Pakistani troops walk on a hilltop post near Ladha, a town in the tribal region of South Waziristan in May 2011
On February 6, at least five Pakistani soldiers were killed as a result of shelling on the border with Afghanistan.
According to the Pakistani military’s media wing, militants from Afghanistan opened fire on Pakistani troops across the international border, targeting a border post in Kurram district. The Pakistani Army reportedly struck back, causing heavy casualties.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan and expects that the interim Afghan government will not allow conduct of such activities against Pakistan, in future,” the statement reads.
In its turn, the Afghan government denied the claims. Deputy spokesman for the Taliban government assured that no one is allowed to use Afghan land against other countries.
The clashes were reported a day after Pakistani security forces claimed the completion of a large security operation against rebels in Panjgur and Noshki in Balochistan province.
The security operation resulted in elimination of at least 20 militants and deaths of 9 Pakistani soldiers.
It was carried out in response to the twin attacks on paramilitary posts in the towns of Panjgur and Noshki in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan on February 2. They were declared the largest attacks in recent years.
According to Pakistani military officials, the attack in Noshki town was repelled on the next day, while the Panjgur assault resulted in clashes that lasted until February 6.
The separatist Balochistan Nationalist Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The paramilitary Levies forces along with security forces launched a search operation in the Roghani area.
Prior to that, the insurgents killed 10 soldiers in an attack on a post near the port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, the heaviest casualty toll for the army in the Balochistan insurgency in years.
The post Death Toll Rises In Clashes On The Pakistan-Afghanistan Border And In Balochistan appeared first on South Front.
