40 dead in clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan

Forty civilians were killed and 170 wounded on Wednesday in clashes on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, ahead of the entry into force of a temporary truce, Afghan health officials said Thursday.

The report was released by Karimullah Zubair Agha, director of Public Health in the border province of Spin Boldak (in southern Afghanistan), who confirmed that all reported victims were civilians who were hit during violent fighting on Wednesday.

After days of firefights and airstrikes that heightened tensions between the two neighboring countries, Islamabad and Kabul agreed to a 48-hour cessation of hostilities late Wednesday, aiming to de-escalate the crisis and resume dialogue.

The UN called for an immediate end to the fighting and the protection of the civilian population, giving lower preliminary figures — at least 17 to 18 dead and more than 340 injured on the Afghan side — and warning of the risk of regional destabilization.

The incidents were concentrated in the Spin Boldak (Kandahar province, Afghanistan) and Chaman (Balochistan province, Pakistan) axis, one of the main border crossings for bilateral trade and often a scene of tensions.

The two sides exchange accusations of responsibility for the worsening violence.

The recent truce led to a calming of the fighting, but border crossings remained partially closed and freight traffic was severely restricted, with local authorities awaiting further assessments and new political contacts.