Pakistan forces eliminate 47 terrorists in Balochistan
Peshawar, Aug 9: At least 47 terrorists have been killed by security forces in Balochistan province near the Afghanistan border in the last two days, Pakistan military’s media wing said on Saturday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said the security forces conducted a sanitisation operation and killed 33 terrorists in Sambaza in Zhob district during the intervening night of August 7-8. Another 14 terrorists were neutralised in another operation in the surrounding areas of Sambaza along the Afghanistan border on the intervening night of August 8-9, the ISPR said. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the slain terrorists, it added. Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in terrorist attacks, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, since the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. (PTI)
Gunmen kill four in Ecuador boat attack; over 12 missing
San Juan, Aug 9: Dozens of gunmen have attacked a boat off Ecuador’s southeast coast, killing several people after opening fire on its occupants and launching explosives at the vessel, according to local news reports. The attack occurred Friday evening in the troubled region of El Oro. Extra, a local newspaper, quoted witnesses as saying that some 60 armed men approached the boat, killing at least four people with more than a dozen believed to be missing. At least two victims have been identified, according to the newspaper. Authorities have yet to issue comment on the attack. It occurred less than 48 hours after the government placed El Oro province under a two-month state of emergency following a surge in violence. President Daniel Noboa, who was re-elected in May, has pledged to tackle drug trafficking and violent crime. The South American country of some 18 million people reported some 8,000 killings last year, with crime surging this year. (AP)
Gunman, police officer dead in US shooting
ATLANTA, Aug 9: A suspected gunman and a police officer have died after law enforcement responded to reports of an active shooter near the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Emory University campuses. No civilians are believed to have been injured, but several rounds hit buildings on the CDC’s campus. The officer who died received gunfire during the shooting and was critically injured at the scene. Authorities recovered three other firearms at the scene. The gunman was found on the second floor of a building across the street from the CDC and died at the scene. The motive for the shooting is unknown, and a white car with an open truck is being searched. Authorities have lifted the shelter-in-place order on campus but asked people to avoid the area. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr expressed horror at the news and prayers for the safety of the entire campus community. The investigation is still in the “preliminary stages,” and the motive for the shooting is not known. (AP)