Six martyred, 17 injured in cross-border firing from Afghanistan

• ISPR says Afghan border forces attacked civilian population.
• Pakistani troops responded effectively, says military's media wing
  
• Afghan authorities asked to take strict action to avoid such incidents.
  

RAWALPINDI: Using heavy weapons, the Afghan border forces opened unprovoked and indiscriminate fire at the civilian area in Balochistan's Chaman city resulting in the martyrdom of six people and injuries to 17 others, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Sunday.

According to the military’s media wing, the Afghan border forces used artillery and mortar in the attack.

The ISPR said that Pakistan’s troops at the border gave a befitting albeit measured response against the uncalled-for aggression, but avoided targeting innocent civilians in the area.

The statement added the Pakistani border forces have also approached Afghan authorities in Kabul to highlight the severity of the situation and demanded strict action to avoid any such recurrence of the incident in future.

On December 2, Pakistan’s Head of Mission to Kabul Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani escaped an assassination bid.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) had said the embassy’s compound in Kabul came under attack targeting the head of mission, but "by the grace of Allah Almighty, the head of mission is safe".

However, a Pakistani security guard Sepoy Israr Mohammad had been critically injured in the attack while protecting Nizamani, the Foreign Office said.

It said that Pakistan’s government strongly condemns the assassination attempt and attack on the embassy demanding the Afghan government conduct an immediate investigation into the incident.

Last month, a Frontier Corps soldier embraced martyrdom and two more sustained injuries in the midst of a cross-border attack from neighbouring Afghanistan to Chaman district.

Afghan security officials allegedly opened fire on the FC personnel while they were deployed on duty on the Pakistani side of the Bab-e-Dosti near Chaman, as per Levies officials. Following the incident, the Pakistani authorities contacted the Afghan government for a ceasefire in the area. 

Meanwhile, Bab-e-Dosti has been closed for all kinds of trade and pedestrians' movement. 

On November 29, a high-level delegation headed by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar visited Kabul to hold talks with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off their months-long ceasefire with Pakistan.

During her visit, Khar discussed matters of bilateral importance with Amir Khan Mutaqqi focusing on political consultations between the two governments.

According to a Foreign Office statement, Hina Rabbani Khar held political consultations with Amir Khan Muttaqi.

"A range of bilateral issues of common interest including cooperation in education, health, trade and investment, regional connectivity, people-to-people contacts, and socioeconomic projects were discussed."