PESHAWAR: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) killed six terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat on Friday, according to a press release issued by the CTD.
The press release said the operation was carried out in the Shagai area within the limits of the Gambila police station on the reported presence of terrorists there.
It added that the terrorists opened fire on the CTD team as they approached their location, following which the law enforcers fired in retaliation. The firing continued for around 40 minutes, the press release said, adding that six terrorists were found dead in the ensuing search operation.
The press release said the process of identifying the slain terrorists was under way, following which action would be taken against their facilitators and associates.
Four Kalashnikovs with magazines and ammunition, two 9mm pistols, eight hand grenades and an improvised explosive device was found in the possession of the terrorist, the press release added.
The operation took place the same day when an attack on a police vehicle martyred seven policemen, including an officer, in the Bettani subdivision of Lakki Marwat.
KP has seen a rise in terrorist attacks in the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), KP recorded a significant surge in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025”.
This marked an “absolute increase of 711 deaths, accounting for over 82 per cent of the net national rise and marking almost a 44pc year-on-year surge in violence in the province”.
Last month, nine police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were martyred in separate terrorist attacks in Punjab’s Bhakkar district and KP’s Kohat and Wana areas.
Only days prior to that, three Federal Constabulary men were martyred in a terrorist attack in Karak, according to officials.
Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 128 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the rain-affected second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Maaz Sadaqat was the stand-out performer of the game, blasting a rapid 75 for Pakistan before picking up three wickets.
Chasing a revised target of 243 in 32 overs after a two-hour rain and hailstorm delay, Bangladesh collapsed for 114 in 23.3 overs despite a brief counterattack from Litton Das.
Bangladesh had already been in trouble before the weather halted play.
Tanzid Hasan fell early for one, caught at backward square leg off Shaheen Shah Afridi, while Saif Hassan departed for 12 after offering a catch to short mid-off off Mohammad Wasim Jr.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was bowled by Shaheen for a duck, leaving the hosts reeling at 27 for 3 in 6.3 overs when a sudden thunderstorm accompanied by hail forced the players off the field.
When play resumed, Litton attempted to revive the chase with a series of boundaries, including two sixes. He was eventually trapped lbw for 41 by part-time spinner Maaz Sadaqat.
Tawhid Hridoy made 28 off 38 balls before falling lbw to Haris Rauf, while Afif Hossain added 14 before becoming Sadaqat’s second victim.
Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz managed just one run as Bangladesh’s innings folded quickly.
Rauf and Sadaqat claimed three wickets each to complete a dominant bowling performance for Pakistan.
Earlier, Bangladesh had fought back with the ball to bowl Pakistan out for 274 in 47.3 overs after a blistering start by the visitors.
Pakistan raced to 103 for the opening wicket inside 13 overs through an aggressive partnership between Sahibzada Farhan and Sadaqat.
Sadaqat struck 75 off 46 balls with six fours and five sixes, while Farhan scored 31 before falling to Taskin Ahmed.
Salman Agha later top-scored with 64 from 62 balls and shared a 109-run stand with Mohammad Rizwan (44), though Agha’s innings ended in a dramatic run-out by Mehidy Hasan Miraz at the non-striker’s end that sparked animated reactions on the field.
Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain finished as the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 56 as Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 274, a total that proved more than enough on a rain-shortened night in Mirpur.
With this win, Pakistan have levelled up the three-match series 1-1, with the series decider to be played on Sunday.
An unidentified shooter was killed on Thursday after exchanging gunfire with security in an attack on a synagogue on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, police said.
Police said the gunman was dead following the attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield.
Law enforcement officers flooded the area soon after the incident, amid heightened tension nationwide over the US-Israeli war on Iran.
“At least one individual came to the temple,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters. “Security saw him, engaged him in gunfire.
“Nobody at the moment has been confirmed to be hurt except potentially the shooter,” Bouchard added. “We’re looking to see if it was more than one person.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned the attack on the Temple Israel synagogue.
“This is heartbreaking,” she said. “Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace. Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan,” she said.
The sheriff said law enforcement had been on high alert since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran nearly two weeks ago.
