion (World Bank). It is the largest economy in Central Asia, accounting for more than half of the region’s GDP.


Unemployment is low (4.9% in 2020 - gov.kz) Kazakhstan joined the World Trade Organisation in 2015.


The economy provides great opportunities for local entrepreneurs – the government is planning to increase the number of people employed in SMEs to 4 million compared to 3.3 million in 2020, thus increasing the GDP share of SMEs to 35% by 2025 compared to 31% in 2020 (primeminister.kz).


Kazakhstan is also widely considered to have the best investment climate in the region, ranking 25th in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report (2019). The country has attracted over $330 billion in foreign direct investment since independence. Kazakhstan accounts for approximately 70% of FDI into Central Asia. Around 50% of FDI in Kazakhstan has been attracted from the EU, including $96.6 billion from the Netherlands, $16.7 billion from France, $8.7 billion from Belgium, $6.8 billion from Italy and $5 billion from Germany (2020).


Kazakhstan has been introducing comprehensive reforms in recent years to strengthen protection for investors, cut red tape, make tax more transparent and support entrepreneurship taking a cue from India. The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) was established in 2018, a project aimed at making Nur-Sultan a financial hub in the region.


Kazakhstan has implemented a multi-vector foreign policy to establish good relations worldwide and is a world leader in the movement to ensure nuclear security. The country previously hosted two rounds of nuclear talks between the P5+1 and Iran. Kazakhstan convened the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), which now consists of 27 member states. It is also a founding member of the Eurasian Economic Union which was established in 2014. It may also be recalled that Kazakhstan became the first Central Asian country to be elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2017-2018.


Kazakhstan has made a significant contribution to the settlement of the Syrian crisis through the Astana Process, which provided a platform for negotiations between the Syrian government, the armed opposition and the guarantor states (Russia, Turkey and Iran). Contribution to rebuilding of Afghanistan is a major priority for Kazakhstan.


On 10 January 2021, parliamentary elections took place to elect members of the Mazhilis and local representative bodies. The elections were the first since the implementation of new national guidelines designed to further increase the openness, fairness and transparency of Kazakhstan’s electoral system. 3 out of 5 political parties gained enough votes to win seats at the lower house of Parliament following the election.


Kazakhstan is ethnically and religiously diverse. There are approximately 140 different ethnic groups and almost 4,000 religious organisations operating freely across the country representing 18 religious denominations. The largest ethnic group is Kazakhs (68.5%). Other ethnicities include: Russians (18.9%), Uzbeks (3.3%), Uighurs (1.5%), Ukrainians (1.4%), Germans (1.0%), Koreans (0.6%). The majority of the population are Muslims (around 70%). A further 26% are Christians (The Ministry of Information and Public Development, 2020). Every three years, the capital Nur-Sultan hosts the Congress of Leaders of World & Traditional Religions to provide a forum for religious leaders to discuss the core issues facing the humanity and communities worldwide. Kazakhstan ranks 51st in the UN Human Development Index 2020 (compared to 76th in 1999) - the highest among CIS countries.


Meanwhile, Day of the Capital (July 6) is one of the public holidays in Kazakhstan. This holiday has been celebrated officially since 2009. The first capital of Kazakhstan was Almaty, which is today the largest city in Kazakhstan. On July 6, 1994, the Supreme Council decided to move the capital to Akmoly and later changed it to Astana. Day of the Capital has been celebrated from the day when the city gained its status. Besides, July 6 is also the birthday of Nazarbayev. In 2019, after Nazarbayev’s resignation as President of Kazakhstan, the country’s capital was renamed once more to honor the former President. The city’s current name is Nur-Sultan.

United States NSA discloses hacking methods it says are used by Russia

 Synopsis

GRU-linked operatives have tried to break into networks using Kubernetes, an open-source tool originally developed by Google to manage cloud services, since at least mid-2019 through early this year. The US has long accused Russia of using and tolerating cyberattacks for espionage, spreading disinformation, and the disruption of governments and key infrastructure.

