The Hindu Morning Digest: April 27, 2025
Pahalgam terror attack: Houses of six militants razed in Kashmir; hundreds detained
At least six more houses of alleged active militants were turned into rubble through controlled blasts, while more than 100 residences of alleged militant supporters were searched, and hundreds of local people were detained in Kashmir on Saturday, against the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that left 26 civilians dead. Meanwhile, there was no let-up in skirmishes on the Line of Control (LoC) for the second day. Local people said security forces raided three villages in south Kashmir's Kulgam, Shopian, and Pulwama and directed residents to empty the localities surrounding the houses of three alleged active militants.
Massive explosion at Iran's port linked to missile fuel shipment kills 14
The explosion of unknown origin at Iran's most advanced container port has now killed 14 people and injured 750 others, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said in an update Sunday.
'Fourteen dead and 750 injured so far in the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas,' Mr. Momeni said. The death toll had previously stood at eight.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat alludes to the Ramayana in the aftermath of Pahalgam terror attack
The duty of the king is to protect people, and the king must perform his duty, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday, following the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Mr. Bhagwat criticised Pakistan for its 'evil act' .He was speaking in Delhi at the launch of a book, The Hindu Manifesto, authored by Swami Vigyananand, a senior functionary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and initiator of the World Hindu Congress.
As pressure mounts, TRF denies involvement in Pahalgam attack
As the global condemnation mounts, the Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) front The Resistance Front (TRF) on Saturday (April 26, 2025) denied its involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 civilians dead, and termed the previous online claim as a breach. 'We unequivocally deny any involvement in the Pahalgam incident. Any attribution of this act to TRF is false, hasty, and part of an orchestrated campaign to malign the Kashmiri resistance,' a TRF spokesman said, in a purported claim made on social media platforms.
MHA deadline to end today: police depts. told to ensure exit of Pakistani nationals
Police departments in various States, including Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, were asked to ensure that Pakistani nationals leave the country by Sunday, as per the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) April 24 directive. The order issued by the MHA following the Pahalgam terror strike stated that all visas, except medical, long-term and diplomatic visas, issued to Pakistani citizens will be revoked from April 27. Those with medical visas have been given until April 29 to leave. On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked all Chief Ministers to ensure that Pakistani citizens don't stay beyond the deadline.
Remote block along LoC in J&K connected by all-weather roads for the first time
Khwas, a remote block situated in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), has not experienced any terrorism-related incidents in the past year, according to a presentation made by Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Sharma on April 21. The change comes after four panchayats in the block were connected by road for the first time under the Union government's Aspirational Block Programme.
IPL 2025, KKR vs PBKS: Prabhsimran and Priyansh sizzle before the heavens open up
Heavy rains played spoilsport as the Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens here was abandoned on Saturday. Opting to bat, PBKS benefitted from openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh's brilliant half-centuries, resulting in a 72-ball 120-run partnership, to post a challenging 201 for four. KKR was seven for no loss after the first over when strong dusty winds followed by thunderstorm and heavy rains stopped play around 9:35 pm. Massive covers blew away like small clothes even as groundsmen bravely stood on the covers to prevent those from flying away.
Congress slams Madhya Pradesh DGP's order mandating 'salute' to MPs, MLAs
The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Saturday (April 26, 2025) criticised a directive issued by the State's Director General of Police (DGP), Kailash Makwana, that mandates police personnel in uniform to salute Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) at government functions and general meetings. As per media reports, the order dated April 24, which has since been reviewed by The Hindu, also instructs police officers to give 'utmost priority' to public representatives when they visit police stations, and to ensure timely resolution of their concerns.
Pakistan's Defence Minister seeks stronger ties with Bangladesh
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said he looked forward to 'deepening' engagement in various sectors with Bangladesh and said both Islamabad and Dhaka are keenly working for furthering economic, political, and cultural cooperation. Mr. Asif was speaking at a reception to celebrate the 54th National and Independence Day of Bangladesh as the chief guest on Friday, Geo News said on Saturday (April 26, 2025).
Tell him to get his mental condition checked: Union Minister Hardeep Puri slams Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's comments on Indus
Launching a scathing attack on Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari over his remarks following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday (April 26, 2025) urged him to 'get his mental condition checked.' 'Enough is enough,' Mr. Puri said, warning that India's patience has worn thin. 'Tell him to get his mental condition checked, what kind of statements he is giving... We will no longer tolerate this. Now wait for a few days,' Mr. Puri said, while speaking to news agency Asian News International.
