Pakistan reopens Afghan border on 'humanitarian grounds', says military

Quetta: Pakistan's military says authorities have reopened the main Chaman border crossing at Afghanistan's request after shutting it down earlier this month when the two sides traded fire there, killing 15 people on both sides.

The move comes on the first day of the fasting month of Ramadhan. In a statement, the military said the border was reopened Saturday on "humanitarian grounds."

The statement said Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to maintain a ceasefire in the border town of Chaman, where nine Pakistanis and six Afghan were killed on May 5.

Pakistan says the violence began when Afghan forces opened fire on census workers and troops escorting them. Kabul blames Pakistan for initiating the fire.

Pakistan shares a 2,200-kilometer- (1,375 mile-) long porous border with Afghanistan.