News Report: China and Pakistan Demonstrate Alliance, Flex Muscles During Joint Exercise

For the first time ever, a Pakistani fighter pilot has flown a Chinese warplane during joint combat exercises between the two Asian nations. The exercises, which lasted through most of September, took place in Xinjiang, the westernmost province of China that borders Pakistan.

The Shaheen-VI exercises, the latest in a series of annual joint drills between the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) that started in 2011, happened this year between September 5 and 25. They included many firsts, according to Chinese military sources, such as live-fire target practice, night warfare, and close support operations.

But the biggest news from the exercise came when Air Vice Marshal Haseeb Paracha, head of PAF's Southern Air Command, climbed into a Chinese J-11B fighter and flew a sortie as part of the exercises. This was the first time in history that a PAF pilot flew a PLAAF plane, a symbolic gesture of the tight bonds between Beijing and Islamabad.

"The air vice marshal was accompanied by Xin Xin, a vice-chief of staff of the PLA Air Force. This marks the first time that a Pakistani top military official has flown in China's new fighter jet," reported the Chinese military in a statement. "The Chinese warplane performed acrobatic maneuvers during the flight, drawing praise from Haseeb."

News Story: ASEAN-Plus defense ministers to discuss terrorism, drug trafficking in Philippines

MANILA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and eight dialogue partners will convene in the Philippines next month to discuss fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and maritime conflicts, the Philippine defense chief said on Thursday.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ministers will also discuss ways to mitigate climate change and cushion its impact on the region.

"We are going to have some statements with ASEAN countries but we are also having dialogues with our eight other dialogue partners," Lorenzana told reporters.

He described the forthcoming high-level security meeting, dubbed the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), as "a huge conference" that is hoped to address issues that threaten peace and security of the region.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Top US General Says China Will Displace Russia as ‘Greatest Threat’ By 2025

General Joseph Dunford (Image: Wiki Commons)

The highest ranking military officer in the United States armed forces told Congress that he expected China to become “the greatest threat to our nation” by the year 2025, and pushed for an expansion in military spending to “maintain a competitive advantage” over Beijing.

General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) on Tuesday to testify on a variety of subjects related to US national security and the military as part of the confirmation process for his second term.

Among comments on areas of interest the world over, such as Afghanistan and North Korea, Dunford told the SASC that he expected China to "probably" become the US' primary adversary by 2025.

Dunford, a decorated soldier who previously served as commandant of the Marine Corps and the leader of US forces in Afghanistan, said this in response to Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) asking him if he still believed the three biggest military threats to the US were Russia, China and North Korea in that order. "If I look out to 2025, and I look at the demographics and the economic situation, I think China probably poses the greatest threat to our nation by about 2025," he said.

News Report: India Braces Itself for Influx of Refugees, Seals Its Borders With Myanmar

India fears that Rohingyas fleeing Rakhine province in Myanmar may enter its territory through the countries' mutual border, which lacks a protective fence. In response, a team led by the head of the Department of Internal Security of the Ministry of Home Affairs was sent to the region by Home Minister Rajnath Singh last week.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The Indian government is reviewing the impact of a bilateral agreement with Myanmar, which allows visa-free movement among citizens of the two countries within 16 km of the Indo-Myanmar border, in the wake of the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Sources have told Sputnik that security officials and senior officials from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs visited the border areas of four north-eastern states.

"India apprehends that Rohingya fleeing Rakhine may seek to infiltrate into our side through the unfenced border. That is why a team, led by special secretary (internal security), visited the border on the instruction of Union home minister Rajnath Singh last week," a senior Intelligence Bureau official told The Telegraph.

News Report: India Foils the Online Agenda of Islamist Cyber-Terrorists

Police in the Indian state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, have thwarted a major Daesh attempt to influence Indian youth by de-radicalizing several young people and blocking hundreds of Islamist propaganda websites.

New Delhi (Sputnik)- A police anti-terror operation in India is making headway with its renewed strategy to take on terrorist extremist groups by blocking their attempts to take advantage of cyberspace.

The Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra police has de-radicalized 70 youths, while the cyber cell of ATS has blocked more than 450 websites related to Daesh (ISIS) in the past two years.

According to Home Ministry sources, the NIA and various state ATS units have been closely monitoring the social media sites and keeping a close tab on the activities of suspects.

