Saturday, November 09, 2024

Portuguese Monitoring VLCC Drifting Offshore While Undergoing Repairs

tanker — Portuguese authorities are monitoring a VLCC that lost propulsion offshore a week ago an continues to drift while undergoing repairs (file photo)

Portuguese authorities are closely monitoring the status of a laden Greek-owned VLCC that lost propulsion a week ago and continues to undergo repairs while drifting offshore. The Navy along with the National Maritime Authority (NMA) report they are observing while issuing statements to reassure the public that there is no immediate danger from the disabled vessel.

The Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC Lisboa) reports it was notified on October 29 that the Greek-owned crude oil tanker Nissos Rhenina had lost propulsion and was disabled off the coast near Viana do Castelo in northern Portugal. They report the vessel is carrying 150,000 liters of diesel fuel.

Built in 2019 by Hyundai Heavy Industries the tanker is 1,092 feet (333 meters) in length. The ship which has a crew of 28 aboard was the final leg of a trip from Saudi Arabia due to reach Le Havre, France on October 31. It is managed by Piraeus-based Kyklades Maritime and owned by the Alafouzos family of Greece and their Okeanis Eco Tankers.

The Portuguese Navy responded by sending its patrol boat Antonio Enes to the vessel which was reported to be 24 nautical miles from the coast. They established contact with the tanker and began monitoring its position as well as warning vessels in the area of the danger.

A team of technicians boarded the tanker and on October 30 a towline was established to maintain its position at a safe distance from shore. Repairs are underway, but the Portuguese authorities have been advised the ship is not likely to be back under control and underway until late this week.

Onshore, the mayor of Viana do Castelo Luis Nobre is expressing confidence in NMA’s management of the situation. He told reporters that he had been assured there was no immediate danger to the coast. However, he said they were taking the necessary precautions and remained on alert for any eventualities because it is a complex situation.

The tanker continues to show restricted maneuverability. The anchor handler Boka Forward, managed by ALP and registered in Malta, is standing by to prevent the vessel from approaching the coast while repairs remain underway.

Video: Salvors Raise Wreck of Burned Superyacht off Sardinia

The sunken superyacht Atina has been raised from the bottom off Sardinia and will be removed for scrapping, according to Italy's coast guard.

On August 10, the 154-foot superyacht Atina caught fire off the coast of Olbia, a luxury destination on the northeastern shores of Sardinia. All 16 passengers and crew abandoned ship safely and made it to shore. Local media reported that the passengers were Turkish nationals, and may have included the vessel's suspected owner, Turkish delivery-company founder Serkan Borancili.

The fire-damaged yacht quickly sank, coming to rest in shallow water. It had about 13,000 gallons of fuel on board, but no significant spill was reported.

Courtesy Guardia Costiera

Atina was declared a total loss, at considerable cost to her insurers; the 2008-built vessel's last sale price in a secondhand transaction was about $18 million, plus the cost of a recent top-to-bottom shipyard refit. Given the shallow depth of the site, wreck removal was deemed a practical option, and the Dutch Offshore-operated crane barge Conquest MB1 was chartered for the operation.

Video released by the Guardia Costiera shows that the contractors righted the yacht using anchor chains in a parbuckling operation, pulling with the barge's crane until the wreck was back in a vertical orientation. After several days of additional preparation, they lifted the wreckage clear of the water for safe transport to a demolition yard in Piombino.

For purposes of an ongoing investigation, the authorities plan to scan the seabed at the wreck site, according to the Superyacht Times.

Activists Demand Spain Stop Port Calls of Maersk Line Ships Carrying Arms

containership — Activists are seeking to stop port calls in Spain of ships carrying military supplies to Israel (Maersk Line, Limited file image)

The continuing effort by activist groups to interrupt the shipment of military supplies to Israel took a new turn as an activist group demanded that Spain stop permitting port calls for Maersk Line, Limited ships. The groups calling themselves Progressive International and the Palestinian Youth Movement pointed to at least 25 shipments that were aboard vessels making port calls at Port Algeciras.

A member of the Spanish Congress of Deputies and secretary-general of the Communist Party of Spain Enrique Santiago also stepped into the controversy sending a letter to Spain’s Attorney General calling for two Maersk Line, Limited vessels currently sailing toward the Mediterranean to be denied port calls in Spain.

