Two United Nations officials remained unhurt after unidentified gunmen targeted their vehicle in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, a police official confirmed. The attack comes as Islamabad grapples with a surge in militant activity in the country’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, bordering Afghanistan.
A police spokesperson from Pakistan’s northwestern Tank district confirmed that unidentified gunmen opened fire on a UN vehicle near Hathala town in Dera Ismail Khan district. “The UN vehicle was coming to Tank from D. I. Khan when it came under attack,” police spokesperson Muhammad Ibrahim said. He added that the two UN officials in the car remained unhurt and have since arrived safely at the district administration’s compound.
The incident occurred amid a surge in attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Pakistan’s western provinces since an uneasy truce between the state and the banned militant outfit fell apart in November 2022. The TTP, which seeks to impose its strict version of Islam in the South Asian country, has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistani civilians and security forces since 2007. Multiple army operations were conducted to drive them out of the tribal areas.
However, the TTP has distanced itself from this recent attack on the UN vehicle. In a statement, the group blamed the Pakistan Army for such incidents, accusing them of conducting operations to restore their reputation and secure funds from world powers. “Military operations against such institutions are carried out by Pakistan’s security institutions to restore their reputation and secure dollars from world powers,” TTP spokesperson Muhammad Khorasani said. “The TTP’s objectives are clear and we will continue our war for our objectives, meaning against the security forces,” he added.
The continuous attacks from the TTP against Pakistan’s security forces have strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of providing shelter to TTP militants, allowing them to launch attacks on Pakistani soil. Kabul has denied these allegations, insisting that it does not permit any group to use its territory for attacks on other countries.
Relations between the two countries further deteriorated after Pakistan launched a deportation drive last year, targeting what it claimed were “illegal” immigrants in the country following a spike in suicide bombings. Islamabad, without providing evidence, blamed the surge in attacks on Afghan nationals, alleging their involvement in smuggling, militant violence, and other crimes.
The attack on the UN vehicle underscores the ongoing security challenges in Pakistan’s northwestern regions and highlights the precarious situation for international agencies operating in the area.
