Five Pakistani soldiers have been killed in fresh clashes near the Afghan border, even as peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan continue in Turkey.

According to Pakistan’s military, the fighting took place on Friday and Saturday in the remote Kurram and North Waziristan districts along the northwestern frontier. Islamabad claimed that 25 militants attempting to cross from Afghanistan were also killed.

The Pakistani army said the infiltration attempt raised serious doubts about Afghanistan’s commitment to combating terrorism. The Taliban government in Kabul has not commented on the incident.

Tensions between the two neighbours have been escalating in recent weeks. Pakistan recently carried out airstrikes in Kabul, killing at least eight people, including three cricketers. Following the strikes, both countries agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire, later extended until the conclusion of talks in Doha. However, Pakistan reportedly launched another attack before the extension took effect.

As delegations from both sides meet in Turkey for a second round of peace negotiations, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif warned that “if the peace talks fail, Pakistan will have no choice but to go to war with Afghanistan.”

Tel Aviv/New York — Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, has ordered the military to prioritise the destruction of all tunnels in the Gaza enclave, Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday (26 October).

In a post on social media platform X, Katz said he had instructed the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to make tunnel destruction along the country’s “Yolo line” a primary task, while also ensuring the protection of troops and communities near the border. He said the directive was issued on Saturday.

Katz added that the move followed consultations with senior US officials — including the vice-president, the secretary of state, the defence secretary, the president’s special envoy and the CENTCOM commander. According to Katz, those discussions were aimed at implementing “President Donald Trump’s plan”, achieving the complete destruction of the tunnels and disarming Hamas.

“The destruction of Hamas’ tunnels and their disarmament is the most important strategic objective to achieve victory in Gaza,” Katz wrote, adding that the “most urgent moral duty” is to return all hostages and the bodies of the dead. He said that de-arming Gaza and destroying “the remaining 60 percent of tunnels” are now the main strategic goals.

The instruction raises fresh questions about the scope and intensity of military operations in the enclave and the implications for civilian safety. No immediate response was available from military spokespeople at the time of reporting.

A helicopter carrying Indian President Droupadi Murmu suffered a minor mishap while landing at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Pathanamthitta, Kerala, on Wednesday (October 22).

According to a report by NDTV, the incident occurred shortly after the President’s visit to the Sabarimala temple. The stadium was chosen as the landing site at the last minute after adverse weather conditions forced a change from the original site at Nilakkal.

Officials said the concrete helipad at the stadium had been constructed overnight and had not fully set. As a result, the surface caved in during landing, causing one of the helicopter’s wheels to get stuck and the aircraft to tilt slightly.

Police and fire service personnel quickly rushed to the scene and managed to safely secure the helicopter. Video footage showed the aircraft being lifted from a partially sunken position above an underground water tank.

President Murmu is currently on a four-day visit to southern India. She arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday and later traveled to Pathanamthitta district, where she visited the Sabarimala temple and took part in an ‘aarti’ ceremony earlier in the day.

No injuries were reported in the incident.