Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that Islamabad and Kabul reached a temporary ceasefire agreement following days of escalating border clashes. The truce is set to begin at 6 p.m. local time and will last for 48 hours.

In a statement, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry confirmed that both sides “will make sincere efforts through dialogue to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue.” The agreement follows intense fighting between Afghan Taliban forces and the Pakistani military in the southeastern Afghan province of Paktika, where both sides exchanged artillery fire and engaged in direct clashes along the border.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Kabul had instructed its forces to fully respect the ceasefire “provided that the other side commits no aggression.” He also confirmed reports of a massive explosion earlier in the day in the Afghan capital, Kabul, explaining that it was caused by a fuel truck explosion, and denied claims of any “foreign airstrike.”

Clashes claim over a dozen lives

The fighting erupted along the Durand Line, a 2,600-kilometer border drawn during British colonial rule that Afghanistan has never formally recognized. The demarcation cuts through Pashtun tribal lands, creating a constant source of friction. Clashes frequently erupt when either side accuses the other of building military posts or crossing into contested territory.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani troops launched early morning assaults that "martyred more than 12 civilians and wounded over 100 others." He claimed Taliban fighters "killed a large number of Pakistani soldiers," seized "posts and centres," captured "weapons and tanks," and "destroyed" most of Pakistan's nearby military facilities.

Islamabad issued its own version of events, blaming the Taliban for starting the battle. "Taliban forces attacked Pakistani post near Chaman (district)," said Habib Ullah Bangulzai, a local administrator on the Pakistani side.