Pakistan has carried out a new round of airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, both Pakistani and Afghan officials confirmed on October 15, as hostilities between the two neighbours continue to intensify, Reuters has reported.

Furthermore, according to Amaj News, Pakistani aircraft also struck multiple locations in Kabul, with at least four explosions reported in the capital. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X that a fire broke out in the city following the explosion of an oil tanker, though he did not directly attribute it to the strikes.

The air raids come amid a surge in cross-border clashes. Earlier, Pakistan’s Geo TV was cited by Vedomosti as saying that Pakistani troops had launched attacks on Afghan border posts and militant positions on the night of October 12, seizing 19 outposts and inflicting “significant losses” on Afghan forces. Reuters separately reported that Islamabad had closed all border crossings with Afghanistan in the aftermath of the fighting. The renewed violence underscores the deepening rift between Islamabad and Kabul, following months of mutual accusations over militant incursions and cross-border attacks.

However, in just the past few hours, Pakistan and Afghanistan have reportedly agreed to a temporary ceasefire following several days of cross-border clashes, Vedomosti adds.

According to authorities in Islamabad, the truce took effect at 6pm local time at the request of the Taliban authorities in Kabul. Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti also cited the announcement, noting that the pause was aimed at easing hostilities along the tense frontier. There is as of yet no confirmed indication as to how long the truce will last.