Representatives of Afghanistan and Pakistan, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, have agreed on an immediate ceasefire on the border. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar on the night of 19 October after the talks held in Doha.
According to the report, delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan will meet again in the coming days for consultations on maintaining and fully implementing the ceasefire. The two sides will meet again on October 25 in Istanbul, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on X network.
Pakistan and Afghanistan late in the evening of 17 October agreed to extend the 48-hour ceasefire until the conclusion of the Doha talks after Taliban representatives accused Pakistan of violating the preliminary ceasefire agreement. This followed strikes on Afghan territory late in the evening of 17 October that reportedly killed 10 civilians, including two children.
On the same day, seven Pakistani soldiers were also killed in a suicide attack near the Afghan border. An organisation formerly linked to the extremist group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility.
The latest outbreak of violence has raised fears of a full-scale war between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, long-time allies who have quarrelled.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the extremist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is waging an insurgency against Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban, which seized power in 2021, denies the accusation.
Since 2021, Taliban fighters and Pakistani soldiers have clashed periodically along the 2,600-kilometre border between the countries.