JALALABAD, July 12: Troops of Afghanistan and Pakistan exchanged fire along the border on Saturday.

“There was an exchange of heavy fire for 45 minutes, both sides used artillery,” said the commander of Afghan border forces, Haji Abdul Zahir Qadir.

He said the clash took place in Yaqoobi Kandaw village of Lalapur district and claimed his men forced Pakistani troops to pull out of an area they seized about three weeks ago.

He said Pakistani forces still occupied some Afghan territory to the east of the city of Jalalabad and his men were ready to recapture the area should President Hamid Karzai give the order.

A Pakistani intelligence official in Peshawar confirmed that there had been an exchange but he said the two sides used AK-47 rifles.—Reuters