In an unfortunate incident, eight District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans and a driver were killed after Naxals blew up their vehicle using an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. 

The blast took place on the Bedre-Kutru Road in the district. Reports said that the security personnel were returning from an operation when the incident happened. 

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bastar said that the security personnel were returning to the base camp from a joint operation of Dantewada, Narayanpur, and Bijapur when, at around 2.15 pm on January 6, unidentified Maoists detonated an IED near Ambeli village in the Kutru police station area of Bijapur district.

The officials further added that they will soon release a detailed statement on this. They mentioned that this is the biggest strike on security personnel by Naxalites in the last two years.

Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai expressed condolences over the death of the security personnel and called the incident extremely painful. He offered condolences to the families of the martyrs, and prayed for peace to the souls of the martyred soldiers and to provide strength to the bereaved families.

The Chief Minister stated that the Naxalites are frustrated with the ongoing Naxal eradication campaign in Bastar and are perpetrating such cowardly acts out of frustration. He said that the martyrdom of the soldiers will not go in vain, and their fight to end Naxalism will continue strongly.

Former Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh and Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker said that whenever big operations are conducted against them, the Naxalites resort to cowardly attacks. He expressed his condolences to the families of the soldiers who lost their lives in this attack. He added that the significant steps being taken by the Chhattisgarh government and the central government will continue to move forward.

Reportedly, an NIA team will soon visit Bijapur, and the team will be sent from the Raipur NIA branch. Also, the NIA forensic team will also be present.

This follows a day after five Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar. The gunfight occurred on Saturday evening (January 4) at a forest in south Abujhmaad along the border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation.

Earlier on April 26, 2023, ten police personnel and a civilian driver were killed after Naxals blew up their vehicle, which was part of a convoy carrying security personnel in neighbouring Dantewada district.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghanistan, describing it an old practice of Islamabad to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures.

The Ministry said that they have noted the media reports on airstrikes on Afghan civilians, including women and children, in which several precious lives have been lost. They also unequivocally condemn any attack on innocent civilians.

In its statement, the External Affairs Ministry said that it is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures. It added that they have also noted the response of an Afghan spokesperson in this regard.

The Taliban in December claimed that 46 people including women and children were killed in the airstrikes carried out by Pakistan. The deputy spokesperson for the Afghan government, Hamdullah Fitrat said to the media that those killed in the strikes that targeted four locations in Barmal, a district in the province of Paktika, were refugees, adding that six others were also wounded.

Furthermore, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesperson Mohammad Khurasani claimed in a statement that 50 people, including 27 women and children, died in the strikes. He mentioned that they were unarmed refugees who fled to Afghanistan because of Pakistan’s offensive in the northwest.

The TTP, a separate group but also a close ally of the Afghan Taliban also shared photos, alleging they were of children killed during the Pakistani operation. The strikes followed hours after Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, traveled to Kabul to discuss a range of issues.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul summoned the Pakistani envoy and lodged a strong protest over the strikes by Pakistan’s military. Issuing a statement, it said that while a representative of the civilian government of Pakistan was busy in talks with the Afghan officials, the strikes were carried out by Pakistani forces to create mistrust in the relations between the two countries.

The statement added that Kabul will not accept the violation of the country’s territory under any circumstances, and the country is ready to defend its independence and territory and such irresponsible actions will definitely have consequences.

The Union Health Ministry on Monday said that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) confirmed that two cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) have been detected in Karnataka. It added that the cases were identified through the ICMR’s routine surveillance for various respiratory viruses, aligning with their ongoing efforts to monitor respiratory illnesses nationwide.

The Ministry said that a three-month-old female infant with a history of bronchopneumonia was diagnosed with HMPV after being admitted to Baptist Hospital in Bengaluru. She has already been discharged, it clarified.

Furthermore, an eight-month-old male infant with a history of bronchopneumonia also tested positive for HMPV on January 3 after being admitted to Baptist Hospital. He is now recovering, it said. The Ministry underlined that neither of the patients have any history of international travel.

Notably, Human Metapnemovirus (HMPV) is a respiratory virus that typically causes mild to moderate flu-like symptoms. This virus is most prevalent during the winter and early spring months and is primarily transmitted through direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated surfaces.

Most infected persons have mild symptoms including cough, runny nose or nasal congestion, sore throat and fever. More severe illness, with wheezing, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, cough, pneumonia, and in adults, aggravation of asthma, also has been reported. 

Reports said, in children younger than 1 year of age, the elderly and persons who have weak immune systems, HMPV can cause more serious respiratory illness.

The Union Health Ministry stressed that HMPV is circulating globally, including in India, with cases of respiratory illnesses linked to the virus reported in multiple countries.

As per data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network, there has been no significant rise in cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) in India.

The health ministry also confirmed that it is closely monitoring the situation through all available surveillance channels. Additionally, the ICMR will continue to track the trends of HMPV circulation throughout the year.

The health ministry also asserted that a recent preparedness drill conducted nationwide has demonstrated that India is well-prepared to manage any potential increase in respiratory illnesses, with public health interventions ready to be deployed if necessary.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) is providing regular updates on the situation in China, supporting ongoing efforts to manage the situation.