Islamabad, July 20 (IANS) Nine terrorists were killed and eight others arrested during a joint operation in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province over the last four days, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said on Sunday.
The ISPR said in a statement that the intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces along with the paramilitary force and the counter-terrorism department of police in Malakand district of the province.During the operation, security forces surrounded and effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after multiple intense fire exchanges, nine terrorists were killed, while eight others were apprehended, said the ISPR statement.Earlier today, four terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province, the military said.The security forces conducted the operation in Kalat district of the province on the reported presence of terrorists, the ISPR, the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said in a statement.According to the ISPR, a huge cache of weapons and ammunition was also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces in the area, Xinhua news agency reported.Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate the presence of other terrorists from the area, it added.The military said the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.In a similar incident on June 16, five terrorists were killed during operations in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said.The security forces conducted two separate operations in Peshawar and North Waziristan districts of the province on the reported presence of terrorists, the ISPR, the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said in a statement.During an intelligence-based operation in Peshawar district, four terrorists were killed after an intense exchange of fire between terrorists and security forces, said the ISPR statement.Another intelligence-based operation was conducted in North Waziristan, and in ensuing fire exchange, one more terrorist was neutralised by the security forces, it added.–IANSint/bpd/dan

Bamako, July 20 (IANS) The Malian army announced on Sunday that at least 70 terrorists were killed during operations earlier this week in northern and central Mali.
According to a statement from the army, the first operation took place on July 15 in coordination with air forces from the Alliance of Sahel States, resulting in the elimination of around 40 terrorists in the Anderamboukan area in the north.The second operation, conducted two days later, led to the destruction of a terrorist logistics and training base in the Niono area in central Mali, and the death of about 30 terrorists, the statement added, Xinhua news agency reported.Mali has been facing a multifaceted crisis since 2012, marked by separatist rebellions, jihadist incursions and intercommunal violence that have claimed thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands.Earlier this month, more than 80 terrorists were killed in attacks targeting several localities in central and western Mali.In the early hours of July 1, armed terrorist groups launched coordinated strikes on Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) positions in the western region, including the towns of Kayes, Nioro, Sandare, Gogui and Diboli, said FAMaTV, the military’s television channel, citing the Armed Forces’ Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIRPA).”The enemies of peace first attacked civilians and several positions of the defence and security forces. We were confronted with simultaneous and coordinated attacks backed by sponsors whose presence was confirmed during today’s operations,” said Souleymane Dembele, head of DIRPA.”The enemy suffered heavy losses wherever it attempted to strike the FDS. The provisional toll indicates that more than 80 terrorists were killed, and a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, motorcycles, and vehicles was recovered,” he said.The attacks occurred just days after the killing of several local militant leaders and the surrender of around 10 fighters from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara in the northern part of the country.–IANSint/bpd/dan

Guangzhou, July 20 (IANS) Typhoon Wipha, the sixth typhoon of the year, made a second landfall near Hailing Island in Yangjiang, south China’s Guangdong Province, on Sunday as a strong tropical storm, with a maximum wind speed near its centre of 25 meters per second, the provincial meteorological observatory said.

It is expected to move west-southwestward at about 20 kilometres per hour while gradually weakening in intensity.Earlier on Sunday at around 5:50 pm, Wipha first landed near Haiyan Town of Jiangmen City in Guangdong, with a 33-meters-per-second maximum wind speed near its centre.Yesterday, South China’s Hainan and Guangdong provinces were plunged into high alert as Typhoon Wipha entered the South China Sea, bringing strong gales and heavy rains to the two provinces.Hainan activated a Level IV emergency response, while Guangdong upgraded its emergency response from Level IV to Level II at 11 am.According to the Hainan Meteorological Service, Typhoon Wipha intensified from a tropical storm to a strong tropical storm in the early hours of Saturday. At 8 am, its centre was located in the northeastern part of the South China Sea, approximately 930 kilometres east of Wenchang City of Hainan.The Hainan Meteorological Service estimated yesterday that Wipha was advancing northwest at a speed of approximately 20 kilometres per hour while gaining strength. It was approaching the coastal areas stretching from Shenzhen in Guangdong to Wenchang in Hainan, and was likely to make landfall in these areas between Sunday afternoon and nighttime, Xinhua news agency reportedDue to its impact, from Saturday to July 22, most sea areas and land regions in Hainan will experience rainstorms and strong winds. Additionally, the Qiongzhou Strait between Guangdong and Hainan may face prolonged suspensions of shipping operations from Sunday until July 22.Additionally, Guangdong has maintained specialised rescue vessels and helicopters, along with high-power tugboats and cleanup vessels on standby.China has a four-tier emergency response system for typhoons, with Level I being the most severe.–IANS/bdp/dan

