At least four Pakistani soldiers were killed and four others injured today when militants from across the Afghan border fired rockets at an army check post in the country’s restive Khyber tribal region.
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The tribal regions are off-limits for journalists making it hard to independently confirm or obtain detailed accounts of the event.
The incident happened in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber tribal region that borders eastern Afghanistan.
The attack comes at a time when relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated in the wake of a surge in Taliban attacks in Afghanistan and statements of Afghan leaders against Pakistan.
A low-level insurgency is ongoing in Baluchistan by separatist and nationalist groups who demand complete autonomy from Islamabad and an extra share from the revenues generated by the province’s natural gas and mineral resources.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained for over a decade with both neighbors accusing each other of cross-border firing and shelling.
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A strong protest was also lodged on cross-border violations from the Afghan side on August 16 and 17, which resulted in martyrdom of three FC personnel and injuries to two others. In response, Afghanistan charges Pakistan with patronizing the Afghan Taliban.