News Report: India Deploys Nuclear-Capable Infantry Division Near Pakistan Amid High Tensions

India has deployed an infantry division to a potential flashpoint to guard against any provocation from its neighbor Pakistan and has again warned its ‘adversary’ against aiding terrorists to cross the Line of Control.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – In the midst of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the possibility of India launching a “limited war,” India has revived its decades-old combat division comprising tanks and armored vehicles near the historically significant Akhnoor sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

The division is mandated to counter any action of Pakistani troops in the Chamb-Jaurian sector – the area where the 1971 war between the two countries broke out.

The 10th Infantry Division of the Indian Army, which is now being converted into RAPID (Reorganized Army Plains Infantry Division), will hold around 100 T-72 tanks and the same number of Russian made mechanized armored vehicles.

The RAPID formation has infantry assets to reasonably conduct significant offensive operations and is easily adaptable to nuclear, biological & chemical warfare.

News Report: Mattis Says US 'Not Quitting Fight' in Afghanistan

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis

William Gallo

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — During a visit to Kabul Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the U.S., with its new strategy for breaking the deadlock with Taliban insurgents, is not going to give up the fight in Afghanistan.

"With our new conditions-based south Asia strategy we will be better postured to support [Afghanistan] as your forces turn the tide against the terrorists,” Mattis said. “We will not abandon Afghanistan to a merciless enemy trying to kill its way to power.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who is also in Kabul, affirmed NATO's commitment as well.

“NATO doesn’t quit when the going gets tough," he said. "We keep our promises.”

President Donald Trump’s Afghanistan plan, announced last month, envisions a greater role for regional players, including India.

Kabul is second stop for Mattis on a South Asia tour that began in New Delhi.

News Story: Indian firing kills 1 Pakistani civilian: Pakistan's army

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan's army said that at least one civilian was killed and four others injured in Indian firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region on Wednesday.

"Indian troops resorted to unprovoked fire along LoC in Nikiyal Sector targeting civil population with heavy weapons including mortars and anti-tank guided missile (ATGMs)," a statement from the military said.

"Pakistan Army troops responded effectively on posts undertaking firing. Reports of casualties to Indian troops and material," the statement said.

Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire along the LoC in the disputed Kashmir region and the Working Boundary in 2003. Both, however, routinely accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Indian Army kills several militants in major operation along Myanmar border

NEW DELHI, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Indian Army Wednesday claimed to have killed several militants in a major operation along the border with Myanmar.

In a statement, the Indian Army's Eastern Command said that the operation was carried out by a dozen soldiers early this morning but also made it clear that the troops did not cross the international border.

The operation was carried out against militants belonging to NSCN-Khaplang, a terror outfit which is fighting for a separate state of Nagaland in northeastern India.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Ghani, Mattis And Stoltenberg Hold Closed Door Talks

President Ashraf Ghani held a joint press conference in Kabul on Wednesday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Defense Secretary James Mattis after holding talks behind closed doors with the two leaders.

Both Mattis and Stoltenberg made an unannounced visit to Kabul and arrived early Wednesday morning.

Speaking at the press conference, it appeared that the three leaders had discussed a wide range of issues.

Taking to the podium, Ghani called on India, Russia and other countries in the region to come together to help mobilize against the fight against terrorism.

Ghani also said Afghanistan wants an Afghan-owned peace process and called on insurgents to join the peace process.

In addition he stated government had drawn up a four-year military plan that has been approved by NATO.

In turn Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary general, said: “We count on Afghan government to make good on its commitments on key reforms and that NATO supports peace.”

He said that “with NATO’s help, Afghan forces have come a very long way and we will continue to train, advise and assist” the Afghan security forces.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

Related Story:

• Mattis, Stoltenberg in Kabul to Meet Afghan Officials

News Report: Mattis Hails ‘Historic’ Opportunity to Expand US-India Ties

William Gallo

NEW DELHI — U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis took steps to reinforce a quickly growing defense partnership with India on Tuesday, declaring the relationship has “never been stronger.”

During meetings with senior Indian officials in New Delhi, Mattis stressed that the United States and India are “natural strategic partners who share common values and interests.”

“This is, again, a historic opportunity for our two democracies, a time of strategic convergence,” Mattis said alongside his Indian counterpart, Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The U.S. sees India as a counterweight to the rising influence of China, and hopes to persuade New Delhi to become more involved in bringing stability to Afghanistan.

