A Pakistani soldier was killed in an overnight shootout with militants in the country’s northwest, near the border with Afghanistan, the military said.
A military statement late Saturday said the shootout took place in Mir Ali, a major town of North Waziristan that served as a safe haven for militants for decades. It said the military had been searching for terrorists there. The shootout took place days after Pakistan closed the key northwestern Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan after border guards from the two sides exchanged fire Wednesday. Clashes that same day in the northwestern Chitral district near the border killed four Pakistani soldiers and 12 militants. Scores of trucks loaded with goods, many carrying perishable items including vegetables and fruits, were still lined up on both sides of the Torkham border point Sunday, waiting for the crossing to reopen. Torkham witnessed previous clashes in February and the town remained closed for several days after the two sides accused each other of trying to build new posts along the border. Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, a senior official of Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, urged authorities to prioritize solving the border issue as traders stand to lose millions of dollars in perishable goods if Torkham is not opened soon.