Getty Images

John Hultquist, vice president of analysis at the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, characterised the activity described in the advisory as “routine collection against policy makers, diplomats, the military, and the defense industry.”

US and British agencies disclosed on Thursday details of “brute force” methods they say have been used by Russian intelligence to try to break into the cloud services of hundreds of government agencies, energy companies and other organisations.


An advisory released by the US National Security Agency describes attacks by operatives linked to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency, which has been previously tied to major cyberattacks abroad and efforts to disrupt the 2016 and 2020 American elections.


In a statement, Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce said the campaign was “likely ongoing, on a global scale.”


Brute force attacks involve the automated spraying of sites with potential passwords until hackers gain access. The advisory urges companies to adopt methods long urged by experts as common-sense cyber hygiene, including the use of multi-factor authentication and mandating strong passwords.


Issued during a devastating wave of ransomware attacks on governments and key infrastructure, the advisory does not disclose specific targets of the campaign or its presumed purpose, saying only that hackers have targeted hundreds of organisations worldwide.


GRU-linked operatives have tried to break into networks using Kubernetes, an open-source tool originally developed by Google to manage cloud services, since at least mid-2019 through early this year.


While a “significant amount” of the attempted break-ins targeted organisations using Microsoft's Office 365 cloud services, the hackers went after other cloud providers and email servers as well, the said.


The US has long accused Russia of using and tolerating cyberattacks for espionage, spreading disinformation, and the disruption of governments and key infrastructure.


The Russian Embassy in Washington on Thursday “strictly” denied the involvement of Russian government agencies in cyberattacks on US government agencies or private companies.


In a statement posted on Facebook, the embassy said, “We hope that the American side will abandon the practice of unfounded accusations and focus on professional work with Russian experts to strengthen international information security.”


Joe Slowik, a threat analyst at the network-monitoring firm Gigamon, said the activity described by on Thursday shows the GRU has further streamlined an already popular technique for breaking into networks. He said it appears to overlap with Department of Energy reporting on brute force intrusion attempts in late 2019 and early 2020 targeting the U.S. energy and government sectors and is something the U.S. government has apparently been aware of for some time.


Slowik said the use of Kubernetes “is certainly a bit unique, although on its own it doesn't appear worrying.” He said the brute force method and lateral movement inside networks described by are common among state-backed hackers and criminal ransomware gangs, allowing the GRU to blend in with other actors.


John Hultquist, vice president of analysis at the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, characterised the activity described in the advisory as “routine collection against policy makers, diplomats, the military, and the defense industry.”


“This is a good reminder that the GRU remains a looming threat, which is especially important given the upcoming Olympics, an event they may well attempt to disrupt,” Hultquist said in a statement.


The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency joined the advisory, as did the British National Cyber Security Centre.



The GRU has been repeatedly linked by U.S. officials in recent years to a series of hacking incidents. In 2018, special counsel Robert Mueller's office charged 12 military intelligence officers with hacking Democratic emails that were then released by WikiLeaks in an effort to harm Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and boost Donald Trump's bid.


More recently, the Justice Department announced charges last fall against GRU officers in cyberattacks that targeted a French presidential election, the Winter Olympics in South Korea and American businesses.

Pakistan-based terror groups behind weapons, narcotics dropped by drones in Jammu and Kashmir: DGP

 Asserting that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfits are behind the dropping of arms, IEDs and narcotics by drones in Jammu and Kashmir, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said on Friday that the time has come to defeat and reject terrorism to usher in peace and development in the Union Territory.


He said counter-insurgency operations would be further speeded up to wipe out terrorism, while efforts are on to further strengthen security arrangements to counter the threat posed by the drones, especially in the aftermath of the recent attack on the Indian Air Force base in Jammu.


Talking to reporters after the attestation-cum-passing-out parade of the 27th Basic Recruitment Training Course (BRTC) in Kathua district, the DGP said LeT's hand is suspected behind the twin drone strikes inside the IAF station, Jammu in the early hours of Sunday.


