Dozens of troops and civilians were killed in a fresh round of border skirmishes between Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday—just hours before Islamabad announced that the two sides had agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire.
The truce was announced by Pakistan’s foreign ministry after a week of escalating violence between the two neighbours, which flared following explosions in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan that officials blamed on Pakistan. Earlier, the Taliban government launched an offensive along sections of the southern border, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong response of its own.
With both countries on edge, plumes of black smoke were seen rising above Kabul after two blasts rocked the Afghan capital on Wednesday evening. Following the blasts, a Pakistani security source confirmed that Islamabad had carried out “precision strikes” in the Afghan capital.
Islamabad has also accused Afghanistan of harbouring militant groups led by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) on its soil, a claim Kabul denies.
