Taliban-Pakistan Ceasefire Expires, Risks Renewed Clashes

A temporary ceasefire between Afghanistan's Taliban government and Pakistan is set to expire at midnight on Monday, March 23, 2026, potentially reigniting cross-border clashes that have killed dozens of civilians and displaced over 110,000 people since late February. The truce, announced on March 18 to coincide with Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of Ramadan, offered a brief respite along the volatile Durand Line border but has been marred by mutual accusations of violations.

The agreement halted hostilities for a week, but tensions persisted as both sides reported incidents during the pause. On Sunday, March 22, Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat stated that Pakistani forces fired a mortar shell into the Shanpat area of Nari district in Kunar province around 9:30 a.m., killing one civilian and injuring a woman. Fitrat also reported Pakistani fire on a civilian vehicle in Shkin district of Paktika province, though no casualties occurred there. Earlier in the Eid period, Taliban officials cited three instances of Pakistani shelling in Nuristan, Kunar, and Paktia provinces, resulting in the deaths of three civilians, including a woman and a child. Local sources in...