Latest news with #Pakistani-occupied
Mint
a day ago
- Climate
- Mint
Pakistan flash floods: Helicopter carrying aid crashes, over 300 dead in two days - What we know so far
A helicopter crashed during a rescue mission in monsoon-hit northern Pakistan on Friday, killing five crew on board, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said in a statement. 'An MI-17 helicopter of the provincial government, carrying relief goods for rain-affected areas of Bajaur, crashed in the Pandiyali area of Mohmand district due to bad weather,' Ali Amin Gandapur said in a statement, as reported by AFP. 'Five crew members, including two pilots, were killed.' The death toll from heavy monsoon rains that have triggered flash floods across northern Pakistan has risen to at least 321 people in the last 48 hours, disaster agencies said Saturday, AFP reported. The majority of deaths, 307, were reported in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said. The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest for the next few hours, urging people to take "precautionary measures". The provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram disaster-hit areas. Meanwhile, the provincial rescue agency told AFP that around 2,000 rescue workers were engaged in recovering bodies from the debris and carrying out relief operations in nine affected districts. "Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances," Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Rescue agency, told AFP. The monsoon season, crucial for agriculture and food security across South Asia, delivers about 75% of the region's annual rainfall, but it also brings widespread destruction, including landslides and flash floods. Five crew members, including two pilots, were killed. Typically beginning in June and tapering off by late September, this year's monsoon arrived earlier than usual and is expected to linger longer, according to Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, a representative from Pakistan's national disaster agency, AFP reported. Residents recover belongings from the remains of a damaged home after a cloudburst triggered heavy rains and flooding in Naryan Behak village on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-occupied Kashmir, August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Naseer ud Din Pakistan, considered one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, is increasingly grappling with extreme weather events driven by climate change. The 'unusual' torrential rains that have battered the country since the start of the summer monsoon have already claimed the lives of over 500 people, including 159 children. Key Takeaways The monsoon season, while vital for agriculture, can lead to severe natural disasters. Rescue operations are critically hampered by infrastructure damage and extreme weather conditions. The increasing frequency of such disasters underscores the urgent need for climate change mitigation strategies.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
15-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
‘Operation Sindoor' was not about occupation or regime change, but achieving strategic success, says John Spencer
Operation Sindoor was a limited military campaign aimed at specific objectives, not regime change or occupation, said US expert John Spencer, adding, its success lies in achieving strategic political outcomes, not in the scale of destruction read more India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, bottom right, addresses a press conference after India struck multiple sites inside Pakistani-occupied Kashmir with missiles under Operation Sindoor, in New Delhi, India, on May 7, 2025. AP File A day after he hailed 'Operation Sindoor' as 'a decisive victory in modern warfare', former US army officer John W Spencer on Thursday said that India's limited military operation was executed for achieving specific objectives and was not about occupation or regime change. Responding to critics who argue India should have gone further, he asserted that India's goal was not maximalist warfare but strategic success. Operation Sindoor was not about occupation or regime change. It was limited war executed for specific objectives. Critics who argue India should have gone further miss the point. Strategic success isn't about the scale of destruction—it's about achieving the desired political… — John Spencer (@SpencerGuard) May 14, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Operation Sindoor was not about occupation or regime change. It was limited war executed for specific objectives. Critics who argue India should have gone further miss the point. Strategic success isn't about the scale of destruction — it's about achieving the desired political effect,' Spencer posted on X. He said India's restraint cannot be seen as a weakness but it's maturity. 'It imposed costs, redefined thresholds, and retained escalation dominance. India didn't just respond to an attack. It changed the strategic equation,' added the former US officer. On Wednesday, in a lengthy post on X, Spencer termed India's 'Operation Sindoor' against Pakistan 'a decisive victory in modern warfare' and said that the country has not yet declared the operation complete. He also said the new India hits back, while the India back in 2008 absorbed attacks and waited. Spencer, who is also a researcher of urban warfare and an author, said India achieved a 'massive victory" in its operation against Pakistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'India has not declared Operation Sindoor completely over. What exists now is a sensitive halt in operations—some may call it a ceasefire, but military leaders have deliberately avoided that word. From a warfighting perspective, this is not merely a pause; it is a strategic hold following a rare and unambiguous military victory," Spencer wrote on on X. 