ISLAMABAD, Oct 16, 2025: Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire after several days of intense and deadly clashes along their shared border.
The truce took effect on Wednesday evening. Pakistan launched a series of airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, including Spin Boldak, and carried out heavy shelling near Chaman, which escalated tensions sharply.
Afghan officials said the strikes killed more than a dozen civilians and injured around 100 others. Pakistan has not confirmed these figures.
The escalation represents one of the most serious confrontations between the two neighbors in recent years. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban-led Afghan government of allowing militant groups to use Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul rejected these accusations and blamed Islamabad for provoking unrest through cross-border military operations.
The rising tensions forced both sides to close several key border crossings, disrupting major trade routes and worsening economic difficulties in the region. Pakistani officials said the Taliban government requested the ceasefire, while Taliban officials claimed Pakistan sought the temporary halt in hostilities.
Analysts describe the truce as a fragile pause rather than a step toward a lasting resolution. The Pakistan–Afghanistan border has long served as a flashpoint, where unresolved security and political disputes repeatedly trigger violent confrontations. Regional powers continue to monitor the situation closely, warning that any further escalation could cause wider security and economic fallout.
– Reuters