In a tragic incident on Tuesday evening, Kamran Dawar, a prominent social media activist and outspoken critic of the Pakistan Army’s oppression, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in North Waziristan’s regional headquarters, Miramshah.

Dawar was on his way home to Tappi village when the gunmen opened fire on him. He was critically injured in the attack and succumbed to his injuries while being transported to a hospital.

Kamran Dawar was well-known for his active presence on social media and for his Facebook channel, Waziristan TV, where he regularly voiced his criticisms of the Pakistan Army.

Although the identities of the assailants remain unknown and the motive behind the murder has not yet been established, the location of the incident in the heavily militarized region of North Waziristan raises suspicions about the involvement of the Pakistan Army. The Army is notorious for suppressing dissenting voices, especially those of journalists and activists who challenge its actions and policies.

This latest act of violence highlights the ongoing dangers faced by activists in Pakistan, particularly in regions where the military exerts significant control. The death of Kamran Dawar serves as a stark reminder of the risks that come with speaking out against powerful Pak Army.

In a tragic development, the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) launched an attack on May 20, targeting a bus carrying Taliban members in Kandahar city. The explosion, caused by a grenade, occurred at 7:00 AM, resulting in the deaths of at least four individuals.

The Kandahar Police Headquarters reported that security forces swiftly arrived at the scene following the blast and have since initiated an investigation into the incident. The attack has further heightened the already tense security situation in the region.

Earlier attacks by ISKP

Notably, ISKP has been actively involved in orchestrating attacks in Afghanistan. Earlier, on May 17, ISKP terrorists opened fire in the Bamyan market, killing eight people, including four foreign nationals who were reported to be Spanish.

In taking responsibility for the Bamyan attack, it cited sectarian reasons and highlighted Bamyan as a significant tourist site due to its Buddha statues.

It has consistently targeted Afghanistan and has accused the Taliban regime of being apostate, further fueling the violent conflict between the groups.

In a tragic incident, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province and other high-ranking officials died after their helicopter crashed in heavy fog while crossing mountainous terrain in East Azerbaijan, Iranian officials stated on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed condolences and said that India stands with Iran in the hours of grief. According to Iranian state news channel, no one survived the crash, which was initially described as a “hard landing”.

According to the Iranian news agency, IRNA, Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and inaugurated Qiz Qalasi Dam jointly built by the two sides. Raisi was travelling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province and the incident happened near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, some 600 k.m. northwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Plane crash in Azerbaijan

“President Raisi’s helicopter was completely burned in the crash… unfortunately, all passengers are feared dead,” said official. Rescue teams held an overnight search operation in challenging terrain to reach the wreckage in East Azerbaijan province early on Monday.

The search operation intensified after the suspected helicopter wreckage was identified by a Turkish drone, which detected a heat source in the early hours of Monday. Reportedly, the drone shared the coordinates of the possible crash site with Iranian authorities.

Raisi was travelling in US-made helicopter

President Raisi was flying in a US-made Bell 212 helicopter. Following the crash reports, the chief of staff of Iran’s army ordered all resources of the army and the elite Revolutionary Guards to be mobilized for search and rescue operations.

Additionally, in the early hours of Monday, the national broadcaster halted all regular programming to show prayers being held across the country for the missing President.

This tragic incident has left the nation in mourning and has prompted an outpouring of grief and condolences from leaders worldwide. Further investigations are expected to determine the exact cause of the crash.