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Friday March 29, 2024

Six soldiers injured in Torkham grenade attack

By our correspondents
September 16, 2017

LANDIKOTAL: Eight persons, including six Pakistani border security personnel and two children, were injured when unidentified men hurled two hand-grenades from Afghanistan side of the border into the busy “Zero Point” area inside Pakistan, official sources said on Friday.

The sources said that the attack was carried out at 1:3 pm when Friday prayers were underway. “We were offering Friday prayers when we heard two consecutive blasts followed by thick dust rising in the air,” said eyewitness Jan Gul.

He said soon after the blasts they ran to hide in the nearby mosque and closed the doors.

Officials confirmed that unidentified persons from the Afghan side of the Torkham border hurled hand-grenades that exploded in the so-called “Zero Point” area where Pakistani security personnel and Afghan border police usually remain busy checking the passengers and their belongings.

The injured were shifted to a hospital in Landikotal where one Abdul Jalil was stated to be in a critical condition.

The officials reached the site to assess the situation soon after the incident.

The officials also started investigations into the incident and took possession of the footage of the closed-circuit television cameras installed along the Pak-Afghan border.

Curfew was imposed at the Torkham border and in adjacent localities.

The border was closed by Pakistani authorities till further orders.

Thousands of passengers and trucks carrying goods from and to Afghanistan were stranded on the both sides of the border.

The security was put on high alert along the Pak-Afghan border at Torkham and search was launched. Also, an urgent flag meeting of Pakistani and Afghan border authorities was called at Torkham border.

Meanwhile, Political Agent of Khyber Agency Khalid Mehmood visited the Combined Military Hospital in Landikotal and inquired after the health of the injured security personnel.

He also visited the site of the attack and directed the border officials to boost security arrangements.

An urgent meeting of Pakistani and Afghan officials was also called at Torkham.

Torkham Tehsildar Shamsul Islam, who attended the meeting, said that protest was lodged with the Afghan officials for the attack.