Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Pakistani and Afghan forces traded fire overnight at the Torkham border crossing, a key transit point between the two nations that has been closed for over a week amid a dispute over Afghanistan’s construction of a new border post. No casualties were reported in the clash, officials confirmed Monday.
The Torkham crossing, a vital trade and travel route for landlocked Afghanistan, has been shut for 11 days. Pakistan has objected to Afghanistan’s construction of a new border post in the area, leading to heightened tensions. Both countries have previously closed Torkham and the Chaman crossing, often following deadly shootings or cross-fire incidents.
A Pakistani official, speaking anonymously, claimed that Taliban security forces opened fire unprovoked early Monday, targeting a Pakistani border post with automatic weapons. Pakistani forces reportedly returned fire. However, a local official in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province accused Pakistani forces of attacking Afghan border police conducting construction work inside Afghan territory, calling the actions “provocative” and detrimental to efforts to reopen the border.
The Taliban government in Kabul has not commented on the incident. Meanwhile, the closure has left thousands of trucks and vehicles stranded on both sides of the border, with travelers and traders enduring harsh winter conditions. The prolonged standoff underscores the ongoing tensions between the two neighbors, with no immediate resolution in sight.
