Taliban shelling kills one in Pakistan border district
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Taliban forces have fired mortar shells from across the border into Pakistan’s Lower South Waziristan district, killing one civilian and injuring five others. A Pakistani government official confirmed the incident on Wednesday. It was the latest clash along the Afghanistan Pakistan border.
The deputy commissioner of Lower South Waziristan said Taliban forces shelled civilian homes and the Angoor Adda market on the night of October 27. One mortar shell struck a house, killing one person and injuring five others. Several shops were also damaged.
The deputy commissioner said Pakistani forces stationed along the border returned fire.
Pakistani media reported that the country’s military responded to the shelling by targeting several Taliban border posts. Reports also said several posts were destroyed.
The reason for the exchange of fire between the two sides was not immediately clear. As of Wednesday, Taliban authorities had made no public comment on the incident.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the Taliban attack on civilian homes and the Angoor Adda market. He described the incident as an “unprovoked and blatant act of aggression.”
In a statement, Kundi said, “Pakistan will never tolerate attacks on its people or violations of its sovereignty.”
Praising the Pakistani military’s retaliatory action, he said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had lost thousands of people in the fight against militancy.
Kundi said, “Any aggression against Pakistan will be met with unwavering resolve.”
Tensions between Taliban authorities and Pakistan have escalated following several Pakistani strikes inside Afghanistan this year and repeated clashes along the border. The latest shelling comes amid these heightened tensions.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused armed groups, including Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), of launching attacks inside Pakistan from safe havens in Afghanistan.
Taliban authorities have rejected the allegations. They have said Afghan territory is not allowed to be used to threaten other countries. Pakistan should address its security problems within its own borders, they have said.
Last week, Pakistan said further talks with Taliban authorities would depend on progress in taking action against armed groups operating from Afghanistan and establishing a mechanism to prevent cross border attacks.
Angoor Adda is a border crossing connecting Lower South Waziristan in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with Afghanistan’s Paktika province. The crossing is important for local travel and cross border trade.
The two sides have exchanged fire in the area before. According to Pakistani officials, mortar shells fired from across the border injured civilians and damaged several houses in Lower South Waziristan last April.
The Taliban have yet to comment on the latest attack. Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes in several parts of Afghanistan a few weeks ago.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has reported that more than 500 civilians have been killed in Pakistani attacks over the past year.
Source: Amu TV (Adapted)
