In the wake of deadly Afghanistan-Pakistan border clashes, scenes from Afghanistan showed Taliban fighters parading trousers of Pakistani soldiers, in what appeared to be a symbolic celebration following the fierce exchange of fire earlier this week.
The clashes marked the worst fighting between the two neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. Both sides have since agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire, though each claimed the truce came at the other’s request.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the ceasefire began at 13:00 GMT on Wednesday and was reached “at Kabul’s request.” However, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters that the truce followed the “insistence of the Pakistani side.” He said Afghan troops had been instructed to hold fire “as long as the other side does not resume aggression", as reported by the Hindustan Times.
UN calls for restraint as both sides count losses
The clashes erupted after Islamabad accused the Afghan Taliban administration of sheltering militants who launched attacks on Pakistani soil. Kabul denied the charges, alleging instead that Pakistani troops had bombed Afghan territory, killing more than a dozen civilians and injuring nearly 100 in Spin Boldak. Pakistan, in turn, said four of its civilians were hurt by Taliban shelling in Chaman district, across the border.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk welcomed the truce, urging both countries to “prevent further harm to civilians” and work toward a sustainable ceasefire.
The Emergency NGO, which runs a war surgery centre in Kabul, reported receiving five dead and 35 injured following the explosions near the frontier. “Most victims suffered shrapnel wounds and burns,” said country director Dejan Panic, adding that ambulances arrived “filled with the wounded.”
Symbolism and embarrassment
Amid the ceasefire, videos circulating online showed Taliban fighters celebrating what they described as a “victory” over Pakistani forces. In one viral image shared by BBC journalist Daud Junbish on his X, the Taliban displayed what were described as “empty trousers recovered from abandoned Pakistani military posts near the Durand Line.”
By Thursday morning, Pakistani security officials told AFP that “no fresh violence was reported overnight” and that the ceasefire was holding. “Additional paramilitary troops have been deployed to maintain calm,” said a senior officer in Peshawar, noting that power outages in parts of Kabul were caused by damaged electricity cables during the fighting.
