All efforts to maintain peace on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have failed as violent clashes continue between the armed forces of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Tensions have escalated on the border in the Chaman district of Balochistan province.
Several civilians and security personnel on both sides have been killed and injured in the recent armed clashes that erupted on December 11 and December 15 at the Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossing. Pakistan has blamed the Taliban for the border tensions. At least one person was killed and 15 others were injured in armed clashes between security forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan at the border in Chaman on Thursday, Dawn reported. The armed clashes were reported four days after the Taliban "apologised" to Islamabad over cross-border shelling that claimed the lives of eight people on Sunday.
"The injured include innocent women and children," Dawn quoted ISPR as saying. Speaking to Dawn, Zahid Saleem, the Balochistan Additional Chief Secretary for Home and Tribal Affairs said that at least one died and 15 others were injured. Saleem said that five of those injured were in serious condition and those in need of intensive care were shifted to the trauma centre at Quetta's Civil Hospital.
As per the news report, an emergency was declared in the government hospitals of Quetta and Chaman. Taliban in a post on Twitter claimed that Pakistani forces had opened fire and called for a resolution of the issue through negotiations.
Speaking to Dawn, a senior official posted in the border town said that Afghan forces opened fire when Pakistan border authorities started repairing the fence damaged during Sunday's clashes. He said that Pakistan's security personnel returned fire and added that both sides used heavy weaponry in the gun battle.
"Afghan forces opened fire when Pakistan border authorities started repairing the damaged fence near border village Sheikh Lal Khan," Dawn quoted a senior official posted in the border town as saying.
The clashes between security forces from Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted after Afghan forces started shelling on Sunday, according to Dawn. At least eight people died and more than a dozen were injured while one Afghan soldier was killed in the cross-border firing.
Earlier this week, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the Taliban had apologised for Sunday's incident. He further stated that the Taliban had said that they would take measures to ensure that such an event does not happen again.
( With inputs from ANI )
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