Pakistan says two army commandos killed, at least 15 injured retaking police center from militants

Security officials guard a blocked road leading to a counter-terrorism center after security forces starting to clear the compound seized earlier by Pakistani Taliban militants in Bannu, a northern district in the Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. (Photo courtesy: AP)
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Updated 20 December 2022
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Pakistan says two army commandos killed, at least 15 injured retaking police center from militants

  • Counterterrorism facility was seized two days ago by Taliban militants who overpowered guards and took hostages
  • Defense minister says Army’s Special Service Group launched the operation, all ‘terrorists’ inside compound killed

BANNU/MARDAN: Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday all militants who had seized a counterterrorism interrogation center two days ago had been eliminated in an operation to retake the facility in which two military commandos had been killed and at least 15 were wounded.

The counterterrorism department [CTD] facility was seized on Sunday by Pakistani Taliban (TTP) militants who overpowered guards, seized arms and took hostages. On Monday, a spokesperson for the provincial Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government said authorities had opened talks with militants inside the CTD center but an operation to take back the facility, located in a military cantonment, was launched early on Tuesday afternoon.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Defense Minister Asif said the operation was launched by the Pakistan Army’s Special Service Group (SSG).

“Ten to fifteen of our SSG commandos, including one officer, were injured. Besides this, there have been two martyrdoms. And all hostages have been freed,” he said. “All terrorists have been killed in this operation and today the whole compound of CTD was cleared by 230pm.”

Asif called the hostage situation an “utter failure” of the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and added: “Ultimately our armed forces had to get hostages freed, killed the militants and give sacrifices.”

Releasing its own statement, the TTP said the army had not been able to enter the compound, adding that the group would release more details later.

A statement from the army’s media wing, ISPR, said the operation “is going to be completed soon.”

Earlier, an interior ministry official for the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had confirmed to Arab News that the operation had been completed.

“Job is done,” Babar Khan Swati, an adviser at the KP home department said. “The operation has been completed and all terrorists have been eliminated,” he added, declining to share figures of those killed and wounded.

A senior military official who declined to be named said the “fight is over but the clearing operation is still ongoing.”

Video footage shared by an Arab News witness in the early afternoon showed plumes of smoke rising from the vicinity of the Bannu military cantonment. Residents reported hearing firing and loud explosions.

The government announced a “medical emergency” at hospitals in Bannu city, while schools and other educational facilities remained closed on Tuesday. Barricades were placed on all roads leading up to the military cantonment and the area was completely sealed off to the public and media. The Internet has been shut down for at least two days in the city.

Residents Arab News spoke with expressed fear over the standoff.

Noor Aslam, village secretary of the union council Mombati Barakzai, said life had come to a standstill in the city.

“Due to mobile phones, all business here has stopped,” he said. “We can’t meet anyone or speak to them.”

“We don’t know when this situation will end,” he said. “I only know that people are worried.”

“DON’T SURRENDER BEFORE THE ENEMY”

In a statement released on Monday, the TTP said detainees linked to the group had taken “several military officers and jail staff” hostage at the CTD facility. The group demanded safe passage for its members to Pakistan’s tribal regions of North and South Waziristan.

In a video statement released on Tuesday, TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud advised militants inside the CTD center not to “surrender before the enemy under any circumstances.”

“Once (you) have shown honor, sacrifice your life but don’t dishonor the fighters in front of the enemy,” he said in his message. “They [Pakistan government and military] have always deceived us in and out of the jails, [and] have broken their pledge so don’t be deceived by them.”

The TTP, which has stepped up attacks since it announced the end of an Afghan Taliban-brokered cease-fire with the government last month, has long used violence in a bid to take over Pakistan and enforce its own harsh brand of Islam.

The TTP’s siege of the CTD center on Sunday came on the same day four Pakistani police officers were killed and another four critically wounded when suspected militants attacked a police station in Lakki Marwat district in the country’s northwest.

On Monday, a suicide bombing killed at least two passersby and a soldier in the northwestern region of North Waziristan. On Tuesday, the TTP said in a statement it had attacked a police station in Wana city in South Waziristan and killed two policemen and captured weapons but police said only one officer had been wounded.

- Rehmat Mehsud contributed reporting from Peshawar.


Pakistan reports fresh polio case, taking 2024 tally to 33 

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Pakistan reports fresh polio case, taking 2024 tally to 33 

  • Pakistan reports latest polio case from southwestern Quetta district in Balochistan province 
  • Pakistan faces challenges in fight against polio, most prominent among them militancy 

KARACHI: Pakistan’s polio program said this week another case of the poliovirus has been reported from the country’s southwestern Quetta district, taking the total number of cases this year to 33. 

Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. Starting from late 2018, Pakistan saw a resurgence of cases and increased spread of polio, highlighting the fragility of gains achieved in the preceding three years.

“Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health Islamabad has confirmed the detection of wild poliovirus type-1 case from Quetta District of Balochistan,” the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme said on Monday. 

The total number of poliovirus cases this year from Balochistan has increased to 17 while the number of cases reported from Sindh are 10. The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has reported four while one case each has been reported from Punjab and Islamabad.

The polio program said that environmental samples from Quetta district and Quetta city have been consistently positive for poliovirus this year, indicating continued circulation of the virus and risk to children. It added that this year, 37 positive environmental samples and three cases have been reported from Quetta, while Quetta district has reported 65 positive environmental samples and 11 cases.

The program said implementing polio campaigns across Pakistan was a “challenge” last year. 

“Campaigns were staggered or postponed due to localized protests, boycotts and insecurity, leading to a cohort of missed children who can sustain poliovirus transmission,” the statement said. “This outbreak is indicative of the harm children suffer due to missed vaccination opportunities.”

Pakistan’s polio eradication program began in 1994 and the number of cases has declined dramatically since then but the country continues to face challenges in its fight against polio, including militancy, with polio workers targeted by attacks, particularly in the KP province.

The polio program has adapted to respond to climate disasters such as floods but continues to face disruptions. There are also gaps in supplementary immunization activities, especially in areas where the virus is still present.


Second batch of 64 Palestinian students arrive in Pakistan's capital to continue medical studies

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Second batch of 64 Palestinian students arrive in Pakistan's capital to continue medical studies

  • Islamabad says a total of 192 Palestinian students from Gaza will continue fully funded studies in Pakistani institutions
  • Second batch of Palestinian students are from the fourth and fifth year of medical and dental curriculum, says NGO

ISLAMABAD: A second batch of 64 Palestinian medical and dental students from Gaza arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday morning to continue their education in Pakistani educational institutions, a leading non-governmental organization involved in the initiative confirmed.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry announced in July that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) will provide scholarships to over 100 Palestinian students so that they can continue their studies in Pakistan as Israel’s war wreaks havoc in the Middle East. The initiative is a collaboration between Doctors of Rehman, Global Relief Trust and the leading Pakistani non-governmental organization, Al-Khidmat Foundation. 

The second batch of a total of 192 Palestinian students departed Cairo for Islamabad on Monday. The development took place hours after the first batch of 27 Palestinian students from Gaza arrived in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore. 

“Praise be to god, the second batch of 64 Palestinian students arrived at Islamabad airport this morning,” Al-Khidmat Foundation said in a statement. “The students are from fourth and fifth year of medical and dental curriculum.”

The foundation said that its delegation received the “excited” students at the airport. In pictures shared with the statement, Al-Khidmat Foundation members can be seen posing with Palestinian students and handing out roses to them.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has killed over 42,000 people in Gaza through relentless bombardment despite ceasefire calls and angry protests in several countries around the world. The Jewish state has bombed thousands of buildings, included medical institutions in the territory, as it carries out airstrikes and ground offensives in Gaza. 

There have also been widespread reports of substantial damage to educational institutions along with reports of deliberate targeting of Palestinian academics. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) and other sources have documented severe damage to Gaza’s health care facilities, including the largest hospital Al-Shifa, which has been rendered non-functional due to extensive damage in the ongoing conflict.

The WHO has also warned of the outbreak of diseases in Gaza, reporting that cases of meningitis, jaundice, impetigo, chickenpox and other upper respiratory tract infections have been recorded in the area. 


Italian aircraft carrier arrives in Pakistan on maiden voyage to boost defense cooperation

Updated 15 October 2024
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Italian aircraft carrier arrives in Pakistan on maiden voyage to boost defense cooperation

  • Three-day visit to enhance maritime collaboration between both navies, says Pakistan Navy
  • Pakistan Navy regularly conducts defense agreements, training and joint exercises with counterparts

ISLAMABAD: The Italian Navy’s Carrier Strike Group comprising an aircraft carrier and a frigate arrived in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi this week, the navy confirmed, for a three-day visit to enhance regional maritime security and defense cooperation between the two countries. 

The visiting Italian fleet comprises aircraft carrier Cavour and the Alpino frigate, which arrived in Karachi on Monday. The group was welcomed by Pakistan Navy’s senior officials and Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Marilina Armellin upon their arrival.

The visit marks the first ever by an Italian aircraft carrier to Pakistan. 

“The Italian Navy Carrier Strike Group comprising Aircraft Carrier Cavour and frigate Alpino arrived in Karachi on a three-day visit followed by a bilateral exercise,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement on Monday. 

A delegation led by Armellin and Rear Admiral Stefano Barbieri called on Pakistan Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Abdul Munib to discuss “matters of mutual interest including interoperability and avenues for future collaboration,” the Pakistan Navy said. 

