The ‘special forces’ of the Taliban** government have arrested one of the suspects behind the attack on the Pakistani diplomatic mission in Kabul on Friday, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Monday.
The attacker is said to be a foreign national affiliated with Daesh, He is being interrogated to gauge further information about the attack.
The Taliban spokesman also said that the attack was perpetrated in a bid to provoke a rift between the “friendly countries” of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier described the incident as an “assassination” attempt against Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, the head of Islamabad’s diplomatic mission in Kabul.
Sharif praised the bravery of a Pakistani guard who “took the bullet” to his chest to save the diplomat, who escaped unhurt. The injured guard is recuperating from several bullet wounds received during the incident.
During a telephone call with Afghanistan’s Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi after the incident, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned the Taliban that such incidents could damage relations between the two neighbors.
The UN Security Council has also asked the Taliban to ensure the safety and security of foreign diplomatic missions and consulates operating in Afghanistan, in line with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
*Daesh, also known as ISIS/IS/Islamic States is a terrorist group banned in many countries, including Russia.
**under UN sanctions over terrorist activities.