16-30 JUNE 2026

Domestic · Balochistan · KP · Regional · Defence · Diplomatic

                

DOMESTIC

AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR (AJK)

Political activity in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is intensifying ahead of the Legislative Assembly elections, with citizens actively participating in the democratic process. The Election Commission has completed its preparations, and officials said a large number of candidates are submitting nomination papers. It is learned that a total of 1,265 candidates have filed nomination papers for 45 constituencies, including 12 refugee seats. Scrutiny has been completed, with 41 papers rejected on legal grounds; appeals will be heard from 29 to 30 June 2026, and the process will conclude by 2 July 2026. Earlier, the AJK government had placed 150 members of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on the Fourth Schedule through ten notifications. Those named include Shoukat Nawaz Mir, Raja Amjad Ali Khan, Anjum Zaman Awan and Raja Sohaib Javed, along with members allegedly linked to violent activities. (Radio Pakistan, The Nation, The News — 19, 20, 28.6.26)

BALOCHISTAN

1. Unidentified armed men killed two people — Abdul Sattar and a police official, Shahjehan — as they sat in a hotel in Khuzdar district (16.6.26).
2. Members of an unknown armed group martyred a CTD officer, Baba Jan Mohammad Hasni, in Noshki (18.6.26).
3. Two dacoits were killed in an exchange of fire with police near the City Taxi Stand in Quetta (18.6.26).
4. Three unidentified, bullet-riddled bodies were found separately in the Pidarak Road area of Turbat in Kech district and in the Sardar Karez and Karakasa areas of Quetta (20.6.26).
5. Two unidentified bodies were found near the Sheikh Wassil area of Mastung district (21.6.26).
6. Unidentified armed men shot and injured a police officer deployed to protect optic-fibre workers carrying out cable-repair work in Kech district (21.6.26).
7. A bomb exploded near a bridge on the N-25 National Highway in the Surab area of Quetta, causing minor damage to the bridge structure (21.6.26).
8. An anti-terrorism court in Quetta convicted BYC leader Mahrang Baloch and Sibgitullah Shah Ji in a case related to the death of an FC official during a violent Gwadar protest in 2024 (22.6.26).
9. A man identified as Raja was killed when an IED attached to a motorcycle exploded outside the residence of a local religious leader, Syed Maheem Jan, in the coastal town of Ormara near Gwadar (24.6.26).
10. Seven people, including three women, were shot dead in three separate attacks in the Dera Murad Jamali, Jhal Magsi and Usta Mohammad areas of Nasirabad district (25.6.26).
11. Security forces killed eight terrorists allegedly linked to the BLA/BLF during separate operations in Kharan and Mastung districts (25–26.6.26).
12. Airport Security Force (ASF) Deputy Director Muhammad Waseem — reportedly kidnapped on 20 May on the Quetta–Karachi highway — was found dead near Kalat district. Police said his tortured body was recovered and, after identification, sent to Karachi for burial. The outlawed BLA had claimed responsibility for his kidnapping (26.6.26).
13. Turkish drilling expert Salih Guljamal — missing since 22 April after an armed attack on a mining site operated by National Resources Ltd in Chaghi district — has reportedly been safely recovered in Mastung and reunited with his family, and was returning to Türkiye after nearly two months (26.6.26).
14. Unidentified assailants shot dead Mohammad Hashim Noorzai, owner of the well-known Kabul Jan restaurant, while he was travelling from Kuchlak to Quetta (27.6.26).
15. Karachi mobile-phone businessman Ali Jameel was killed and his wife injured after unidentified attackers opened fire on their car in the Kand area of Dasht on the night of 26 June; their two daughters were unharmed (27.6.26).
16. At least three people were critically injured when explosives being transported on a motorcycle for mining purposes detonated accidentally near Panki in the Khanuzai area of Quetta district (28.6.26).
17. Four policemen were reportedly injured when a roadside bomb planted by unidentified assailants exploded near their vehicle in Dasht, Mastung, as they transported prisoners from court to jail; the vehicle was partially damaged (28.6.26).
18. The District Police Gwadar dismissed 14 personnel, including a sub-inspector, for negligence, corruption and misconduct following an armed attack on Police Station Centre on 7 June, in which attackers looted official weapons and equipment without encountering resistance (29.6.26).

