Afghan Refugees Stranded at Border, Fearing Violence

0:00It's April 30th. You're listening to Global News today, AI-powered coverage from around the world. I'm Cory with the Story. Hundreds of Afghan refugees are stuck at the Torcom border crossing in Pakistan, waiting to head back to Afghanistan, a place many have never even visited. Pakistan's pushing out over 2 million Afghans since 2023, out of about 3 million total, keeping only those with valid visas. These folks are mostly second or third-generation refugees who fled violence back in the 1980s. Tensions spiked this week with fresh cross-border fighting, delaying the crossings even more. Pakistani officials report several people, including women and children, got wounded by mortar shells from Afghanistan and South Waziristan on Wednesday. Refugees like 40-year-old Salehah Beebe are harboken, saying they've never imagined being forced to leave a country that's been home their whole. Families worry most about lost chances for their kids' education under Taliban rule.

1:01Meanwhile, 24-year-old Burhan Khan and others have waited over 12 days in long lines of trucks packed with families and belongings, women, and kids stuck inside vehicles for weeks. This marks the worst clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the Taliban took Kabul in 2021, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of. Sheltering militants in Afghanistan, calling it Pakistan's internal mess. Refugees fear the violence will drag out their nightmare even longer.