Pakistan has resumed military operations against Afghanistan after a brief Eid ceasefire, officials said on Thursday, dampening hopes of a lasting truce following the worst cross-border fighting in years.
Violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated last month, with heavy casualties reported on both sides. Afghan authorities said more than 400 people were killed in a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul last week, before hostilities were paused.
Pakistan rejected the Taliban’s account, saying it had “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure”.
The ceasefire coincided with the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr and, according to Islamabad, was requested by Türkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“The pause concluded at midnight between March 23 and 24,” foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said at a weekly briefing. He added that operations would continue until objectives were met and urged the Afghan Taliban administration to reconsider what he described as its “misplaced priority” of supporting militant networks.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring Islamist militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegation, saying militancy is a domestic issue for Pakistan.
Trade at key border crossings has been suspended since Pakistan launched air strikes in October.
The Torkham crossing in north-west Pakistan reopened temporarily on Thursday, allowing hundreds of Afghan refugees to return home, officials said.
Pakistan hosts more than two million Afghan refugees who have fled decades of conflict. Authorities are pressing undocumented Afghans to leave, citing links to militancy and crime.
The repatriation effort forms part of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan launched in late 2023. The United Nations has criticised the policy, warning that forced returns may breach international obligations.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gifted each NATO leader a revolver engraved with their name, along with ammunition at the alliance’s summit in Ankara.
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The U.S. says it has launched strikes on Iran after alleged attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington described the action as a response to threats against civilian shipping and a breach of the ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership "sick people".
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Typhoon Bavi churned southeast of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, its winds easing overnight to just shy of 200 kph (124 mph), as authorities urged residents to stock up on supplies and brace for what could be the most powerful typhoon since 2024.
Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO, has described fresh U.S. strikes on Iran as "absolutely necessary," in remarks at the start of the second day of the alliance's sumit in the Turkish capital Ankara.
This is the last of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
This is the third of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
This is the second of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
The Aviators of Ganja explores how young Spanish volunteers travelled to Soviet-era Azerbaijan to train as military pilots before being drawn into the defining conflicts of the 20th century.
The South Caucasus is increasingly being viewed not only through the lens of past conflicts but also as a strategic bridge linking Europe, the Caspian region and Central Asia. One analyst says this presents an opportunity for a new Euro-Atlantic approach focused on long-term regional cooperation.
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