Afghan Mortars Fire Injures Six Pakistanis: Officials

Islamabad, Dec 19, IRNA -- Pakistani officials say that at least six people were injured on Wednesday when mortars fired from Afghan side of the border landed in Pakistani border areas of South Waziristan. Tribesmen in the region said around 60 mortars were fired and some hit Angor Adda bazaar close to the border, damaging 12 shops and houses. The injured were transferred to hospital in Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan, officials said. Tribesmen staged demonstration in Angor Adda against the Afghan shelling and blocked traffic on main Pak-Afghan highway. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the highway, locals said. It was not clear as to who have fired the mortars. Foreign and Afghan forces routinely fight the Taliban militants on the Afghan side of the border and some time rockets landed in Pakistan area. Cross-border-shelling is common as Pakistan and Afghanistan share over 2000 kilometers border. Both routinely accuse each other of firing. Pakistan says that some Pakistani Taliban leaders, including their chief, Maulvi Fazalullah, have crossed into Afghanistan and now operate from there. The army says that Afghan-based Pakistani Taliban carry out attacks on border posts and villages. Afghan officials also claim that Pakistan rockets some time hit civilian areas in the border regions./end