Border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have erupted once more, shattering a fragile ceasefire with deadly consequences and prompting urgent diplomatic efforts in Doha. On Friday, October 17, 2025, Pakistan launched air strikes inside Afghanistan, killing at least ten civilians, including two children, in the Paktika province. The attacks, which Afghan officials say targeted three separate locations, ended a 48-hour truce that had briefly paused a week of bloody border clashes. These clashes had already claimed dozens of lives on both sides and left hundreds wounded, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
The violence has its roots in a dramatic escalation that began the previous Saturday, following explosions in Kabul. These blasts coincided with the Taliban’s foreign minister embarking on a historic visit to India, Pakistan’s long-standing rival. In the days that followed, the Taliban launched an offensive along parts of Afghanistan’s southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to threaten a robust response. As reported by Reuters and Digital Journal, the situation quickly spiraled, with both militaries exchanging fire and civilian casualties mounting.
The brief ceasefire, which began at 13:00 GMT on Wednesday, October 15, was initially announced by Islamabad to last 48 hours. However, Kabul insisted it would remain effective until Pakistan violated it. That violation came late Friday, when Pakistani forces carried out what they described as “precision aerial strikes” in Afghan border areas. According to a senior Pakistani security official quoted by AFP, these strikes targeted the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, a faction linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad accused the group of orchestrating a suicide bombing and gun attack at a military camp in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas, which killed seven paramilitary troops.
The Afghan side, for its part, painted a grim picture of the aftermath. A provincial hospital official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, confirmed that “ten civilians were killed and 12 others wounded in the attacks, including two children.” The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) reported that three of its players, who had been participating in a domestic tournament, were also among the dead. The cricketers were “targeted during a gathering” in Urgun district as they returned home after a match in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, the ACB said. In a statement posted on social media, the Board called the incident “a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family.” In protest, the ACB announced it was withdrawing from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan, scheduled for November 2025.
The strikes drew swift condemnation from Afghan officials, who accused Pakistan of breaking the ceasefire and warned of retaliation. “Pakistan has broken the ceasefire and bombed three locations in Paktika,” a senior Taliban official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Afghanistan will retaliate.” The Taliban government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, echoed this sentiment, stating that Afghan forces had been ordered not to attack unless Pakistani forces fired first, but that they had “every right to defend” their country if attacked.
In the wake of the air strikes, both nations scrambled to contain the fallout and avoid a deeper conflict. High-level delegations from both countries traveled to Doha, Qatar, for crisis talks on Saturday, October 18. According to Pakistan state television, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and intelligence chief General Asim Malik were heading to Doha “for talks with the Afghan Taliban.” The Afghan government confirmed that its own delegation, led by Defence Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob, had also departed for the Qatari capital. “As promised, negotiations with the Pakistani side will take place today in Doha,” Mujahid said in a statement.
Security concerns remain at the heart of the dispute. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harboring TTP militants on its soil—a charge Kabul denies. Islamabad has grown increasingly alarmed by cross-border attacks, which it claims are orchestrated by TTP elements operating from Afghan territory. The recent suicide bombing and gun attack in North Waziristan, which left seven Pakistani troops dead, was cited by Pakistani officials as the immediate catalyst for the air strikes. “Wherever the source of terrorism is, it will have to pay a heavy price,” Defence Minister Asif wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding that future demarches would not be “framed as appeals for peace.” He further accused Kabul of acting as “a proxy of India” and “plotting” against Pakistan—a claim that underscores the broader regional rivalries at play.
For Afghans living near the border, the latest violence has brought fresh trauma to communities already battered by years of conflict. In Spin Boldak, a town that saw intense fighting earlier in the week, hundreds attended funerals for victims—including children wrapped in white shrouds. “People have mixed feelings,” Nematullah, a 42-year-old resident, told AFP. “They fear that the fighting will resume, but they still leave their homes and go about their business.” Another resident, Nani, 35, described a fragile sense of normalcy returning before the latest strikes, saying, “Everything is fine, everything is open. I’m not afraid, but everyone sees things differently. Some say they’re going to send their children elsewhere as the situation isn’t good, but I don’t think anything will happen.”
Before the most recent escalation, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan had already recorded 37 killed and 425 wounded on the Afghan side of the border. The UN called on both governments to bring a lasting end to hostilities and protect civilians caught in the crossfire. Yet, with the ceasefire now shattered and both sides trading accusations, prospects for a quick resolution remain uncertain.
The international community is watching closely, wary that further escalation could destabilize a region already on edge. The involvement of high-level officials in the Doha talks signals the gravity of the crisis, but whether these negotiations can produce a sustainable peace remains to be seen. For now, families on both sides of the border wait anxiously, hoping that diplomacy will prevail over the cycle of violence that has defined their lives for far too long.
