Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to 48-hour ceasefire after dozens of soldiers, civilians killed in fresh border clashes

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire after dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed in the fresh border clashes that erupted on Wednesday.

The ceasefire was announced after a Pakistani security source confirmed to news agency AFP that Islamabad had carried out “precision strikes” in Kabul.

The 48-hour ceasefire was announced by Pakistan's foreign ministry and came into effect on Wednesday evening after a series of blasts and deadly border clashes.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid took to the X social media platform to inform that a ceasefire was “established between the two countries after 5:30 pm [1300 GMT] this evening.”

The Taliban government in Afghanistan also ordered the army to respect the ceasefire. "The Islamic Emirate also orders all its forces to respect this ceasefire," Mujahid said.

Pakistan, Afghanistan border clashes

Pakistan and Afghanistan had been exchanging fire since Thursday last week. The violence between the two neighbours flared after explosions were reported in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan. The strikes were blamed on Pakistan.

Pakistan had reportedly carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and on a marketplace in eastern Afghanistan, according to Pakistani security officials and the Taliban. It targeted what it alleged were militant hideouts.

Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harbouring militant groups led by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) on its soil, a claim Kabul denies.

Pakistan had not officially acknowledged the airstrikes but asked the Taliban to curb the activities of the Pakistan Taliban.

The Taliban government in Kabul launched a retaliatory offensive along parts of its southern border, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong response of its own.

Massive explosion in Kabul

On Wednesday evening, two blasts rocked the Afghan capital, Kabul. Plumes of black smoke were seen rising above as both countries remained on edge.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was quoted by AFP as saying that an oil tanker and a generator had exploded, sparking fires, although he did not explicitly link the blasts to the clashes with Pakistan.

Toll in Pakistan, Afghanistan clashes

Pakistan's military earlier accused the Afghan Taliban of attacking two major border posts in the southwest and northwest.

It said both assaults were repelled, with about 20 Taliban fighters killed in attacks launched near Spin Boldak on the Afghan side of the frontier in southern Kandahar province early on Wednesday.

The military said in a statement that about 30 more were thought to have been killed in overnight clashes along Pakistan's northwest border.

The Afghan Taliban said 15 civilians were killed and dozens wounded in the clashes near Spin Boldak and that "two to three" of its fighters were also killed.

Taliban spokesman Mujahid said in an earlier statement that 100 civilians were also wounded around Spin Boldak, adding that calm had returned after Pakistani soldiers were killed and weapons seized.

The Pakistan military said these were "outrageous and blatant lies".

Pakistan did not give a toll for its losses in the latest clashes but said last week 23 of its troops had been killed in the opening skirmishes.

(With inputs from agencies)