New attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan, UN reports 42 dead

The armies of Pakistan and Afghanistan continued to exchange attacks along the border of the two countries today, and the United Nations (UN) mission in Afghanistan warned that 42 people had been killed in the conflict in the past week.

The conflict escalated after Pakistan launched rocket attacks on several Afghan cities last week, Reuters reports.

Islamabad has launched missiles at Afghan Taliban military sites and has also targeted their government on suspicion of harboring insurgents attacking Pakistan, a charge the Afghan side denies.

Pakistan's Information Minister Atalah Tarar said today that the army had successfully attacked Bagram airbase north of Kabul, a former US military stronghold.

"We had intelligence that there was ammunition and critical equipment being used by terrorists to fight the Pakistani army along the border as well as Afghan Taliban troops," Tarar told Reuters in the first official Pakistani admission of the attack.

Afghan police said on Sunday that an attack on Bagram was repelled by anti-aircraft guns, and Pakistani security sources claim that attacks will continue until Kabul deals with the militants.

The Afghan Defense Ministry announced today that the Taliban had "captured" a Pakistani military position in the Kandahar region, while the Pakistani Information Ministry reported attacks on more than 20 locations.

The UN mission in Afghanistan said 42 civilians were killed and 104 wounded in "indirect attacks in cross-border conflicts" from February 26 to March 2, based on "preliminary" data.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said yesterday that Islamabad "will not allow any entity - domestic or foreign - to use neighboring territory to destabilize our peace."

The UN has called for a halt to fighting in the two countries and warned that around 16.400 households have been displaced by the conflict.

"Restrictions on movement in the border area due to active conflict have reduced the capacity of humanitarian agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance and other assistance to the most affected areas," the UN said.