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| A Taliban fighter stands next to vehicles destroyed during an airstrike, following a temporary ceasefire, amid the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, October 16, 2025. Photo via REUTERS/Stringer |
Kabul: Afghanistan’s Taliban government has accused Pakistan of launching two drone strikes on Kabul just hours before both countries announced a ceasefire following days of deadly cross-border clashes.
The Taliban said the strikes hit a civilian house and a market in Kabul on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least five people and injuring dozens more. Khalid Zadran, spokesperson for the Kabul police chief, told the Associated Press that drones targeted the city center, leaving several civilians wounded by shrapnel and burns. The humanitarian group Emergency confirmed treating multiple victims.
The accusations came as the two neighbors agreed to a temporary truce after nearly a week of fierce fighting along the border — the worst since 2021, when the Taliban took power following the U.S. withdrawal. The clashes left dozens dead and hundreds injured on both sides.
While Islamabad has not officially responded to Kabul’s latest claims, Pakistani officials—speaking anonymously—told AP that their forces had carried out strikes on “militant hideouts” inside Afghan territory on Wednesday.
Regional Pressure Pushes for Calm
The ceasefire was reportedly brokered after appeals from major regional powers alarmed by the escalating violence. The United Nations welcomed the truce on Thursday and urged both countries to work toward a “lasting end to hostilities.”
According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), at least 37 civilians were killed and 425 wounded this week in cross-border clashes across several provinces, including Paktya, Paktika, Kunar, Khost, Kandahar, and Helmand. UNAMA also documented 16 earlier civilian deaths in similar incidents before the latest surge in violence.
“UNAMA calls on all parties to bring a lasting end to hostilities to protect civilians and prevent further loss of life,” the mission said.
Tensions Over Militancy and Borders
Pakistan has not released figures for casualties on its side but continues to accuse Afghanistan of sheltering militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan — a charge the Taliban strongly denies.
On Thursday, Pakistani officials said security forces had killed “dozens of militants” attempting to cross the border in Mohmand district, located in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly, said the fighters came from Afghan territory.
The two countries share a 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border known as the Durand Line — a colonial-era boundary that Afghanistan has never officially recognized.
The latest flare-up highlights how fragile relations between Islamabad and Kabul remain, even as both governments face pressure from internal security threats and resurgent extremist groups like Daesh and Al-Qaeda.
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