Taliban’s closure of Pakistan-Afghanistan border leaves people stranded

Hundreds of travellers were seen stranded on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border on Saturday after the Taliban closed a key crossing. The Taliban says the busy Spin Boldak crossing into the southwestern Pakistani town of Chaman, will remain shut until Islamabad drops or relaxes its visa requirements for Afghans. The Taliban captured the border route last month from Afghan forces. Since then, Pakistani border officials have begun enforcing visa requirements for Afghans which previously were not as strictly observed. They told Reuters the Taliban had placed concrete barriers to block the road on Afghanistan's side of the Friendship Gate, one of five crossing points with Pakistan. Pakistan responded by closing its side of the border on Friday, leaving pedestrians, passenger vehicles, and cargo trucks stranded. Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan forces has escalated significantly after U.S.-led foreign troops began leaving Afghanistan earlier this year. In recent weeks, the Taliban have advanced rapidly on provincial capitals and targeted top government officials inside Kabul. For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/8092364/taliban-assassination-afghanistan-conflict/ Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB #GlobalNews

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