Kabul and Islamabad trade border firing blame
TALIBAN and Pakistani security forces exchanged fire after Pakistani soldiers tried to erect a military structure on the AfghanPakistani border, causing multiple casualties on both sides, the Taliban said last Wednesday (14).
The Pakistani military said its forces had responded to crossborder fire from militants, and three of its soldiers were killed.
The border was drawn up decades ago during British colonial rule and long been disputed, often leading to clashes. Pakistan treats it as an international frontier and has fenced it, while Afghan authorities do not recognise the demarcation.
“Pakistan forces tried to erect a military post near the line,”
Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi
said, adding that this was against the “rules”. He added that Pakistani troops had opened fire when Taliban forces approached the construction.
He said casualties were reported on both sides, and the matter was referred to higher authorities for investigation.
The incident occurred in eastern Paktia province on the Afghan side, which borders the Pakistani area of Kurram.
Pakistan, in a statement in the early hours of last Wednesday, termed the incident an exchange of fire between militants and Pakistani forces.
“Terrorists from inside Afghanistan across the international border opened fire on Pakistani troops,” a statement from the military’s public relations wing said. It condemned the use of Afghan soil for what it called activities against Pakistan, saying that it expects authorities in Afghanistan – ruled by the hardline Islamist Taliban since August 2021 – to stop such actions.
Pakistan’s foreign office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Taliban’s assertion about a military structure being built.
Tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban have increased in recent months despite historically close ties, primarily over border issues. More recently, the Taliban has accused Pakistan of allowing its air space to be used by US drones to strike targets in Afghanistan.