Gunmen open fire on GB security post, killing two
PESHAWAR, Aug 29: A checkpoint along the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit Baltistan has been attacked by gunmen, killing two paramilitary personnel and injuring another. The incident occurred near Chilas in Diamer district, following a passenger bus fire in December 2023. The checkpoint was set up in December, following a similar incident involving nine dead and 21 injured. The attackers escaped, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Two grenades and 10 shells were recovered, and at least 17 bullet marks were found on the checkpoint. Additional police and elite force personnel were deployed to strengthen security and launch a search operation. This is the latest in a series of attacks along the Karakoram Highway. (PTI)
22 dead in Pak’s Punjab floods; Lahore faces historic flooding
LAHORE, Aug 29: At least 22 people have died in the last 24 hours as floodwaters entered Lahore, Pakistan’s Punjab province, for the first time in almost 40 years. The province has been experiencing severe floods for almost a week, with at least 1,700 villages inundated, including the Sikh sacred site of Kartarpur. The floods have caused unprecedented monsoon rain and excess water from the Indian side, swelling the three eastern rivers – Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab. The Punjab government has reported that standing crops on thousands of acres have been destroyed in the devastating floods. Rescue teams and the Pakistan army have evacuated over one million people so far. The Punjab administration has called in the Pakistan Army in eight districts to assist civil authorities in rescue and relief operations. India has communicated flood warnings to Pakistan through diplomatic channels on humanitarian grounds. Punjab, drained by five rivers, is drained by Sutlej, Ravi, Chenab, jhelum, and Beas, all into peak monsoon flows. Over one million people have been evacuated and relocated to safe locations over eight days. (PTI)
Sikh man with machete fatally shot in LA
NEW YORK, Aug 29: Gurpreet Singh, a 35-year-old Sikh man from Arcadia, California, was fatally shot by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers following a car chase on July 13. Singh was seen waving a 27-inch long machete towards passing vehicles and pedestrians, and attempting to cut his tongue with the machete. The LAPD released a detailed video of the incident, which shows Singh driving erratically, colliding with an officer’s vehicle, and then charging at the officers. Singh was struck by gunfire and fell to the pavement. The LAFD transported Singh to a local hospital for medical treatment, while the machete was recovered at the scene and booked as evidence. The LAPD is currently conducting an investigation to determine whether the officers’ tactics, drawing and exhibiting a weapon, and use of deadly force met the standards expected of all LAPD officers. (PTI)