10 Dead As Pakistan Launches Fresh Attacks On Afghanistan, Taliban Says Truce 'Broken'

Last Updated:October 18, 2025, 07:40 IST

Pakistan launched fresh airstrikes inside Afghanistan last night, and the Taliban accused Islamabad of breaking a 48-hour ceasefire that ended bloody clashes along the border.

Afghan residents stand next to a damaged road in Kabul after a previous airstrike by Pakistan. (AFP/File)

Pakistan launched fresh airstrikes inside Afghanistan last night, killing 10 people as the Taliban accused Islamabad of breaking a 48-hour ceasefire that brought calm to the border after nearly a week of bloody clashes.

Pakistan and Afghanistan, former allies, were involved in a week of bloody clashes, with both claiming dozens of casualties on the other side. A 48-hour ceasefire was agreed on Wednesday, which the Taliban, the militant outfit that governs Afghanistan, now says Pakistan has broken with fresh strikes.

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

At least 10 civilians were killed and 12 others were wounded, as per an official of a provincial hospital. Two children were among the deceased Afghans. In Pakistan, a senior security official told AFP that forces had “conducted precision aerial strikes" in Afghan border areas targeting the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, a local faction linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Moreover, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Saturday said three Afghan cricketers were killed in Pakistan’s Paktika province, after which it withdrew from a scheduled T20 tri-series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka that was scheduled to begin on November 17.

Tensions High In Both Countries

The airstrikes came after Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on Friday to extend their 48-hour ceasefire until the conclusion of talks in Doha, sources told Reuters. This came hours after a deadly suicide attack near the bordering North Waziristan district, where seven Pakistani soldiers were killed and 13 others were injured. Pakistan blamed the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group.

Security officials in Pakistan said militants attacked a military camp, with one attacker ramming an explosive-laden vehicle into the boundary wall and two others attempting to storm the facility before being shot dead.

Later in the day, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told a Pashto-language local television news channel that Kabul had instructed its forces to maintain a ceasefire as long as Pakistan refrained from any attack.

The violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated dramatically last weekend as the Taliban’s foreign minister began a visit to India. Forces from both countries engaged in fierce fighting on the ground, while Islamabad also launched airstrikes along the contested border, with both sides claiming dozens of casualties.

Pakistan has accused the Taliban-led government of not doing enough to control militants, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who have intensified attacks within Pakistan and are allegedly being given shelter. In response, Kabul has rejected the accusations, stating that Pakistan is responsible for its own security.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan “retaliated" after losing patience with Afghanistan following a series of militant attacks, but was ready to hold talks to resolve the conflict.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has said he can help resolve the conflict. “Although I do understand that Pakistan attacked, or there is an attack going on with Afghanistan. That’s an easy one for me to solve if I have to solve it," he said.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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