Reference News Network, October 18 report. According to AFP, on the evening of October 17, Pakistan launched air strikes against Afghanistan. Kabul said that this attack broke the ceasefire that had brought two days of calm to the border areas after previous deadly clashes.
The report stated that when Pakistan announced a ceasefire at 13:00 GMT on the 15th, it declared that the ceasefire would last for 48 hours, while Afghanistan believed the ceasefire would continue until the other party violated it. On the evening of the 17th, a source from Pakistan's security agencies said that Pakistan carried out a "targeted air strike" inside Afghanistan against a "terrorist organization" accused of being responsible for the attack in the morning of the same day.
The report stated that earlier, a senior Taliban official told AFP that Pakistan had attacked three locations in Afghanistan's Paktika province. The official, who requested anonymity, emphasized that "Afghanistan will retaliate" and accused Pakistan of violating the ceasefire agreement.
The report stated that at 13:00 GMT on the 17th, which was the time when Pakistan claimed the ceasefire expired, neither side announced an extension of the ceasefire. That evening, Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, said: "We have informed our soldiers: do not launch attacks first unless the Pakistani forces attack first. If they strike, you have every right to defend your country."
After an unusually intense period of violence, the ceasefire over these two days brought a brief calm to the border areas and Kabul. The previous fighting caused dozens of casualties, including both combatants and civilians, with the 15th being particularly severe.
This round of conflict began after a bombing incident occurred in Kabul last week, with the Taliban authorities accusing it of being orchestrated by Pakistan. In retaliation, the Taliban launched an offensive in the border areas last weekend, and Pakistan vowed to take a "strong response." (Translated by Pan Geping)
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