Pakistan Asks Afghanistan to Hand Over '76 Terrorism Suspects'

Pakistani military officials say that in a series of military operations against 'terrorists' carried out on Friday, February 17, at least 39 militants were killed in various parts of the country. Pakistan has also requested Afghanistan to hand over '76 terrorism suspects' who, according to Pakistan, have taken refuge in that country. These actions by Pakistan are a reaction to a suicide attack on Thursday, February 16, at a Sufi shrine in the city of Sehwan in Sindh province, which resulted in the deaths of 80 people and injuries to hundreds more. The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing at the 'Uthman Marwandi' shrine, known as 'Lal Shahbaz Qalandar'. Uthman Marwandi, or Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, was a Persian-speaking mystic and poet who holds a high place among Sufis. The explosion at the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine was the largest such operation in recent years in Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, condemned the attack and promised that those responsible for the explosion would be brought to justice. Ashraf Ghani, the President of Afghanistan, also condemned the attack, stating that the people of Afghanistan are victims of terrorism. Meanwhile, Asif Ghafoor, the spokesperson for the Pakistani army, announced the summoning of Afghan embassy officials and stated that a 'list of 76 terrorists hiding in Afghanistan' was handed over to them. Mr. Ghafoor said that Pakistan has requested Afghanistan to apprehend these individuals and hand them over to Pakistan. The Afghan government also claims that Pakistan shelled areas along the border between the two countries on Friday. In this context, the explosion in Parachinar, Pakistan, left dozens dead and injured. The Helmand governor stated that Iran has contacted the Taliban. A counter-narcotics official mentioned that almost the entire Iran-Afghanistan border has been closed.