Latest news with #CounterTerrorismDepartment
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Militants attack govt offices in Balochistan; 2 terrorists, teen dead
Heavily-armed militants attacked government offices and a bank in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Tuesday, killing a boy and wounding seven civilians, officials said. The militants targeted local administration offices and the bank building in Mastung district in the restive province. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. According to Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind, militants launched the armed attack and the security forces responded to it. The paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC), Counter Terrorism Department and Levies personnel cordoned off the site and surrounded the terrorists. Two terrorists were killed and three others injured in the exchange of fire between the security forces and the terrorists, Rind said on X. He also said that a 16-year-old child was killed and seven people were injured in the firing by militants. He said a full-scale operation is underway against the militants present in the area. Intelligence-based action is being taken to protect the citizens and arrest the terrorists, he said. He alleged that militants were affiliated with a proxy group linked to India. In the past, India has rejected such allegations and slammed Pakistan for attempting to blame it for attacks in the country. Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has been in the grip of low-level violence for the last two decades. Ethnic Baloch groups involved in armed struggle accuse the federal government of exploiting the mineral wealth of the region.
Arab News
a day ago
- Health
- Arab News
Teenager killed, 11 injured as militants storm southwestern Pakistani town
QUETTA: Dozens of militants armed with guns and rockets stormed the Mastung town in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, a government spokesman and health officials said on Tuesday, with a teenager killed and 11 others injured in the attack. The militants stormed a bank, tehsil and other offices, Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind said, adding that gunfire by militants killed a 16-year-old boy and injured seven others. Dr. Saeed Meerwani, medical superintendent of Mastung District Headquarters Hospital, told one body and three injured were brought to the hospital, while Arbab Awais Kasi, a spokesman for Nawab Ghous Bukhsh Raisani Hospital, said the facility treated and discharged eight injured persons. 'FC [Frontier Corps paramilitary], CTD [Counter-Terrorism Department] and Levies [paramilitary] surrounded the area and the militants retreated,' Rind said in a statement. 'Two terrorists were killed and three were injured in the exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists.' Rind said the attack was carried out by 'Fitna Al-Hindustan,' a reference to alleged Indian-backed Baloch separatist groups in the region. New Delhi denies supporting militancy in Pakistan. Balochistan has long been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatists seeking independence from the central government. The province is also home to militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban and the Daesh (Islamic State) group. 'The swift response by security forces helped prevent further loss of lives,' Rind said. 'A full-scale operation is underway against the terrorists present in the area.' He said security agencies have also started searching for the facilitators of the attackers. In recent months, the separatists have mounted their attacks against the government and security forces in Balochistan, where the military has a huge presence in and has long run intelligence-based operations against groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). In March, the BLA separatist hijacked a train with hundreds of passengers aboard near Balochistan's Bolan Pass, which resulted in the deaths of 23 soldiers, three railway employees and five passengers. At least 33 insurgents were also killed. More than 50 people, including security forces, were killed in August last year in a string of coordinated assaults in the province that were claimed by the BLA.
