Bomb kills three Pakistani police officers close to Afghan border

Blast comes a time aft an onslaught claimed by the Pakistan Taliban, amid surging tensions with Kabul implicit the group.

A roadside weaponry has killed 3 Pakistani constabulary officers adjacent the Afghan border, officials say.

The blast connected Wednesday, successful which 2 different officers were wounded, occurred successful the country’s restive northwest portion of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The continuing rhythm of unit successful the country has precocious sent hostility spiralling betwixt Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Initial reports suggested the origin was an “improvised explosive device,” Ali Hamza, a constabulary authoritative successful the adjacent metropolis of Dera Ismail Khan, told the AFP quality agency.

No radical has claimed work for Wednesday’s attack, but Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has been speedy to blasted the Pakistan Taliban, besides known arsenic Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has agelong carried retired attacks successful the province.

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of providing the TTP with a harmless haven since the Taliban’s takeover successful 2021. ​​

The Taliban denies that its territory is utilized by the group.

Spillover

The tensions spilled implicit into fierce clashes successful October, with dozens of radical killed successful what was the worst warring astir the borderline since the Taliban took power.

A ceasefire has tentatively held since, but hostility has continued to seethe.

Kabul has accused its neighbour of carrying retired air strikes successful its eastbound provinces, portion Pakistan has been deed with a surge of attacks.

A termination bombing astatine an Islamabad tribunal analyzable that killed 12 radical and an onslaught connected a paramilitary office successful Peshawar person kept suspicion bubbling successful Pakistan, with authorities pointing astatine the TTP and arresting 4 members of an Afghan compartment aft the Islamabad bombing.

On Tuesday, gunmen killed a section head and 2 officers successful the metropolis of Bannu successful Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, wounding 3 others, constabulary serviceman Kamal Khan told the AFP quality agency.

A faction of the TTP claimed work for the attack, the bureau reported.

Reports of caller talks

As quality of Wednesday’s onslaught came, the Reuters quality bureau reported that Kabul and Islamabad had held caller bid talks successful Saudi Arabia.

The parties reportedly agreed to support the ceasefire, with 1 Afghan authoritative suggesting that Kabul is unfastened to further meetings successful pursuit of a affirmative outcome.

The 2 sides signed a ceasefire successful Doha successful October, but a 2nd circular of negotiations successful Istanbul past period ended without immoderate semipermanent woody being reached.

Pakistan says that it wants its neighbour to perpetrate to taking enactment against the TTP. Kabul retorts that it cannot beryllium expected to warrant information successful a neighbouring country.