Clashes at Afghan border prompt death toll dispute
QUETTA, Pakistan — Pakistan said Sunday its forces killed at least 50 Afghan troops and destroyed five checkpoints in clashes along the disputed border two days earlier, while Afghanistan dismissed the account, saying only two border officers and a civilian were killed.
The two armies traded fire Friday around the Chaman border crossing, which has been closed by Pakistan, stranding people on both sides. The clashes, which ended after a few hours when local commanders contacted each other via an emergency hotline, marked a dangerous escalation between the two U.S. allies.
The two uneasy neighbors share a porous 1,375mile border and have long traded allegations of allowing their border regions to be used by militant groups.
Pakistani Maj. Gen. Nadeem Ahmad said at the crossing that two Pakistani soldiers were killed in Friday’s fighting and another nine were wounded. He said around 100 Afghan forces were wounded.
Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said the Pakistani account was “completely baseless.” He said two Afghan border police were killed in Spin Boldak, on the Afghan side of the border, and an additional 11 were wounded. An Afghan government statement issued Sunday accused Pakistan of “unprovoked firing” Friday and Saturday.
Pakistani officials said the fighting began when Afghan security forces fired on Pakistani census workers and the troops escorting them, killing nine civilians and wounding 42. They say the Afghan government had been notified and given the coordinates of the border villages, where the census workers were going door to door. Afghan officials said Pakistani troops fired the first shots.