ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a temporary 48-hour truce following several days of deadly clashes along their shared border.
The ceasefire, which began on Wednesday evening, comes after Pakistani airstrikes targeted areas in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, including Spin Boldak, and intense shelling was reported across the frontier near Chaman.
Afghan officials said the strikes killed more than a dozen civilians and injured around 100 others, claims Pakistan has not confirmed.
The recent escalation is among the most serious in years between the two neighbors. Pakistan has accused the Taliban-led Afghan government of allowing militant groups to operate from its territory and carry out attacks inside Pakistan.
Kabul has rejected those accusations, instead blaming Islamabad for provoking unrest through cross-border military operations.
Tensions have led to the closure of some key border crossings, disrupting trade and worsening economic difficulties in the region. Both sides publicly claimed that the other initiated the violence. Islamabad stated that the ceasefire was requested by the Taliban government, while Taliban officials insisted it was Pakistan that sought the temporary halt in hostilities.
The truce is seen as a fragile pause rather than a step toward a lasting settlement. The border has long been a flashpoint, with unresolved security and political disputes fueling periodic outbreaks of violence. Regional powers are closely watching the situation, as further escalation could have wider security and economic repercussions.–Reuters
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