10 Afghans Killed as Kabul Accuses Pakistan of Violating Truce

Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan late Friday, killing at least 10 people and ending a ceasefire that had brought two days of calm along the border, Afghan officials told AFP.

The 48-hour truce had temporarily halted nearly a week of deadly clashes that left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead on both sides.

"Pakistan has broken the ceasefire and bombed three locations in Paktika province," a senior Taliban official, speaking anonymously, told AFP. "Afghanistan will retaliate."

A provincial hospital official, also speaking anonymously, reported that ten civilians were killed and 12 others injured in the strikes, including two children.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed that three players in the region for a tournament were among the dead, revising an earlier toll of eight. It also announced its withdrawal from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan, scheduled for next month.

In Pakistan, a senior security official said forces had "conducted precision aerial strikes" targeting the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, a local faction linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad stated the group had carried out a suicide bombing and gun attack at a military camp in North Waziristan, killing seven paramilitary troops.

Security Tensions

Tensions are rooted in Pakistan’s claims that Afghanistan harbors militant groups led by the TTP, allegations Kabul denies. Cross-border violence escalated sharply after explosions rocked Kabul last week, coinciding with the Taliban foreign minister’s visit to India, Pakistan’s long-time rival.

Following those attacks, the Taliban launched offensives along parts of the southern border, prompting Pakistan to pledge a strong response. When the truce began at 1300 GMT on Wednesday, Islamabad said it would last 48 hours, but Kabul maintained it would remain effective until violated.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif accused Kabul of acting as "a proxy of India" and plotting against Pakistan. "From now on, demarches will no longer be framed as appeals for peace, and delegations will not be sent to Kabul," he wrote on X. "Wherever the source of terrorism is, it will have to pay a heavy price."

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said forces were ordered not to strike unless fired upon. "'If they do, then you have every right to defend your country,'" he told Afghan television channel Ariana, relaying instructions to troops.

Aftermath and Local Response

Before Friday’s strikes, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported 37 people killed and 425 wounded on the Afghan side, urging both countries to end hostilities.

In Spin Boldak, a hotspot of the fighting, hundreds attended funerals on Thursday, including for children wrapped in white shrouds. "People have mixed feelings," said Nematullah, 42. "They fear the fighting will resume, but still leave their homes and go about their business."

By Friday, some residents described a return to normalcy. "Everything is fine, everything is open," said Nani, 35. "I'm not afraid, but others are sending their children elsewhere. I don’t think anything will happen."

Calm had also returned to Kabul, where new explosions had been reported just before the ceasefire was announced on Wednesday. No group claimed responsibility, though Pakistani sources said they conducted "precision strikes" against an armed group in the capital.