REHAN NIAZI FALCON
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office summoned the Afghan Charge d’Affairs on Thursday to lodge a strong protest against the unprovoked border clash by Afghanistan in which two Pakistani paramilitary troops were injured.
According to Afghan officials, an Afghan border policeman was also killed in the exchange of fire late Wednesday.
According to a press statement issued today by the Pakistani Foreign Office, the firing incident took place at 9:45 pm from the Afghan posts on the Pakistani Gursal post.
Two Frontier Constabulary (FC) soldiers were injured as a result of the heavy fire directly targeting the post, said the foreign office.
“Pakistani security forces exercised maximum restraint and communicated first to the Afghan side about this serious violation through military channels,” said the statement.
“The Afghan Cd’A was conveyed serious concern over this violation as a result of which 2 FC soldiers were injured. This is not the first time that the heavy fire was initiated from the Afghan side causing heavy injury and damage to the Pakistani structures,” it added.
A senior Pakistan security official in the country’s northwest had earlier said that firing by Afghan National Army (ANA) troops triggered an exchange of fire that lasted for two hours on the Pakistan-Afghan border in the Mohmand tribal district.
“It was continuous fire on one of our checkpost that forced our troops to retaliate,” the official told AFP.
“ANA was firing with small and heavy weapons. At least two of our security personnel were injured. We will raise this issue on the proper forum,” the official said.
It is the latest incident in a series of cross-border attacks, which Afghan and Pakistan authorities have traded blame for initiating.
The latest tensions are focused on Pakistan’s building of a military gate which Afghan officials claim is inside Afghanistan.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered his top officials to take immediate action to remove the gate and other “Pakistani military installations near the Durand Line”.
The Durand Line is the 1893 British-mandated border between the two countries. It is recognised by Pakistan, but not by Afghanistan.
According to Afghan officials, an Afghan border policeman was also killed in the exchange of fire late Wednesday.
According to a press statement issued today by the Pakistani Foreign Office, the firing incident took place at 9:45 pm from the Afghan posts on the Pakistani Gursal post.
Two Frontier Constabulary (FC) soldiers were injured as a result of the heavy fire directly targeting the post, said the foreign office.
“Pakistani security forces exercised maximum restraint and communicated first to the Afghan side about this serious violation through military channels,” said the statement.
“The Afghan Cd’A was conveyed serious concern over this violation as a result of which 2 FC soldiers were injured. This is not the first time that the heavy fire was initiated from the Afghan side causing heavy injury and damage to the Pakistani structures,” it added.
A senior Pakistan security official in the country’s northwest had earlier said that firing by Afghan National Army (ANA) troops triggered an exchange of fire that lasted for two hours on the Pakistan-Afghan border in the Mohmand tribal district.
“It was continuous fire on one of our checkpost that forced our troops to retaliate,” the official told AFP.
“ANA was firing with small and heavy weapons. At least two of our security personnel were injured. We will raise this issue on the proper forum,” the official said.
It is the latest incident in a series of cross-border attacks, which Afghan and Pakistan authorities have traded blame for initiating.
The latest tensions are focused on Pakistan’s building of a military gate which Afghan officials claim is inside Afghanistan.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered his top officials to take immediate action to remove the gate and other “Pakistani military installations near the Durand Line”.
The Durand Line is the 1893 British-mandated border between the two countries. It is recognised by Pakistan, but not by Afghanistan.
