Pakistan shelling border area of Afghan Kunar province

Afghans flee shelling from Pakistan on borders of Kunan province. In a somewhat ironic mirroring of U.S. policy Pakistan is shelling supposed Taliban havens in Kunar province in Afghanistan. Recent attacks by Pakistani Taliban from Afghanistan killed 17 Pakistani soldiers.

Pakistan complained that Afghan and NATO authorities are not protecting Pakistan from these Taliban. Taking a page from the U.S. and NATO playbook for justifiying drone strikes the Pakistani's can claim that given the U.S. and NATO cannot or will not deal with the Taliban then Pakistan will by artillery attacks over the border.

As with drone attacks many innocents and civilians caught in the attacks are the ones to suffer. Thousands of Afghan villagers are fleeing their homes in the area to avoid the artillery barrage. A local Kunar official said:"More than 500 families have been displaced in two districts of Dangam and Nari due to continued Pakistani rocket shelling in the past two weeks. For more see this article.