City
Epaper

Afghans protests in Khost, Paktika against cross-border rocket attacks by Pakistan

By ANI | Updated: July 28, 2020 15:35 IST

People in Khost and Paktika protested on July 27 against cross-border rocket attacks by Pakistan security forces and attempts to intrude into Afghan territory illegally by setting up military posts, according to sources.

Open in App

People in Khost and Paktika protested on July 27 against cross-border rocket attacks by Pakistan security forces and attempts to intrude into Afghan territory illegally by setting up military posts, according to sources.

Both cities of Khost and Paktika are located in the southeastern part of the country and adjacent to the Durand Line border with Pakistan. The Durand Line, a 2,400 km (1,500-mile) frontier with villages straddling the border and mosques and houses having one door in Pakistan and another in Afghstan.

The continuous firing by the Pakist army on Afghan soil has also resulted in civilian casualties in recent days and caused damages to their house and property, sources said.

On July 16, the Afghan Foreign Ministry in a statement cited by Al Jazeera said the rockets were fired on eastern Kunar province, along a disputed border that Pakistan is fencing since mid-2017.

Kabul called on Islamabad to refrain from "unacceptable" artillery attacks and arbitrary installations as it can cause further escalations between the two countries, according to sources.

A lawmaker from Kunar, Wazhma Safi, said if Pakistan continued to fire over the border, the issue would be discussed at the diplomatic level. She said she believes Taliban rebels, backed by Pakistan, were behind the attack on Afghan soil.

Afghan forces stationed there responded to the attacks, said Abdul Gh Musamem, a spokesman for the governor of Kunar province.

Afghstan and Pakistan are in dispute over whether the border is officially recognised. In addition, Kabul accuses Islamabad of supporting the Taliban forces fighting against the US-backed Afghan government, a claim Pakistan denies.

In 2017, Pakistan said it had started building a fence along the border as part of efforts aimed at curbing fighting. But the move sparked condemnation in Kabul.

The development comes as a fresh round of peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban are expected this month in the Qatari capital Doha. The so-called intra-Afghan talks were delayed due to postponement of a prisoner exchange between the sides agreed as part of a deal between the United States and the Taliban.

( With inputs from ANI )

Tags: Wazhma safiAbdul gh musamemislamabadKabulForeign MinistryAl Jazeera
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalIndia to Reopen Embassy in Kabul Four Years After Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan

InternationalSana Yousaf Murder: 17-Year-Old Pakistani TikToker Shot Dead in Islamabad Home

InternationalKarachi-Islamabad Connection Disturbed After INS Vikran Strikes Pakistan in Arabian Sea: Reports

InternationalIndia-Pakistan Tension Escalates As Explosion Reported Close to PM Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir's Homes In Islamabad

NationalIndia Shoots Down at Least Two Pakistani Fighter Jets, Video Surfaces

International Realted Stories

InternationalIndia, US seal decade-long Defence Framework, usher in "new chapter" of ties

InternationalAustralia: Two injured in shooting south of Brisbane

InternationalVietnamese govt proposes assigning public security ministry to manage IP identification

InternationalPakistan accused of waging state-backed war on Pashtuns under disguise of counterterrorism

InternationalBangladesh: NCP slams BNP, Jamaat for fueling uncertainty over Feb 2026 election