'After just four days of calibrated military action, it is objectively conclusive: India achieved a massive victory." 'Operation Sindoor met and exceeded its strategic aims—destroying terrorist infrastructure, demonstrating military superiority, restoring deterrence, and unveiling a new national security doctrine. This was not symbolic force. It was decisive power, clearly applied," he added. Referencing the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent tourists on April 22, Spencer mentioned that the responsibility of the attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). 'India was attacked. On April 22, 2025, 26 Indian civilians, mostly Hindu tourists, were massacred in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility. As has been the case for decades, the group is backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)," Spencer wrote on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'But unlike previous attacks, this time India didn't wait. It didn't appeal for international mediation or issue a diplomatic demarche. It launched warplanes. On May 7, India initiated Operation Sindoor, a swift and precisely calibrated military campaign. The Indian Air Force struck nine terrorist infrastructure targets inside Pakistan, including headquarters and operational hubs for Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The message was clear: terror attacks launched from Pakistani soil will now be treated as acts of war," he added. Spencer also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and mentioned how he made firm that India would not tolerate any nuclear blackmail. 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the new doctrine unmistakable: 'India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail. India will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts developing under the cover of nuclear blackmail." More than a retaliation, this was the unveiling of a strategic doctrine. As Modi said, 'Terror and talks can't go together. Water and blood can't flow together."," he wrote. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, the scale of damage inflicted by Indian forces on terrorist camps and Pakistani airbases prompted a shift in coverage by major Western media outlets, many of which had initially downplayed the April 22 attack. Outlets that previously referred to the perpetrators as mere 'gunmen' or 'militants', avoiding the label of 'terrorist', were compelled to take notice after India's precision strikes delivered significant blows deep inside Pakistan — without crossing the Line of Control or the International Border. The effectiveness and restraint of the operation forced a recalibration of international narratives. After the April 22 Pahalgam attack, major Western outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post failed to play up critical details, including that the victims at Baisaran meadows were killed after being identified as Hindus. Their headlines read, 'At least 24 tourists gunned down by militants in Kashmir' and 'Gunmen launch rare attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, respectively. However, the precision and scale of Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 and paused on May 10 after Pakistan reportedly sought a ceasefire, forced a shift in tone. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The New York Times acknowledged India had a 'clear edge' in targeting Pakistani military sites. 'The four-day military clash between India and Pakistan was the most expansive fighting in half a century between the two nuclear-armed countries. As both sides used drones and missiles to test each other's air defences and hit military facilities, they claimed to inflict severe damage,' the NYT reported. The report also noted that while India's attacks were 'widespread,' the damage was more contained than publicly claimed and was largely limited to Pakistani military facilities. The New York Times further stated that strikes by both India and Pakistan were 'precisely targeted.' 'Where India appears to have had a clear edge is in its targeting of Pakistan's military facilities and airfields, as the latter stretch of fighting shifted from symbolic strikes and shows of force to attacks on each other's defence capabilities,' the report added. The Indian armed forces said that a precise strike targeted an aircraft hangar at the Bholari air base. Supporting this, The New York Times reported, 'The visuals showed clear damage to what looks like a hangar.' Among the most sensitive targets hit by India was the Nur Khan air base, located close to both the Pakistani Army's headquarters and the Prime Minister's office. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Perhaps the most sensitive military target that India struck,' the report said. The base is also situated near a key Pakistani military division responsible for overseeing the country's nuclear command. Satellite imagery revealed damage to runways and other facilities India claimed to have targeted. The New York Times cited Pakistan's May 10 notice declaring the runway at Rahim Yar Khan air base non-operational as further evidence of Indian strikes. The report also highlighted the limited visibility of Pakistani retaliatory damage. 