Islamabad/Kabul, Oct 16: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire following days of intense cross border clashes, the Pakistani Foreign Office announced on Wednesday. The truce, effective from 6 pm Wednesday, comes at the request of the Taliban and is aimed at creating space for constructive dialogue to resolve the border conflict.
The Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed on social media that Afghan forces have been instructed to respect the truce unless any aggression occurs.
The ceasefire follows a series of confrontations along the Balochistan-Kandahar border, during which Pakistani forces conducted precision strikes in Kandahar and Kabul, targeting Taliban hideouts. According to Pakistani security sources, Battalion Number 4, Battalion 8, and Border Brigade Number 5 of the Afghan Taliban were destroyed, resulting in dozens of casualties among Afghan and foreign operatives.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that Pakistani troops repelled a Taliban attack along the Spin Boldak border, killing 15-20 militants. These clashes marked the third major confrontation in a week, following prior incidents in Kurram and other border regions over the weekend.
In recent engagements, Pakistan reported 23 troops killed and 29 injured, while claiming to have neutralized over 200 Taliban fighters. The Taliban, in turn, described their operations as retaliatory responses to alleged Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan. Islamabad has not confirmed the strikes but emphasized its right to defend against cross-border aggression.
These hostilities come amid longstanding tensions over cross border militancy, with Pakistan urging Afghanistan to prevent its soil from being used by terrorist groups. Afghanistan denies such allegations, insisting its territory is not being used to target neighbouring countries.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that relations between the two countries remain fragile. “It’s a stalemate right now… the environment is hostile, and renewed clashes could erupt at any time,” he told Geo News.
The 48-hour ceasefire provides a temporary pause in hostilities and a window for dialogue, but analysts caution that the situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border remains volatile.