Islamic State claims attack on Pakistani envoy in Afghanistan
KABUL/PESHAWAR: The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Saturday for an attack on Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul, which Islamabad decried as an “assassination attempt”.
A security guard was wounded in the attack on Friday in the Afghan capital.
In a statement cited by jihadist monitor SITE, the Islamic State’s regional chapter said it had “attacked the apostate Pakistani ambassador and his guards”.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called it “an assassination attempt” on the head of the mission, and demanded an investigation.
A Kabul police spokesman said one suspect had been arrested and two light weapons seized after security forces swept a nearby building.
Although Pakistan does not officially recognise Afghanistan’s Taliban government, it kept its embassy open even as the hardline Islamists took over in August last year, and maintains a full diplomatic mission.
An embassy official told AFP a lone attacker “came behind the cover of houses and started firing”, but that the ambassador and other staff were safe.
A spokesman for Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said they strongly condemned the “failed attack”.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will not allow any malicious actors to pose a threat to the security of diplomatic missions in Kabul,” it said in a statement, vowing to find and punish those responsible.
Pakistani security forces kill terrorist commander
Pakistan’s security forces have killed a terrorist commander, wanted for his involvement in high profile terror activities, during an exchange of fire in the country’s troubled northwest, the army has said.
Muhammad Noor alias Sarakai was killed during an encounter with the security forces in North Waziristan’s general area Shewa on December 2, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) – the media wing of the army - said on Saturday.
Noor was wanted by the Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department ( CTD) for his involvement in several terror activities against the security forces and also several kidnapping and ransom cases.