QUETTA: While noting that serving a demarche alone to the Afghan government, following Tuesday’s grisly suicide attack in DI Khan that killed 23 soldiers and wounded 30 others, was “insufficient”, Baclochistan’s caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai on Wednesday put forth a set of counter-terrorism measures, among them a proposal to provide the United States with drone bases to target terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Taking to X, formerly called Twitter, the minister outlined various counter-terrorism strategies, emphasising that simply issuing a demarche to the Afghan government was inadequate. He underscored the necessity for more rigorous measures in the wake of the tragic incident.
According to the army’s media wing, the deadly attack occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday at a checkpoint in Daraban area, located 40 kilometers west of Dera Ismail Khan.
“The attempt to enter the check post was effectively thwarted which forced the terrorists to ram an explosive laden vehicle into the post, followed by a suicide bombing attack,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations.
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The total number of attackers was six, it added.
Following the bombing, Pakistan called on the Taliban government in Afghanistan to apprehend and hand over the individuals responsible for the suicide bombing.
The Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, affiliated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack.
Reacting to the incident, Minister Achakzai stated that the DI Khan attack had crossed “all national security redlines of Pakistan”.
As part of seven proposed measures, he suggested considering reprisal attacks in Afghanistan, special targeted operations, air strikes, border closure with Afghanistan, repatriation of Afghan refugees, anti-TTA political opposition gathering in Islamabad, and, finally, offering US drone bases to target al-Qaeda and other terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Emphasising the need to convey a strong message to the Afghan Taliban, he declared, “We will not tolerate this double game. Enough is enough.”
