CHAMAN, Dec 17 (FD): One person was killed and 15 people were injured when Afghan border forces opened indiscriminate fire on a civilian area on the Pakistani side after which security forces responded befittingly, Levies and hospital officials said Thursday.
According to local administration, the border area is being evacuated after clashes and an emergency has been declared in DHQ Chaman.
Medical Suprindent Dr Malik Achakzai said that at least 12 people are under treatment at the health facility.
Levies officials reported that multiple artillery rounds were fired upon the civilian population around the Boghra Road and Custom House areas from the Afghan side. They added that the Pakistani forces have given a befitting response to Afghan shelling.
The deputy commissioner of Chaman shared that an emergency has been declared at the hospital, adding that the citizens have been asked to evacuate from Mall Road, Boghra Road bypass, and Border Road.
Authorities have said that the clashes broke out over the intervention of Afghan forces during the repair of the fence in the Sheikh Lal Muhammad sector of the border.
This is the second time in five days that the Afghan border forces opened unprovoked and indiscriminate fire, using heavy weapons, at the civilian area in Balochistan’s Chaman city.
During last week’s attack, six people were martyred and 17 others were injured, a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
According to the military’s media wing, the Afghan border forces used artillery and mortar in the attack.
The ISPR said that Pakistan’s troops at the border gave a befitting albeit measured response against the uncalled-for aggression, but avoided targeting innocent civilians in the area.
The statement added the Pakistani border forces have also approached Afghan authorities in Kabul to highlight the severity of the situation and demanded strict action to avoid any such recurrence of the incident in the future.
On December 2, Pakistan’s Head of Mission to Kabul Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani escaped an assassination bid.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) had said the embassy’s compound in Kabul came under attack targeting the head of mission, but “by the grace of Allah Almighty, the head of mission is safe”.
However, a Pakistani security guard Sepoy Israr Mohammad had been critically injured in the attack while protecting Nizamani, the Foreign Office said.
It said that Pakistan’s government strongly condemns the assassination attempt and attack on the embassy demanding the Afghan government conduct an immediate investigation into the incident.
