The riders will interact with locals and promote ‘No Drugs, No School Dropouts‘

The Indian Army on Tuesday flagged off a four-day ‘Shaurya motorcycle rally’ from Likabali Military Station in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Siang district to honour the heroes of the 1962 India-China War.

The rally is an initiative of the Indian Army to commemorate the indomitable spirit, courage and dedication of the soldiers who defended the nation’s frontiers under the most challenging conditions, an army official said.

The official said that 20 riders, including personnel of the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and 12 civilians from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, will cover around 900 km through the rugged terrain and remote valleys of the frontier state, retracing the historic routes taken during the 1962 war.

The riders will interact with locals and promote ‘No Drugs, No School Dropouts’, an initiative of the Arunachal Pradesh government.

They will also conduct outreach programmes at Basar (Leparada), Bora Rupak, Menga, Shere Thapa Memorial, Taksing, Daporijo (Upper Subansiri), Ziro (Lower Subansiri) and Neelam Tebi War Memorial (Keyi Panyor).

The official said that the riders will also conduct motivational interactions with students, felicitate local communities and conduct awareness campaigns promoting unity and nation-building in the border regions, with support from civil administrations.

The Trump-brokered ceasefire should be cautiously welcomed for a humanitarian reason

THE Gaza ceasefire agreement, announced on social media by US President Donald Trump, came into force on October 10. The initial phase aims to pause the hostilities in a genocidal war of retribution by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) that began after the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

This Trump-brokered ceasefire is to be cautiously welcomed for one overriding reason – and that is the humanitarian dimension. Two years of a relentless war and the indiscriminate, disproportionate attacks on civilians in Palestine to neutralise Hamas have killed over 67,000 Palestinians; about 2,000 Israelis, including civilians and soldiers, have lost their lives. According to UN agencies, humanitarian organisations and local authorities, around two million Palestinians (of a total of 5.5 million) have been displaced.

Gaza has been reduced to rubble; famine conditions prevail, with children and women bearing the brunt of the Israeli onslaught. With the ceasefire coming into effect, displaced Palestinians are returning to areas like Gaza City and Sheikh Radwan. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are trekking north along roads like Al-Rashid from southern camps such as Nuseirat and Khan Younis, carrying their meagre belongings amid a ruined landscape.

With 600 aid trucks now entering Gaza daily, the ceasefire will mitigate — to some extent — the famine declared in August and described by the UN as a “man-made catastrophe.” This surge in aid, coupled with the reopening of Rafah and other crossings, could alleviate suffering for Gaza’s almost two million residents,

80 per cent of whom are displaced.

The next phase of the ceasefire agreement — also being referred to as the Gaza peace deal — involves hostage and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. It is expected that beginning today, Hamas will release 20 Israeli hostages and the mortal remains of the 28 deceased. In the reciprocal arrangement, Israel is preparing to free about 250 long-term Palestinian prisoners (serving life sentences) and around 1,700 detainees arrested in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including women and children.

If this proposed exchange takes place without any hurdles or surprises, President Trump is likely to arrive in the region to a thunderous roll of drums as the peacemaker par excellence. Norway will be alerted to look no further; next year’s “Nobel Peace Prize winner” will emerge in the land of Bethlehem, and the Magi of this century will assemble in TV studios the world over, led by Fox News and its global clones.

But alas, the reality is grim. Equitable and sustainable peace as well as socio-political justice for the Palestinians will remain elusive, while the optics of a historic breakthrough enabled by Trump will flood chanceries and media platforms.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been brought to the ceasefire table kicking and screaming and there have been reports of the IDF firing on returning Palestinians. Hardliners in Israel are determined to deny any concession to Palestine that will usher in peace and prosperity, as envisioned by Trump and the regional partners (Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia). Once the Israeli hostages are safely back, it is probable that there would be attempts to scuttle the peace deal.

However, one must hope for the best, and a more positive scenario can unfold in this manner. If cessation of hostilities, hostage-prisoner release and troop withdrawal proceed smoothly in the initial phase, this would lay the foundation for tentative trust in the next phase — full demilitarisation and reconstruction of the wasteland that is Palestine/Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority’s potential role in governance could marginalise Hamas, thereby aligning with Israel’s long-term security goals and the US-led call for a two-state framework. But this is a long way off, for the immediate priority is clearing the rubble, finding more bodies and rebuilding Gaza. The bill for this could be upwards of $50 billion.

