Pakistan on Monday summoned the Afghan chargé d’affaires and delivered a strong diplomatic protest after a devastating suicide attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district left 15 police personnel martyred and several others injured.
According to the Foreign Office (FO), the Afghan diplomat was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and handed a “strong demarche” regarding the deadly vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack carried out on May 9 at the Fateh Khel police post in Bannu.
The FO stated that preliminary investigations, technical intelligence, and evidence collected from the attack pointed towards terrorists operating from Afghan territory. Pakistan conveyed its “grave concern” over the continued use of Afghan soil by militant groups targeting Pakistan’s security forces and civilians.
“The attack was masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan,” the FO said, adding that Pakistan reserved the right to respond decisively against those responsible for the “barbaric act”.
The statement further emphasized that several international reports, including findings by the United Nations Monitoring Team, had already documented the presence of terrorist organisations operating freely inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan also reminded the Afghan Taliban government of its commitment not to allow Afghan territory to be used against other countries. The FO stressed that Islamabad had repeatedly urged Kabul to take “concrete and verifiable action” against militant outfits including Fitna al Khawarij, Fitna al Hindustan, and ISKP/Daesh.
Officials said Pakistan had engaged constructively with the Afghan Taliban through multiple rounds of talks facilitated by friendly countries, but meaningful action against terrorist networks had yet to materialize.
The deadly assault on the Fateh Khel police post unfolded late Saturday night when militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the security compound. Following the massive blast, heavily armed attackers launched coordinated assaults from multiple directions while also using drones and quadcopters during the operation.
Bannu Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan confirmed that 18 police personnel were present at the post during the attack. Fifteen officers embraced martyrdom while three others sustained injuries.
The attack marks another major escalation in terrorism since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Pakistan has consistently accused banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants of using Afghan territory as a safe haven to orchestrate cross-border attacks.
Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have sharply increased in recent months, with both countries engaging in military operations and diplomatic negotiations aimed at preventing further escalation.
Earlier this year, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq following cross-border firing incidents involving Afghan Taliban forces. Although temporary pauses were announced during Eidul Fitr after mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye, security concerns between the two neighbors remain unresolved.
Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir previously stated that lasting peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan would only be possible if the Afghan Taliban severed all support for terrorist organisations operating against Pakistan.
