File photo: Afghan servicemen guard along the border in the Zazai Maidan district of Khost province, Afghanistan (Picture credit: AP)
Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Thursday claimed that Pakistan carried out two drone strikes on Kabul on Wednesday, even as the two neighbours declared a 48-hour ceasefire following days of deadly cross-border clashes that killed dozens and injured hundreds.The strikes, according to Taliban officials, targeted a civilian house and a market in Kabul, with hospital sources reporting at least five killed and dozens injured. Emergency, an Italian NGO running a surgical centre in the city, said patients suffered shrapnel wounds, burns, and blunt trauma. Khalid Zadran, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, confirmed the attacks but did not provide exact casualty figures, as per the news agency AP.Earlier, Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid initially described the incident as an oil tanker explosion. Pakistani officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strikes were aimed at militant hideouts, reported AP.Cross-border violence had escalated since October 10, with both Islamabad and Kabul accusing each other of harbouring militants. On Wednesday, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported at least 17 civilians killed and 346 injured in Spin Boldak on the Afghan side of the border, while noting further casualties in previous clashes. The UN urged both countries to “bring a lasting end to hostilities to protect civilians”.The temporary truce, which came into effect at 6 pm Islamabad time on Wednesday, was aimed at halting bloodshed and creating a window for dialogue. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said ‘the ball is in the Afghan Taliban’s court” and the extension of the ceasefire depends on Kabul’s response. “If in 48 hours they want to resolve the issues and address our genuine demands, then we are ready for them,” he said, reiterating that Afghan territory should not be used to plan attacks by Pakistani Taliban militants.According to the news agency AFP, Spin Boldak residents were observed returning home, and shops were reopening under the fragile truce, while municipal workers in Kabul were repairing roads and buildings damaged by the Wednesday blasts. Blasts had also caused overnight blackouts in parts of the city. Emergency’s country director, Dejan Panic, said, “We started receiving ambulances filled with wounded people… Ten are in critical condition.”The 2,611-kilometre-long Durand Line, which Afghanistan does not formally recognise, remains a flashpoint as Pakistan continues to combat attacks from the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and other armed groups operating along the border. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of providing safe havens to militants, a charge denied by the Taliban. Go to Source