The most authoritative estimates for reconstructing Gaza after the war place the total cost at $53.2 billion over the next 10 years. This figure comes from the joint Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment by the United Nations, European Union and World Bank, covering damages from October 2023 to October 2024. It includes physical infrastructure repair ($29.9 billion), economic and social recovery ($19.1 billion) and environmental cleanup ($1.9 billion), with $20 billion needed in the first three years alone. It is not clear at this stage as to how this money would be made available to Palestine.

The more disconcerting feature of this peace deal is that it has been framed as a US-led initiative supported by regional heavyweights — outside of the UN framework. A multinational military monitoring force including 200 US troops will be positioned in Israel to establish a coordination centre to oversee Hamas compliance from bases outside Gaza. An interim technical governance team to be led by former UK PM Tony Blair is in the pipeline and this reeks of neo-imperialism, Trump style.

With the UN Security Council in virtual paralysis, given the bitter discord between the US and the Russia-China dyad, the world is witnessing extended geopolitical dissonance. This has been exacerbated by the Trump-driven tariff turbulence. Yet Trump is to be accorded one cheer (not three) — for bringing a reluctant Netanyahu to the negotiating table.

India has supported the agreement, with PM Modi congratulating Netanyahu on the activation of the first phase. India has been invited by the US and Egypt to attend a follow-up ‘Gaza Truce Retreat’ aimed at discussing ceasefire monitoring and reconstruction.

New Delhi’s pedigree in complex peacekeeping operations (going back to the 1953 Korean War armistice and subsequent UN missions) and proven disaster relief competence can contribute to the international rebuilding efforts that Gaza desperately needs.

The ceasefire pact is tentative, fragile and prone to setbacks. This is the third major truce since the war began in October 2023 — first in November 2023 and later in January 2025 — and both collapsed. Will October 2025 be auspicious? The jury is out — the talks on demilitarisation and governance are imminent, even as Hamas has rejected ‘foreign guardianship’.

Bringing this complex ceasefire-cum-peace deal under the UN aegis would be highly desirable, but the feasibility of such a transition is very low. Trump wants peace, and “King Canute’s courtiers” will proclaim that it has indeed arrived and the Star of Bethlehem is glowing over the rubble of Gaza.

C Uday Bhaskar is Director, Society for Policy Studies.

MP Dubey says Pakistan’s forces and their its proxies have repeatedly attacked schools and health workers, besides carrying out deadly cross-border strikes that have ‘killed and maimed Afghan children’

India on Tuesday launched a sharp counterattack against Pakistan at the United Nations, accusing it of being one of the “most serious violators” of the global agenda on the protection of children in armed conflict.

Delivering India’s statement on the Promotion and Protection of Rights of Children, MP Nishikant Dubey said Pakistan continues to exploit international platforms to deflect attention from its own shameful record of atrocities against children — both within its borders and beyond.

“Neighbouring Pakistan presents a contrasting example. It is a country that is one of the most serious violators of the CAAC (Children and Armed Conflict) agenda,” Dubey said.

The parliamentarian strongly condemned Pakistan’s attempt to divert global attention from the grave abuses against children within their borders, as evidenced by the 2005 report issued by the Secretary General on CAAC and by their ongoing cross-border terrorism.

Citing UN findings, Dubey said Pakistan’s forces and their terror proxies have repeatedly attacked schools — particularly girls’ schools — and health workers, besides carrying out deadly cross-border strikes that have “killed and maimed Afghan children”.

Drawing attention to Pakistan’s hand in the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, Dubey said, “If Operation Sindoor is to be mentioned, the international community has not forgotten the brutal targeted attacks carried out by Pakistan’s terrorists, including the killing of 26 innocent civilians in Pahalgam.”

He underlined that India’s air strikes under Operation Sindoor in May were a “considered and legitimate response” to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and bring perpetrators to justice.

“In contrast, Pakistan deliberately targeted children and civilians in our border areas,” he said, adding that Islamabad must “look at itself in the mirror, stop preaching on this platform and act for the welfare of children within its own borders”.

In another UN session, MP Rajeev Rai delivered India’s statement in the Second Committee on Sustainable Development and the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.

He highlighted India’s leadership in leveraging information technology, science and culture to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while emphasising South-South cooperation with middle-income countries.

At the Sixth Committee on Crimes against Humanity, Rajya Sabha MP S Phangnon Konyak reaffirmed India’s position that states bear the “primary responsibility” for ensuring justice and accountability for grave human rights violations.