Maersk Line, Limited is a Maersk subsidiary that operates U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed ships under U.S. government subsidy. A large share of MLL cargoes are government-owned goods and equipment, including military cargoes.

Two current voyages became the target of the activists. The Maersk Denver (6,200 TEU) departed New York on October 31 with its declared first port on its AIS and published schedule as Tangiers Med 2. It is scheduled to proceed to Oman, the UAE, Pakistan, and India. The Maersk Seletar (6,648 TEU) departed New York on November 4 and shows on its schedule Algeciras as its first port. It is also scheduled to continue to Oman, the UAE, Pakistan, and India.

After the report was delivered by the activists to the government, a spokesperson for Spain’s Foreign Ministry said they would be studying the details and investigating.

“If the information is confirmed, all necessary measures will be taken,” the spokesperson told the Spanish media. “The MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) has rejected and will continue to reject all requests to call at Spanish ports of vessels carrying military material and having Israel as final destination.”

In May 2024, Spain announced its policy banning ships loaded with military material destined for Israel. They said these ships would be banned from port calls.

The group cites the port calls by a dozen Maersk Line, Limited vessels in Spain between September 2023 and September 2024. They allege a review of the manifests shows a declaration of military cargoes being sent to Israel including armored and tactical vehicles, aircraft components, parts of artillery systems, and unidentified “military equipment.”

The protests began in May 2024 when activists targeted other vessels including a Danish-owned cargo ship, the Marianne Danica (2,200 dwt), which was denied permission for a port call in Spain. The same groups targeted another vessel, the German-owned Borkum (5,489 dwt), but in that case the Spanish government said it was satisfied the cargo belonged to the Czech government. Activists also sought to prevent a port call in Gibraltar by an OSG tanker.

Worldwide there have been multiple protests to interrupt shipments to Israel. Protestors in Australia sought to block Zim vessels from arriving in port. Earlier this week, pro-Palestinian protestors boarded a cargo ship in Turkey which they alleged was transporting explosives bound for Israel. Since July, activists have hounded that German-owned cargo ship demanding it be turned away from ports and not permitted to offload its cargo.

Court Challenges Slow Italy's Out-of-Country Migrant Transfer Centers

The patrol vessel Libra is being used for the direct transfers to Albania (Marina Militare file image)

The Italian government has set up two out-of-country processing centers for maritime migrants who have been rescued near Italy, hoping to transfer the burden of asylum claims away from domestic shores by preventing the claimants from ever landing. However, court challenges have significantly slowed the startup process. After a month in operation, only 20 migrants have been transferred, and none have yet completed processing.

The centers are located near the port of Shengjin, Albania, and they are central pieces of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's counter-migration plan. Under a five-year agreement with the Albanian government, Italy will fund, staff and operate the centers on Albanian soil. Albania will provide the land and the external security, but the centers are Italian in all other respects.

Meloni's government invested nearly $700 million in the two sites in hopes of reducing the influx of migrants arriving from Libyan and Tunisian shores. In full operation, the facilities are designed to handle up to 3,000 migrants every month - and are intended to make many would-be migrants reconsider the costly and dangerous voyage to Italy.

"The most useful element of this project is that it can represent an extraordinary tool of deterrence for illegal migrants destined to reach Europe," Meloni said in June.

So far, the project is off to a bumpy start. Last month, the first group of 12 migrants had just been transferred to Albania when an Italian court ruled that they had to be shipped back to Italy. Their trip to an out-of-country processing center was unlawful, the court ruled, because the migrants' home countries - Egypt and Bangladesh - could not be considered safe places for them to be repatriated.

The Italian government is appealing the court decision, and in the meantime, it has dispatched a second group of migrants to be processed at Shëngjin. Eight people who were rescued in the Central Mediterranean were transferred to the Italian Navy vessel Libra, and are expected to arrive early on Friday. For legal purposes, Meloni's administration has designated 22 "safe" nations of origin, and has selected only migrants with these nationalities for the special transfer.

WWIII

Ex-U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hosts Island-Seizing Drill in Spratly Islands

Island boat raid in Spratly Islands — Courtesy PCG

This week, the former U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Dallas got to play a role that her builders never anticipated: flagship of a closely-watched amphibious assault exercise in the South China Sea.

Dallas - now named BRP Ramon Alcaraz - was a Hamilton-class high endurance cutter built in 1968 at Avondale Shipyard. After decades of service in the U.S. Coast Guard, she was decommissioned in 2012, refitted and transferred to the Philippines. She is one of three former Hamilton-class cutters in the Philippine Navy's fleet.

