2017 Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmish

Last updated

2017 Afghanistan-Pakistan skirmishes
Part of the Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes
Date5 May 2017
Location
Chaman, Balochistan, Pakistan
30°54′26″N66°27′03″E / 30.907255°N 66.450959°E / 30.907255; 66.450959
Result Pakistan closes the border for the second time in 2017. [1]
Belligerents
Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg Afghanistan
Units involved
Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg  Pakistan Army
Flag of Pakistan.svg Frontier Corps 		Flag of the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan.svg Afghan National Army
Flag of the Afghan National Police (Pashto and Dari) (2001-2021).svg Afghan Border Police
Casualties and losses
2 killed, 9 wounded (Pakistani claim)
9 killed and 40 wounded (Afghan claim)		 50+ killed, 100+ wounded (Pakistani claim) [2] [3] [4]
Five checkpoints destroyed (Pakistani claim) [4]
9 civilians killed, 42 wounded (Pakistani claim)
2 civilians killed, 30 wounded (Afghan claim)
Pakistan location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Chaman
class=notpageimage|
Location within Balochistan and Pakistan
Pakistan Balochistan location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Chaman
Chaman (Balochistan, Pakistan)

On 5 May 2017, an armed skirmish occurred after Afghan forces attacked a Pakistani census team in Chaman, in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan. At least 15 people died on both sides in the immediate border clash. It is one of a series of similar border-related incidents between the two countries.

Contents

Background

In February 2017, Pakistan closed the border crossings at Torkham and Chaman due to security reasons following the Sehwan suicide bombing. [5] [6] Hours after the blast, the Pakistan Army reportedly launched "strikes" on militant bases in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. [7] In March, 32 days after it was closed, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered the reopening of the Afghanistan–Pakistan border as a "goodwill gesture". [8] [9] Subsequently, the Pakistani government decided to fence selected parts of the country's border with Afghanistan. [10] On 5 April, an Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman said Kabul might resort to military action if diplomacy failed to resolve the border fencing issue. [11]

The Afghanistan–Pakistan border, known as the Durand Line, runs through the Pashtun ethnic homeland, dividing the region between the two countries. Historically, the Afghan government has disputed the border and resisted attempts at border control or fencing, straining ties between both nations. The Afghan foreign ministry claimed it had also "warned" Pakistan not to conduct its census in the villages near the border area. [1]

Incident

On 5 May, a Pakistani census team that was collecting population data was attacked by Afghan forces. [12] Pakistani officials said that the fighting began after Afghan security forces fired on the census workers and the F.C. paramilitary troops escorting them. The team was present near the village of Luqman located in Spin Boldak and Killi Jahangir villages near the border on the Pakistani side. [13] [1] [14] According to Pakistan, the Afghan Border Police had been notified of the ongoing census activities in advance, but the Afghan forces began creating hurdles for them since 30 April. [1] [15] [16]

Samim Khaplwak, an Afghan spokesman for the governor of Kandahar, claimed that the Pakistani census team had strayed into Afghanistan. An Afghan foreign ministry spokesman claimed the villages were located in Spin Boldak District on their side of the Durand Line disputed by Afghanistan, identifying them as Luqman and Haji Nazar. [1] He said the Afghan forces fired upon the Pakistani personnel. [1]

In return, Pakistani forces attacked the Afghan forces. On Pakistan's side, the Afghan troops firing killed nine people, including three women and five children, while 40 others were wounded. [17] [18] The Pakistani troops' firing targeted Afghan security personnel and 50+ border guards were killed while 100+ Afghan security forces, were injured and at least 1 was captured. [18] It also said that two Pakistani soldiers were also killed and another nine were wounded. [19] [20] [21] Furthermore, the military said Afghanistan requested a ceasefire which Pakistan accepted. [22] An Afghan government spokesman said they "totally rejected" the casualty figures by Pakistan as "very false". [23] [24] Afghanistan's envoy to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal said that only two Afghan soldiers were killed and seven injured. He asserted: "The Chaman clash left casualties, deaths and injured on Pakistan side too but we, instead of celebrating, called it unfortunate and regrettable." [22]

Reaction

A spokesman for Kandahar police told Reuters that the Pakistani team were using the census as cover for "malicious activities and to provoke villagers against the government". [25]

The Inspector-General of Pakistan's Frontier Corps, Major-General Nadeem Ahmed, said that Afghan forces had intruded into Pakistani territory and taken positions by occupying houses there. He said the Afghans had targeted civilian populations and used villagers as human shields, but they retreated from their positions after Pakistani forces launched an assault. [15] He also added that Pakistan's international border was "non-negotiable and no compromise will be made on it", and that the Afghan aggression was a result of their government's collusion with India. [15]

