Pakistan says verifying reports of Daesh's claim of attack embassy in Kabul

• FO says Pakistan independently and in consultation with Afghan authorities is verifying veracity of reports.
• Daesh claimed responsibility for attack in a statement.
• Daesh claimed attack was carried by two of its members.

The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday said that it was verifying the reports claiming that outlawed group Deash was behind the terrorist attack on Pakistan’s mission in Afghanistan.

“We have seen reports that IS-KP has accepted responsibility for the terrorist attack on the Pakistan Embassy compound on 2 December 2022. Independently and in consultation with the Afghan authorities, we are verifying the veracity of these reports,” said the FO spokesperson in a statement.

The spokesperson stated that the attack was “another reminder of the threat that terrorism poses to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region”.

“We must act resolutely with all our collective might to defeat this menace. On its part, Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to combat terrorism,” said the spokesperson.

On Sunday, the wire service Reuters had reported that Daesh had claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement carried by one of the militant group's affiliated channels on Telegram.

Daesh claimed the attack was carried by two of its members armed with "medium and sniper weapons" and was targeting the ambassador and his guards who were present at the courtyard of the embassy.

Suspect involved in attack ‘held’

A day earlier, sources had told Geo News that the suspect involved in the assassination attempt on Pakistan's Head of Mission to Kabul Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani has been arrested.

According to diplomatic sources, the suspect was residing on the eighth floor of the nearby building and had planted improvised explosive devices (IED) in three rooms on the same floor.

When the Afghan security officials arrived at the building, the suspect tried escaping, however, he was arrested.

The security officials also recovered an AK-47 rifle, a long-range automatic rifle, a sniper rifle and other weapons from the possession of the suspect.

The diplomatic sources further told Geo News that the police have also arrested another suspect.

On Friday, Nizamani escaped the assassination bid after the embassy’s compound in Kabul came under attack targeting the head of mission. However, a security guard, Sepoy Israr Mohammad, was injured in the attack while protecting the diplomat.

The guard has been shifted to Peshawar for treatment.

Bilawal receives call from Afghan foreign ministry

Following the attack, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari received a call from the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Reiterating Afghanistan’s firm resolve to combat terrorism, Foreign Minister Muttaqi had assured the foreign minister that the Afghan government would swiftly bring the perpetrators of this heinous attack to justice.

While Foreign Minister Bilawal called on the Afghan government to prevent the terrorists from undermining relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

— With additional input from Reuters