The Paktika Province of Afghanistan was the site of “heavy clashes” today between two distinct factions of Taliban, one an Afghan faction and one a Pakistani faction.
The Pakistani militants had crossed the border looking to attack Afghan election sites in the province, but ran afoul of the Afghan Taliban fighters, who met them at the border with guns.
Three Pakistani Taliban were confirmed killed so far, and a number of wounded were reported on each side. Many of the Pakistani fighters fled back across the border, but intermittant gun battles are still being reported late into the evening.
Ironically, both Taliban factions appear determined to attack election sites across Afghanistan, and the fighting may simply dissipate once the voting starts this weekend, as the window of opportunity for attacking the polling places opens.
