At least one Afghan border guardhas been killed in renewed clashes at a Pakistani-Afghan border crossing, according to an Afghan official.Wednesday's death was the third since Sunday night, when the violence erupted at the Torkham border crossing over the construction of a gate by Pakistanon allegedly disputed territory. More than two dozen border guards from both sides have beenwounded so far in the shootouts."When our people began construction work on the gate on Wednesday, Afghan forces again opened fire at our troops and construction workers," said a Pakistani security official who declined to be identified.He said Pakistan had retaliated with long-range artillery and mortars. Afghan officials, however, denied any fighting on Wednesday, but said an Afghan border guard waskilled and five were wounded overnight on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear if the officials were talking about the same incident.
Afghanistan-Pakistan border clashes kill two soldiers
Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from the Torkham bordercrossing, said that the area was under curfew."The situation is quite tense. The Pakistanis are saying they will continue building the gate and every time they start the construction, they come under fire,"he said."We are told that there are some talks going on in Islamabad between the Afghan ambassador and the Pakistani military. After that we will find out whether this crisis is going to go on or it willsubside."He also said people living in the area had already left for safer locations and hundreds of trucks that were supposed to cross the border were parked at a safe distance.Strained tiesPakistan said the border gate it was building was well on its sideof the border and would help to stop armed fighters from crossingand help to fight drug trafficking.Afghanistan objected to all Pakistani construction on a 2,200-km border that it said wasunfairly imposed by British colonialists in the 19th century andwhich it had never recognised.Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been particularly strained in recent months over Afghan officials' anger at what they see as insincere efforts by Pakistan to help with peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
Afghanistan-Pakistan border clashes kill two soldiers
Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from the Torkham bordercrossing, said that the area was under curfew."The situation is quite tense. The Pakistanis are saying they will continue building the gate and every time they start the construction, they come under fire,"he said."We are told that there are some talks going on in Islamabad between the Afghan ambassador and the Pakistani military. After that we will find out whether this crisis is going to go on or it willsubside."He also said people living in the area had already left for safer locations and hundreds of trucks that were supposed to cross the border were parked at a safe distance.Strained tiesPakistan said the border gate it was building was well on its sideof the border and would help to stop armed fighters from crossingand help to fight drug trafficking.Afghanistan objected to all Pakistani construction on a 2,200-km border that it said wasunfairly imposed by British colonialists in the 19th century andwhich it had never recognised.Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been particularly strained in recent months over Afghan officials' anger at what they see as insincere efforts by Pakistan to help with peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
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