Pakistan shelling killed 9 people, orders to ready return fire: Afghan Army

In a retaliatory move, the Afghan Army has been ordered to prepare for fire against the Pakistani military after cross border shelling killed nine Afghan civilians and left 50 others wounded.

According to a Defense Ministry statement, at least nine civilians were killed and 50 others were injured during an overnight artillery attack which targeted residential areas in the Spin Boldak district of the Kandahar province on the Afghanistan border with Pakistan.

“The Afghan Army Chief of Staff General Yasin Zia directed all Army corps, including Atal 205, Selab 201 and Thunder 203 to get ready for activities against Pakistani forces and to equip Afghan troops who are stationed along the Durand Line,” the statement said.

Dozens of Afghans wounded in the attack are being treated at a Kandahar hospital. Doctors said some of the wounded are children, and some of the wounded are in critical condition.

Eyewitnesses of the incident said that seven members of one family were killed in the attack and a child from the family was wounded and is being treated at Kandahar hospital.

The shellings from Pakistan are not a new phenomenon for Afghans living near the eastern and southern parts of Afghanistan. While there are several instances to prove that Pakistani military forces have resorted to artillery attacks and shelling, Islamabad has continued to deny these attacks.