A Frontier Corps soldier was martyred while two others were critically injured in separate incidents of violence against Pakistan Army posts by terrorists and Afghan Border Police from across the border, the Foreign Office said in a statement late Wednesday.
A press release dated August 5 said “terrorists operating from Afghanistan” resorted to firing mortar and heavy weapons at Pakistan posts in the Binshahi Sector, Dir, on Wednesday afternoon.
In the evening, it added, Afghan Border Police Posts also engaged Pakistan’s border troops.
Condemning the “unprovoked aggressive action” by Afghan forces, the Foreign Office said that the incident took place on the same day the Afghan Army was requested to hold a border flag meeting at Binshahi in order to “discuss cross border fire issues”.
The statement also condemned the “evident support provided to the terrorists” by the neighbouring country, noting that such acts were “detrimental” to the cooperation mechanism between the countries.
“Pakistan reiterates its determination to firmly respond to orchestrated terrorist attacks from across the border,” the statement concluded.
Outgoing FO spokesperson Aisha Farooqui also said the country was ready to respond to any aggression from across the border.
The incident comes a week after a clash between an unruly mob and security forces at the Friendship Gate border crossing in Chaman resulting in casualties on both sides of the border. Both countries had blamed the other for the agitation. The Foreign Office said Pakistani troops had responded to firing by the Afghan forces. “Pakistani Force did not open fire first and responded in self-defence only,” the FO said, rejecting Afghan allegation of firing at the civilian population.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz said certain people had tried to cross the Chaman border forcibly and at the same time gunshots were fired from the Afghan side. The incident took place after an unruly mob attacked the Frontier Corps offices and a quarantine centre at the Chaman border crossing following a protest over restrictions on pedestrian crossing because of Covid-19 pandemic. Four people were killed and at least 20 were injured in the clash. Afghan authorities had claimed 15 people were killed on their side of the border in Spin Boldak due to the shelling.
