International News
Four Police Killed, Six Injured In Pakistan Taliban’s Roadside Bombing
In a devastating attack that shook the city, four police officers including a deputy superintendent were killed by a roadside bomb while trying to defend a police station under siege by Taliban militants in northwest Pakistan.
The incident took place on Thursday morning when heavily-armed TTP fighters launched an attack on a police station in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares a border with Afghanistan.
According to senior local police official Muhammad Ashfaq, the attack was a “planned act of terrorism”.
He said “deputy superintendent Iqbal Mohmand was known as an “exceptional poet” Who was always the centre of attention during poetic festivals.
The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Thursday and accused Mohmand of “brutally” killing its fighters. It said there were no TTP casualties.
Tariqullah, a senior local administration official, said that the bomb used in the attack which occurred around 3 kilometers (2 miles) away from the station was powerful enough to pierce the armored personnel carrier that was transporting the officers.
He said, five other officers stationed at the police station as well as the driver of the armored personnel carrier were also injured in the attack.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Twitter the attack “has left my heart heavy with sorrow”.
“Our police officers and soldiers have made unforgettable sacrifices in the war against terrorism,” he said.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has a history of targeting law enforcement officials, whom they accuse of conducting extra-judicial executions.
The TTP was founded in 2007, when Pakistani militants fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan split off from the main group to focus their attacks on Islamabad.
They sought revenge against the Pakistani government for supporting the US invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.
At their peak, the TTP controlled vast territories in northwest Pakistan. However, a military operation in 2014 largely routed the group following a deadly school attack that claimed the lives of nearly 150 people, mostly pupils.
Attacks have been steadily rising since the Afghan Taliban’s return in Kabul, and Islamabad says the TTP are launching assaults from Afghan soil.
In November of last year, a fragile six-month ceasefire between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistani government collapsed.
In January of this year, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside a mosque located in a police compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
According to report, the attack claimed the lives of more than 80 officers, making it one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in recent years.
Federal agents raided the Washington, D.C., home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar early Monday morning as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed.
Homeland Security Investigations agents arrived at the Minnesota congresswoman’s residence at about 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, according to a report by Fox News.
SEE MORE: Trump Sparks Outrage With Shock Proposal to Rename New Mexico
The report said both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the DOJ are involved in the investigation.
A DOJ spokesperson confirmed the operation, stating: “Today in the Washington, D.C. area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice.”
The spokesperson added: “This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.”
Details later……….
Heavy rains have triggered severe flooding across parts of Bangkok, Thailand, forcing nearly 4,900 residents to evacuate to shelters as floodwaters swept through roads and residential areas.
The flooding has disrupted movement across parts of the Thai capital, with motorists and pedestrians forced to navigate submerged roads and seek alternative routes.
SEE ALSO: NAFDAC Warns Nigerians As Fake Cowbell Milk Floods Market
According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, about 52,000 households have been affected by the flooding, prompting authorities to declare a flood disaster and intensify emergency response efforts.
Emergency teams have been deployed to assist affected communities and move residents from vulnerable areas to safer locations as water levels rise.
Bangkok is accustomed to seasonal heavy rainfall, but intense downpours can overwhelm drainage systems, particularly in low-lying areas, resulting in widespread flooding and disruption.
Authorities are continuing to monitor affected locations while coordinating evacuations and other emergency measures.
For thousands of residents, the immediate priority remains securing safe shelter and protecting homes and livelihoods as authorities work to manage the situation and restore normal activities once the floodwaters recede.
US President Donald Trump has explained his decision to reject Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran was seeking an agreement because it was losing revenue.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Iran wanted to immediately reopen the strategically important waterway but argued that the proposal was not acceptable to his administration.
“They want to make a deal, and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal, too, but that deal would not be acceptable,” Trump said.
SEE ALSO: How the Strait of Hormuz Attack Could Trigger a Fresh Global Oil Shock
According to the US president, Iran’s push to reopen the strait was driven by the economic pressure it was facing.
“What they want to do is immediately open the Hormuz Strait. Do you know why? Because they are dying,” Trump said.
“You know why they’re dying? Because they have no money coming in, because they get their money from the Hormuz Strait.”
Trump also claimed that the US had established an unprecedented naval blockade against Iran, describing it as “a wall of steel.”
“So they outsmarted themselves. We put up the greatest blockade ever in military history. It’s a wall of steel,” he said.
“And guess what? They don’t have any money now because they wanted to close the strait.”
The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy shipping route, and disruption to traffic through the waterway has significant implications for international oil markets and countries that depend on energy imports.
Trump’s remarks came amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran over the reopening of the strategic waterway and negotiations involving Iran.
Petrol Price Hike Looms as Oil Hits $110/barrel
NIPCO Gas Licences, NNPC Ltd Management Face Reps Probe
UNDC Assures on Readiness to Protect Oil, Gas Pipelines
JUST IN: Ex-Delta Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan Is Dead
Delta Begins ₦5bn Empowerment Scheme for 100,000 Beneficiaries
Alausa Hails Dangote Foundation’s Plan to Give Four Million Students IPO Shares
Trump’s Family Unveils New Cryptocurrency Platform
Senate Denies Receiving Petitions Against Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Dangote Cement Lights Up Benue Host Communities With CSR Initiatives
Reps Recommend 3-year Jail Term For Aviation minister
Tems Sets New Record On Billboard Hot 100 Chart
