32 Militants Killed in Operations Across Two Provinces, Says Pakistan

The CSTO said in a statement on Tuesday, 21 July, that Andrey Serdyukov, chief of its Joint Staff, stressed the need for the timely identification of crises and coordinated action by international organisations to ensure security.

Serdyukov said guaranteeing collective security requires close cooperation with all international organisations.

On the sidelines of the meeting, CSTO representatives held talks with officials from the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, the CIS Anti-Terrorism Centre and the Council of Commanders of Border Troops of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

During the discussions, the sides exchanged views on expanding joint cooperation to counter security threats and strengthen border security.

Pakistan, a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, hosted the rotating border security meeting.

The CSTO delegation attended the meeting as a partner organisation involved in regional security cooperation.

Speaking on Tuesday at a regional conference of research centres from Afghanistan, Central Asia and Azerbaijan hosted by the Taliban Foreign Ministry in Kabul, Muttaqi said Iran and the United States had reached an agreement after lengthy negotiations.

He added that it would have been “much better” if the deal had been reached before the outbreak of conflict.

Muttaqi stressed that wars, violence and disputes between countries in the region and beyond should be resolved through dialogue, diplomatic meetings and mutual understanding rather than military confrontation.

He said war leads to the destruction of cities, human casualties and growing mistrust among nations, arguing that negotiations and dialogue should replace conflict and tension.

The agreement is reportedly due to be signed in Geneva on Friday.

According to reports, under the deal Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States will lift restrictions imposed on Iranian ports and the movement of Iranian vessels.

He said the agreement would benefit both sides, the region and the wider world.

In a message posted on X, Karzai also expressed appreciation for the diplomatic efforts of Pakistan, Qatar and other regional countries that helped facilitate the understanding.

The former Afghan president stressed the vital importance of peace and stability in the region and around the world and emphasised the responsibility of governments to preserve them.

Expressing optimism about the process, Karzai said he hoped the efforts would continue until a final outcome is reached and international peace and security are secured.

Last night, US President Donald Trump announced that an agreement between the United States and Iran had been finalised.

Iranian officials have also said the agreement is expected to be formally signed by both sides on Friday.

Dujarric said the United Nations secretary-general had stressed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is unacceptable and called for those responsible for the attack to be identified and brought to justice.

He also reaffirmed the UN’s solidarity with the people and government of Pakistan.

Early on Sunday morning, a suicide bombing involving a vehicle packed with explosives targeted a train carrying soldiers in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 50 others.

The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to Al Jazeera, several homes and buildings near the railway line were heavily damaged.

Images shared on social media showed burnt-out vehicles and train carriages overturned on their sides, with thick black smoke rising into the sky.

Pakistani media reported that at least three border police officers were among the dead, although most victims were civilians, including passers-by, passengers and residents living near the blast site.

Following the attack, a state of emergency was declared at all major public hospitals in Quetta, and doctors and medical staff were urgently called back to work.

Sarfraz Bugti, Pakistan’s Chief Minister of Balochistan province, condemned the bombing in a post on X, writing: “The terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan are proving their savagery by targeting innocent civilians, women, and children.”

The Taliban administration in Afghanistan also condemned the attack.

The vote has been placed on the agenda by Bahrain, the council’s rotating president.

The meeting had been scheduled for last week but was postponed.

The draft resolution has been revised since its initial submission. The earlier version stated that member states would be allowed to use all necessary and appropriate defensive means to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

In the updated version, that language has been removed and replaced with wording that the council strongly encourages coordinated, defensive and proportionate efforts to help ensure maritime security.