UAE condemns attack that killed 10 Pakistani soldiers near Iran border

Pakistani security personnel monitor a procession in Quetta, Balochistan on August 30, 2020. (AFP/File)
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Updated 29 January 2022
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UAE condemns attack that killed 10 Pakistani soldiers near Iran border

  • Soldiers were killed by militant gunfire in Kech, southwestern Balochistan province
  • Pakistan has recently seen an increase in attacks, including in urban areas

ISLAMABAD: The United Arab Emirates on Friday condemned a militant attack that killed 10 Pakistani soldiers near the Pakistan-Iran border, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

The soldiers were killed in an attack on a checkpoint in Kech, southwestern Balochistan province, the Pakistani military said in a statement on Thursday evening. The troops returned fire, killing one attacker and arrested three militants as a search for those who launched the attack was still underway.

"The UAE has strongly condemned the terrorist attack that targeted a security site in the town of Kech," WAM said. 

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation affirmed that the UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts, and its rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism that aim to destabilize security and stability and are inconsistent with humanitarian values and principles."

Pakistan has recently seen an increase in attacks, including in urban areas.

On Friday, a roadside bomb killed four policemen and wounded eight others as they were traveling in in the town of Sui in Balochistan.

A bomb blast in a crowded market in Lahore last week killed three people and injured 33 others. A day earlier, militants also targeted police personnel, killing one in the federal capital, Islamabad.


Pakistan rejects Amnesty claims of Israeli spyware use, calls reports ‘disinformation’

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Pakistan rejects Amnesty claims of Israeli spyware use, calls reports ‘disinformation’

  • FO denies any link with Israel, says Pakistan has “absolutely no cooperation” on surveillance tools
  • Islamabad accuses India of delaying clearance for relief aircraft bound for flood-hit Sri Lanka

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected an Amnesty International report alleging the use of Israeli-made invasive spyware in the country, calling the findings speculative and misleading.

Amnesty’s investigation, published Thursday under the title Intellexa Leaks, cited the case of a Pakistan-based human rights lawyer who reported receiving a suspicious WhatsApp link in 2025. According to Amnesty International’s Security Lab, the link bore signatures consistent with Predator, a spyware product developed by Israeli manufacturer c

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi dismissed the suggestion that Islamabad had deployed the tool or maintained any technological cooperation with Israel.

“These are all media speculations. These are all rumor-mongering and disinformation. There is absolutely no cooperation between Pakistan and Israel on anything, let alone a spyware or these kinds of tools. So, I would reject it quite emphatically,” he said at a weekly briefing.

Andrabi also accused India of obstructing humanitarian operations, saying New Delhi delayed flight clearance for a Pakistani relief aircraft carrying aid to flood-affected Sri Lanka.

“The special aircraft carrying Pakistan’s relief goods had to wait for 48 hours, in fact more than 48 hours, around 60 hours, while the flight clearance from India was delayed,” he said.

He added that the eventual conditional flight window was too narrow to be workable.

“The partial flight clearance which eventually was given after 48 hours was operationally impractical, time-bound just for a few hours and hence not operable, severely hindering the urgent need for the relief mission for the brotherly people of Sri Lanka,” Andrabi stated.

“Humanitarian assistance is like justice, if it is delayed, it is denied.”

Responding to India’s claim that clearance was granted within four hours, he said Pakistan has documentary proof contradicting New Delhi’s version.

On a separate question about reported delays in the arrival of a Turkish delegation aimed at mediating between Islamabad and Kabul, Andrabi said Pakistan welcomed Ankara’s initiative but was unaware of the cause of postponement.

“We stand ready to receive the Turkish delegation. That delegation has not arrived as yet. And I’m not aware of any schedule. Pakistan is ready to hold negotiations, discussions,” he said, adding that the delay may be linked to coordination with the Afghan side.