Combined effort of Pathfinder Group Task Force
Suicide Bombings
At least five people were killed while 10 others were injured in a suicide attack at the residence of a peace committee member near Qureshi Morr in Dera Ismail Khan District on the night of January 23, reports Dawn. While confirming the explosion was a suicide blast, Dera Ismail Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Sajjad Ahmed Sahibzada said the explosion occurred during a wedding celebration at the residence of the peace committee chief, identified as Noor Alam Mehsud. The participants were reportedly dancing to the beat of a drum when the attack was carried out. The blast caused the room’s roof to collapse, hampering rescue operations and making it difficult to reach those trapped under the debris.
At least 32 Shia worshippers were killed and more than 169 others sustained injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up through Khadijah al-KubraImambargah (Shia place of worship) in the Tarlai area of Islamabad on February 6, reports The Express Tribune. The explosion went off just as worshippers were offering Friday prayers at Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra on the outskirts of Islamabad. The Islamic State Pakistan Province (ISPP) claimed the responsibility of the attack, adding that Saifullah Ansari carried out the suicide bombing. Addressing the media, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of State Talal Chaudhry said the suicide bomber was identified, adding that although he was not Afghan, he had “travelled to Afghanistan”. “He is not an Afghan citizen, but the information about how many times he travelled to Afghanistan has reached us after forensic examination of the rest of his body,” he said. The suicide bomber has been identified as Yasir Khan, a resident of Peshawar. According to preliminary information, Khan had stayed in Afghanistan for approximately five months before returning to Pakistan. Khan is believed to have received militant training during his stay in the Mansoor Istashhadi training centre in Northeastern Afghan province of Kunar, and travelled to and from Afghanistan multiple times. Further, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif blamed what he described as an “India-Afghanistan nexus” for the Imambargah carnage. In a post on X (erstwhile twitter), he stated that it had been established that the attacker had travelled to and from Afghanistan and that evidence was emerging of links between India and the Taliban.
Bombing/IEDs
Unidentified terrorists blew up the Khaiswar connecting bridge within the jurisdiction of the Merian Police Station in Bannu District on January 25, reports ARY News. Police said that the terrorists had planted explosive material along the bridge to destroy the link. The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) on January 25 defused an improvised explosive device (IED), weighing approximately three to four kilograms, on Eidgah Road within the jurisdiction of Domel Police Station in Bannu District, reports ARY News.
On February 3, Police and Bomb Disposal teams defused a 20-kilogram Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted along a roadside in the Wanda Ameer area of Lakki Marwat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), reports Aaj TV. According to Saddar Police Station SHO (Station House Officer) Ismatullah Niazi, militants had planted the device along a busy route, posing a serious threat to life and property.
Targetted Killings
A peace committee member was shot dead while his cousin sustained injuries in a targeted killing near an Afghan Refugees Camp in Domel tehsil (revenue unit) of Bannu District on January 25, reports ARY News. Police said the victims were identified as Khwajatullah and Naseemullah who belonged to Gangi Khel.
The incident occurred when Khwajatullah and Naseemullah were at a shop in tehsil Colony to purchase groceries. Two unidentified armed men arrived and opened indiscriminate fire on them. As the result of the firing, Khwajatullah died on the spot, while Naseemullah was injured.
A tribal elder Malik Naseeb Khan was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Janikhel area of Bannu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on February 5, reports Dawn. According to Police, Malik Naseeb Khan was travelling in a vehicle in upper Alikhel area when unidentified assailants opened firing on him, killing him on the spot. The attackers managed to flee after the incident.
A personnel from the Frontier Corps (FC) intelligence wing, identified as Nooruddin, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the tehsil headquarters of Miranshah in North Waziristan District on February 8, reports Dawn. According to Police, Nooruddin was stationed at a checkpost when unidentified assailants opened fire on him.
Miscellaneous
A Police constable, Saddam Hussain, was killed when terrorists opened fire on a joint patrol of Police and local peace committee members in Ahmadzai Police Station area of Bannu District on January 22, reports The Express Tribune. The exchange of fire continued for nearly 15 minutes. Two terrorists were killed in retaliatory fire after attacking a Domail Police mobile van on Chashmi Road in Bannu District on the night of January 25, reports ARY News. According to authorities, the Police responded immediately to the ambush on their vehicle. During the ensuing exchange of fire, two terrorists were killed.
