Kabul asks Islamabad to explain Kandahar attack

KABUL to explain why its forces carried out an artillery and mortar attack on an Afghan border post in southern Kandahar province.

The attack was carried out from Loy Band area on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line, targeting an Afghan border police post in Karizak area of Maroof district on Friday afternoon, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

As a result, one Afghan border police officer was martyred and two others were injured, the statement said.

To lodge a strong protest with Islamabad, Deputy Director First Political Division Baba Khan Aslami summoned Pakistani Charge d’Affaires in Kabul, Jan Bahader, for explanation regarding the attack.

Th statement quoted Aslami as telling the Pakistani Charge d’Affaires that any continuation of such acts were unacceptable for the government and the people of Afghanistan and could seriously affect relations between the two countries.

The extension of artillery attacks from across the Durand Line into eastern provinces, including Kunar and Nangarhar, to southern provinces was a matter of grave concern for the Afghan government.

Aslami said the Afghan government could retaliate against such attacks but that the reason why it refrained from doing so was that the people living on the other side of the Durand Line were their own people. “We do not want them harmed.”

Aslami added in case of repeated similar attacks from across the Durand Line, Afghan Security Forces would reserve the right to respond against Pakistani military posts.

Bahadur stated he was not aware of the incident, condemned it and added that such attacks could affect friendly relations between the two countries.

He promised to expeditiously report the matter to his government and provide information to the Afghan government about the results.

Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Musazai said Pakistani forces fired several artillery and mortar shells on a bordering checkpoint in the Maroof district on Friday afternoon.

A border policeman was killed and two others were wounded as a result of the attack, he said adding Afghan government strongly condemns the attack and would discuss the issue with Pakistani authority.

After attacking bordering areas of eastern Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, the Pakistani troops are now attacking southern parts of the country, he added.

pr/myn/ma

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