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6,000 Afghan Refugees Break Through Pak Border
About 6,000 Afghan refugees fleeing U.S.-led military strikes forced their way through the Chaman checkpoint Sunday into western Pakistan despite warning shots from Pakistani border security guards.
The commotion marked the first large-scale unrest involving fleeing refugees since the start of U.S.-led military operations in Afghanistan on Oct 7.
Five people, including a 15-year-old boy, were injured in the two-hour chaos.
According to immigration and military authorities, the refugees demanded entry into Pakistan, and began throwing stones at the border guards and tearing down barbed-wire barriers at around 4 p.m. Sunday.
After the refugees broke through the border post they headed to the city of Quetta.
The number of refugees at the Chaman border swelled to around 7,000 by Sunday evening due to the onset of U.S. ground-troop operations around the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.
Pakistan faces an influx of refugees and is under international pressure to open its border to the fleeing Afghans.
Pakistan military authorities and the Taliban are currently discussing future measures to preserve security at the Chaman border crossing area.
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