South Asia Conflict Report December 2009

The month of December witnessed as many as the 3258 casualties including 1550 deaths and 1708 injuries. The death casualties remained almost the same as the last month but the number of injuries is higher in this month.  Pakistan and Afghanistan remained most effected countries of South Asia as like the previous 7 months. Pakistan remained at the top with the 1039 killings and 1194 injuries in the terrorist attacks, military operations, and sectarian clashes and in other incidents of violence. In Afghanistan 464 people were killed. Sri Lanka and Maldives remained calm.

Country Killed Injured Total Casualties

Afghanistan 471 181 645

India 22 30 52

Kashmir 16 182 198

Nepal 2 121 123

Pakistan 1039 1194 2233

Sri Lanka - - -

Maldives - - -

Total 1550 1708 3258

Afghanistan:Almost 471 people were killed, including 42 police and Afghan National Army personnel, 124 civilian, 295 militants and 10 personnel of International Security Assistance Force .  The highest number of casualties occurred when NATO-led troops destroyed a key Taliban stronghold consisting of bunkers and defensive positions in the eastern province of Kunar. 36 militants were killed in the incident. On 5th December, 13 civilians were killed by the NATO air strike in the Armal area of Mehtarlam, capital of eastern Laghman province. Thousands of university students protested against US forces in eastern Nangarhar province against the killing of the civilians in Laghman province. President Hamid Karzai also condemned the incident.  The NATO and Afghan forces had launched another offensive in northern Kunduz province, where insurgents had stepped up their activities. On 1st December, President Obama also ordered an additional 30,000 U.S. troops into the long war in Afghanistan. According to the NATO's chief, European and other U.S. allies will contribute more than 5,000 troops to the international forces in Afghanistan. The US commander McChrystal welcomed the President's decision of troop surge in Afghanistan. Italy is also ready to send almost 1000 more troops in Afghanistan. Along with the surge of troops in Afghanistan, President Obama has also declared that they will start pulling out the troops from Afghanistan till the mid 2011.

India:In the reporting month the number of casualties decreased in India as compared to the last month. Almost 22 people were killed and 30 others were injured in this month. Most of the killings included that of civilians and security personnel. Only one Maoist was reported killed was killed.  Bombs and detonators were also seized during a joint operation by the Special Task Force of Bihar police and CRPF personnel in Thari forest of the Naxalite-hit area. Maoists also continued to blow up schools. In December, almost 6 schools were blown up by the Maoists.

Kashmir:Kashmir witnessed 16 killings and 182 injures in the month of December. According to the Jammu and Kashmir police, the militancy-related incidents have come down by over 25 per cent in the current year and special emphasis is being laid on the latest technology and weaponry to meet the challenge. During 2008, the militancy related violence came down by 35 per cent as compared to the 2007 while during this year the violence has dropped by over 25 per cent

Nepal:In the month of December, 2 people were killed and 121 others were injured in Nepal during the protests and the incidents of political violence. Among the two killed persons, one was the ‘commander’ of Terai Janatantrik Mukti Tigers (TJMT). He was killed by the exchange fire with the security forces. The number of protests rose in the reporting month and it increased the rate of injures in the country. As compare to the last month (November), the rate of injures is greater in this month. Kantipur Online, a Nepalese daily, reports that normal life was crippled on the second day of the three-day general strike called by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (Unified CPN-Maoists) on December 21st, the general strike in the Capital remained relatively peaceful compared to December 20th.The biggest number of injuries occurred in Kathmandu on the first day of strike when Maoists protest turned into a clash with the security forces. Almost 50 Maoist and 25 security personnel were injured in those clashes. After completing its third-phase of protests for civilian supremacy, the Unified CPN-Maoist commenced its publicity program called "national sovereignty".  The Unified CPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda had also floated a new strategy to shore up support for his party's fourth phase of protests.

Sri Lanka:In December Sri Lanka remained calm. No casualty has been recorded in the month. However, the Government has decided to seize all the assets of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) in the possession of individuals and groups at home and abroad. The LTTE has 14 ships, five of them belonging to self-appointed LTTE Diaspora leader Kumaran Pathmanathan Alias KP. Government has started seizing the LTTE assets and Sri Lanka navy had brought three LTTE ships to Sri Lanka in the start of the month. An LTTE vessel recently seized and brought to Colombo by the Sri Lanka Navy had been among five ships acquired by the group during the Eelam War IV though they could not be used at least once to smuggle in weapons.

On 6th December, the CID had also arrested the Finance Division head of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), an LTTE front organization, in Jaffna. He is alleged to have provided millions of rupees to the terrorist organization for its war effort.

Sri Lanka: Huge caches of weapons were recovered during different raids.

A large stock of C4 explosives and arms were recovered by Police and the Army in two separate locations in the Batticaloa area on 14th December. During search and clear operations in the areas of Periyathampanai, Sinna Pandiparichchan, Sugandipuram, Devapuram Iramnamadu, Adampan, Mullayaveli and Puthukkudiyiruppu Army had also recovered the huge cache of arms. Army Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara stated that the forces have cleared an area of 62,760,434 square meters (63 square kilometres) of mines and explosives in Northern and Eastern Provinces this year. The forces have recovered 8,313 anti personnel mines and 2,536 other explosives hidden in these areas which could have posed a hazard to the civilians.

Maldives:The country remained peaceful in December as like the previous months. No significant incidence of violence was occurred in Maldives