ISLAMABAD: The United States on Monday expressed grief over the recent terrorist attack in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu District and reaffirmed its commitment to working with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism.
A day earlier, an IED attack carried out by terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij on a police post in Bannu martyred 15 police constables.
The state uses the term “Fitna al-Khawarij” to refer to the Indian backed terrorist groups, especially the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group.
In a statement, the US Embassy in Islamabad said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident in Bannu and offered condolences to the government and people of Pakistan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, and the families and loved ones of the victims.
The United States said the people of Pakistan deserved “security, peace, and a future free from the threat of terrorist violence.”
Reaffirming its support for Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, Washington stated that it remained “steadfast in its commitment to cooperate with Pakistani partners in confronting terrorism wherever it arises.”
We are deeply saddened by the tragic events in Bannu. Our hearts are with the Government and people of Pakistan, KP police, and the family and friends of the victims. Pakistan’s citizens deserve security, peace, and a future unburdened by the scourge of terrorist violence. The… pic.twitter.com/DcdnOTsAW0
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) May 11, 2026
The statement comes amid growing concerns over rising terrorist activity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in the Bannu region, where security forces have faced a surge in attacks in recent months.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Afghan Taliban Chargé d’Affaires to deliver a strong demarche regarding an IED attack carried out by Afghan-based terrorists.
“The Ministry conveyed that a detailed investigation into the incident, along with evidence collected and technical intelligence, indicates that the attack was masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
🔊PR No.1️⃣1️⃣5️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
Demarche to Afghan Taliban Regime on Terrorist Attack on Police Post in Bannu
🔗⬇️https://t.co/kVCWZE4jTi pic.twitter.com/fDvsw6Ss7U
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 11, 2026
“Reiterating Pakistan’s grave concern over the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorist attacks against Pakistan, it was impressed upon the Afghan side that Pakistan reserves the right to respond decisively against the perpetrators of this barbaric act,” it added.
The statement further highlighted that the continued presence of various terrorist organisations on Afghan soil, and the permissive environment enabling their operations, have been well documented in reports by the UN Monitoring Team and other international organisations.
