Russian Theatre siege

About 118 hostages and 50 rebels were dead at the end of 3-day long siege by Chechan rebels in a Theatre in Moscow. Several dozen armed Chechan siezed the theatre during a musical performance on 23 October and more than 750 theatre-goers and actors were held. After a heavy gun battle, the security forces took control by using an unidentified gas, and freed the hostages on 26th October, leaving 118 hostages and all the rebels dead.

Maoists kill 56 Nepal security men

Maoist rebels mowed down 56 security personnel as they ransacked a remote district headquarters, about 300 kilometers off Kahtmandu.

-Hindustan times September 10, 2002.

PWG issues death threats to Chief Ministers

The Peoples War Group, a left extremist wing, with its armed network spread over different states of India, have issued death warrants to the "class enemies" which include West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi. The death warrants were issued through the PWG's website: www.geocities.com/cpimlpwg/home.htm

-The Asian Age September 15, 2002

Al Qaeda's Asian terror plan revealed

Al Qaeda's top leaders had ordered large scale attacks against US interests in seven Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan, especially simultaneous car and truck bomb attacks against US embassies in the region to take place on or near the first anniversary of September 11, says Time Magazine quoting a CIA summary of the interrogation of terror suspect Omar Al Faruq.

-Hindustan Times, September 16, 2002

Militants attack police colony; 21 killed in J&K

Just three days ahead of the second phase of elections, militants carried out a fidayeen attack at a police housing colony in Bemnia in the outskirts of Srinagar city, killing one policeman and seriously injuring four others.

Sunday Times of India, September 22, 2002.

Terrorists planned to wreak havoc on Singapore

Eighteen Muslim extremists arrested recently had plotted to bomb Singapore's airport, defence ministry and water pipelines in the hope of igniting a holy war in south East Asia.

Providing their first detailed account of the August arrests, Singapore officials said they had uncovered seven highly organised secret cells or 'fiahs' that began conducting surveillance of potential bombing targets in the mid-1990s.

The Indian Express September 21, 2002

9/11 sequel hits Bali, 187 Killed in Terrorism

A car bomb blast that destroyed a nightclub and started an inferno left at least 187 people dead and wounded 300 on the tourist island late on October 12th night. The blast was followed by another smaller explosion near the US consular office , the police said.

The explosions came on the second anniversary of the Al Qaeda- linked bombing of the USS cole off the Yemeni coast.

-Hindustan Times October 14, 2002

Indonesia issues tough decree to deal with terrorism

Indonesia issued a tough anti-terror decree that would punish the Bali bombers with death penalty.

-Sunday Hindustan Times October 20, 2002.

5 terrorists are shot dead in Bangalore

Five militants including the main accused in the 1993 RSS office bomb blast in Chennai, Imam Ali, were killed in a fierce encounter with the police in Bangalore early on September 29.

Police believe Ali, chief of the Al-Mujahiden group, had planned to assassinate Deputy Prime Minister of India Mr. L K Advani, Human Resource Minister Of India Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi And VHP chief Mr. Ashok Singhal in Allahabad in July last year.

-Hindustan Times 30 September, 2002

CIA: Al Qaeda back in action

The Director of Central intelligence of the USA, George Tenet told a congressional panel that the risk of a new terror attack inside the United States was as grave and immediate as it was before the September 11 hijackings, even though American intelligence agencies had vastly expanded their counter-terrorism efforts in the past year.

-Hindustan Times 30 October, 2002

Terror treads, insurance firms rushing in

In these troubled times, even lords and masters sitting in plush temples have to depend on lesser mortals for self protection. The idea of better protection is doing the rounds among all the trusts and boards running major temples across India.

And, it's none other than the public sector insurance major Oriental Insurance Company (OIC) which is aggressively selling the idea of temple insurance and risk coverage to all temples. The OIC has already provided Rs. 12 crore insurance cover to the Swaminarayan Temple at Akshardham in Gujarat, covering it against fire earthquake and other allied perils and terrorist risk.

-Indian Express October 18, 2002

Bin Laden - alive reveals spy satellite.

Osama bin Laden is alive and regularly meeting Mullah Omar, the fugitive leader of the Taliban, according to a telephone call intercepted by American Satellite

In the conversation recorded less than a month ago, Omar and a senior aide were discussing the American led- hunt to track them down. The two men, using a mobile Thuraya satellite phone, spoke about tactics for several minutes.

-Hindustan times October 7, 2002

Philippines blast kills 6, 144 hurt.

A predominantly Christian city in the Philippines' Muslim heartland was hit by its second deadly bomb attack in two weeks on October 15 as twin blasts devastated two departmental stores, killing six people and injuring 144.

-The Asian Age October 18, 2002

Terror hits Aussie varsity

A man armed with several hand guns walked into a lecture room at Monash University in Australia, shot dead two students and wounded five before being overpowered by the victims' classmates, the police said. The shootings occurred inside the Robert Menzies building, part of the arts faculty at the Monash University campus around 20 km outside the city centre.

-The Indian Express October 2002.