Torkham border briefly shut after firing

LANDIKOTAL: An Afghan citizen was killed while a few others, including a Pakistani paramilitary soldier, sustained bullet wounds when the Afghan border police opened fire to disperse a mob that had gathered on the Torkham border in Afghanistan, official sources said on Thursday.

The sources said that the Afghan border police opened fire when dozens of truck drivers and their helpers were protesting against the harsh conditions for them to cross the Torkham border easily.

He said the Afghan police fired several shots and as result, an Afghan citizen, whose name could not be ascertained, was killed on the spot and a few others were injured on the Afghan side of the Torkham border.

A stray bullet hit a Frontier Corps soldier on the Pakistan side of the border who was on duty at the zero point. He was rushed to Combined Military Hospital in Landikotal where his condition was stated to be stable.

The Pakistani authorities closed the border for safety. A large number of loaded and empty vehicles were stranded on both sides of the border while hundreds of passengers had to wait for hours. Later, the officials reopened the border when the situation was under control.