Pakistan's foreign ministry called in the Taliban's deputy head of mission on Wednesday, pressing the Afghan administration to act against militant groups based in Afghanistan that Islamabad claims were behind an attack on a military base earlier this week. Militants assaulted the base in Bannu, northwestern Pakistan, on Monday, crashing a vehicle packed with explosives into the perimeter wall and resulting in the deaths of eight Pakistani security personnel. The Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, which Pakistan's military identifies as operating from neighboring Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. Islamabad has repeatedly addressed the issue of increasing cross-border attacks with the Taliban administration, escalating tensions between the two countries whose security forces have engaged in skirmishes at the border in recent years. The Taliban, whose spokesman did not respond to a request for comment, has previously refuted allegations of allowing militants to use Afghan territory. "Pakistan expressed grave concerns over the presence of terrorist groups within Afghanistan that persistently pose a threat to Pakistan's security," the Pakistani foreign office stated. It called on the Taliban authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, and to take swift, strong, and effective measures against those responsible for the Bannu attack, as well as to prevent any future occurrences of such attacks.
![Pakistan Urges Taliban to Act Against Militant Groups in Afghanistan Pakistan Urges Taliban to Act Against Militant Groups in Afghanistan](https://world-arabia.com/storage/images/news/crops/news-promo/7AfYANpvcM9XezHx0v4bq3NGMrzOFky16HHnB0SN.webp)
Text: Lara Palmer
17.07.2024
Foreign Ministry Presses Taliban on Cross-Border Attacks and Security Threats