Pakistan has called in a senior Afghan diplomat to lodge a protest after a suicide attack in the country’s northwest left 15 police officers dead.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are once again at the center of rising regional tensions after a deadly suicide attack in Pakistan’s northwestern Bannu district killed 15 police officers.
The attack unfolded dramatically — a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-filled vehicle into a security post, followed by gunmen opening fire during the chaos. Several officers were killed in the gunfight, while others died when parts of the building collapsed.
But the blast has triggered far more than just mourning.
Pakistan has now formally protested to Afghanistan, summoning a senior Afghan diplomat and accusing militants operating from Afghan territory of masterminding the assault. Islamabad says it has “technical intelligence and evidence” linking the attackers to groups based across the border.
A newly emerged militant outfit, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, claimed responsibility. However, Pakistani authorities believe the group is closely tied to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban.
Afghanistan, meanwhile, has denied the accusations — insisting it does not allow its territory to be used for attacks on neighboring countries.
📍Why does this matter?
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have already been strained due to repeated border clashes and accusations over militant safe havens. Despite recent China-mediated peace talks, distrust between the two governments remains high.
The bigger concern now is whether this attack could push the region into another cycle of escalating violence and retaliation.
One bombing. Fifteen officers dead. Two neighboring countries blaming each other.
And a fragile regional relationship hanging by a thread.
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