PESHAWAR: Fierce gun battle erupted on Monday between Afghan and Pakistani border forces at the Torkham border crossing between the two countries. According to reports gathered by MM News, no casualties have been reported so far on either side
بریکنگ
پاک افغان بارڈر پر فائرنگ کی آوازیں pic.twitter.com/581vZAOYYL— MM News (@mmnewsdottv) February 20, 2023
MM News has learnt that the exchange of fire began when authorities in Pakistan returned an Afghanistan national who was crossing the border without travel document.
نن موپنچاب بیا په منډه کړل #تورخم
غږخواوری pic.twitter.com/1wnvQJMBjV— ریس جاوید (@Raas_______313) February 20, 2023
Sources said that the Afghan national was a patient and was crossing the border for medical treatment in Pakistan.
The repatriation made the Afghan forces agitated and in protest, they closed the crossing. Trade activities as well as pedestrian traffic were suspended due to border closure, sources added.
تورخم
درگیری مرزی میان طالبان و نیروهای پاکستانی pic.twitter.com/7JgEw54uAg— Haris Jamalzada (@HarisJamalzada) February 20, 2023
However, the Taliban alleged that the crossing had been closed because Pakistani officials failed to fulfill commitments to ease the border crossing at Torkham. “Pakistan has not abided by its commitments and so the gateway has been shut down on the directions of (our) leadership,” Taliban commissioner at Torkham Maulavi Mohammad Siddique tweeted.
Maulavi Mohammad Siddique advised the people of Afghanistan to avoid travelling to the border crossing in eastern Nangrahar province.
Torkham is one of three key gateways for trade and transit between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The other two are in Chapman and Waziristan.
Pakistan also uses Torkham Crossing to send its commercial goods to Central Asia.
