May 7, 2024

A major terrorist bid was foiled by police and intelligence agencies as they arrested two ‘agents’ of the Indian spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in a joint operation in Karachi, Korangi Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hasan Sardar said on Monday. The official said that two hand grenades, a 9mm pistol and ammunition had been seized from the “terrorists” arrested during the targetted operation.  Sardar further said that the nabbed terrorist had been involved in the recce of a target pointed out by foreign elements. He said that the terrorists used to send the images and information gathered during the recce abroad and received millions of rupees from foreign bank accounts for that. Indian infiltration inside Pakistani territory for intelligence and terrorist purposes is not something known as a number of incidents of extra-territorial activities by RAW and arrest of its agents have been reported in the past. Earlier this year, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi exposed the “sophisticated and sinister” Indian campaign of extra-territorial and extra-judicial killings. Pakistan has “credible evidence” for Indian agents’ link to the killings of two of its citizens on Pakistani soil, Qazi had revealed in January. These claims were provided further credence by British daily newspaper, The Guardian, through a report that revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Indian government “ordered killings” on Pakistan’s soil. Quoting intelligence operatives, the report stated that New Delhi has adopted a policy of targeting those it considers hostile to India on foreign soil. Already strained by historical baggage and border disputes, Islamabad and New Delhi’s ties hit new lows after 2016’s Kulbushan Yadav spy arrest and the 2019 revocation of Indian Illegal Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK) special status. The Kashmir move, a blatant violation of international laws, froze diplomacy and choked trade between the two adjoining countries. Pakistan has, for more than four years, conditioned restoring ties with its nuclear neighbour to the restoration of IIOJK’s special status. India’s notorious spy agency RAW, which is directly controlled by the office of PM Modi, allegedly began to carry out assassinations abroad following the 2019 Pulwama attack. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1186042-terrorist-bid-foiled-as-two-raw-agents-arrested-in-karachi

At least five people have died and about 50 others remain trapped following the collapse of a building in South Africa. Rescue teams said on Tuesday that they had contacted survivors buried under the rubble after they worked overnight at the site in the coastal city of George, in South Africa’s Western Cape province. The five-storey building, which was under construction, collapsed on Monday afternoon. No cause has yet been given. Twenty-six of the 75 construction workers on site at the time of the collapse had been pulled from the rubble by Tuesday morning. Five were declared dead; the remainder were transported to hospital. Of the 49 still unaccounted for, rescuers said they contacted 11 people. “Four of them are trapped in a basement,” Colin Deiner, chief director for disaster management, told a news conference, adding that there is a possibility that more could be alive. The priority is to get all those still trapped out, Deiner said, adding it could take much of the day. Rescuers will then begin the process of lifting the different floors. “It’s a very tough operation,” he said. “So many people trapped in a building like that is like searching for a needle in a haystack. You literally have to break through the concrete and cut through the reinforcing.” It is unclear yet why the building, located near the city centre, suddenly collapsed. The police have opened a case and authorities are investigating. Security camera footage from nearby showed the concrete structure and metal scaffolding come crashing down at 2.09pm local time (12:09 GMT) on Monday. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday sent condolences to the families of those affected and called on investigators to work quickly to rescue survivors. “Investigations into the cause of the incident must aim to bring closure to the community and prevent a repeat of this disaster,” the statement read. At least 11 of those injured were in “red” conditions, authorities said, indicating that “emergency” care was needed for critical injuries under South Africa’s triage procedures. Three people were classified as needing “yellow” or “urgent” care, while 12 others were in less critical “green” and “blue” conditions. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/7/five-dead-in-south-africa-building-collapse