The Pakistani Taliban have taken responsibility for a series of violent attacks that left 20 security officials and three civilians dead in northwestern districts. The incidents occurred on Friday across various areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares a border with Afghanistan, and included a significant suicide bombing at a police training school.
Reports indicate that 11 paramilitary troops lost their lives in the Khyber district due to the attacks. Additionally, in a harrowing incident, seven policemen were killed when a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the entrance of the police training facility, which was then followed by an armed assault. In a separate confrontation in Bajaur district, five individuals were killed, including three civilians, as violence surged throughout the region.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which claims to have links to the Afghan Taliban, shared news of their involvement via social media. The recent escalation in violence aligns with a broader trend in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has witnessed a marked increase in militant activities following the exit of US-led troops from Afghanistan in 2021 and the subsequent return of the Taliban government in Kabul.
The attacks occurred in an unsettling context, as the Afghan Taliban had just accused Pakistan of infringing upon its territorial sovereignty, following two explosions reported in Afghanistan’s capital. While Pakistan refrained from confirming its involvement in those blasts, officials asserted their right to defend against the escalating militancy along their borders.
Tensions have been exacerbated by Pakistan’s assertions that Afghanistan has not effectively dealt with militants who exploit Afghan territory to execute attacks on Pakistani soil, a claim that Afghanistan’s authorities have repeatedly rejected.
This week alone has seen an alarming rise in violence, with reports indicating that at least 32 Pakistani troops and three civilians have lost their lives in the border regions due to the ongoing conflict. The TTP and its affiliates have been identified as the primary culprits behind much of the violence, particularly targeting security forces.
