QUETTA: According to the military’s media wing, Chaman, which was heavily shelled by artillery and gunfire from Afghan border forces on Sunday, saw at least seven casualties and 16 wounded.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), without mentioning any casualties on the opposite side, claimed that Pakistani forces responded to the “unprovoked and indiscriminate” firing.
The ISPR referred to the event as “uncalled-for violence” and said Pakistani forces had responded “appropriately” but “measuredly,” avoiding civilian targets on the other side.
It said that Pakistani authorities had spoken with their Afghan counterparts to emphasize the “seriousness” of the issue and urge stringent measures to stop further occurrences.
The Foreign Office denounced the shelling, stating that “such sad acts are not in line with the fraternal ties between the two nations.”
It stated in a statement that “the Afghan authorities have been advised that repetition of such instances must be avoided and harshest feasible action must be taken against those guilty.” According to the FO, authorities in both nations kept in touch to prevent the situation from getting worse.
According to authorities, the major Chaman border crossing with Afghanistan, which is used for trade and transportation, was blocked for a short period of time before opening. Following similar violence last month, the bridge was blocked for a number of days.
The Friendship Gate at the Chaman border crossing was shut down as a result of the shooting between Pakistani and Afghan forces after some intruders from the other side attempted to cut a fence close to the border settlement of Lala Mohammad. The border, however, was reopened to cars and pedestrians within 30 minutes.
Later, Afghan forces began fire between the Pakistani border posts of Shoukat and Ilyas, prompting a response from Pakistani forces, according to authorities, who also noted that Afghan forces then began deploying artillery and mortar rounds to attack civilian communities.
A route connecting the NATO market and the border region was hit by some mortar fire.
However, the AP news agency said that a spokesperson for Kandahar’s governor, Ataullah Zaid, sought to link the fights with the installation of additional checkpoints on the Afghan side of the border.
The mortar had just touched down, someone could be heard saying. Five shells had fallen, according to Ghousullah, who was speaking in another video. He said that one of them struck the hotel, killing three people. Two shells dropped in the yard, while one fell on the store, injuring perhaps persons.
An emergency has been declared at the hospitals in Chaman and Quetta, according to Zahid Saleem, assistant chief secretary for Balochistan’s domestic and tribal affairs, who spoke to Dawn.
Six dead with mortar and artillery shell splinters were brought to the hospital, according to Dr. Rasheed Tareen, deputy medical superintendent at the Chaman district hospital, who spoke to Dawn. Seven of the injured people were in severe condition, he added, adding, “We are referring the critically wounded to Quetta.”
The ISPR statement and Afghan official Noor Ahmad, who spoke to Reuters from Kandahar, the province on the Afghan side of the border, were silent on injuries on that side of the border.
After the two parties met, Mr. Ahmad said the event was “accidental” and that everything was back to normal.
However, Mr. Zaid, the Kandahar governor’s spokesperson, informed Chaman local media over the phone that one Afghan security man was killed and 13 people were injured, including 10 troops and three civilians.
