Pakistan on Monday lodged a strong diplomatic protest with Afghanistan over the deadly suicide attack on a police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district that left 15 police personnel martyred.

In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said the Afghan chargé d’affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and handed a “strong demarche” over the assault on the Fateh Khel police post.

“The Afghan chargé d’affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today to deliver a strong demarche regarding the cowardly vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) attack carried out by terrorists of Fitna al Khawarij on the Fateh Khel police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu District on May 9,” the FO said.

The attack took place late Saturday night when militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the police checkpoint before launching coordinated assaults from multiple directions using heavy weapons and drones.

Officials said the massive explosion completely destroyed the police post. At least 15 police officers were martyred, while three others sustained injuries.

Pakistan told Afghan authorities that evidence gathered during preliminary investigations linked the attackers to militants operating from Afghan territory.

“Reiterating Pakistan’s grave concern over the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorist attacks against Pakistan, it was impressed upon the Afghan side that Pakistan reserves the right to respond decisively against the perpetrators of this barbaric act,” the statement added.

The FO said Pakistan had repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban administration to take concrete and verifiable action against Fitna al Khawarij, Fitna al Hindustan and ISKP/Daesh elements allegedly operating from Afghan soil.

It further stated that the continued presence of terrorist organisations inside Afghanistan and the environment enabling their operations had been documented in reports issued by the United Nations Monitoring Team and other international organisations.

“The fight against terrorism is a common cause, and the Afghan Taliban must honour their commitment not to allow their territory to be used for terrorism against other countries,” the FO said.

According to the statement, Pakistan had engaged with the Afghan Taliban through several rounds of talks facilitated by friendly countries, but meaningful progress had not been achieved.

“Pakistan has also constructively engaged with the Afghan Taliban regime through several rounds of talks mediated by brotherly and friendly countries. However, the Afghan Taliban have consistently failed to commit to, or deliver, meaningful and verifiable action against these terrorist outfits,” the statement said.

The FO warned that Pakistan would not compromise on national security or the safety of its citizens if militant groups continued to find sanctuary across the border.

“The Afghan Taliban regime has also been categorically informed that, if it continues to harbour these terrorist organisations, Pakistan will not compromise on its national security or on the safety and protection of its citizens,” the FO said.