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Morocco World
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Spain Confronts Growing Terror Threat Tied to Polisario Front
Rabat – Spanish intelligence services are raising alarms over a mounting terrorist threat linked to the Polisario Front, as extremist factions in the Sahel expand their operations and deepen ties to radicalized individuals with European connections. At the heart of the concern is the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has emerged as one of the most violent groups operating in the region. Security sources cited by La Vanguardia indicate that some high-ranking members of the group are Sahrawis who spent their early years in the Tindouf camps and later participated in the 'Holidays in Peace' program, which allowed them to spend summers in Spain. Now fluent in Spanish, these individuals are believed to have the potential to encourage terrorist acts on European soil. 'These are not distant actors,' a Spanish intelligence official said. 'They know our cities, our language, and our way of life.' The link between terrorism and the Polisario Front, the separatist movement seeking to divide Morocco's southern provinces, is now drawing new scrutiny. Sources close to the counterterrorism community argue that the presence of radicalized Sahrawis in terror networks like ISWAP points to deeper ideological and operational overlaps. Calls are growing in some quarters for Spain and its European partners to officially recognize the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. The threat is not limited to individuals. The broader picture shows a Sahel region descending into chaos, with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger becoming ungovernable zones. Terrorist groups there are no longer confined to isolated attacks. They now control vast rural territories and have shown the capability to destabilize state institutions. While much of Europe's attention remains on the war in Ukraine and the eastern front, Spain's southern flank is becoming increasingly vulnerable. Terrorist cells could exploit both their proximity to the Iberian Peninsula and the well-established migratory routes. In the past year, most migrants arriving in the Canary Islands have come from this region. Though most are fleeing conflict and poverty, the risk remains that terrorist networks could infiltrate these flows to move operatives toward European soil. Spain's Ministry of Defense has expressed regret over the withdrawal of European forces from the Sahel, seeing it as a strategic mistake. 'We underestimated the long-term consequences of leaving a vacuum,' one official noted. Though some analysts believe terrorist organizations in the region face internal leadership disputes and logistical challenges, the possibility of a shift in their strategy remains real, and dangerous. Spanish police recently arrested two young Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps in the Basque Country's Alava region, as concerns mount over radicalization within the camps. Authorities have charged the pair with collaborating with terrorist groups and promoting terrorism, according to multiple reports. The arrests follow renewed calls from American policymakers and think tanks urging the US to officially classify the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. Tags: PolisarioPolisario FrontSahelSpainterrorism
NDTV
05-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Europe To Africa, Why Pakistan's Terror Exports Aren't India's Problem Alone
It is now more than official. Terrorist groups are not just supported by the Pakistani state, but they receive public encouragement and quite literally rub shoulders with the country's top army men and police officers. But as our diplomatic system gets into top gear to spread this message, it is important to also point out that this is certainly not merely an India-Pakistan issue. Pakistani elements have been stoking terrorism everywhere from Africa and Europe to the United States. In short, our delegations should be talking not just about Operation Sindoor, but must also bring up the truth about dangerous activities by terrorist elements elsewhere. Partying With The Lashkar First, there's the explosive video that emerged of a Pakistani politician claiming that the prominent Lashkar-designated terrorist, Hafiz Saeed, was his 'second team' and virtually a brother. Looking on in the video are his son, Talha Saeed, also a designated terrorist, and Saifullah Kasuri, who has a number of aliases. Only days before, Kasuri had – after denying that he had anything to do with the Pahalgam attack – addressed crowds, threatening India in his speech. Also on 'parade' at different times, were a number of other top Lashkar leaders - so far careful to keep themselves out of public gaze – who were openly exhorting the crowd towards jihad. All this points to a clear army hand in letting loose terrorists in an act of defiance. Second is the reality that Pakistani politicians need these people to win votes. Prominent politicians, including close cronies of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, food minister Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan, and Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, were at the aforementioned rally. Malik Ahmed Khan, for instance, comes from a political family and has been elected from Kasur, the focus and centre of the worst blasphemy fabrications and a hunting ground for jihadis of all hues. His declaration, that India should provide proof of the