Islamabad, 12 January 2023 (TDI): Pakistan vehemently denounced the heinous terrorist incident that took place in Kabul and resulted in the loss of many innocent lives and several injuries.
In this vein, Foreign Office Spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, released a statement. It said, “The Government of Pakistan extend their deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families.
We stand in solidarity with our Afghan brothers and sisters in the fight against the scourge of terrorism.”
“While reiterating condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, we pray for early recovery of the injured. We firmly stand with our Afghan brothers in this hour of grief and anguish.” The statement added.
What happened?
A blast near the Afghan Foreign Ministry in Kabul on Wednesday left at least five people dead and several injured, according to a statement released by the ruling Taliban.
Kabul police Spokesperson, Khalid Zadran said the blast, unfortunately, resulted in casualties with 5 people losing their lives.
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He did not give an exact number of the injured. Some Taliban officials and witnesses say the death toll was higher.
Ustad Fareedun of the Taliban-managed Information Ministry said 20 people were killed, adding that the assailant sought to penetrate the Afghan Foreign Ministry building itself.
The security crisis in Afghanistan
The “Islamic State” (IS), a terrorist organization in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack. In recent months, IS has stepped up its operations in Afghanistan, challenging the Taliban’s dominance.
IS most recently made a claim for an attack this month on a checkpoint close to Kabul’s military airport. In December, the group also carried out a devastating attack on the Kabul Longan hotel, inflicting injuries on five Chinese citizens.
The Taliban reportedly claimed that it conducted multiple operations against IS holdouts as revenge. Eight IS members, including those responsible for the attack on the Kabul Longan hotel, were allegedly killed during the raids, according to the Taliban.
Also read: World condemnation of Taliban ban on Female staff in NGOs
It is pertinent to note that in August 2021, the Taliban quickly seized power in Afghanistan after the United States (US) led NATO withdrew from the nation.
Since then, there have been numerous setbacks in the nation’s education, human rights, and security policies.
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