Afghan border police target Pakistani checkpoints

JALALABAD (PAN Wednesday night in response to recent artillery attacks from the other side of the border, an official said. 

According to Eastern Zone Border Police Commander Brig. Gen. Aminullah Amarkhel, Pakistani troops have fired 15 artillery shells across the Afghan border in recent days in an effort to enforce the Durand Line and Pakistan.

As a result of those recent shellings, more than 700 Afghan families fled the area, Amarkel said.

In retaliation, Afghan border police targeted Pakistani checkpoints across the border Wednesday night, Amarkhel said.

He said thousands of the people in Kunar province and Goashta district of Nangarhar province had agitated for the retaliatory attack.

In the last few years, approximately 50 meters of Afghan soil have been controlled by Pakistani troops in Goashta district, the police commander said.

He urged president Karzai and the Wolesi Jirga to work with the eastern zone border police to ensure independence from occupation by Pakistani soldiers.

He suggested that with their continuous attacks on Afghan soil, Pakistan is trying to draw the attention of the United Nation’s to the contested border issue, in order to ultimately force Afghanistan to accept the Durand line.

mrh/at

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