“Any legally binding treaty must respect diverse legal systems and complement existing mechanisms like the International Criminal Court,” she said, calling for a “victim-centred approach” that ensures access to justice and reparations.

She underscored that international cooperation — through mutual legal assistance, extradition and capacity-building — is essential to effectively implement global commitments.

“India remains committed to a rules-based international order, justice and accountability,” Konyak affirmed.

SC to now hear release plea on October 15

The Ladakh administration on Tuesday defended before the Supreme Court climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, saying he “had been indulging in activities prejudicial to the security of the state”.

Responding to Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo’s petition seeking his immediate release from detention, Leh District Magistrate Romil Singh Donk, who passed the September 26 detention order under the NSA, denied as “baseless” her allegation that her husband had been detained illegally and was being ill-treated during the detention.

The affidavit asserted that Wangchuk had been “lawfully detained under a lawful authority” after considering relevant material under Section 3(2) of the NSA.

“It is submitted that the above stated order of detention came to be passed by me after duly considering the material placed before me and, as mandated under the law, and after arriving at a subjective satisfaction on the circumstances that prevailed within the local limits of the jurisdiction where Wangchuk had been indulging in activities prejudicial to the security of the state, public order and services essential to the community as mentioned in the grounds of detention,” the affidavit read.

“I was satisfied and continue to be satisfied with the detention of the detenue,” Donk asserted.

A Bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria, which had on October 6 issued notices to the Centre, the Ladakh administration and others on Angmo’s petition seeking Wangchuk’s immediate release, on Tuesday deferred the hearing to October 15.

The activist was detained on September 26 under Section 3(2) of the NSA, two days after protests demanding Ladakh’s statehood and the Sixth Schedule status turned violent, leaving four persons dead and nearly 100 injured.

Terming the allegation of not being informed of the detention order as “completely false and misleading”, the affidavit said the detenue was categorically informed about his arrest under the NSA and his transfer to Central Jail, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, and that his wife was also immediately informed about it.

The Leh District Magistrate said Wangchuk was communicated the grounds of his detention on September 29 and his signature was taken on the receiving copy.

The affidavit stated that Wangchuk had been medically examined five times between September 26 and October 9, and “he was certified to be medically and physically fit” and that he had told the authorities that “he is not on any medication”.

It said notwithstanding the fact that nearly a fortnight had elapsed since he was detained, “no representation has been made by Wangchuk to the detaining authority against his detention.”

In a separate affidavit, Jodhpur Central Jail superintendent Pradeep Lakhawat told the top court that Wangchuk was not in solitary confinement and that he had been kept in a 20×20 ft standard barrack.

His brother Tsetan Dorje and lawyer Mustaf Haji were allowed to meet him on October 4 for one hour, Lakhawat said, adding that his wife (petitioner) and another counsel Sarvam Ritam Khare met him on October 7. At Wangchuk’s request, he was given a laptop, the affidavit stated.

Kabul says it targeted Pakistani military posts, killing 58 soldiers in retaliation for what it called violations of Afghan airspace

People carry a Pakistani flag-draped coffin of soldier Aslam Jadran, who died following the overnight border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, during a funeral in Kurram, a tribal district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Reuters Phot

Clashes erupted on Tuesday between Pakistani and Afghan forces in a remote northwestern border region, with state-run media in Pakistan accusing Afghan troops of opening “unprovoked fire” that was repulsed.

Pakistani forces responded, damaging Afghan tanks and military posts, according to Pakistan TV and two security officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Tahir Ahrar, a deputy police spokesperson in Afghanistan’s Khost province, confirmed the clashes but provided no further details.

This is the second time this week that the two sides have traded fire along their long border.

According to Pakistan’s state-run media, Afghan forces and the Pakistani Taliban jointly opened fire at a Pakistani post “without provocation”, prompting what the media described as a “strong response” from Pakistani troops in Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Security officials said Pakistan’s military also destroyed a sprawling training facility of the Pakistani Taliban.

There was no immediate comment from Pakistan’s military, which has been on high alert since Saturday, when both sides traded fire across multiple border regions, resulting in dozens of casualties on each side.

Although the clashes halted on Sunday after appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained closed.

Over the weekend, Kabul said that it targeted several Pakistani military posts and killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for what it called repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace. Pakistan’s military reported lower figures, saying it lost 23 soldiers and killed more than 200 “Taliban and affiliated terrorists” in retaliatory fire along the frontier.

Tensions have remained high since last week, when the Taliban government accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Kabul and in an eastern market. Pakistan has not acknowledged those allegations.

