8 Afghan Cricketers Killed as Pakistan Launches Airstrikes on Paktika Amid Ceasefire

New Delhi: In a tragic development, eight Afghan club-level cricket players have been killed and four others injured in Pakistani airstrikes on Paktika province, credible sources within the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed to the media.

According to officials, the players had returned to Argun district from Sharana, the provincial capital, after participating in a local tournament. They were attending a dinner gathering when the area was bombed by the Pakistani military regime.

Sources at the ACB described the incident as a devastating loss to Afghanistan’s local cricket community, calling the victims “young talents who represented the spirit of Afghan cricket at the grassroots level.”

Prominent Afghan fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi condemned the attack in a post on X, writing:

“The massacre of innocent civilians and our domestic cricket players by these oppressors is a heinous, unforgivable crime. May Almighty Allah grant the martyrs the highest place in Paradise, humiliate the perpetrators, and subject them to His wrath. The killing of players and civilians is not honor, it is the deepest disgrace. Long live Afghanistan!”

The strike has sparked outrage across Afghanistan, with many calling it an attack not only on civilians but also on the country’s sporting spirit.

The bombing comes amid heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as former U.S. President Donald Trump recently referred to the ongoing conflict as “Pakistan’s war,” warning of escalating hostilities along the border.

Authorities in Kabul have yet to release an official statement, but the incident underscores the growing civilian toll of cross-border strikes in eastern Afghanistan.

Airstrikes Breach 48-Hour Ceasefire

According to a report by Tolo News, at least six people, including two children, were killed and seven others wounded in the same wave of Pakistani airstrikes targeting residential areas in Paktika’s Argun and Barmal districts. Among the injured were six women and one child.

The airstrikes reportedly struck civilian homes in two rounds, with the second wave launched moments after the initial attack. Details on additional casualties from the follow-up strikes are still being verified.

The deadly bombings took place amid a 48-hour ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which was supposed to halt cross-border hostilities following days of escalating clashes.

Talks in Doha to De-Escalate Tensions

Afghanistan media Tolo News reported that Pakistan had requested an extension of the temporary truce until the conclusion of the Doha negotiations, aimed at reducing tensions and preventing further violence.

Negotiations between the two sides are expected to begin on Saturday. The Afghan delegation, led by Defence Minister Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, is set to depart for Doha, while the Pakistani delegation, comprising Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Army Chief Asim Munir, has already arrived for the talks.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office earlier confirmed the truce, stating:

“A temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban regime, with the mutual consent of both parties, for the next 48 hours from 6 pm today, at the request of the Taliban.”

Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid also affirmed that Afghan forces had been instructed to respect the ceasefire “unless any aggression takes place.”

Tensions Rise After Trump’s Remarks

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