Comments & Analysis: The fortnight reflects sustained dual-track violence: a separatist insurgency (BLA/BLF) relying on IEDs, ambushes, kidnappings and attacks on economic infrastructure, running alongside continued target killings of settlers, traders and non-locals. Infrastructure with a CPEC or connectivity dimension remained a preferred target — the N-25 bridge bombing, the shooting of a policeman guarding optic-fibre repair crews, and the earlier mining-site abduction of the Turkish expert. The kidnap-and-kill of ASF Deputy Director Waseem and the recurring discovery of bullet-riddled, “dumped” bodies (Turbat, Quetta, Mastung) keep the enforced-disappearance and human-rights narrative alive, feeding recruitment. The conviction of BYC leader Mahrang Baloch signals a harder state line against the movement’s political wing — a step that risks amplifying a martyrdom/grievance narrative if not managed carefully. Accountability is visible (14 Gwadar police dismissed over the 7 June station attack), but it also exposes serious force-protection, negligence and morale gaps at the thana level. Finally, the accidental detonation of mining explosives underscores weak control over commercial explosives that routinely feed insurgent IED supply chains. Net assessment: security forces are inflicting attrition (eight-plus militants killed), yet prevention continues to lag detection, and soft economic targets remain exposed.

ISLAMABAD

1. A massive fire erupted in Block C of Islamabad’s H-9 Weekly Bazaar, damaging hundreds of stalls and prompting a large-scale firefighting operation supported by Rawalpindi authorities. This was the fifth fire at the H-9 Weekly Bazaar since 2017 (23.6.26).
2. The FIA dismantled an alleged international human-placenta smuggling network and uncovered two illegal facilities processing human biological material in Islamabad. It arrested five suspects — three foreign nationals and two Pakistani citizens — for allegedly collecting, processing and exporting human placenta by falsely declaring it as “sheep placenta” for shipment abroad, particularly to Vietnam (26.6.26).

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA (KPK)

