ISLAMABAD: Pakistan summoned a senior Afghan diplomat on Monday to lodge a formal protest over a suicide attack in the country's northwest, bordering Afghanistan, that killed 15 police officers.
Islamabad has blamed the late Saturday attack on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. Pakistani authorities have long accused the Taliban government of sheltering the TTP, a separate group but closely allied to the Afghan Taliban. Kabul denies the charge, saying it doesn't allow militants to use Afghan soil to attack other countries.
The complaint was handed to the Afghan charge d'affaires, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that "a detailed investigation into the incident, along with evidence collected and technical intelligence" indicated that the attack was "masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan."
Kabul was also told that Islamabad "reserves the right to respond decisively against the perpetrators of this barbaric act," the statement said. There was no immediate comment from Kabul.
The Afghan Taliban government did not have a comment at the moment, deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat told Reuters.
A senior administrative official in Bannu, the area near the Afghan border where the attack took place, said that "during the assault, the militants used quadcopters along with heavy weaponry."
US EMBASSY CONDEMNS ATTACK
The US embassy in Islamabad said in a post on X it was "deeply saddened by the tragic events in Bannu."
"Pakistan's citizens deserve security, peace, and a future unburdened by the scourge of terrorist violence," it added.
Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, the official said that more than 100 militants took part in the attack.
The attack in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, erupted after a suicide bomber, backed by several gunmen, detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near the security post, triggering a shootout. Some officers were killed in the exchange of fire, while others died after part of the building collapsed, according to local police. Four were also wounded.
A newly formed splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. Islamabad has accused the group of being a front for the Pakistani Taliban.
1,500KG EXPLOSIVES USED IN ATTACK
Meanwhile, authorities say the attackers of the suicide hit on the Fatah Khel police checkpoint in Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) used a loader rickshaw packed with explosives.
Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) officials said preliminary findings indicate that the vehicle contained between 1,000 and 1,500 kilogrammes of high explosive material, making the blast exceptionally powerful. The police checkpoint was completely obliterated in the attack.
Officials said that various parts of the loader rickshaw, along with other crucial evidence, have been recovered from the scene and taken into custody for forensic analysis. Following the explosion, security has been further tightened in the area, and law enforcement agencies have expanded their investigation to track down those involved in planning and facilitating the attack.
Senior police officers and BDS teams are examining all aspects of the incident. Modern technical and intelligence resources are being employed to identify and arrest the facilitators and masterminds behind the attack.
Meanwhile, a high alert has been declared in Bannu and surrounding areas following the Fatah Khel suicide attack. Surveillance and security measures have been significantly enhanced at sensitive locations, police stations and security checkpoints.
On the other hand, Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed made an emergency visit to Bannu district, where he met senior police officers and frontline personnel. He summoned a complete report on last night’s terrorist attack and was briefed on the ongoing investigation and overall security situation. He was accompanied by Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and the Additional IG of the counter-terrorism department.
Zulfiqar Hameed met with field officers and constables to boost their morale. He told them that the Bannu police have always played a frontline role in the war against terrorism and rendered invaluable sacrifices.
"Whether it is the eradication of crime or operations against terrorists, Bannu police have always achieved successes. Now that terrorists, unable to face the courage and bravery of the police, have resorted to cowardly tactics, we will also keep our preparations complete to bring them to their logical end.”