6 Pak soldiers, 6 terrorists killed in gunfight in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
Peshawar (PTI): Six soldiers, including an officer, and as many terrorists were killed in a gunfight in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Saturday.
In a statement, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the exchange of fire took place on the night between October 4-5 at Spinwam area in North Waziristan district, bordering Afghanistan, during which six soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel, and "six Khwarij" were killed.
During the "intense fire exchange", 43-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Ali Shoukat, who was leading the operation against the terrorists, was killed along with five other soldiers, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The TTP was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007. Pakistan has officially declared TTP as ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ and the notification by the Interior Ministry emphasises the use of the term ‘khariji’ (outlawed) along with the names of such terrorists.
The Pakistani government has repeatedly accused the TTP of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, a claim denied by the Afghan Taliban.
There has been an uptick in the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan since the Taliban took over the government in Kabul in 2021, dashing hopes in Islamabad that a friendly government in Afghanistan would help to tackle militancy. Relations between the two countries have lately become strained, largely because of the TTP but also due to frequent border skirmishes.
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Madurai-bound Air India flight returns to Chennai airport due to technical snag
Chennai, Oct 5: A Madurai-bound Air India flight which departed from here on Saturday returned to the city due to a technical issue, authorities said.
The aircraft had a safe and normal landing, they said.
The passengers who had booked tickets on the flight were offered to travel to their respective destination through alternative arrangements.
"Air India flight AI671 operating from Chennai to Madurai returned to Chennai due to a technical issue. The aircraft had a safe and normal landing at Chennai airport for precautionary checks. Our colleagues on the ground at the airport made every effort to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected disruption. Alternative arrangements have been made for guests to fly them to their destination at the earliest," an Air India official said.
"Full refunding on cancellation and complimentary rescheduling of their journey to a later date were offered to guests if so desired by them. At Air India, the safety and well-being of our customers and crew remains a top priority," the official added.
