Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
AT News
KABUL – A suicide bomber targeted a police station in northwest Pakistan, leaving six officers dead and 25 others wounded, according to local authorities. The attack occurred in the early hours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghan border.
The assailants, affiliated with a militant group linked to the Pakistani Taliban, carried out the assault using a vehicle packed with explosives, which forcefully crashed into the police compound. The compound, serving as a base camp for the Pakistani army, faced an initial attempt by militants to breach its perimeter before the explosive-laden truck struck the boundary wall. Subsequently, a suicide bomb attack ensued, causing the collapse of the building.
There are concerns that stored ammunition within the compound may have detonated during the attack, resulting in additional casualties, particularly among those who were sleeping at the time. The military reported the death of six attackers, with a total of 27 militants killed in overnight operations in the region.
Expressing condemnation, Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul-Haq Kakar and caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti denounced the attack. The responsibility for the assault was claimed by the Tahreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a group that emerged earlier in the year.
The rise in militant attacks, particularly along the border with Afghanistan, has been a growing concern. The withdrawal of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from a ceasefire last year has contributed to increased incidents. Analysts suggest that the TTP has gained confidence from the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
While Islamabad contends that insurgents operate from across the border, the Taliban in Afghanistan denies these allegations. The TTP, distinct from the Afghan Taliban but sharing a similar hard-line ideology, has been engaged in prolonged conflict with Pakistan’s armed forces, aiming to impose its interpretation of Sharia law in the country’s northwest.
This unfortunate incident adds to the challenges faced by Pakistan in addressing the escalating threat of militant activities, demanding a comprehensive and strategic approach involving law enforcement and regional collaboration.
Top of Form
