SSB BLOCKS MILITANT SUPPLY LINE AT BHUTAN BORDER
Sashastra Seema Bal, a non government coalition of armed police forces operating along the India-Bhutan border in Assam, India, has intercepted supply and ration chains intended for the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) militants camped in the Bhutan foothills. Anti-insurgency operations have become more frequent since the end of 2014, and SSB officials claim their tactics have crippled extremist Bodo militants’ ability to remain in hiding. The SSB recently captured 3 militants attempting to cross the border at the Manas National Park. (Times of India - July 19, 2015)
CHINA TO PARTICIPATE IN INDIA’S FLEET REVIEW
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has accepted an invitation to India’s 2016 International Fleet Review despite India’s concerns about China's growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean compromising its security. Chinese nuclear and conventional submarines have begun regular patrols of the Indian Ocean in the last two years, and have made prominent port visits to Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the past year. (Diplomat - July 20, 2015)
INDIA-IRAN UNDERSEA GAS PIPELINE EYED
With the Iran nuclear deal pending, India is mulling the possibility of importing crude oil from Tehran via a pipeline in the Arabian Sea. Funded by South Asia Gas Enterprises Pvt Ltd (SAGE), the Middle East to India Deepwater Pipeline (MEIDP) would take two years to complete, cost an estimated $4.5 billion, and transport more than 31 million cubic meters of gas daily. The 3,450-meter pipeline would run from Chabahar, Iran and Ras Al-Jafan, Oman to Porbandar, India, bypassing Pakistan and its underwater continental shelf. (Indo-Asian News Service - July 20, 2015)
MODI TO SILICON VALLEY IN SEPTEMBER
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to visit the Bay Area in September. California is home to more than 500,000 Indian-Americans, most of which reside in the Bay Area. The last Indian prime minister to visit California was Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949. (Times of India - July 19, 2015)
DRONE DOWNED BY PAKISTAN NOT INDIAN BUT CHINESE
Earlier this week, Pakistan shot down what it originally claimed to be an Indian phantom 3 drone flying along the Line of Control in Kashmir. India denied its involvement, and upon further investigation, it was revealed that the drone was made by DJI, a Chinese technology company that sells drones on their website. The drone had no documented history of government ownership. (Economic Times - July 22, 2015)