Pak security forces kill three TTP terrorists in KP
Peshawar, Dec 14: Three terrorists associated with the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan were killed in an intelligence-based operation in northwest Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Sunday. The operation was conducted in the area close to the Pak-Afghan border in Bajaur district after the reported presence of the terrorists. The terrorists were involved in various subversive activities like attacks on security forces, police, and IED blasts. The security forces seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the possession of the terrorists after the operation. The police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. Pakistan continues to reel under terrorism with a surge of 25 per cent terror incidents in 2025 compared to the previous year, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa being the worst hit province, according to Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) think tank. (PTI)
First Thai civilian dies in Cambodian border attack
THAILAND, Dec 14: Thailand reported its first civilian death from the renewed border fighting with Cambodia, after a rocket attack on Sunday killed 63-year-old villager Don Patchapan in Sisaket province. The two nations have been clashing over disputed frontier land, including ancient temple sites, since a Dec. 7 skirmish that injured two Thai soldiers. Over the past week, more than two dozen people have been killed on both sides, and over half a million displaced. Cambodia has deployed truck-mounted BM-21 rocket launchers, firing thousands of rockets daily, while Thailand has responded with fighter jet airstrikes. Both sides have also used drones for attacks and surveillance. Villages have suffered extensive damage, with houses destroyed and residents injured. Thailand reports 16 military deaths, while Cambodia disputes casualty numbers. The fighting disrupted a US-brokered ceasefire. Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet hailed his country’s resilience, while Thai officials condemned attacks on civilians as “cruel and inhumane.” (AP)
Indian-origin man among four killed in SA temple
JOHANNESBERG, Dec 14: A four-storey Hindu temple under construction in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, collapsed on Friday, killing four people, including 52-year-old Indian-origin Vickey Jairaj Panday, a temple trust executive and project manager. The New Ahobilam Temple of Protection in Redcliffe, north of eThekwini, was being expanded when part of the building gave way while workers and devotees were on site. Two deaths were confirmed on Friday, with the toll rising to four on Saturday after more bodies were recovered. Rescue efforts, initially guided by cellphone calls, were paused due to bad weather, and it remains unclear if anyone else is trapped. The temple, built with rocks from India, lacked approved building plans, suggesting illegal construction. Authorities vowed to continue search and rescue operations despite slim chances of finding additional survivors. (AP)
