Pakistan to mine Afghan border

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Pakistan's foreign minister said the country would plant land mines along its border with Afghanistan to prevent terrorist movement across the frontier.

"In keeping with our policy to prevent any militant activity from Pakistan inside Afghanistan, the Pakistan army has been tasked to work out modalities for selectively fencing and mining the Pakistan-Afghanistan border," said Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan.

He said additional troops would be deployed along the wilderness border and that no agreement had been sought from Afghanistan, as the fencing and mines would be on Pakistan's side of the 1,510-mile border.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has long claimed Pakistan is allowing havens for Taliban and al-Qaida militants, which Pakistan denies.

Afghanistan has rejected Pakistan's previous offers to fence the border, as any barrier would divide tribal populations who have family ties across the region.