Cross-border attack kills two in Pakistan

Afghanistan and Pakistan blame each other for several recent cross-border attacks.

Khar: Mortar shells fired from across the border in Afghanistan hit a house in Pakistan on Thursday killing two people and wounding several children, officials said.

They blamed Pakistani Taliban, saying the militants are hiding in eastern Afghanistan and launching across the border attacks on Pakistani troops.

Six people including three children were wounded.

In the latest attack, four mortar shells hit the house in Banda-Gai village in Mamoond area, 60 kilometres (40 miles) northwest of Khar, the main town of Bajaur tribal district.

"Two people including a woman were killed and six others were injured. Militants fired the mortars across the border from Afghan side," Tariq Khan, a senior administrative official, said.

"They are Pakistani militants hiding there in Afghanistan."

Shah Naseem, another official, said the target of the attack was Pakistani troops at the border but they remained safe and the shells missed them.

Taliban and other al Qaeda-linked militants have carved out strongholds on both sides of the porous border. Afghanistan and Pakistan blame each other for several recent cross-border attacks.

On Tuesday, more than 20 mortar shells from Afghanistan killed four Pakistani soldiers and wounded two others in South Waziristan, part of the lawless tribal district.

Pakistani officials blamed the Afghan Army for that attack.

Bureau Report

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