Pakistan has reopened its border at Chaman for trade and travel a week after the country closed it in response to the killing of its border force by an Afghan assailant. The country had reportedly asked the Taliban to hand over the assailant in return for reopening the border.
Local Taliban authorities in the southern Kandahar province confirmed on Monday, November 21, that the Spinboldak-Chaman border crossing has been reopened for travel and trade between the two neighboring countries.
Citing a Pakistan border official, the Dawn reported that the decision to open this border was made during a meeting between Pakistani and Taliban officials.
The attack which led to the closure of the border crossing a week earlier left one Pakistani border guard dead and two others wounded.
Though reports said that the assailant was a member of the Taliban, the Taliban had said that he was an “unknown” man.
On Sunday, November 20, some media reported that the Taliban have handed over to the Pakistani side. Later, the Taliban spokesmen denied it.
There have been increased border clashes and cross-border shelling between the Taliban and Pakistani forces in recent days.
The Taliban and Pakistani forces clashed for hours on Sunday in the border areas of the eastern Afghan province of Paktia. These clashes, a source confirmed, left at least five people dead, including civilians, and 15 others wounded.