Two Security Forces (SFs) personnel were injured when an exchange of fire between the SFs and terrorists in the Takhtikhel area of Bakakhel tehsil (revenue unit) in Bannu District on January 25, reports Dawn. At least six terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Chapri village of Mianwali District on January 30, reports ARY News. According to a CTD spokesperson, the operation was launched following credible intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists in the area. As CTD teams approached the location, the militants opened fire, triggering an exchange of gunfire.
Security Forces (SFs) killed 14 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Orakzai District on February 5, reports Dawn. “On reported presence of khwarij, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the Security Forces in Orakzai District. During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and after an intense fire exchange, fourteen khwarij were sent to hell,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release.
Security Forces (SFs) killed 10 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber District on February 5, reports Dawn. A sub-inspector of the Police was killed while an intelligence official sustained injuries when a team of intelligence and Police officers part of a search party who came to arrest a suspected persons for his involvement in the February 6’s suicide bombing on Khadijah al-Kubra Imambargah in Islamabad, came under attack in Hakimabad area of Nowshera District on February 6. One of the attackers who they went to apprehend was also killed in the crossfire.
A local contractor, Bakhtullah Wazir, was killed while his relative Zahidullah, a schoolteacher by profession, was abducted by unidentified assailants in Khadri Mamandkhel area of Bannu District on February 5, reports Dawn. The abducted teacher was later released. On February 6, a Policeman was killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on a polio vaccination team in the Roghani area of Chaman District of Balochistan, reports The Express Tribune. According to the authorities, the polio workers remained unharmed.
A Policeman was shot dead, while two of his family members were injured on February 8 after unidentified assailants opened fire on them in the Boya area of South Waziristan District, reports Dawn. One Policeman, identified as Noor Muhammad, sustained injuries when unidentified terrorists opened fire at the Khonia Khel Police check post in Wazir sub-division of Bannu District on February 8, reports Dawn. Police retaliation forced terrorists to flee.
One Policeman, identified as Azmat, was injured as Police came under attack by unidentified assailants at DI Khan Road under Mirakhel Police Station in Bannu District on February 8 while they were transporting the body of a murdered person to the hospital, reports Dawn. The assailants fled the site of the incident after the attack.
Five Policemen, including Station House Officer (SHO) Faheem Mumtaz Marwat, were killed and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) was injured in a terrorist attack in the Wanda Budh area of Panialatown inDera Ismail Khan District on February 11, reports Aaj TV. According to Police, terrorists opened fire on a Police team when they were returning after a search operation, killing five personnel on the spot. DSP Paharpur Circle Adnan sustained critical injuries and was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Three terrorists were killed while nine other terrorists sustained injuries as Police neutralised a late night assault on the Khonia Khel Police Post in Wazir sub-division of Bannu District on February 11, reports Dawn. An additional Station House Officer was killed after terrorists attacked a Police Station in the War Mamund tehsil (revenue unit) of Bajaur District on the night of February 14, reports Dawn. According to a Police statement, a group of terrorists attacked the Police Station using both light and heavy weapons. Personnel deployed at the Police Station quickly acted and repelled the assault but Additional SHO Gul Mahmood Din was martyred.
Pakistan
SFs kill 41 terrorists during separate IBOs in Balochistan
Security Forces (SFs) killed 30 terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) carried out on the outskirts of Harnai town (Harnai District) on January 29, repots Dawn. According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were carried out on the reported presence of Fitna-al-Hindustan terrorists. “During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the hideout, and after an intense fire exchange, 30 India-sponsored khawarij were sent to hell,” the statement added. A cache of ammunition and explosives was found in the terrorists’ possession and was destroyed by SFs, adds ISPR.
Security Forces (SFs) killed 11 terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) carried out in Panjgur District on January 29, repots Dawn. According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were carried out where a “terrorist hideout was busted and 11 India-sponsored terrorists of Fitna-al-Hindustan were neutralised”. ISPR further stated that weapons, ammunition and money looted in a bank robbery in Panjgur on December 15, 2025, were found in the possession of slain terrorists. “The terrorists were involved in numerous terrorist activities in the past” as well, ISPR added.
