PESHAWAR, Pakistan — PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Clashes erupted Tuesday between Pakistani and Afghan forces in a distant northwestern border area, with state-run media in Pakistan accusing Afghan troops of opening “unprovoked hearth” that was repulsed.
Pakistani forces responded, damaging Afghan tanks and navy posts, in keeping with Pakistan TV and two safety officers, who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to talk to the media.
Tahir Ahrar, a deputy police spokesperson in Afghanistan’s Khost province, confirmed the clashes however offered no additional particulars.
That is the second time this week that the 2 sides have traded hearth alongside their lengthy border.
In response to Pakistan’s state-run media, Afghan forces and Pakistani Taliban collectively opened hearth at a Pakistani publish “with out provocation,” prompting what the media described as a “robust response” from Pakistani troops in Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Safety officers stated Pakistan’s navy additionally destroyed a sprawling coaching facility of the Pakistani Taliban.
There was no fast remark from Pakistan’s navy, which has been on excessive alert since Saturday, when either side traded hearth throughout a number of border areas, leading to dozens of casualties on both sides.
Though the clashes halted on Sunday after appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained closed.
Over the weekend, Kabul stated that it focused a number of Pakistani navy posts and killed 58 Pakistani troopers in retaliation for what it referred to as repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace. Pakistan’s navy reported decrease figures, saying it misplaced 23 troopers and killed greater than 200 “Taliban and affiliated terrorists” in retaliatory hearth alongside the frontier.
Tensions have remained excessive since final week, when the Taliban authorities accused Pakistan of finishing up airstrikes in Kabul and in an japanese market. Pakistan has not acknowledged these allegations.
However Pakistan has beforehand launched strikes inside Afghanistan, saying it targets hideouts of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is separate from however allied to the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan accuses Kabul of harboring the group, which has carried out quite a few lethal assaults inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the cost, saying it doesn’t enable its territory for use towards different nations.
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Related Press author Abdul Qahar Afghan in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, contributed to this story.
