Two killed in two separate blasts in Pak
PESHAWAR, June 1: Two explosions in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have resulted in the deaths of at least two people. The first explosion occurred at a tube well near a house in Kohat district’s Darra Adam Khel town, killing two people. The house was destroyed in the explosion. The second explosion occurred in Bannu district, where an improvised explosive device (IED) was planted in an under-construction building belonging to Rescue 1122 emergency services. The building was heavily damaged, but no casualties were reported. The second attack on a Rescue 1122 building in the last three months occurred in April. Pakistan has experienced a surge in terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, following the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in November 2022. In March 2025, the number of terrorist incidents crossed 100 for the first time since November 2014. Pakistan ranked second on the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with terror-related deaths rising by 45 per cent over the past year to 1,081. (PTI)
Baloch army claims Surab takeover in offensive
SURAB, June 1: The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for a large-scale armed operation in Surab city, Pakistan, claiming complete control over the area and targeting key state installations. The operation lasted over three hours, taking over military, administrative, and financial facilities. BLA fighters arrested several Levies and police personnel and confiscated 30 Kalashnikov rifles and other weapons. The detained personnel were later released on conditional concessions based on their Baloch identity. Assistant Deputy Commissioner Hidayatullah Buledi was detained during the seizure of the Deputy Commissioner’s office and later died due to suffocation. The BLA established checkpoints on the Quetta-Karachi and Surab-Gidar highways, further restricting state movement in the region. The BLA reiterates its broader struggle for Baloch national liberation and vows to continue targeting all symbols and institutions of the Pakistani state. (ANI)
Chinese forces detected near Taiwan
TAIPEI, June 1: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence detected five Chinese aircraft, seven Chinese vessels, and one official ship near its territorial waters. Four of these sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ. The US issued a warning against China’s growing military aggression in the Indo-Pacific, stating that Beijing is preparing to use force to alter the regional balance of power, with Taiwan at the center of its ambitions. US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth stated that China is “rehearsing for the real deal” and building capabilities to invade Taiwan. China has vowed to merge Taiwan with the mainland by force if necessary. (ANI)