92 terrorists killed, 15 security personnel martyred as attacks foiled across Balochistan: ISPR
Ninety-two terrorists were killed as security forces fought off a series of coordinated attacks at multiple locations across Balochistan on Saturday, January 31 with 15 security personnel also martyred in combat, according to the military’s media wing.
In a statement issued on night after the day of attacks, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: “Terrorists of Indian sponsored Fitna al-Hindustan attempted to disturb peace of Balochistan by conducting multiple terrorist activities around Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar and Pasni. “On behest of their foreign masters, these cowardly acts of terrorism were aimed at disrupting the lives of local populace and development of Balochistan by targeting innocent civilians in District Gwadar and Kharan, wherein, terrorists maliciously targeted 18 innocent civilians (including women, children, elderly and labours) who embraced martyrdom.”
The ISPR said that security Forces and law enforcement agencies immediately responded and successfully thwarted the “evil design of terrorists” by displaying “unwavering courage and professional excellence”. The ISPR added that during the clearance operations and intense standoffs “15 brave sons of soil, having fought gallantly, made the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom”.
Militant violence surges in January after December lull, says PICSS
After a noticeable decline in violence in December 2025, the first month of the New Year witnessed a renewed surge in anti-state violence, leading to higher fatalities among militants, civilians and security personnel, Dawn reported on February 2 quoting data released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). PICSS shows that combat-related deaths in January 2026 rose by 43 per cent compared to December 2025.
During the month, 242 militants were killed, while 73 civilians and 46 Security Force (SFs) personnel lost their lives. Twelve militants were injured, while at least 71 civilians and 52 security personnel were also wounded. PICSS reported that January saw 87 militant attacks nationwide, marking a 28pc increase from the 68 attacks recorded in December 2025. Of these, 38 attacks took place in mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 20 in the province’s Tribal Districts (erstwhile FATA), 27 in Balochistan and two in Punjab.
Mastermind of Islamabad Imambargah suicide attack among four arrested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, says Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi
On February 7, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that four facilitators of the suicide attack on an Imambargah in Islamabad, including the “main mastermind”, were arrested and an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police was killed while others were injured during raids in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reports Dawn. Naqvi said, “All those people linked to this, and the mastermind, at around 3 am, all of them were apprehended… After the blast, raids were carried out in Nowshera and Peshawar, in which four facilitators were caught. And their mastermind, who is an Afghan, was also caught,” adding, in reference to Islamic State, “But the main mastermind is linked to Daesh and is in our custody.”
TTP attacks from Afghan soil have increased, says UNSC report
A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report has said that attacks on Pakistan by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from Afghanistan have increased, The Express Tribune reported on February 10. The 37th report by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, dated February 4, said that Afghanistan had become a sanctuary for militants who used its territory to launch attacks on Pakistan, but also came at a time when the country is facing a renewed spate of violence. According to the report, the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan remained a source of concern in Central and South Asia. “There was an increase in attacks in Pakistan launched by TTP (Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan) in Afghanistan, which led to military exchanges. Regional relations remained fragile. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-K) was under sustained counter-terrorism pressure, but it retained a potent capability, coupled with intent to conduct external operations,” it said.
The report also highlighted concern among regional countries about the number of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the spill over effects, including cross-border attacks and the radicalisation of vulnerable domestic communities. It said Afghan de facto authorities claimed there were no terrorist groups within Afghanistan’s borders, yet, it said that “no member state supported this view”. It further said: “The de facto authorities continued to act against ISIL-K and control the external activities of some other groups. TTP, however, was accorded greater liberty and support from the de facto authorities, and consequently TTP attacks against Pakistan increased, amplifying regional tensions”.
Afghanistan Internal Dynamics
ISKP claims responsibility of Kabul bombing
The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has claimed responsibility for January 19, suicide attack on a Chinese restaurant in Kabul’s Shahr-e Naw area that killed seven people, including one Chinese national, Afghanistan International reports on January 20. Taliban officials said the Chinese national killed in the blast was a Muslim from China’s Xinjiang region, identified as Abdul Rahman. In a statement published by ISIS’s Amaq News Agency, the group said a suicide bomber entered a Chinese restaurant, China Lanzhou Beef Noodle, in Shahr-e Naw and detonated explosives among Chinese nationals and their guards. ISKP claimed the attack killed and wounded Chinese citizens, Afghan civilians and Taliban members guarding the site.
