Pakistan arrests 4 from an Afghan cell over deadly Islamabad bombing

The men arrested are linked to a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, known arsenic the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, who claimed work for the bombing.

Pakistan has arrested 4 members of an Afghan compartment implicit their alleged engagement successful a deadly termination bombing successful its superior Islamabad earlier this week, arsenic tensions heighten further betwixt the neighbouring foes.

Tuesday’s onslaught extracurricular a territory tribunal was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, known arsenic the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Those arrested successful transportation with the bombing, which killed 12 radical and wounded dozens, were linked to the Pakistan Taliban, according to Islamabad.

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“The web was handled and guided astatine each measurement by the … precocious bid based successful Afghanistan,” a Pakistani authorities connection said connected Friday, adding that the cell’s alleged commandant and 3 different members were successful custody.

“Investigations are continuing, and much revelations and arrests are expected,” it said, identifying the bomber arsenic Usman alias Qari, a nonmigratory of Nangarhar state successful eastbound Afghanistan.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told the Senate connected Thursday that the bomber was Afghan.

Another 1 of the suspects, Sajid Ullah, told investigators that Saeed-ur-Rehman, a Pakistan Taliban commander, ordered the onslaught successful Islamabad done the Telegram messaging app.

The commander, besides known arsenic Daadullah, sent Ullah photographs of the termination bomber, an Afghanistan citizen, with orders to person him aft helium crossed the borderline into Pakistan from Afghanistan, wherever helium was a nonmigratory of Nangarhar province, the authorities said.

Daadullah, primitively from Pakistan’s Bajaur region, is portion of the Pakistan Taliban’s quality helping and presently hiding successful Afghanistan, the authorities said.

The men were detained successful a associated cognition by the nation’s Intelligence Bureau and Counter-Terrorism Department, said the government, which did not item wherever the arrests were made.

Islamabad has mostly been spared from unit by equipped groups successful caller years, with the past termination onslaught occurring successful December 2022.

But the state is facing a resurgence of violence, which officials property chiefly to equipped groups allegedly sheltered connected Afghan soil.

Naqvi connected Monday claimed that Afghan nationals besides took portion successful an battle this week connected Cadet College Wana, a military-linked schoolhouse successful northwest Pakistan. Gunmen stormed the assemblage and began a weapon conflict that lasted astir 20 hours. Three soldiers and each the attackers were killed.

The Taliban authorities has not commented connected Pakistan’s allegations, but has expressed “deep sorrow & condemnation” implicit some attacks.

Pakistan Taliban representatives did not remark connected the arrests.

The accusations travel amid a crisp deterioration successful ties betwixt Islamabad and Kabul, with caller attacks prompting the worst cross-border clashes successful years past month.

More than 70 radical were killed, including dozens of Afghan civilians, according to the United Nations.

The 2 countries agreed to a fragile ceasefire, but failed to finalise its details during respective rounds of negotiations. Each broadside blamed the different for the impasse.

This week’s attacks present risk triggering renewed hostilities.

Addressing parliament connected Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the Islamabad bombing arsenic a “horrific enactment of terrorism”.

“We privation peace. We privation Afghanistan to hold and beryllium a spouse successful peace. We judge what’s bully for Pakistan is bully for them … but we cannot judge lies and not rein successful terrorists,” helium added.