QUETTA: Six Pakistani civilians and an Afghan soldier were killed Sunday in cross-border shelling and gunfire, according to officials on both sides of the border.
The Pakistani military said Afghan border forces opened “unprovoked and indiscriminate heavy weapons, including artillery/mortars” at civilians. chaman border crossing point, connecting the west of Pakistan Balochistan province with Afghanistan‘s southern province of Kandahar.
The Pakistani military said in a statement that six civilians were killed and 17 others wounded on the Pakistani side by Afghan fire, prompting the Pakistani military to retaliate.
Afghan security sources said the clash began after Pakistani forces asked Afghan forces to stop building a new checkpoint on their side of the border.
Police spokesman Kandahar Sword Hafiz said one Afghan soldier was killed and 10 others, including three civilians, wounded.
Afghan officials Noor Ahmadin Kandahar, told Reuters that the situation had returned to normal after the two sides held a meeting.
Officials on both sides said Afghanistan’s busy border crossing at Chaman, used for trade and transit, was closed for several hours before reopening. The border crossing was closed for several days last month following similar clashes.
The Pakistani military said Afghan border forces opened “unprovoked and indiscriminate heavy weapons, including artillery/mortars” at civilians. chaman border crossing point, connecting the west of Pakistan Balochistan province with Afghanistan‘s southern province of Kandahar.
The Pakistani military said in a statement that six civilians were killed and 17 others wounded on the Pakistani side by Afghan fire, prompting the Pakistani military to retaliate.
Afghan security sources said the clash began after Pakistani forces asked Afghan forces to stop building a new checkpoint on their side of the border.
Police spokesman Kandahar Sword Hafiz said one Afghan soldier was killed and 10 others, including three civilians, wounded.
Afghan officials Noor Ahmadin Kandahar, told Reuters that the situation had returned to normal after the two sides held a meeting.
Officials on both sides said Afghanistan’s busy border crossing at Chaman, used for trade and transit, was closed for several hours before reopening. The border crossing was closed for several days last month following similar clashes.