On January 20, Chinese Foreign Ministry urged authorities to protect its citizens in Afghanistan after the January 19 explosion in Kabul killing one Chinese national, reports Khaama Press. China’s ministry formally asked Taliban authorities to take serious measures to ensure the safety of all Chinese citizens, projects, and institutions operating in Afghanistan.
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada authorises killing of 11 categories of people under new Taliban penal code
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada authorised the killing of 11 categories of people under a newly endorsed Taliban penal code, granting himself sole authority to approve executions deemed necessary for what the movement describes as the “public interest”, reports Amu TV on February 1.
Article 16 of the Taliban’s new penal code allows for “discretionary execution” (ta’zir by death) of individuals accused of a broad range of offences, including armed opposition to the Taliban, promoting beliefs considered contrary to Islam, sorcery and repeat criminal acts. The code marks a significant departure from Afghanistan’s previous legal framework by explicitly permitting executions with the personal approval of the Taliban leader, referred to in the document as the “Imam”, a title commonly used by the Taliban to denote Akhundzada. Under the article, execution may be ordered against individuals accused of repeatedly committing what the code describes as “corruption”, a term that is not defined.
It also authorises killing those labelled as sa‘i bil-fasad, a category that includes armed opponents of the Taliban, highway robbers, individuals accused of sodomy, sorcerers and others deemed to cause “general harm” to society, where, according to the code, reform is considered impossible without death.
The article further permits execution of anyone who kills using a weapon and those who “defend false beliefs contrary to Islam”. Another provision allows the killing of individuals who promote beliefs considered un-Islamic, including leaders and teachers of Islamic sects outside Sunni Islam. The code refers to followers of non-Sunni schools as mubtadi‘ (innovators), and authorises execution of their leaders or educators if deemed necessary for public interest. The document does not explicitly address the status of Shi’ite Islam, the second-largest religious denomination in Afghanistan.
UNSC report mentions presence of several terror groups in Afghanistan
The 37th report of the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team said Afghanistan’s de facto authorities continued to provide a “permissive environment” for several armed groups, notably Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Arab News reports on February 11. “TTP operates as one of the largest terrorist groups in Afghanistan and its attacks on Pakistani security forces and State structures led to military confrontation,” the report said. “Attacks were increasingly complex and, at times, involved large numbers of fighters.” It added, “Some Member States expressed concern that TTP may deepen its cooperation with Al-Qaeda-aligned groups in order to attack a wider range of targets, potentially resulting in an extra-regional threat”.
Khaama Press adds that this report mentions members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and Turkistan Islamic Party move freely across Afghanistan. The groups finance their activities through involvement in poppy cultivation and mining operations, strengthening their presence in the region. The committee also cited reports that around 250 members joined Taliban Police units in 2025, while fighters from Syria and neighboring countries were urged to relocate to Afghanistan. The report said militants receive support and identification documents from Taliban authorities and are increasingly concentrated in Badakhshan province in northeastern Afghanistan.
Afghanistan International reports that al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is active in south-eastern Afghanistan, while its leader, Osama Mehmood, and his deputy, Atif Yahya Ghouri, are present in Kabul. The group’s media team is reported to operate in Herat Province.
Bangladesh Internal Dynamics
Cocktail explosion at Gano Forum candidate’s house in Magura District
On January 20, a cocktail explosion and arson attack targeted the residence of Gano Forum parliamentary candidate Mizanur Rahman in Srirampur Village of Hajipur Union in Magura Sadar Upazila (Sub-District) in Magura District, reports Prothom Alo. The attack occurred around 2:30 am when unidentified miscreants hurled a crude explosive at the wall and balcony of the house before setting it on fire and fleeing. Police recovered one unexploded cocktail from the scene, which was defused and seized as evidence. Mizanur Rahman claimed that he regularly speaks against terrorism and corruption on various television talk shows. Therefore, unknown miscreants may have carried out such sabotage to intimidate him. Mizanur Rahman stated in the GD that the family is currently suffering from extreme insecurity and is afraid of losing their lives at any time.