Karachi Commander Vice Admiral Muhammad Faisal Abbasi also visited Cavour where he was briefed about the aircraft carrier’s capabilities by Italian Commanding Officer Captain Francesco Fagnani. 

During the media brief, the Italian officials “endorsed the role of Pakistan Navy in regional maritime security and highlighted the importance of interoperability between the two navies,” Pakistan Navy said. 

The Italian defense industries’ capabilities were also showcased in a Defense Industries Exhibition held aboard the warship Alpino. 

In September, Italian Navy ship Morosini visited Karachi to conduct a bilateral exercise with the Pakistan Navy to bolster interoperability between the two forces. 


Babar-less Pakistan head into second England Test with spin-laden lineup

Updated 15 October 2024
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Babar-less Pakistan head into second England Test with spin-laden lineup

  • Pakistan head into second Test in Multan against England without star batter Babar Azam and pacers Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi
  • Pakistan playing XI includes three specialist spinners in Zahid Mehmood, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, with Aamer Jamal only pace option

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan captain Shan Masood will depend on three spinners to run circles around England on Tuesday as he takes on Ben Stokes’ side without the likes of stellar batsman and former captain Babar Azam, and pacers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi. 

In a shocking development announced earlier this week, Pakistan dropped Azam, Shah and Afridi after a string of lackluster performances by the trio. Azam has not scored a fifty in his last 18 Test innings and managed just 30 and five in the first Test which England won on Friday after piling up 823-7 declared. Pakistan’s defeat was the latest in a string of humiliating Test losses at home, with the South Asian country becoming the first nation to suffer an innings defeat after scoring more than 500 runs in its first innings. 

“We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players regain their fitness, confidence and composure, ensuring they return in top shape for future challenges,” Aqib Javed, the newly inducted member of the selection committee, said in a statement earlier this week. 

“They remain some of our finest talents with much more to contribute to Pakistan cricket. We are fully committed to supporting them during this period so they can come back even stronger.”

Pakistan announced their playing XI on Monday, with Aamer Jamal their only fast bowling option in the squad. The selection committee has named spinners Sajid Khan, Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood in the playing XI, marking a huge shift in Pakistan’s tactics that have mostly relied on fast bowlers. Haseebullah Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, Khan and batter Kamran Ghulam were the other names included in the 16-man squad for the second and third Test matches. 

Masood will be under added pressure as Pakistan remain winless in the last 11 Test matches at home. Since captaining the Test side for the first time ever in January this year, Pakistan have lost six Test matches on the trot. The South Asian country suffered a 2-0 humiliating Test series whitewash against Bangladesh at home last month. 

Squad:

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.


Family members on trial for murder of British-Pakistani girl

Updated 15 October 2024
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Family members on trial for murder of British-Pakistani girl

  • 10-year-old Sara Sharif was found dead in bed at family home in Woking on Aug. 10, 2023
  • Day before body was found, Sara’s father, step-mother and uncle left UK for Pakistan

LONDON: The body of a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl whose death sparked an international manhunt was found with burn marks believed to have been made by an iron, a prosecutor told a London court on Monday.

Sara Sharif was found dead in bed at her family home in Woking, southern England, on August 10, 2023.

The discovery triggered a manhunt in which Interpol and Britain’s foreign ministry coordinated with authorities in Pakistan.

The day before Sara’s body was found, her father, 42-year-old taxi driver Urfan Sharif, step-mother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle Faisal Malik, 29, left the UK for Pakistan with Sharif’s five other children.

All three adults are on trial for her murder.

A post-mortem examination found “signs of traumatic head injury,” apparent scald burns on the inside of her ankles and bite marks — five to her left lower arm and one to her inner thigh — that were “probably human.”

Sara’s stepmother Batool has refused to provide a dental impression for comparison with the bite marks, the prosecutor said.

Other injuries included to Sara’s ribs, shoulder blades, fingers and 11 separate fractures to the spine, he added.

The jury was played a recording of a “calm” phone call on the evening of August 8, 2023, in which Batool asks about booking flights to Islamabad.

Sara’s body was found in the family’s empty house after an emergency call, apparently from Pakistan, alerting officers was made by a man identifying himself as the father.

A note from her father found next to her body appeared to contain a confession, the prosecutor told jurors.

“Love you Sara,” said the note, which was shown to the jury.

A second page added: “Whoever see this note its me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating.

“I am running away because I am scared but I promise that I will hand over myself and take punishment.”

Another page read: “I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her but I lost it.”

A handwriting expert who analyzed the note concluded it was written by Urfan Sharif.

The three defendants — arrested in September last year after disembarking from a flight from Dubai — all deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.