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The Eastern Cape provincial government confirmed in a statement that the "catastrophic incident" occurred in the town of Lusikisiki in the early hours of Saturday morning.

"In one house, 13 people were killed which include 12 women and one man. In another homestead, four people were also killed," said Athlenda Mathe, the national spokesperson of the South African Police Service (SAPS), in a separate statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The eighteenth victim is in a critical condition in hospital. In total 15 women and two men were killed," said Mathe. "The South African Police Service has launched an extensive search to bring those responsible for these brutal killings to justice. We are committed to ensuring the safety and security of our communities."

In addition, the spokesperson told Xinhua that "police have deployed forensic experts and a team of detectives to collect evidence which will assist in cracking the case".

In the provincial government's statement, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane condemned the "senseless acts of violence in the strongest possible terms" in the incident.

"The loss of life on this scale is a devastating blow to our province, and we mourn the passing of these innocent lives. We stand in solidarity with the families and communities affected. The brutal and senseless killing of innocent people is a heinous act that has no place in our society," said Mabuyane. "We call on all Eastern Cape residents to stand together in condemning violence and work towards creating a safer, more peaceful province."

--IANS

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"Our leadership is committed to continuing the jihad against the enemy and supporting Gaza and defending Lebanon and its steadfast nation," the organisation said in a statement.

According to Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health, the successive Israeli raids on Haret Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut led, according to an unofficial toll, to the death of six people and the injury of 91, including 14 who required hospitalization.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has been eliminated following a deadly strike on the headquarters of the Lebanese militant group in the southern suburbs of Beirut late Friday.

The IDF stated that Nasrallah will no longer be able to "terrorise the world".

Nasrallah has been associated with Hezbollah since the terror group's inception in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. In 1992, he took over as the leader of the organisation with an aim to make it a hybrid political-military entity.

"During the 32 years of the terrorist Hassan Nasrallah's tenure as the leader of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and for the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist acts against the State of Israel and around the world. Nasrallah was the main decision-maker and the sole approver of strategic-systemic decisions, and sometimes also tactical decisions in the organisation," Israeli Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said on Saturday.

The IDF said that, along with Nasrallah, several other commanders of the terrorist organisation - including Ali Karchi, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front - have been eliminated in the strikes by the fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force "under the precise intelligence guidance of the intelligence wing and the defence system", at the underground central headquarters of Hezbollah, located under a residential building, in the Daha area of Beirut.

Israel also vowed to continue its operation "New Order" to eliminate leaders of the terror organisations.

"This is not the end of the toolbox, it should be very clear. There are more tools to go forward. The message is a simple message: whoever threatens the citizens of the State of Israel - we will know how to reach them. In the north, in the south, even in more distant places," said Halevi.

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has reportedly been moved to a safe and secure location, has said that Friday's strikes will not be able to inflict any significant damage on the "solid structure" of Lebanon's Hezbollah.

"All the Resistance forces in the region stand with and support Hezbollah. The Resistance forces will determine the fate of this region with the honorable Hezbollah leading the way," a statement issued by Khamenei's account on X said Saturday afternoon which was his first reaction to Israel's overnight attack on Lebanon.

"The Lebanese haven't forgotten there was a time when the soldiers of the occupying regime were advancing toward Beirut, & Hezbollah stopped them & made Lebanon proud. Today too, by the grace & power of God, Lebanon will make the transgressing, malicious enemy regret its actions," he added.

--IANS

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A total of 44 others had gone missing in the disasters sparked by rainfalls since Friday evening, and the police had rescued 1,252 people from different parts of Nepal, said Dan Bahadur Karki, Nepali Police spokesperson.

"Of the total casualties, 34 deaths were from the three districts in the Kathmandu Valley," Karki told Xinhua news agency.

"At least 17 people were missing while 16 others were injured in the valley."

According to a police statement, almost all the highways, including those connecting the rest of the country with the capital city of Kathmandu, have been obstructed due to the disasters.

The Nepali government has announced that over 20,000 police officers have been mobilised for the rescue operations.

Nepal has seen more-than-average rainfalls during the monsoon season this year, which started on June 10 and is coming to an end.

--IANS

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