involvement of Saifullah in the terrorist attack, is audacious. His own chief of police could give him an entire dossier. Besides, Saifullah's entire history is well known to both US intel and India. He is hardly a shy flower in the terrorist world. ... And In Nigeria Meanwhile, another story has surfaced. The Nigerian army recently arrested four Pakistanis for allegedly training Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Boko Haram had once sworn allegiance to the Islamic State but later parted ways. Nonetheless, the two outfits remain bloody as ever. Boko Haram had first made headlines in 2014, when it kidnapped over 200 schoolchildren, mostly girls, in the town of Chibok in Nigeria. ISWAP, on the other hand, is a Salafist group that believes in indiscriminate executions of non-believers. Those are some nice friends to have for Pakistan. In any case, Nigeria is looking for intel cooperation, and Delhi must oblige. Europe Gets a Jolt Too Just months ago, the Spanish police had arrested some 30-plus Pakistanis in a three-year-long operation in Spain, which had subsequently led to another 11 11 arrests in Barcelona. The operation had targeted a number of cells, including women, which were purportedly radicalising the youth using encrypted channels for communication and a strong hierarchical structure. In other words, this was not just a loose band of people but a strong organisation with a specific purpose. Though reports note they were linked to the 'Pakistani Taliban', that term has come to encompass a variety of actors, both criminal and jihadi in nature. Last year, the European Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation had stated that authorities in Romania, Italy and Austria dismantled a criminal network that abused work visas to smuggle over 500 Pakistani, Bengali and Egyptian migrants to various EU member states. In total, 12 suspects were formally identified. A Joint Working Group has been set up to investigate this Europe-wide network. Then, in the US, a Pakistani Canada-based man, Shahzab Jadoon, was arrested for allegedly planning a mass attack against Jews in New York City. In Paris, a Pakistani national was given a 30-year sentence for his role in attacking a newspaper office. There's no end to the listings. There's more. In February, three Pakistanis were arrested in Indonesia for entering on - of all things - French passports that were patently fake. The country has had other instances of Pakistanis entering illegally, including one wanted by none other than the INTERPOL. No wonder, then, that Indonesia has stood strongly with India after Pahalgam. 'Traditional Terrorism' Lingers On Then there is the simple fact that Pakistan sponsors terrorism against Iran. An irate Tehran finally bombed the camps of the Jaish ul Adl last year after repeated requests to Islamabad to do something about its activities. Meanwhile, the saga of Afghanistan spans decades, starting in the late 1970s. Now, it has gone inwards, with Pakistan complaining that it suffers more terrorist attacks than anyone else. The Global Terrorism Index agrees. It identifies Pakistan as the second most affected among 163 countries, with its position rising from the fourth place last year. Much of this is attributed to the Tehrik-e-Taliban, a motley group of some 40-plus smaller outfits said to be based around the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Don't forget, these are areas that had been a hotbed of the Pakistan army's operations into Afghanistan. When the inevitable terror blowback finally began, the tribal areas found themselves on the receiving end of brutal 'counterterrorism' operations that included air and artillery attacks. The same goes for Balochistan. The point that Indian diplomacy should stress as its delegations travel across the world is that Pakistan is a problem not for India alone, but a dangerous terror supplier for the world itself. With Gaza and Ukraine taking up the attention of the US and European capitals, the files on terrorism need to be reopened, for their own good. Remember, terrorists are learning all the time, from each other and from their counterparts in conventional warfare. True, Ukraine's 'Operation Spider' may not be replicated in its entirety, but terrorists will certainly try to devise simpler versions to grab eyeballs. Most importantly, recruits from Pakistan are easily available to a variety of groups involved in the Gaza conflict. Add to this the sudden respectability provided to the terrorists by the Pakistani army – and the police, if the presence of a Lieutenant General, a Major General, a Brigadier and an IG of police at a terrorist funeral in Muridke is any indication. That means that instead of trying to throttle back on terrorism post-Operation Sindoor, the Pakistanis, in their 'victory' mindset, have empowered them even more. Snake And The Charmer Hopefully, some in other countries have had their counter-terrorism spectacles on. But this is despite the ultimate irony: just this week, Pakistan was appointed to chair a vital counter-terrorism committee in the United Nations Security Council, on the Taliban. That's rich, considering that the Taliban have done far, far more to finish off terrorists, especially the Islamic State - and have been commended for it by various UN committees - than what Pakistan has ever done. Having been for decades the tormentor of Afghanistan, Pakistan is now in the driver's seat. In sum, the snake has been let loose on the charmer. Prepare to fight your own battles. That's the bottom line - especially for Operation Sindoor.
