ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday told parliament that Afghan nationals were involved in two suicide attacks carried out earlier this week, deepening tensions between the neighbouring states over cross-border militancy. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the Afghan role in the Islamabad courthouse bombing and the South Waziristan military school assault was now a “major and serious concern” for Pakistan.
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Naqvi repeated Pakistan’s charge that the Afghan Taliban administration continues to provide space and support to militants targeting Pakistan. Kabul rejected the allegation. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters that Afghan forces had killed or arrested several Pakistani nationals linked with ISIS-KP, but said this did not mean the Pakistani state backed them.
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The first blast on Tuesday killed 12 people outside a district court in Islamabad, while a day earlier a bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military-run school in South Waziristan, triggering a 24-hour gun battle before all attackers were eliminated.
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Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain tense, with recent border clashes causing casualties. Islamabad also accuses India of backing anti-Pakistan militants based in Afghanistan, a claim New Delhi denies.
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