1. Unknown terrorists killed four villagers — Jumma Khan, his son Adnan, Waseem and Naimat — in the Jabbarkhel area of Lakki Marwat district (15.6.26).
2. The bodies of four people — Abdul Rauf alias Kaka Waziristani, his two sons and a nephew — shot dead by unidentified assailants, were recovered from the Nala Kasho area along Domel Link Road in Bannu district (16.6.26).
3. Security forces reportedly demolished the houses of a militant commander and his associate in the Zeri Noor and Gangikhel areas of South Waziristan district. The properties allegedly belonged to Fateh Wazir and Zaraqawi, who are linked to the Gul Bahadur group of TTP-affiliated militants (17.6.26).
4. Six suspected TTP-linked terrorists, including Hayat Khan, Asim and Aminullah, were killed in separate CTD intelligence-based operations in Kohat and Charsadda after fierce exchanges of fire with security forces (17.6.26).
5. In separate incidents, unidentified armed men abducted three people — Gul Najeeb Khan, 19-year-old Hussain and Fayaz — from the Miryan, Manday Chowk and Noorar areas of Miryan tehsil in Bannu district (18.6.26).
6. Gurdwara caretaker Jagannath and his wife, Asa Wanti, members of the Sikh community, were shot dead on 17 June by unidentified assailants in Babu Mohalla, Mardan city. Following investigations, police arrested Constable Sher Shah, who allegedly carried out the killings over a personal grievance linked to his transfer from a gurdwara security assignment (19.6.26).
7. Terrorists attacked a checkpoint on the Indus Highway in Lakki Marwat district with a quadcopter-dropped explosive, injuring three policemen, including an officer. Police and security forces later killed one terrorist near Pezo Nullah, while the others escaped (19.6.26).
8. An alleged terrorist quadcopter attack on the hujra of former nazim Khalid Khan in the Kherukhel Pacca area of Lakki Marwat district injured 13 people, including a police official (19.6.26).
9. Unidentified gunmen shot dead three men and dumped their bodies in fields in the Asmatabad and Khaisorewala areas of Serai Naurang, Lakki Marwat district (20.6.26).
10. A policeman was injured after unidentified attackers hurled a grenade at a police checkpoint near a shrine in Tank district (20.6.26).
11. Five security personnel were martyred when terrorists attacked a bomb-disposal unit in the Waidoon area of Dosali tehsil, North Waziristan district (22.6.26).
12. Police repulsed an overnight terrorist attack on the Kulachi Police Station in Dera Ismail Khan district (22.6.26).
13. Police recovered a French woman, Sylvie Yasmina, and her children from a house in Bara, Khyber district, following allegations of domestic abuse and physical torture over the past 12 years, during which she and her children were allegedly deprived of their freedom (22.6.26).
14. Terrorists carried out a quadcopter strike on the Shaheed Asmatullah Khan Khattak Police Station in Darra Pezu town, Lakki Marwat district; no loss of life was reported (22.6.26).
15. A police official was injured when a patrol party was targeted with an IED in the Darga Shaheedan area of Karak district (22.6.26).
16. Two bullet-riddled bodies, identified as Jalal and Siraj from the Miryan area, were recovered from the Tochi River area of Bakakhel tehsil in Bannu district (23.6.26).
17. According to unconfirmed reports, unidentified armed men allegedly abducted government schoolteacher Nisar from the Mandio area and retired FC official Ali Mar Khan from Jani Khel, while a suspected terrorist quadcopter attack on Hovid Police Station injured two security personnel — all in separate incidents across Bannu district (24.6.26).
18. Eight police personnel — including SHO Ahmed Shah Mehsud and two Bomb Disposal Unit members — who had allegedly been kidnapped by unidentified armed men in South Waziristan on 24 June, were safely recovered the next day through the efforts of police, security forces and tribal elders (24–25.6.26).
19. During a joint operation, the CTD and local police killed six suspected terrorists — identified as Najamuddin, Khalilur Rehman, Kifayatullah, Muhammad Sulaiman, Asmat Ali and Abdul Hamid — in the Talash Bar Harai forest area of Lower Dir district (25.6.26).
20. Four unidentified bullet-riddled bodies were found inside an ambulance on CPEC Circular Road in Bannu district (25.6.26).
21. Armed men shot dead five people — Junaid and Sunaid, the sons of Rais Khan; their mother; Amjad; and Alam Zeb — and injured a woman and a child during an attack in the Shabri Kalla Bharat area of Bannu district (26.6.26).
22. Security forces killed seven terrorists in the Ghora Baka Khel area of Bannu district (26.6.26).
23. A woman was killed and a minor girl injured after two mortar shells, fired from an unknown location, struck a house in the Norar area of Miryan tehsil, Bannu district (28.6.26).
24. A suspected quadcopter strike on a house killed a nine-year-old child, Mehran, and injured a woman, Tahira Bibi, in the War Mamund area of Bajaur district (29.6.26).
25. Police Constable Umar Niaz Khan was martyred after unidentified armed assailants attacked him near Lora Bridge in Bannu (30.6.26).

