Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to 48-hour temporary ceasefire amid border clashes

ISLAMABAD; The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday announced that Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime have agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire following a series of intense border clashes between the two sides.

The FO said the ceasefire, which began at 6pm, was mutually decided at the request of the Taliban. “During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a constructive solution to this complex but resolvable issue through dialogue,” the statement added.

Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed on X that Afghan forces were directed to respect the ceasefire “unless any aggression takes place.”

Earlier, Pakistan conducted precision strikes on Afghan Taliban positions in Kandahar and Kabul, destroying key operational sites. According to security sources quoted by PTV News, “Pakistan Army’s retaliatory action targeted Afghan Taliban Battalion Number 4 and Border Brigade Number 6 in Kandahar, completely destroying them. Dozens of foreign and Afghan operatives were killed.”

Later updates confirmed additional strikes in Kabul, where “the centre and leadership of Fitna al-Hindustan” were targeted. Authorities clarified that all targets were carefully chosen to avoid civilian areas.

Earlier in the day, ISPR reported that Pakistani forces repulsed coordinated Afghan Taliban attacks at four locations along the Balochistan border in Spin Boldak, killing 15–20 attackers. This marked the third major border skirmish in a week.

ISPR said that 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred and 29 injured during the recent confrontations, while intelligence assessments suggested more than 200 Taliban and affiliated militants had been neutralised.

The clashes follow Afghanistan’s claim of “retaliatory” action over alleged Pakistani air strikes last week — a claim Islamabad did not confirm but reiterated its right to self-defence.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deepened amid repeated Pakistani calls for Kabul to prevent terrorist groups from using its soil for attacks. Kabul has consistently denied these allegations.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated earlier this week that there were “no ties” between the two governments, describing the situation as a stalemate that could escalate at any time.