Latest news with #militancy
Arab News
12 hours ago
- General
- Arab News
Pakistan says 14 militants killed in northwest as PM Sharif vows to root out extremist violence
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's security forces killed 14 militants this week in the country's volatile northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military's media wing said on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pledged to completely eradicate militancy from the country. The operation comes amid a noticeable uptick in militant attacks in Pakistan, particularly in the border regions near Afghanistan. In recent weeks, Pakistani officials have increasingly blamed India for backing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an outlawed umbrella group of militant factions responsible for a majority of attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Islamabad refers to the TTP as Fitna Al-Khawarij, a term rooted in Islamic history that denotes an extremist sect that rebelled against legitimate authority and declared other Muslims as apostates. It also describes the group as an Indian proxy. 'On 2-3 June 2025, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces in general area Datta Khel, North Waziristan District, on reported presence of Khawarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna Al-Khawarij,' the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. 'During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the Indian-sponsored Khawarij location, and after an intense exchange of fire, fourteen Indian-sponsored Khawarij were sent to hell,' it added. The ISPR said 'sanitization operations' were ongoing to clear the area of any remaining militants, reaffirming the military's commitment to 'wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country.' Prime Minister Sharif also praised the security forces for their 'professional excellence' in the North Waziristan operation, saying such efforts were critical to eliminating the threat posed by what he called enemies of humanity. 'We will crush the nefarious designs of these terrorists,' Sharif said in a statement issued by his office. 'With the professional capability of our security forces, we will uproot the monster of terrorism once and for all.' He said the government and the armed forces were fully committed to ensuring the complete elimination of militant violence from Pakistan.
Arab News
a day ago
- Business
- Arab News
‘Our hands are clean,' Pakistan briefs UNCA about conflict with India over Kashmir attack
ISLAMABAD: A top Pakistani representative on Tuesday told journalists at the United Nations (UN) that Pakistan had nothing to do with an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that sparked a four-day military conflict between the neighbors, reiterating Islamabad's offer to cooperate with New Delhi on militancy and other issues under a 'comprehensive dialogue.' Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a former Pakistani foreign minister, has been leading a nine-member parliamentary delegation, constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to New York, Washington DC, London and Brussels to present Pakistan's stance on last month's standoff with India. The conflict, in which the two countries traded missile, drones and artillery fire, was triggered after India accused Pakistan of supporting militants who killed over two dozen tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir's Pahalgam resort town on April 22. Islamabad denies involvement. Speaking to United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), Bhutto-Zardari noted that immediately after the April 22 incident, Islamabad had offered its cooperation to New Delhi and the international community in investigating the assault. 'The prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, offered publicly to India, the international community that Pakistan was ready to be part of any impartial, international investigation into this terrorist attack,' he said. 'We did so because we were confident that our hands are clean, and we had nothing to do with this terrorist attack. The Indian government refused Pakistan's offer and chose instead to conduct their illegal strikes.' He said Pakistan only ever acted in 'self-defense' after India attacked multiple Pakistani cities on May 7, but the difference between 2019 India-Pakistan cross-border airstrikes and the 2025 military standoff was that they were now in a more 'precarious position.' 'It's not a question of if, but when the next war is fought,' Bhutto-Zardari said. Nuclear-armed Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. Both countries have fought three wars, including two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir which either of the two claims in its entirety, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. The latest conflict, the worst between the neighbors in decades, killed around 70 people on both sides and came to a halt with a United States-brokered ceasefire on May 10. 'I must emphasize that the global community today is less safe, post this ceasefire, post this conflict with India, then we were before,' Bhutto-Zardari said. 'And it's simply because that threshold for full-blown military conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations has come down.' Asking New Delhi to not use militancy as a 'political tool,' the former Pakistani foreign minister once again urged India to hold a dialogue with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute. 'Pakistan's position today is that we would like to have a comprehensive dialogue with India,' he said. 