Comments & Analysis (KP). The fortnight confirms the southern belt — Bannu, Lakki Marwat, North and South Waziristan, plus Bajaur, Lower Dir, Tank and DI Khan — as the province’s operational epicentre. Two trends stand out. First, the rapid normalisation of quadcopter/drone-dropped munitions by TTP-linked militants against police stations, checkpoints and even a former nazim’s hujra (Indus Highway, Darra Pezu, Hovid, Bajaur, War Mamund). This is a low-cost, semi-precision aerial threat that static picket defences and current force-protection SOPs are not configured to counter, and it is now compounded by the reported Afghan Taliban–linked drone intrusion. Second, the heavy targeting of the police, BDU teams and security personnel (five BDU personnel martyred at Dosali; constables killed at Lora Bridge and elsewhere) runs in parallel with mass-casualty family shootings of civilians (Shabri Kalla, Jabbarkhel). The recurring kill-and-dump bodies (Nala Kasho, Tochi River, the ambulance corpses on CPEC Circular Road) and abductions of officials and teachers indicate a deliberate campaign to contest state writ and intimidate. Counter-actions were substantial — multiple intelligence-based operations, six killed in Lower Dir, seven in Ghora Baka Khel, house demolitions in South Waziristan — and institutional adaptation is visible in the new 400-member Special Combat Unit and digital-policing platforms. Yet the cross-border sanctuary problem, reinforced by the Jalalabad/Bajaur logistics trail of the Karachi Rangers attacker, means detection and response still outpace prevention. Two anomalies are worth flagging: the constable-perpetrated Sikh gurdwara killing in Mardan (communal/personal, not terrorism) and the rescue of the French woman in Bara show that ordinary policing burdens persist alongside the counterterrorism fight.

Drone Warfare: It is learned that the Pakistan Air Defence System recently intercepted and destroyed a drone allegedly belonging to the Afghan Taliban after it entered Pakistani airspace near Shinko, Khyber district. The available reporting suggests the following. Afghan Taliban authorities claimed they had carried out strikes against alleged Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) camps in border areas. Pakistan rejected these claims as false and accused the Taliban regime of using such statements as propaganda. The reported Taliban-linked drone intrusion was described as the first incident of its kind involving a rudimentary drone entering Pakistani airspace. Such basic, improvised UAVs are typically used for reconnaissance or for carrying small explosive payloads. Speculation has also emerged that recent Indian shipments of medical equipment and medicines to Kabul, sent as humanitarian aid, may have been used to smuggle drones or explosives to terrorist outfits allegedly hiding on Afghan territory; however, no public evidence has been presented to support these claims.

PUNJAB

1. Four men — Zakaullah, Ismail Khan, Majeed and Hidayatullah Khan — were shot dead in an ambush by armed assailants near Niazi Chowk in Khanewal while travelling to attend a court hearing at the Multan High Court (16.6.26).
2. The NCCIA arrested five suspects — Usman, Nair Abbas, Riaz, Atif and Umar — for illegally issuing SIM cards using citizens’ biometric data. The arrests followed a raid in Yazman, Bahawalpur, and Rs10.5 million recovered from the fraud was returned to victims (19.6.26).
3. The Punjab Narcotics Force claims to have arrested Constable Muhammad Zaman Tufail and Aqib Raza near Raiwind Chowk in Kasur district during a raid, allegedly for carrying a large cache of narcotics, and to have recovered 314.7 kg of narcotics — worth over Rs70 million — hidden in two vehicles (19.6.26).
4. A Lahore seminary (madrassah) student, Sameer, was brutally tortured by his teacher and others and left seriously injured; police arrested the seminary head, Tahir. Meanwhile, another student, 12-year-old Ali Haider, reportedly died after similar torture at a madrassah (27.6.26).
5. Security at four special police pickets — at Azad Pattan, Bewar, Salgran and Dhan Gali, linking Rawalpindi with Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) — has been strengthened to prevent terrorism and maintain peace (29.6.26).

SINDH

1. The CTD, working with intelligence agencies, arrested five suspected militants in Karachi — including three alleged BLA members (Ilyas Khan alias Shoukat, Zaheer Ahmed and Mohammad Riaz) and two TTP suspects (16.6.26).
2. Pakistan Rangers arrested alleged TTP militant Javed Ali Khan during a raid in Shah Latif Town, Karachi (20.6.26).
3. The CTD arrested alleged TTP operative Salman alias Abu Huraira in Karachi for possessing weapons and explosives and allegedly planning a terrorist attack (21.6.26).
4. A 14-year-old girl, Zunaira Akram, died after a vehicle crashed into a Muharram majlis in Karachi; police registered cases of terrorism and attempted murder (22.6.26).
5. The Pakistan Navy and Coast Guards seized around two tonnes of drugs worth $215 million near Gwadar (22.6.26).
6. Police arrested the alleged mastermind of the Rs300 million cash-van robbery in Rizwan Park, FB Area, Karachi, during a raid in the city, recovering Rs200 million and two luxury vehicles (23.6.26).
7. Police Constable Niaz Hussain Wadhayo was martyred in a targeted attack near Ratto Barrage in Shikarpur district (23.6.26).

