December 13, 2023

As the cross-border attacks witness a new spike, Pakistan on Tuesday called on incumbent Afghan rulers to ensure accountability of those involved in the deadly Dera Ismail Khan attack, resulting in the martyrdom of over 20 security personnel. At least 23 soldiers embraced martyrdom when militants rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a Pakistani military base, the army said, in an attack claimed by affiliates of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The suicide squad of six terrorists — all of whom were killed later — attacked the outpost in the DI Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province — near the Afghan border — in the early hours of Tuesday, the military’s media wing said in a statement. In response, Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi summoned Afghanistan’s top diplomat in Islamabad to deliver Pakistan’s strong demarche. “The attack[‘s] responsibility has been claimed by the Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, a terrorist group affiliated with the TTP,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. The statement mentioned that the envoy was asked to immediately convey to the Afghan interim government to fully investigate and take stern action against the perpetrators of the recent attack. Qazi demanded that the Afghan government, while publicly condemning the terrorist incident at the highest level, take immediate verifiable actions against all terrorist groups — including their leadership — and their sanctuaries. The foreign secretary further said the neighbouring nation should apprehend and hand over the perpetrators of the attack and the TTP leadership in Afghanistan to the Pakistani government. “[They] should also take all necessary measures to deny the persistent use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan,” the statement mentioned. The Foreign Office also said that the terrorist attack is yet another reminder of the terrorist threat to peace and stability in the region. “We must act resolutely with all our collective might to defeat this menace. On its part, Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to combat terrorism.” The army’s media wing said Dera Ismail Khan had “witnessed heightened activities” overnight and a total of 27 militants were killed in firefights with troops in the area. Pakistan has witnessed a dramatic spike in militant attacks, mainly in its border regions with Afghanistan, since the Taliban returned to power there in 2021. The first half of 2023 saw a nearly 80% spike in attacks compared to last year, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. Islamabad has time and again stated that hostile groups operate from “sanctuaries” across the border, however, the Taliban government routinely denies the charges. The biggest threat to Pakistan is the TTP, which shares lineage and ideology with Kabul’s rulers. In January, the TTP was linked to a mosque bombing that martyred more than 80 police officers inside a headquarters in Peshawar, the capital of KP. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1137636-islamabad-demands-kabul-action-after-di-khan-terror-attack

  A bus crash in the Mexican state of Oaxaca killed 16 people on Friday, according to local authorities, who say most of the passengers were migrants. Three children and two women are among the victims, all of whom are from Venezuela and Haiti, the Oaxaca state attorney general said. At least 27 people were injured and transported to nearby hospitals. Pictures posted by authorities on Facebook show the large bus flipped over and heavily damaged on a curve of the mountainous Oaxaca-Cuacnopalan highway. Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, which took place at 5 a.m. local time (7 a.m. ET). The Oaxaca state attorney general’s office had first said 18 people died in the crash, then revised its count late on Friday evening. The scene of the crash. Oaxaca Civil Protection Agency The tragedy follows the deaths of at least 10 Cuban migrants, including a child, on Sunday, when the truck they were traveling in also overturned in southern Mexico, according to local authorities. Venezuela and Haiti are sources of large numbers of migrants traveling northward, fleeing insecurity and economic crisis at home. US and Mexican officials have struggled to respond to the arrivals, with Washington putting increasing pressure on Mexico City to shoulder more responsibility for people crossing its territory. Food shortages and limited access to health care have driven more than 7.7 million people from Venezuela alone – a scale of displacement that outpaces Ukraine, where there’s an active war. On Thursday, senior officials in the Biden administration said the US would restart deporting Venezuelans directly to Venezuela in an attempt to curb the record influx, marking a major shift in policy. Haiti meanwhile is waiting for a new multinational mission to help bring order to the country, currently roiled by unchecked gang violence, kidnappings and food insecurity. Source:https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/06/americas/mexico-bus-crash-intl-latam/index.html

UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passes non-binding resolution urging humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza as Israeli bombardment continues. US President Biden says Israel “starting to lose support by [the] indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza. WHO chief raises concerns after Israeli forces raid northern Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, calls for the protection of patients and staff. UN agency for Palestinian refugees says Gaza has become “one of the most dangerous places in the world” amid deepening humanitarian crisis. At least 18,412 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel stands at 1,147. Israeli forces have been raiding Jenin for more than 29 hours An Israeli military raid on Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp has been going on for 29 hours, and there are still no signs of it ending. Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, said videos showed one residential home being surrounded by the Israeli army, which put out warnings for its occupants to leave. There was at least one arrest made in that location. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said that up to 100 Palestinians may have been arrested in the raid so far, and about 30 of those initially detained may have been released. Raids are also taking place across the West Bank in the cities of Nablus, Hebron, Bethlehem and the Ramallah outskirts. Click Flooding tunnels in Gaza will be ‘disastrous’ Flooding a network of tunnels used by Hamas with seawater will have “devastating consequences” on the environment and the water aquifer in the enclave, Tamer Qarmout of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies has said. The Wall Street Journal and ABC News, citing anonymous US officials, reported that flooding had begun to flush out Hamas fighters and the process could take weeks. “Historically, since the creation of Israel, Gaza used to have a key river called the Gaza Valley River, which crossed through Gaza. Israel cut the flow of this river and deprived Gaza of a major source of drinking water,” he told Al Jazeera. “With Gaza being a very small area with 2.3 million people, the water has been over-exploited. The quality of drinking water is really bad, and salinity is a real issue.” Click Biden warns Israel risks losing support over ‘indiscriminate’ Gaza bombing US President Joe Biden has warned that Israel risks losing international support over its “indiscriminate bombing” of civilians in its war against Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip. Yemen’s Houthis attacking civilian ships with no connection to Israel: HRW Human Rights Watch says Yemen’s Houthis are targeting several commercial ships carrying civilian crews in the Red Sea that have no connection to Israel. “The Houthis are claiming that they’re carrying out attacks on behalf of Palestinians, when the reality is that they’re attacking, arbitrarily detaining, and endangering civilians on ship crews who have zero connection to any known military target,” Michael Page, Middle East and North Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “The Houthis should immediately release the hostages and end their attacks on civilians caught in the crosshairs of their declared war on Israel.” The watchdog said the Norwegian-flagged Strinda, which was hit by a missile on Tuesday, was carrying palm oil to Italy rather than oil to Israel, as stated by the Houthis. On December 3, two other bulk cargo carriers were attacked despite not being bound for Israel. Buildings demolished in occupied West Bank’s Anata and Marj Na’ja: UN Palestinian-owned buildings were demolished by Israeli forces in Anata and Marj Na’ja in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the UN reports. In total, at least 1,001 Palestinian-owned structures have been demolished in the occupied West Bank this year alone, displacing at least 1,870 people, according to the latest figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Senior PLO official says UN General Assembly vote shows Israel’s isolation In a brief statement posted on social media, Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s executive committee, has said Israel is isolated internationally over its war on Gaza. Al-Sheikh issued the statement after 153 UN member states voted in favour of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with only 10 countries, including the US, opposing the resolution and 23 others abstaining. The resolution, however, is considered as non-binding. [Translation: “The UN resolution in the General Assembly calling for stopping the aggression against the Palestinian people demonstrates Israel’s isolation internationally, and requires international will to implement this resolution immediately”.] Click here to share on social media If you’re just joining us It’s nearly 7am local time (05:00 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. Here are the latest developments overnight: UN General Assembly overwhelmingly votes for a non-binding resolution urging a ceasefire in Gaza. Some 8,000 people are missing or trapped under the rubble in Gaza, a civil defence official says. Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin continues after 24 hours. Eight more Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza over the past day. Israel deploys four new warships to the Red Sea. Click here to share on social media Israeli military says 8 more soldiers killed in Gaza over past day Those killed included a 35-year-old lieutenant colonel, two 23-year-old majors, a 19-year-old sergeant and a 22-year-old captain all serving with the Israeli infantry’s Golani Brigade. All were killed in fighting in northern Gaza. Two majors – one 26 years old and another 20 years old – with the 669 Special Rescue Tactical Unit were also killed in fighting in the north of the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli military. And a 19-year-old sergeant in the combat engineers was also killed in the north of the Palestinian territory, it said. On Tuesday, the UN reported that a total of 105 Israeli soldiers had been killed since Israel invaded Gaza and that 600 had been injured, citing the Israeli military. It was not known if that total figure included the latest eight deaths reported. Click here to share on social media‘Biden needs to pull the