The commander of Pakistan Army's Southern Command, Lieutenant-General Aamer Riaz, called the Afghan offensive "foolish" and said Pakistan would respond to such attacks with "full might". In an interview with Radio Pakistan, he commented: "Such attacks won’t benefit Afghanistan in any way and its government should be ashamed of these imprudent actions." [26] He said the Chaman border would remain closed until "Afghanistan changes its behaviour." [23]

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated if Pakistan's borders were "violated and further destruction occurs, then those responsible will have to pay the price. We will avenge those who cause us destruction." He said Afghanistan had realised it was "at fault", and that Pakistan expected to resolve the matter but it did not receive a "positive response". He also called on the Afghan government to end terrorism. [27]

Aftermath

The Wesh–Chaman border crossing was closed as a result of the skirmish. [1] The border closure resulted in the suspension of the repatriation of Afghan refugees. [28] On 8 May, the census activities halted in urban areas of Chaman resumed. [29] On 12 May, the border crossing was partially reopened for the women, children and sick people. [30] The area is inhabited by Achakzai tribespeople on both sides of the border. [31] Following the skirmish, civilians on both sides were evacuated to safer locations. [31] In Quetta, a group of protesters staged a demonstration outside the Afghan consulate condemning the Afghan forces. [32]

Following a series of flag meetings, both sides started negotiations. It was agreed that a joint geological (sic) or geodetic survey would be carried out to demarcate the border area, and that Google Maps would be considered for this purpose. According to Dawn , the Pakistani side "made it clear" to the Afghans that the two villages affected by the incident belonged to Pakistan's side of the border. [33] On 11 May, the completed survey reports were sent to the governments of both countries. [34] On 27 May, Pakistan said it opened the border on "humanitarian grounds" after a request from Afghan authorities, following the start of Ramadan. This marked the end of a closure lasting 22 days. [35]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durand Line</span> International border between Afghanistan and Pakistan

The Durand Line, also known as the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, is a 2,640-kilometre (1,640 mi) international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia. The western end runs to the border with Iran and the eastern end to the border with China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spin Boldak</span> Town in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan

Spin Boldak is a border town and the headquarters of Spin Boldak District in the southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, next to the border with Pakistan. It is linked by a highway with the city of Kandahar to the north, and with Chaman and Quetta in Pakistan to the south. Spin Boldak has the second major port of entry between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Wesh-Chaman border crossing. It is also a major transporting, shipping and receiving site between the two neighboring countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaman</span> City in Balochistan, Pakistan

Chaman is the capital city of the Chaman District in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is located near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The city is situated south of the Wesh–Chaman border crossing with the neighbouring Kandahar province of Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes</span> Armed clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan since 1949

A series of occasional armed skirmishes and firefights have occurred along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border between the Afghan Armed Forces and the Pakistan Armed Forces since 1949. The latest round of hostilities between the two countries began in April 2007. Militants belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar also use Afghanistan's territory to target Pakistani security personnel deployed along the border. The Diplomat says that the presence of terrorists belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan on Afghan soil is the reason for sporadic shelling of Afghanistan's territory by Pakistani security forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa</span> Armed conflict involving Pakistan and armed militant groups

The insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, also known as the War in North-West Pakistan or Pakistan's war on terror, is an ongoing armed conflict involving Pakistan and Islamist militant groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jundallah, Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI), TNSM, al-Qaeda, and their Central Asian allies such as the ISIL–Khorasan (ISIL), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, East Turkistan Movement, Emirate of Caucasus, and elements of organized crime. Formerly a war, it is now a low-level insurgency as of 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistani Taliban</span> Islamist militant organization operating along the Durand Line

The Pakistani Taliban, formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan, is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current leader is Noor Wali Mehsud, who has publicly pledged allegiance to the Afghan Taliban. The Pakistani Taliban share a common ideology with the Afghan Taliban and have assisted them in the 2001–2021 war, but the two groups have separate operation and command structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaman border crossing</span> Border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan

The Chaman border crossing is one of the major international border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Located on the Pak-Afghan border, it leads north from the town of Chaman, Chaman District, Balochistan into Wesh, Afghanistan in Spin Boldak District, Kandahar province. More generally, it links the two provincial capitals: Quetta and Kandahar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orakzai and Kurram offensive</span> 2010 Pakistani military operation

The Orakzai and Kurram offensive, also known as Operation Khwakh Ba De Sham was a Pakistani military operation against the Tehrik-i-Taliban in the Orakzai Agency and Kurram Agency area of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas that began on 23 March 2010. It was part of the War in North-West Pakistan.