Karachi Rangers Facility Attack

(a) Three security personnel were martyred when a terrorist attack on a Pakistan Rangers facility in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi, was foiled. The attackers attempted to enter the camp after setting off a blast; during the ensuing exchange of fire, three assailants allegedly linked to the outlawed Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) were killed, and one injured attacker — allegedly an Afghan national — was captured (28.6.26).

(b) It is learned from media sources that, according to the initial investigation, the arrested terrorist, Usman Ali, entered Pakistan from Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He identified his associates as Abdul Hadi, Janaan and Umar Farooq. Ali admitted links to JuA and named its Afghanistan-based commander as Ahrar Maulvi. He said the group was trained in Afghanistan by Umar Qari and prepared the explosives themselves. Ali revealed that Janaan carried out the bomb attack on the Rangers camp, and that Abdul Hadi, a Bajaur resident, arranged their stay and logistics in Karachi. He added that they learned of the Rangers only after reaching the city. The attack was allegedly carried out by the proscribed JuA, formed by Abdul Wali alias Omar Khalid Khorasani in 2014 after a split from the TTP. JuA and the TTP reunited in 2024; Khorasani had been killed in Afghanistan in 2022. A dispute between JuA and the TTP emerged in 2025, with JuA receiving no major positions within the TTP. The UN Security Council lists JuA as being based in Nangarhar, Afghanistan.

SECURITY / ADMINISTRATION

1. The KPK Police Chief, Zulfikar Hameed, announced in Peshawar the creation of a 400-member Special Combat Unit to conduct intelligence-based counterterrorism operations across the province. Later, the KPK Chief Minister — accompanied by the Chief Secretary and the Police Chief — launched new digital policing platforms to improve public services, transparency and emergency response (17, 19.6.26).
2. NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik informed a Senate committee in Islamabad that 350 sensors had been installed to monitor glaciers and strengthen disaster preparedness (24.6.26).
3. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry ordered the arrest, from 10 July, of Afghan nationals without valid visas under the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan. Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans for decades; a deportation drive launched in 2023 was later expanded. More than 1.15 million Afghans were deported in 2025, while UNHCR reported around 150,000 returns by mid-February 2026 (28.6.26).

PAKISTAN–AFGHANISTAN CONFLICT

Federal Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan had carried out intelligence-based precision strikes on militant hideouts in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar, killing 25 terrorists and destroying weapons and ammunition. Pakistan’s security forces also conducted an intelligence-based operation in Bajaur, along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, following recent terrorist attacks; the operation killed alleged TTP commander Khan Farosh alias Zabal and three members of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, while several others were reported injured. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office in Islamabad summoned the Afghan chargé d’affaires and lodged a strong protest over the terrorist attack on the Rangers facility in Karachi. Afghanistan, in turn, summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires, Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani, in Kabul, condemning the reported airstrikes as a violation of its sovereignty and of international law. Former Afghan leaders Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the strikes, while Afghan officials reported 36 civilian deaths and 163 injuries in Paktia, Paktika, Kunar and other provinces and districts (28, 29, 30.6.26).

DEFENCE

1. The COAS and CDF, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, called on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the latter’s visit to Islamabad to discuss regional developments, peace efforts and the strengthening of Pakistan–Iran relations for stability and mutual interest (23.6.26).
2. Lt Gen Saddam Khalifa Haftar, Deputy Chief of the Libyan Armed Forces, called on the COAS and CDF at GHQ, Rawalpindi, where both sides underscored the importance of strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and mutual interests (24.6.26).

