According to Reuters, on the early morning of October 19 local time, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced that Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire during talks held in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that on the evening of October 18, Afghanistan and Pakistan reached a ceasefire agreement during a round of negotiations mediated by Qatar and Turkey. The two countries have agreed to hold follow-up meetings in the coming days "to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire and to verify the implementation of the ceasefire in a reliable and sustainable manner."
In recent days, small-scale armed clashes have continued along the Afghan-Pakistani border, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. This is the most serious violent incident between the two countries since the Taliban took power in 2021.
On the 15th, both governments separately issued statements announcing a temporary 48-hour ceasefire. This ceasefire agreement expired on the 17th. Both governments stated that they will hold peace talks in Doha on the 18th, trying to find a way to resolve the conflict.
Afghan government spokesperson Mujahid said on the 18th that a high-level delegation led by Afghan Defense Minister Yakub has departed for Doha.
He stated that the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on the 15th was extended until the end of the negotiations, but just hours later, Pakistan carried out air strikes targeting civilians within Afghanistan. He added that Afghanistan reserves the right to respond, but has instructed armed forces to avoid retaliatory actions to support the work of the negotiation team.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry earlier revealed that Pakistan's Defense Minister Asif would lead a delegation to negotiate with Afghan representatives.
"The talks will focus on taking immediate measures to stop cross-border terrorism originating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border," the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.
From the late night of the 11th to the early morning of the 12th, fighting broke out in the border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Afghan side claimed that in response to Pakistan's air strikes on Kabul and Paktia province on the night of the 9th, Afghan forces launched a retaliatory operation at night on the 11th. Pakistan condemned "provocative acts by Afghanistan in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area" and demanded that Afghanistan ensure its territory is not used for terrorist activities against Pakistan.
On the 15th, clashes broke out again along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, with both sides accusing each other of launching deadly conflicts. Security officials said that on the 17th, a suicide attack occurred near the border, killing seven Pakistani soldiers and injuring 13 others.
On the 18th, Pakistan Army Chief General Munir spoke at a graduation ceremony for military academy cadets, stating: "The Afghan government must control those proxies who have sanctuary in Afghanistan and use Afghan territory to carry out shocking attacks in Pakistan."
Pakistan Information Minister Ateeq Tarrar posted on social media on the 18th that Pakistan security forces had attacked "verified" militant camps in the border areas, killing more than 100 militants, and denied that the targets were civilians. He stated that militants had attempted multiple attacks inside Pakistan during the ceasefire, and the group carried out a suicide attack on a military camp on the 17th.
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