7 Pakistani soldiers killed in suicide attack near Afghan border amid fragile ceasefire; Police blames TTP
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "7 Pakistani soldiers killed in suicide attack near Afghan border amid fragile ceasefire; Police blames TTP")
Afghan Taliban fighters with an anti-aircraft gun near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border Photograph: (Reuters)
At least seven Pakistani soldiers were killed and 13 injured in a suicide attack near the Afghan border amid renewed Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions. Despite a fragile ceasefire, deadly border clashes persist. Both nations trade blame as Islamabad urges action against TTP sanctuaries.
Pakistani security officials on Friday (Oct 17) said that at least seven Pakistani soldiers were killed in a suicide attack near the Afghan border. At least 13 Pakistani soldiers were injured during an assault on a military camp in North Waziristan, according to five security officials. Police said that a suicide car bomber linked to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) rammed into the outer wall of a fortified army base. Two additional attackers attempted to breach the compound but were shot and killed by security forces. The Pakistani military has not yet issued an official statement on the statement. This comes amid a fragile ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul after deadly clashes between the two countries. The ground fighting and airstrikes between the two South Asian neighbours killed dozens and wounded hundreds, before they reached a ceasefire.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated on Thursday that Pakistan had "responded" militarily after exhausting its patience with repeated incursions and attacks, but emphasized that the country remains open to negotiations to ease tensions.
In turn, the Taliban government has denied any involvement and accused Pakistan of spreading disinformation to provoke hostilities, as well as allegedly harboring ISIS-affiliated fighters to destabilise Afghanistan. Islamabad has rejected these accusations.
Pakistan-Afghanistan border clashes
Pakistan and Afghanistan have implemented a ceasefire following the deadliest border clashes in years. Though Afghanistan's Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid said that the truce was at the “insistence” of the Pakistani side and his social media post did not mention a 48-hour timeframe, both sides agreed to go forward with the ceasefire, with Islamabad also confirming its duration. The Taliban government also said that Afghan forces had been instructed to respect the ceasefire "as long as no one commits aggression".
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Both sides blame each other for starting the offensive. Situation worsened when two explosions rocked Kabul last week. Though Islamabad did not take responsibility of the bombings, it came right after Pakistani leaders publically vowed ‘big action’ on those sheltering Pakistani Taliban (TTP) fighters. The Taliban then initiated offensives along the southern Pakistani border, prompting Islamabad to threaten decisive retaliation. As tensions renewed on Wednesday, Pakistan's military said its forces had killed "15-20 Afghan Taliban" in Spin Boldak border district while Taliban administration said several Pakistani soldiers were killed. Another set of explosions occurred in Kabul and Kandahar. A ceasefire was reached after these explosions.