But Pakistan has previously launched strikes inside Afghanistan, saying it targets hideouts of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is separate from but allied to the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan accuses Kabul of harbouring the group, which has carried out numerous deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the charge, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries.

The Justice Department said Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted

A leading expert on US-India relations who has advised successive US administrations has been arrested and charged with unlawful retention of national defence information, including over a thousand pages of top secret and secret documents at his home, court documents showed.

Ashley Tellis, 64, who served on the National Security Council of former Republican President George W Bush and is listed in an FBI court affidavit as an unpaid adviser to the State Department and a Pentagon contractor, was arrested on the weekend and charged on Monday, the documents seen on Tuesday showed.

Tellis is also a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank.

A State Department official confirmed that Tellis was arrested on Saturday, but declined to comment further. A Pentagon official said it does not comment on ongoing litigation.

Carnegie did not immediately respond and Tellis could not immediately be reached. His lawyer was not listed in the court documents and was not immediately known.

Trump administration officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, have vowed to prosecute individuals who mishandle classified information.

The FBI affidavit accompanying the charge document said that in September and October this year Tellis entered Defence and State Department buildings and was observed accessing and printing classified documents, including about military aircraft capabilities, and leaving by car with a leather briefcase or bag.

The affidavit said a search of Tellis’ residence in Vienna, Virginia, on Saturday uncovered over a thousand pages of classified documents with top secret and secret markings.

The affidavit also said Tellis had met Chinese government officials on multiple occasions over the past several years. The meetings included a September 15 dinner at a restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia, at which it said Tellis arrived with a manila envelope, which he did not appear to have when he left.

The affidavit said that due to his employment with the State Department and Pentagon, Tellis possessed a top secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information.

A Justice Department statement said that if convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

“We are fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic,” said Lindsey Halligan, US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens.”

Why Group Captain Nachiketa has ‘immense respect’ for a Pakistani Captain

Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar Reviews Operational Preparedness of Rising Star Corps Western Command Chief Commends Professionalism and Innovation, Urges Troops to Stay Future-Ready

15 Pak Soldiers Killed As Taliban Hits Back Hard After Kabul Airstrikes

Soldiers killed, posts captured: Why Afghanistan, Pakistan are clashing at the border

Heightened vigil at LoC ahead of winter to curb infiltration of terrorists

Nation never had ‘clear-cut policy’ to deal with J&K challenges: Dulat

SC upholds Armed Forces Tribunal’s decision to substitute General Court Martial’s finding

Northern Command GoC reviews operational preparedness in Rajouri

Rajbeer Kaur becomes first turbaned woman to join Canadian police

Army officers messed up Operation Bluestar due to poor planning: Mani Shankar Aiyar

Trump warns Russia he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawks if Moscow doesn’t settle war soon

‘Gaza war over’: Trump declares as Israel, Hamas set for hostage, prisoner exchanges

Latest contribution List as on 11 Sep 2025

‘Op Bluestar was a mistake, Indira Gandhi paid with her life’: Chidambaram

BSF air wing gets first woman flight engineer in over 50 years

Dramatic video: Helicopter spirals out of control, crashes into palm trees at California beach; 5 injured

In ‘Wings of Valour’, Swapnil Pandey brings to life the extraordinary journeys of fighter pilots, veterans, and Kargil heroes.

After the briefing, everyone hurried to prepare for the mission. Nachiketa, dressed in a green G-suit over his blue overalls, meticulously adjusted his gear in the squadron’s dressing room. His green jacket shielded him from the chill, and his standard-issue pistol was checked and securely holstered. The pouches on his G-suit held essential manuals, navigation maps and communication frequencies.

The mission briefing was thorough. Each pilot knew their role, the direction of attack, altitude and initial point. Communication was to be restricted to avoid enemy interception. The sequence was precise: Boxer-1 flown by Flight Lieutenant Anupam Banerjee and Boxer-2 by Flight Lieutenant Bhupendra Khatana would first deploy bombs, followed by Hyena-1 by Squadron Leader Ashwini Madokhot and Hyena-2 by Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa dropping rockets—the rockets were for targeted strikes, while the bombs would inflict widespread damage.

The aircraft were parked in blast pens for protection. Nachiketa climbed the ladder into his MiG-27, focused and eager. He fastened his seat harness and connected the pneumatic hose of his G-suit to the cockpit port. A technician removed the ladder, and Nachiketa closed the cockpit canopy. After a quick system check, he lowered his helmet visor and signalled that he was ready.