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Comprehensive security plan finalised for Muharram: Azma
LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has confirmed that Rangers and army personnel have been called in to support security during Muharram. 'Several sleeper cells have already been detained by security agencies, and surveillance of other threats is ongoing,' she said, while talking to media, here on Thursday. On the directives of chief minister Punjab, all necessary preparations to maintain law and order during Muharram have been completed across the province, Azma said. 'In the light of the ongoing Iran-Israel tensions, this year's Muharram holds special significance. Therefore, religious scholars from all schools of thought have been urged to promote messages of peace, tolerance and unity.' Azma Bokhari shared that over 38,000 Majalis and more than 9,000 processions are expected across Punjab. To secure these events, over 238,000 police officers and personnel will be deployed, along with 35,000 volunteers. Specialized units including Dolphin Force and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) will also remain active, she added. She maintained that a strict Code of Conduct has been issued and will be strictly enforced. Any hate content on social media will be dealt with immediately, and the cyber security force is fully mobilized in this regard. Azma Bokhari emphasised that there will be a complete ban on the use of drones for coverage or any other purposes during Muharram. Anti-drone systems will be deployed, and additional systems are being hired from other agencies. She also said that hanging electric wires are being urgently repaired and there will be no power outages during Majalis. Control rooms have been established in all major cities and are now operational. Wall chalking and hate banners will be completely banned. In 18 cities across Punjab, she said, Safe City cameras will monitor processions, and additional cameras are being installed along procession routes'. Azma Bokhari further informed media that cold water and beverage stalls will be set up for mourners as per the chief minister's directions. All Sabeels will be registered and monitored by the Food Department to ensure quality. WASA water tankers will sprinkle water on roads, and 'Clinics on Wheels' will accompany processions, she added. A detailed traffic management plan has also been prepared. District administrations will issue traffic advisories 24 hours prior to processions, and all relevant officers will assume their positions before June 29, she said. She concluded by saying that the suspension of mobile services and ban on pillion riding will be decided in due course based on the law and order situation. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
06-06-2025
- Express Tribune
CTD foils Eid terror plot, arrests three RAW-linked terrorists
Listen to article Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Friday said it foiled a major terror plot by arresting three terrorists in Faisalabad linked to India's intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Express News reported. According to a spokesperson for the CTD, the arrests were made during an intelligence-based operation conducted in Pathan Colony on Jhang Road. The terrorists were planning coordinated attacks in Lahore, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, and Pakpattan during Eidul Azha. The spokesperson said the terrorists were affiliated with the proscribed group Fitna Al-Khawarij and had crossed the border illegally on multiple occasions to meet RAW operatives in Srinagar and Rajasthan. A cache of explosives, detonators, and firearms was recovered from their possession, the CTD said. Read more: Two Indian-sponsored terrorists killed in Balochistan IBO: ISPR Initial investigations suggested that the terrorists were in contact with foreign handlers via WhatsApp, through which they shared sensitive location maps and received instructions, the spokesperson added. The CTD maintained that the terrorists had finalised plans to target key sites during the Eid holidays. A case has been registered in Faisalabad, and further investigation is under way. The spokesperson said the arrests helped avert what could have been large-scale destruction during the festive period, adding that efforts were ongoing to trace additional members of the network.
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First Post
29-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Balochistan families allege ‘fake encounters' as youths go missing, found dead
A fresh surge of alleged fake encounters by Pakistani forces in Balochistan has triggered widespread anger. Rights activists say security agencies are killing detainees and disguising the deaths as armed clashes. read more A fresh wave of suspected fake encounters in Balochistan by Pakistani forces has sparked public outrage in the country's restive province. Baloch rights activists have accused security forces of killing three people in custody and staging the incidents to appear as armed clashes. The three deceased have been identified as Abdul Rehman Buzdar, Fareed Buzdar, and Sultan Marri. Their mortal remains were later shifted to the Basic Health Unit hospital in Rakhi. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed on Monday that it had killed three militants in an operation in Barkhan district. However, families and Baloch rights groups rejected the claim, stating that the men had been missing for months and were victims of enforced disappearance. Activists alleged that 'the men were executed after being held in illegal detention.' Earlier, a spokesperson for Pakistan's CTD claimed that the men died during an exchange of fire and that weapons had been recovered from the scene. However, Pakistan has long presented such narratives, while its agencies and forces are frequently accused of committing human rights violations, including enforced disappearances. In another incident, a young man named Ghaus Bakhsh was found dead in the Kolwah tehsil of Awaran district. He had reportedly been summoned to a nearby military camp, and his body was discovered a few hours later, bearing signs of torture. Pakistan continues to suppress the Baloch insurgency and calls for independence through enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the crackdown on peaceful protests. In March 2025 alone, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan documented 151 enforced disappearances and 80 killings, highlighting a sharp escalation in violence and repression.