“We’ve been talking for two weeks about the potential, sadly, of this happening,” Bouchard said. “So there was no lack of preparation. All Jewish facilities in the area are going to have a lot of extra presence around it until we figure this out,” the sheriff said.
Television images showed a massive law enforcement response in the area around the synagogue. Smoke could be seen billowing from what appeared to be a fire in the building.
Local media reported that the assailant had first rammed a car into the synagogue.
The Jewish Federation of Detroit said Jewish agencies were in precautionary lockdown.
“We ask community members to stay away from the area at this time.”
• Iranian president acknowledges proposals by Pakistan, Russia to de-escalate
• PM’s aide says Islamabad continues to stand by Riyadh ‘no matter what’
ISLAMABAD: Iran’s president has demanded “reparations” and “firm international guarantees against future aggression”, calling this the only way to end the war “ignited by the Zionist regime [of Israel] & US”.
The demand was articulated by Masoud Pezeshkian in a late-night tweet on Wednesday, where he referred to his conversations with the leaders of Pakistan and Russia.
The missive came after PM Shehbaz Sharif spoke to President Pezeshkian to quietly explore prospects for a ceasefire aimed at ending the conflict, which is now entering its second week.
In his tweet, the Iranian president said he had “reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace in the region”, adding that the only way to end the was “recognising Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm int’l guarantees against future aggression”.
Diplomatic sources said US envoy Steve Witkoff sent two proposals to Iran on Tuesday, suggesting dates to halt hostilities, but Iranian officials did not respond.
After receiving no reply from Tehran, Washington reportedly approached European and regional countries to relay the proposal or facilitate mediation.
There was no public statement from either the PM’s Office or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the conversation, but officials from both institutions privately confirmed that the two leaders spoke.
PM Shehbaz’s outreach followed his congratulatory message to Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mostafa Khamenei, a day earlier.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Iranian president reiterated Tehran’s stance, saying they had “no intention of targeting or engaging in conflict with regional countries”, adding that only bases from which Iranian territory was attacked would be targeted “within the framework of the right to self-defence”.
“If the international community and international organizations do not pay attention to and address the main factors behind this imposed war and military aggression against Iran, the conditions governing global order and security will become chaotic and unstable,” Anadolu quoted him as saying, citing Iranian media reports.
During the call, PM Shehbaz offered condolences on the assassination of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and congratulated the president, government, and nation of Iran on the election of Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei as his successor.
He also expressed the hope that under his leadership, Iran will witness even greater prosperity.
In his tweet on Wednesday, President Pezeshkian also referred to his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier.
According to the Kremlin, Putin had reaffirmed his support for a swift de-escalation of the ongoing conflict, and its resolution through political means.
The call between the two presidents was the second contact this month.
Later, Putin also spoke to Donald Trump, where the Kremlin said he had offered the US president suggestions on how to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East.
‘Stand by Riyadh’
Meanwhile, in an interview with Bloomberg TV that aired on Wednesday, Prime Minister’s Spokesperson for Foreign Media Mosharraf Zaidi said that Pakistan would stand by Saudi Arabia “before it is needed… no matter what, no matter when”.
Mr Zaidi was asked whether Pakistan would come to Saudi Arabia’s aid “militarily or otherwise” amid the war triggered in the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
“The question is not whether Pakistan might come to Saudi Arabia’s aid. Both countries, even before the strategic mutual defence agreement, have operated on a principle of being there for the other before they need the other. So, there is no question that we might; we will. No matter what, no matter when,” he said.
He maintained that the “real question” was what Pakistan was doing to ensure that the situation did not escalate to a point where “any of its closest partners are further embroiled in a conflict that potentially undermines stability and prosperity”.
He recalled that Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia and said Pakistan remained in touch with both the Saudi and Iranian leadership.
Mr Zaidi added that PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir had great ties with the US leadership as well.
He said Saudi Arabia “has already made arrangements to support Pakistan’s supply chain stability in terms of oil, diesel and crude”.
During the interview, Mr Zaidi was also asked about Pakistan’s engagements with Iran. In response, he said Pakistan was “very conscious of its responsibility as a close ally and friend” to the countries involved.
