Afghanistan blames Pakistan for fresh border shelling

Calls on Pakistan to ‘immediately’ prevent attacks.


Reuters/afp September 26, 2011
Afghanistan blames Pakistan for fresh border shelling

ASADABAD: Pakistani security forces have fired hundreds of rockets into Afghanistan in recent days, killing a child and forcing hundreds to flee their homes, Afghan officials said on Sunday.

Fazilullah Wahidy, governor of the northeastern province of Kunar where the shelling happened, told AFP: “The shells were fired directly from Pakistani military posts and garrisons on that side of the border.” He said at least one boy was killed in the attacks.

Afghanistan’s interior ministry spokesman Siddiq Siddiqui did not specify who was behind the cross-border shelling but added: “We call on Pakistan, whoever is behind the attacks, to prevent it immediately.”

He said more than 340 rockets had been fired into Afghanistan over the past four days, mostly landing in villages and farmland in the province of Kunar.

Two mosques and dozens of houses had been damaged while about 50 families had to flee their homes, Siddiqui added.

In June, Afghanistan warned that cross-border attacks could threaten “improving trust and cooperation” between the neighbours unless Pakistan addressed the issue. Pakistan denies any official involvement in the incidents.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th,  2011.

COMMENTS (12)

Blithe | 13 years ago | Reply

US has given sanctuary to anti-Pakistan elements in Kunar province.

Straight_Talk | 13 years ago | Reply

This is exactly what i had expected. Pakistan will escalate and escalate fast destabilizing Afghanistan through proxy war which the US then cannot leave just like that and as long as the US is there in Afghanistan the supply routes through Pakistan will be important. Even if the US redirects more of it supply through central asia Pakistani supply cannot be brought down to zero. So an inadequately supplied NATO in Afghanistan will not be able to stabilize the country under Pakistani proxy attack and hence cannot leave without loss of face. US cannot fight Pakistan like this without spending a hell lot of money for effectively nothing. No doubt Pakistan would suffer a lot but so would US. Pakistan also assumes that US will not declare a war against a nuclear Pakistan. Assuming that the US also thinks the same way from the point of view of the US some asymmetric strategy would be needed to blunt out the sharpness of this Pakistani strategy. And before i end i see somebody smiling and enjoying from the backstage. Is it the dragon ?

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