The engines roared to life as the pilots taxied out from the blast pen to the runway. The formation took off as a tight unit, with Nachiketa the last to leave, marking the start of Day 2 of Operation Safed Sagar.

The sky was clear as they flew in formation, weaving through hills to avoid enemy radar. Cruising at 26,000 feet and at around 1,000 kilometres per hour, the fighters approached the initial point, the landscape shifting from mountains to the target area.

Boxer-1 initiated his dive and released his bombs, followed by Boxer-2. The explosions created a dense plume of smoke, obscuring Hyena-1’s view. Unable to see the target clearly, Hyena-1 refrained from dropping his rockets.

As Nachiketa—Hyena-2—approached, the smoke began to clear. He completed his dive and released his rockets with precision. It was followed by gun attack but as he pulled out, disaster struck—the engine sputtered and then fell silent. Temperature and RPM13 dropped rapidly, and airspeed decreased. Nachiketa knew he had to act swiftly. He jettisoned the drop tank to reduce drag, hoping to buy a few precious moments.

He quickly radioed Hyena-1:

‘Mando, Nachi engine flame out! Relighting!’ He began the restart procedure.

The engine sputtered back to partial life, but with the hills approaching rapidly and only thirty to forty seconds to spare, Nachiketa knew he had no choice but to eject.

He informed his wingman, ‘Mando, Nachi ejecting,’ and pulled the ejection handle.

The ejection system activated swiftly: The cockpit canopy blew off and the seat was propelled out of the cockpit by a high-speed cartridge. A small drogue parachute deployed first to stabilize the seat, followed by the main parachute. Everything happened in a matter of seconds.

The ejection subjected him to extreme G-forces,14 causing him to experience a grey-out, where vision blurs and consciousness fades. Though the G-suit helped, it was less effective outside the craft. The descent was swift, landing him on a snow-covered, icy landscape.

As he touched down, he saw his aircraft’s wreckage nearby.

Despite the intense pain in his spine from the impact of landing, his survival instincts kicked in. He buried classified documents in the snow to prevent enemy access and dashed across the terrain, seeking cover among nearby boulders.

Suddenly, five figures emerged from the direction of a nearby river. Armed with AK-47s, they advanced, firing at Nachiketa. He fired back with his pistol, but it felt futile.

Group Captain Nachiketa (veteran) chuckled as he reflected:

You know, up in the air, fighter pilots feel invincible. Flying a 20,000 kg aircraft at lightning speed, you can cross from one corner of the earth to another in seconds. We’re the warriors of the sky, untouchable and powerful. But then, imagine the sudden shift when you come out of that comfort zone and feel utterly vulnerable. Up there, I was the king of the skies, but on the ground, I was just a mortal. Everything seemed immense and overwhelming. The severe back pain from the rough landing was a sharp reminder of my vulnerability. The sound of gunfire jolted me into action. I scrambled to find cover, drawing my small pistol and loading it as I took refuge behind a nearby boulder, firing back in desperation.

As his first magazine emptied, he reached for a second, but before he could reload, the enemy closed in and began to beat him mercilessly. As Nachiketa lay on the snow-covered ground, the tension peaked when one of the soldiers pressed the cold barrel of an AK-47 into his mouth, the finger poised on the trigger.

Just as it seemed his fate was sealed, A Pakistani Officer arrived and intervened.

The soldiers were angry. One shouted, ‘We’re not letting him go. He was dropping bombs from above and firing at us from below.’ With authoritative calm, the officer replied, ‘It’s all right. He was doing his duty. Now he is our captive.’

Nachiketa recalled:

That day, death came close to me twice. First, when my aircraft crashed and I had to eject. Second, when the soldiers were about to shoot me, and that officer arrived just in time. Had he been even a moment late or given the order to kill, I would have been dead. I have immense respect for that officer, Captain Qamar of the 5th Northern Light Infantry.

Severely injured and blindfolded, Nachiketa was herded downhill by the Pakistani men—the officer and five soldiers. As they descended, one soldier asked if there were any other pilots with him, possibly mistaking the drogue parachute as belonging to a second person. Nachiketa seized the opportunity to mislead them, replying, ‘Yes, there was another pilot.’