He said there had been several conversations between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over the past two weeks. “We don’t like our friends getting into quarrels with each other, and we certainly don’t like innocent people dying needlessly,” he added.
He also noted that the use of alternative supply routes could mean fuel reaching Pakistan in “18, 19 or 20 days” instead of the usual “five to six days”, creating a significant gap in supply planning.
WASHINGTON: The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a Bahrain-led resolution condemning Iran’s recent missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries.
The attacks, targeting US assets and bases in Gulf countries, have been carried out in retaliation of America and Israel’s strikes on Iran, which began on February 28 and also resulted in the assassination of Ayotallah Ali Khamenei, who was Iran’s supreme leader.
The resolution at UNSC, drafted on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), set a record with 135 co-sponsors — surpassing the previous high of 134 for Resolution 2177 (2014) on Ebola.
Pakistan was among the co-sponsors and voted in favour, noting that it is “not immune from these attacks” and stating that it supports the resolution.
The Bahrain-led resolution was adopted with 13 votes in favour; China and Russia abstained.
Its text “condemns in the strongest terms the egregious attacks” carried out by Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, emphasising that “such acts constitute a breach of international law and a serious threat to international peace and security”.
It demands the immediate cessation of all attacks by Iran against these countries and underscores the right of individual and collective self-defence as recognised under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The resolution criticises the “deliberate targeting” of civilians, critical infrastructure, and commercial vessels, including in and around the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the attacks’ adverse impact on maritime security, international trade, energy supply, and the global economy.
The Security Council also acknowledged the mediation efforts of GCC countries and other regional actors aimed at facilitating dialogue with Iran and resolving disputes peacefully, underscoring the need to prevent further escalation.
In adopting the resolution, the UNSC reaffirmed its commitment to promoting stability and peace in the Middle East, while reiterating support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of the Gulf states and Jordan.
Pakistan calls for ‘swift return to dialogue’
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the initiation of unwarranted attacks on Iran on February 28 — which Islamabad also condemned — “have seriously jeopardised international peace and security, given rise to grave consequences, and unnecessarily embroiled the entire region”.
At least two Pakistani nationals lost their lives in attacks on the United Arab Emirates, and “millions of other Pakistanis that reside in the Gulf countries remain in harm’s way”, he said, adding that fuel supplies and essential aviation links have also been disrupted.
“We call for a swift return to dialogue and diplomacy to pursue a peaceful resolution,” he added.
French Representative Jerome Bonnafont alleged that Tehran had vastly expanded the war in recent days, saying: “Iran bears a heavy responsibility for the current escalation.”
France, he said, hasdlong been concerned by “Iran’s nuclear threats and its support for regional proxies”.
Ambassador Jamal Fares Alrowaiei of Bahrain, the original mover of the resolution, noted that 135 member states had co-sponsored the text put forward by his delegation on behalf of the GCC.
Emphasising that the Gulf region was a pillar of global security, trade, and economic stability, he said protecting the Middle East was, therefore, in the entire world’s interest.
British Representative James Kariuki highlighted his country’s support for regional defensive operations and said: “It is right that this council wholeheartedly condemns Iran’s attacks, which pose a serious threat and risk further regional conflagration.”
Iran’s ambassador to the UN criticised the resolution as “politically motivated”.
“Today’s action represents a blatant misuse of the Security Council mandate in pursuit of the political agendas of the certain members, the various states responsible for the brutal war of aggression against my country,” Amir Saeid Iravani told the council.
US vetoes Russia’s resolution
Russia also presented a draft resolution on the military escalation in the Middle East at the meeting, but it was vetoed by the US.
The resolution received four votes in favour — from Russia, China, Somalia, and Pakistan — while the United States and Latvia voted against it.
Nine members abstained from voting, including the United Kingdom, France, Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Greece, Liberia, and Panama.
Lebanon laments being drawn into the conflict
Earlier in the Security Council, Lebanon said it had been drawn into the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah — which continue to target each other during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East — and that it “did not choose” do so.
Lebanese Ambassador Ahmad Arafa said nearly one million people had been displaced amid airstrikes and evacuation warnings. He emphasised that the government had rejected Hezbollah’s March 2 rocket attack on Israel, banned the group’s military activities, and sought to reassert state authority.
