6 Pakistan civilian killed in Afghan Border Forces ‘unprovoked, indiscriminate’ firing

December 11, 2022

By Mashal Khan

ISLAMABAD: At least six people were killed including children and 17 others wounded on Sunday when the Afghan Taliban Border Forces opened “unprovoked and indiscriminate fire” on the civilian population in Balochistan’s Chaman district, Pakistan army’said.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), heavy weapons including artillery and mortars were used in the firing by Afghan forces.

“Pakistani border troops have given befitting albeit measured response against the uncalled for aggression but avoided targeting innocent civilians in the area,” the statement said.

It added that Pakistani authorities have approached their counterparts in Kabul to highlight the “severity” of the situation, demanding “strict action to obviate any such recurrence of the incident in future.”

Following the incident, Pakistani forces closed the border with Afghanistan for trade and pedestraine.

Last month, the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman was closed for an indefinite period after an armed man from the Afghan side opened fire on Pakistani security personnel at Friendship Gate, resulting in the martyrdom of one soldier and leaving two others wounded.

Official sources had said that Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged fire for more than an hour following the incident, with reports that five personnel from the Afghan side were killed and 14 others were injured in the gun battle, according to Dawn.com.