A Pakistani soldier is killed in a shootout with militants close to Afghanistan border, navy says

ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani soldier was killed in an in a single day shootout with militants within the nation’s northwest, close to the border with Afghanistan, the navy stated.

A navy assertion late Saturday stated the shootout happened in Mir Ali, a serious city of North Waziristan that served as a secure haven for militants for many years. It stated the navy had been trying to find terrorists there.

The shootout happened days after Pakistan closed the important thing northwestern Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan after border guards from the 2 sides exchanged hearth Wednesday. Clashes that very same day within the northwestern Chitral district close to the border killed 4 Pakistani troopers and 12 militants.

Scores of vehicles loaded with items, many carrying perishable gadgets together with greens and fruits, had been nonetheless lined up on each side of the Torkham border level Sunday, ready for the crossing to reopen.

Torkham witnessed earlier clashes in February and the city remained closed for a number of days after the 2 sides accused one another of attempting to construct new posts alongside the border.

Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, a senior official of Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Trade, urged authorities to prioritize fixing the border concern as merchants stand to lose hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in perishable items if Torkham will not be opened quickly.

Pakistani authorities stated they had been in talks with the Afghan interim authorities over the Torkham border conflict and growing cross-border militant assaults.

Caretaker International Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani termed the the incident very unlucky and stated Pakist­­an is taking the rise in terrorism very critically, and it’s the accountability of Afghanistan to cease the atta­cks rising from their soil.

Pakistani Taliban, often known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, have intensified assaults over the previous months on Pakistani safety forces. They’re a separate group however an ally of the Afghan Taliban.