QUETTA: Six Pakistani civilians and an Afghan soldier were killed Sunday in cross-border shelling and gunfire, according to officials on both sides of the border.
The Pakistani army said Afghan border forces opened “unprovoked and indiscriminate heavy weaponry, including artillery/mortar fire on the civilian population” in Shaman border, which connects western Pakistan Balochistan province with Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan.
Six civilians were killed and 17 others injured on the Pakistani side by Afghan fire, prompting Pakistani troops to retaliate, the Pakistani army said in a statement.
Afghan security sources said the clash started after Pakistani forces asked Afghan forces to stop building a new checkpoint on their side of the border.
Kandahar Police Spokesperson Hafez Saber said one Afghan soldier was killed and 10 others, including three civilians, were injured.
Afghan official Nour Ahmadin Kandahar, told Reuters the situation had returned to normal after the two sides met.
The busy Afghan Chaman border crossing, used for trade and transit, was closed for a few hours before reopening, officials on both sides said. The crossing point was closed for several days last month after similar clashes.
The Pakistani army said Afghan border forces opened “unprovoked and indiscriminate heavy weaponry, including artillery/mortar fire on the civilian population” in Shaman border, which connects western Pakistan Balochistan province with Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan.
Six civilians were killed and 17 others injured on the Pakistani side by Afghan fire, prompting Pakistani troops to retaliate, the Pakistani army said in a statement.
Afghan security sources said the clash started after Pakistani forces asked Afghan forces to stop building a new checkpoint on their side of the border.
Kandahar Police Spokesperson Hafez Saber said one Afghan soldier was killed and 10 others, including three civilians, were injured.
Afghan official Nour Ahmadin Kandahar, told Reuters the situation had returned to normal after the two sides met.
The busy Afghan Chaman border crossing, used for trade and transit, was closed for a few hours before reopening, officials on both sides said. The crossing point was closed for several days last month after similar clashes.