'Pakistan would still like to cooperate with India to combat terrorism. We can't leave the fate of 1.5, 1.7 billion people in the hands of non-state actors and terrorists for them to decide at a whim that two nuclear-armed powers will go to war.' The Bhutto-Zardari-led Pakistani delegation arrived in New York on Monday as part of Islamabad's diplomatic outreach, amid heightened tensions with India despite the ceasefire between the two countries. Another delegation, led by Special Assistant to Pakistan Premier Syed Tariq Fatemi, is set to visit Moscow. In a meeting with US Acting Permanent Representative to the UN Dorothy Shea in New York, the Pakistani delegates urged Washington to play its role in ensuring a dialogue between Pakistan and India to address all outstanding issues, Pakistani state media reported earlier on Tuesday. Bhutto-Zardari expressed 'deep concern' over India's immediate attribution of blame to Pakistan without any 'credible investigation or verifiable evidence.' 'Such premature and baseless allegations exacerbate tensions and undermine prospects for constructive dialogue and peace,' he told the US envoy. On Monday, the Pakistani delegates held a meeting with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) envoys at the UN, wherein they reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to peace, restraint, and diplomacy, and called for the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty by India, Pakistan's Permanent Mission to the UN said. India suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan a day after the attack at the Pahalgam resort town. The move drew a sharp response from Islamabad, which said any attempts to divert or stop the flow of its waters by India would be considered an 'act of war.' About 80 percent of Pakistani farms depend on the Indus system, as do nearly all hydropower projects serving the country of some 250 million. 'Bhutto-Zardari expressed grave concern at the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — a move that Pakistan considers a blatant act of weaponizing water and a violation of international and treaty obligations,' the Pakistani mission said. The delegation also urged the UN Security Council to play a 'proactive role' in promoting de-escalation, ensuring respect for international law and treaties and facilitating peaceful resolution of disputes.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
PM urges trickle-down effect of development schemes in insurgency-hit Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need to ensure a trickle-down effect of his government's developmental initiatives in the southwestern Balochistan province, Sharif's office said on Sunday, amid a surge in militant attacks in the region. Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but most impoverished province, has been the site of a long-running insurgency that has intensified in recent months, with separatist militants attacking security forces, government officials and installations and people from other provinces who they see as 'outsiders.' The Pakistani government says it has launched several development schemes relating to infrastructure, health and education for some 15 million people of Balochistan, which is also home to deep seaport being built by China, gold, copper and coal mines, and has a long coast on the Arabian Sea. Speaking to tribal elders during his visit to the provincial capital of Quetta, PM Sharif highlighted the series of developmental programs undertaken by his government for the prosperity of Balochistan and called on officials to ensure that their benefits reach the people of the southwestern Pakistani province. 'He praised the people of Balochistan for their historic role in safeguarding national unity and urged them to remain vigilant against foreign-backed subversion and sabotage orchestrated and sponsored by India,' Sharif's office said. 'The jirga [council of tribal elders] concluded with a unanimous pledge from tribal elders to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Government of Pakistan and armed forces, reaffirming their commitment to the security, stability and development of Balochistan.' Pakistan and India often accuse each other of supporting militancy. Islamabad blames India of backing the separatist insurgency in Balochistan as well as religiously motivated militant groups, like the Pakistani Taliban, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. India denies the allegations. Sharif announced that Balochistan will receive 25 percent share from the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), which funds infrastructure, energy, education and other long-term projects, in the upcoming budget. 'I think that PSDP will be of Rs1,000 billion [in the next budget],' he told the gathering. 'So, out of this [amount], a fund of approximately Rs250 billion is for Balochistan alone. That is, 25 percent of the total federal PSDP for Balochistan.' Addressing the challenge of militancy in the province, Sharif called for engagement at the grassroots level to ensure that militants find no social space. 'This was crucial for the success of counter terrorism efforts and for the long-term peace and stability,' he said. On the occasion, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who accompanied the prime minister to Balochistan, emphasized that Pakistan's army was fully alert and prepared to respond decisively to any threat. 'Peace in Balochistan is non-negotiable and that the future of Pakistan is directly linked to a stable, prosperous Balochistan,' he was quoted as saying by Sharif's office. Sharif also visited the military's Command and Staff College in Quetta and addressed student officers and faculty, reflecting his government's commitment to strengthening Pakistan's defense institutions amidst evolving regional and internal security dynamics. 'The prime minister highlighted the critical importance of professional excellence, operational readiness, and strategic foresight in the face of emerging and hybrid threats, especially in sensitive regions like Balochistan,' Sharif's office said.
