Pakistani envoy summoned over cross border attack

KABUL, Mohammad Sadiq, was on Monday summoned to the Afghan foreign ministry, where foreign minister, Zalmay Rassoul, made a demarche over the cross-border attack by Pakistani forces on civilian houses in eastern Kunar province.

Six civilians were killed in the new cross-border attack by Pakistani forces on a village in eastern Kunar province, the governor said on Monday.

A number of rocket and mortar shells fired from Pakistan struck civilian homes in the Saw village of Nari district on Sunday night, Syed Fazlullah Wahidi, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Six people, including women and children, were killed when one of the shells hit a house, he said. A number of residences were also damaged in the shelling.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said Rassoul conveyed to the Ambassador of Pakistan strong concern on the cross-border attack. He said the attack was a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and such incidents should not occur in the future.

“The foreign minister expressed the Afghan side’s concern for the shelling of Afghan villages by Pakistani artillery … and conveyed the Afghan government’s request for such shelling to stop,” the statement said.