Seoul, July 20 (IANS) Seventeen people have been killed and 11 have gone missing in the heavy rains and landslides that began across South Korea four days ago, the government said Sunday. The data from the interior ministry and the National Fire Agency, as of 6 pm Sunday, also showed that a large portion of the toll — 10 dead and four missing — occurred in the southern county of Sancheong.The other deaths occurred in Osan and Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province; Seosan, South Chungcheong Province; Dangjin, South Chungcheong; and the southwestern city of Gwangju.Firefighting officials said rescue work was still underway in Sancheong, which could lead to a change in the toll.Torrential rains have slammed the nation since Wednesday, with Sancheong receiving an accumulated 793.5 millimetres of rain as of 5 p.m. Sunday. The adjacent county of Hapcheon has received 699 mm, while the nearby county of Hadong has received 621.5 mm.On a daily basis, Gapyeong, 55 kilometres northeast of Seoul, received an accumulated 197.5 mm of rain, the most for Sunday.Authorities have registered 1,999 cases of flooded roads, soil loss and destroyed public facilities, and 2,238 other cases of damage to private property, such as buildings and farmland.A total of 13,492 people have taken shelter across 15 major cities and provinces. A total of 62 flights were cancelled.Authorities expected showers to fall late Sunday in some areas of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang provinces but lifted the highest stage of its emergency response system as of 6 pm.Earlier in the day, the South Korean President, Lee Jae Myung, instructed the government to find ways to swiftly designate areas hit hard by recent heavy rains as special disaster zones, according to his spokesperson.Special disaster zones are entitled to government support for damage recovery and victims’ relief.–IANSint/bpd/dan

Kabul, July 20 (IANS) Afghan security forces have dismantled two drug processing labs and discovered more than 580 kg of illicit drugs in western Afghanistan’s Farah province, the office of the Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter-Narcotics said in a statement on Sunday.According to the statement, counter-narcotic police launched separate operations on the outskirts of the Bakwa district, where they destroyed two drug labs and confiscated 589 kg of illicit substances. Nine suspected drug smugglers were detained.The Afghan interim government has stepped up its crackdown on illicit drugs and those involved in the business.In a similar case, on July 8, the Afghanistan Police thwarted attempts to smuggle 43 kg of illegal opium type drugs and arrested two individuals on charges of involvement in the drug business in eastern Wardak province.The alleged drug traffickers were attempting to take the contraband, which was smuggled from the northern Balkh, onward to the western Farah province. They were intercepted by police in Wardak’s provincial capital, Maidan Shar and drugs confiscated.Both the arrested men, after necessary investigation, would be handed over to the judiciary for further interrogation, the official further said.Further, police also launched operations to destroy hashish farms in northern Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province.The campaign formally began from Wardoj and Darayem districts, adding that the drive would last until the province became free of all illegal crops, including hashish and poppy, reported Xinhua news agency.In line with the directives of the leadership of the Afghan interim government, police would do their best to strictly check the cultivation of illegal crops, including poppy and hashish, the processing of drugs and drug trafficking.During search operations, police found 1500 kg of opium poppy from inside a tanker of liquid gas on July 5 and arrested a drug smuggler who was attempting to take the contraband out of Takhar province, the official said.Police also discovered 7.5 tonnes of illicit drugs, including opium poppy and heroin, in the province.On July 5, in a similar operation, the police discovered an illegal drug of opium poppy type in northern Afghanistan’s Baghlan province and arrested four suspects.Personnel of counter-narcotics police in two separate operations, which were launched in the provincial capital, Pul-e-Khumri and Julga districts a couple of days ago, found 61 kg of opium poppy.–IANSint/bpd/dan

Islamabad, July 20 (IANS) People staging a sit-in protest, blocking a road, after the forcible disappearance of Baloch people, including several detained Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, reached the fifth day of their protests on Sunday, in front of the Islamabad Press Club.

