By Mashal Khan

ISLAMABAD: Afghan Taliban again targeted Pakistani civilian population in cross-border firing near Chaman border on Thursday, official said.

Taliban fighters targeted civilian houses and at least one person was killed while 20 others wounded, a senior official at Chaman told The South Asia Times over phone.

"This is second time this week, Taliban targeted our civilian population in indiscriminate fire from inside Afghanistan at Chaman border," the official said.

Videos posted on social media also show the unprovoked firing from Afghanistan side inside Pakistan in Chaman.

However, in a statement, the Afghan defence ministry accused Pakistan of initiating the skirmish, adding that Kabul considers dialogue as the only logical way to resolve problems.

Balochistan Minister for Home Affairs Mir Ziaullah Langove condemned the incident and sought a report from the deputy commissioner. In a statement, he said that the army knew how to defend the country’s borders.

“We believe in pursuing a friendly policy with neighbouring countries. Do not think of our desire for peace as a weakness,” Dawn quoted Langove as saying.

On Sunday, at least seven people were killed and 16 others wounded in Chaman, when Taliban fighters fired artillery shell on civilian population.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had described the incident as “uncalled-for aggression” and said Pakistani troops had given a “befitting” but “measured response” and avoided targeting civilians on the other side.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had subsequently said that the interim government in Afghanistan had apologised to Pakistan for the incident, saying that the “matter is now resolved”.

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, according to Dawn.

Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities closed the border soon after the incident caused the suspension of trade, including the Afghan transit trade, between the two countries.