Shortly after 6 p.m. local time a huge explosion took place at a warehouse in Beirut port. According to the Interior Minister and the head of the General Security services, initial information suggests that a fire at a warehouse containing fireworks spread into another warehouse where tones of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, seized years ago, had blown up. At least 60 people were killed in the blast and nearly 3000 were injured. The death toll is likely to climb higher as many of the injured are in critical condition and scores are believed to have been buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings in the port and up to 3 Km (nearly 2 miles) away. The explosion comes as the country struggle with unprecedented economic crisis reigniting old divisions and ahead of 7 August verdict in a trial over the killing of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Israel, which fights the Lebanese militant organization Hizballah denied any involvement in the blast and offered humanitarian aid.

At around at 6:44 p.m. local time a suicide bomber detonated a VBIED at the entrance gate of the prison in PD4 in the city of Jalalabad, Nangarhar province. Following the blast at least eight militants stormed the complex tossed grenades and engaged security guards in a firefight. Following nearly 20 hours of firefights security forces managed to kill all the militants and regain control of the complex. At least 29 people were killed in the attack, including prisoners, civilians, prison guards and Afghan security personnel and 50 people were injured. At the time of the attack, there were nearly 1800 prisoners in the jail, including many from the Islamic State Khorasan and the Taliban. It was not immediately clear if the attack had been staged to free specific prisoners from the complex. According to provincial official, 1,025 prisoners escaped but many had been recaptured though the exact figures of who many remain at large is unclear. Following the attack, the entire city was put "under curfew, shops are closed and security personnel were searching for escaped prisoners. Via its affiliated Amaq news agency, the Islamic State Khorasan claimed responsibility for the attack.

At around 7:40 p.m. local time a suicide bomber detonated a VBIED in Azadi roundabout in the city of Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar province, located approximately 75 km/ 45 miles south of the capital city Kabul. At least 17 people were killed in the blast and 21 were injured. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which came hours before a three-day ceasefire declared by the Taliban militant group in honor of the religious holiday Eid al-Adha. The group declared involvement in the bombing.

A final year medical college student, Faisalabad who was kidnapped along Satiana Road in the city of Faisalabad, Punjab Province was rescued by police 16 hours later. The student was kidnapped after she visited a jewelry shop on July 27 at around 7 p.m. for Eid al-Adha (Muslim holiday) shopping. After shopping, the student entered her car to drive back home when she was surprised by an armed man who entered the back seat of her car and at gunpoint ordered her to drive towards Sargodha Road bypass. Once there the kidnapper tied her hands and forced her to sit on the front seat while he took over the wheel and drove the car to Chiniot. At around 10 p.m. the kidnapper, using the student cell phone, called her uncle and demanded a ransom of Rs20 million in return for her safe release. After being notified about the kidnapping by her parents, police formed a team to rescue the student. The team triangled the student’s cell phone number, which was used by the kidnapper and found that he was in Chiniot. The team guided the uncle in negotiating the ransom down to Rs15 million and set a drop off location for the kidnapper to collect money along Chiniot Road in an area that had been cordoned off by police officers. Police said the accused came to collect the money on a motorcycle and when the police moved to arrest him, he tried to flee from the scene, but was chased and arrested. Based on information gained from the kidnapper, the student was rescued from a house in Bhavana area where she was found tied to a bed and her mouth was covered with a mask and taped in a way that it could have led to suffocation. The weapon used by the kidnapper as well as the victim's car and mobile phone were recovered in the house. According to the police the 28-year-old kidnapper had no accomplices and had arrived in Faisalabad on the same motorcycle. (tribune.com.pk, 30 July 2020)

Gunmen have kidnapped Alhaji Mohammed Dankawo, the traditional ruler of the Udege Local Council Development Area of Nasarawa State, from his residence. Shortly after his kidnapping, the kidnappers contacted his family demanding a ransom of N7 million in return for his safe release. (punchng.com, 22 July 2020)