QUETTA: A paramilitary troop was killed and four others injured after a woman suicide bomber hit a convoy of the Frontier Corps (FC) paramilitary force in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, a local administration official said on Monday.
The attack took place in Balochistan’s Kalat district on Monday afternoon, when the FC convoy was en route to security forces’ mess from the FC Fort on N-25 Quetta-Karachi highway, according to Kalat Deputy Commissioner Bilal Shabbir.
“A female suicide bomber struck the security forces convoy killing one soldier of the paramilitary Frontier Corps on the spot and injuring four others who were shifted to hospital,” DC Shabbir told Arab News.
“The female suicide bomber was standing outside the FC fort located at the highway and detonated herself when they were moving from the fort to the security forces’ mess in Kalat.”
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion is likely to fall on the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has previously used woman fighters in its ranks to carry out suicide attacks against Pakistani security forces and Chinese nationals over the last few years.
In 2022, Shari Baloch, a woman suicide bomber linked to the BLA, carried out a suicide attack that ripped through a passenger van, killing three Chinese nationals and a Pakistani in the southern port city of Karachi, according to Pakistani authorities.
In Nov. last year, Pakistani officials arrested a woman among three suspects involved in a deadly suicide bombing, also claimed by the BLA, that killed two Chinese nationals and a Pakistani man outside the Karachi airport on Oct. 6, 2024.
The BLA is one of the most prominent separatist groups, which mainly operates in Balochistan but has targeted Chinese nationals in the neighboring Sindh province as well.
Balochistan has for years been the scene of an insurgency, where separatist groups have frequently attacked police and security forces as well as civilians and foreigners they see as “outsiders” in the resource-rich region, where China has been building a deep-sea port in Gwadar on the Arabian Sea and has made huge investments under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The separatists accuse Islamabad of exploiting the province’s natural resources. Successive Pakistani governments deny the allegations and say they have prioritized Balochistan’s development through investments in health, education and infrastructure projects.
Woman suicide bomber kills troop, injures four others in Balochistan attack
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Woman suicide bomber kills troop, injures four others in Balochistan attack
- No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Baloch Liberation Army separatist group
- The BLA has previously used woman fighters to carry out suicide attacks against Pakistani security forces and Chinese nationals in Pakistan
Pakistan says willing to work with India, global partners to counter ‘terrorism’
- Islamabad has always denied New Delhi's allegations it supports militants who launch attacks against it
- Disputed Kashmir territory has been the root cause of conflict between India and Pakistan since 1947
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said Islamabad was willing to work with New Delhi and global partners to counter "terrorism," as his country's fragile ceasefire with India continues to hold after last week's armed conflict.
India fired missiles into what it says were "terrorist" camps in Pakistan last Wednesday, stoking tensions between the two neighbors. India targeted Pakistani cities in Azad Kashmir and Punjab after weeks of tensions over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, while Islamabad denied involvement.
Pakistan said it downed five Indian fighter jets last Wednesday and conducted retaliatory strikes on Saturday. Hours later, US President Donald Trump announced both sides had agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Washington.
India accuses Pakistan of sheltering militants that launch attacks on its soil, especially in the part of the disputed Kashmir territory that New Delhi administers. Pakistan denies the allegations and urges Delhi to give Kashmiris the right to self-determination.
"I think we can work together because if they [Indian authorities] are so allergic not to work together against this [terrorism] menace, we can have two, three more partners," Dar, who also serves as Pakistan's deputy prime minister, told BBC News Hindi.
https://x.com/BBCHindi/status/1922288613078806945
Dar did not elaborate on which countries he meant when he said "partners."
"Global partners to deal with it," the minister added.
He pointed out that Pakistan had suffered from militant attacks and was a "frontline ally" in the so-called War on Terror.
"We have lost 90,000 people but then it takes two to tango," he continued. "We have to work together to eliminate the menace of terrorism."
Kashmir has been the root cause of conflicts between India and Pakistan since both countries gained independence from British rule in 1947.
India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars over Kashmir. Both countries claim the Himalayan region in full but administer only parts of it.
India accuses Pakistan of arming and funding separatist militants in Kashmir. Islamabad denies the allegations and says it only provides moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris.
