Afghan Pakistani army troops exchange artillery fire near the border of the two countries 0202111

Posted On
a
Defense News - Pakistan / Afghanistan
 

Wednesday, February 2 , 2011, 16:11 PM
 
Afghan and Pakistani army troops exchange artillery fire, near the border of the two countries.
 
 
Afghan and Pakistani army troops exchanged artillery fire across the border on Wednesday, said officials, blaming each other for provoking the incident that left one Pakistani soldier dead. A border police commander in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Khost confirmed the exchange of fire and accused Pakistan of sparking the battle.
     
Afghan and Pakistani troops exchanged fire across the border on Wednesday, said officials, blaming each other for provoking the incident that left one Pakistani soldier dead. A border police commander in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Khost confirmed the exchange of fire and accused Pakistan of sparking the battle.
An Afghan soldier stands guard at the border with Pakistan (Archive 2009)
     

“At around 11 a.m. today, Pakistani troops in Waziristan started firing heavy and light weapons towards police posts in Gurbuz district. Our soldiers returned fire,” the official said.

“Their attack was completely unprovoked and without reason. The fighting is still continuing, there haven’t been casualties on our side,” he added.

In Peshawar, a senior military official said one Pakistani soldier had been killed and three wounded.

“Afghan forces fired several mortar shells on one of our military check posts, leaving one soldier dead and injuring three others. We fired in retaliation. Our troops are using artillery and mortars,” the official said.

Two Pakistani intelligence officials told AFP that Afghan troops fired mortars into Bange-i-Dar check post in Ghulam Khan town in North Waziristan tribal district.

“We’re receiving fire from Tangrai check post in the Afghan province of Khost. There are Afghan army in that check post,” one of them said.

“We are responding with artillery and mortars,” he added.

It was the most serious cross-border clash between Afghan and Pakistani troops since May 2007, when three civilians and a policeman were killed.