Latest news with #militantgroups
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Pakistan urges global social media platforms to block accounts run by banned militant groups
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan on Friday urged global social media companies to take action to block hundreds of accounts allegedly run by outlawed militant groups that Islamabad claims spread propaganda and glorify insurgents in the South Asian country. According to Pakistan's Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army — banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States — have been using X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram to promote violence in Pakistan. Chaudhry, who spoke to reporters at a news conference, urged the tech companies to remove or disable these accounts, as well as those run by supporters of the militant groups. Deputy Law Minister Aqeel Malik, who also spoke at the new conference, said Pakistani investigators have identified 481 accounts associated with the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation Army, or BLA. The accounts were being used to incite violence and spread hate speech, Malik said. There was no immediate response from any of the social media platforms to Pakistan's request. Pakistan itself has in recent years blocked access to X, primarily to curb criticism from supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan but also voices of other dissenters. The plea comes amid a surge in violence across Pakistan, much of it blamed on the two militant groups, as well as the Islamic State group. The Pakistani Taliban are allies but a separate militant group from the Afghan Taliban. However, the Taliban takeover of neighboring Afghanistan in 2021 has emboldened the TTP. Militant groups also heavily rely on social media platforms to claim responsibility for attacks against security forces and civilians in Pakistan.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lebanon drafts reply to US demand for Hezbollah to disarm, sources say
By Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanese officials were drafting a response on Tuesday to U.S. demands for armed group Hezbollah to relinquish its weapons across the country by November in exchange for a halt to Israeli military operations, two sources briefed on the matter said. The deadline has turned up the heat on Iran-backed Hezbollah, which was struck hard by Israel during last year's war, is suffering a financial crunch and faces pressure in Lebanon to disarm. Washington's demands were conveyed by Thomas Barrack, U.S. special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, during a trip to Beirut on June 19. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters Barrack had shared a written roadmap with Lebanese officials and told them he expected to hear back by July 1 on any proposed amendments. The six-page document centers on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other militant groups, and urges Lebanon to improve ties with neighbouring Syria and implement financial reforms, they said. It proposes a phased approach to disarmament, in which Hezbollah would hand in its arms throughout Lebanon in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops occupying areas in south Lebanon, the sources said. Barrack said full disarmament should be completed by November or by the end of the year at the latest, they said. Disarmament would end Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah members and unlock funds to rebuild parts of Lebanon destroyed by Israeli forces last year, they said. The U.S. has said Washington will not support reconstruction in Lebanon without Hezbollah laying down arms. The proposal also refers to establishing a mechanism overseen by the United Nations to secure the release of Hezbollah-linked prisoners by Israel, the sources said. They said Barrack had urged Lebanese officials to seize the opportunity laid out in the roadmap as it "may not come up again." He is set to return to Lebanon next week. Barrack had not yet gotten Israeli approval for the roadmap, the sources said. There was no immediate response from the U.S. state department, Israel's prime minister's office or Israel's foreign ministry to Reuters requests for comment. 'THE RIGHT TO SAY NO' Lebanon has appointed a committee to formulate a preliminary response, comprised of delegates from the offices of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, the sources said. It was not clear whether the initial reply would be ready by Tuesday. The U.S. proposal includes a condition that the final deal be sealed with a unanimous decision by Lebanon's government, the sources said. The second source, and a third source briefed on the matter, said Berri was in close communication with Hezbollah to secure the group's input. "Hezbollah has not refused to cooperate with the committee and in fact began sending signals of cooperation - but has not committed to disarming," the third source said. The prospect of securing Hezbollah's disarmament - unimaginable two years ago - underlines the big shifts in the Middle East power balance to the detriment of Iran's allies across the region since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah ally Hamas in October 2023. Some of Hezbollah's arsenal was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, and other depots in southern Lebanon were handed over to Lebanon's army in accordance with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended that round of conflict. That deal called for the disarmament of armed groups across Lebanon. Hezbollah has said it applies only to the group in Lebanon's southernmost districts. Hezbollah has not commented publicly on Barrack's proposal. But in a televised address on Monday, its secretary general, Naim Qassem, reiterated Hezbollah's resistance to U.S. and Israeli pressure and urged other Lebanese to do the same. "We have the right to say 'no' to them, 'no' to America, 'no' to Israel," Qassem said. "We call on you in Lebanon: do not help Israel and America with their plans." Qassem said the U.S. and Israel "want to exploit the moment to turn the equation in the entire region in their image."
