Six Pakistani civilians embraced martyrdom while many others sustained injuries due to the unprovoked and indiscriminate firing by Afghan border forces on Sunday, the military said in a statement.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the firing by Afghan forces on the civilian population in Chaman included heavy weapons including artillery and mortars. It said that the firing caused the martyrdom of six civilians while 17 other individuals sustained injuries. “Pakistani border troops have given befitting albeit measured response against the uncalled for aggression, but avoided targeting innocent civilians in the area,” it added. The military’s media wing further said that Pakistan has also approached the Afghan authorities in Kabul to highlight severity of the situation and demanded strict action to obviate any such recurrence of the incident in future.
The Afghan rockets landed in Killi Sheikh Lal Muhammad in the Pakistani territory at the border, a senior official told media.
“We were sitting inside the house when a rocket landed near our house,” a resident of the area said, and added that one of his cousins was martyred in the attack.
Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Chaman said that they have received six dead bodies at the hospital, adding that 30 injured were also brought to the hospital for medical treatment.
An emergency was declared in the hospital to provide medical treatment to the injured of the attack. However, seriously injured people were rushed to Civil Hospital Quetta for medical treatment.
Condemning the incident, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah expressed his concerns over the unprovoked firing by the Afghan forces. He said that details are being gathered regarding the tragic incident, adding that the use of heavy weapons by Afghan forces was concerning.
The interior minister requested the Balochistan government to provide full assistance to the affected citizens. He prayed for the early recovery of the injured citizens.
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo expressed concern over the incident. “I hope the federal government will ensure an immediate and effective solution to this problem at the diplomatic level.” He ordered the district administration of Chaman to provide full support to the people affected.
The Chaman border – also known as Friendship Gate -connects Balochistan province to Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. It was closed last month after an armed Afghan reportedly crossed onto Pakistan’s side of the border and opened fire on security troops, martyring a soldier and injuring another two. The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan termed the event ‘sad’ and reportedly assigned a high-level delegation to probe the incident and find the perpetrator. Later that month, eight people, including two children and three FC personnel, were injured in Kurram district as Afghans from across the border opened fire on them over a dispute over the construction of a road.
