Uzbek-Afghan border guards engage in armed conflict

Advertisement

The conflict has occurred 10 days after an Afghan who crossed the border into Uzbekistan was shot dead by the country’s border police….reports Asian Lite News

Taliban have engaged in armed conflict with the border guards of Uzbekistan in Khumab district of Afghanistan’s Jawzjan province, local media reported citing a Taliban member in the province.

Khaama Press reported that the head of the directorate of information and culture of Jawzjan province Hilal Balkhi has said that the conflict occurred on Monday afternoon.

The conflict has occurred 10 days after an Afghan who crossed the border into Uzbekistan was shot dead by the country’s border police.

Meanwhile, another Afghan who intended to cross the border into Uzbekistan was arrested and was then buried alive, Khaama Press reported.

Pak-Af border fencing

Days after Pakistan admits that there are “complications” regarding the Pak-Afghan border fencing, the Taliban has said that “issues” would be addressed through diplomatic channels.

Taking to Twitter, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesperson of the Afghan Foreign Ministry said: “Recently, a few incidents have taken place along the Durand Line between Afghanistan and Pakistan that have given rise to the need for the authorities of the two sides to address the problem.”

“IEA believing in addressing problems through understanding, talks and good neighborliness, will address this issue through diplomatic channels,” the tweet added.

On Monday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi acknowledged that there are “some complications” regarding the Pak-Afghan border fencing and the matter was being taken up with the Taliban.

Qureshi said at a press conference in Islamabad that “certain miscreants” have blown the incident out of proportion.

This follows the circulation of a viral video where Taliban are seen uprooting a portion of the Pak-Afghan fence along their side of the border.

Previously, the Taliban’s local affiliates said that they have stopped the Pakistani military from erecting barbed-wire fences and outposts in Afghanistan’s western Nimroz province, reported local media.

The Pakistani military personnel reportedly wanted to build their outpost on Afghanistan soil in Chahar Burjak district of Nimroz province, reported Khaama Press.

The Pakistani military went up to 15 kilometres inside Afghanistan and wanted to build check posts, said eyewitnesses and residents of the bordering district.

This comes a week after the Taliban’s provincial head of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) destroyed the barbed wire of the Pakistani military in eastern Nangarhar province and warned them of repercussions in case they build fences on Afghan soil.

The two countries have been at loggerheads over the nearly 2,400 kilometres of Durand Line which has always been a matter of conflict and chaos between the two sides especially after Pakistan started erecting fences on the line, according to Khaama Press. (ANI)

ALSO READ: BJP’s kicks off 10-year report card campaign

[mc4wp_form id=""]

Advertisement