Reuters
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Lebanon drafts reply to US demand for Hezbollah to disarm, sources say
BEIRUT, July 1 (Reuters) - Lebanese officials were drafting a response on Tuesday to U.S. demands for armed group Hezbollah to relinquish its weapons across the country by November in exchange for a halt to Israeli military operations, two sources briefed on the matter said. The deadline has turned up the heat on Iran-backed Hezbollah, which was struck hard by Israel during last year's war, is suffering a financial crunch and faces pressure in Lebanon to disarm. Washington's demands were conveyed by Thomas Barrack, U.S. special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, during a trip to Beirut on June 19. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters Barrack had shared a written roadmap with Lebanese officials and told them he expected to hear back by July 1 on any proposed amendments. The six-page document centers on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other militant groups, and urges Lebanon to improve ties with neighbouring Syria and implement financial reforms, they said. It proposes a phased approach to disarmament, in which Hezbollah would hand in its arms throughout Lebanon in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops occupying areas in south Lebanon, the sources said. Barrack said full disarmament should be completed by November or by the end of the year at the latest, they said. Disarmament would end Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah members and unlock funds to rebuild parts of Lebanon destroyed by Israeli forces last year, they said. The U.S. has said Washington will not support reconstruction in Lebanon without Hezbollah laying down arms. The proposal also refers to establishing a mechanism overseen by the United Nations to secure the release of Hezbollah-linked prisoners by Israel, the sources said. They said Barrack had urged Lebanese officials to seize the opportunity laid out in the roadmap as it "may not come up again." He is set to return to Lebanon next week. Barrack had not yet gotten Israeli approval for the roadmap, the sources said. There was no immediate response from the U.S. state department, Israel's prime minister's office or Israel's foreign ministry to Reuters requests for comment. Lebanon has appointed a committee to formulate a preliminary response, comprised of delegates from the offices of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, the sources said. It was not clear whether the initial reply would be ready by Tuesday. The U.S. proposal includes a condition that the final deal be sealed with a unanimous decision by Lebanon's government, the sources said. The second source, and a third source briefed on the matter, said Berri was in close communication with Hezbollah to secure the group's input. "Hezbollah has not refused to cooperate with the committee and in fact began sending signals of cooperation - but has not committed to disarming," the third source said. The prospect of securing Hezbollah's disarmament - unimaginable two years ago - underlines the big shifts in the Middle East power balance to the detriment of Iran's allies across the region since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah ally Hamas in October 2023. Some of Hezbollah's arsenal was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, and other depots in southern Lebanon were handed over to Lebanon's army in accordance with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended that round of conflict. That deal called for the disarmament of armed groups across Lebanon. Hezbollah has said it applies only to the group in Lebanon's southernmost districts. Hezbollah has not commented publicly on Barrack's proposal. But in a televised address on Monday, its secretary general, Naim Qassem, reiterated Hezbollah's resistance to U.S. and Israeli pressure and urged other Lebanese to do the same. "We have the right to say 'no' to them, 'no' to America, 'no' to Israel," Qassem said. "We call on you in Lebanon: do not help Israel and America with their plans." Qassem said the U.S. and Israel "want to exploit the moment to turn the equation in the entire region in their image."
CNA
01-06-2025
- General
- CNA
India arrests 81 for 'sympathising' with Pakistan
There has been a wider clampdown on social media since an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, the deadliest on civilians in the contested Muslim-majority territory in decades. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing militant groups it said carried out the attack, charges that Pakistan denied. India and Pakistan then fought a four-day conflict, their worst standoff since 1999, before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10. India's counter-terrorism agency last month arrested a paramilitary police officer for allegedly spying for Pakistan, while authorities have arrested at least 10 other people on espionage charges in May, according to local media. Sarma is also pushing efforts to stem the contentious issue of illegal immigration. Assam shares a long and porous border with neighbouring Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Indian media have reported that Assam's government has allegedly rounded up dozens of alleged Bangladeshis in the past month and taken them to the frontier to cross. The Times of India newspaper on Saturday reported that Assam was "dumping them in no-man's land", suggesting that at least 49 had been pushed back between May 27-29 alone. The Assam government has not commented on the reports. Bangladesh, largely encircled by land by India, has seen relations with New Delhi turn icy, after the Dhaka government was toppled in an uprising last year.
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Indian troops shoot dead Pakistani man crossing frontier, officials say
Indian border troops shot dead a Pakistani man who they said had crossed the international frontier and did not stop when challenged, the force has said. The shooting comes two weeks after India and Pakistan agreed a ceasefire after a four-day conflict, in which more than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire. India's Border Security Force (BSF) said its troops had spotted 'one suspicious person advancing towards the border fence', which lies beyond the international frontier, in Gujarat state's Banaskantha district on Friday evening. 'They challenged the intruder, but he continued to advance, prompting them to open fire,' the BSF said in a statement on Saturday. 'The intruder was neutralised on the spot.' A photograph released by the force showed a dead man with greying hair. The conflict began after a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in April that killed 26 people. The Indian government accused Pakistan-backed militant groups of being behind the incident and launched targeted missile strikes at 'terrorist infrastructure and camps' over the border. Pakistan responded by firing missiles at Indian military targets. After the ceasefire, the Indian government said any future terrorist attacks on its territory would be considered an act of war. Pakistan has denied any involvement in last month's militant attack in Kashmir. It has become more vocal in blaming India for a rising wave of militant attacks that have struck Pakistan, particularly in the regions of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of using proxy militant groups to carry out terrorist attacks in order to destabilise the country, which India has denied.
