Pakistan’s main border crossing with Afghanistan was shut down on Wednesday after security forces from both countries engaged in a firefight, according to Pakistani security sources. Local residents near the Torkham crossing reported hearing gunshots and fled the area near the Khyber Pass. Officials, who spoke anonymously, confirmed that the Taliban and Pakistani forces exchanged gunfire, but there were no casualties reported yet. Both the local government of Afghanistan’s Nangahar province, where the crossing is located, and Pakistan’s foreign office did not respond immediately for comment.
Disputes regarding the 2,600 km border have long been a point of contention between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Torkham border is a vital point of transit for travel and trade between the two countries. It has been closed multiple times in recent years, including a closure in February that left thousands of trucks stranded on both sides.
(Reporting by Mushtaq Ali; Additional reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield, Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
