Pakistan on Thursday issued a formal demarche to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan following a terrorist attack on security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur that claimed the lives of 11 soldiers.
According to a Foreign Office (FO) statement, the demarche was delivered on Wednesday when the Afghan deputy head of mission was summoned.
“Pakistan condemns in the strongest terms the vehicle-borne suicide attack followed by a fire raid on military and law enforcement posts in Bajaur, carried out by Fitna al Khawarij [the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan],” the statement said.
The FO expressed concern that the group, whose leadership is entirely based in Afghanistan, “operates with impunity from Afghan soil,” despite repeated assurances from the Afghan Taliban regime.
Pakistan urged the Afghan authorities to take “immediate, concrete, and verifiable measures” against all terror groups operating from its territory, including their leadership. The ministry also warned that Pakistan “reserves the right to respond and eliminate any khawarij and their affiliates wherever they are located” to ensure the safety of its soldiers, civilians, and borders.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that the attack on a checkpost in Bajaur on Monday killed 11 security personnel. Security forces retaliated, eliminating 12 terrorists and engaging fleeing militants with precision.
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the families of the martyrs. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed sorrow over the loss and strongly condemned the incident.
This is not the first time Pakistan has raised concerns; a similar demarche was issued in December over attacks originating from Afghan soil, including a deadly assault on a military camp in North Waziristan.