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Cross-Border Tensions: Pakistan and Taliban Agree to Temporary Ceasefire After Deadly Clashes
Islamabad/Kabul – A temporary 48-hour ceasefire has been brokered between the Pakistani government and Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, following a week of renewed hostilities along their shared border that claimed the lives of over a dozen civilians and troops. The agreement, reached on Wednesday, aims to de-escalate the worst cross-border conflict seen since the Taliban assumed control of Kabul in 2021.
Details regarding the specific terms of the ceasefire remain unconfirmed. Neither the Pakistani nor the Taliban’s foreign ministries have yet commented on the agreement, though reports suggest Pakistan’s foreign ministry has been actively pursuing diplomatic channels to address the complex situation.
Both nations have traded accusations over the weekend’s outbreak of violence. Pakistan attributes the unrest to the Taliban’s alleged provision of safe haven to anti-Pakistan militants, while the Taliban claims Pakistani forces initiated attacks in Spin Boldak, a city in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province directly situated on the border. The Taliban reported that these attacks resulted in over a dozen civilian fatalities and 100 injuries.
Conversely, Pakistan reported that four of its civilians were wounded in attacks by Taliban forces in Chaman, the district directly opposite Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak. Further fighting reportedly erupted in Pakistan’s Orakzai district, where six Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were killed and two security officials injured. Nine militants were also reported killed during a search operation in an area previously attacked by militants, an incident that had claimed the lives of 11 Pakistani soldiers.
Social media reports also suggested an attack on a Pakistani intelligence office in Peshawar, a city north of Orakzai district, though this information could not be independently verified.
Cross-border clashes have long been a recurring issue along the 1,600-mile frontier, primarily stemming from land disputes. However, the intensity of recent engagements underscores the escalating tensions between the two nations.
While former President Donald Trump recently offered his assistance in resolving the conflict, there has been no indication from either side that he played a role in the current truce. The White House has not yet responded to inquiries on the matter.