Taliban security personnel on a Soviet-era tank are followed by motorcyclists as they ride towards the border, as clashes take place between Taliban security personnel and Pakistani border forces, in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar Province on October 15, 2025. (Photo by Sanaullah SEIAM / AFP)
Kabul/ Islamabad: Dozens of soldiers and civilians have been killed as fresh clashes erupted along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Wednesday, according to officials from both sides.
The violence comes just hours before Islamabad announced that the two neighbours had agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry issued a statement confirming the temporary truce, following a week of heightened tensions and cross-border hostilities triggered by a series of deadly explosions in Afghanistan, including two blasts in the capital, Kabul.
Afghan authorities have accused Pakistan of involvement in those attacks - a charge Islamabad denies.
On Saturday, Afghan forces launched strikes across sections of the southern border, prompting a vow of retaliation from Pakistan.
Islamabad has long accused Kabul of harbouring militant groups responsible for attacks on its soil. Kabul, in turn, denies providing safe haven to any such factions.
As tensions peaked on Wednesday, plumes of black smoke were seen rising over Kabul after two explosions rocked the city. Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the blasts were caused by the explosion of a fuel tanker and an electric transformer, which sparked widespread fires. He did not directly link the incidents to the ongoing border conflict.
Islamabad's ceasefire announcement came roughly an hour after the Kabul explosions. The Afghan government has since instructed its military to observe the ceasefire, signalling a cautious pause in hostilities.
