Afghanistan: Deadly Hotel Blast Strikes Khost Province
Afghanistan: Deadly Hotel Blast Strikes Khost Province
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Afghanistan: Deadly Hotel Blast Strikes Khost Province
- A Taliban-appointed police spokesperson stated Monday that at least three people were killed and seven wounded after an explosion at a hotel in Afghanistan's eastern province of Khost. Al Jazeera (LR: 2 CP: 1)
- Afghan residents and refugees from Pakistan's northern Waziristan region — a militant stronghold located just across the border — were supposedly among the victims, but authorities provided no details about them. Khaama Press
- While the cause of the blast is yet to be established, the region has long been bedeviled by violence as Afghanistan's Taliban government has faced an insurgency by the Islamic State group. Reuters (LR: 3 CP: 5)
- Local sources reported that an airstrike targeted members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). A Pakistani official confirmed that some militants suffered casualties but denied that Islamabad had any involvement in the attack. Afghanistan International
- Authorities in Pakistan claim that many TTP leaders and fighters have found a haven in Afghanistan since Aug. 2021, given the close ties between the Pakistani Taliban and the Afghan Taliban. ABC News
- Earlier this month, the Taliban's chief spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, urged Pakistan to share concerns over cross-border terrorism officially — rather than making what he described as "futile claims in the media." VOA
Narrative A:
- Years of Pakistani hostility on the Afghanistan border in pursuit of strategic dominance has taken its toll on the security of many surrounding regions. Afghanistan's lodging of complaints against Pakistan's behavior and culpability for the regional insecurity has had little effect. Kabul has little choice now but to meet hostility with similar aggression.
Khaama Press
Narrative B:
- Afghanistan is unwilling help to stop the flow of militants and ammunition saturating Pakistan's western border. Domestic troubles now seen in Afghanistan are a consequence of this attitude, and Pakistan's attempts to help broker engagement between the Islamic Emirate and the rest of the world have fallen on deaf ears. The Taliban cannot continue to play games with the safety and security of Pakistan, who in return hold a right to respond appropriately.
DAWN.COM
Nerd narrative:
- There is an 82% chance that Pakistan will recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Metaculus (LR: 3 CP: 3)