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KABUL – In a violent incident near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, eight individuals were confirmed killed and injured in a twin attack carried out by a suicide bomber and gunmen targeting Pakistani forces on Friday. The attack, which heightened security concerns ahead of upcoming elections, unfolded near the northwestern border with Afghanistan.
The clash, as reported by Reuters, comes in the wake of another armed assault in the region just two days ago, resulting in the deaths of 23 Pakistani soldiers in Dera Ismail Khan, a city near tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, characterized by prevailing lawlessness.
Iftikhar Shah, a police official, disclosed that today’s attack took place in the adjacent Tank area. It began with an armed blast at the main entrance of a police station and a residential building, followed by assailants storming the location. “Our security forces engaged them in an hours-long firefight,” Shah added, mentioning that two police officers sustained injuries during the confrontation.
District police chief Akhtar Hayat confirmed the killing of three attackers, stating, “We are actively searching for the others, including two wounded individuals.”
In a notable development, an extremist group, previously unknown and identifying itself as Ansar-ul-Islam, claimed responsibility for the assault in a statement, marking it as their inaugural attack. However, the police have yet to verify the authenticity of this claim. The incident raises concerns about the evolving security landscape in the region as the country prepares for scheduled elections next year.