Beirut expressed readiness to negotiate a ceasefire under international auspices and called on the international community to support efforts to restore stability.
Pakistan voiced strong support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and condemned Israel’s military actions in southern Lebanon as illegal, urging an immediate halt to hostilities, full Israeli withdrawal, and respect for relevant UNSC resolutions.
Ambassador Usman Jadoon stressed that “dialogue and diplomacy must prevail over confrontation to prevent further regional destabilisation.”
The United States, however, emphasised Israel’s “right to defend itself” against Hezbollah and Iran, while China and Russia called for an immediate ceasefire.
For his part, French Ambassador Bonnafont highlighted the heavy toll on civilians and urged both sides to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and protect civilians.
Norwegian police said on Wednesday that three brothers had been arrested on suspicion of a “terrorist bombing” over a weekend explosion at the US embassy in Oslo, which caused minor damage but no injuries.
Police prosecutor Christian Hatlo told a press conference the brothers, who were Norwegian citizens of Iraqi origin, had been arrested in Oslo around 3:30pm local time (2:30pm GMT), and that police were investigating the motive.
“We are still working from several hypotheses. One of them is whether this is an order from a government entity,” Hatlo said.
“This is quite natural given the target — the US embassy — and the security situation the world is in today,” he said.
Hatlo said the investigation would seek to clarify exactly what roles the brothers, who were in their 20s and not previously known to police, had played.
“We believe that one of them is the person who placed the bomb outside the embassy and that the other two were complicit in the act,” Hatlo told reporters.
Hatlo also said that they were not ruling out links to “criminal networks”.
‘Proxy actors’
In its annual threat assessment, the Norwegian security service PST said last month that Iran, which it considers one of the main threats to the country, could rely on “proxy actors,” including “criminal networks,” to commit acts.
On Tuesday, Iran’s ambassador in Oslo denied any involvement by his country in the embassy explosion.
“It is unacceptable that we are being singled out,” Alireza Jahangiri told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.
According to police, the perpetrators of the bombing, described as “powerful”, may also have acted out of their own motives.
US embassies have been placed on high alert in the Middle East due to American strikes on Iran. Several have faced attacks as Tehran responds by targeting industrial and diplomatic facilities.
The blast took place at around 1am (12am GMT) on Sunday at the entrance to the embassy’s consular section.
On Monday, two images from surveillance camera footage of a suspect dressed in dark clothing with a hood over his head and wearing a backpack.
Roughly at the time the incident occurred, a video had been uploaded to the Google Maps page for the US embassy.
The video, which has since been taken down, appeared to show Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated on the first day of the US-Israeli strikes in Iran.
According to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, the person who uploaded the video wrote in Persian: “God is great. We are victorious.” Police have also opened an investigation into this.
TEHRAN: Rescuers work in the rubble of a residential building after air strikes in the Resalat area.—Reuters
• Energy secretary claims US Navy escorted ship through ‘troubled waters’, later deletes X post
• Araghchi shoots down Trump’s signal for talks, says will fight as long as necessary
• Israel says ‘not done with offensive’ yet; Hegseth claims unleashing ‘most intense strikes’ yet
• US ‘unhappy’ with Israeli strikes on Iranian oil facilities
• Pakistan continues diplomatic efforts; slams invasion of Lebanon
TEHRAN / WASHINGTON: The US continued to put out more mixed signals on Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump toldFox News that it was possible he would be willing to talk with Tehran, while his Pentagon chief vowed to ramp up strikes against Iran, promising “the most intense day of strikes” yet.
Iran’s forces, however, vowed to fight on, declaring that not one litre of oil would be exported from the Gulf while its war with the United States and Israel continues.
The vow came as the US energy secretary claimed, then withdrew a statement saying the navy had escorted commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Chris Wright posted on X that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz “to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.”
Soon after, he deleted the post for reasons that were unclear, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later denied the report.
A day after Trump claimed the war would be “ended soon” in a bid to calm oil markets, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) also mocked his bid to lessen the economic impact of the war.
