Karachi : Afghan border forces on Friday opened fire on Pakistani security personnel guarding a census team in the border town of Chaman in restive Baluchistan province, killing nine people and injuring 45 others, Pakistan army said.
The Afghan border forces started shelling at Kali Luqman and Kali Jahangir area early this morning targeting security personnel guarding a census team in Chaman area, Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said.
Five children and three women were among those killed, while four Frontier Corps personnel are among the 45 injured.
The Pakistani army said the Afghan border guards’ opened fire despite the fact that Afghan authorities had been informed in advance about the census exercise in Pakistan. “Since April 30, Afghan Border Police had been creating hurdles in [the] conduct of census in divided villages of Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir in Chaman area, on Pakistani side of the border,” the military’s media wing said. Additional contingents of the army and Frontier Corps have been dispatched to the Pak-Afghan border.–PTI