Navy

3. The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, addressed the 55th PN Staff Course at the Pakistan Navy War College, highlighting modern warfare challenges, maritime security and the need for technological advancement and strategic preparedness (24.6.26).
4. Addressing the passing-out ceremony at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan faced growing security challenges and accused India of using covert tactics and proxies to undermine peace and stability (27.6.26).

DIPLOMATIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMY AND SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

1. Pakistan and the United Kingdom agreed to strengthen cooperation in counterterrorism, illegal migration, human smuggling, institutional collaboration and police training during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and British Minister of State Hamish Falconer in Islamabad (16.6.26).

Iranian President’s visit to Islamabad

2. Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian visited Islamabad on 23 June 2026, where he received a 21-gun salute and held meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the COAS and CDF, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. The talks focused on bilateral trade, the Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline, border security and regional connectivity amid rising diplomatic tensions in the region (23.6.26).
3. Pakistan and China co-hosted an informal UNSC meeting to discuss ensuring the full, effective and non-selective implementation of UN resolutions. Pakistan’s Ambassador, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the consistent implementation of UNSC resolutions was essential, warning that delays and selective approaches weakened the Council’s authority and prolonged conflicts, including those in Kashmir and Palestine (24.6.26).
4. FO spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Pakistan welcomed progress in the Iran–US talks, supported sanctions relief to boost Pakistan–Iran economic cooperation, reaffirmed that Afghan territory must not be used for terrorism, and highlighted China’s role in regional engagement. He added that Pakistan remained committed to regional peace and diplomatic dialogue, and condemned violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank (25.6.26).
5. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, alongside Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik, told a press conference in Islamabad that the Indus Waters Treaty remained legally binding and could not be changed unilaterally — amid renewed India–Pakistan tensions over water following New Delhi’s suspension of the accord and recent remarks by Indian Water Minister C R Patil on restricting water flows to Pakistan (29.6.26).

REGIONAL

AFGHANISTAN

1. Afghanistan reportedly approved a nationwide ban on smartphone use by civilian and military government employees, with violations punishable by legal action and device confiscation (16.6.26).
2. Viktor Vasilyev, Chairman of the CSTO Permanent Council, said the security situation along the Tajik–Afghan border remained fragile owing to militant activity in northern Afghanistan, prompting the bloc to strengthen border security and counterterrorism cooperation. Separately, Russian presidential envoy Zamir Kabulov said Afghanistan could not gain full membership of the SCO because one member state had objected, leaving its participation suspended amid ongoing Afghanistan–Pakistan tensions (23–26.6.26).
3. A 20-member Indian business delegation is set to visit Afghanistan to explore investment opportunities, while Kabul is also considering direct basmati-rice imports from India to diversify trade — amid strained relations and prolonged border disruptions with Pakistan, and despite India not formally recognising the Taliban government (25–28.6.26).

BANGLADESH

Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman’s China visit of 24–26 June 2026 strengthened Dhaka–Beijing relations through talks with Chinese leaders and 12 agreements on trade, green energy, infrastructure and strategic cooperation. China also supported the China–Myanmar–Bangladesh Economic Corridor, expanded defence dialogue, and backed Bangladesh’s role in the Belt and Road Initiative. Analysts view Rahman’s visit as reflecting China’s growing influence in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific, posing new strategic considerations for India, while Pakistan observes the shifting regional balance and the re-emergence of friendly relations with a country that was once part of it (27.6.26).

