Pakistan condemns deadly US shooting, warns of rising Afghan-linked terror threats

• Islamabad says Washington attack underscores urgency of stronger global counterterrorism cooperation
• Incident comes amid Pakistan’s long-running accusations Afghan-based militants orchestrate cross-border attacks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday condemned a deadly shooting in Washington reportedly carried out by an Afghan national, saying the incident highlights the growing threat of transnational terrorism and the need for coordinated global action.

The attack, which killed a US National Guard and injured others, comes at a time when Islamabad has repeatedly warned that militant groups sheltered in Afghanistan are increasingly posing security risks beyond the region. For years, Pakistan has accused factions such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of planning and executing cross-border attacks from Afghan territory, a charge the administration in Kabul denies.

The US Department of Homeland Security named the suspect in the DC attack as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, and described him as “a criminal alien from Afghanistan.” During his apprehension, the suspect was shot four times.

“This targeted attack was undoubtedly an act of terrorism and a heinous assault on United States soil,” the foreign ministry said.

“For the past two decades, Pakistan has endured countless similar terrorist incidents, with clear linkages to Afghanistan. This incident signifies the challenges posed by transnational terrorism and underscores the need for enhanced global cooperation to confront this menace.”

The foreign ministry added that the shooting pointed to a “troubling resurgence of terrorism on a global scale,” urging the international community to “reinvigorate collective efforts” against extremist violence.

Pakistan said it remained committed to working with the United States and other international partners to confront what it described as a shared and increasingly borderless threat.

Separately, Pakistan also condemned the killing of three Chinese workers in a militant attack in Tajikistan near the Afghan border, expressing solidarity with Beijing and Dushanbe and warning that the incident underscored the escalating regional threat posed by militant groups operating from Afghanistan.

The Chinese nationals were working for a gold-extraction company in southern Tajikistan when they were targeted in an attack that Tajik authorities say was carried out from across the border with Afghanistan. Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement the assault targeted a compound belonging to Shohin SM, a private gold-mining company operating in the Shamsiddin Shohin district along the Tajik–Afghan frontier.

Tajikistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government have engaged in a flurry of diplomacy in recent months to ease tensions and prevent armed clashes along their long, shared border.

Beijing and Dushanbe have also expanded security cooperation in recent years due to concerns over cross-border militancy and instability spilling over from Afghanistan. China has thousands of workers deployed across Central and South Asia on infrastructure and mining projects, making them frequent targets of terror groups.

“Pakistan unequivocally condemns this cowardly attack on Chinese nationals,” the foreign office said in a statement.

“The use of armed drones in the incident underlines the gravity of threat emanating from Afghanistan and the brazenness of those behind it.”

“As a neighbor that has repeatedly suffered terrorist attacks orchestrated from Afghan soil, the people of Pakistan fully understand and share the grief and anguish of our Chinese friends and Tajik partners,” the foreign ministry added.

“Pakistan has consistently stressed that Afghan territory must not be used for terrorism against its neighbors or any other country,” the ministry added. “The repeated use of Afghan soil by terrorist elements and their continued presence under the patronage of Afghan Taliban regime, is a matter of serious concern for the entire region and the wider international community.”

Islamabad urged authorities in Kabul to take decisive action against groups operating from their territory:

“Concrete and verifiable action against the perpetrators, abettors, facilitators and financiers of terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil is the only way to address this growing menace.”