India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stated on October 18th, 2025, that "every inch" of Pakistan's land is within the reach of the BrahMos missile, asserting that a recent operation served as a "trailer" of India's capabilities. The remarks were made in a post on X today, October 18th, 2025, at around 12:04 PM UTC, following confirmation this morning that bodies of seven Pakistani citizens, including soldiers, returned from Afghanistan, showed signs of torture and decapitation. Singh's statement, shared via the official @DefenceMinIndia handle, implied that India possesses the power to dismantle Pakistan, stating, "if India can give birth to Pakistan, then when the time comes, it will...". This warning comes amidst heightened tensions following the confirmation of the brutalization of Pakistani nationals returned by Afghanistan. Pakistan had previously outlined non-negotiable demands for talks with Afghanistan, including the handover of individuals involved in the beheading of Pakistani soldiers. In a separate development within the reporting window, a fire broke out in the cargo area of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, forcing the suspension of all flight operations. Over 32 firefighting units responded to the incident, and authorities confirmed that all aircraft remained safe. This event occurred around 11:35 AM UTC on October 18th, 2025. The confirmation of the torture and beheading of Pakistani citizens, including Frontier Corps soldiers, was reported by multiple outlets citing the Red Crescent and BBC earlier today, October 18th, 2025, within the previous reporting window. The bodies were recovered after attacks on isolated posts, and reports indicated the Taliban refused to return the soldiers' heads. Pakistan had presented demands for talks with Afghanistan that included the handover of those responsible for the beheadings. Earlier today, Pakistan had presented a non-negotiable agenda for talks with Afghanistan, focusing on counter-terrorism and border security. According to a statement on X by @thewirepak around 10:00 AM UTC, these demands included flushing out TTP and BLA sanctuaries and the handover of individuals involved in the beheading of Pakistani soldiers. The agenda also called for full compliance with the Doha Agreement and the removal of Indian presence on Afghan soil. Unconfirmed reports of explosions near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border surfaced around 8:34 AM UTC on October 18th, 2025. These reports followed earlier news of high-level ceasefire talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Doha, Qatar, aimed at de-escalating tensions, which involved Afghan Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid and Chief of Intelligence Mullah Abdul Haq Wasiq meeting with Pakistani counterparts.
