Conflicts & War

At least 15 injured in fresh border clash between Afghanistan, Pakistan

Kabul/Islamabad, Dec 15 (EFE).- At least 15 people were injured on Thursday during a clash on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border between the security forces of the two countries.

The incident escalates tension days after another border clash between the two sides that left seven dead and 27 injured.

The clash started in the afternoon when the Afghan Taliban began shooting at several Pakistani civilians across the border, injuring 15 people, Abdul Khan, a police officer in the Pakistani area of Chaman – where the shooting took place – told EFE.

Those wounded were all civilians, including women and children, another security official told EFE on condition of anonymity.

However, the Taliban government blamed Pakistani soldiers for starting the shooting and called for talks to stop these increasingly common skirmishes at the border.

“Unfortunately, today once again the clash started by Pakistan security forces firing,” the Taliban defense ministry tweeted.

“The Islamic Emirate – as the Taliban call themselves – considers dialog to be a reasonable way for (solving) any problem (…) and looking for excuses for war are not in the interest of either side,” it added.

The dispute took place on the Durand Line – the border created after an agreement between the British authorities and Kabul in the 19th century – after shots were fired from Spin Boldak district, located in the western province of Kandahar in Afghanistan.

This is the second border clash between the two countries in recent days, after at least seven people were killed and another 27 injured on Sunday at the border between Kandahar and Balochistan province in western Pakistan.

These border incidents come only weeks after Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to reopen the “Bab-e-Dosti” (Friendship Gate) border point between the Afghan side of Wesh and Chaman in Pakistan.

It is among the major transit points for those traveling between the countries.

This crossing had been closed after a man opened fire and killed a member of the Pakistani security forces.

Islamabad and Kabul have a long-standing border dispute given that Afghanistan does not recognize the Durand Line.

Clashes between the two countries on the more than 2,500-kilometer long border are common and date back to a time before the Afghan Taliban seized power in August last year. EFE

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