Heavy cross-border shelling reported in KP's Mohmand

Heavy cross-border shelling reported in KP's Mohmand

MOHMAND: Heavy cross-border shelling was reported in Baizai tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mohmand district on Thursday, spreading fear and anxiety among residents in border areas. A police officer confirmed the incident to Dawn, saying intermittent firing from heavy weapons had been reported in the Shandara area. The shelling triggered panic among local communities, with residents expressing concern for their safety amid heightened tensions along the border. The exact circumstances that triggered the exchange of fire were not immediately clear, while there was no official information about casualties or property damage caused by the shelling. Security authorities were monitoring the situation as tensions remained high along the Pak-Afghan border. Intermittent cross-border shelling took place throughout March and April, after Pakistan lau­nched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq on the night of Feb 26, following unprovoked cross-border attacks by the Afghan Taliban. On April 8, Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to avoid any escalation in their armed conflict during talks hosted by China. Since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, diplomatic contact between the two sides had largely ceased. On April 15, two children and a woman were killed while three others were injured when mortar shells fired from across the Afghan border hit a house in the Kitkot village of KP’s Bajaur district. One killed, one injured in blast A person was killed and his nephew injured when an explosive device went off along a road in the Bedmani area of Baizai tehsil, police said. According to police sources, the pair were travelling when the device detonated. A resident of the Kong area of Khweazai tehsil, was killed on the spot, while his nephew was injured and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, police said. Following the incident, police and security personnel cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. Evidence from the site was also collected to determine the nature of the device and the circumstances surrounding the blast. Police said further investigation was underway, while details about the motive behind the incident were not immediately available.