Pakistan, Afghanistan border crossing closed after deadly clashes

One of two major border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan was closed on Tuesday after a deadly fire exchange between troops from both sides, officials in Islamabad and Kabul said.

Three Afghan civilians including children were killed when Pakistani troops fired at their homes near the Torkham border crossing, Mufti Abdul Mateen, a spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry said.

Seven civilians were wounded on the Pakistani side when the Taliban fighters fired with heavy weapons and artillery, local border official Shaiq Ali told dpa.

Hundreds of Pakistani families fled their homes from villages near the border overnight after the clashes began, Ali said.

An attempt by the Taliban fighters to build a check post only a few metres from the border triggered the clash, Ali said. There was no explanation from the Afghan side.

The deadly clashes between the security forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan have become routine since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021.

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Islamabad blames Kabul for aiding Islamist militants who launch deadly cross-border attacks against the security forces and civilians in Pakistan from their alleged hideouts in Afghanistan. The Taliban deny the allegations.