On October 15, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed a temporary ceasefire after an airstrike and ground fighting escalated tensions between the two south Asian neighbors, killing more than a dozen civilians and injuring about 100.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said the two countries would implement a 48-hour "temporary ceasefire" from 1:00 p.m. on October 15 (local time), adding that the deal was being proposed by Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Afghanistan Taliban government, Mr. Zabihullah Mujahid, said that the ceasefire was issued at an urgent request of the Pakistan side.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan launched airstrikes in Kandahar province, bordering Afghanistan, targeting the town of Spin Boldak, according to the two countries' officials.
A Pakistan security official said the airstrike targeted an Afghanistan Taliban Brigade and dozens were killed, but the report has not been confirmed.
However, Afghanistan's Taliban military spokesman, Enayatullah Khowarazmi, said the residential area in Spin Boldak was hit, killing more than a dozen civilians and injuring about 100.
New tensions between the two former allies broke out after Islamabad asked the Taliban government to curb gunmen who have stepped up attacks in Pakistan, accusing them of operating from hiding in Afghanistan.
The Taliban denied the accusations and accused the Pakistan military of spreading false information, provoking border tensions and condoning elements related to IS to undermine the stability and sovereignty of Afghanistan. The Pakistan military denied the allegations.
The two countries have closed many border crossings since the weekend, causing trade to stagnate and dozens of cargo vehicles to be stuck. Pakistan is currently the main food and goods supplier to Afghanistan - a poor country and not bordering the sea.
