ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has summoned Afghanistan’s top diplomat in Islamabad to protest today’s suicide attack in the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that left at least 23 soldiers martyred.
The multiple suicide bombers targeted Pakistani security forces check post, with at least 23 soldiers martyred after militants drove an explosive-laden vehicle into the main gate of the security check post, a strike claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) affiliates. The Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan is a terrorist group affiliated with the TTP, which is based in Afghanistan and enjoys support from the Afghan Taliban.
Following the incident, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi summoned the Afghanistan interim government’s charge d’affaires in Islamabad to deliver a strong demarche. Pakistan urged the Afghan interim government to conduct a comprehensive investigation and take decisive action against the terrorists.
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. While Pakistan attributed these attacks to groups operating from sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) posed a significant threat to Pakistan and shares ideological similarities with the current rulers in Kabul. Earlier in the year, the TTP had carried out a deadly suicide bombing in Peshawar Police Line Masjid that left more than 80 police officers martyred.
🔊: PR NO. 2️⃣2️⃣6️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣3️⃣
Pakistan Delivers Strong Demarche to the Afghan Interim Government in Context of today’s Deadly Attack
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) December 12, 2023
