Spin Boldak
Encyclopedia
Spin Boldak or Spin Buldak is a border town
in the southern Kandahar province
of Afghanistan
, right next to the Durand Line
border with Pakistan
. It is linked by a highway with the city of Kandahar
to the north, and with Chaman
and Quetta
in Pakistan to the south. Spin Boldak has the second major port of entry
between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Chaman border crossing
. It is also a major transporting, shipping and receiving site between the two neighboring countries.
The district is populated mostly by Noorzai
and Achakzai
Pashtuns
.
Other names: Spīn Baldak, سپین بولدک, Spīn Būldak, Spīn Bōldak, Spin Baldak. Kandahar and Quetta are about 40 and 50 nmi (92.6 km) respectively distant by air, and have the closest medium-sized airports; Pishin
, Pakistan has a small airport 40 nmi (74.1 km) to the east.
The town was the site of a suicide bombing
in February 2008 that killed 38 Afghans and injured several Canadian soldiers.
In April 2010, three nephews of the former governor of Spin Boldak district, Hajji
(or Haji) Fazluddin Agha, aged 15, 13 and 12, were killed in a bomb attack. The bomb was attached to a donkey which was led to the checkpoint in front of the former governor's home and detonated by remote control. Hajji Fazluddin Agha, according to the report, is of one of President Hamid Karzai
’s most important political allies in Kandahar, and had also served as Mr. Karzai’s top campaign official in Kandahar Province. He was unhurt in the bombing, but two bystanders and two policemen were wounded.
extended the Indian Railways
system (now Pakistan Railways
) to the border town of Chaman
via the Khojak Tunnel
from Qilla Abdullah
, from the east and thence south. The rails were not extended into Afghanistan to the north and west for political reasons. (Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, is less than 10 km from Chaman, Pakistan.)
Over much of the last century, there have been proposals to extend the Chaman line to Afghanistan and possibly beyond, passing through Spin Boldak. These proposals have the support of the current Afghan government. In July 2010, Pakistan and Afghanistan signed a Memorandum of understanding
for going ahead with the laying of rail tracks
between the two countries. Work on the proposed project is set to start in the next four months.
Border town
A border town is a town or city close to the boundary between two countries, states or regions. Usually the term implies that it is one of the things the town is most famous for. Border towns can have highly cosmopolitan communities, a feature they share with port cities...
in the southern Kandahar province
Kandahar Province
Kandahar or Qandahar is one of the largest of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in southern Afghanistan, between Helmand, Oruzgan and Zabul provinces. Its capital is the city of Kandahar, which is located on the Arghandab River. The province has a population of nearly...
of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, right next to the Durand Line
Durand Line
The Durand Line refers to the porous international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has divided the ethnic Pashtuns . This poorly marked line is approximately long...
border with Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It is linked by a highway with the city of Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
to the north, and with Chaman
Chaman
Chaman is the capital of Qilla Abdullah District, Balochistan, Pakistan. It is situated just south of the border with Afghanistan. Across the border in Afghanistan is the neighbouring town of Spin Boldak, in Kandahar Province...
and Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
in Pakistan to the south. Spin Boldak has the second major port of entry
Port of entry
In general, a port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has a staff of people who check passports and visas and inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. International airports are usually ports of entry, as are road and rail crossings on a...
between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Chaman border crossing
Chaman border crossing
The Chaman border crossing is one of the major international border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Located on the Durand Line, it leads north from the town of Chaman, Balochistan province into Spin Boldak, Kandahar province. More generally, it links the two provincial capitals:...
. It is also a major transporting, shipping and receiving site between the two neighboring countries.
The district is populated mostly by Noorzai
Noorzai
SHARIEF KHAN NOORZAI IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFULL PASHTONS LEADER IN THE WHOLE AFGHANISTAN AND HE IS FROM THE THE TRIBE 'Noorzai or Nurzai and are one of the biggest tribes of the Pushtoon, with a population of roughly 4.5 million in Afghanistan. They are an influential tribe in southern and...
and Achakzai
Achakzai
Achakzai are Durrani primarily found in southern Afghanistan and northern regions of Balochistan Province, Pakistan.-Demographics:Achakzais of Afghanistan are mainly located in Spin Boldak, Reg, Kandahar, Helmand, Oruzgan and Herat...
Pashtuns
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
.
Other names: Spīn Baldak, سپین بولدک, Spīn Būldak, Spīn Bōldak, Spin Baldak. Kandahar and Quetta are about 40 and 50 nmi (92.6 km) respectively distant by air, and have the closest medium-sized airports; Pishin
Pishin
Pishin is a small town located in the Pishin District of Balochistan province, Pakistan. It is the capital of the district, and is located in the east of the province at 30°35'0N 67°0'0E near the border with Afghanistan with an altitude of 1555 metres . Tremors from the 2008 Pakistan earthquake...
, Pakistan has a small airport 40 nmi (74.1 km) to the east.
