Islamabad: The Pakistani Taliban has taken responsibility for a series of lethal attacks in northwestern Pakistan that resulted in the deaths of 20 security personnel and three civilians. These attacks occurred on Friday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a region bordering Afghanistan known for its increasing violence since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

According to Deutsche Welle, the most significant attack was a suicide bombing at a police training school located in Ratta Kulachi, on the outskirts of Dera Ismail Khan city. Following the bombing, attackers attempted to breach the compound using heavy weaponry. Dera Ismail Khan police chief Sajjad Ahmad reported that the attackers stormed the facility, which housed around 200 recruits and their trainers, leading to an intense firefight that lasted nearly six hours. Security forces ultimately cleared the compound, killing six militants and seizing suicide vests, explosives, and ammunition.

In another incident in the Bajaur district, a separate clash between militants and paramilitary troops resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including three civilians. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is closely linked to the Afghan Taliban, claimed responsibility for these attacks through messages on social media. The TTP also admitted to an ambush of a Pakistani military convoy near the Afghan border earlier in the week, which claimed the lives of nine soldiers and two officers.

Militant activity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has surged following the withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan in 2021 and the subsequent return of the Taliban government in Kabul. Pakistan has frequently accused Afghanistan of providing support to the TTP and failing to expel militants using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan. Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif expressed Pakistan’s growing frustration with these incidents, emphasizing the need for a united response to the facilitators of such attacks, regardless of whether they are based on Pakistani or Afghan soil.

Despite these allegations, the Taliban government in Kabul has denied supporting militants. Recently, Kabul accused Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty after two explosions were heard in the Afghan capital. While Pakistan did not confirm responsibility for the blasts, it asserted its right to defend itself against increasing border militancy.

Pakistani military spokesman Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry noted that terrorism has intensified since 2021, prompting thousands of counterterrorism operations. By mid-September, these operations had resulted in the deaths of 970 militants and the loss of 311 soldiers and 73 police officers.