Pakistan, Afghanistan announce 48-hour ceasefire after dozens die in clashes

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a "temporary ceasefire" on Wednesday, Islamabad said, after an airstrike and ground fighting sent tensions between the South Asian neighbours soaring, killing more than a dozen civilians.

Wednesday's fighting along the volatile, contested frontier shattered a fragile peace after weekend clashes that killed dozens, the worst between the two Islamic countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.

A Pakistani foreign ministry statement said that the two countries had decided to implement a "temporary ceasefire" for 48 hours starting 1300 GMT on Wednesday.

"During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts, through constructive dialogue, to find a positive solution to this complex yet resolvable issue," the statement said, adding that the truce was agreed upon at the request of the Afghan Taliban government.

Afghan Taliban administration spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the ceasefire agreement was a result of the "request and insistence of the Pakistani side".

Kabul directs all its forces to observe the ceasefire provided the other side does not commit aggression, he said in a statement.

The recent friction between the two former allies erupted after Islamabad demanded that the Afghan Taliban administration tackle militants who have stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they operate from havens in Afghanistan.

The Taliban denies the charge and accuses the Pakistani military of conspiring against Afghanistan by spreading misinformation, provoking border tension, and sheltering ISIS-linked militants to undermine the country's stability and sovereignty.

Pakistan's military denies the charges and points to attacks in Pakistan by ISIS-K, or Islamic State Khorasan, the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group active in the neighbours.