Stray bullets, mortars from Afghanistan kill two in Chitral

Stray mortars landed in Arondu village of Chitral leaving a girl and a man dead. A police station was also destroyed

PESHAWAR: Two civilians including a child were killed when stray bullets and mortars hit a village in Chitral during a clash between Afghan security forces and militants on the other side of the border, officials said Saturday.

"Some bullets and mortars landed in Arondu village of Chitral during a clash between Afghan security forces and militants killing a girl and a man," a senior Pakistani security official requesting anonymity told AFP.

A police station in the village was also destroyed, he added.

A local intelligence official also confirmed the incident and causalities.

Chitral borders Afghanistan's Nuristan province, which has long been a refuge for militant groups.

Militants from Afghanistan have attacked paramilitary posts in Chitral in the past, though the area is usually peaceful.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share a rugged, mountainous border. The 2,400-kilometre (1,500-mile) frontier, officially known as Durand Line, is unmarked in places and a key battleground in the fight against Taliban violence plaguing both countries.

Shelling across the porous mountain boundary, which militants can easily penetrate, has raised tensions between the two countries in the past.