“We applaud India’s invaluable contributions to Afghanistan, and welcome further efforts to promote Afghanistan’s democracy, stability, and security,” Mattis said.

Pakistan, India’s longtime rival, opposes New Delhi’s expanded involvement in Afghanistan, fearing a future war with its strategic rival, (India), on two fronts.

Sitharaman on Tuesday downplayed those concerns, pointing out that most of India’s support for Afghanistan has been non-military.

“We have made it very clear that there shall not be boots from India on the ground,” Sitharaman said.

India has invested billions of dollars in Afghanistan, mostly in sectors such as health, education and infrastructure. India also recently agreed to expand its support for Afghan defense forces, which includes training of Afghan army personnel.

News Story: India rules out deploying troops in Afghanistan

NEW DELHI, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- India on Tuesday ruled out deploying troops in Afghanistan but reiterated its participation in the war-torn country's development activities.

Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made the country's stance on Afghanistan clear to her visiting U.S. counterpart James Mattis during the delegation-level talks in the national capital.

"There shall not be any (Indian) boots on the ground in Afghanistan," Sitharaman told the media after the talks with Mattis.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Indian army says militant killed on Kashmir LoC

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Indian army Tuesday claimed it has foiled an infiltration bid along Line of Control (LoC), dividing Kashmir by killing a militant.

The infiltration bid as per Indian army officials was foiled in Uri sector of frontier Baramulla district, about 90 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

According to Indian army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia, the militant was trying to infiltrate deep inside Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"An infiltration bid was foiled today in general area Zorawar sector of Uri during which a militant was killed," Kalia said. "A weapon has been recovered and operation is ongoing in the area."

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Australia, Japan and India Look to South China Sea

HMAS Adelaide and her escorts leave Sydney for Exercises

By Noel Tarrazona

Three major countries in the Asia Pacific region are expected to continue to make their naval presence felt in the South China Sea amid the Philippine’s softening sovereignty stance in the disputed waters. 

Australia, Japan and India are all making moves in the region at a time when the Philippines is softening its stance, collaborating with China in oil and gas exploration and accepting the increasing presence of Chinese vessels within its exclusive economic zone.

Tokyo has just announced that  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held an exclusive security meeting with India’s leader Narendra Modi to finalize a maritime security cooperation deal in response to the growing naval presence of China in the South China Sea.

With this development, the Indian external affairs ministry along with Japan’s counterpart  met with  U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in New York to discuss how to assert the freedom of navigation and respect for international law in the global maritime.

Earliser this year, Japan has sent a helicopter-carrying warship into the South China Sea after making a port call in Vietnam, and the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore has noted that Japan plans to continue to deploy  low-key patrols in Southeast Asia waters. Institute analyst Le Hong Hiep says that India is also looking at Vietnam as its entry point for establishing presence in the South China Sea. 

Read the full story at MarEx

News Report: Mattis Arrives in India to Discuss Troubled Arms Deals, Role in Afghanistan

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis has arrived in New Delhi to discuss arms sales and India’s involvement in Afghanistan in his first visit since Donald Trump became president of the United States.

Mattis arrived in India late Monday to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who assumed office earlier in September.

"India from our perspective is clearly a pillar of regional stability and security: we share a common vision for a peaceful and prosperous future in the Indo-Pacific region," Mattis said in an interview during his flight, according to the Gulf Times.

According to various media reports, there are two major topics on Mattis's agenda: arms sales and Afghanistan.

In general, India is in need of a sizable and diverse fleet of planes, drones and helicopters. The issue is complicated by Modi's "Make in India" policy, under which India seeks to replace off-the-shelf purchases of military tech with the establishment of joint production on Indian soil. Some experts argue New Delhi actually seeks to acquire the technology itself, something the US is reluctant to provide.

News Report: Mattis Visits South Asia Amid Afghanistan Shakeup

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis

William Gallo

NEW DELHI — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is in South Asia for the first time since the White House unveiled its new strategy for the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon chief landed Monday in India’s capital, where he will meet with senior leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mattis is hoping to deepen Washington’s quickly growing defense relationship with New Delhi. One area of cooperation could be Afghanistan, where the U.S. is in a deadlock with the Taliban after 16 years.

