News - Afghanistan

Residents of eastern Kunar province on Thursday urged the Afghan government to station more soldiers in the less safe parts of the province.

Amid ongoing shelling of rockets from Pakistan which lies across its eastern border, residents said that the presence of the Afghan National Army in the border regions can prevent the shelling.

"Three days ago, the Afghan National Army came and Pakistan did not fire even one missile, but when they left, the attacks continued every day," a resident told TOLOnews Thursday.

Kunar Governor Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi said he believed it would be more effective to better equip the border police.

"The border is not completely secure – only five police bases exist for the whole border," he said. "The border police are brave people but they have vehicle and equipment problems."

The Ministry of Interior (MOI) acknowledged Kunar's security challenges but added that both border police and the Afghan army are working on security in the border regions.

"We know of the current problems of Kunar's residents and the Afghan forces are making efforts to dispel every challenge," MOI spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told TOLOnews.

Kunar province, made up of 14 distrcits, shares a 240 kilometre border with neighbouring country Pakistan.

According to local authorities, nearly 5000 missiles have been fired from across the border since 2011, with at least 12 people directly killed and another 25 others injured. Hundreds of families have been displaced.