Pakistan: Taliban fire on Afghan border – six civilians dead

Afghan Taliban forces opened fire Sunday at a border crossing with Pakistan, killing six civilians, the Pakistani military said in response.

More than a dozen people were also injured in “unprovoked and indiscriminate firing” near the town of Chaman in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, the military added.

“Pakistan Border Force responded appropriately, albeit in a measured manner against the unprovoked attack, but refrained from targeting innocent civilians in the area,” the statement said. “Pakistan also approached the Afghan authorities in Kabul to emphasize the seriousness of the situation and asked for strict measures to avoid any similar incident in the future.”

The clash occurred when Afghan forces tried to cut a section of the border fence, a senior provincial government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A police spokesman in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar confirmed that a clash had taken place on the border, without giving further details.

A member of the Taliban was killed and 10 people were injured, including three civilians, a spokesman for the provincial governor added.

“A shell fell and caused a huge fireball. After that, I lost consciousness and I don’t know what happened,” said Fida Muhammad who was injured on the Pakistani side of the border and taken to hospital.

Thousands of people cross the border between Spin Boldak, Afghanistan and Chaman, Pakistan every day, including traders, Afghans going for medical treatment in Pakistan and people visiting relatives.

RES-EMP

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