On Wednesday, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz served as the launch platform for a mock amphibious assault on Kota Island, a Philippine-held island in the Philippines' western exclusive economic zone. With warships and intelligence vessels from China's PLA Navy watching from a distance, Alcaraz launched four RIBs with Philippine SEALs and Marines aboard. Supported by two patrol boats and a light aircraft, they simulated an operation to retake an island seized by an enemy force.

Courtesy PCG

It was the first time that the Philippines had carried out a drill at Kota Island, a small outcropping of sand located just 25 nautical miles southeast of the giant Chinese military base at Subi Reef. China has seized and fortified more than half a dozen shoals in the Spratly Islands, creating airfields and sheltered harbors on a scale not previously seen in the region. Manila has long expressed concern that Chinese forces might try again at another contested site - perhaps at Sabina Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal or Whitsun Reef, where Chinese and Philippine servicemembers have recently clashed.

"In all our exercises, they are defensive. We are not the ones attacking. These are defensive exercises that we are doing. The assumption is that we want to reclaim our own island," Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. told ABS CBN.

A reporter for the outlet counted two PLA Navy warships within visual range during the exercise, the corvettes Wuzhou and Tongling, along with four Chinese research vessels. The exercise was partly for their benefit, Brawner suggested.

"We are warning our neighbors or any external forces out there that we are capable of defending our islands, and we can do so unilaterally - meaning, by ourselves," he told the Philippine Star.

BOEM Releases EIS for Next Offshore Wind Farm as Industry Faces Uncertainty

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Friday, November 8, reported the availability of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed SouthCoast Wind Project off the coast of Massachusetts. It is the next step in continuing to approve offshore wind projects but comes as the industry faces uncertainty after the election of Donald Trump, a disbeliever in wind energy, as the next U.S. president.

The SouthCoast Wind Energy proposal includes up to 147 wind turbine generators, up to five offshore substation platforms located at a maximum of 149 positions, and up to eight offshore export cables potentially making landfall in Brayton Point or Falmouth, Massachusetts. The lease area covers approximately 127,388 acres and is about 26 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 nautical miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

The lease was originally awarded in a December 2018 auction with the project known at first as Mayflower Wind. It is being developed by Ocean Winds, a 50-50 joint venture, owned by EDP Renewables and ENGIE. The plan calls for a 2.4 GW capacity split between Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

BOEM is currently reviewing the Construction & Operation Plan for the project, which would be the final approval step. Last month, the company reported that it had received key approvals from Massachusetts. It is negotiating the power agreements and said the project remains on track to deliver energy to the New England regional electric grid by 2030.

Under the Biden administration, the Department of the Interior approved more than 15 GW from ten offshore wind projects, enough to power nearly 5.25 million homes. They are continuing to review additional proposals and recently completed in the Gulf of Maine its sixth and final auction of the administration. The Department mapped out a plan to continue the auctions into 2028.

The industry however is looking for signals from the incoming president. He spoke against wind turbines in the past and promised to end the efforts if elected. Executives from across the industry however are highlighting the benefits to the economy, jobs, and the environment calling for continued development of offshore wind.

The American Clean Power Association issued a statement congratulating Donald Trump and saying it looks forward to working with the new administration.

“Our industry grew by double digits each year under the first Trump Administration and has accelerated this rate of progress since,” said ACP CEO Jason Grumet in the statement after the election. “Harnessing America’s diverse energy resources is essential to our national security and global power. By combining the strengths of all domestic energy resources, the Trump Administration can advance an economy that is dynamic, secure, and clean. We are committed to working with the Trump-Vance Administration and the new Congress to continue this great American success story.”

Many however question if the new administration might slow the progress or not continue with the aggressive efforts of the Biden administration which got the offshore wind energy launched. One project, South Fork Wind, was completed while several others are under construction. BOEM has approved additional projects as it pushed toward a goal of 30 GW by 2030 from offshore wind.

The Lebensborn programme: When Nazi Germany sought to create an Aryan elite
Europe

16:51 REVISITED © FRANCE 24

Issued on: 08/11/2024 - 13:01

From the show

The Lebensborn programme, meaning spring or source of life, was one of the most secret and incredible projects of the regime in Nazi Germany. Its aim was to give birth to children who were seen as "perfect" in the eyes of the Nazis. These so-called Aryans – tall, blond and blue-eyed – were representatives of the "master race" that Adolf Hitler dreamed of. Our correspondent Anne Mailliet investigated this terrifying project and tracked down victims who are today more than 80 years old.

