Pakistan protests against Afghanistan after militant attack on Afghanistan camp kills eight soldiers
ISLAMABAD: The Afghan embassy’s deputy ambassador was summoned to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry today, Wednesday, to convey Pakistan’s “strong stance” over the militant attack on a military cantonment that killed eight soldiers this week, the ministry said in a statement.
Two separate attacks in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province this week killed 10 soldiers and five civilians. In the first attack on Monday, militants tried to enter a military post in the city of Bannu and a suicide bomber crashed a vehicle packed with explosives into a perimeter wall. The military said eight soldiers and 10 militants were killed.
In a second separate attack early Tuesday, a medical facility in Dera Ismail Khan district was hit, killing five civilians, including two female medical workers and two children. All three militants, two soldiers and two militants, were killed in the ensuing clashes, the army said.
Pakistan has seen a surge in militant activity in recent months that it blames on militants operating from Afghanistan. Kabul denies that its territory is being used by militants and says Pakistan’s security problems are internal.
“Terror attacks [in Bannu] “The attack was carried out by the Afghanistan-based Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, which along with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of civilians and law enforcement personnel in multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“We urge the Afghan interim government to thoroughly investigate the perpetrators of the Bannu attack and take immediate, strong and effective measures to prevent the recurrence of similar attacks against Pakistan using Afghan territory.”
The foreign ministry said it was “gravely concerned” about the presence of militants in Afghanistan, which continues to threaten Pakistan’s security.
“Such incidents are also against the spirit of bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries,” the foreign ministry added. “The attack on Bannu camp is yet another reminder of the serious threat of terrorism to regional peace and security. Pakistan reiterates its call for decisive action against terrorism and remains firm in its resolve to combat this menace and safeguard its security against all threats.”
