Latest news with #PakistaniTaliban
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pakistani security forces kill three militants linked to 2024 attack on Chinese in Karachi
'Pakistani security forces in an overnight raid killed three suspected militants accused of orchestrating last year's attack in which two Chinese nationals working in a textile mill in the southern port city of Karachi were wounded,' officials said on Monday (July 28, 2025.) Azad Khan, a senior official with the Counter-Terrorism Department, said the dead insurgents included the alleged mastermind of the November 2024 attack. At least seven dead, eight injured in building collapse in Pakistan's Karachi He identified that person only as Zafran and said he was from the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are allies of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. China has repeatedly pressed Pakistan to improve security for its nationals working on major infrastructure projects under Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which include roads, railways and power plants. A Pakistani separatist group claims bombing that killed 2 Chinese near Karachi airport Chinese nationals have increasingly come under attack by militant groups, including TTP and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army — banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States. Pakistan has pledged to bolster security measures for Chinese workers, including those employed at private factories. 'Meanwhile, at least seven people were killed the previous day in Tirah Valley, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province,' Fiaz Khan, a local government official, said. He said the violence erupted when hundreds of residents gathered outside a military camp to demand protection and justice after a child was killed in a mortar attack on the weekend. 'The crowd came under gunfire from 'unknown gunmen,' Mr. Khan said. He said the demonstrators accused security forces of opening fire when some people were throwing stones at the military camp, but police had yet to determine whose bullets caused the deaths. Mr. Khan said gunfire was also reported from nearby hills and police suspect TTP may have been behind the shooting to sow discord between residents and the military. 'The government has ordered a probe into the killings of demonstrators,' he said.
2 days ago
- Politics
Pakistani security forces kill 3 militants linked to 2024 attack on Chinese in Karachi
KARACHI, Pakistan -- Pakistani security forces in an overnight raid killed three suspected militants accused of orchestrating last year's attack in which two Chinese nationals working in a textile mill in the southern port city of Karachi were wounded, officials said on Monday. Azad Khan, a senior official with the Counter-Terrorism Department, said the dead insurgents included the alleged mastermind of the November 2024 attack. He identified that person only as Zafran and said he was from the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are allies of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. China has repeatedly pressed Pakistan to improve security for its nationals working on major infrastructure projects under Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which include roads, railways and power plants. Chinese nationals have increasingly come under attack by militant groups, including TTP and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army — banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States. Pakistan has pledged to bolster security measures for Chinese workers, including those employed at private factories. Meanwhile, at least seven people were killed the previous day in Tirah Valley, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Fiaz Khan, a local government official, said. He said the violence erupted when hundreds of residents gathered outside a military camp to demand protection and justice after a child was killed in a mortar attack on the weekend. The crowd came under gunfire from 'unknown gunmen,' Khan said. He said the demonstrators accused security forces of opening fire when some people were throwing stones at the military camp, but police had yet to determine whose bullets caused the deaths. Khan said gunfire was also reported from nearby hills, and police suspect TTP may have been behind the shooting to sow discord between residents and the military. The government has ordered a probe into the killings of demonstrators, he said. ___
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Pakistan urges global social media platforms to block accounts run by banned militant groups
Gulf Today Report / AP Pakistan urged global social media companies to take action to block hundreds of accounts allegedly run by outlawed militant groups that Islamabad claims spread propaganda and glorify insurgents in the South Asian country. According to Pakistan's Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army — banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States — have been using X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram to promote violence in Pakistan. Chaudhry, who spoke to reporters at a news conference, urged the tech companies to remove or disable these accounts, as well as those run by supporters of the militant groups. Chaudhry said the identified accounts were being operated under anonymous names and unverified IDs. He noted that all the accounts belonged to terrorist groups and said that Pakistan was unaware of their exact origins. The government, he said, was seeking information from platform operators to help dismantle these online networks, adding that Pakistan remained a wall between terrorism and the world. Chaudhry further stated that many proscribed organisations under the UN, US, UK, and Pakistani sanctions were freely using these platforms. Referring to the National Action Plan, he said one of its core points was to act against individuals or entities spreading terrorist propaganda via media and social media. He noted that hardcore terrorist groups were operating online under the guise of free speech and urged the complete blocking and removal of their accounts. He outlined three specific demands to social media platforms: first, to block and remove