Afghan and Pakistani soldiers exchange fire at border crossing

A Pakistani official said that the Afghan Taliban "opened fire early this morning, targeting a Pakistani border post," after which Pakistani forces retaliated in kind.

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Illustration, Photo: Shutterstock
Illustration, Photo: Shutterstock
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Pakistani and Afghan soldiers exchanged fire at a border crossing that has been closed for more than a week due to a dispute between the two neighbors, officials said today.

The Afghan Interior Ministry said one Afghan army soldier was killed and another wounded in an incident at the Torkham border crossing, which has been closed for 11 days because Pakistan objects to the construction of new border facilities being built by Afghanistan.

Both countries have closed the Torkham and Chaman border crossings in the past, most often due to clashes between soldiers.

These crossings are vital for trade and travel between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A Pakistani official said that the Afghan Taliban "opened fire early this morning, targeting a Pakistani border post," after which Pakistani forces retaliated in kind.

“Pakistani personnel returned fire,” the official added.

Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Maten Kani said Pakistan had initiated the violence and that Afghan border police had tried to resolve the issue through dialogue.

"But they (Pakistan) continued fighting, so our security forces went into defensive mode and returned fire," Kani said.

Kani added that Pakistan had also suffered casualties, without giving specific figures or damage to border crossings.

Thousands of trucks and vehicles are stuck on both sides of the Torkham crossing.

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