SAMBALPUR  SUNDAY  APRIL 27, 2025  `12.00  PAGES 24  CITY EDITION TEHRAN IRAN Bandar Abbas MASSIVE EXPLOSION AT IRANIAN PORT KILLS 5, INJURES OVER 700 The explosion was linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant in Bandar Abbas on Saturday FUEL MEANT TO REPLENISH MISSILE STOCKS BLAST ON DAY WHEN IRAN-U.S. HELD TALKS For hours, authorities in Iran offered no clear explanation of what caused the blast at the Shahid Rajaei port though they did deny that the explosion had anything to do with the country’s oil industry. The port took in a shipment of “sodium perchlorate rocket fuel” in March. The fuel is part of a shipment from China, and was to be used to replenish missile stocks ■ ■ The blast happened as Iran and US met in Oman for the third round of negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear programme A 2020 cyberattack attributed to Israel had targeted the Shahid Rajaei port too. Israel had then said it thwarted a cyberattack targeting its water infrastructure, which it attributed to Iran 1,050 KILOMETRES IS DISTANCE BETWEEN SHAHID RAJAEI PORT AND TEHRAN CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI PAK PM SAYS OPEN TO JOIN NEUTRAL PROBE OMAR ABDULLAH QUESTIONS PAK BILAWAL ISSUES THREAT TO INDIA TRUMP SAYS INDIA, PAK DISPUTE 1,500 YR OLD HOUSES OF MORE TERRORISTS RAZED Lahore: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday offered to join any ‘neutral and transparent’ probe into the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people Ramban: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday questioned Pakistan’s offer to join a ‘neutral’ probe, and said it’s difficult to say anything about Pakistan Islamabad: PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has threatened that blood would flow in rivers if Indus water is stopped, in response to India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty New York: US President Donald Trump on Saturday said tensions between India and Pakistan have been there for 1,500 years and that the two sides will figure it out among themselves Srinagar: A day after demolishing houses of two Lashkar militants linked to the Pahalgam attack, security forces on Saturday blew up houses of four more militants linked to the attack U.N. BODY CALLS FOR ACTION AGAINST TERROR BACKERS IRAN PREZ DIALS MODI TO CONDEMN ATTACK Massacre draws UNSC’s strong condemnation J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi THE United Nations Security Council has “condemned in the strongest terms” the brutal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, calling it ‘a reprehensible act of terrorism’ and stressing the urgent need to bring the “perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors” of the April 22 massacre to justice. In a press statement, the 15-member body expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims. “Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,” the statement read. The UNSC reiterated that such acts are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of the motive, location, or identity of those responsible adding that the per petrators must be brought to book. The members called on all countries to fulfil their obligations under international law and Security Council resolutions by cooperating with relevant authorities to hold those involved accountable. The statement, delivered by the rotating president of the UNSC on behalf of all members—including Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member—highlighted the need to “combat by all means” threats to global peace arising from terrorism, in line with the UN Charter. India has directly linked the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan stressing on the cross-border linkages to the assault and announced a series of punitive diplomatic and strategic measures. These include suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty the , expulsion of Pakistani military attachés, the immediate closure of the Attari land-transit post and stopping visas to Pakistani nationals. ‘India-born’ Razia gets go to Pakistan notice in Balasore Razia Sultana and her family members at their home in Balasore district H E M A N T K U M A R R O U T @ Bhubaneswar THE family of 72-year-old Razia Sultana is in shock ever since Balasore district administration issued a notice to her to leave India and return to Pakistan on or before Sunday . The notice came in the wake of Centre’s directive to states to identify Pakistani nationals and ensure their immediate return following the terrorist attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir. Razia and her family members who reside at Pathan Mahala under Soro police limits insisted that there has been a grave mistake as she is an Indian citizen by birth. “I was born here. This is my soil. I will stay here and die here,” said Razia, clutching her identity documents. Struggling with multiple illnesses, including kidney ailments, Razia’s frail health has worsened ever since the notice arrived. Family members said she is in a state of fear and has hardly slept or eaten in the last 24 hours. Razia’s father Haider Ali used to live in Bihar and Kolkata. He was married in Kazimahala in Soro. Of his three daughters, the middle Razia was born in Kolkata in 1953. She was married to Sk Samsuddin of Pathan Mahala, who is no more. Later, Haider went to Bangladesh and then Pakistan, where he took citizenship. “But my mother was born and married here. She has never been to Pakistan even once in her life. She has an Aadhaar card, voter ID, PAN card and a residence certificate. She has no Pakistani document or visa. How can they ask her to leave?” wondered her daughter Salma Parbin. Expressing shock over the notice, they have requested the administration to re-examine and withdraw the notice. Attempts to contact the district SP over the matter proved futile. Reacting swiftly, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian airlines and halted all trade with India, including through third countries and announced putting on all bilateral agreements in abeyance. Islamabad also termed India’s move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty as a “grave provocation,” warning that attempts to disrupt water flows to Pakistan under the 1960 pact would be considered an “act of war.” After the Pahalgam terror strike that killed 26 people—25 tourists and one local—tensions between the two nucleararmed neighbours have spiked, drawing both international attention and concern. While the UNSC did not call out Pakistan, the firm language came as a signal of intolerance for cross-border terrorism. Meanwhile, President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam. Free tea, biscuits, water bottles being distributed in Lal Chowk | ZAHOOR PUNJABI KASHMIRIYAT MAKES TOURISTS FEEL SAFE F AYA Z W A N I @ Srinagar WHILE the Pahalgam terror attack has created a sense of insecurity among tourists, several people visiting the Kashmir Valley said they were moved by the support and solidarity extended by the locals, adding that they feel safe in J&K. Vaishali, a tourist from Delhi, said she is not feeling any tension or fear. “Initially there was fear after the Pahalgam attack. But now we are moving freely without any fear or threat. We visited Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Lal Chowk. People here are very hospitable and helpful,” she said. Her family members are also set to visit Kashmir. “We told them that there is no need to worry and the situation is good here. People should not cancel their scheduled visits to Kashmir,” she said. Another tourist, Hemant, said the hoteliers, cab drivers, horse riders all have been very supportive. Meanwhile, traders in Lal Chowk distributed free refreshments and food to tourists as a goodwill gesture. Pak resorts to wanton firing along LoC in J&K F AYA Z W A N I @ Srinagar THE Army has been put on high alert to deal with any exigency at the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir as tensions flared up at the border on Saturday after Pakistani troops fired at Indian posts in many sectors in Kashmir for the second successive night. A defence official said on the night of April 25-26, Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire agreement and carried out unprovoked firing from multiple posts across the LoC in Kashmir. “Multiple Indian posts were targeted by the Pakistani troops. Indian troops responded appropriately ...,” he said. There were no casualties or injuries, an officer said. The firing on Indian army posts by Pakistani troops has come days after militants attacked tourists at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, killing 25 tourists and a local resident. Tension between India and Pakistan escalated after Tuesday’s terror attack, with India suspending the Indus Water Treaty and downsizing diplomatic ties with Pakistan. On Saturday, banned terror outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for the Pakistanbased Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), after initially taking the responsibility, issued an online statement denying its involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack. Sources said the TRF denial has come under pressure from the Pakistani establishment and in view of the protest by Kashmiris. SECURITY GETS AN UPGRADE AT JAGANNATH TEMPLE AFTER PAHALGAM ATTACK In the wake of the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the Odisha government has heightened security arrangements at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri | P4 WITH THIS ISSUE EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE PLUS 12 PAGES