Islamabad – Pakistan has accused Afghan nationals of perpetrating two deadly suicide attacks within its borders this week. The attacks, one in the capital city of Islamabad and the other near the Afghan border, have heightened tensions between the two nations.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated during a parliamentary session on Thursday that the involvement of Afghans in these attacks is a matter of serious concern. He asserted that the suicide bomber who detonated explosives near a court in Islamabad on Tuesday was of Afghan origin. Furthermore, he alleged that other Afghan nationals participated in the attack on a military college in the South Waziristan region on Monday.
The Islamabad attack, which targeted a police patrol near a court, resulted in the deaths of 12 people and injured 27 others. In Waziristan, three people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle laden with explosives at the entrance of a military college. Following the explosion, militants engaged in a prolonged firefight with the army that lasted over 24 hours, ultimately ending with the deaths of all the attackers.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the Islamabad attack, marking the first such incident in the capital in approximately three years. The group has threatened further attacks unless Islamic Sharia law is implemented throughout the country.
The Afghan government has vehemently denied the accusations leveled by Pakistan. They maintain that they have apprehended or killed Pakistani individuals associated with the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban, stated that the presence of Pakistani militants within Afghanistan does not imply responsibility on the part of the Afghan people or government.
In response, the Pakistani Ministry of Information reiterated its accusations, asserting that the identities of the slain terrorists confirm their links to bases within Afghanistan. Tensions between the two countries have escalated since deadly border clashes last month. Islamabad has threatened to take action if the attacks persist, amidst stalled de-escalation negotiations between the neighboring nations.
