Residents flee border area as Afghan and Pakistani forces clash over crossing closure

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Residents have fled a border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan after forces from both sides clashed into the early hours of Tuesday, a Pakistani official said.

It's the second consecutive day of tit-for-tat gunfire at Torkham, a key crossing between the two countries that has been closed since Feb. 21 because of a dispute between the two neighbors.

The Pakistani official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak with the media, said that gunfire overnight Monday spread fear and panic among residents.

They fled to safer locations as security forces on both sides shot at each other with light and heavy weapons.

“The situation remains tense and security is on high alert,” the official said. Three Pakistani security personnel were wounded in the latest clash. There were no civilian casualties.

In Kabul, Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said Tuesday that authorities would continue their efforts to resolve the issue through talks.

Both countries have in the past closed Torkham and the southwestern Chaman border crossing, most often over deadly shootings and crossfire. The crossings are vital for trade and travel between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan.