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Pakistan-Afghanistan border reopens after clashes

The border crossing was reopened after dialogue between Pakistani government and Afghan Taliban officials, says the deputy commissioner of Pakistan’s town of Chaman, which borders Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district.

Reuters

[File Photo] Pakistan army soldiers stand guard during a closure of the crossing point at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border town of Chaman.

Pakistan has reopened a major border crossing with Afghanistan that was shut for trade and transit after security forces of both the countries clashed last week.

However, as the crossing opened on Monday, three people were wounded in another clash reported on a northwestern border with Afghanistan, an Afghan official told Reuters.

Abdul Hameed Zehri, Deputy Commissioner of the Pakistan town of Chaman, which borders the Afghan district of Spin Boldak, said the southwestern crossing was reopened after dialogue between Pakistani government and Afghan Taliban officials on Sunday.

Thousands of people and hundreds of trucks that had been stranded on both sides were able to cross the border on Monday, Zehri said.

Fresh exchange of fire

The separate hostilities that started on Monday were in the northwestern Pakistan district of Kurram, said Munib Zadran, a police spokesman for bordering Paktia province.

A Pakistani security official said the fresh exchange of fire killed one member of border personnel and wounded nine other people.

Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed the latest clash. “We are going to meet senior Pakistani officials to find an amicable solution,” he said.

The Pakistan military did not respond to a request for comment, but a Pakistan security official said there has been regular border management coordination with Afghan authorities, adding that details of Afghan investigations into last week’s hostilities will be shared with Pakistan in due course.

Disputes linked to the miles-long border have been a bone of contention between the neighbouring countries for decades.

The two neighbours share a porous border of almost 2,670 kilometres.

Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan share 18 crossing points, with the busiest ones being the northwestern Torkham and Chaman border posts.

SOURCE: ReutersAA