Unfamiliar with aircraft systems and focused on finding the supposed second pilot, the soldiers did not question him further.

l

SBCrack Last updated: October 11, 2025 Share Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, reviewed the operational preparedness and technological advancements of the Rising Star Corps during his visit. The review focused on assessing combat readiness, modernization efforts, and integration of advanced technologies within operational frameworks. The Army Commander was briefed on various innovative initiatives undertaken by the formations to enhance operational efficiency, surveillance, and situational awareness. He lauded the professionalism, dedication, and forward-thinking approach demonstrated by all ranks of the Rising Star Corps, emphasizing the importance of continuous innovation to stay ahead in modern warfare. During his address, Lt Gen Katiyar highlighted the critical role of Western Command in safeguarding the nation’s borders and maintaining high levels of readiness in dynamic security scenarios. He urged troops to remain agile, focused, and technologically adept to meet emerging challenges.

More Read India-Australia Joint Military Exercise ‘AUSTRAHIND 2025’ Begins in Perth DAC Approves ₹5,150 Crore ‘Dharashakti’ Electronic Warfare System to Boost Army’s Signal Superiority Viral Photo of Army Veteran’s Car Blends Humor and Pride, Wins Hearts Online The visit underscored the Indian Army’s ongoing emphasis on leveraging technology-driven warfare capabilities, fostering innovation at the grassroots level, and ensuring seamless operational coordination across commands to maintain a decisive edge in future conflicts.

Read More: https://www.ssbcrack.com/2025/10/lieutenant-general-manoj-kumar-katiyar-reviews-operational-preparedness-of-rising-star-corps.html

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in its territory

Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed

New Delhi:

Fifteen Pakistani soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan’s Helmand province after the Taliban forces retaliated to Pakistani airstrikes in Afghan territory, including the capital Kabul.

Mawlawi Mohammad Qasim Riaz, spokesperson for the Helmand provincial government, told the media that 15 Pakistani soldiers were killed during last night’s retaliatory operations by Afghan forces near the Durand Line in Bahrampur district. He said Afghan forces also captured three Pakistani military outposts during this operation and seized weapons and ammunition.

Hitting back after Pakistan’s recent airstrikes in Kabul and Paktika provinces, Afghan forces have started targeting Pakistani posts in the provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, and Kunar. All these provinces are located along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Airstrikes, Then Reprisal

Three explosions were reported in Afghanistan on Thursday — two in Kabul and one in the southeastern Paktika. The Taliban-run defence ministry blamed Islamabad and accused it of violating its sovereignty.https://d-1579846705777063156.ampproject.net/2509031727000/frame.html

“In retaliation for air strikes carried out by the Pakistani army on Kabul, Taliban forces are engaged in heavy clashes against Pakistani security forces in various areas” along the border, the Afghan military said in a statement.

Later, defence ministry spokesman Enayat Khowarazm told news agency AFP that the “successful” operations had ended at midnight. “If the opposing side violates Afghanistan’s territory again, our armed forces are ready to defend their territory and will respond firmly.”

Islamabad did not confirm it was behind Thursday’s attacks, but it called on Kabul “to stop harbouring the Pakistani Taliban on its soil.”

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan

Also known as the Pakistani Taliban, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan is an ideological ally of the Afghan Taliban and assisted it during the 2001-2021 conflict.

Islamabad has accused the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan of having killed hundreds of its soldiers since 2021. “This evening, Taliban forces began using weapons. We fired first light and then heavy artillery at four points along the border,” a senior official in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan, told AFP.

“Pakistani forces responded with heavy fire and shot down three Afghan quadcopters suspected of carrying explosives. Intense fighting continues, but so far, no casualties have been reported,” he continued.

According to an AFP report, TTP militants have intensified their campaign of violence against Pakistani security forces in the mountainous areas bordering Afghanistan in recent months.

Islamabad alleged that Afghanistan has failed to expel militants using its territory to launch attacks on Pakistan, a charge denied by Kabul.

Pakistan’s Warning

Earlier this year, a UN report said the TTP “receive substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities”, an apparent reference to the Taliban government in Kabul.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told its National Assembly last week that efforts to convince the Afghan Taliban to stop backing the TTP had failed. “We will no longer tolerate this. United, we must respond to those facilitating them, whether the hideouts are on our soil or Afghan soil,” he said.  On Saturday, the TTP claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in northwest Pakistan that left 20 security officials and three civilians dead, news agency AFP reported.

What Taliban Minister Told NDTV When Asked About Pak-Afghan Clashes

Mawlawi Mohammad Qasim Riaz, spokesperson for the Helmand provincial government, told the media that 15 Pakistani soldiers were killed during last night’s retaliatory operations by Afghan forces