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Protest lodged with Kabul over cross-border attack

Afghan envoy called after four Pakistani troops killed by rocket.

Islamabad: Pakistan summoned Afghan envoy to the Foreign Office and lodged protest over cross-border rocket attack on its border post which killed four soldiers.
Afghan ambassador Janan Mosazai was summoned to the foreign ministry and "asked to urge his government to investigate the incident and share the result of the inquiry with the government of Pakistan," the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Such incidents do not augur well for the positive trajectory of relations the two sides have been able to achieve after sustained efforts".
The ambassador was told "Pakistan is willing to collaborate with Afghanistan to fight the common enemy but the attacks against our military personnel are unacceptable".
Military spokesman said four troops were also wounded when a rocket was fired from across the border by Afghanistan-based terrorists in Khyber Agency area. "According to reports, rounds fired from (the) Afghanistan side by terrorists hit an 8,000-feet-high Pakistani post in Akhandwala Pass," a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said. "Four Pakistan Army soldiers were killed and four others injured," it added. "Pakistani troops gave a matching response and succeeded in eliminating the group of terrorists." The military did not give further details.
The cross-border attack by militants capped weeks of incriminatory statements from Kabul, blaming Pakistan for the recent uptick in violence in Afghanistan.
Islamabad and Kabul regularly accuse each other of supporting militants who cross the porous border to carry out attacks and of giving sanctuary to them.
Tensions have been running high between the two neighbours since the Taleban called off Pakistan-brokered talks with the Ashraf Ghani administration following the confirmation of the death of their long-time elusive leader Mullah Omar.
Afghanistan in particular accuses Pakistan of supporting Afghan Taleban.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani - who has actively courted Pakistan since coming to power last year - recently criticised his eastern neighbour of failing to rein in the Taleban following a series of deadly attacks in Kabul.
news@khaleejtimes.com
(With inputs from AFP)