Pakistan closes border with Afghanistan following exchanges of fire

Pakistan closed all major and minor border crossings with Afghanistan on Sunday following an exchange of fire between the two countries’ forces. The skirmish began late Saturday when Afghan troops reportedly opened fire on Pakistani border posts, which Afghanistan’s defense ministry claimed was in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes carried out earlier in the week. Pakistan confirmed it responded with gun and artillery fire, destroying several Afghan border posts. While the fighting largely subsided by Sunday morning, intermittent gunfire continued in Pakistan’s Kurram area. The closures affect key crossings at Torkham and Chaman, among others. This escalation comes amid high tensions, as Islamabad accuses the Taliban administration of harboring militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group who attack Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies. The TTP leader in Kabul was reportedly the target of Thursday’s airstrikes.

Credit : CGTN