Ceasefire Collapses as Pakistan Airstrikes Kill 10 in Afghanistan; Taliban Accuses Islamabad of ‘Cowardly Attack’

The fragile 48-hour ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which had temporarily halted nearly a week of deadly border clashes, was broken on Friday when Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan killed at least 10 people.

US President Donald Trump has suggested he could broker peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan, calling it his next “number nine” on a list of conflicts he claims to have resolved.

“This is pretty much the last one, although I do understand that Pakistan attacked or there is an attack going on with Afghanistan," Trump said while talking to reporters.

“That’s an easy one for me to solve if I have to solve it. In the meantime, I have to run the USA, but I love solving wars," he added.

The US President further said he takes pride in preventing loss of life. “You know why? I like stopping people from being killed, and I’ve saved millions and millions of lives, and I think we’re going to have success with this war," Trump remarked.

His comments come as Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend their 48-hour ceasefire following days of deadly cross-border clashes that have killed dozens and wounded hundreds.

Talks between delegations from both nations were held in Doha, with mediation support from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Despite the truce extension, there are reports that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Barmal and Urgun districts of Afghanistan.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed that three players, who had been in the region for a tournament, were killed in the clashes. The board also announced it would withdraw from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series with Pakistan, scheduled for next month.

Moreover, Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harbouring militant groups led by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on its soil, a claim Kabul denies.

Cross-border violence escalated sharply after explosions rocked Kabul days earlier, coinciding with the Taliban’s foreign minister visiting India. The Taliban subsequently launched offensives along parts of the southern border.

The truce began at 1300 GMT on Wednesday. While Pakistan stated it was to last 48 hours, Kabul maintained that the ceasefire would remain in effect until Pakistan violated it. Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, accused Kabul of acting as “a proxy of India” and “plotting” against Pakistan.

Writing on X, he said: "From now on, demarches will no longer be framed as appeals for peace, and delegations will not be sent to Kabul. Wherever the source of terrorism is, it will have to pay a heavy price."

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated that Afghan forces were instructed not to attack unless Pakistani forces fired first. "If they do, then you have every right to defend your country," he told Ariana TV, relaying instructions to troops.

According to Tolo News, local officials in Kandahar report that around 20,000 families have been displaced from Spin Boldak due to clashes between Afghan border forces and Pakistani troops.

Officials said these families were forced to flee because of Pakistan’s indiscriminate bombings and have sought shelter in deserts and other areas where basic living facilities are scarce.

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

Nematullah Olfat, deputy head of the Kandahar Department of Refugees and Repatriation, said: "The Pakistani side carried out brutal bombings in densely populated areas of Spin Boldak."

Pakistani officials, meanwhile, have accused Afghanistan of acting as India’s representative and cooperating with the TTP. Islamabad claims the recent attacks on Pakistan were carried out from Afghan soil with India’s support, as per Tolo News.

Tensions further escalated after Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, visited India. Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, alleged in interviews as quoted by Tolo news that Afghanistan has become India’s proxy and that New Delhi is launching attacks on Pakistan through Afghan territory.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said: "When the attack on Pakistan happened, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was in New Delhi. You’ve seen those pictures in the news. That’s why we had to respond. Later, they called for a ceasefire."

At least three Afghan cricketers were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Paktika province. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said that the players had traveled from Urgun to Sharana in eastern Paktika, near the Pakistan border, to take part in a friendly match.

The ACB named the three players as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon and said that five other people were also killed in the attack. It said that "after returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering" in what it described as "a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime."

Afghanistan has pulled out of a tri-nation series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka next month "as a gesture of respect to the victims."

"The Afghanistan Cricket Board expresses its deepest sorrow and grief over the tragic martyrdom of the brave cricketers from Urgun District in Paktika Province, who were targeted this evening in a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime," the ACB said in a post on X.