In a rare move by the military, Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa on Thursday condemned a Taliban attack on US troops in Afghanistan that had left two American soldiers dead.
“Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa offered heartfelt condolences on the death of two Special Forces soldiers who died in the incident (the terrorist attack on the United States forces in Kandahar),” the ISPR said in a statement.
Gen Bajwa noted that Pakistan because of facing “similar trial of blood in fight against common threat of terrorism” well understood the anguish of the bereaved families of the soldiers killed.
Two US troops were killed and four others were injured on Wednesday when a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a Nato convoy on the outskirts of Kandahar city (Afghanistan), which is host to one of the largest American bases in the country. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Seven US troops have been killed in Afghanistan this year. Last year the US lost nine soldiers in the war-torn country.
The Pakistan government has always condemned terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, but it was rare for the army to give its reaction to an attack on US forces.
Gen Bajwa’s reaction came as Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs and Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Amb Alice Wells visited Islamabad. Many believe that the rare reaction over killing of US soldiers in Afghanistan was meant to address concerns in Washington, where Islamabad is widely accused of not acting against Taliban and Haqqani network sanctuaries from where they are believed to launch attacks in Afghanistan including those on US-led coalition forces.
