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8 Pak soldiers hurt in Afghan border cross fire

* Five Afghan soldiers also injured in clash
* Pakistan lodges ‘strong protest’ with NATO

WANA/ISLAMABAD: Eight Pakistani troops and five Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers have been wounded in a cross fire on the Pak-Afghan border late on Thursday, sources in local security agencies said.

The incident took place at Angoor Adda, a village in Wana, headquarters of South Waziristan Agency.

The firing began after Taliban attacked a foreign troop base in Machi-dad on the Afghan side of the border, a Pakistani intelligence official said. “The clash between militants and the ANA occurred just across the Afghan border, but some shells fired by the ANA hit the Pakistani post, which injured the soldiers,” the sources said.

Pakistani troops retaliated injuring at least five Afghan soldiers, the sources added.

Strong protest: Army’s top spokesman has said mortar shells fired from Afghanistan wounded six Pakistani security forces along the border, and Pakistan has lodged a “strong protest” with NATO, AP reported. “This was mortar fire from the Afghan side,” Abbas said. “Whether it was foreign forces or Afghan forces it’s yet to be determined.”

Six mortars were fired which fell close to a military post in the town of Angoor Adda in the South Waziristan tribal region, Maj Gen Athar Abbas said. Pakistani forces immediately returned fire, and “casualties were reported on the other side,” he said.

Asked if militants across the border could have been behind the firing, Abbas said he did not want to speculate.

According to AFP, the intelligence official said, “About 60 rounds fell in Angoor Adda.” “Some of them hit our post and wounded seven soldiers,” he added. sajjad malik/ap/afp

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