2003 in Afghanistan. A list of notable incidents in Afghanistan during 2003

This is a list of terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2012. Pakistan has faced numerous attacks by insurgents as a result of the ongoing War in North-West Pakistan by the Pakistani military against militant groups, part of the War on Terror. At the same time, there have also been numerous drone attacks in Pakistan carried out by the United States which exclusively target members of militant groups along the Afghan border regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 India–Pakistan border skirmishes</span> Series of armed skirmishes between India and Pakistan in Kashmir

The 2013 India–Pakistan border incidents was a series of armed skirmishes along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir area. Starting from the mid-January 2013, they have been described as the "worst bout of fighting in the region in nearly 10 years". It began on 6 January 2013, when according to Pakistani reports Indian forces attacked a Pakistani border post, killing one soldier. Indian authorities claimed the incident as a retaliation against preceding Pakistani ceasefire violations, but denied having crossed the demarcation line. In a second skirmish on 8 January, Indian authorities said that Pakistani forces crossed the LoC, killing two Indian soldiers. The incident sparked outrage in India and harsh reactions by the Indian army and government over the news that the body of one of the soldiers had been beheaded. Pakistan denied these reports. On 15 January, a third skirmish reportedly led to the death of another Pakistani soldier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Zarb-e-Azb</span> Joint-military operation involving Pakistan against armed insurgent groups

Operation Zarb-e-Azb was a joint military offensive conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and Lashkar-e-Islam. The operation was launched on 15 June 2014 in North Waziristan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a renewed effort against militancy in the wake of the 8 June attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, for which the TTP and the IMU claimed responsibility. As of 14 July 2014, the operation internally displaced about 929,859 people belonging to 80,302 families from North Waziristan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan–Pakistan border barrier</span> Border barrier being constructed by Pakistan at the Durand Line

The Afghanistan–Pakistan border barrier refers to the border barrier being built by Pakistan since March 2017 along its border with Afghanistan. The purpose of the barrier is to prevent terrorism, arms, and drug trafficking, as well as refugees, illegal immigration, smuggling and infiltration across the approximately 2,670-kilometre-long (1,660 mi) international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014–2015 India–Pakistan border skirmishes</span> Series of armed skirmishes between India and Pakistan

The 2014–2015 India–Pakistan border skirmishes were a series of armed clashes and exchanges of gunfire between the Indian Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers: the paramilitary gendarmerie forces of both nations, responsible for patrolling the India-Pakistan border) along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region and the borders of the Punjab. Tensions began in mid-July 2014, with both countries' military officials and media reports giving different accounts of the incidents and accusing each other of initiating the hostilities. The incident sparked outrage in both countries and harsh reactions by the Indian and Pakistani militaries and the Indian and Pakistani governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Khyber</span> Pakistani military operation

Khyber was the code-name for a 2014–2017 military offensive conducted by Pakistan's military in the Khyber Agency in four phases; Khyber-1, Khyber-2, Khyber-3 and Khyber-4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–2018 India–Pakistan border skirmishes</span> Series of armed skirmishes between India and Pakistan in Kashmir

The 2016–2018 India–Pakistan border skirmishes were a series of armed clashes between India and Pakistan, mostly consisting of heavy exchanges of gunfire between Indian and Pakistani forces across the de facto border, known as the Line of Control (LoC), between the two states in the disputed region of Kashmir. The skirmishes began after India claimed to have conducted surgical strikes against militant launch pads within the Pakistani-administered territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on 29 September 2016.

Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2017 include, in chronological order:

Events in the year 2017 in Afghanistan.

Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was a combined military operation by the Pakistani military in support of local law enforcement agencies to disarm and eliminate the terrorist sleeper cells across all states of Pakistan, started on 22 February 2017. The operation aimed to eliminate the threat of terrorism, and consolidating the gains of Operation Zarb-e-Azb which was launched in 2014 as a joint military offensive. It was further aimed at ensuring the security of Pakistan's borders. The operation underwent active participation from the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Police and other Warfare and Civil Armed Forces managed under the Government of Pakistan. More than 375,000 intelligence-based operations had been carried out as of 2021. This operation has been mostly acknowledged after Operation Zarb e Azb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Pakistani census</span> 2017 national census of Pakistan

