During the event, some Afghans attacked the gate and burnt a Pakistani flag in the evening, prompting authorities to deploy additional security troops and shut down the gate for indefinite period, an official said.
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The incident that took place on Thursday evening has resulted in suspension in the movement of trucks involved in trade shipments between the two countries and carrying supplies for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces in Afghanistan.
The operation was part of Khyber-III, launched on Tuesday, which targets terrorists holed up in the area beyond Tirah Valley, right on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Tension intensified after construction of gate at Torkham border. Afghan News Agency on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook.
Violent Afghan protesters, stormed the Bab-e-Dosti (Friendship Gate) on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Torkham area on Friday.
The Afghan demonstrators later started pelting the Friendship Gate with stones, smashing windowpanes of the building. “We will not open the gate until orders to do so are received from the high command”, they added.
Afghan border forces reportedly did not stop the people on their side from throwing stones at the border crossing gate which forced Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC), a paramilitary force, to close the border to avert any untoward incident. They carried placards and banners inscribed with anti-Pakistan slogans.
The protest was held in reaction to a similar protest tribes on the Pakistan side had held yesterday denouncing Indian Prime Minister Modi’s statement on Balochistan.
Every day around thousands of traders from both the countries cross into Chaman and Vesh Mandi in connection with their business in the border towns.
A long queue of trucks was seen at the gate after its closure.
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According to the sources, security has been heightened at the border after the incident.