President Donald Trump has called on New Delhi to do more in Afghanistan – a call that has upset New Delhi’s longtime rival, Pakistan.

On his flight, Mattis praised India’s “invaluable” historic contributions to Afghanistan, and said its expanded involvement there shouldn’t be seen as a threat.

“Pakistan has come out recently again saying they are fighting the terrorists. I think Pakistan will find nothing out of line with India and the United States’ alignment in the same fight,” Mattis said.

Mattis’ trip threatens to be overshadowed by the tensions on the Korean peninsula, where North Korea has threatened to conduct an atmospheric hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean.

“This would be a shocking display of irresponsibility toward global health, toward stability, toward non-proliferation,” Mattis said.

President Trump last week threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea – escalating the standoff over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs.

News Story: 3 militants killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir gunfight

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Three militants were killed in a fierce gunfight with Indian army near Line of Control (LoC), dividing Kashmir, officials said Monday.

The gunfight according to Indian army officials broke out in forest area at Kalghe village of frontier Uri town, about 117 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Three militants were killed in a fierce gunfight with army at Kalghe of Uri," a police spokesman said. "The gunfight that started early on Sunday morning ended during the night."

The operation in the area was launched following specific information about presence of militants in the area, police said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Abbasi’s Remarks On Afghan-Indian Ties ‘Foolish’

By Massoud Ansar

A number of senators on Sunday sharply criticized Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for his remarks on Afghan-Indian relations and such his utterances were in fact an interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. 

Head of the senate Fazlulhadi Muslimyar labeled the remarks ‘foolish’ and said Pakistan politicians do not have independence and they are the loud-speakers of Pakistan’s military. 

Abbasi last week said at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York city that Islamabad did not have any problems with New Delhi’s financial support to Afghanistan, but that it would never condone India’s political or military role in Afghanistan.

“We denounce Pakistan's Prime Minister’s remarks. Along with the condemnation, I must say it is very rude and foolish,” said Muslimyar.

“Pakistan Prime Minister has no logic, he may suffer nervous or mental problems,” senator Nisar Haris said.

A number of senators said Afghanistan is an independent country and can have relations with any country in the world. 

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Drones, Fighter jets on table as Mattis visits key ally India

By Abhaya SRIVASTAVA

Fighter jets, drone deals and shared concerns over Afghanistan's security look set to dominate the agenda when US Defense Secretary James Mattis visits India this week.

Mattis is scheduled to arrive late Monday and is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his new defence minister, in the first visit by a top US official since Donald Trump became president in January.

"The United States views India as a valued and influential partner, with broad mutual interests extending well beyond South Asia," a Pentagon statement said.

Trump and Modi met in June in Washington and the visit by Mattis is a sign "the political leadership in both countries place defence cooperation as a top priority", Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Strategic Partnership Forum, told AFP.

Delhi and Washington share concerns about Afghanistan, with Trump announcing a new strategy for the war-torn country last month which cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops.

The president has urged India to increase assistance to Afghanistan's economy, and has lambasted Delhi's arch-rival Pakistan for offering safe haven to "agents of chaos".

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: Border Guards Stop Rohingyas From Entering India

Suhail Anjum

NEW DELHI — India has stepped up security along its largely porous eastern border with Bangladesh and is using pepper spray and stun grenades to block Rohingya Muslims, who are fleeing violence in their homeland of Myanmar, Indian officials said Saturday.

Border forces, citing security risks, have been authorized to prevent attempts to enter the country.

"We don't want to cause any serious injury or arrest them, but we won't tolerate Rohingya on Indian soil," said a senior official with India's Border Security Force (BSF) in New Delhi.

R.P.S. Jaswal, a deputy inspector general of the BSF, patrolling a large part of the border in the eastern state of West Bengal, said his troops were told to use both what he called "chili spray" and stun grenades to keep Rohingya out of India.

About 40,000 Rohingya refugees who passed through Bangladesh from Myanmar are already inside India. On Thursday, India Home Minister Rajnath Singh called for their deportation as illegal migrants, saying they had not applied for refugee status.

India's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the government about the plan to deport Rohingyas. The NHRC says it is assisting Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds because they were being persecuted in Myanmar.

This story first appeared on Voice of America & is reposted here with permission.