Pakistan says soldier killed near Afghan border

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - A Pakistan Army soldier was killed in firing on a check post from Afghan side of the border, the military said on Wednesday.

The incident took place in the northwestern Bajaur district along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, a statement said.

"...Resultantly, Havaldar Tanveer embraced Shahadat [martyrdom] while one soldier got injured," it read.

Bajaur, one of the seven agencies in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas, has long been the target of suspected militants loyal to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Pakistan claims that the terrorist network, following a series of security operations in its northwestern region, has set up bases across the border to attack security forces and civilians.

The attack comes amid the ongoing intra-Afghan peace talks in Doha, Qatar, which aim to end the 19-year-long conflict in Afghanistan.

Both Islamabad and Kabul have warned that "spoilers" are desperate to derail the peace process.

In December 2018, Pakistan arranged direct talks between Washington and the Taliban, paving the way for a peace deal between the two sides this February.