In 1935, SS leader Heinrich Himmler launched the Lebensborn programme and set up a network of nurseries in Germany, Austria, Norway and France. Women who were carrying a child fathered by a member of the SS were invited to go to these centres towards the end of their pregnancies to give birth. All had to pass pseudo-scientific tests to prove that they met the "racial purity" criteria defined by the regime. These baby factories were aimed at increasing the population and building the Third Reich's future elite.

The Lebensborn project was brought to a halt with the Liberation and the fall of the Nazis. But in the space of nine years, around 20,000 babies were born in the Nazi maternity hospitals.

Most of the children born as a result of this project, who are now octogenarians, only discovered their true origins much later; sometimes only a few years ago. To this day, they are the last category of victims of Nazism not to have been officially recognised. Only Norway has granted them the status of victims.

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 - YouTube

"STALINGRAD"

US greenlights deployment of military contractors to fix weapons in Ukraine
Americas

Military contractors from the US will be sent to Ukraine in order to help maintain and repair Pentagon-provided weaponry, a US defense official said on Friday. The move is a significant policy shift in the final months of Joe Biden's administration that aims to aid Kyiv's fight against Russia.

Issued on: 08/11/2024 -
By: NEWS WIRES

A Ukrainian soldier carries a US Stinger air-defense missile launcher in Ukraine on May 28, 2024. © Andriy Andriyenko, AP

The United States aims to send a "small number" of contractors to Ukraine to help maintain advanced weapons like the warplanes and air defense systems provided to Kyiv, a US defense official said Friday.

Washington has been a key military backer of Ukraine, committing more than $60 billion in security aid since February 2022, but had not permitted defense contractors to work in the country after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

"These contractors will be located far from the front lines and they will not be fighting Russian forces. They will help Ukrainian armed forces rapidly repair and maintain US-provided equipment as needed so it can be quickly returned to the front lines," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"We are taking this action because some of the equipment the US has provided Ukraine – or will provide Ukraine in the coming months – such as F-16s and Patriot air defense systems require specific technical expertise to maintain," the official said, adding that the decision had been made "after careful risk assessment."

Washington has provided a wide range of military equipment to Ukraine, including air defense systems, HIMARS rocket launchers, artillery pieces and munitions, as well as tanks and other vehicles.

But the election of Republican Donald Trump to a second term as president has cast doubt on the future of aid for Ukraine, and President Joe Biden's administration is seeking to provide billions of dollars in assistance before leaving office in January.

(AFP)

Gaza felt like 'some movie out of Stalingrad', head of Norwegian Refugee Council says

11:32

From the show

FRANCE 24 spoke to the head of the NGO Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Jan Egeland, who recently returned from a rare visit to the Gaza Strip. Egeland compared the destroyed urban landscape in the Palestinian enclave to that of Stalingrad or Dresden during World War II.

He added: "I don't think I can recall in my 40 years as a humanitarian worker any place where so many people have been crammed together in such a small area and sustaining such a continuous bombardment with no escape".

"This is not self-defence. This is no targeting of fighters in the war on terror. This is the destruction of entire cities, with 70 percent, as the UN just correctly verified, of the dead being women and children. We can all agree that all of them are totally innocent and many of the men are too. So it's casualties beyond belief," the veteran humanitarian worker said of Israel's bombardment of Gaza.

"Of course, Hamas is also having fighters that are fighting from the civilian areas, and that's a war crime," Egeland noted.

"But that doesn't justify war crimes on the other side. Israel should be better than this. And those who support Israel have to force them to stop it," the head of the NRC said.

Reflecting on the outcome of the US presidential election, Egeland said that "if Donald Trump wants to put America first, he may actually change the current policy which has been to set Israel first".

Since the start of the war in Gaza, which began in the wake of the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, the US has provided Israel with billions of dollars in military aid.

Egeland expressed hope that the Trump administration might "see this costly this is", "reverse policies and force Netanyahu's government (...) to lay down arms and to negotiate a peaceful coexistence".

BALOCHISTAN

Railway station blast in southwest Pakistan kills at least 25

At least 25 people were killed, including several soldiers, when a blast ripped through a train station in restive southwestern Pakistan on Saturday in an apparent suicide attack claimed by a local separatist group.

