Global News Roundup: Violence Erupts in Multiple Regions
A series of deadly incidents unfolded across the globe, including a mine collapse in the Democratic Republic of Congo, attacks in Pakistan and Niger, escalating conflict in Gaza, and diplomatic tensions between South Africa and Israel.
In Pakistan's Balochistan province, a series of coordinated gun and bomb attacks resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians and 17 security personnel, according to Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti. The attacks, which targeted cities across the province, also led to the deaths of at least 145 attackers, Bugti stated. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the violence, asserting that they had killed dozens of soldiers. The BBC reported that this escalation marked one of the deadliest days of violence in the region, where the Pakistani government has been battling an ethnic insurgency for decades.
Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a coltan mine collapse in the eastern region claimed the lives of more than 200 people this week, officials said, according to The Guardian. The Rubaya mine, located in North Kivu, produces approximately 15% of the world's coltan, a mineral processed into tantalum and used in mobile phones.
In Niger, Islamic State in the Sahel claimed responsibility for an attack on the international airport and adjacent air force base in Niamey, the capital. The Guardian reported that the assault, which began shortly after midnight on Thursday, involved motorcycle-riding militants using heavy weaponry and drones. The attack damaged planes belonging to an Ivorian carrier and a Togolese airline.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict saw renewed escalation as Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 32 Palestinians, according to local authorities. The BBC reported that the civil defense agency, operated by Hamas, stated that children and women were among the dead. One attack reportedly involved helicopter gunships striking a tent sheltering displaced people in the southern city of Khan Younis. Palestinians described these strikes as the heaviest since the second phase of the ceasefire, brokered last October, came into effect earlier this month. The Israeli military confirmed the strikes.
Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Israel deteriorated as South Africa expelled Israel's chargé d'affaires, Ariel Seidman, declaring him persona non grata and giving him 72 hours to leave the country. The Guardian reported that this action followed what South Africa deemed "insulting attacks" on President Cyril Ramaphosa. The expulsion was a tit-for-tat response, with Israel also expelling a senior South African diplomat. South Africa and Israel have long been at odds over the South African government's support of the Palestinian cause.
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