49 killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza over 24 hours as mediators scramble to restart ceasefire
At least 49 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, according to health officials, as Arab mediators scrambled to restart a ceasefire .An airstrike in a neighbourhood in western Gaza City early Saturday (April 26, 2025) morning flattened a three-story house, killing 10 people, according to a cameraman cooperating with The Associated Press.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
25 minutes ago
- India Today
9 Baloch men forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces: Report
Pakistani security personnel have reportedly forcibly disappeared nine Baloch men from two separate regions of Balochistan, according to local media outlet The Balochistan Post (TBP). The alleged abductions have intensified concerns over the ongoing human rights crisis in the volatile to TBP, two residents of Pasni -- Yar Jan and Sher Jan, both from Babbar Shor Ward No. 1 -- were detained and taken to an unknown location. Their families have received no information about their a separate incident on Monday morning, Pakistani forces reportedly raided homes in the Dasht Balnigor district of Kech, where locals described aggressive searches and harassment of women and children. Seven young men -- identified as Naveed, Salman, Haneef, Naseer, Afraz, Kamal, and Phullain -- were also detained and similarly disappeared. The TBP report pointed that "enforced disappearances have long been a contentious problem in Balochistan," with families routinely facing "daylight abductions that occur without warrants or formal charges, leaving them with no legal recourse." Human rights organisations have repeatedly condemned the Pakistani government's handling of dissent in Balochistan. Amnesty International, in a recent statement, asserted that enforced disappearances "run contrary to Pakistan's international human rights obligations" and called for prompt investigations and the immediate release of claim that laws like the Anti-Terrorism Act and special security ordinances are often misused to arrest civilians, particularly Baloch students, political activists, and journalists. "Military courts and special tribunals frequently try Baloch activists without fair trial standards, further denying them justice," the report inputs from ANIMust Watch
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Pakistani Man Who Allegedly Plotted US Attack Extradited From Canada
Ottawa: A Pakistani man was extradited from Canada to the United States on Tuesday to face charges of plotting to carry out an attack on Jews in New York City, the Justice Department said. Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was arrested in Canada in September. According to a criminal complaint, Khan planned to travel to New York and carry out a mass shooting in support of the Islamic State (IS) at a Jewish center in Brooklyn on the October 7 anniversary of the deadly 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. "He planned to use automatic weapons to kill as many members of our Jewish community as possible, all in support of IS," US Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement. Khan allegedly revealed his plans in conversations with conspirators who were actually undercover law enforcement officers, the Justice Department said. He was taken into custody by Canadian authorities in the municipality of Ormstown some 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the US-Canada border. Khan is charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempting to commit acts of terrorism. He could face a maximum of life in prison if convicted.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
India's Strike Turns JeM's Terror Nursery Into a Ghost Campus – Even Google Gave Up
New Delhi: The so-called 'religious campus' once loudly proclaimed as Jamia Masjid Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur has quietly vanished from digital maps because the buildings behind the name no longer exist. Once a breeding ground for Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) terror ecosystem, the 18-acre complex now sits in eerie silence. Google Maps, known for trailing behind real-world events, has marked the site 'Permanently Closed', India Today reported. Even algorithms seem to acknowledge what Islamabad will not – the terror camp is gone. And it was India that erased it. This wasn't just a symbolic pin on the map. It was a direct hit. The location, barely 100 kilometers from the India-Pakistan border, was believed to be JeM's core indoctrination centre where sermons met submachine guns and theology got rewritten with bullets. Operating under the Al-Rahmat Trust, the group's charitable front, the campus doubled as a training ground, a fund collection point and a launchpad for cross-border terror. But after the gruesome Pahalgam attack in May, India launched Operation Sindoor, a precision military retaliation that went far beyond border skirmishes. Among the nine major targets hit deep inside Pakistani territory, Markaz Subhan Allah took a direct blow. Ten members of JeM founder Masood Azhar's family reportedly perished in the airstrikes – something the group reluctantly confirmed later. As for Azhar himself, his whereabouts remain a mystery. Western agencies had picked up whispers before the strike. A Reuters report dated May 9 suggested the campus had been 'emptied of students in recent days'. It seems even Pakistan's deep state realised what was coming. What they did not expect was India's resolve. Masood Azhar and his inner circle had stayed behind, either too arrogant or too convinced of their impunity. Operation Sindoor proved both assumptions fatal. What Pakistan sold to the world as a mosque was in fact a militant mini-city. Locals referred to it as the Usman-o-Ali Campus, a code name with multiple entrances and layered perimeters. Inside were combat training zones, lecture halls for radicalization and stockpiles of weapons. Since 2012, it had grown from a humble seminary into a well-oiled machine of jihadist export. But Islamabad still insists this was all 'religious education'. If so, the curriculum included grenade drills and martyrdom manifestos. Some education system. When Google Maps Tells the Truth Pakistan Won't Normally, it takes years for places to be updated on Google Maps, especially in countries with minimal transparency. But when local Pakistani users began reporting the site as closed, Google had enough data to update the status. No reopening. No disclaimer. Just 'Permanently Closed'. Think about it – a terror training camp so synonymous with jihad that even a billion-dollar tech company finally said, 'Yup, this one is done.' In addition punishing those who carried out the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, killing 26 innocent tourists, the aim of Operation Sindoor was sending out a message that you can rebrand terror as faith, you can use charities as camouflage, if your soil hosts murderers, it will be turned into a graveyard. India's latest doctrine is surgical, strategic and unapologetic. There is no 'plausible deniability' when an 18-acre complex disappears overnight. As always, Pakistan's official reaction was denial. No acknowledgment of the strike. No confirmation of deaths. Just the same old press briefings blaming 'external forces'. But the closed sign on Google and the charred remains of Markaz Subhan Allah say otherwise. While the Pakistani government blames Indian 'aggression', citizens are left to guess why one of their most prominent 'mosques' now looks like a crater. And why no one is showing up for Friday prayers anymore. One of the most dangerous terror launchpads in South Asia didn't just vanish. It was shut down mid-sentence. By force. By proof. And now, by Google.
