Kabul delegation arrives in Islamabad for talks about cooperation as Afghanistan violence escalates

Islamabad: A high-level Afghan delegation arrived here on Wednesday and is expected to hold talks with Pakistani officials about cooperation between the two countries, an official said. [caption id=“attachment_4315575” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of the Taliban attack on the Hotel Intercontinental. AP[/caption]

Foreign Office spokesperson Muhammad Faisal said that the delegation, comprising Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and National Directorate of Security chief Masoom Stanekzai, is visiting Islamabad with a message from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and will hold discussions about cooperation. Afghan news service Tolo News reported, citing a presidential palace source, that the delegation is to hand over evidence to Pakistan regarding the recent attacks in Kabul. The evidence will be shared with the Pakistan Army, the source claimed, without providing further details. At least 11 Afghan soldiers were killed in an attack on a military compound in Kabul on 29 January claimed by the Islamic State, the third major assault in the Afghan capital in recent days. On 27 January, a Taliban suicide attacker driving an explosives-packed ambulance blew it up in a crowded area of the capital, killing at least 103 people—mainly civilians— and injuring 235 in one of the worst bombings in the city in recent years. The Islamic State also attacked Save the Children’s office on 24 January. Five people were killed and 26 wounded while the organisation was forced to suspend operations across the country. On 20 January, Taliban fighters stormed Kabul’s landmark Intercontinental hotel and killed at least 25 people, in an assault lasting more than 12 hours. Kabul remains on high alert as the city braces for further violence. Security warnings have been sent to foreigners in recent days, cautioning that the Islamic State was planning to attack supermarkets, hotels and shops frequented by foreigners. Several foreign organisations, including humanitarian groups, are reassessing their operations after the spate of deadly violence.