Saudi crown prince hopes India-Pakistan ceasefire restores ‘calm’ between neighbors
- India and Pakistan exchanged missiles, drone attacks and artillery fire last week before agreeing to ceasefire
- Saudi Arabia was one of several countries that defused tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday hoped the recent ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan would contain escalation and “restore calm” between the two neighbors, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Pakistan has credited Saudi Arabia and several other nations for playing a constructive role in defusing its tensions with India last week after fighting erupted between the two. US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Washington had brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, calming fears of an all-out war between the nuclear-armed states.
The Saudi crown prince welcomed the ceasefire during his opening address at the GCC-USA summit in Riyadh on Wednesday, which was held in Trump’s presence.
“We welcome the ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India and hope that it will contain escalation and restore calm between the two countries,” the crown prince said as per the SPA.
The Saudi crown prince said the Kingdom aimed to work with Trump and GCC countries to de-escalate tensions in the region, end the war in Gaza and seek a “lasting and comprehensive solution” to the Palestinian cause.
“Our objective is to ensure security and peace for the peoples of the region,” he said. “We reiterate our support for all endeavors aimed at resolving crises and halting conflicts through peaceful means.”
The fragile ceasefire has temporarily halted hostilities with India and Pakistan trading blame for the conflict.
The flare-up between Pakistan and India, one of the most serious in recent years, followed a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month and escalated into missile strikes, drone attacks and cross-border fire over the past week.
India and Pakistan claim the Kashmir region in full but administer only parts of it. Both countries, bitter rivals, have fought two out of three wars over Kashmir since securing independence from British colonial India in 1947.
Pakistani official says 1.3 million Afghans repatriated since November 2023
- Pakistan launched deportation drive in November 2023 against foreigners residing illegally in country amid militancy surge
- Pakistan has hosted over 2.8 million Afghan refugees who crossed the border during 40 years of conflict in their homeland
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghan refugees in a deportation drive launched since November 2023, Parliamentary Secretary Mukhtar Ahmad Malik said on Wednesday, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
Pakistan launched a repatriation drive of foreign citizens that began in November 2023, with thousands of Afghan nationals expelled since. The government initially said it was first focusing on expelling foreigners with no legal documentation and other categories, such as Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) — a document launched in 2017 to grant temporary legal status to Afghan refugees — would be included later.
Earlier this year, the country’s interior ministry asked all “illegal foreigners” and ACC holders to leave the country before Mar. 31, warning that they would otherwise be deported from April 1. Authorities subsequently started deporting thousands of Afghan nationals from all parts of the country.
“Parliamentary Secretary Mukhtar Ahmad Malik informed the National Assembly on Wednesday that approximately 1.3 million Afghan refugees have been repatriated from Pakistan so far,” APP reported.
Responding to a question raised by lawmaker Anjum Aqeel Khan during a parliamentary session, Malik said around 3 million Afghan refugees were residing in Pakistan.
“Of these, 813,000 hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ECC) while 1.3 million possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards,” he was quoted as saying.
He emphasized that Afghan nationals who wish to enter Pakistan for medical treatment, education, or business purposes are welcome to do so provided they obtain a Pakistani visa and carry valid documentation with them.
In total, Pakistan has hosted over 2.8 million Afghan refugees who crossed the border during 40 years of conflict in their homeland.
The deportation drive was launched in November 2023 after Islamabad witnessed a surge in suicide attacks and militancy that it blamed on Afghan nationals, without providing evidence.
Local and international rights organizations have accused Pakistani authorities of harassing Afghan nationals while forcefully repatriating them. The same has been accused by the Afghan Taliban, who have called on Islamabad to allow its nationals to return to their homeland with dignity.
Islamabad denies the harassment allegations and says it is ensuring Afghan nationals are deported with dignity.
China jet maker’s market capitalization soars by over $7.6 billion after India-Pakistan conflict
- Pakistan Air Force has hailed use of Chinese J-10Cs to shoot down five Indian fighter jets, including three French Rafales
- Episode has prompted reassessment of Chinese weapons, challenging long-held perceptions of their inferiority to Western arms
ISLAMABAD: The market capitalization of China’s premier jet manufacturer, Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, surged by more than $7.6 billion (Rs2.1 trillion) following the recent India-Pakistan conflict last week, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, as global attention zeroed in on the combat performance of Chinese J-10C fighter jets.
