Islamabad/Peshawar:
Pakistani security forces and Afghan Taliban combatants exchanged fire in Torkham’s main border crossing in the early hours of Monday, after their failed conversations to reopen the crossing, in which at least one Afghan border guard was killed and two others were injured.
Four Pakistani personnel and civilians of the FC also suffered wounds during skirmishes, while a civilian died in Stampede caused by strong shots. A nearby town was also evacuated due to the shots, the sources said.
The Torkham border, which has been closed since February 21, warmed after the conversations between the two parties to reopen the crossroads. The sources said the shot continued until after Sehri’s time. There was no official word of Pakistan, but the Afghan Taliban confirmed skirmishes.
The Afghan Interior Ministry said Monday that the shot took place during the night and that a Taliban fighter had been killed and two injured. Pakistani sources said that at least three members of the security personnel were injured in the clash.
The two neighbors have a tense relationship, and Pakistan says that several terrorist attacks that have occurred in the country were thrown from the Afghan floor, a burden that the Taliban deny. Pakistani military planes carried out strikes that killed dozens in the Afghan territory in December.
According to reports, the last clashes began around midnight and continued intermittently until 6 am during the Afghan attack, a Pakistani mortar post was damaged, while Pakistan retaliated by attacking the Jungle Post and Khwar Post on the Afghan side.
According to the reports, a truck driver suffered a heart attack and died in a means of panic caused by clashes. The last confrontations intensified tensions, such as Pakistan, in response to clashes, deployed additional forces on the border.
After the clashes, local sources said, the residents of Bacha Mena, a town near the border, were evacuated to Landi Kotal. Bacha Mena is the home of the Shinwari Khugakhel tribe, including some Afghan nationals, the sources added. The injured were also taken to the Hospital of the District headquarters in Landikotal.
The skirmish occurred only one day after both sides security officials maintained negotiations at the border, which increased the expectations that the crossing, closed during the last 10 days, was reopened soon. The closure has severely affected local populations, merchants and travelers, which causes significant economic losses.
A large number of passengers and cargo vehicles remain stranded on the border due to the last confrontation that was triggered by the attempts of the Afghan authorities to build a control point in a place in dispute, which led to the objections of Pakistan and the subsequent climb of tensions.
Since the interim government of the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, the border of Pakistan-Fanganistan has closed several times, which led Afghan merchants to change their approach to the countries of Central Asia and Iran.
The locals affirmed that tensions in Torkham Crossing had become a recurring problem, which led to frequent closures. Closures caused important difficulties for merchants, transporters and patients, looking for medical treatment in Pakistan.
According to merchants, approximately 2,500 trucks and containers were stuck on the Pakistani side due to the current closure. A senior Pakistani official blamed the Afghan government for the current situation while recognizing that the frequent border closure was not good to improve trade.
The official said that Pakistan wanted to deepen commercial ties, since he was building new commercial terminals in Torkham and Chaman to improve the movement of goods. The reports suggest that the Torkham terminal is expected to be inaugurated before March 25.
“If Pakistan were against trade, why would the facilities update at the border,” asked the official? The official advised the Afghan Taliban government to repair his paths and address the genuine concerns of Pakistan.
The data showed that Pakistan and Afghanistan trade for a value of $ 3 million per day, $ 1.6 million for import value and $ 1.4 million of exports, excluding traffic trade figures. The Afghan Chamber of Commerce told Express PAkGazette that the losses of 10 days to the Pakistani action stops of $ 27 million.