Issued on: 09/11/2024 -

Security personnel inspect the blast site after an explosion at a railway station in Quetta, in Pakistan's Balochistan province, on November 9, 2024. © Banaras Khan, AFP

A bombing claimed by Pakistani separatists killed 25 people including 14 soldiers at a railway station in the southwestern Balochistan province, police said Saturday.

The blast hit as passengers waited on a platform at the main railway station in the provincial capital Quetta.

"Fourteen army personnel are among the 25 confirmed dead," said Muhammad Baloch, a senior local police official, raising an earlier toll of 22 provided by the local government.

An AFP journalist saw pools of blood and ripped backpacks at the scene, where a large metal sheet protecting passengers from the elements had been blown off.
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An AFP journalist saw pools of blood and ripped backpacks at the scene.

© Banaras Khan, AFP

A spokesperson for a local hospital said dozens of people wounded in the blast had been brought to the facility, along with multiple dead.

Despite frequent attacks in Balochistan the toll of Saturday's blast was particularly high for the southwestern province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.

The train station explosion hit at around 8:45 am (0345 GMT) and was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), one of the area's main separatist groups.

The attack "was carried out on a Pakistani army unit at Quetta railway station... after completing a course at the Infantry School," the BLA said in a statement.

The Associated Press of Pakistan, the official news agency, cited railway officials as saying the blast happened near the ticket booth when two trains were scheduled to depart.

Resource-rich, poor province

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack.

"The terrorists who have harmed innocent and unmarked civilians will pay a heavy price," he said in a statement from his office.

The BLA frequently claims deadly attacks against security forces or Pakistanis from other provinces, notably Punjabis.

At Quetta station, police said they were working to determine the cause of the blast.

Firefighters and rescuers work through abandoned luggage on the platform, guarded by heavily armed members of the security forces. © Banaras Khan, AFP

"When we reached here, initially it appeared that some explosive had perhaps been hidden or left in the luggage. But now we think it may be a suicide bomber," Baloch told journalists.

Firefighters, rescuers and passengers were working through abandoned luggage on the platform, guarded by heavily armed members of the security forces.

Militants have in the past targeted energy projects with foreign financing – most notably from China – accusing outsiders of exploiting the resource-rich region while excluding residents in the poorest part of Pakistan.

In August, the BLA claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks by dozens of assailants who killed at least 39 people, one of the highest tolls to hit the region.

(AFP)

Death toll rises to 26 in Quetta Railway Station blast, 62 injured

Abdullah Zehri

Published November 9, 2024

DAWN

People comfort each other as they mourn the death of their relatives, who were killed, after a bomb blast at a railway station in Quetta on November 9. — Reuters

People walk amid the debris after a bomb blast at a railway station in Quetta on November 9. — Reuters

At least 26 people were killed and 62 injured after a suicide blast ripped through a Quetta Railway Station on Saturday, local authorities and hospital officials said.

The incident comes a week after a bomb blast near a girl’s school and a hospital in Balochistan’s Mastung district killed eight people, including five children.

Pakistan, particularly the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, has seen a sharp uptick in terrorism-related incidents over the past year.

While speaking to Dawn.com, provincial health department spokesperson Wasim Baig said that the death toll rose to 26 after two people succumbed to their injuries while 62 others were injured in the explosion.

Quetta Division Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said that the blast was a “suicide attack” primarily on law enforcement agencies, while civilians were also targeted.

Shafqaat added that gatherings have been banned in the area while bus stations were on high alert, adding that railways have been requested to close the station and suspend train services.

Speaking to Geo News, he said that besides civilians, “some law enforcement” personnel were also martyred.

According to Reuters, Balochistan Inspector General of Police (IG) Moazzam Jah Ansari said, “The target was army personnel from the Infantry School.”

While Baig did not confirm details about personnel to Dawn.com, AFP quoted him as saying: “Fourteen members of the army and 12 civilians were killed.”

Baig, according to AFP, said 46 members of the security forces and 14 civilians were wounded.

This photo shows the aftermath of a blast at Quetta Railway Station on November 9. — Photo via author

According to a list of injured people shifted to Quetta Trauma Centre and Emergency Department — issued by Managing Director Dr Arbab Kamran Kasi and available with Dawn.com — 53 people aged between 20 and 50 years were wounded.

