Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed today to a two-day ceasefire after one of the most serious armed conflicts on their borders in recent years, in which dozens of people were killed.
The ceasefire came into effect at 3:00 p.m. Central European Time today, shortly after the two countries announced an agreement had been reached, with each country claiming that the other had asked it to stop the renewed flare-up of violence.
The Taliban government has called on the Afghan government to respect the ceasefire, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a post on the X network.
On the other hand, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry announced that during the ceasefire, the two sides will "sincerely strive to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable problem, through constructive dialogue."
Before the ceasefire was declared, Kabul and Islamabad accused each other of launching new attacks on the border today.
And according to Pakistani security sources, Pakistan has also carried out "precision strikes" on Kabul.
Two explosions rocked the center of the Afghan capital today, sources told Agence France-Presse.
The new round of violence between the two countries, which have strained relations, was triggered by explosions in Kabul and the southeast of the country on Thursday. The Taliban government blamed Pakistan for the attacks and then launched a military operation on the border.
The Taliban government did not blame Pakistan for today's explosions, but confirmed that a tanker truck and an electrical transformer had exploded, without further details.
Pakistan said today that about 50 members of Afghan security forces and militants were killed overnight in fresh clashes on the border.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring armed groups, a charge denied by the government. Pakistan has been battling militant attacks that have increased since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021.
"The country's sovereignty will be defended at all costs," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement today.
But on the Afghan side, officials said more than 10 civilians were killed and more than 100 injured in the Spin Boldak area, and that "two or three fighters" were killed among Afghan forces.
Pakistan's border areas have been plagued by violence since 1979, when the country became the frontline in the war against the Soviet Union, which was supported by the United States (US).
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