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Afghan and Pakistani forces clash again
KABUL: Afghan forces have clashed with Pakistani troops along the border in eastern Afghanistan. âPakistani forces attacked our forces two days ago and wanted to capture one of our posts on a high strategic point but our forces pushed them back,â said General Mustafa Khan, a border commander in eastern Nangarhar province. âThe fighting was going on for one hour but now the situation is quietâ, the general told AFP by telephone. âAbout a week ago we also had 12 hours of clashes with Pakistani forces. We didnât have any casualties on our side but we have no information on the Pakistani side,â Khan said. Tensions on the border between the two countries have been running high since Pakistani troops were deployed to the frontier region of Mohmand in Pakistanâs tribal belt for the first time in the countryâs history. The deployment was meant to block the infiltration of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda activists from Afghanistan. But it triggered protests from Afghan tribesmen who claimed that Pakistani troops had set up check-posts deep inside Afghan territory. A mob later attacked the Pakistani mission in Kabul. Afghan Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali Tuesday visited Pakistan to discuss the issue with Pakistani authorities. A tripartite commission of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States set up a sub-committee to conduct a ground check of Pakistani militia posts along the border. Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-07-27 |
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