Pakistan and Afghan Taliban agree to 48-hour ceasefire after deadly border clashes

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (MNTV) — Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government have agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire following one of the deadliest border confrontations in years, which left dozens dead and wounded on both sides, according to officials cited by media.

The ceasefire, effective from 6 p.m. local time (13:00 GMT) Wednesday, was confirmed by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, which said both sides would “make sincere efforts through dialogue” to resolve tensions along the frontier.

Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also confirmed the truce, saying Taliban forces were ordered to observe it “as long as no one commits aggression.”

Deadly clashes across multiple districts

The agreement followed a night of intense fighting across the border areas of Spin Boldak in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and Chaman in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

Pakistan’s army, in a statement quoted by Dawn News, said it had “effectively repulsed” Taliban attacks, killing between 15 and 20 Afghan fighters and injuring several others.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan Army’s media wing, said the attacks targeted Pakistani posts in Spin Boldak and Kurram districts, adding that claims of Pakistani aggression were “outrageous and false.”

According to Al Jazeera, the clashes began late Tuesday night and lasted about five hours, with both sides accusing the other of firing first.

The Taliban claimed Pakistani forces shelled Afghan territory with “light and heavy weapons,” killing at least 12 civilians and injuring more than 100, while a local official in Spin Boldak told AFP that 15 people had been killed and 80 others wounded.

A doctor in Spin Boldak told BBC that his hospital had received seven bodies and 36 wounded, while local residents reported seeing drones and fighter jets overhead.

Videos shared online allegedly showed explosions and damaged checkpoints, though none could be independently verified.

Escalation and airstrike allegations

The recent violence follows explosions in Kabul and Kandahar earlier this week, which Afghan authorities blamed on Pakistani airstrikes.

Pakistani state media also reported air operations against militant targets in Afghanistan, but Islamabad’s military has not confirmed any such strikes.

The Taliban government denied the reports, attributing the blasts to the accidental explosion of an oil tanker and a generator.

The confrontation marks the sharpest escalation since Saturday, when Pakistani forces reported killing more than 200 Taliban and affiliated militants in retaliatory fire after losing 23 troops in a cross-border attack.

The Taliban disputed the figures, saying they had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers — claims that no media outlet could independently verify.

Political tensions and regional reactions

Tensions flared further after Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to India — the first such trip since the group’s return to power in 2021.

During the visit, Muttaqi referred to Kashmir as part of India and said terrorism in Pakistan was an “internal problem,” comments that drew a strong rebuke from Islamabad.

Dawn News reported that Pakistan’s Foreign Office described the remarks as “highly insensitive” and in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif described the border situation earlier this week as a “stalemate,” saying “there are no ties, direct or indirect” between Islamabad and Kabul.

He warned that “the fighting could resume again at any time” if provocations continued.

China, Russia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have called for restraint, while U.S. President Donald Trump offered to mediate in the tensions.

Beijing also urged both sides to “resolve their concerns through dialogue and consultation,” citing the safety of its nationals and investments in the region.

Longstanding grievances

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has intensified attacks across Pakistan in recent months. Kabul denies this, maintaining that it “does not allow Afghan soil to be used against any country.”

According to CNN, Pakistan has faced more than 600 militant attacks in the past year, and officials say the resurgence of the TTP since 2021 has become one of the country’s gravest security threats.

The ISPR said Pakistan “will not tolerate the treacherous use of Afghan soil for terrorism.”

Both countries have kept major border crossings closed since the weekend, disrupting trade and humanitarian movement.

The clashes have displaced hundreds of families in border towns, with aid agencies warning of worsening humanitarian conditions.

While the ceasefire has momentarily paused hostilities, analysts warn it may not hold unless both sides address deeper issues — particularly Afghanistan’s handling of militant groups operating along the frontier.

Experts said the fighting “could usher in a new era of instability” unless Pakistan and the Taliban rebuild communication channels and restore confidence through mediation. For now, both sides remain on high alert, with their troops entrenched along the heavily militarized border.