QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) – Pakistan said Sunday its forces killed at least 50 Afghan troops and destroyed five checkpoints in clashes along the disputed border two days earlier, while Afghanistan dismissed the account, saying only two border police and a civilian were killed.
The two armies traded fire Friday around the Chaman border crossing, which has been closed by Pakistan, stranding people on both sides. The clashes, which ended after a few hours when local commanders contacted each other via an emergency hotline, marked a dangerous escalation between the two U.S. allies.
The two uneasy neighbors share a porous 2,200-kilometer (1,375-mile) border and have long traded allegations of allowing their border regions to be used by militant groups.
Pakistani Maj. Gen. Nadeem Ahmad told reporters at the crossing that two Pakistani soldiers were killed in Friday’s fighting and another nine were wounded. He said around 100 Afghan forces were wounded.
Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said that account was “completely baseless.” He said two Afghan border police were killed in Spin Boldak, on the Afghan side of the border, and another 11 were wounded. An Afghan government statement issued Sunday accused Pakistan of “unprovoked firing” Friday and Saturday.