'Satellite images of the sites Pakistan claimed to have hit are limited, and so far do not clearly show damage caused by Pakistani strikes even at bases where there was corroborating evidence of some military action,' the report said. While Pakistani officials claimed to have 'destroyed' India's Udhampur air base, the report contradicted this, saying that 'an image from May 12 does not appear to show damage.' The Washington Post reported strikes damaged 'at least six airfields,' citing satellite analysis that revealed destruction across runways, hangars, and control facilities — some as deep as 100 miles inside Pakistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Experts quoted by The Washington Post described Operation Sindoor as 'the most significant attacks of their kind in decades of simmering conflict.' It also cited King's College London's Walter Ladwig, calling the four-day assault 'the most extensive Indian air attacks on Pakistani military infrastructure since the 1971 war.' William Goodhind, a geospatial analyst, noted the strikes aimed to 'severely degrade Pakistan's offensive and defensive air capabilities.' At Nur Khan airbase near Islamabad — Pakistan's central military transport hub — The Washington Post confirmed two mobile control centers were destroyed. The base's proximity to Pakistan's nuclear command made the strike particularly significant. Airbases at Bholari and Shahbaz also suffered heavy damage. 'A large hole nearly 60 feet wide is visible in the roof of a hangar at Bholari, which experts said was consistent with a missile impact,' The Washington Post reported. Indian officials, however, said that 11 Pakistani airbases were targeted in total. With inputs from agencies
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
India launches ‘Operation Sindoor' with missile attack on Pakistan
India's armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor,' targeting alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistani-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan reported that Indian missiles struck multiple locations, including a mosque in Punjab, resulting in casualties, and claimed to have launched retaliatory strikes. The Indian government stated that the operation was focused, measured, and non-escalatory, with no Pakistani military facilities targeted. Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last month, which India blames on Pakistan-backed gunmen.
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
UK says it stands ready to support India and Pakistan to move towards dialogue and de-escalation
The UK on Wednesday (May 7, 2025) said that it stands ready to support both India and Pakistan to move towards dialogue and de-escalation, after Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on terror targets in the neighbouring country under Operation Sindoor. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds described the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as "hugely worrying" and told the BBC that his Cabinet colleague, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, had 'reached out' to both countries. 'Our message would be that we are a friend, a partner to both countries. We stand ready to support both countries,' said Mr. Reynolds. Follow the Operation Sindoor reactions LIVE "Both have a huge interest in regional stability, in dialogue, in de-escalation and anything we can do to support that, we are here and willing to do," he said. The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advisory to warn against 'military activity' under its 'Warnings and Insurance' section for India. Scotland's First Minister John Swinney took to social media soon after news of Operation Sindoor hit the headlines in the UK overnight. "I am deeply concerned by the events in Kashmir tonight and urge calm and dialogue to avoid further conflict,' he said. Among the Labour government MPs, Stella Creasy called for restraint by all concerned: 'Deeply concerning to see military air strikes in Jammu Kashmir tonight by the Indian government. "The world cannot stand by as this conflict escalates, and so too the risk of harm to innocent civilians in the region. Restraint by all concerned must be sought and secured.' Former Conservative Party Foreign Office minister Lord Tariq Ahmad warned of a real "potential for war". The missile strikes by India on Pakistan and Pakistani-occupied Kashmir is an "alarming escalation between two nuclear-armed neighbours – the potential of a war tonight is real,' Mr. Ahmad said. 'We need urgent international engagement to prevent a widening of this conflict which carries serious implications not just for the region but for the wider world,' he posted on X.
India Today
06-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Donald Trump says he knew India would retaliate, hopes it ends quickly
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reacted to reports of India's military strikes on targets inside Pakistan, describing the situation as "a shame" and urging both countries to de-escalate. "It's a shame. We just heard about it They've been fighting for a long timeThey have been fighting for many many decades.. and centuries actually. I just hope it ends very quickly," Trump told reporters, commenting on what is being referred to as Operation Sindoor. "Nobody wants to see two powerful nations going down that road,' Trump added. 'These are countries with long histories and deep tensions, but the world needs peace, not more conflict.' US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday afternoon that the recent Indian strikes against targets in Pakistan and Pakistani-occupied Kashmir were a "shame."
