January 8, 2025

A 23-year-old hiker whose disappearance sparked a nearly two-week-long land and air search of dense Australian wilderness has been found alive, authorities said Wednesday. Hadi Nazari was last seen by friends on December 26 as he walked down a trail to take photos in Kosciuszko National Park, south of Sydney in the state of New South Wales. When he failed to return to their campsite, his friends notified police who began an intensive search involving 300 people from multiple rescue agencies, NSW Police said in a statement. In the end, Nazari wasn’t found by searchers but by a group of hikers near a trail – about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the search command post – at about 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8. “My understanding is that there was a group of hikers in the area,” Riverina Police District Commander Superintendent Andrew Spliet told reporters. “He called out to them and disclosed who he was, and [said] that he’d been lost in the bush.” Hadi Nazari seen with hikers who found him in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia. NSW Rural Fire Service Video released by the NSW Rural Fire Service showed Nazari with the hikers as he waited for rescuers to airlift him out. He was later winched into a helicopter and transported to the command post, where he was examined by paramedics. Spliet said Nazari seemed to be “in really good health.” Nazari told rescuers he had found two granola bars at an abandoned hut, but “that’s pretty much all that he’s had to consume over the last two weeks,” Spliet said. “He’s been reunited with his family, who are very, very happy to have him back,” he said. 300 rescue staff and volunteers searched the national park for signs of the missing hiker. NSW Police Nazari’s family told CNN affiliate 9 News that it was the “happiest day of our lives.” “We talked to him… He is ok… He is fine,” his family said, according to the network. Signs of Nazari were found during the search last week, including garbage and his hiking poles. Then on Sunday, a campfire, lighter and a camera thought to belong to the missing hiker suggested he could be close by. Kosciuszko National Park covers an area of 6 square kilometers (2.3 square miles) in New South Wales. It’s popular with hikers for its challenging trails and stunning scenery. Mount Kosciuszko In the last two weeks, summer temperatures have created sweltering conditions, but searchers had been reassured by the presence of water in the area where Nazari vanished. NSW Riverina Police District Inspector Josh Broadfoot thanked emergency services for their efforts. “This is an incredible outcome – after 13 long days he has been located. We want to thank our emergency services partner agencies, volunteers and members of the public for their assistance,” he said. “We never gave up hope of finding him.” Source: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/australia-missing-hiker-found-intl-hnk/index.html

Military’s media wing says 3 soldiers also martyred in clashes with militants on January 6-7At least 19 terrorists were killed as security forces conducted three separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said three soldiers were also martyred during the clashes with the militants on January 6-7. It said the security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in general area Matani of Peshawar district on the reported presence of militants. During the conduct of operation, the army troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and resultantly, eight militants were shot dead. The ISPR said the second IBO was conducted in general area Baizai, Mohmand District. In ensuing fire exchange, the military’s media affairs wing said that eight terrorists were effectively engaged and neutralised by the security forces. In another engagement in Karak District, army troops effectively engaged terrorist location and as a result of which three militants were killed. However, during intense fire exchange, the ISPR said that three brave sons of soil, Lance Havaldar Abbas Ali, 38, Naik Muhammad Nazir, 37 and Naik Muhammad Usman, 37, having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat [martyrdom]. Sanitisation operations were conducted to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area. “Security forces are determined to wipe-out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR added. The year 2024 turned out to be the deadliest for Pakistan’s civil and military security forces in a decade with at least 685 fatalities and 444 terror attacks, according to “CRSS Annual Security Report 2024” issued by Centre for Security and Strategic Studies. Equally alarming were the cumulative losses of civilians and security personnel, i.e, 1,612 fatalities, accounting for over 63pc of the total recorded this year, marking 73pc more losses compared to 934 outlaws eliminated, The News reported citing CRSS report. The overall fatalities recorded previous year were a record 9-year high and over 66% more than 2023. On average, nearly seven lives were lost daily, with November emerging as the deadliest month across all metrics, compared to all other months of the year. The violence took the heaviest toll on KP which topped in human losses with 1,616 fatalities, followed by Balochistan with 782 fatalities. In 2024, the country suffered 2,546 violence-linked fatalities and 2,267 injuries among civilians, security personnel and outlaws. This tally of casualties stemmed from 1,166 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations, marking a grim year for country’s security landscape. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1269694-19-terrorists-killed-in-three-separate-kp-operations-ispr

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/8/live-israeli-forces-kill-49-in-gaza-including-children-in-tent-camp