PESHAWAR: Seven Pakistani soldiers, including two army officers, were killed in a militant attack in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, the Pakistani military said.
A group of militants attacked a security forces’ post in Mir Ali area of the restive North Waziristan district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
The militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the post that led to the collapse of part of the security post building, killing five soldiers.
Pakistani troops effectively engaged the attackers and killed all of them in an ensuing clearance operation.
“However, during intense exchange of fire, leading his troops from the front, Lt. Col. Syed Kashif Ali (age: 39 years, resident of Karachi) and Captain Muhammad Ahmed Badar (age: 23 years, resident of District Talagang), having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom,” the ISPR said in a statement.
The military said a sanitization operation was being conducted to neutralize any threats present in the vicinity.
Pakistan’s northwestern and southwestern regions that border Afghanistan have witnessed a surge in militancy in recent years, particularly after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a conglomerate of armed factions, called off a fragile ceasefire with the government in November 2022.
Last week, Pakistani forces killed 10 militants and injured three more in two separate operations in North Waziristan.
Pakistan says militants having sanctuaries in Afghanistan have been involved in attacks inside its territory. Kabul denies the use of its land by any militant group.
Army officers among seven soldiers killed in northwest Pakistan attack — military
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Army officers among seven soldiers killed in northwest Pakistan attack — military
- Militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security post in North Waziristan, followed by gunfight
- Pakistani troops effectively engaged and killed all attackers in an ensuing clearance operation, military says
Death toll in Pakistan shopping plaza fire rises to 67, officials say
- Rescue teams still searching for damaged Gul Plaza in Karachi where blaze erupted on Saturday, says police surgeon
- Karachi has a long history of deadly fires, often linked to poor safety standards, weak regulatory enforcement
KARACHI: The death toll from a devastating fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi jumped to 67 on Thursday after police and a hospital official confirmed that the remains of dozens more people had been found.
Police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said rescue teams were still searching the severely damaged Gul Plaza in the Karachi, where the blaze erupted on Saturday.
Most remains were discovered in fragments, making identification extremely difficult, but the deaths of 67 people have been confirmed, she said. Asad Raza, a senior police official in Karachi, also confirmed the death toll. Authorities previously had confirmed 34 deaths.
Family members of the missing have stayed near the destroyed plaza and hospital, even after providing their DNA for testing. Some have tried to enter the building forcibly, criticizing the rescue efforts as too slow.
“They are not conducting the search properly,” said Khair-un-Nisa, pointing toward the rescuers. She stood outside the building in tears, explaining that a relative who had left to go shopping has been missing since the blaze.
Another woman, Saadia Saeed, said her brother has been trapped inside the building since Saturday night, and she does not know what has happened to him.
“I am ready to go inside the plaza to look for him, but police are not allowing me,” she said.
There was no immediate comment from authorities about accusations they have been too slow.
Many relatives of the missing claim more lives could have been saved if the government had acted more swiftly. Authorities have deployed police around the plaza to prevent relatives from entering the unstable structure, while rescuers continue their careful search.
Investigators say the blaze erupted at a time when most shop owners were either closing for the day or had already left. Since then, the Sindh provincial government has said around 70 people were missing after the flames spread rapidly, fueled by goods such as cosmetics, clothing, and plastic items.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though police have indicated that a short circuit may have triggered the blaze.
Karachi has a long history of deadly fires, often linked to poor safety standards, weak regulatory enforcement, and illegal construction.
In November 2023, a shopping mall fire killed 10 people and injured 22. One of Pakistan’s deadliest industrial disasters occurred in 2012, when a garment factory fire killed at least 260 people.
