Officials from both sides said the skirmishes broke out late on Friday night, with the two countries accusing one another of opening fire first. list of 3 itemsend of list In a post on X, the spokesman for Afghanistan's Taliban government, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Pakistani forces had launched attacks towards the Spin Boldak district in the Kandahar province, prompting Afghan forces to respond.
The Australian government has imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on four officials in Afghanistan's Taliban government, citing the deteriorating human rights situation in the country, particularly for women and girls. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Saturday that Canberra had established a world-first autonomous sanctions framework for Afghanistan, which would allow it to directly impose its own sanctions and travel bans to increase pressure on the Taliban.
Fresh clashes near the border with Afghanistan have killed at least five Pakistani soldiers and 25 fighters, Pakistan's army says, even as the two countries hold peace talks in Istanbul. The Pakistani military said armed men attempted to cross from Afghanistan into Kurram and North Waziristan on Friday and Saturday, accusing the Taliban authorities of failing to act against armed groups operating from Afghan territory.
Afghanistan and Pakistan will begin peace talks on October 18 in the Qatari capital of Doha after border clashes and attacks raised fears of an all-out war between the two countries. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend their 48-hour truce late on October 17 for the duration of the Doha talks, as they aim to resolve the worst violence between the two countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have implemented a ceasefire following the deadliest border clashes in years that killed dozens of people and led to evacuations on both sides. The 48-hour truce began Wednesday at 6:00pm Islamabad time (13:00 GMT), with each country claiming the other requested the pause in hostilities. Pakistan confirmed the ceasefire duration, stating: During this period, both sides will sincerely strive to find a positive solution to this complex but resolvable issue through constructive dialogue.
Pakistan has carried out air strikes in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar, locals told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, as fresh fighting erupted between the neighbors. Explosions were also heard in Kabul, according to city residents who spoke to Radio Azadi. Unverified footage on social media appeared to show plumes of smoke rising into the sky in the Afghan capital. The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear.
India on Friday announced that it was reopening its embassy in Kabul, four years after it was shut following the 2021 return of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The announcement was made by Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar during a bilateral meeting with his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi. "I am pleased to announce today the upgrading of India's Technical Mission in Kabul to the status of Embassy of India," Jaishankar said.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio welcomed the release of Amir Amiry, saying it marked the administration's determination, reinforced by Donald Trump's recent executive order, to protect American nationals from wrongful detention abroad. While this marks an important step forward, additional Americans remain unjustly detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home.
There are reports of severe disruption in other parts of the country, including the northern provinces of Kunduz, Badakhshan, Baghlan and Takhar. The Taliban leadership has not provided an official explanation, however a spokesperson for the governor of Balkh stated that the decision was taken to "prevent immorality." But many experts suspect the Islamic fundamentalist group wants to block critical content and preempt potential protests.
The death toll from a massive earthquake in Afghanistan last week has nearly doubled to 2,205 as rescue workers manage to access the remote mountainous area devastated by the disaster. Hamdullah Fitrat, a spokesman for the Taliban-led government who gave the updated casualty figures on September 4, said deliveries of first aid and emergency supplies are "ongoing" as volunteers and rescue workers negotiate treacherous terrain to reach villages where people remain trapped in the rubble.
