| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| 12 dead, 40 hurt in Afghan attack during census |
| 2017-05-07 |
| [DAWN] At least 12 people — 10 civilians and one sepoy each from the Pakistan Army and the paramilitary Frontier Corps — lost their lives and around 40 others were injured in firing and shelling after Afghan forces attacked FC personnel guarding the staff conducting census in two villages on the Chaman border on Friday. According to official sources, Pakistani forces immediately retaliated after taking positions. Soon after the clashes began, the Pakistani authorities closed the Friendship Gate on the border. Officials said the clashes erupted when Afghan forces attacked FC personnel guarding the census staff in the Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir villages. An Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesman said that Afghan border police opened fire on FC personnel detailed for the security of a census team. A civilian died and 18 people, including four Balochistan FC soldiers, were injured in the initial attack. According to early reports, a teenager died in the incident. The military spokesman said that since April 30, Afghan border police had been creating hurdles in the conduct of census in the divided villages of Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir in the Chaman area on the Pakistani side. “This was done despite the fact that Afghan authorities had been informed well in advance and coordination was carried out through diplomatic and military channels for the conduct of census,” an ISPR statement said. |
| Posted by:Fred |