Nine militants, four security personnel killed in NW Pak
PESHAWAR, May 15: Nine suspected militants and four security personnel were killed in a gunfight in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said. The clash occurred late Thursday in Bajaur district after militants launched attacks in Meena and Inayat Kalay areas. Security forces reportedly responded “effectively,” killing nine attackers, while several others were injured. Authorities cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to locate remaining militants. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the assault. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has long faced instability due to militant activity, cross-border movement from Afghanistan, and frequent military operations, with its rugged terrain and porous border complicating security efforts. Officials say violence in the region has increased sharply over the past year. According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies’ 2025 report, total fatalities in Pakistan rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025, reflecting a worsening security situation driven largely by militant attacks. (PTI)
B’desh reports severe levels of partner violence
DHAKA, May 15: Bangladesh continues to record some of the world’s highest levels of intimate partner violence, according to WHO data and national surveys cited by local media. The country ranks 11th globally for physical and sexual violence against women by intimate partners and is the second worst in South Asia after Afghanistan. Reports show nearly one in two women in Bangladesh have experienced such abuse. A Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics survey found 46.7% of women faced physical violence, 28.5% sexual violence, 32.7% emotional abuse, 9.7% economic violence, and 50.1% reported controlling behaviour by partners. Another 2025 survey indicated 70% of women aged 15 and above experienced at least one form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Experts warn the violence severely harms women’s physical and mental health, destabilises families, and negatively affects children, reinforcing cycles of trauma and inequality across generations. (IANS)
Indian-origin gang leader sentenced for gun trafficking
NEW YORK, May 15: A 27-year-old Indian-origin man, Jashanpreet Singh, has been sentenced to five years and four months in prison in the United States for unlawful firearms dealing and possession of a machine gun. Singh founded the “Punjabi Devils” motorcycle club in California, which authorities say was linked to the Hells Angels network. He was convicted after attempting to sell weapons to an undercover officer, including assault rifles, a short-barrelled rifle, machine gun conversion devices, and a revolver. A search of his home uncovered additional illegal firearms, a silencer, and explosive devices such as a grenade and a suspected claymore mine, which were destroyed by bomb disposal experts. He was arrested at San Francisco airport while attempting to flee to India and remains in federal custody. (PTI)
