Pakistani airstrikes kill 40 in Kandahar

At least 40 people were killed and 179 others injured in Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, hours after a temporary ceasefire expired on Thursday.

According to TOLO News, the strikes targeted the Spin Boldak border area, with additional artillery attacks reported in Nokli, Haji Hasan Kelai, Wardak, Kuchiyan, Shaheed, and Shorbak.

Local health official Karimullah Zubair Agha said many homes and shops were destroyed in the bombardment.

The attack came just hours after a two-day ceasefire between Pakistani and Afghan forces ended at noon on October 17. The truce had followed intense clashes between October 11 and 14.

Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have escalated in recent weeks over the presence of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters. Pakistan accuses the Taliban government of sheltering the militant group—a charge the Afghan authorities continue to deny.