Pakistani airstrikes hit Afghanistan’s Paktika province, with homes in Argun and Barmal districts reportedly targeted, according to Tolo News. A Taliban An official, speaking to AFP news agency, confirmed the attacks and said Islamabad had “broken the ceasefire.”“Pakistan has broken this armistice and bombed three locations in Paktika,” the official told AFP, adding: “Afghanistan will retaliate.”This comes hours after reports that the temporary ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been extended.A senior diplomatic source quoted by Pakistan’s Dawn News newspaper had confirmed that the ceasefire, which was due to expire on Friday evening, had been extended until the conclusion of Doha negotiations. A 48-hour ceasefire has been agreed between Afghanistan and Pakistan following deadly violence between neighboring countries. The ceasefire, which began at 6:00 p.m. Islamic time on Wednesday, temporarily ended nearly a week of fierce border conflicts that had already claimed dozens of lives, including civilians and soldiers on both sides.Violence escalated on Saturday following explosions in Kabul, just as the Taliban’s foreign minister began a historic visit to India. In response, the Taliban launched an offensive along its southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to promise violent retaliation.Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said it was important to “wait for 48 hours” to see whether the ceasefire held, although no further details were provided. Meanwhile, Taliban authorities remained silent when asked to comment on the post-ceasefire situation.Security concerns continue to be at the heart of the dispute. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, a charge Kabul denies. Khan added that Pakistan expects “concrete and verifiable measures” from the Taliban to combat these groups operating from Afghan soil.Meanwhile, a deadly attack in Pakistan’s North Waziristan district shortly before the ceasefire ended claimed the lives of seven paramilitary troops, with a faction of the TTP claiming responsibility. The ceasefire’s expiration also coincided with a deadly bomb and gun attack in Mir Ali, Pakistan, in which at least one soldier was killed in the ensuing gunfight.