Taking to X, the BYC wrote, “Today marks the fifth day of the ongoing sit-in by families of forcibly disappeared persons and detained BYC leaders in Islamabad.”“Despite enduring days of rain, scorching heat, and road blockades, these families, including women, the elderly, and children, have remained steadfast in their protest,” they added.Posting an update on their social media handle, the BYC mentioned that on day five, Islamabad police were actively preventing the families from continuing their sit-in in front of the Islamabad Press Club.“This comes after a series of repressive tactics: Roads sealed to restrict access to the protest site. No tents are allowed, despite extreme weather. Elderly women and children fainting under the heat and arrival of a police bus, raising fears of forced deportation back to Balochistan,” the BYC wrote.It further added that “This is not only a denial of the right to peaceful assembly, but a clear attempt to suppress and erase the voices of those demanding justice.”The BYC expressed the need for human rights defenders, journalists, civil society, and ‘concerned’ citizens to stand in solidarity and amplify their call for justice.“These families have come from far and are only asking for what is owed to them: freedom for the detained, and accountability for the disappeared,” said the BYC on XJuly 19 marked the fourth consecutive day of the sit-in protest. Since the beginning of the camp, the protestors – including women, children, and elderly family members – have been denied the right to set up the camp, the BYC mentioned.Nadia Baloch, sister of detained BYC Central Organiser Mahrang Baloch, asserted that in this very city, “violent actors are welcomed and even rewarded with cash by army officers”, but Baloch elders are humiliated for simply demanding justice.Another Baloch activist, Sahiba Baloch, called on all conscientious citizens, members of the media, and human rights defenders in Islamabad to stand in solidarity and not leave the families alone and urged support for their peaceful struggle for justice.Slamming the Pakistani authorities, the BYC stated that the ongoing restriction on the right to peaceful assembly, combined with the targeting of BYC leadership through illegal detentions, reflects a deliberate and systematic attempt to silence Baloch voices.The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also expressed concerns over the treatment being meted out to “peaceful protesters” by the Islamabad police.–IANSint/bpd/dan

Islamabad, July 20 (IANS) At least 10 people were killed and over 60 others injured in two separate road accidents in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Sunday, said police officials.

One of the accidents occurred in Thatta district, where a bus carrying picnickers overturned due to over-speeding, resulting in six deaths and over 20 injuries, police sources from the district told Xinhua.Separately, a passenger bus travelling from the southern port city of Karachi to the northwest Mansehra district overturned on the National Highway in Khairpur district, killing four people and wounding 40 others, including women and children, Xinhua news agency reported.Earlier this month, at least six people were reportedly killed and 18 others were injured when a passenger bus collided with a trailer in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province.The accident took place around 7:00 am local time (0200 GMT) in the Muzaffargarh district, when a Muzaffargarh-bound bus hit the trailer.According to rescue officials, the deceased included two men, two women, and two children.The injured, including eight seriously wounded people, were shifted to the neighbouring Multan district for advanced medical care, while 10 were admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Muzaffargarh.Rescue 1122 teams arrived promptly at the scene and carried out relief operations.In a similar case in April, 13 people were killed and 20 others injured in another road accident in the southern Sindh province. The incident occurred in the Jamshoro district, where a passenger van carrying more than 30 people veered off the road and plunged into a ravine. The passengers were reportedly returning home after working in wheat fields, as the harvest season was currently in full swing across the region.The killed included four children, and there were many women and children among the injured passengers, the police said.Road accidents are frequent in Pakistan, often due to poor infrastructure, negligence, and a lack of enforcement of traffic regulations.–IANSint/bpd/dan

