QUETTA: Mortar shells fired by the Iranian border forces landed and exploded in a border village of Pakistan in Chagai district on Sunday.

However, no casualty or damage to property was reported as no house was hit by the shells.

“Five mortar shells fired from Iranian side early in the morning landed in Talap village,” Taftan Assistant Commissioner Zafar Kubdani said.

The explosions woke up sleeping villagers and caused panic among them.

“The mortar shells landed one kilometre inside Pakistani territory between border poles 104 and 106,” Mr Kubdani said.

The district authorities lodged a protest with the Iranian border officials.

Border coordination

Pakistani and Iranian officials, in a meeting in Taftan on May 12, had decided to ensure border coordination to prevent any untoward incident.

The meeting was held in the wake of April 26 killing of 10 Iranian border guards in a militant attack in the Iranian border area.

The incident had strained relations between the two countries as Iran held the Pakistani government responsible for the attack and warned of potential military strikes against alleged “terrorist safe havens” on this side of the border.

Pakistan had denied any involvement in the attack and termed Tehran’s threat as being against the spirit of brotherly relations between Pakistan and Iran.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2017