Crime & Justice

Islamic State claims assassination bid on Pakistani envoy in Afghanistan

Cairo, Dec 4 (EFE).- The Islamic State militant group claimed an assassination attempt on Pakistan’s diplomat in Afghanistan in which the envoy escaped unhurt two days ago.

A statement from the Islamist militant network’s South Asian branch Saturday said two fighters “attacked the apostate Pakistani ambassador and his guards” in the Kabul embassy courtyard on Friday.

The group released the statement on the Telegram messaging network, saying the attack injured a guard and damaged the embassy building.

Pakistan denounced the assassination bid on the head of its Afghan mission, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani.

“The head of mission is safe. However, a Pakistani security guard (…) was seriously injured in the attack while protecting the head of mission,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.

Pakistan called on the de facto Taliban government, in power since August last year, to “immediately” investigate the attack, apprehend the culprits and take “urgent steps” to ensure the safety of diplomatic personnel in Kabul.

The Taliban government “strongly condemned the failed shooting attack” on the Pakistani diplomatic headquarters in a statement.

The Islamist regime assured that it “will not allow any malicious actor to pose a threat to the security of diplomatic missions in Kabul,” and guaranteed a “serious investigation” into the matter.

Kabul was the scene of another high-profile failed attack on Friday.

Two suicide attackers in an explosives-laden vehicle attempted to target Islamic leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, also known as “the Butcher of Kabul,” who was at a mosque in his office compound to deliver a sermon.

The assailants were shot by security forces before the attack.

A security guard was killed in the gunfire.

The embassy attack occurred the same week that Pakistani deputy foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited Kabul as the first official envoy to Afghanistan of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government for talks with Islamists on crucial security issues. EFE

ar-ijm/ssk

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