Taliban claims 'unidentified' gunman killed Pakistani soldier at Spin Boldak-Chaman
Nov 16, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], November 16 : Taliban on Tuesday said that an unidentified man killed a Pakistani soldier on November 13 at the Spin Boldak-Chaman crossing.
Meanwhile, it has announced an investigation into a reported clash at the Spin Boldak border, reported Tolo News.
In a tweeted statement, the Islamic Emirate's spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said that the Islamic Emirate "expresses sorrow" over the incident and has appointed a delegation to identify the suspect and investigate the incident, adding that the security institutions will attempt to prevent such incidents in the future.
A man shot a Pakistani border guard with a gun in a video that has gone viral on social media, reported Tolo News.
One Pakistani soldier was killed and two others were injured as a result of these shots.
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan expresses sorrow for this incident and has appointed a high-level delegation to investigate this incident and find the culprits," Mujahid tweeted.
Spin Boldak connects Afghanistan's Kandahar to Pakistan's Quetta city, and the incident has led to the closure of the border through which thousands of Afghans cross to Pakistan daily and vice versa.
"A delegation is present in the region and is working very hard to open the crossing as soon as possible to solve the difficulties of travellers and other citizens," said Noor Ahmad Saeed, director of information and culture in Kandahar.
A regional news source quoted the deputy commissioner of Chaman, Hameed Zehri, as saying that Spin Boldak crossing won't be opened until the suspect is detained and handed over to the Pakistani authorities, reported Tolo News.
However, several Kandahar residents expressed concerns about the closing of the crossing, saying that it has increased the cost of food.
"We ask them to solve the issue through dialogue, so it doesn't harm the people," said Osman Barkat, a resident of Kandahar.
"Since the crossing has been closed, the prices of food items have surged. If the crossing remains closed, the prices will spike more than this," said Mohammad Anwar, another resident of Kandahar.
According to some political experts, the closing of these crossings will have an impact on relations between the two countries, reported Tolo News.
"The closing of borders shows the coldness of the relations of the governments and lack of trust," said Wais Naseri, a political analyst.
