At least 22 people have been killed in separate militant attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. In Quetta, a suicide bombing at a political rally left 11 dead and at least 30 injured.

In Balochistan, nine army personnel were killed in militant assaults. The military said that in retaliatory operations over the past four days, 50 militants were killed, including three in a raid in Sambaza on August 10. Weapons and explosives were recovered.

Violence has surged in Pakistan’s western regions since a ceasefire with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down in November 2022. While separatists remain active in Balochistan, the TTP has been carrying out attacks mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Malaysia’s Immigration Department has detained 770 undocumented migrants in a large-scale raid in Kuala Lumpur, with 377 of them identified as Bangladeshi nationals.

The operation began at 7:30 pm local time on Tuesday (2 September) in Bukit Bintang, a major tourist hub, and was carried out by 106 immigration officers. A total of 2,445 people were screened during the raid, including 1,600 foreigners and 845 locals.

Among those detained were 235 from Myanmar, 58 from India, 72 from Nepal, 19 from Indonesia, and 9 from other countries. Officials said the arrests were made on charges of overstaying visas, lacking valid documents, and misusing work permits.

Director of Immigration Enforcement Basri Othman stated that the raid followed complaints from residents about illegal activities in the area. He added that many tried to hide in shops or on rooftops, but the area was cordoned off, leading to their capture. An illegal gambling den equipped with CCTV monitoring was also uncovered, where eight foreign nationals were detained.

All detainees were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Office for initial screening before being transferred to a detention depot. They are being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Sections 6(3) and 15(4), as well as Regulation 39(b).

Earlier, on 6 August, immigration authorities had arrested 306 Bangladeshis from a factory in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, over alleged misuse of work permits.

Officials confirmed that such raids will continue, alongside stricter monitoring of businesses to ensure compliance with foreign worker quotas.

Five Pakistani soldiers were killed when an army MI-17 helicopter crashed during a routine training flight in the country’s northern region. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday (1 September).

According to ISPR, the helicopter went down around 10 a.m. near Hudor village, about 12 kilometers from Thakdas cantonment, after suffering a mechanical failure mid-flight.

The victims have been identified as Pilot in Command Major Atif, Co-Pilot Major Faisal, Flight Engineer Naib Subedar Maqbool, Crew Chief Havaldar Jahangir, and crew member Naik Amir.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the tragedy and extended condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers.

(Source: Geo News)