Afghan-Pakistan forces agreed to cease fire and hoist white flags on both sides of the border late Wednesday night. However, Afghan forces resorted to unprovoked firing and two FC soldiers were injured as a result of the firing.
Pakistani forces retaliated the firing. The injured were transported to a nearby hospital.
Meanwhile, Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Umar Zakhilwal had denied that he had agreed to a ceasefire at Torkham during his meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif.
The installation of the steel gate had become a bone of contention between Afghan and Pakistani border officials as the Afghans had objected to it even though the gate was being put up inside Pakistani territory. This had fuelled clashes at the Torkham border for the last three days. The gate had been removed when Pakistan was building the Torkham-Jalalabad road as part of its contribution to war-ravaged Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development.
Flags were hoisted on rooftops on both sides of the Torkham border as a display of a wish for peace. However, Pakistan Army troops backed by tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) continued to hold their positions along the border to deter any likely aggression by the Afghan forces.