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Chopper on relief mission missing in Balochistan, Pakistan
A helicopter carrying senior military officials went missing in Balochistan on Monday night, Dawn news agency reported Tuesday.
According to an official statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “A Pakistan army aviation helicopter which was on flood relief operations in Lasbela, Balochistan lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC).
Six individuals were on board including the Commander XII Corps Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali, who was supervising the flood relief operations in Balochistan. Some reports also suggested that Pakistan Coast Guard Director General Brigadier Amjad Hanif Satti, was also on board the missing chopper, Dawn added.
According to the military’s media wing, a search operation was under way at the time of going to press, and more details would be released as information became available.
Talking about the search operation, Deputy Inspector General of Police Khuzdar Range Pervez Umrani told Dawn that police and Frontier Corps personnel were conducting a joint search operation for the last five hours.
Police sources told Dawn that area where the chopper went missing was mountainous terrain, without even jeep paths, making it extremely difficult for search and rescue parties.
“Either you go on foot or motorcycles or conduct aerial surveillance,” a senior official said.
Other difficulties include lack of cell phones coverage and no electricity. Police are said to have engaged the services of local volunteers to assist with the search operation.
Military personnel and equipment, including helicopters, have been engaged in relief operations in the flood-hit districts of Balochistan for weeks now.
On Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also in Balochistan alongside National Disaster Management Authority head Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced that it will continue providing its essential health services to the people of Afghanistan.
In a post on X, the organization, referring to Afghanistan’s health needs, said that over the past year it has been active in various health sectors across the country, ranging from maternal and child care to emergency response, as well as the treatment of patients suffering from tuberculosis and severe injuries.
According to MSF, its teams over the past year have been present at a range of health facilities, including neonatal intensive care units, operating theatres, surgical centers, and specialized tuberculosis treatment wards, where they have delivered life-saving services to patients.
The organization stressed that it will continue ensuring the provision of health services, particularly for needy families and vulnerable communities in remote areas of Afghanistan.
The Embassy of Afghanistan in Japan, currently run by diplomats of the previous government, has announced that it will suspend its operations in Tokyo after the end of January 2026.
In a statement issued on Friday, the embassy said the decision was made after consultations with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in close coordination with Japanese authorities, and in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The embassy added that after January 31, all of its political, economic, cultural, and consular activities will be halted until further notice.
Currently, Shaida Abdali is serving as Afghanistan’s ambassador to Japan.
Sadin Ayyıldız, Chargé d’Affaires of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul, held a courtesy meeting with Zakir Jalali, the Second Political Deputy of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the occasion of the start of his mission.
The Turkish Embassy in Kabul said in a post that the meeting included mutual exchanges of views on bilateral relations.
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