Pak-Afghan Border Clashes Resume

Four days after Afghan authorities “apologized” to Islamabad over cross-border shelling that claimed the lives of eight people, armed clashes erupted between security forces from Pakistan and Afghanistan at the border in Chaman on Thursday, leaving at least one dead and 15 others injured. The Pakistan military’s media wing said indiscriminate firing from Afghanistan on the civilian population of Chaman left many civilians, including women and children, injured, reports Dawn. But the Taliban ministry of defence claimed Pakistani forces opened fire first. “Negative actions and creating excuses for war will benefit no one,” the ministry said. On Sunday, shelling by Afghan forces and a subsequent gun battle in the area had left eight dead and over a dozen injured, while at least one Afghan soldier was also killed. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told parliament earlier this week that Kabul had apologised for Sunday’s incident and said it would take steps to ensure that such an event did not occur again. Thursday’s fighting began while Pakistani personnel repairing a portion of the border fence damaged during Sunday’s clashes came under attack from the Afghan side.