BGB arrests former UP member along with drones used by ARA in Cox’s Bazar District
On January 17, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested a former Union Parishad (UP) member identified as Mostafa Kamal in an operation in Hoaikyang border in Teknaf Upazila of Cox’s Bazar District, along with drones, uniforms and sophisticated technology used by Myanmar’s Rohingya armed group Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA), reports DBC News. BGB conducted a raid on Mustafa Kamal’s house based on a secret tip-off. During the search, a large quantity of olive-colored uniforms, drones, walkie-talkies and various technical equipment used by cadres of Myanmar’s armed group ‘Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA)’, also known as Nabi Hossain Bahini, were recovered from his house. According to reports, there was a fierce clash between Myanmar’s rebel group Arakan Army (AA) and several Rohingya armed groups in the Techibrij border area of Hoi Kyung in Teknaf recently. Unable to survive the clash, several members of the Rohingya armed group fled and took refuge in Bangladesh. It is reported that the terrorists who fled had secretly stored their used clothes and equipment in the house of former UP member Mustafa Kamal. Kamal was sent to jail through the court after being handed over to the police in a case filed by the BGB on January 20.
BNP Secures Two-Thirds Majority, Prepares to Form Government
On February 13, according to the official results of 297 seats released by the Bangladesh Election Commission, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won 209 seats in the polls, reports New Age. Polling in Sherpur-3 was postponed following the death of a candidate in the constituency. Meanwhile, the results of Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4 have been kept pending under court directives. According to the EC, the BNP won 209 seats on its own while the Jamaat secured 68 itself.
The National Citizen Party, a member in the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, won six seats. The Islami Andolan Bangladesh obtained one seat. Two other 11-party alliance partners, the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and the Khelafat Majlis, won two and one seat respectively. Among the BNP-lead alliance partners, the Gano Odhikar Parishad secured one seat while the Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP and the Ganosamhati Andolan bagged one seat each. Overall, the BNPled alliance secured 212 seats while the Jamaat-led alliance obtained 77. Seven candidates were elected as independents.
India Internal Dynamics
Ex-Sarpanch shot dead in Chhattisgarh
A former Sarpanch (head of the Panchayat, village level local self-Government institution), identified as identified as Bhima Madkam, aged about 35–40, a resident of Kanchal village, was shot dead with Police suspecting the involvement of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in the killing since he was allegedly shot at with an AK 47, in Kaurgatta village in Pamed region in Bijapur District in the Bastar division of Chhattisgarh on January 20, reports The Times of India. A Police officer said that prima facie, the attack was carried out by unknown assailants, but given the victim’s past role as an elected representative and the area’s Maoist history, the killing is being viewed as suspected Naxal violence.
Seven militant outfits call shutdown to boycott Republic Day in Manipur
On January 22, seven underground militant outfits in Manipur have called for an 18-hour total shutdown from 1200 hours on January 25 to 1800 hours on January 26, to boycott India’s Republic Day celebrations, reports Northeast Now. The call was issued by the Coordination Committee (CorCom), an apex body of six proscribed insurgent groups operating in the State, which urged the public to stay indoors and refrain from activities marking the day. In a statement released by its Publicity Committee, CorCom described Republic Day as a “colonial reconsolidation day” for Manipur (Kangleipak). Separately, the Socialist Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (SOREPA), announced a Republic Day boycott and called for a total bandh from 0500 to 1700 hours on January 26. Emergency services, including medical services, media, fire stations and religious activities, have been exempted. The boycott is linked to opposition to Manipur’s merger with India in 1949.
Three security personnel injured in IED blast in separate blasts in Chhattisgarh
Two security personnel were seriously injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), planted by the Communist Party of India–Maoist (CPI-Maoist), detonated during a joint counter-insurgency operation in the dense Karregutta Forest area along the Bijapur–Dantewada border in Bijapur District of the Bastar division in Chhattisgarh on January 25, reports The Statesman. The incident occurred early in the morning when a combined team of the District Police Forces and the Bijapur Force was conducting a search operation based on specific intelligence inputs regarding Maoist movement in the area. During the operation, a pressure-triggered IED planted along a forest trail exploded, leaving both personnel with severe injuries to their lower limbs. Police officials said that one of the injured personnel belongs to the Dantewada District Police, while the other is from the Bijapur Force. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast injured one security personnel from the District Police Forces at a different location within the operation zone in the same dense Karregutta Forest area along the Bijapur–Dantewada border in Bijapur District of the Bastar division in Chhattisgarh on January 25, reports The Hans India.
