KABUL: Reacting to Pakistan’s demand for thorough investigations into terrorist attacks, the Afghanistan interim government on Wednesday expressed its commitment to investigate the DI Khan terrorist attack, the deadliest against security forces this year.
In the early hours of Tuesday, militants of the Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), an Afghanistan-based terrorist organization, attacked a security forces compound in DI Khan’s Daraban area, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 23 troops and leaving more than 30 troops wounded.
Speaking to a Pakistani media outlet today, the interim Afghan government’s chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Kabul would investigate the terrorist attack. “We are shocked at the attack in Pakistan. We will consider the demands made by Pakistan,” he said.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that a group of six terrorists attempted to storm a security post, but their bid was thwarted. Subsequent blasts occurred as terrorists targeted the gate with an explosives-laden vehicle, followed by a suicide bombing. The resulting explosion caused the building to collapse, leading to multiple casualties. All six terrorists were effectively engaged and killed. The TJP claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan Asks Afghanistan to Hand Over Terrorists Involved in DI Khan Terrorist Attack
In response to the attack, the Foreign Office (FO) summoned Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires, Sardar Ahmad Shakib, and delivered a strong demarche.
Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi urged the Afghan interim government to conduct a comprehensive investigation and take decisive action against the terrorists involved in the attack.
The foreign secretary emphasized the need for Afghanistan to publicly condemn the terrorist incident, take verifiable actions against all terrorist groups and their leadership, and apprehend and hand over the attackers and TTP leadership in Afghanistan to Pakistan. Pakistan also called on Afghanistan to prevent the persistent use of its soil for terrorism and cross-border attacks against Pakistan.
The Foreign Office stated that the attack underscores the ongoing terrorist threat to regional peace and stability.
The recent surge in terrorism attacks, especially along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, has heightened concerns in Pakistan. The first half of 2023 witnessed an almost 80% increase in attacks compared to the previous year. Pakistan claimed that these attacks were carried out by terrorist groups operating from sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan.
