On May 9, at least three Taliban fighters were killed, and six others were injured in a blast caused by a sticky improvised explosive device (IED) planted on a motorbike, targeting a Taliban military convoy in Faiz Abad District of Badakhshan Province, reports Afghanistan International. Later on the same day, the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (IS-KP) claimed responsibility for the blast.
On May 8, Taliban freed a journalist identified as Ramin Amiri, the editor-in-chief of Sulh TV channel in Herat Province, after 48 days, reports Amu TV. According to the Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC), his release was secured on the basis of a guarantee bill.
On May 8, Afghanistan International reported that the Taliban is cracking down on active parties in Afghanistan, intensifying efforts to silence dissent. Notable among the targets is Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-e Islami party. Hekmatyar, once supportive of the Taliban, has become increasingly critical due to their power monopoly, restrictions on women's rights, and suppression of the press. In March 2024, the Taliban ousted Hekmatyar from his government-funded residence, prohibiting his Friday sermons and preventing his party members from meeting him at his new residence in Kabul.
On May 8, one unidentified militant was killed in a gunfight between militants and Security Forces (SFs) in the Redwani area of Kulgam District of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), reports the Daily Excelsior. The 45-hour-long gun battle in the village continues as the search operation at the site and, the exchange of firing is still going on at the time of reporting.
A man, identified as Guddu, was critically injured after cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) attacked him with sharp-edged weapons in a forest adjacent to Rohtad village under Chhotedongar Police Station limits in Narayanpur District of Chhattisgarh on May 8, reports devdiscourse.com. On being alerted about it, a team of the District Reserve Guard along with the local police rushed to the spot and found the man in a critical condition with injuries to his head, a Police official said. A note written by Maoists was recovered from the spot, in which they claimed that the man acted as a ‘police informer’, he said.
Three cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), including two women cadres, surrendered in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh on May 8 under the 'Lon Varattu' (Return Home) campaign, reports etvbharat.com. Police said the surrendered Maoists were in the Malanger Area Committee of Maoists and belonged to two Maoist outfits, Krantikari Mahila Adivasi Sangthan (KAMS) and Chetna Natya Mandali (CNM). The surrendered Maoists are identified as Kumari Nande Markam, a KAMS member, Kesha Gonche, a Gonderas Panchayat ‘militia’ (people’s army of the Maoists) member and Kumari Malle, a Gonderas Panchayat CNM member. The surrendered Maoists said that they have lost faith in the hollow ideology of the Maoists and their exploitation and have thus decided to lay down their arms.
On May 8, Assam Rifles arrested two suspected cadres of Koireng led faction of United National Liberation Front (UNLF-K) identified as Huidrom Jitanjit Singh (36) and Ningthem Oinam alias Tomba Luwang (43) from Viewland Zone III in Ukhrul District of Manipur, reports Imphal Free Press. Ammunition and two wireless sets were recovered from their possession.
Search operations were conducted by security forces (SFs) in Wangoo Yellangba hill area in Kakching District of Manipur, reports Manipur Police on X on May 9. The recovery included one country made 9mm Pistol with empty magazine, six 36-highly explosive (HE) grenades, three covers of 2-inch mortar smoke shell, four empty shells of 2-inch mortar smoke shell, one Tube launcher, one bullet-proof (BP) plate, one Baofeng hand set, two BP vest, three cartridge charger and two ring of grenade launcher.
On May 8, the Border Security Force (BSF) stated on the social platform ‘X’, formerly 'Twitter', that they recovered a suspected packet, wrapped in yellow packing material with a metal ring attached to it, which contained a pistol, along with one empty magazine in Hardo Rattan village in the Amritsar district of Punjab.
On May 8, nine active members of the KKBN (Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh) Division of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) operating in Boudh District of Odisha surrendered before the Police and returned to the mainstream, reports The New Indian Express. "A Naxal surrendered before Kandhamal Police on Tuesday [May 7], and nine did the same before Boudh Police a day later [May 8]. Apart from the state government's effective rehabilitation policy, the continuous anti-Naxal [Left Wing Extremism, LWE] operations have led to the recent surrenders," said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Operations, Dev Datta Singh. The surrendered Maoists, identified as Yoggi Madvi alias Jyoti (20/F), Pozze Madvi (22/F), Bhima Kadti (22), Bhima Banjam (25), Bandi Banjam (30), Arma Raba (30), Malla Madvi (29), Deba Kadti (25) and Ayata Madvi (26) are from Muler village in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, said Boudh Superintendent of Police (SP), Raj Prasad. The identity of one Maoist is yet to be ascertained.
On May 8, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) attached six immovable properties of Asif Ahmed Malik, a terrorist of the banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), located in Mirpora village in Pulwama District of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), reports the Daily Excelsior. Earlier, Malik was arrested on January 31, 2020, in a case related to the transportation of terrorists, infiltration into Kashmir from across the border, and seizure of arms and explosives from JeM terror operatives.
On May 8, Ang Mai faction of Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) elected Kughalu Mulatonu as the ‘General Secretary’ while Nyeiton Konyak was elected as the new ‘Vice Chairman’, reports The Morung Express. The duo was elected during an all-party emergency meeting on through a unanimous decision by the joint council of ‘Kilonsers’, ‘Tatar Hoho’, and ‘Military wing Commanders’, strictly adhering to the Yehzabo (Constitution) of the NSCN.
Seven workers of Punjabi ethnicity were killed and another one sustained injuries in a terrorist attack in the residential quarters near Fish Harbour Jetty in Sarband area of Gwadar city (Gwadar District) in Balochistan in the wee hours of May 9 (today), reports ARY News. According to officials, the terrorists opened fire while the workers were sleeping. The deceased and injured are residents of Khanewal District of Punjab.
Security Forces (SFs) killed five terrorists and arrested another one in an injured condition during an exchange of fire in Sambaza area of Zhob District in Balochistan on May 6, reports The Balochistan Post. The SFs recovered a cache of weapons and ammunition from the hideout of the terrorists.
Security Forces (SFs) gunned down five terrorists in intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Dera Ismail Khan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 8, reports ARY News. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said that an intelligence-based operation was conducted on the reported presence of terrorists. During the conduct of the operation, five terrorists were successfully neutralised by the SFs.
In an exchange of fire in North Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 8, Security Forces (SFs) effectively engaged the terrorists’ location as a result of which a Terrorist, identified as Inamullah, was killed, reports ARY News. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said that weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the slain terrorist, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the SFs as well as innocent civilians.
Unidentified assailants shot and injured a Police Inspector in Faqirabad area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on May 8, reports The Khorasan Diary.
A girls school in Sheva area of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was blown up and razed to the ground on May 8, reports The Khorasan Diary. The Islamia School for Girls was destroyed by militants late last night, “we are investigation the matter”, said District Police Chief.