| Monthly Fatalities: The following casualties, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism occurred during the period January 20, 2026 to February 19, 2026 | ||||
| Civilian | Indian Security Personnel | Militants | Total | |
| Assam | 02 | 00 | 03 | 05 |
| Chhattisgarh | 03 | 00 | 05 | 08 |
| Jharkhand | 01 | 01 | 02 | 04 |
| Manipur | 02 | 00 | 02 | 04 |
| Total | 8 | 01 | 12 | 21 |
International
Israeli strike kills 3 journalists in Gaza, including AFP freelancer
An Israeli air strike killed an AFP freelancer and two other journalists in Gaza on Wednesday, January 21 the territory’s civil defence agency said, while the military said it struck “suspects” operating a drone. Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored ceasefire in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations. In a statement, the civil defence said “the bodies of the three journalists killed in an Israeli air strike in the Al-Zahra area southwest of Gaza City were transported to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah”. It named the dead as Mohammed Salah Qashta, Abdul Raouf Shaat and Anas Ghneim. Shaat had contributed regularly to AFP as a photo and video journalist, but at the time of the strike, he was not on assignment for the agency. In a statement, the Israeli military said troops had “identified several suspects who operated a drone affiliated with Hamas in the central Gaza Strip”. The military did not elaborate on what it meant by a “drone affiliated with Hamas”. “Due to the threat that the drone posed to the troops, the (Israeli military) precisely struck the suspects who activated the drone,” it said, adding that the details were under review. The civil defence, which operates as a rescue force under Hamas authority, said in an earlier statement that an Israeli drone strike had targeted “a civilian vehicle” near Al-Zahra. Hamas called the strike “a dangerous escalation of the flagrant violations of the ceasefire agreement.” The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, meanwhile, condemned the strike as part of a “systematic and deliberate policy pursued by the Israeli occupation to intentionally target Palestinian journalists”.
IDF accepts over 71,000 killed in war on Gaza
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have accepted the estimate that approximately 71,000 Palestinians were killed during its war on Gaza, Israeli outlet Haaretz reported. Prior to this, Israel had never officially accepted the tally and described the numbers issued by Gaza’s Health Ministry as “misleading and unreliable”, even though the UN considered them reliable. The IDF noted the casualty count excludes missing persons likely buried under rubble and only count those killed by military fire, excluding deaths from starvation or disease due to the conflict. Over 90 per cent of casualties have been identified by name and ID number.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 71,667 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since Oct 7, 2023. Meanwhile on Thursday, January 29 Israeli forces killed at least two Palestinians in Gaza, even as Hamas and Israel move to implement the second phase of a US-brokered peace plan. Medics said two men were killed by Israeli fire in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates.
According to the Gaza health ministry, Israeli airstrikes, tank shelling and gunfire have killed at least 490 people since the truce took effect in October. Israel said four soldiers have been killed by Palestinian groups in the coastal territory over the same period. Separately, the Red Cross said it facilitated the transfer of 15 Palestinian bodies to the Gaza Strip on Thursday after the last prisoner held in the territory was returned to Israel earlier this week. Meanwhile, Pakistan reaffirmed its demand for a credible, time-bound path to Palestinian statehood on Wednesday. Speaking at a Security Council open debate, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar Ahmad emphasised that the unresolved question of sovereignty lies at the heart of Middle East instability. Mr Ahmad strongly condemned Israeli actions against UN facilities, including the recent demolition of a UN compound in Sheikh Jarrah, stressing that such acts undermine stabilisation efforts. He urged an immediate end to illegal settlement activity and attempts to alter the demographic, legal or historical character of the occupied territory.
Gunmen kill three people and abduct Catholic priest in northern Nigeria
Gunmen killed three people and abducted a Catholic priest and several others during an early morning attack on the clergyman’s residence in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna state, church and police sources said on Sunday, January 30. Saturday’s assault in Kauru district highlights persistent insecurity in the region, and came days after security services rescued all 166 worshippers abducted in attacks by gunmen on two churches elsewhere in Kaduna.