The report comes after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) hailed the use of the J-10Cs to shoot down five Indian fighter jets, including three French Rafales, during a recent flare-up in hostilities that saw the nuclear-armed neighbors pound each other with missiles, drones and artillery for four days until the United States brokered a ceasefire.
The episode has prompted a reassessment of Chinese weapons, challenging long-held perceptions of their inferiority to Western arms.
“The jet’s maker saw its market capitalization soar by over 55 billion yuan ($7.6 billion), or more than a fourth, by the end of last week,” Bloomberg reported.
China is the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, but its customers are mostly developing nations like Pakistan that have limited funds. The latest developments could bolster Beijing’s sales pitch as major economies from Europe to Asia heed President Donald Trump’s call to ramp up defense spending, Blomberg said.
“There is a good chance the weapons systems China is able to offer will be even more appealing to potential buyers” especially in the Global South, said James Char, assistant professor of the China Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noting the J-10C was not even China’s most advanced jet.
The J-10Cs have had few battle tests and are used to patrol the Taiwan Strait and their latest reported success by Pakistan has provided some initial insight into how they might fare against US fighters such as the F-16, Bloomberg said.
Another Chinese weapon in focus after the India-Pakistan standoff is the PL-15 missile.
Parts of the air-to-air missiles were found in India after the reported shoot-downs, suggesting the weapons, deployed on Pakistan’s J-10C aircraft, proved effective in their first known combat use. With a top speed above Mach 5, the PL-15 is a rival to Western air-to-air missiles.
Pakistan says 13 armed forces personnel killed in latest India conflict
- An army personnel and air force senior technician succumbed to their injuries, says Pakistani military
- India and Pakistan engaged in four days of armed conflict last week, worst between them since 1999
KARACHI: Pakistani military media’s wing said on Wednesday 13 members of the armed forces had been killed in the latest military confrontation with India, paying tribute to their courage and “unshakeable patriotism.”
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said on Tuesday that 11 armed forces personnel had been killed in Pakistan’s latest standoff with India while 78 had been injured. Forty civilians had also been killed and 121 were injured.
India and Pakistan engaged in four days of armed conflict last week, the worst between them since 1999, pounding each other with fighter aircraft, missiles, drones and artillery fire. The conflict erupted when India fired missiles into Pakistan last Wednesday night after weeks of tensions over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, while Islamabad denied involvement.
“While defending the motherland with exemplary courage and unwavering resolve, 2 more valiant sons of the soil embraced shahadat today who were hospitalized, bringing the total number of martyred personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces to 13 while 78 have sustained injuries in the line of duty,” the ISPR said, referring to India’s attacks on the night of May 6.
The army’s Havaldar Muhammad Naveed Shaheed and Senior Technician Muhammad Ayaz of the Pakistan Air Force were the latest armed forces personnel who succumbed to their injuries, the ISPR said.
“Their noble sacrifice stands as a timeless testament to their courage, devotion to duty, and unshakeable patriotism,” it added.
After India struck multiple Pakistani cities last Wednesday with missiles, claiming it had targeted “terrorist” camps in response to the April 22 attack, Islamabad vowed to retaliate saying it had shot down five Indian fighter jets.
Things came to a head on Saturday morning when Pakistan said India had attacked three bases, and it struck back with attacks on multiple bases in India, including a missile storage site in India’s north.
Hours later, US President Donald Trump announced he had brokered a ceasefire between the two states, calming fears of an all-out war.
Both countries claimed victory as the fragile ceasefire came into force, with Pakistan saying it targeted several Indian military sites on Saturday and destroyed an S-400 missile defense system as part of its retaliatory ‘Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos’ operation, which translates to “Wall of Lead” in Arabic, in response to India attacking three air bases.
India has also released new satellite images showing serious damage to air strips and radar stations at what Indian defense officials say are multiple Pakistani military bases crippled by massive Indian airstrikes.
Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947. Both nations are nuclear-armed, raising global alarm every time an armed conflict breaks out between them.
