Balochistan attack injures five Punjab labourers
Karachi, April 28: Five labourers from Pakistan’s Punjab were injured in a grenade attack in Balochistan’s Chagai district on Monday night. According to police, unidentified masked assailants on motorcycles hurled at least two grenades at a building where the workers, employed on daily wages, were staying. Station House Officer Faiz Baksh Malli confirmed that all five injured labourers were shifted to a hospital for treatment. Separately, in the Chaman border area, security sources reported “unprovoked” cross-border firing, to which Pakistani forces responded. They claimed to have destroyed multiple Afghan Taliban posts in the sector. Balochistan, along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, remains heavily affected by militancy and frequent attacks. Violence has surged since the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between the government and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in November 2022, leading to increased instability and security challenges in these regions. (PTI)
Key LeT member Sheikh Yousaf Afridi shot dead
LAHORE, April 28: Sheikh Yousaf Afridi, a key Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) figure and close associate of Hafiz Saeed, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The attack occurred on Sunday in Landi Kotal, about 250 km from Islamabad, when assailants opened indiscriminate fire, killing him on the spot. No group has claimed responsibility. Afridi was considered an important figure in LeT’s regional network, reportedly involved in recruitment and coordination of activities.
The killing has triggered anger locally, with authorities launching an investigation. An official from Jamaat-ud-Dawa described Afridi as a religious scholar from the Ahl-e-Hadith school. His death follows a recent attack in Lahore where LeT leader Amir Hamza was injured. Hamza is regarded as the group’s second-in-command after Hafiz Saeed, who is currently jailed for terror financing. (PTI)
Afghanistan: 7 killed, 75 injured in Pakistani strikes
KABUL, April 28: At least seven people were killed and 75 injured after reported Pakistani strikes hit Afghanistan’s Kunar province, including Asadabad and Sarkano district, according to local media. The death toll may rise as more victims are identified.
Hospital officials in Asadabad said dozens of injured people, including women and children, are being treated, while emergency teams continue operations. The strikes allegedly hit residential areas and Sayed Jamaluddin Afghan University, causing heavy damage and panic. Around 30 students and staff were reportedly injured, and several buildings were damaged, forcing some residents to flee.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education condemned the attack, calling it “cowardly” and urging international response. It said efforts are underway to support victims and protect educational institutions amid rising Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions. (IANS)