The 2017 Census of Pakistan was a detailed enumeration of the Pakistani population which began on 15 March 2017 and ended on 25 May 2017. It was the first census taken in the country in the 21st century, nineteen years after the previous one in 1998, and it was carried out by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Pakistan-Afghanistan crossing closed after border clash". Al Jazeera English . 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  2. ↑ Najafizada, Eltaf (7 May 2017). "Afghanistan Rejects Pakistan Claim of Killing 50 Afghan Forces". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  3. ↑ "Pakistan and Afghanistan dispute toll after clashes". Al Jazeera. 8 May 2017. Archived from the original on 9 May 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  4. 1 2 Shah, Syed Ali (7 May 2017). "50 Afghan soldiers killed, 100 injured in retaliatory firing to Chaman cross-border attack: IG FC". Dawn. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  5. ↑ "Pak. closes Afghan border crossing". The Hindu . Associated Press. 19 February 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "Pak-Afghan border closed for indefinite period: ISPR". The News International . 16 February 2017. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  7. ↑ Ahmad, Imtiaz (18 February 2017). "Hours after shrine attack, Pakistan hits militant bases in Afghanistan; envoy summoned". Hindustan Times . Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  8. ↑ "Pakistani prime minister orders the reopening of border with Afghanistan, ending costly closure". Los Angeles Times . Associated Press. 20 March 2017. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  9. ↑ Afzaal, Ali (21 March 2017). "Pak-Afghan border reopens after 32 days". Geo News . Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  10. ↑ Shinwari, Ibrahim (28 February 2017). "Parts of Afghan border to be fenced". Dawn . Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  11. ↑ Gul, Ayaz (5 April 2017). "Afghanistan Reacts Angrily to Pakistan's Fencing of Border". Voice of America . Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  12. ↑ "Clash erupts on Afghan-Pakistan border". BBC News . 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  13. ↑ "Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan".
  14. ↑ "At Afghanistan-Pakistan Border, Forces Clash and at Least 11 Die". The New York Times . 5 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 "Chaman border attack: 50 Afghan soldiers killed, 100 injured in retaliatory fire, says IG FC". Express Tribune . 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  16. ↑ Naadim, Basher Ahmad (7 May 2017). "What happened in Spin Boldak's Luqman village?" . Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "9 killed, over 40 injured after Afghan forces open fire on border villages in Chaman". Dawn . 6 May 2017. Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  18. 1 2 "Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Clashes Leave Many Dead". Voice of America . 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  19. ↑ "Pakistan: Army kills 50 Afghan forces in border fight". Fox News. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017.
  20. ↑ "50 Afghan soldiers killed, 100 injured as Pakistan returns fire at Chaman border". Daily Pakistan Global. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  21. ↑ "Pakistan claims 50 Afghan soldiers killed in border clashes". Times of India. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  22. 1 2 Siddiqui, Naveed (8 May 2017). "2 Afghan soldiers, not 50 killed: Afghan envoy rubbishes Pak claims". Dawn. Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  23. 1 2 "Pakistan claims 50 Afghan soldiers killed in border clashes". Hindustan Times. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  24. ↑ Constable, Pamela (7 May 2017). "Pakistan claims it killed 50 Afghan border troops". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  25. ↑ "Pakistani, Afghan troops exchange fire on border, several killed". Reuters . 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  26. ↑ "Pak Army will respond to 'foolish' offensives with 'full might': Lt Gen Aamir Riaz". The Express Tribune. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  27. ↑ "Will give a befitting reply to all actions on our border: Khawaja Asif". Geo News. 6 May 2017. Archived from the original on 6 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  28. ↑ "Chaman border clash disrupts return of Afghan refugees". Geo News . 10 May 2017. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  29. ↑ "Census activities resume in Chaman after cross-border firing". Geo News . 8 May 2017. Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  30. ↑ "Chaman border crossing partially reopens on eighth day". Dunya News . 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  31. 1 2 Notezai, Muhammad Akbar (7 May 2017). "Footprints: Fear in border town". Dawn. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  32. ↑ "Protest rally at Afghan Consulate". Balochistan Express. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  33. ↑ Shahid, Saleem (8 May 2017). "Geological survey of two villages agreed upon". Dawn. Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  34. ↑ Shahid, Saleem (11 May 2017). "Survey reports of border villages sent to Kabul and Islamabad". Dawn . Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  35. ↑ Siddiqui, Naveed (28 May 2017). "Pakistan opens Chaman border crossing on 'humanitarian grounds' after 22 days". Dawn. Archived from the original on 27 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.