Arab News
26-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Iranian president calls for cooperation with Pakistan to combat militant activity on shared border
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Tehran should increase cooperation to combat militant activity on their shared border, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday during a televised news conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif arrived in Iran on Monday after a visit to Istanbul as part of a regional diplomacy tour that will also include trips to Azerbaijan and Tajikistan. Relations between Iran and Pakistan have been strained in recent years, with both sides accusing each other of not doing enough to stamp out militants allegedly sheltering across their shared border. 'We believe that the joint borders between Iran and Pakistan should be free from any insecurity and free from the presence and activity of terrorist and criminal groups,' Pezeshkian said during a joint press conference with Sharif. 'In this regard, we believe we need to promote cooperation at the border areas to fight against those who are trying to create trouble.' President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian (R) and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif shake hands after a joint press statement, at Sa'dabad Palace in Tehran on May 26, 2025. (PMO) Last year, Iran launched strikes inside Pakistan's border, saying it had destroyed two bases of Jaish al Adl, a Pakistan-based group that Tehran accuses of attacking Iranian security forces. Pakistan launched strikes on separatist militants inside Iran in response, saying it hit bases of the separatist Baloch Liberation Front and Baloch Liberation Army. The militant groups operate in an area that includes Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan and Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province. Both regions are restive, mineral-rich and largely underdeveloped and wracked by decades-long separatist insurgencies. The tit-for-tat conflict quickly de-escalated and the foreign minister of Iran visited Islamabad, with both nations saying they respected each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and would expand security cooperation in a bid to mend ties. The most notable deal between the neighboring countries — a 2010 gas pipeline agreement from Iran's South Fars field to Pakistan's Balochistan and Sindh — also remains stalled. During meetings on Monday, the two countries discussed the spectrum of bilateral ties. 'We discussed expanding bilateral relations in different sectors including politics, economy, culture as well as international cooperation between the two countries,' Pezeshkian said at the joint press conference. In May, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan to help ease tensions between Pakistan and India during the worst military confrontation in decades between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Boko Haram's resurgence: Why Nigeria's military is struggling to hold the line
A resurgence of Boko Haram attacks is shaking Nigeria's northeast, as Islamic extremists have repeatedly overrun military outposts, mined roads with bombs, and raided civilian communities since the start of the year, raising fears of a possible return to peak Boko Haram-era insecurity despite the military's claims of successes. Boko Haram, Nigeria's homegrown jihadis, took up arms in 2009 to fight Western education and impose their radical version of Islamic law. The conflict, now Africa's longest struggle with militancy, has spilled into Nigeria's northern neighbors, resulted in the death of around 35,000 civilians and the displacement of more than 2 million others, according to the United Nations. In the latest attack late last week in the village of Gajibo in Borno state, the epicenter of the crisis, the extremists killed nine members of a local militia that supports the Nigerian military, after soldiers deserted the base when becoming aware of the insurgents' advance, according to the group's claim and local aid workers. That is in addition to roadside bombs and deadly attacks on villages in recent months. Two factions Boko Haram has since broken into two factions. One of the them is backed by the Islamic State group and is known as the Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP. It has become notorious for targeting military positions and has overrun the military on at least 15 occasions this year, killing soldiers and stealing weapons, according to an Associated Press count, experts and security reports reviewed for this story. On the other hand, the Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, or JAS, faction has increasingly resorted to attacking civilians and perceived collaborators, and thrives on robberies and abductions for ransom. In May, ISWAP struck outposts in Gajibo, Buni Gari, Marte, Izge, Rann, and launched a twin assault on the Nigeria- Cameroon joint base in Wulgo and Soueram in Cameroon. Other attacks this year have hit Malam Fatori, Goniri, Sabon Gari, Wajiroko and Monguno, among others. The group often attacks at night. Expansion and decentralization Malik Samuel, senior researcher at non-profit Good Governance Africa, said that ISWAP's success is as a result of its territorial expansion following gains against rival JAS as well as a decentralized structure that has enhanced its ability to conduct "coordinated, near-simultaneous attacks across different regions,' Samuel said. 'The unpredictability of attacks under this framework illustrates ISWAP's growing strategic sophistication,' Samuel said. External support from IS in Iraq and Syria is also a critical resource to the militants, said Samuel, who has interviewed ex-fighters. Such support is evident in ISWAP's evolving tactics, including nighttime raids, rapid assaults with light but effective weaponry, and the use of modified commercial drones to drop explosives, Samuel said. Outgunned and outnumbered military Ali Abani, a local nonprofit worker familiar with the military operations in Borno's strategic town of Dikwa, said that the army bases are understaffed and located in remote areas, making them vulnerable to attacks. "When these gunmen come, they just overpower the soldiers,' Abani said. Reinforcements, either in the form of air support or nearby ground troops, are often too slow to arrive, allowing the militants enough time to strip the outposts of weapons needed to bolster their arsenal, he added, recalling a May 12 attack during which soldiers fled as they were outnumbered, leaving the extremists to cart away weaponry. There also have been reports of former militants who continued to work as informants and logistics handlers after claiming to have repented. Nigeria losing ground 'almost on a daily basis' At its peak in 2013 and 2014, Boko Haram gained global notoriety after kidnapping 276 Chibok schoolgirls and controlled an area the size of Belgium. While it has lost much of that territory on the back of military campaigns, the new surge in Boko Haram attacks has raised fears about a possible return to such a gloomy past. Borno Gov. Babagana Zulum warned recently of lost gains after raising concerns that military formations in the state are being dislodged 'almost on a daily basis without confrontation.' Federal lawmakers continue to highlight the extremists' growing sophistication and advanced weaponry, calling on the government to bolster the capabilities of the military. The Nigerian military didn't respond to a request for comment. Last Friday, senior commanders visited one of the troubled areas, Gamboru on the border with Cameroon, promising the deployment of more troops to combat Boko Haram.
