9 killed as Afghan forces fire on Pakistan census team

Pakistani relatives push a stretcher carrying a victim

Afghan border forces yesterday opened fire on Pakistani security personnel guarding a census team in the town of Chaman, killing nine people and injuring 45 others, Pakistan army said.

Five children and three women were among those killed, while four Frontier Corps are among the 45 injured. The Pakistani army said the Afghan border guards opened fire despite the fact that Afghan authorities had been informed in advance about the census exercise. "Afghan Border Police had been creating hurdles in [the] census in villages on Pakistani side of the border," the military said.