BAJAUR: The suicide bomber behind the February 16, 2026 attack at the Malangi Post in Bajaur has been identified as an Afghan national named Ahmad, also known as Qari Abdullah Abu Zar. Officials said he was from Balkh province in Afghanistan and had previously served in the Taliban’s Special Forces.
The attack tragically killed 11 security personnel and two civilians, highlighting the growing involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist activities inside Pakistan. Security analysts noted that these incidents point to the support and facilitation of such groups by the Afghan Taliban regime.
Recent attacks in Islamabad and Peshawar also involved terrorists trained in Afghanistan. For instance, a February 6, 2026, attack in Islamabad’s Tarlai area was carried out by a bomber trained across the border. The terrorists behind the November 2025 attacks in both Islamabad and Peshawar were likewise linked to Afghanistan, including a captured bomber from South Waziristan identified as Nematullah from Kandahar province.
Experts say these repeated incidents show that Afghan-based groups continue to find safe havens and operational support within Afghanistan. According to sources, more than 70 percent of terrorism-related attacks in Pakistan in recent years have involved Afghan nationals, underlining the persistent cross-border security threat.