ILLEGALLY INDIAN-OCCUPIED JAMMU AND KASHMIR (IIOJK) / LOC

Security arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra

1. Four Indian Army personnel, including a JCO, were injured in an explosion in the Forward Kalal area of the Nowshera sector, near the LoC in Rajouri district of IIOJK (16.6.26).
2. India’s Union Home Secretary, Govind Mohan, chaired a high-level meeting in Srinagar to review security preparations for the Amarnath Yatra, with authorities confirming multi-layered security, route sanitisation, surveillance, a no-fly zone and emergency readiness for the pilgrimage running from 3 July to 28 August. Senior civil, military and police officials — including the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, the GOC-in-C of the Indian Army’s Northern Command and the 15 Corps Commander — attended. Military commanders also inspected operational preparedness under Operation SHIVA 2026, a convoy dry run was conducted, and police dismissed false rumours about militant attacks and the cancellation of the Yatra (19, 20, 28.6.26).
3. JKLF Chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, imprisoned for more than four years, has been charge-sheeted by the State Investigation Agency as one of five accused in the 36-year-old case relating to the 1990 murder of nurse Sarla Bhat in Srinagar (29.6.26).

INDIA

Defence

1. The Indian Army’s Leh-based 14 Corps inaugurated high-altitude drone and VR training for Army and ITBP personnel at a facility situated at 15,000 feet in Ladakh, to enhance modern warfare capabilities (16.6.26).
2. According to unconfirmed reports, the Indian Defence Acquisition Council, led by the Defence Minister, approved the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of five additional Russian S-400 air-defence squadrons (20.6.26).
3. An Israeli defence delegation led by Maj Gen (Res) Amir Baram visited New Delhi on 22 June, meeting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and CDS General N S Raja Subramani. The delegation reportedly discussed expanding defence cooperation, military training and the joint manufacture of advanced systems with India. The talks focused on R&D, AI, cybersecurity and technology-sharing, highlighting the growing India–Israel strategic relationship (24.6.26).
4. A five-member UAE military delegation led by Brig Gen Al-Hassani visited India’s Army War College and the Infantry School at Mhow. The delegation observed India’s AI and quantum laboratories, modern weapons, and UAV and counter-UAV capabilities. Discussions covered multi-domain operations, defence technology, training and military cooperation. India–UAE defence ties have reportedly expanded rapidly since 2023 across security and strategic areas; in January 2026, the two countries signed a Letter of Intent for a Strategic Defence Partnership (25.6.26).
5. Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar and Lt Gen Mohit Malhotra were reportedly appointed to lead India’s Southern and South-Western Commands, respectively (26.6.26).
6. According to an unconfirmed report from Indian defence sources, the induction of the Russian-built 55Zh6ME Nebo-UM radar into the air force highlights New Delhi’s growing counter-stealth focus amid China’s expanding J-20 and J-35 capabilities. Asia-Pacific tensions are driving anti-stealth radars such as the Nebo-UM into future air-defence networks, reflecting a shift toward competition in stealth, counter-stealth and electronic warfare (29.6.26).

Appointment of the new Indian Army Chief

7. Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth assumed office as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army on 30 June, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi on his retirement. He had previously served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff and had commanded both the Southern and South-Western Commands (30.6.26).

Diplomatic Development / Security

8. India hosted the 16th BRICS National Security Advisers’ Meeting in New Delhi on 22–23 June 2026, chaired by NSA Ajit Doval. Security chiefs from 11 member countries reportedly attended, including Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The meeting focused on global security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity and AI-related threats, with India seeking to strengthen diplomatic engagement, regional security cooperation and its role as a global bridge-builder (25.6.26).

IRAN

Law and Order / Security

1. A cyberattack caused temporary disruptions at several major Iranian banks, affecting online banking, ATMs, POS terminals and card services, though authorities said no customer-data breach had been detected (16.6.26). Separately, Iranian authorities arrested 17 people in Ilam province over alleged links to a US–Israeli-backed sabotage network — three of them described as leaders and 14 as members. The suspects are accused of organising unrest and sabotage and of involvement in last winter’s protests (20.6.26).

