CHAMAN (May 5, 2017): The death toll from unprovoked cross border firing and shelling by Afghan Border police at Chaman border has risen to 9. Woman and a youth are among the martyrs.
According to hospital sources the number of injured including FC personnel has increased to 42.
The unprovoked firing nd shelling by Afghan forces continues still with lulls in-between.
A befitting reply is being given by the Pakistani forces.
According to the ISPR, four personnel of the FC are among those injured. The FC troops were on population census duty near the Chaman border at the time of the incident.
According to details, an 18-year-old youth was martyred from the cross border firing by the Afghan forces.
Pak forces effectively returned the firing and shelling Afghan forces which continued for some time intermittently.
According to the details, at least nine civilians were martyred and 42 injured early Friday when Afghan border forces opened fire on Frontier Corps Balochistan soldiers deployed for security of census team near the Chaman border.
The injured were taken to the district hospital, where two critically injured persons were referred to Quetta, where emergency has been imposed at hospitals.
The doctors and paramedics at Bolan Medical Complex have been alerted, while additional staff was called for Quetta Civil Hospital.
However, there was a lack of ambulances in Chaman, where casualties are likely to increase in the villages situated near the border.
Large contingents of FC and Levies reached the area as soon as the vicinity came under heavy fire from across the border.
The Pakistan military’s media wing said the Afghan Border Police have been creating hurdles since 30th April in the conduct of census in the divided villages of Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir in Charnan area on Pakistani side of the border.
“This was done despite the fact that Afghan authorities had been informed well in advance and coordination was carried out through diplomatic and military channels for conduct of census,” the ISPR said.
Chaman shares a border with the Afghan province of Kandahar and is home to a busy international border crossing between the two countries. The Chaman border crossing was closed following the incident.On the other hand, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria voiced concerns over the firing by Afghan forces at Chaman border, which martyred nine civilians and injured over 40 earlier today.
In his weekly briefing, Zakaria said the FO has serious concerns over the incident. The census team was performing its duty when the firing started, he said.
The spokesperson said that Afghanistan had been informed of the census activity before, and the census was being conducted in Pakistan’s territory.
Pakistan has the right to retaliate, he said, adding that a negative role by India was creating issues in Afghanistan.
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Chaman: Cross border firing by Afghan forces, youth martyred, 18 injured