Pakistan fired a barrage of rockets across its south-western border killing nine people and wounding 50 in an Afghan border town, Afghan officials said on Friday.
The exchange of fire that led to casualties in the town of Spinboldak was instigated by Afghan border guards, Pakistan security officials said. It was the latest cross-border exchange between the two countries. Earlier this month, Pakistan fired rockets into Afghanistan’s northeastern Kunar province killing three people.
Cross-border exchanges have increased since Pakistan began raising a fence along its 2,500-kilometre border with Afghanistan known as the Durand Line. Pakistan considers the colonial-era division created in 1893 as an international border, while Afghanistan flatly rejects it.
Pakistan began building the fence in 2017 and since then the two sides have routinely exchanged fire. Pakistan says it needs the fence to block militants from crossing. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan accuse the other of harbouring their enemies.
Pakistan has been repeatedly accused by Kabul and the United States of providing safe haven to Afghan Taliban insurgents, while Islamabad says Pakistani insurgents have found a sanctuary in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province. They include the Balochistan Liberation Army, who claimed an attack on the stock exchange building in Karachi on June 29.
Pakistan also says anti-government Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) insurgents are hiding in Afghanistan.
A UN report earlier this month said up to 6,500 Pakistani militants, most of them belonging to the TTP, are hiding in Afghanistan, maintaining links to the ISIS affiliate there and posing a threat to both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
On Friday, an Afghan Defence Ministry statement said rockets fired by Pakistan pummeled Spinboldak late on Thursday. The statement said Afghan security forces retaliated.
Two Pakistani security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Afghan security forces initiated the attack.
They said the cross-border exchange took place hours after Pakistani troops had been deployed to Chaman in south-western Balochistan province on the Pakistan side of the border, opposite Spinboldak.
The troops were deployed to contain hundreds of demonstrators who had gathered at the Chaman border crossing on Thursday to protest against its continued closure because of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
Three people were killed when troops opened fire on the crowd.
After the Pakistan military opened fire, Afghan security guards from across the border began firing, the Pakistani security officials said. Pakistan retaliated.
Hundreds of ethnic Pashtuns living in Pakistan work in Afghanistan and many Afghans live in Pakistan.
Pakistan has opened the border to trade but it is still closed to daily wage earners who work on one side of the border and live on the other, in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
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