Iran–US post-conflict peace process

2. The following 14-point U.S.–Iran pact is a reported interim agreement that ends hostilities, reopens the Strait of Hormuz, eases sanctions and oil restrictions, addresses nuclear issues through future talks, and launches a 60-day process toward a final peace deal. It was published on 18 June:
   1. Immediate and permanent ceasefire; no future military action between the U.S. and Iran.
   2. Both sides will respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
   3. Final peace agreement to be negotiated within 60 days (extendable by consent).
   4. U.S. to lift the naval blockade and reduce forces near Iran.
   5. Iran to ensure safe commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
   6. U.S. and partners to support a $300 billion reconstruction plan for Iran.
   7. U.S. to work toward ending all sanctions on Iran under a final agreement.
   8. Iran reaffirms it will not develop nuclear weapons; nuclear issues to be negotiated.
   9. Both sides will maintain the current status quo during talks.
   10. U.S. to allow exports of Iranian oil and related financial services.
   11. Frozen Iranian funds and assets to be released for Iran’s use.
   12. A joint mechanism will monitor implementation of the agreement.
   13. Final-deal negotiations to begin after initial commitments are implemented.
   14. The final agreement to be endorsed by a binding UN Security Council resolution (18.6.26).
3. US–Iran talks involving Pakistan and Qatar were postponed for the time being, but both sides continued efforts to reduce tensions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz (19.6.26). Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Tehran to support diplomatic efforts and regional stability following the US–Iran agreement. A Pakistani delegation led by PM Shehbaz Sharif joined US–Iran technical talks in Switzerland to finalise a peace framework. President Trump said Pakistan had played a key role in helping secure the US–Iran memorandum of understanding. Pakistan and Qatar reported progress in the US–Iran negotiations, with a roadmap aimed at reaching a wider agreement within 60 days. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s missile capabilities were essential for national defence and not negotiable. US–Iran tensions later escalated after US strikes on Iranian military sites, with both sides accusing each other of violating a fragile ceasefire. Iran and the US continued retaliatory exchanges while diplomatic efforts remained under way to prevent further escalation, and the two sides reportedly agreed to halt Gulf hostilities and resume talks over the Strait of Hormuz, raising hopes for a temporary peace deal (19, 20, 22, 23, 28.6.26).

Comments & Analysis

a. Analysts say the US–Iran deal has weakened Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s image as the key figure influencing Washington’s Iran policy, while differences have grown between Trump’s push to avoid further conflict and Israel’s demand for continued pressure on Iran and Hezbollah. The fragile ceasefire highlights the need for restraint, communication and sustained diplomacy to prevent escalation and support regional stability. The latest US–Iran exchange shows that ceasefires require more than formal agreements; they depend on political restraint, communication and trust-building. The situation illustrates how quickly isolated incidents can threaten diplomacy, making deconfliction mechanisms and continued mediation by regional actors essential. Sustainable peace will require both sides to avoid retaliation and remain committed to dialogue.

b. The US and Iran announced separate delegations to Qatar for talks, but Tehran denied that any direct meeting with Washington had been scheduled. Amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and recent exchanges of attacks, both sides appeared to pause hostilities while discussions continued over a possible interim deal.

MIDDLE EAST / GULF AND TURKEY

1. Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) captured and brought to Türkiye a suspected senior ISIS-K operative, Ahmet Kazanci (alias Abu Ubeyde / Abu Ibrahim), accused of recruiting and facilitating militants between Türkiye and the Afghanistan–Pakistan region and of supporting the group’s media operations (17.6.26).
2. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi to discuss the US–Iran agreement, regional security and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, assuring Gulf allies that the deal would not compromise their security. His Gulf tour — which also included Kuwait and Bahrain — aimed to reassure partners about the US–Iran accord, address concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme and regional stability, and assure them that the proposed deal would neither favour Tehran nor compromise the security of US allies in the region (23–24.6.26).
3. Speaking ahead of Israel’s elections, PM Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that there was no place for a Palestinian state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, maintaining Israel’s hardline position amid regional developments (28.6.26).

Russia–Ukraine Conflict

Ukraine launched its largest drone attack of the war on Moscow, damaging key infrastructure and disrupting flights. President Zelensky called it a justified response to Russia’s recent strike on a UNESCO-listed monastery complex in Kyiv (18.6.26). War will intensify.