KABUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Skirmishes between Afghan and Pakistani troops left seven dead on the Pakistani side along the border in the eastern Khost province of Afghanistan on Monday night, provincial government spokesman Mustaghfar Gurbaz said.

"Afghan defensive forces attacked a Pakistani military post along the border in Ali Shir district last night, killing seven soldiers," the official Radio and Television of Afghanistan quoted Gurbaz on Tuesday as saying.

Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have escalated since clashes erupted along their border late last month. ■