Afghanistan and Pakistan reach ceasefire after bombings and ground fighting

2025-10-15 17:49:37, Kosova & Bota CNA

Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday afternoon, after deadly bombings and ground fighting that raised fears of an all-out war between the two neighboring countries.

Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar, causing numerous casualties, local residents told Radio Free Europe's (RFE/RL) Radio Azadi.

According to Kabul residents who spoke to Radio Azadi, explosions were also heard in the Afghan capital.

Unverified images on social media show clouds of smoke rising into the sky over Kabul. It is not yet clear what caused the explosions.

Ground fighting also erupted along the 2,600-kilometer-long border between the two countries, leaving several dead on both sides.

In a statement on October 15, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said the sides had agreed to a "temporary ceasefire for the next 48 hours," starting at 6:00 p.m. local Pakistani time.

The violence erupted after fierce fighting between Taliban fighters and Pakistani security forces on October 11 and 12, leaving dozens dead and causing the closure of key border crossings.

These were the deadliest clashes ever between these two sides.

The border clashes occurred just days after Pakistan carried out drone attacks on central Kabul, as well as airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan.

The violence has fueled fears of a full-scale conflict between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, longtime but now divided allies.

Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of harboring the extremist group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is waging an increasingly deadly insurgency against Pakistan.

The Afghan Taliban, who took power in 2021, deny this accusation.

Civilians from both sides of the border said the recent clashes have forced some of them to abandon their homes for fear of a wider war.

"Many people on both sides of the border have left their homes and fled to safer areas, fearing that the fighting could spread," Muhammad Naeem, a local journalist in the border town of Chaman, told REL's Mashaal Radio.

Residents of Spin Boldak, a district in Afghanistan's Kandahar province that borders Chaman, said Pakistani military helicopters bombed a market.

“Civilian cars and houses 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.

Recent waves of violence have led to the closure of border crossings, affecting local businesses and the movement of people.

"Border closures lead to price increases and affect people's lives," said a Kabul resident, who also did not want to be identified. "I hope the war ends."

Islamabad has supported the Taliban since the group's emergence in the 1990s, and is said to have continued this support throughout their two decades of insurgency against the US-backed Afghan government.

Experts say Pakistan's goal was to install a friendly government in Kabul that would advance its interests, a strategy that now appears to have backfired.

Taliban fighters and Pakistani soldiers have clashed occasionally along the 2,600-kilometer border since 2021.

But the severity of the recent violence and explosive rhetoric are considered a major escalation. /REL