Bannu – Investigations into the recent attack on the Frontier Corps (FC) lines in Bannu have revealed that the suicide bombers who executed the deadly attack were of Afghan origin.
Three of the five attackers have been identified as Afghan nationals, underscoring the cross-border aspect of the current security problems in the region.
Last Tuesday, following a fatal suicide attack by militants on the FC Line in Bannu, a security operation was orchestrated. The attack began when militants entered the FC Line building by driving an explosive-laden vehicle, which caused a powerful explosion that destroyed shops and buildings around the facility.
Six security officers and six militants lost their lives as a consequence of the attack.
Unveiling the Identities
The third suicide bomber in the Bannu attack has been identified as Najibullah alias Huzifa, a citizen of Khost Province in Afghanistan. His identification gives a first-hand connection to a familiar center of militant action.
Earlier, two other bombers were discovered to be Afghan nationals. Mullah Shabir Ahmad alias Mawlvi Bilal Muhajir, a citizen of Abdul Muhiyuddin village located at the Saeedabad District in Wardak Province, Afghanistan. And Abdul Aziz alias Qassid Mohajir, a native of the Mata Khan district of Afghanistan, Paktika province.
A Premeditated Threat
Additional pieces of evidence indicate the existence of a premeditated and ideologically motivated plan. A video message was previously issued by one of the militants, requesting the TTP to help her execute a suicide attack in Pakistan or any other country.
In the video, the man said that he was in the Baramchah province of Afghanistan in the Helmand district.
The Bannu attack is a continuation of a larger tendency of violence, which has rekindled in recent years, especially in the western provinces of Pakistan. Pakistan has continuously asserted that the presence of militants within the Afghan territory constitutes a major security threat to the country.
