Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to a temporary cease-fire on October 15 after deadly air strikes and ground fighting raised fears of a full-blown conflict between the neighbors.
Pakistan carried out air strikes in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar, causing multiple casualties, locals told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.
Explosions were also heard in Kabul, according to city residents who spoke to Radio Azadi. Unverified footage on social media appeared to show plumes of smoke rising into the sky in the Afghan capital. The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear.
Ground fighting also erupted along the countries’ 2,600-kilometer-long border, leaving several dead on both sides.
Temporary Cease-Fire
In a statement later on October 15, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the sides had agreed to a “temporary cease-fire for the next 48 hours” starting at 6:00 p.m. Pakistan local time.
The latest violence came after fierce fighting erupted between Taliban fighters and Pakistani security forces on October 11-12, leaving dozens dead and key border crossings closed. It was the deadliest-ever fighting involving the sides.
The border clashes occurred just days after Pakistan carried out drone strikes in the center of Kabul as well as air strikes in eastern Afghanistan.
The violence has raised fears of an all-out war between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, longtime allies that have fallen out.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) extremist group, which is waging an increasingly deadly insurgency against Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban, which seized power in 2021, denies the allegation.
Civilians Fleeing The Border Zones
Civilians on both sides of the border said the recent fighting had forced some to flee their homes amid fears of a broader war.
“Many people on both sides of the border have vacated their houses and fled the area for safer locations fearing that the fighting may expand,” Muhammad Naeem, a local journalist in the border town of Chaman, told RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal.
Residents of Spin Boldak, a district in the Afghan province of Kandahar which borders Chaman, said Pakistani military helicopters bombed a market.
“Civilian cars and homes were hit,” said a resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Many civilians were killed and injured.”
The Taliban government in Kabul said 12 civilians were killed in the attack in Spin Boldak.
The recent spate of violence has led to the closure of border crossings, affecting local businesses and the movement of people.
“Border closures lead to higher prices and can affect people’s livelihoods,” said a Kabul resident who also did not want to be identified. “I hope the war will come to an end.”
Islamabad had backed the Taliban since the group’s emergence in the 1990s, allegedly continuing its support throughout the Taliban’s two-decade insurgency against the US-backed Afghan government.
Experts say the goal was to establish a friendly government in Kabul that would advance Pakistan’s interests -- a strategy that now appears to have backfired.
Taliban fighters and Pakistani soldiers have sporadically clashed along the countries’ 2,600-kilometer border since 2021. But the ferocity of the recent violence and the explosive rhetoric are seen as a major escalation.
Written by Kian Sharifi based on reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi and Radio Mashaal
