Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims responsibility for assaults in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab that killed at least seven officers and civilians.
ABU DHABI – The United Arab Emirates has issued a strong condemnation of two separate terrorist attacks targeting police officials in Pakistan, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries this week.
In an official statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed its “strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence, extremism, and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability.”
The ministry extended its sincere condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the government and people of Pakistan. It also wished a speedy recovery for all those injured in the heinous attacks.
Details of the Attacks
The incidents occurred on Tuesday in two different Pakistani provinces, highlighting the escalating militant violence in the region.
- Kohat Attack (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa): In the northwestern city of Kohat, militants ambushed a police patrol, killing five officers on the spot and setting their vehicle on fire. Two civilians later succumbed to injuries sustained in the attack.
- Bhakkar Attack (Punjab): In a separate incident in the Bhakkar district of Punjab province, a suicide bomber targeted the inter-provincial Dajal check post. District Police Chief Shahzad Rafique confirmed that two police officials died in the blast, while five others—including two polio workers—were injured.
The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has claimed responsibility for both assaults.
Regional Context: Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions
The attacks come amid rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad has frequently accused militant groups of operating from sanctuaries inside Afghan territory.
Just days prior to these attacks, on Saturday, Pakistan carried out air strikes in Afghanistan, targeting what it described as militant hideouts responsible for a recent wave of suicide bombings on Pakistani soil. Afghanistan has denied providing sanctuary to militants, calling the militancy an internal Pakistani problem. The United Nations and Afghan officials reported that at least 13 civilians were killed in those strikes.
The border districts between the two nations have long been a hotbed for various Islamist militant groups, with the TTP being the most prominent among them, having fought against the Pakistani state since 2007.