“It is we who will determine the end of the war,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iranian media.
Iran’s foreign minister also said his country was prepared to continue attacks for as long as necessary and ruled out talks.
Abbas Araghchi told US broadcaster PBS News that his country was prepared to continue missile attacks and that negotiations with the United States were no longer on the agenda.
Israel also warned that Israel’s military offensive against Iran was “not done yet”, saying the operation was degrading Iran’s clerical leadership.
“Our aspiration is to bring the Iranian people to cast off the yoke of tyranny; ultimately, it depends on them. But there is no doubt that with the actions taken so far, we are breaking their bones — and we are not done yet,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
However, according to Axios, the US has asked Israel to halt strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure.
Washington sent the message at a senior political level and to IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.
The Trump administration cited three reasons, including a goal to cooperate with Iran’s oil sector after the war, according to the report.
Other reasons included a fear that such strikes would harm the Iranian public and trigger massive Iranian retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure across Gulf states, Axios said.
Washington’s top general, meanwhile, said that Iranian forces were not as formidable as the United States had thought.
“I think they’re fighting, and I respect that, but I don’t think they’re more formidable than what we thought,” said General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Meanwhile, Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf vowed that Tehran will retaliate to US-Israeli strikes with a “proportionate and immediate” response.
“No malice will go unanswered, and today we decree the rule of ‘an eye for an eye’; bluntly, without exception,” Ghalibaf said on X.
Attacks on Iran
On Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported intense air bombardment in Tehran. The Doha-based news outlet also reported “large explosions” in Karag, north of Tehran and “very intense bombardment in Isfahan that targeted the governor’s office there, and also targeted an ancient royal palace that is registered as a Unesco heritage site”.
The report said there was news of blasts in Tabriz and Isfahan as well.
Meanwhile, the head of Iran’s Education Department in the Lorestan province has said four students were killed in US and Israeli air strikes, adding that 52 schools in the province have also been damaged by the attacks.
Iran’s Mehr news agency also reported a US missile attack on a school in the central city of Khomeyn. It identified the site as Dr Hafez Khomeni School and said a number of residential homes around the building were damaged.
Meanwhile, Iran launched a fresh salvo of missiles at Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and US targets in the region, the Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday.
The latest salvo utilised “strategic” missiles, including some of the most powerful in Iran’s arsenal, such as the Fattah, Emad and Khaibar missiles, the IRGC said.
Pakistan urges end to aggression
Islamabad continued diplomatic efforts to secure de-escalation in the region, as Gulf states continued to reel from Iranian blowback.
Pakistan on Tuesday called upon the international community to take “urgent” action against Israeli military aggression in Lebanon, the Foreign Office (FO) said.
In a statement, the FO condemned “Israel’s continued military aggression against Lebanon,” which it said has resulted in the “death of hundreds of civilians and the displacement of nearly half a million people”.
The FO maintained that Israeli actions were in “contravention of international law” and were “undermining the efforts of the government of Lebanon to ensure peace and stability in the country”.
It held that Israel’s recent actions “have the potential to further exacerbate the ongoing security and humanitarian crises in the region”.
FO called on the international community to “take urgent action to end the Israeli military aggression, the indiscriminate targeting of civilians, and the continued violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
The statement also called for Israeli withdrawal from “all occupied Lebanese territories immediately, fully, and unconditionally”.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has discussed developments in the Middle East and ongoing deliberations at the United Nations Security Council with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
“DPM/FM shared Pakistan’s perspective, underscoring the importance of continued coordination and diplomatic engagement to support de-escalation and promote peace and stability across the region and beyond,” the Foreign Office says.
In a separate call with Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, he reiterated Pakistan’s call for de-escalation and dialogue for stability in the Middle East amid escalating conflict in the region.
According to a statement by the FO, Mr Dar spoke with Bahrain’s foreign minister on Monday night, and the two “exchanged views on the developments in the Middle East and the wider region, conveying grave concern over recent attacks, including in Bahrain”.
The FO added that during the call, Mr Dar “reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Bahrain and its people”. He also underscored the need for “de‑escalation, dialogue, and efforts for peace and stability in the region”.
