KABUL — At least five children and a woman
were killed in an eastern Afghan province when
Pakistani military forces fired
rockets along the border in a pre-dawn assault Saturday, an official and a
resident said.
اضافة اعلان
Since the Taliban seized power last year in
Afghanistan, border tensions between the neighbors have risen, with Pakistan
alleging militant groups were carrying out attacks from Afghan soil.
The Taliban deny harboring Pakistani militants, but
are also infuriated by a fence Islamabad is erecting along their 2,700km border
known as the Durand line, which was drawn up in colonial times.
An Afghan government official and a resident in Afghanistan’s
eastern Kunar province said Pakistani forces fired rockets early on Saturday
that left six people dead.
“Five children and a woman were killed and a man
wounded in Pakistani rocket attacks in Shelton district of Kunar,” provincial
director of information Najibullah Hassan Abdaal told AFP.
Ehsanullah, a resident of Shelton district who goes
by one name as many Afghans do, said the assault was carried out by Pakistani
military aircraft. He confirmed the death toll.
A similar pre-dawn assault was carried out in
Afghanistan’s Khost province near the border, another Afghan government
official said.
“Pakistani helicopters bombarded four villages near
the Durand line in Khost province,” he said on condition of anonymity.
“Only civilian houses were targeted and there were
casualties,” he added, but did not offer more details.
An Afghan tribal elder from Khost, Gul Markhan,
confirmed the incident in Khost.
Hundreds of civilians of Khost poured into the
streets chanting anti-Pakistan slogans later on Saturday, Afghan media reports
said.
Pakistani military officials were not immediately
available for comment, and Taliban government spokesmen in
Kabul declined to
comment when contacted by AFP.
‘Military violations’
The Afghan foreign ministry
said Saturday it had summoned the Pakistani ambassador in Kabul to protest the
attacks.
“Such military violations including in Khost and
Kunar should be prevented as ill-wishers and groups with vested interests will
exploit these incidents,” Foreign Minister
Amir Khan Muttaqi told the Pakistani
envoy, according to a ministry statement.
Border areas
between the two countries have long been a stronghold for militant groups such
as the
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which operates across the porous
frontier with Afghanistan.
The Afghan Taliban
and the TTP are separate groups in both countries, but share a common ideology
and draw from people who live on either side of the border.
Since the Taliban
seized power in Afghanistan, the TTP has become emboldened and launched regular
attacks against Pakistani forces.
In February, six
Pakistan soldiers were killed in firing by the TTP from Afghanistan.
Thousands of people usually cross the border daily,
including traders, Afghans seeking medical treatment in Pakistan, and people
visiting relatives.
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