UAE ‘Strongly Condemns’ Deadly Terrorist Attacks on Police in Pakistan

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims responsibility for twin assaults in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab that left multiple officers dead.

ABU DHABI – The United Arab Emirates has issued a firm condemnation of two separate terrorist attacks targeting police officials in Pakistan, which resulted in dozens of casualties.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed its “strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence, extremism, and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability.”

The ministry extended its sincere condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the government and people of Pakistan, and wished a speedy recovery for all the injured.

Details of the Attacks

The assaults occurred on Tuesday in two different Pakistani provinces. In the city of Kohat, located in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, militants ambushed a police patrol. The attack killed five officers on the spot and set their vehicle ablaze. Two civilians later succumbed to injuries sustained in the attack.

In a separate incident in the Bhakkar district of Punjab province, a suicide bomber targeted the inter-provincial Dajal check post. District Police Chief Shahzad Rafique confirmed that two police officials died in the blast, while five others—including two polio workers—were injured.

The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for both attacks.

Regional Context: Rising Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions

The attacks come at a time of heightened militancy and escalating diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad has long asserted that militant groups, including the TTP, operate from sanctuaries inside Afghan territory.

On Saturday, Pakistan carried out air strikes in Afghanistan, targeting what it described as militant hideouts responsible for a spate of recent suicide bombings on Pakistani soil. Afghanistan has denied providing sanctuary to militants, labeling the militancy an internal Pakistani problem. The United Nations and Afghan officials reported that at least 13 civilians were killed in those strikes.

The border districts between the two nations have been a hotbed for various Islamist militant groups since 2007, with the TTP being the most prominent among them.