Suicide attack kills 7 Pakistani soldiers near Afghan border ahead of Doha talks

A suicide attack has killed at least seven Pakistani soldiers near the country's border with Afghanistan, Pakistani security officials told Reuters on Friday, just hours ahead of ceasefire talks between Pakistani and Afghan delegations in Doha to scale back rising escalation.

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that "the ball was in the Afghan Taliban's court" for a permanent ceasefire, a day after a 48-hour truce was called in the wake of deadly cross-border clashes.

"If in 48 hours they want to resolve the issues and address our genuine demands, then we are ready for them," Sharif told his cabinet, reiterating that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists should be eliminated and that Afghan territory not be used to plot attacks against Pakistan.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged the interim Taliban administration to rein in the terrorists of TTP, a conglomerate of several terror groups, which is active in the porous border region.

Sharif further said the Taliban administration should come forward if they are in favour of a permanent ceasefire.

"If they are serious, if they are sincere, they should come forward," he said.

Shehbaz reiterated his hope that the ceasefire be maintained for the future on the basis of “solid demands”.

“If this was only done to buy time, then we won’t accept it,” the premier warned, as per Dawn.

The remarks came a day after the 48-hour ceasefire was announced, following a week of violence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in which dozens of troops and civilians were killed on both sides.

The latest escalation was primarily triggered by a surge in TTP attacks targeting Pakistani forces, including bombings in northwestern Pakistan.

Attack on military installation

At least four terrorists were killed when they attacked a key security forces installation in northwestern Pakistan, also near the Afghan border, Pakistani officials told Anadolu on Friday.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the forces foiled the attack and "four terrorists were sent to hell" in North Waziristan, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan.

An explosive-laden vehicle was rammed into the main entrance of security headquarters in Khadi village of North Waziristan, a local official told Anadolu, confirming it was a suicide attack.

It remains unclear if Naqvi was referring to the same attack in which Reuters reported seven Pakistani troops were killed.

According to the official, the explosion was followed by intense gunfire as terrorists attempted to enter the installation. The security forces, however, foiled their attempt and killed several terrorists, and the operation still continued in the area.

"So far four terrorists have been killed," the official said.

The latest attack came just a day after the Pakistan army said 34 terrorists were killed during operations in North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Bannu districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Separately, a powerful explosion was also reported in the Bajaur district of the province. According to local police, an explosive-laden vehicle parked on the road detonated in the Mamund Tangi Shah area.

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Source: TRT