Pakistan reopens Afghanistan border crossing

Pakistan has reopened a major border crossing with Afghanistan more than three weeks after several people were killed when troops from both sides exchanged fire for several hours.

The Pakistani military said in a recent statement that the Chaman crossing into Afghanistan's Kandahar province had been reopened on "humanitarian grounds" after Afghan officials submitted a request.

"It has been agreed upon by Pakistan authorities that ceasefire shall continue to be maintained and no border violation will be acceptable," the statement said.

It, however, noted that Pakistani troops would maintain positions along the border.

Wesh-Chaman is a major border crossing between the two countries. It connects the town of Chaman in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan to Wesh in Afghanistan's Kandahar province.

On May 5, Pakistani officials said Afghan troops had launched a cross-border attack on a group of Pakistani government employees who were carrying out census operations in the villages of Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir. The troops who were escorting the employees also came under attack, Islamabad claimed.

At the time, Pakistan announced that at least a dozen Pakistani civilians had been killed and over 40 others, including women and children, had been injured in the attack.

Afghan officials said dozens of Afghan and Pakistani troops were killed in the fierce fighting.

Zia Durani, a police spokesman for Afghanistan's Kandahar province, said at the time that Pakistani officials were using the census as a cover for "malicious activities and to provoke villagers against the government."

SS