Pakistan and Afghanistan Agree to 48-Hour Ceasefire Following Deadly Border Clashes
The ceasefire, announced by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, came after a week of escalating violence along the shared border.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire after days of deadly cross-border fighting that left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead, officials from both countries confirmed on Wednesday.
The ceasefire, announced by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, came after a week of escalating violence along the shared border. The tensions flared following a series of explosions in Kabul and other Afghan cities, which Pakistani officials blamed on groups allegedly operating from Afghan territory.
In response, the Taliban government in Kabul launched an offensive along parts of the southern frontier, while Islamabad vowed to respond with force. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of sheltering the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), an allegation Kabul strongly denies.
Black smoke rose above parts of Kabul on Wednesday evening following two blasts in the Afghan capital. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said an oil tanker and a generator had exploded, sparking fires, but did not link the incidents directly to the clashes.
Hours later, Islamabad announced the 48-hour ceasefire, and the Taliban authorities ordered their forces to comply.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s military accused Afghan Taliban fighters of attacking two major border posts in the country’s southwest and northwest. It said both assaults were repelled, killing around 20 Taliban fighters near Spin Boldak in southern Kandahar province. The military added that about 30 others were believed to have been killed in overnight clashes along the northwest border.
The Afghan Taliban, in turn, reported that 15 civilians were killed and dozens injured in the border violence, with “two to three” of their fighters also dead. Mujahid said around 100 civilians were wounded near Spin Boldak, claiming calm had returned after Pakistani troops were killed and weapons seized.
Pakistan’s military dismissed the Taliban’s version of events as “outrageous and blatant lies.”
While Islamabad has not released official figures on its recent casualties, it confirmed last week that 23 Pakistani troops were killed in the initial wave of border skirmishes.
The ceasefire aims to prevent further escalation as both nations face mounting pressure to resolve their disputes through dialogue.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have repeatedly flared since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to prevent cross-border attacks by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Afghan officials allege that Pakistan’s military operations often harm civilians. The two sides have engaged in several deadly clashes along their 2,600-kilometer frontier in recent months.
