Tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan continues

PESHAWAR: Tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan continued on Durand Line on Wednesday after Tuesday’s clash between troops of the two neighbouring countries in which three Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred.

The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday issued a statement and alleged that their troops came under fire from the Pakistani side of the border when they started movement towards the Durand Line to lodge their protest with Pakistani authorities for building a security post without bringing it in to their knowledge.

Taliban said the incident took place on the border between Pakistan’s Kurram tribal district and Afghanistan’s Paktia province.

Taliban spokesmen Zabihullah Mujahid and Bilal Karimi said that their troops responded to the firing that led to casualties of the Pakistani security forces. Zabihullah told The News’ that both sides had suffered casualties, but he did not mention the number of their losses.

The Pakistani authorities had, however, a different version of the story, saying their forces had responded to a cross border fire from the militants which martyred three of its troops. Interestingly, the Afghanistan-based Pakistani Taliban or the outlawed TTP had initially claimed responsibility for the attack on Pakistani security forces on the border. Pakistan has condemned the use of Afghan soil for what it called activities against Pakistan.