TEMPO.CO, Islamabad – A gunfight between Afghanistan security officials and Pakistani security officials occurred at the Afghanistan – Pakistan border on Wednesday, May 1. The incident killed one and injured two Afghanistan Border Police, as well as injuring two Pakistani soldiers.
A Pakistani military source said that the clash began with an attack to a Pakistani checkpoint. On the other hand, Senior officer from Afghanistan said that the clash began shortly after Pakistani troops tried to fortify a checkpoint at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
The Afghanistan senior official also claimed that hundreds of Afghanistan troops were sent to the border checkpoint after the shootout.
The tension between the two nations puts Afghanistan future at stake because the United States is planning to request Pakistan's aid in helping Kabul to persuade Taliban to make negotiations prior to NATO withdrawal in 2014.
Afghanistan claimed that Pakistan had a long history of supporting the Taliban. On the other hand, Pakistan accused Afghanistan of providing a safe haven to the militants.
Tension between the two nations began to elevate when Kabul officials established a military checkpoint within Afghanistan territory. In addition, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai also ordered his officials to remove Pakistani checkpoint and military installation nearby the Durand Line, a borderline established by the British colonial government in 1893 acknowledged by the Pakistani government, but not by the Afghanistan government.
REUTERS | ABDUL MANAN
