Posted on 08/16/2003 9:41:28 AM PDT by knighthawk
Afghan and Pakistani soldiers exchanged gunfire in a remote border area, injuring one Pakistani civilian, in the latest skirmish to strain relations between the two.
The gun battle began when Afghan troops apparently fired four shells into Pakistani territory at Mohmand, about 60 miles north-west of Peshawar.
A Pakistani government official said the wounded man suffered shrapnel wounds when a shell exploded near his home in the village of Kudakhel Pass.
Relations between the two countries have become increasingly strained since President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan accused Pakistan last month of violating Afghan territory.
A tripartite commission consisting of the two countries and America met last week to discuss border issues. An Afghan commander, Mohammed Mustafa, said yesterday Pakistani soldiers were trying to capture mountain positions along the border.
But a military spokesman in Islamabad dismissed this. "The situation is normal," he said. Last week, the commission agreed to set up a hotline to ensure that border clashes do not escalate.
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