Over 100 kg explosives used in Pak terror attack which killed 23 soldiers

Over 100 kg of explosives were used in the deadliest terror attack this year on Pakistani security forces in the country in which 23 soldiers were killed, an official said here on Wednesday.

Six terrorists linked to Tehrik-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) rammed an explosive-laden truck into the security post in Dera Ismail Khan in the South Waziristan tribal district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday.

According to Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) SP Asif Mehmud, over 100 kg of explosives were used in the terror attack. Twenty-three soldiers were killed and 30 others were injured in the massive attack.

The assault was followed by a series of blasts, as militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the gate and carried out a subsequent suicide bombing. The resulting explosion caused the building to collapse, resulting in multiple casualties. All six militants were engaged and killed, the military said in a statement.

TJP, a newly formed militant group that is an affiliate of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, no arrest has been made so far. All the six terrorists were "sent to hell".

The TJP had claimed responsibility for the attack and also released a two-minute video, purporting to show militants targeting security personnel with thermal scopes. Security officials, however, claimed the video was not authentic.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali and caretaker chief minister Arshad Hussain visited the district and obtained briefings on the prevailing law and order situation. They also visited the hospitals to enquire about the health of the injured.

Pakistan has recently been claiming the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist attacks.

After the attack, the Foreign Office released a statement demanding immediate and verifiable actions from the Afghan government against militant outfits fomenting terror in Pakistan, as it issued a demarche to Afghan Charge d'Affaires Sardar Ahmad Shakib.

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi, who summoned Shakib, stressed the urgency and gravity of the situation, calling for a comprehensive investigation and decisive action against the perpetrators of the recent attack.

Pakistan demanded action against all terrorist groups, including their leadership and sanctuaries. The foreign secretary insisted on the apprehension and extradition of the perpetrators as well as the leaders of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from Afghanistan.

Qazi highlighted the continuous use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan, asserting that such actions posed a significant threat to regional peace and stability.

In Kabul, the interim Afghan government's chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Kabul would investigate the attack.

We are shocked at the attack in Pakistan. We will look into the demands made by Pakistan, he told Dawn.com.

However, Mujahid also said that Afghanistan should not be blamed for every issue and that Pakistan should focus on its security.

The attack in the area (DI Khan) is hundreds of kilometres away from Afghanistan and is Pakistan's own soil. Pakistan has strong security forces and the attack should have been thwarted, the Taliban government spokesman added.