The "ghost" has reappeared.

Each time the "ghost" reappears, it becomes a nightmare for many countries, especially for innocent people.

The scene of a suicide bombing in Pakistan. Photo: Reuters

That is the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), which carries out numerous terrorist activities globally. Recently, this terrorist group reappeared with a suicide bombing in Bajaur district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwestern Pakistan. The attack killed 54 people and injured nearly 200.

The bombing targeted a campaign rally of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) party in the Bajaur district, near the border with neighboring Afghanistan. The JUI-F party is a key partner of Pakistan's ruling coalition and is led by hardline politician Fazlur Rehman.

According to an ISIS statement, a member of the organization detonated his explosive vest in the middle of a crowd in the town of Khar to disrupt a political event held near a market, inside a large tent, with the aim of killing politician Rehman. However, Rehman did not attend the event at the last minute and thus escaped death. Previously, Rehman had survived at least two bomb attacks at political rallies in 2011 and 2014.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif, President Arif Alvi, and many other leaders condemned the attack and called on authorities to provide maximum support to the injured and the families of those killed. The Prime Minister's office issued a directive ordering an investigation into the incident and the identification of those responsible for the tragedy. Pakistani police are taking statements from the injured at a hospital in Kha, the largest town in the Bajaur region.

However, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack. The attack is seen as a reminder of the increasingly deteriorating security situation in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. At the same time, this terrorist attack has raised concerns that Pakistan could enter a period of bloody elections after months of political turmoil since former Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed from office in April 2022. Furthermore, the resurgence of the ISIS terrorist organization threatens the security of the entire South Asian region.

Since the ceasefire agreement between the Tehrik-e group, the Taliban, and Pakistan (TTP) with the Pakistani government collapsed last year, terrorist attacks have increased in the South Asian nation.

Earlier this year, more than 100 people were killed in a bombing of a mosque in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

According to a recent report by the United Nations Security Council, the TTP is considering the possibility of merging with Al Qaeda to form a single entity bringing together all extremist armed organizations operating in South Asia.

Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of failing to keep its promise to ensure its territory would not be used by terrorist organizations to attack its neighbor. However, since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan's internal security has deteriorated significantly, with increased terrorist attacks and the resurgence of terrorist organizations within the country. What is happening to Pakistan is certainly contrary to the expectations of its ruling elite. Pakistan was once believed to have supported the rise of the Taliban in the context of the US withdrawal of military forces from its neighbor.

Islamabad also once worked behind the scenes to eliminate members considered "moderate" within the Taliban, paving the way for hardline elements to gain dominance in Afghanistan's new cabinet. But since then, things have completely spiraled out of Pakistan's control.

The resurgence of IS through terrorism in Pakistan has sounded the alarm, warning that this "ghost" has been resurrected and will wreak havoc on many countries if not suppressed in time.

HN compilation

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