Official proposes drone bases to US in Pakistan after deadly militant attack

By Islamuddin Sajid and Aamir Latif

ISLAMABAD, KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - A Pakistani official proposed bases to the US on Wednesday after a deadly suicide bombing that killed 28 security personnel in the northwestern area of the South Asian nation.

Interim Information Minister in Balochistan province Jan Achakzai said the Dera Ismail Khan militant attack Tuesday has "crossed all the national security redlines of Pakistan."

Acakhzai’s seven “counterterrorism proposals” include reprisal attacks in Afghanistan, closure of borders, return of Afghan refugees and gathering of “political opposition” of the Afghan Taliban in Islamabad.

He proposed Islamabad offer drone bases to target Al-Qaeda and other militants' alleged sanctuaries in Afghanistan.

The US carried out hundreds of drone attacks on Pakistan’s tribal belt near Afghanistan’s border from 2004 to 2018, killing thousands, mostly civilians. Islamabad publicly opposed the drone attacks, terming them a violation of its sovereignty. Many, however, believe Washington had tacit support from Islamabad for the drone strikes.

"Send out a message to Afghan Taliban: We will no longer tolerate any double game. Enough is enough," said Achakzai.

- Kabul reacts

But the interim administration in Kabul, led by the Afghan Taliban, denied any involvement Wednesday in the latest attack inside Pakistan.

"Pakistan should take action inside their country as the area where the incident occurred (is) hundreds of kilometers away from Afghanistan," Kabul-based interim administration spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was quoted by state-run RTA.

The Pakistan military said Tuesday at least 28 security personnel and 27 suspected militants were killed in three separate attacks in northwestern Pakistan, including a shooting and bomb attack.

Later, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry summoned Afghanistan's Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad and delivered a "strong" demarche for the deadly attacks, whose responsibility has been claimed by Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, a suspected militant group allegedly affiliated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The Afghan diplomat was asked to "immediately convey to the Afghan Interim government to fully investigate and take stern action against perpetrators of the recent attack," according to a Foreign Ministry statement.