Six of them were stated to be in a serious condition whereas three had been shifted to an intensive care unit.

The banned militant group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Pakistan Railways had previously announced the restoration of train services between Quetta and Peshawar from Oct 11, after a suspension of more than a month and a half.

Train services had been suspended across the country on August 26 after a key railway bridge between Kolpur and Mach was destroyed in a blast carried out by BLA as part of province-wide coordinated attacks.
Appeal for blood

Speaking to Geo News, Shafqaat said the blast occurred at approximately 8:25am, adding that the body of the suicide bomber had also been identified.

He appealed to the public to donate blood for the wounded, stressing there was a need for it.

The commissioner also urged the public not to head to the railway station, Quetta Trauma Centre or the Civil Hospital, noting that “in such incidents, there is a risk of twin attacks”.

“Right now, we have cordoned off the city and are conducting snap-checking. […] Gatherings have been banned,” Shafqaat said.

Asked if the blast specifically targeted someone, the commissioner said terrorist organisations “attacked soft targets on purpose out of frustration”.
Emergency imposed in hospitals

Balochistan Heath Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar was present at the Quetta Trauma Centre to oversee the treatment of the injured, a statement by his office said.

It added that an emergency had been imposed in the Civil Hospital and the Trauma Centre, with more doctors summoned on duty.

Earlier, Quetta Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Mohammad Baloch told reporters that “around 100 people” were present at the site, according to footage seen by him.

He added that at the time of the blast, a Jaffar Express train was reportedly ready to depart from the platform for Peshawar.

Police and security forces had reached the site of the incident, according to a statement by Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind. He said the Bomb Disposal Squad was collecting evidence from the site and a report had been sought on the incident.
‘Continuation of targeting innocent people’

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the incident, saying it was a “continuation of targeting innocent people”.

In a statement, CM Bugti said, “The terrorists’ target now are innocent people, labourers, children and women. Those targeting innocent people do not deserve mercy.”

According to the statement, the chief minister has ordered an investigation into the blast and contacted top officials in Balochistan.

CM Bugti further said: “Terrorists are not eligible to be called humans. They have fallen from humanity; they are worse than animals.”

Stating that “elements involved in various terrorist incidents” in the past have been traced, he vowed that the perpetrators behind the railway blast would be caught as well.

CM Bugti reiterated the government’s resolve to continue operations against terrorists and pursue them. “We will root out terrorism from Balochistan,” he asserted.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast, praying for the deceased and the speedy recovery of the injured.

He also sought an investigation report from the Balochistan government on the incident, the premier’s statement added.

“Terrorists who harm the lives and property of innocent people will have to pay a heavy price,” Radio Pakistan quoted PM Shehbaz as saying.

Acting President Yusuf Raza Gilani also condemned the incident, expressing his grief over the loss of precious lives, Radio Pakistan reported.

Gilani said terrorists were enemies of humanity who target innocent people.

Both Shehbaz and Gilani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to eradicate the menace of terrorism.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in a telephonic conversation with CM Bugti, condemned the blast, expressing heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of the deceased.

In a post on X, the ministry said that Naqvi expressed complete solidarity with the families of the affectees.

The pair agreed to take joint and effective measures immediately against the anti-state activities in the province.

“Will go to the last extent to establish peace in Balochistan […] The federation will provide all possible support to the Balochistan government in this regard,” the interior minister said.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Linjar, while condemning the attack, assured the Balochistan government of “all possible support and cooperation”.

The police in Sindh were also ordered to remain on high alert in light of the terrorist attack, a statement from the Sindh interior minister’s office said.
Rise in terrorism

In 2023, Pakistan witnessed 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations. Overall fatalities, including those of outlaws, mark a record six-year high.

Terror attacks declined by 24 per cent in September compared to August, but they witnessed surges in August and July, according to monthly security reports.

On September 25, at least two policemen were among a dozen people injured by a bomb attack that targeted a police vehicle in Quetta.

Days later, terrorists armed with automatic weapons stormed an under-construction house in Panjgur, killing seven labourers hailing from Multan.

The next day, armed men attacked the camp of a private construction company in the Musakhel district, torching the machinery and vehicles there. No casualties were reported.

Last month, three security personnel were martyred and four others were injured in a roadside bomb blast in Balochistan’s Kalat area.

This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.

Additional input from AFP

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment