India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, has urged for enhanced global collaboration in combating the misuse of information technology by extremists and criminals, as well as clamping down on terrorism funding. Addressing the XII International Meeting of High-Level Security Officials in St. Petersburg, Russia, Doval emphasized the need for both domestic and international cooperation in ensuring information security.
Despite assurances from police, three prominent Muslim organizations in Australia were not consulted about recent raids in western Sydney following a stabbing incident. The groups expressed concerns about the lack of sensitivity in the handling of the matter.
Five teenagers have been charged in relation to the stabbing of a bishop at a Sydney church, as part of a major counterterrorism operation. The arrests and charges stem from a knife attack at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s western suburb of Wakeley last week, where a 16-year-old allegedly stabbed Assyrian bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and injured priest Isaac Royel. Police allege that the individuals charged adhered to a religiously motivated, violent, extremist ideology.
Five teenagers have been charged in relation to the stabbing of a bishop at a Sydney church, following an investigation by counterterrorism police. The arrests come after a 16-year-old was charged with committing a terrorist act in the attack last week.
The United States is still evaluating whether to withdraw troops from Niger and Chad, two African countries crucial to counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel region. The government of Niger ended an agreement with the U.S. last month, while Chad has recently questioned its own agreement. The reversals have raised concerns that the U.S. is losing influence in Africa to Russia and China. U.S. officials say discussions on a new military agreement with Niger are ongoing, while efforts will be made to convince Chad to allow U.S. forces to stay.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a damning report, accusing the Burkinabè army of executing more than 220 civilians, including 56 children, during operations in two villages on February 25. Witnesses described soldiers arriving on motorbikes and in vehicles, armed with Kalashnikovs and heavy weapons, and rounding up and gunning down civilians. The victims included women and pregnant women. The massacres occurred amid a US-backed counterterrorism campaign, with Burkina Faso being one of the largest recipients of American military aid in West Africa. Despite calls from HRW and civil society activists to halt military cooperation, the US continues to engage with the Burkinabè military, raising concerns about complicity in the atrocities.
A UK-based rights group has accused the British government of turning a blind eye and abetting Indonesia’s use of counterterrorism laws to restrict civil liberties. According to the report, the UK government has played a behind-the-scenes role in Indonesia’s anti-extremism policy formulation and funded the training of its anti-terrorism personnel. Indonesia’s counter-extremism programmes have been accused of targeting religious minorities and suppressing peaceful calls for Papuan independence. The report highlights the potential human rights violations caused by Indonesia’s counter-extremism apps and laws, including the blasphemy law and the new criminal code. Despite acknowledging the potential for human rights violations, Indonesian officials defend the government’s record on counterterrorism and deradicalisation.