these accounts; second, to implement AI-based measures to prevent the rapid creation of mirror accounts, which often reappear minutes after being removed; and third, to share account holder information, noting that such individuals were effectively part and parcel of terrorist activity. He called for cooperation from all social media operators on these fronts. Addressing the presser, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik echoed these concerns, stating that many of the groups involved were not only banned in Pakistan but also designated as terrorist organisations by the United Nations. He said these groups posed a threat not only to Pakistan but also to global peace and stability. Malik stressed that Pakistan had suffered immensely due to terrorism —not only through loss of life, but also economic and social costs. He said the country had been at the forefront of the global war on terror for over two decades, enduring the loss of more than 90,000 lives. He added that this ongoing threat had now taken root across a wide range of platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram. It was important, he said, to explicitly name these applications, given their central role in terrorist communication and propaganda. He added that Pakistan would welcome the establishment of social media company offices within the country to improve coordination and enforcement. The ministers noted that terrorist organisations had increasingly turned to encrypted messaging services for communication and recruitment. They urged tech firms to implement robust systems for identifying, disabling, and reporting such accounts in line with global counterterrorism efforts. Malik added that Pakistan was continuing to track additional accounts linked to terror outfits and stressed the need for platforms to assist by blocking and reporting all such activity. There was no immediate response from any of the social media platforms to Pakistan's request. The plea comes amid a surge in violence across Pakistan, much of it blamed on the two militant groups, as well as Daesh group. The Pakistani Taliban are allies but a separate militant group from the Afghan Taliban. However, the Taliban takeover of neighboring Afghanistan in 2021 has emboldened the TTP. Militant groups also heavily rely on social media platforms to claim responsibility for attacks against security forces and civilians in Pakistan.
The Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Pakistan urges global social media platforms to block accounts run by banned militant groups
FILE PHOTO: Taliban fighters patrol near the closed Torkham border with Pakistan in March, 2025. - AP ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday (July 25) urged global social media companies to take action to block hundreds of accounts allegedly run by outlawed militant groups that Islamabad claims spread propaganda and glorify insurgents in the South Asian country. According to Pakistan's Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army - banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States - have been using X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram to promote violence in Pakistan. Chaudhry, who spoke to reporters at a news conference, urged the tech companies to remove or disable these accounts, as well as those run by supporters of the militant groups. Deputy Law Minister Aqeel Malik, who also spoke at the new conference, said Pakistani investigators have identified 481 accounts associated with the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation Army, or BLA. The accounts were being used to incite violence and spread hate speech, Malik said. There was no immediate response from any of the social media platforms to Pakistan's request. Pakistan itself has in recent years blocked access to X, primarily to curb criticism from supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan but also voices of other dissenters. The plea comes amid a surge in violence across Pakistan, much of it blamed on the two militant groups, as well as the Islamic State group. The Pakistani Taliban are allies but a separate militant group from the Afghan Taliban. However, the Taliban takeover of neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021 has emboldened the TTP. Militant groups also heavily rely on social media platforms to claim responsibility for attacks against security forces and civilians in Pakistan. - AP
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Pakistan urges social media platforms to block banned militant accounts
Pakistan on Friday urged global social media companies to take action to block hundreds of accounts allegedly run by outlawed militant groups that Islamabad claims spread propaganda and glorify insurgents in the South Asian country. According to Pakistan's Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States have been using X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram to promote violence in Pakistan. Chaudhry, who spoke to reporters at a news conference, urged the tech companies to remove or disable these accounts, as well as those run by supporters of the militant groups. Deputy Law Minister Aqeel Malik, who also spoke at the news conference, said Pakistani investigators have identified 481 accounts associated with the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation Army, or BLA. The accounts were being used to incite violence and spread hate speech, Malik said. There was no immediate response from any of the social media platforms to Pakistan's request. Pakistan itself has in recent years blocked access to X, primarily to curb criticism from supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan but also voices of other dissenters. The plea comes amid a surge in violence across Pakistan, much of it blamed on the two militant groups, as well as the Islamic State group. The Pakistani Taliban are allies but a separate militant group from the Afghan Taliban. However, the Taliban takeover of neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021 has emboldened the TTP. Militant groups also heavily rely on social media platforms to claim responsibility for attacks against security forces and civilians in Pakistan. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
