ISLAMABAD, Feb. 25 — Heavy two-way firing erupted on Tuesday evening between Pakistani and Afghan forces at multiple locations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Pakistani security sources told Xinhua.
The security sources said exchanges of fire took place in the areas of Bazar Zakhakhel, Waragha, Maro Sar and Shako along the border. “Heavy weapons were used by both sides,” said the sources, adding that no casualties had been reported so far.
Earlier in the evening, Mosharraf Zaidi, Pakistani prime minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, said that the Afghan side had initiated “unprovoked firing” along the border in Torkham and Tirah areas.
In a post on social media platform X, Zaidi said Pakistan’s security forces responded “immediately and effectively,” warning that any further provocation would be met with a severe response.
Sediqullah Nusrat, deputy spokesman of the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense, told Xinhua that the confrontation erupted when Pakistani forces opened fire on Afghan personnel who were conducting routine patrols in the area.
Earlier, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Afghan government, said that Afghanistan would respond to airstrikes carried out by Pakistan on Sunday.
The Afghan side said that the Pakistani military on Sunday carried out airstrikes on the bilateral border areas, killing 18 people and injuring five others.
Pakistan said Sunday that it had carried out intelligence-based, targeted strikes on seven militant camps and hideouts in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area, following a series of suicide bombings, and killed over 80 terrorists. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
