Two Pakistani army personnel including an Army major were killed in an IED blast on Friday near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Major Adeel Shahid and Sepoy Faraz Hussain were became victims of an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by terrorists from across the border, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Major Adeel Shahid & Sepoy Faraz Hussain embraced shahadat on Pak-Afg Border in Mohmand Distt. Squad under shaheed offr was supervising fencing work in an area which carried critical infiltration route. Shaheeds fell victim to an IED planted by terrorists from across the border. pic.twitter.com/NtEVllHqtq
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) September 20, 2019
The attack occurred at a time when the Army personnel were supervising fencing work in the area – a vital infiltration route allegedly used by terrorists crossing from Afghanistan.
Earlier, Pakistan PM Imran Khan formally inaugurated the Torkham border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The border crossing will now be open 24 hours and should bolster relations between ‘frenemies’ Islamabad and Kabul.
Torkham connects Nangarhar province of Afghanistan with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. It is the busiest port of entry between the two countries, serving as a major transporting, shipping, and receiving site.
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Pakistan, for the first time, opened its Torkham border with Afghanistan round the clock earlier this month on a trial basis, to enhance bilateral trade and facilitate the movement of pedestrians across the border.
Earlier, the crossing remained operational for 12 hours only, which created disruption for truckers on either side and a difficult situation for patients that could not cross the border overnight. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during his visit to Pakistan in June had requested Khan to ease trade between the two countries.
