Pakistan missile strike sparks fire at Torkham market, traders report heavy losses

A missile strike by forces from Pakistan triggered a large fire at a commercial market in the border town of Torkham, causing extensive damage to businesses and property, local officials said.

Mawlawi Abdullah Mustafa, mayor of Torkham, told Bakhtar News Agency in Nangarhar Province that several shells were fired toward the town at around 4 a.m. on Sunday, striking near a busy commercial market area.

The impact sparked a major fire that quickly spread through rows of shops, forcing firefighters and residents to work together in an effort to contain the flames.

Officials said four fire trucks, municipal water tankers and local volunteers had been deployed to battle the blaze, but the fire had not yet been fully brought under control.

According to the owner of the market complex, more than 150 shops have been destroyed in the fire so far, with estimated financial losses reaching nearly 300 million Afghanis.

The border crossing at Torkham, located between Afghanistan and Pakistan, is one of the region’s busiest trade routes and plays a crucial role in the movement of goods and people between the two countries.

Recent tensions and clashes between Pakistani forces and the Taliban authorities have led to repeated incidents along the border, disrupting trade and affecting civilians living in nearby communities.

Local residents and traders have called for greater protection of civilian areas, warning that continued cross-border violence threatens livelihoods and economic activity in the already fragile border region.

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