Pakistan police kill two most wanted terrorists
PESHAWAR, Oct 10: Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and local police on Friday gunned down two most-wanted terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said. According to police, the joint CTD and police teams launched the intelligence-based operation in the Domail area of Bannu district, where the terrorists were reportedly planning a major attack. An intense exchange of fire lasting about 25 minutes resulted in the deaths of two most-wanted terrorists, Malang Yar and Khalid Usman, both residents of Bannu, police said. Yar was wanted for attacks on CTD and police checkpoints that killed four officers, while Usman was involved in assaults on CTD and law enforcement personnel and a polio worker. During the operation, security forces recovered two rifles, hand grenades, ammunition, mobile phones and identity cards of a banned outfit from the scene. Some accomplices of the slain terrorists managed to flee under the cover of darkness. A search operation has been launched in the surrounding area to track them down, police said. (PTI)
Pak Hindu minor pleads for freedom after forced conversion
KARACHI, Oct 10: A 15-year-old Hindu girl in Pakistan’s Sindh province pleaded in court to return to her family, alleging she was abducted, raped, and married after being forcibly converted to Islam. The court directed her placement in a safe house until a decision is reached. Her mother reported threats and violence faced during their legal struggle to prove the girl’s age. Shiva Kachhi, a social welfare worker, highlighted this case as part of a troubling pattern in Sindh, where abductions and forced conversions of underage Hindu girls are common. Following the presentation of evidence, the court ordered the arrest of the Qazi who officiated the marriage, while the primary suspect remains at large. Rights organizations estimate around 1,000 minority girls are abducted and converted annually in Sindh, many cases going unreported due to the victims’ marginalized status. (PTI)
Russian attacks hit Kyiv, kill child in another area
KYIV, Oct 10: Russian drone and missile strikes on Friday wounded at least 20 people in Kyiv and caused significant damage, including power outages across Ukraine. A child was killed in separate attacks in the southeast. In Kyiv, rescue crews responded to a fire in a 17-story apartment building, evacuating over 20 people, with five hospitalized. President Zelenskyy noted that the strikes targeted civilian and energy infrastructure as winter approached. Prime Minister Svyrydenko characterized the assault as one of the largest against Ukraine’s energy systems. Kyiv Mayor Klitschko reported citywide power outages. Ukraine’s air force intercepted a majority of the 465 drones and 32 missiles launched. In Zaporizhzhia, additional attacks resulted in a young boy’s death and damage to residential areas and energy sites. (AP)