2001-present: War in Afghanistan
In January, 2006, "a suicide bomber on a motorbike killed at least 20 people and wounded 20 more," according to one report. "The attacker drove the vehicle into a crowd watching a wrestling match and detonated a bomb, said Kandahar provincial Gov. Asadullah Khalid." The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.The town was the site of a suicide bombing
Spin Boldak bombing
The Spin Boldak bombing happened on February 18, 2008 when a car full of explosives detonated near a Canadian military convoy in a market in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan. The attack killed 38 Afghans and injured at least 25 civilians...
in February 2008 that killed 38 Afghans and injured several Canadian soldiers.
In April 2010, three nephews of the former governor of Spin Boldak district, Hajji
Hajji
Hajji or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel. The title is placed before a person's name...
(or Haji) Fazluddin Agha, aged 15, 13 and 12, were killed in a bomb attack. The bomb was attached to a donkey which was led to the checkpoint in front of the former governor's home and detonated by remote control. Hajji Fazluddin Agha, according to the report, is of one of President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
’s most important political allies in Kandahar, and had also served as Mr. Karzai’s top campaign official in Kandahar Province. He was unhurt in the bombing, but two bystanders and two policemen were wounded.
Railway
In 1891 the BritishBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
extended the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
system (now Pakistan Railways
Pakistan Railways
This article is about the rail company in Pakistan. For technical details and operations see: Transport in Pakistan.Pakistan Railways is a national state-owned rail transport service of Pakistan, head-quartered in Lahore. It is administered by the federal government under the Ministry of Railways....
) to the border town of Chaman
Chaman
Chaman is the capital of Qilla Abdullah District, Balochistan, Pakistan. It is situated just south of the border with Afghanistan. Across the border in Afghanistan is the neighbouring town of Spin Boldak, in Kandahar Province...
via the Khojak Tunnel
Khojak Tunnel
The Khojak Tunnel is a 3.91 kilometres long railway tunnel located in Killa Abdullah district of Balochistan near Pak-Afghan border at Chamman, province of Pakistan. It is located 1,945 meters above sea level....
from Qilla Abdullah
Qilla Abdullah
Qilla Abdullah or Killa Abdullah or Abdullah Qilla is the name of a fort built by Sardar Abdullah Khan Achakzai....
, from the east and thence south. The rails were not extended into Afghanistan to the north and west for political reasons. (Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, is less than 10 km from Chaman, Pakistan.)
Over much of the last century, there have been proposals to extend the Chaman line to Afghanistan and possibly beyond, passing through Spin Boldak. These proposals have the support of the current Afghan government. In July 2010, Pakistan and Afghanistan signed a Memorandum of understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
for going ahead with the laying of rail tracks
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
between the two countries. Work on the proposed project is set to start in the next four months.
See also
- ZaranjZaranjZaranj or Zarang is a border town in south-western Afghanistan, with a population of approximately 49,851 people as of 2004. It is the capital of Nimruz province and is situated next to Milak, Iran. It is linked by highways with Lashkar Gah to the east, Farah to the north and Zabol in Iran to the...
- TorkhamTorkhamTorkham is a border crossing town in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan and the Khyber Agency of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, right on the Durand Line border....
- Islam QalaIslam QalaIslam Qala , also transliterated Eslam Qaleh, Eslam Qala or Islam Kala, also known as Kafar Qaleh, is a border town in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, on the border with Iran...
- TowraghondiTowraghondiTowraghondi is a border town in Afghanistan. It is immediately opposite Serhetabat in Turkmenistan, with which it is connected by a road and a 1520 mm gauge railway which was restored to use in 2007.- See also :*Islam Qala*Hairatan...
- HairatanHairatanHairatan is a border town in the north of Balkh province, Afghanistan, on the Amu Darya river. The river forms the border with Uzbekistan, and the two nations are connected by the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge. The city of Termez in Uzbekistan is close to Hairatan...
- Shir Khan BandarShir Khan BandarShir Khan Bandar is a port on the Panj River in Afghanistan on the border with Tajikistan. Its old name was Qezel Qal‘eh. It was renamed after Shir Khan Nashir, Khan of the Kharoti tribe, governor of Kunduz and the rest of northern Afghanistan in the 1930s.- Transport :It is currently served via a...
- Demogan
- Durand LineDurand LineThe Durand Line refers to the porous international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has divided the ethnic Pashtuns . This poorly marked line is approximately long...
External links
- A Canadian convoy passes a "jingle truck" on its way to Forward Operating BaseForward Operating BaseA forward operating base is any secured forward military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOBs are traditionally supported...
(FOB) Spin Boldak ..., flickr photo AR2006-G014-0046 23 September 2006; uploaded on October 2, 2006 by lafrancevi. Note upgraded 2010-04-20. - Amazing Rocks Near Spin Boldak, flickr photo uploaded on June 6, 2009 by ♥♥ AchakzaiElite ... ♥♥. Retrieved 2010-04-20.