Afghanistan Rejects Pakistan Claim of Killing 50 Afghan Forces

(Bloomberg) -- Afghanistan's Interior Ministry denied a report by Pakistan that 50 Afghan forces were killed in a skirmish last week, a spokesman said Sunday.

The border fight erupted in the past few days in Kandahar province and ended with both sides announcing a cease-fire, Najib Danish, a spokesman to the Interior Ministry, said by phone. Pakistan's army had said it destroyed at least five Afghan checkpoints, the Associated Press reported Sunday.

Danish said fighting killed two Afghan border policemen and wounded 11 others. One civilian died and 30 other civilians were hurt in the rocket attacks from Pakistani forces, the spokesman said.

Pakistani Army Major General Nadeem Ahmad told reporters Sunday at the Chaman border crossing that about 50 security forces died, while two of his soldiers were killed and another nine were wounded, according to the AP.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eltaf Najafizada in Kabul at enajafizada1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Steve Geimann, Kristine Aquino