Free crossing at Pakistan-Afghanistan border stopped, curfew imposed

Curfew was imposed near a Pakistan-Afghanistan border point on Monday after firing and bombardment by Afghan forces was reported in which three Pakistani security personnel were injured.

Due to the tense situation, all transportation was banned. The residents of the area have started moving to safer places, security sources told Geo News.

The skirmish began when Pakistan constructed a gate at Landikotal and Torkham in a bid to curb the illegal flow of people along the border.

The Afghan forces allegedly began unprovoked firing that injured a Frontier Corps officer and two Khasadar forces men.

In the retaliatory firing by the Pakistani security forces an Afghan checkpost caught fire.

Mortar bombs fired by the Afghan forces injured six people including two children.

The injured were shifted to the Landikotal hospital.

According to the army's Inter-Services Public Relations, in recent days several militants were found crossing the Torkham border.

"At about 9.20 a.m tonight (Sunday) Afghan Security forces resorted to unprovoked firing on Pakistani side at Torkham Gate. A Pakistani soldier was injured due to Afghan firing," an ISPR statement reads.

After the clash, a curfew was imposed in the area for an indefinite period of time.

The Torkham border was evacuated and the Pakistan- Afghanistan transit trade was stopped and the vehicles were sent back to Peshawar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Islamabad has often accused Afghanistan of harbouring terrorists who carry out attacks in Pakistan time and again. Recently, Pakistan called for increased surveillance and monitoring of the Afghan border to prevent infiltration of terrorists into the country.

--IANS

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