“The investigation [in the IAF bombing] is in progress. We have not reached any conclusive stage so as to say who is actually involved but now that we have past history of Lashkar using drones to drop weapons, narcotics on this side besides the ready-made Improvised Explosive Devices to be planted at various locations... so at this stage, I would only say that LeT hand is suspected and rest when we move further in the investigation we will be able to say further,” Singh said.


Referring to the arrest of a terrorist with 5.5 kgs of IED in Jammu, he said a module was busted which was planning to carry out an IED explosion at a crowded place to cause large number of casualties on the same day when the twin bombs were dropped on the air force station.


“The IED came and was sent from the LeT handler from that side [Pakistan]. The fellow who was to receive that IED has been arrested by police and is being interrogated. The IED was to be planted at a crowded place to cause a large number of casualties,” the police chief said, complimenting the security agencies and Jammu police for the successful operation of thwarting the attempt before the IED could be planted.


Before the attack in Jammu, Singh said over a dozen incidents of weapon droppings by LeT with the use of drones have taken place. He said RDX was found used in the IED which was recovered. “It was fabricated to be carried and dropped by a drone,” he said.


Describing drones as a major security threat, Singh said “the use of drones by anti-national elements, terrorists, to drop weapons and IEDs is a threat and we are taking counter steps (to defeat their designs).”


The DGP said Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed lot of death and destruction due to terrorism.


“My message to the youth is that there is enough bloodshed of innocents by terrorists and the time has come to reject and defeat terrorism on every front. Youth should be equal partners in peace, prosperity and development and should save themselves from such activities which are not beneficial to them, their families and the society as a whole,” he said.


About recruitment of local youth in terrorist ranks in the valley, he said the recruitment is taking place but it is much less than the earlier.


“We have been engaging the youth in a positive direction and it (the recruitment) is almost nil compared to previous years. In future, we believe it will drop further,” he said.


When asked about the rise in encounters between security forces and terrorists in the valley, the DGP quipped “more encounters will take place".


“There are people who are enemies of peace and a threat to the lives of innocents. They are involved in acts of terror and linked to [terror] groups outside J&K and planning violence in different areas. They [terrorists] will be finished and so operations are being further intensified against them,” he said.


The DGP said the ceasefire between India and Pakistan is holding on the Line of Control and International border.


“There is lull on that count as there is no ceasefire violation reported as of now [after the February agreement between India and Pakistan]. However, the weapon dropping through drones from across the border is taking place at the behest of LeT and JeM, which are actually operating from Pakistan,” he said.


When queried on whether the drone used to bomb the IAF station had come from Pakistan or launched by someone in the vicinity of the base, he said the investigators suspect that the drone has come from across the border but the second aspect cannot be ruled out at this point of time.


The police chief said all the security agencies have got together after the drone strike and held a series of meetings to review the security arrangements of vital installations and places to ward off such types of attacks in future.


“Some additional measures have been taken which cannot be discussed in the media. Some measures have been taken and more measures are in the pipeline,” he said, adding “some new technology has also been deployed (to counter the drone threat).”

India, China should be able to achieve status quo in eastern Ladakh in gradual manner: CDS Bipin Rawat

 Synopsis

"All I would say that keep your guard up, remain prepared; do not take things lightly. We must also be prepared for any misadventure and respond accordingly. We have responded in the past and will do so in the future," he said replying to a question.

India and China should be able to achieve status quo in eastern Ladakh in a gradual manner as both sides understand that it is in the best interest of ensuring peace and tranquillity in the region, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat said on Friday.



In an address at a think-tank, Gen Rawat, at the same time, said that India must remain prepared for "any misadventure" and respond accordingly as it has done in the past


"All I would say that keep your guard up, remain prepared; do not take things lightly. We must also be prepared for any misadventure and respond accordingly. We have responded in the past and will do so in the future," he said replying to a question.


About the resolution of the prolonged standoff, Gen Rawat said both sides are engaged in negotiations political, diplomatic and military levels to resolve the row.


"It will take time. I think in a gradual manner, we should be able to achieve the status quo because if you do not achieve the status quo and remain in this kind of a position, it could lead to misadventure at some time," he said.