Such attacks have drawn the attention of US President Donald Trump, who has accused Nigeria’s government of failing to protect Christians, a charge Abuja denies. US forces struck what they described as terrorist targets in northwestern Nigeria on December 25. The Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan named the kidnapped clergyman as Nathaniel Asuwaye, parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Karku, and said 10 other people were abducted. Three residents were killed during the attack, which began at about 3:20am (7:20 PKT, the diocese said in a statement. A Kaduna police spokesperson confirmed the incident, but said five people had been abducted in total and that the three people killed were members of the security forces. Rights group Amnesty International said in a statement on Sunday that Nigeria’s security crisis was “increasingly getting out of hand”. It accused the government of “gross incompetence” and failure to protect civilians as gunmen kill, abduct and terrorise rural communities across several northern states.
Over 45 Nigerians massacred in attacks on villages
Gunmen shot dead or cut the throats of more than 45 people in three new attacks on villages in a Nigerian state, a humanitarian source said on Saturday, February 14. The attacks again threw the spotlight on Nigeria’s efforts to contain security threats that have been strongly criticised by US President Donald Trump. Some 38 people were shot dead or had their throats cut at Konkoso in Niger state, the source said.
Nearly all homes were burned down in the village and more bodies were expected to be found. Seven more people were killed at Tungan Makeri and one in the village of Pissa, the source added. All the villages are in the Borgu locality near Kwara state where more than 160 people were massacred by suspected jihadists in early February. Niger state police confirmed six dead and other people kidnapped in a dawn raid at Tungan Makeri. Nigeria is riven by security challenges ranging from armed gangs who stage kidnappings to jihadist groups who attack villages.
Insecurity in Africa’s most populous country has been under intense scrutiny in recent months since Trump alleged a “genocide” of Christians in Nigeria. The claim has been rejected by the Nigerian government and many independent experts, who say the country’s security crises claim the lives of both Christians and Muslims, often without distinction. The United States announced this week that it will deploy 200 troops to Nigeria to train its armed forces in their fight against jihadist groups.
Nearly 100 states, 3 blocs slam West Bank ‘annexation’
As Israeli authorities barred the imam of Al Aqsa Mosque from entering the compound, 93 states — including the eight-nation Muslim bloc — slammed Tel Aviv’s move to designate lands in the occupied West Bank as so-called “state land”. Last week, the Israeli cabinet approved measures that would increase Israeli civilian authority in Areas A and B of the West Bank, which together constitute roughly 40 per cent of the territory. Israeli NGOs have also raised alarm over the government’s settlement plan, which they say would mark the first expansion of Jerusalem’s borders into the occupied West Bank since 1967.
According to a statement, issued by the Palestinian mission to the United Nations, 85 nations as well as the European Union (EU), Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab League called for the immediate reversal of the Israeli annexation of the West Bank. States who signed up to the latest statement include Algeria, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chad, China, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, North Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Russia, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, The Gambia, Turkiye, Uganda, UAE, Tanzania, UK, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe. An earlier statement from the foreign ministers of the eight-nation Muslim bloc also condemned Israel for approving procedures for the registration and settlement of land ownership across extensive areas of the occupied West Bank.
| Current Threat Levels : | ||
| City/Region | Threat Level | |
| Islamabad | Level 2 | ** |
| Karachi | Level 2 | ** |
| Lahore | Level 2 | ** |
| Punjab | Level 2 | ** |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Level 3 | *** |
| Peshawar | Level 2 | ** |
| Quetta | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper Balochistan | Level 3 | *** |
| Lower Balochistan | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper/ Rural Sindh | Level 2 | ** |
| Gilgit and Northern areas | Level 3 | *** |
| Tribal Areas, Close to Afghan border | Level 3 | *** |
| Index to Threat Level References | |
| Threat Level 1 No threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required. | * |
| Threat Level 2 No specific threat to foreigners, however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised, especially if traveling. | ** |
| Threat Level 3 Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Foreigners should rehearse plans for evacuation. | *** |
| Threat Level 4 Indicates complete breakdown of civil administration and law and order leading to possible anarchy. All foreigners remain indoors and confined to their own city. Families and staff not required to be evacuated retaining only a skeleton staff. | **** |
| Threat Level 5 Indicates complete breakdown of law and order, enemy action/hostilities, invasion/ occupation by enemy | ***** |