First Post
05-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Nigeria: 4 Pak National Arrested for Training Boko Haram, ISWAP Terrorists Firstpost Africa
Nigeria: 4 Pak National Arrested for Training Boko Haram, ISWAP Terrorists | Firstpost Africa | N18G 4 Pak National Arrested for Training Boko Haram, ISWAP Terrorists | Firstpost Africa | N18G Pakistan's terror footprint may be expanding far beyond South Asia. In a major security operation, Nigerian authorities have arrested four Pakistani nationals in Borno State over alleged links to Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists. The suspects are accused of providing tactical and strategic training, including drone operations and IED expertise, making these groups deadlier than ever. The arrests raise serious concerns about the globalisation of Pakistan-backed terror networks. As Nigeria battles a deadly insurgency, this development underscores the urgent need for global collaboration to counter cross-border terrorism. See More
India.com
31-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Pakistan's Terror Factory Now Expanding Network Beyond India, Targeting Muslim-Majority Nations Like Nigeria?
New Delhi: New Delhi: In a shocking revelation that exposes Pakistan's complicity in the worldwide spread of terrorism, Nigerian security forces have detained four Pakistani men on charges of training and arming members of Boko Haram, according to reports. Nigeria, a Muslim-dominated country where about 46 per cent of people are Muslim, has been fighting the extremist Boko Haram, for well over a decade. The latest arrests highlight concerns that cross-border terrorism now appear to have spread from South Asia to the Gulf, and possibly beyond. According to Nigerian officials, quoted in media reports, the Pakistani citizens were but also training the militants in critical combat skills in addition to supplying arms. The trainings include carrying out ambush-like attacks, making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and using surveillance drones. Reports suggest that support from foreign mercenaries, including Pakistanis, has boosted the capabilities of groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar, commander of the Nigerian Army's Operation 'Hadin Kai Theatre', has been quoted as saying that these foreign operatives are aiding insurgent groups with strategic warfare knowledge. According to him, this has turned Boko Haram into a more formidable terror organisation from a weakened group. Boko Haram's Deadly Trail of Violence A faction of Boko Haram carried out brutal attacks at Kwatandaya and Mallam Karamti villages in Nigeria's Borno state earlier this month. At least 57 civilians lost their lives in the assault. Many of the victims were either had their throats slit or militants also reportedly abducted over 70 people. Boko Haram's insurgency has led to the deaths of over 35,000 people and displaced nearly 2.6 million since 2009. The group recruits children as fighters and carries out massacres and mass abductions. Increased use of IEDs and drones – pointing to foreign assistance – has been noticed in recent attack. Analysts have long warned about Pakistan's alleged role in exporting extremism. Similar pattern of attacks have been observed in like Russia, Iran, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and even in the 9/11 attacks in the United States where unconfirmed linked to Pakistan's involvements have been noted. A recent counter-terrorism operation in India, codenamed 'Operation Sindoor', has further intensified scrutiny on Pakistan's military and intelligence services. The Nigerian arrests further emphasises these concerns and suggest an international scale to the country's alleged support of terrorist activity. What was once perceived as a regional security issue is now emerging as a broader global emergency. The alleged presence of Pakistani nationals aiding violent groups thousands of kilometers from South Asia has raised alarms about the international implications for peace, stability and human security.
News24
30-05-2025
- General
- News24
Nigeria detains troops, police for alleged sale of weapons to armed groups
The Nigerian military has detained more than 30 soldiers and police officers for allegedly stealing weapons from its stockpiles and selling them to armed groups, including jihadists in the country. The country is battling a more than 15-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast, as well as a farmer-herder conflict in the north-central region, violent secessionist agitation in the southeast and rampant kidnap-for-ransom in the northwest. A spokesperson, Ademola Owolana, said the army launched an operation in August 2024 as a 'response to incessant cases of arms and ammunition theft'. 'So far, a total of 18 soldiers, 15 mobile policemen and eight civilians, including a traditional ruler, have been arrested,' Owolana said at a Wednesday briefing whose recording was accessed by AFP on Friday. He added: A few soldiers motivated by greed had been involved in ammunition racketeering, deliberately diverting arms from military stockpiles and supplies chains to terrorists. The country has seen a resurgence in deadly jihadist attacks in the northeast in recent weeks, with Boko Haram and the IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) staging raids targeting military bases in particular. Raids on military bases have provided jihadists in the Sahel countries with at least 20% of their weapons, according to the UK-based Conflict Armament Research, which has studied jihadist weapons sources for a decade.
