Pakistan and Afghanistan have prolonged their 48-hour ceasefire, but the Taliban has accused Pakistan of conducting airstrikes in Paktika province along the Durand Line. The senior Taliban official stated that this action has breached the truce between the two parties. Reports indicate that Pakistani airstrikes hit residences in the Argun and Bermal districts near the border, resulting in the deaths of 8 civilians, including local Afghan cricket players. Afghanistan Cricket Board spokesman, Sayed Naseem Sadaat, confirmed that the cricketers were returning to Urgun district after a match.
A Pakistani security official verified the recent airstrike, clarifying that the ceasefire was agreed upon with the Afghan Taliban and not with the militants operating in Afghanistan who launch attacks in Pakistan. Concurrently, a Pakistani delegation has reached Doha, Qatar, while the Afghan delegation was scheduled to join them. The conflict, ignited on October 11 when Afghan forces targeted multiple Pakistani military posts, has led to numerous casualties on both sides. The Taliban claims to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, while Pakistan’s military reports 23 personnel casualties but asserts over 200 “Taliban and affiliated terrorists” were eliminated.
Today, seven Pakistani soldiers were killed and 13 others wounded in a coordinated suicide attack on a military camp in North Waziristan. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the recent violence, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire to de-escalate the situation along the volatile border. These clashes represent the most severe escalation between the two countries since the Taliban regained power in Kabul in 2021, disrupting the fragile peace that followed previous skirmishes.