Pakistani Official Says Afghan National Involved in Deadly Waziristan Attack
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has claimed that one of the suicide bombers involved in the recent deadly attack on a military training center in South Waziristan was an Afghan national. The attack took place on Monday, November 9, when a bomb-laden attacker rammed into the entrance gate of the cadet college, after which assailants stormed the facility.
Speaking to Pakistani media on Wednesday, Naqvi said the Afghan attacker had maintained contact with individuals inside Afghanistan prior to the assault. He added that security operations were still underway in the area to identify and eliminate any remaining militants.
Naqvi also stated that the attack specifically targeted cadets and instructors at the military school. While he did not disclose detailed information about the Afghan assailant, he said more details would be published once the individual’s identity was officially confirmed.
On Tuesday, Pakistani security forces continued a clearance operation at the military installation. Officials reported that the suicide bomber, identified by the interior minister as an Afghan national, was killed along with four other attackers affiliated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during the clashes.
The Pakistani Interior Ministry’s allegation comes amid rising tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban-led administration in Kabul, following an uptick in attacks on Pakistani security sites. The Taliban government has repeatedly been accused of sheltering extremist groups, accusations it has consistently denied.
The Waziristan assault was followed by another deadly incident in Islamabad just a day later, where a bomb exploded near a provincial court, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 20.
