Pakistan, Afghanistan conform to momentary ceasefire : NPR

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H. Achakzai/AP ISLAMABAD — Pakistan mentioned Wednesday it agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire with Afghanistan following days of violence which have killed dozens of individuals on each side of the border.

Pakistan's Overseas Ministry mentioned the ceasefire was at Afghanistan's request.

Moments later, the Taliban authorities's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, mentioned the truce was at "the insistence" of the Pakistani facet. His social media put up on X didn't point out a 48-hour timeframe. All Afghan forces have been instructed to look at the ceasefire "so long as nobody violates it," Mujahid added.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring armed teams, a cost rejected by the nation's Taliban rulers. Pakistan is grappling with militant assaults which have elevated since 2021, when the Taliban seized energy in Afghanistan.

The escalation of tensions is prone to destabilize a area the place teams, together with the Islamic State and al-Qaida, are attempting to ascertain a foothold and resurface.

Earlier Wednesday, earlier than the ceasefire announcement, Pakistan mentioned its troops killed dozens of Afghan safety forces and militants in in a single day preventing. The clashes had stopped briefly Sunday following appeals from main regional powers, together with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Pakistani forces mentioned they'd repelled "unprovoked" assaults, however denied concentrating on civilians after the Taliban authorities mentioned greater than a dozen had been killed and over 100 others wounded when Pakistan focused websites in a border space of Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province.

Mujahid, the Taliban authorities's chief spokesman, mentioned earlier that Pakistan used gentle and heavy weapons in assaults on Spin Boldak in Kandahar. Afghan forces returned fireplace and killed a number of Pakistani troopers, seized army posts and captured weapons together with tanks, Mujahid added.

Pakistan's military additionally focused militant hideouts within the Afghan capital, two Pakistani safety officers mentioned Wednesday on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren't approved to talk with the media.

Folks within the Pakistani border city of Chaman reported mortars falling close to villages and a few households had been seen evacuating early Wednesday.

"This preventing has been occurring since early (Wednesday) morning, and individuals who reside near the border are leaving the world," mentioned Chaman resident Najibullah Khan, who urged the 2 nations to finish the preventing to forestall additional shelling.

Pakistan's border areas have skilled violence since 1979 when it grew to become a frontline state within the U.S.-backed conflict towards the Soviet Union.

"After the Sept. 11 assaults, Pakistan's tribal belt descended into chaos because the Afghan Taliban, al-Qaida, and different teams operated from each side of the border for assaults on NATO forces and Pakistani safety forces," mentioned Abdullah Khan, a protection analyst and managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Battle and Safety Research.