Afghanistan says one security force was killed and two were injured in an overnight clash at Torkham Crossing.
At least one person has been killed as Pakistani security forces exchanged fires to cross major borders that have recently been closed.
Afghanistan’s Home Ministry confirmed Monday that one security force was killed and two people were injured in an overnight clash at Torkham intersection.
Two Pakistani security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told news agency Reuters that a member of the security forces was injured in the clash.
The conflict broke out on the first business day of the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan, when food imports from Pakistan usually peaked in Afghanistan. The battle was left behind by roughly winter conditions, about 5,000 trucks filled with essential goods on either side of the border.
According to the United Nations, the conflict could exacerbate the challenges faced by the crisis-stricken Afghan economy when millions of people are at risk of hunger and about half of the population need humanitarian assistance to survive.
In the past, both countries have closed Torkam and the Southwest Chaman border after fatal shootings and crossfires.
Pakistan said it is facing attacks from Afghan soil. In December, Pakistani military aircraft launched a strike that killed dozens of people on Afghan territory.
Kabul’s Home Affairs Ministry spokesman Abdul Meiten Kani accused Pakistan of launching overnight violence on Monday, before Afghan security forces later entered “defensive mode” and responded after unsuccessful attempts at dialogue.
A Pakistani official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the Taliban launched an unprovoked fire and targeted border postings with Pakistan’s automatic weapons. Officials said Pakistani officials returned the fire.
So far, Toucham’s closure has caused a loss of at least $15 million, according to Yousaf Afridi, president of the Chamber of Commerce in Pakistan’s Kyber district, where the intersection is located.
Shakilylla Safi, chief executive of Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Investment in Afghanistan, said Afghan traders are losing $500,000 a day due to the closure.
Trade between the two countries was worth more than $1.6 billion in 2024, according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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