Kigali, July 20 (IANS) Rwanda on Sunday welcomed the signing of a declaration of principles between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group in Doha, Qatar, aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DRC.Following months of negotiations mediated by Qatar, the declaration outlines a framework of core principles agreed upon by both parties and sets the stage for continued dialogue towards a comprehensive peace agreement.”The declaration in Doha is a significant step forward toward the peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern DRC, by addressing the root causes of the conflict and restoring security and stability in our region,” said a statement from Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.Rwanda praised Qatar’s mediation efforts, noting that they build on the work of the African Union and other regional initiatives. The country also reaffirmed its commitment to contributing to sustainable peace and economic development in the Great Lakes region, Xinhua news agency reported.”We all have to support the continuation of progress to the conclusion,” the statement added.The signing follows a peace agreement reached between Rwanda and the DRC last month in Washington, which calls for a cessation of hostilities between the two neighbouring countries.The DRC has long accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, an allegation Kigali strongly denies. In turn, Rwanda accuses the Congolese army of collaborating with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, which is linked to the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide.The Eastern DRC has endured decades of instability and conflict. Violence intensified in late 2021 with the resurgence of the M23, which has since seized significant territory in the region, including the key provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year.–IANSint/bpd/dan

Male, July 20 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate several developmental projects during his two-day visit to the Maldives starting from July 25.

“President Muizzu and Prime Minister Modi will hold high-level discussions on key bilateral and regional issues. The meeting will be followed by the inauguration of several joint projects and the exchange of several MoUs aimed at deepening cooperation across various sectors of mutual interest,” said a press statement by the Maldives President’s Office on Sunday.The state visit will mark PM Modi’s first visit to the Maldives since he assumed his third term.India and the Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links steeped in antiquity.The relations have been close, cordial and multi-dimensional.India was among the first to recognise the Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country.India’s relationship with the Maldives is free of any politically contentious issues.The one-time claim of the Maldives to Minicoy Island was resolved by the Maritime Boundary Treaty of 1976 between the two countries; the Maldives recognised Minicoy as an integral part of India.India’s prompt assistance during the 1988 coup attempt led to the development of trust and long-term and friendly bilateral relations with the Maldives. The immediate withdrawal of the Indian troops when they were no longer required assuaged fears of any Indian dominance or territorial aspirations.India was the first to assist the Maldives during the 2004 Tsunami, as well as the water crisis in Male in December 2014. These three incidents have established the advantages of India’s proximity and capacity to come to the Maldives’ rescue in distress vis-a-vis any other country and are widely acknowledged by the Government and people of the Maldives.Further, this visit by the Indian Prime Minister carries profound significance as it coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Maldives’ independence, along with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and India, according to the official press release.–IANSint/bpd/dan

Vladivostok, July 20 (IANS) A series of powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Sunday, with the strongest reaching a magnitude of 7.6, the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences announced on its Telegram channel.Emergency authorities said specialists will soon begin inspecting buildings in the affected areas. So far, there have been no immediate reports of casualties or major structural damage.The quake was registered 115 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the capital city of Kamchatka Territory. Seismologists said data is still being processed and may be updated.The tremor, which reportedly lasted for about one minute, prompted residents to flee buildings, the TASS news agency reported.Earlier in the day, two other earthquakes, one measuring magnitude 5.3 and another 6.5, were recorded in the same area.Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations has issued a tsunami warning, urging residents to move away from coastal areas. Although the expected wave height is considered low, authorities stressed the necessity to keep a safe distance, Xinhua news agency reported.Authorities strongly warn the public against approaching the shore to observe the tsunami, citing safety concerns. No evacuation is being carried out in the settlements of the Kamchatka Territory.On February 15, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s southern region of Altai early morning, said local authorities, adding that there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.The quake was recorded at 04:48 am local time (0148 GMT). The epicentre was located approximately 282 km southeast of the capital of the Altai Republic, about 28 km west of the village of Kosh-Agach, according to the Russian Academy of Sciences.The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Altai Republic noted that the quake was felt throughout the Altai Republic.–IANSint/bpd/dan