UN criticises Pakistan mine plan

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UN officials have criticised Pakistan's plans to build a fence and plant landmines along sections of its border with Afghanistan to stop militants.

The officials, based in Afghanistan, say that such a step would add to civilian casualties in a region already littered with ordnance.

Afghanistan has already rejected the plan saying both countries need to tackle "terrorists in a real manner".

It has long blamed Pakistan for cross-border attacks by the Taleban.

Islamabad denies any involvement in the attacks.

The UN's Richard Bennett said the use of landmines was opposed across the world by human rights advocates.

Correspondents say Afghanistan has been heavily mined during years of war, and thousands of its civilians have been killed and maimed.

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A Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday that the measures would help prevent insurgents from Pakistan crossing into Afghanistan to fight Nato forces there.

Officials say that as the fence and mines would be on the Pakistani side of the 2,430km (1,510-mile) border, an agreement with its neighbour was not needed.

Additional paramilitary troops will also be deployed along the border, they say.

Kabul accuses Islamabad of harbouring Taleban fighters

Afghanistan has rejected Pakistan's previous offers to fence the border saying it would divide tribal populations who have strong family ties across the boundary.

Afghanistan says Taleban leaders plot some of their attacks on Afghan targets from Pakistani soil.

Pakistan was once the Taleban's main sponsor, but after the September 2001 attacks in the US, Islamabad joined the US-led "war on terror".

The Pakistani government denies it continues to support the militants or that it could do more to stop them crossing the porous border, and points to the deaths of hundreds of Pakistani troops fighting pro-Taleban militants in the country's tribal areas.

The authorities say that more than 3,500 people have been killed in Afghanistan in 2006 - the bloodiest year since US-led troops ousted the Taleban five years ago.