By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi
BANNU: Security officials have linked a recent suicide attack on a Pakistan army vehicle in Bannu to a terrorist network allegedly operating from across the border in Afghanistan.
According to security sources, responsibility for the bombing was claimed by Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen, described as a splinter faction of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group. The network is said to be aligned with elements referred to by Pakistani authorities as Fitna al-Khawarij. Officials maintain that the group’s leadership, including Gul Bahadur and several senior commanders, are currently based in Afghanistan.
The sources alleged that the group has been using Afghan territory to plan and facilitate attacks inside Pakistan. They pointed to a series of previous incidents, including an assault on Bannu Cantonment on 4 March 2025 during Ramazan, which they said was also orchestrated from across the border.
Officials further cited an attack on the Federal Constabulary in Bannu on 2 September 2025, in which Major Adnan was killed while fighting terrorists. Several other attacks in Mir Ali and parts of North and South Waziristan were also attributed to the same network, with investigators claiming that operational planning and logistical support originated in Afghanistan.
Pakistani security officials argue that the continued presence of Hafiz Gul Bahadur and other senior terrorist figures on Afghan soil demonstrates that the territory is being used as a staging ground for cross-border militancy. They have also accused the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan administration of failing to curb such groups, alleging that safe havens remain available to them.
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