"Therefore, both the nations understand that returning to the status quo is in the best interest of ensuring peace and tranquillity to which our nation is committed," he said.


Asked whether China has gone back on its word on disengagement from remaining friction points, he said there is suspicion on both sides and India too moved a large number of troops and resources there.


"There is suspicion on both sides because while the other side has deployed their forces and created infrastructure, we are also not lagging behind anymore. We have also moved a large number of troops and resources. There is a kind of suspicion on both sides as to what can happen," the Chief of Defence Staff said.


When referred to reports of China increasing military presence in the region, the Chief of Defence Staff said: "I think they realised that Indian armed forces cannot be taken lightly. Indian armed forces are no longer the armed forces of 1961. This is a strong armed force and it is not a pushover.


"They will stand up to what they worth. I think that is what has been realised."


India and China on June 25 held another round of diplomatic talks on the border row during which they agreed to hold the next round of military talks at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.


At the virtual meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs, the two sides had a "frank exchange" of views and decided to maintain dialogue to reach a mutually acceptable solution for withdrawal of troops in all friction points to enable progress in the overall ties, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).


India and China were locked in a military standoff at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year. However, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong lake in February following a series of military and diplomatic talks.


The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points. India has been particularly pressing for disengagement of troops in Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang.


India has been insisting on returning to the status quo of April 2020 in the region.


According to military officials, each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control in the sensitive sector.


There was no visible forward movement in disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points as the Chinese side did not show flexibility in their approach on it at the 11th round of military talks.

Drone spotted over Indian mission in Islamabad; India asks Pak to probe and prevent recurrence of 'breach of security'

 Synopsis

The incident came to light amid growing concerns in the security establishment in India after explosives-laden drones were used to carry out an attack on the Jammu Air Force station on June 27.


India registers strong protest with Pakistan after drone spotted over Indian mission in Islamabad


A drone was spotted over the Indian High Commission complex in Islamabad last week and Pakistan has been asked to investigate the incident and prevent recurrence of such "breach of security", the external affairs ministry said on Friday.


The Indian mission has also lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the incident through a note verbale which is a diplomatic communique, people familiar with the development said.


The incident came to light amid growing concerns in the security establishment in India after explosives-laden drones were used to carry out an attack on the Jammu Air Force station on June 27.


"A drone was spotted over the premises of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on June 26. This has been taken up officially with the government of Pakistan. We expect Pakistan to investigate the incident and prevent recurrence of such breach of security," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing.


It is learnt that the drone was sighted within the complex when an event was being held at the mission.


Asked about the drone attack on Jammu airbase, Bagchi declined to comment, and only said that the investigation into it is in progress.


According to security officials, it was the first instance of suspected Pakistan-based terrorists deploying unmanned aerial vehicles to strike at vital installations in India.


Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Friday said the drone strikes in the Jammu airbase were an "act of terror" that was aimed at targeting key military assets.


Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on Thursday said that the easy availability of drones has increased the complexity of security challenges from both state and state-sponsored actors.

We need Artificial Intelligence to fight and win our wars, says Indian Army chief

 Synopsis

The “imaginative and offensive” use of drones riding on AI algorithms, first in Idlib and then in Armenia-Azerbaijan, have challenged the traditional military hardware of war: tanks, artillery and dug-in infantry. “AI is today the modern, holy grail of technology, with far reaching implications on the nature of geopolitics and geo-strategy. To sum up, we need AI to fight and win our wars,” said Gen Naravane.



Drones could be employed by both state and non-state actors, for offensive or defensive action, Army chief Naravane has said.


Indian armed forces are developing capabilities to deal with the ever-increasing threat from drones, with some counter-measures already being put in place, even as they also acquire “offensive capabilities” in the field, General M M Naravane said on Thursday.


“Drones will increasingly be used in all sorts of combat in the future by both state and non-state actors. We are catering to both the offensive use of drones, while also focusing on defensive measures through anti-drone technologies to prevent any attack on our critical facilities,” the Army chief said at a virtual seminar here.


