Tensions High on Afghanistan-Pakistan Border

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May 16, 2007 5:35 PM

Tension along the volatile border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is quickly increasing as the government of Pakistan is sending troop reinforcements following reports the Afghan National Army had also sent significant numbers of troops and installed extra artillery and mortar guns there.

Villagers in nearby towns in the Kurram Agency of Pakistan began leaving their homes for safer ground after public announcements were made from mosques and vehicles fitted with loudspeakers about the possibility of an outbreak of violence on the Pak-Afghan border.

There were similar reports of villagers evacuating from border towns in the Paktia province of Afghanistan.

While the situation has been deteriorating for some time, tensions quickly escalated earlier this week when the Pakistani and Afghan border forces clashed following a dispute on the exact location of the border. The two countries have long disputed the location of the border. That clash led to the deaths of Afghan troops and civilians, although the countries disagree over the exact death toll.

The next day, an American and a Pakistani soldier were killed in a Pakistan border town following a meeting convened by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

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An Afghan government spokesperson later alleged that a Pakistani security official fired at the U.S. and Afghan military officers as they were walking to their helicopter. The Pakistan government blamed "miscreants" for the killings. The ISAF has demanded a full investigation by the Pakistani military.