Islamabad – The first suicide bomber involved in the attack on the Police Training Center in Dera Ismail Khan has been identified as an Afghan citizen, further deepening concerns over the use of Afghan soil for militancy against Pakistan.
Mahaz, the open-source intelligence platform on X, reported on Sunday that the attacker has been identified as Ajmal alias Khalid, son of Haji Noor Jan, a resident of Burhani Khailo Village, Joi Zarin City, Syedabad District, Wardak Province, Afghanistan. Reports indicate that Ajmal was a former member of the Taliban’s security forces before joining militant activities inside Pakistan.
Responsibility for the DI Khan attack was claimed by a new faction of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) calling itself Tahaffuz Emirat-e-Islamia. Sources said the group described the assault as a “retaliatory operation” following recent airstrikes on Kabul, reportedly carried out in response to Pakistan’s demand for action against anti-Pakistan militants. The faction claimed it had informed the Afghan Taliban that the operation was conducted “for the protection of Emirat-e-Islamia.”
Cross-Border Militancy Concerns
The development adds to the growing evidence of Afghan involvement in terror incidents across Pakistan.
During a recent press conference in Peshawar, Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry revealed that 161 Afghan nationals had been killed in terrorism-related incidents inside Pakistan. He reiterated Islamabad’s demand that the Afghan Taliban regime fulfill its Doha Accord obligations by preventing the use of Afghan territory as a staging ground for militancy.
Intra-Group Turmoil in Khost
In a related incident, Commander Hussain alias Saifullah, a senior figure in the Gul Bahadur group, was killed in an internal firing incident in Afghanistan’s Khost province three days ago.
According to Mahaz, Saifullah, an engineer from Mir Ali, North Waziristan, was responsible for training fighters and overseeing explosive operations for the group in Afghanistan before dispatching them into Pakistan for cross-border militancy. His funeral, held with Afghan Taliban protocol, was attended by several senior commanders from both the Gul Bahadur group and the Afghan Taliban.
Mahaz also reported that Commander Ghalchakai, a key facilitator for the Gul Bahadur group who was recently released from an Afghan prison, was seen attending the funeral. The Gul Bahadur group is regarded as one of the most lethal militant outfits, responsible for several major attacks that have claimed numerous civilian lives.
Pakistan’s Right to Self-Defence
Security observers note that such incidents underscore Pakistan’s right to respond militarily to cross-border aggression and militant infiltration attempts. The October 11 border clashes, which Islamabad described as an attempt by militants to infiltrate from Afghan territory, were met with a decisive military response that destroyed multiple Taliban posts.
“Pakistan, exercising its right of self-defence, not only repulsed the assaults along the border but also inflicted heavy losses on Taliban forces and affiliated Khawarij,” security sources said. The destroyed sites, they added, were used to plan and facilitate terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
Islamabad’s Warning to Kabul
In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Office reaffirmed the country’s commitment to diplomacy but warned that any further provocations from Afghanistan would be met with a “befitting response.”
“Pakistan greatly values dialogue and diplomacy and a mutually beneficial relationship with Afghanistan,” the statement read. “At the same time, the Government of Pakistan continues to closely monitor the situation and would take all possible measures to safeguard its territory and the lives of its people. Any further provocations would be met with an unwavering and befitting response.”
Officials emphasized that while Pakistan remains committed to regional stability, continued Afghan complicity with militant groups could compel Islamabad to take further targeted defensive actions.
