Intense overnight clashes between Pakistani and Afghan security forces at the Torkham border crossing triggered panic, forcing around 15,000 residents to flee their homes. While the violence eased up by Tuesday morning, tensions between the two nations remain high, according to a reports from Reuters.
The confrontation erupted on Monday, the first working day of Ramadan, a crucial period when food imports from Pakistan into Afghanistan usually peak. According to Pakistani officials, Afghan border guards fired without warning, targeting government buildings and civilians, setting off widespread fear in the area.
“The tensions between the two countries and continuous closure of the border have been causing immense hardship. People here are very poor and depend on cross-border trade for their livelihoods,” Reuters quoted Ali Shinwari, a resident of the border town. Many displaced families have sought refuge with relatives and tribesmen in nearby towns.
The Torkham crossing, a critical trade and transit point, has been closed since February 21 due to a dispute over an outpost constructed by Afghan forces. The prolonged shutdown has stranded 5,000 trucks loaded with essential goods, causing an estimated $15 million in losses, according to Yousaf Afridi, president of the chamber of commerce and industries for Pakistan’s Khyber district.
The Afghan interior ministry confirmed that one Taliban fighter was killed and two others were wounded in the clash, while Pakistani security officials also reported casualties on their side. Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
