“Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged intense fire along the border late Friday night.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Pakistan-Afghanistan border, illustrative photo: AFP via Getty Images Source: Reuters with reference to official representatives of both countries
Source: The firefight comes amid heightened tensions following the collapse of peace talks earlier this week.
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No casualties have been reported yet.
The spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that Pakistani forces launched attacks in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province.
A spokesman for Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mosharraf Zaidi accused Afghan forces of “unjustified opening fire” along the border in Chaman.
“Pakistan remains fully prepared and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the security of our citizens,” Zaidi said.
The crossfire came two days after a new round of peace talks between the South Asian neighbors ended without progress, although both sides agreed to extend their shaky truce.
The talks in Saudi Arabia last weekend were the latest in a series of meetings organized by Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to ease tensions after deadly border clashes in October.
At the heart of the conflict is Islamabad’s claim that militants from Afghanistan have carried out recent attacks in Pakistan, including suicide bombings by Afghans. Kabul denies the charge, saying it cannot be held responsible for security inside Pakistan.
We will remind: In late November, at least nine children and a woman were killed after Pakistani forces launched an airstrike on a residential building in Afghanistan’s Khost province.
Earlier peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Turkey failed due to deep disagreements over responsibility for Pakistan’s internal security. At the same time, both sides confirmed their intention to observe the previously established ceasefire regime.