Video PlayerClose

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan "temporarily" closed Torkham, one of its major border crossings with Afghanistan over "security concerns" on Wednesday, officials said.

Aisha Farooqui, spokesperson of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, said the decision was taken hours after two mortars fired from Afghanistan landed on the Pakistani side of the border on Wednesday morning, according to Pakistani TV channels.

She said there was no casualty in the incident at Torkham, the busiest crossing between the two countries in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

"We have taken up the issue with the Afghan side and are in contact with the Afghan officials. The border is expected to reopen soon," Farooqui said.

A large number of vehicles and people are stranded on both sides of the Torkham border, Rahat Shinwari, a journalist in the area, told Xinhua.

"The border is still closed," Shinwari said.

There was no report as to who were involved in the incident. Pakistani security officials routinely accuse militants of carrying out cross-border attacks.

Afghan officials in eastern Nangarhar province also confirmed the closure of the border.

Spokesperson for Nangarhar Attaullah Khogyani said talks were underway between officials of the two countries for the reopening of the border, according to Afghan media.

In September last year, Pakistan said Torkham would remain open round-the-clock to facilitate bilateral and transit trade activities.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have nearly 2,600-km border, mostly porous. The Pakistani army is fencing the border to curb illegal cross-border movement.

Pakistani officials said the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and other militants have fled to Afghanistan as the result of major government military operations in the tribal regions over the past several years.