Facts

• The Torkham crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been closed following the exchange of fire by security forces by both countries on Wednesday, according to officials.
• Security officials speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters that there were no deaths, while local residents reported the sounds of gunfire in the border area near the Khyber Pass.
• Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Interior Ministry of the Taliban administration in Afghanistan, also confirmed the exchange of fire and claimed officials from both countries were attempting to find the cause of the incident.
• The 1,615-mile border has been an issue of dispute between the two countries for decades, while the Torkham crossing is the primary passage for both travelers and goods.
• Irshad Mohmand, a local Pakistani official, claimed that the flashpoint was instigated by Afghan forces who "opened fire" after an "objection" by Pakistan border forces over an attempt to "establish a check post" in an area of contention.
• However, Quraishi Badloon – an official for the information and culture directorate in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province – claimed that Pakistani forces "opened fire" first.