Gen Naravane’s comments come after the first-ever drone terror strike in the country at the Jammu Air Force Station on June 27, which exposed operational gaps in tackling small commercially-available drones that can escape detection by military radars with missile systems geared towards larger unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aircraft and helicopters.


The armed forces need specialised radars to detect and track small drones, which can range from just 30 cm to one-meter in width, while differentiating them from birds. Then, jammers to disrupt or spoof the satellite or video links of the drones as well as directed energy weapons like lasers to shoot them down.


Gen Naravane said the “easy availability” of drones, which can be accessed by both state and non-state actors, has “definitely increased the complexity” of the security challenges being faced by India. Building small drones, in fact, can be done as a “DIY (do it yourself) project” at home.


“We are fully seized of this issue and are working to ensure we are not found wanting in this regard. Some counter-measures have been put in place, with troops also sensitised to the evolving threat,” he said.


Even as the armed forces develop capabilities to deal with this threat “in both the kinetic and non-kinetic realms”, there will continue to be a “see-saw battle” between development of drones and the counter-measures to thwart them.


Stressing the role of “niche technologies” like Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing, autonomous and unmanned systems in modern-day warfare, Gen Naravane said the developments along our northern borders with China are a stark reminder that the Indian armed forces need to continually adapt to the exigencies of modern wars to preserve the country’s territorial integrity.


The armed forces require “simplified” defence procurement procedures to facilitate this transition to the digital age. “Unfortunately, this has been one of our biggest stumbling blocks. In order to harness niche technologies like AI, exploit our depth in IT (information technology) and realise the vision of `Atmanirbhar Bharat’, we need to shed old mindsets and make our procedures more flexible and adaptive,” he said.


The “imaginative and offensive” use of drones riding on AI algorithms, first in Idlib (Syria) and then in Armenia-Azerbaijan, have challenged the traditional military hardware of war: tanks, artillery and dug-in infantry. “AI is today the modern, holy grail of technology, with far reaching implications on the nature of geopolitics and geo-strategy. To sum up, we need AI to fight and win our wars,” said Gen Naravane.

NIA investigation: Military grade explosives used in drone attack




Synopsis

NIA has registered a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and Explosive Substance Act as the blast damaged a building and injured two airmen inside the IAF airbase. The agency has recorded the statement of the guard on duty who first heard the whirring noise of drones.


Security personnel on high alert near airforce station, in Jammu


NIA examination of the drone attack blast debris suggests that military grade explosives packed in a steel case were used, raising suspicion that the terror group responsible for the attack had links to an ordnance depot across the border. The findings also corroborated initial reports on use of explosives similar to RDX, with intention to blast the military installation, ET has learnt


NIA has registered a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and Explosive Substance Act as the blast damaged a building and injured two airmen inside the IAF airbase. The agency has recorded the statement of the guard on duty who first heard the whirring noise of drones, followed by blasts within an interval of six minutes.


Sleuths analysed the trajectory of the explosion and ruled out possibilities other than UAVs. “It was found that both IEDs were dropped at an angle of 90 degrees and one of them damaged the roof. The iron rods of the ceiling warped downwards making it clear that the IEDs were strapped on a flying object. After visiting the blast site, the possibility of factory manufactured explosives cannot be dismissed,” a senior government official said.


Another official confirmed that the splinters, ball bearings and small grooves casing collected from the debris were examined to ascertain the nature of IEDs. “No visual of the UAVs used to drop the payloads have been found so far. The IEDs are estimated to weigh 1.5-2 kg and detonated on impact. CCTV, radar images, call data records and internet activities are being scanned to find leads,” he said.


National Security Guard DG A Ganapathy and CISF acting chief SK Saxena returned to Delhi on Thursday after their visit to the Jammu airport. The two are expected to submit a report on their findings to the home ministry. While NSG is the nodal agency for deployment of anti-drone techniques, CISF is responsible for ensuring security of airports and vital installations.


MHA classifies vital and critical installations as A, B, C, D and E, depending on the threat vulnerability. There are more than 700 critical installations mapped out by agencies.