Pakistan Arrests Afghan Suicide Bomber and Taliban-Linked Suspects

Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has announced the arrest of an Afghan suicide bomber and several of his associates in the Bajaur region. Officials from the department stated that the detained individual is a resident of Balkh province in northern Afghanistan and was apprehended after entering Pakistani territory.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, November 17, the Pakistani army reported that during multiple intelligence operations in Attock, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Lahore, it arrested seven members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) along with 20 Afghan nationals suspected of collaborating with the group. According to the army statement, large quantities of explosives, weapons, and cash were also seized during the raids.

Last week, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi claimed that the perpetrators of recent suicide attacks near a courthouse in Islamabad and a military installation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were Afghan nationals.

The Taliban administration has so far not responded to these allegations. Its continued silence regarding the presence and activities of extremist elements within Afghanistan has raised serious concerns about its commitment to regional security. Regional governments and security analysts have repeatedly warned that Taliban-controlled Afghanistan has become a safe haven for terrorist groups.