Islamabad, Dec 30 (UNI) At least eight people were killed and 13, including civilians, injured on the Afghan side during clashes, which continued till late Saturday night, media reports said on Monday.

The two sides have been exchanging fire since Pakistani fighter jets bombed alleged camps of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan’s eastern Pak­tika province on Tuesday, the Dawn reported.

According to sources, one Frontier Corps soldier was killed, while 11 others were injured in fresh clashes, which began after a failed bid by militants on the Afghan side to infiltrate into Pakistan.

Militants attempted to infiltrate the border on Friday night, but their attempt was thwarted by security forces.

After their infiltration attempt was thwarted, the militants joined Afghan forces and fired on Pakistani posts using light and heavy weapons on Saturday morning, the report said.

Afghan forces and militants engaged in daylong clashes targeting border posts in the Ghozgarhi, Matha Sangar, Kot Ragha, and Tari Mengal areas.

Sources claim that Pakistani security forces suffered significant losses in retaliatory fire, forcing them to abandon their border posts.

Pakistan has repeatedly shared its concerns with Kabul over the use of its soil by militants for cross-border terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Last week, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asked the Afghan government to take action against the TTP and said attacks on Pakistan from Afghan soil were a “red line” for the country.

He said Islamabad was ready to hold talks with Kabul on the issue, but dialogues and attacks “can’t go together.”

According to sources, the Afghan Taliban had been continuously supporting TTP terrorists based on their side of the border.

The strikes on Tuesday came the same day that a Pakistani delegation, led by Special Representative Muhammad Sadiq, met interim interior minister Sirajudddin Haqqani and foreign minister Amir Muttaqi in Kabul to resume diplomatic dialogue after a year-long hiatus.

According to reports, the Afghan government lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the airstrikes and claimed that at least 46 people, mainly women and children, were killed.

Pakistan conducted strikes following a terrorist attack on a checkpoint in Makeen, South Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in the deaths of 16 soldiers.

UNI ARN