3 Afghanistan cricketers killed in Pakistani airstrike

Three Afghanistan cricketers were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Paktika province on Friday (October 17), the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said.

The cricketers were killed when they were travelling from Urgun district in Paktika to Sharana.

ACB's statement

Cricketers Kabeer, Sibghatullah, Haroon, and five other persons were killed in the Pakistani airstrike, according to ACB.

Also read: Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to 48-hour border ceasefire

In a statement on its X handle, ACB said, “The Afghanistan Cricket Board expresses its deepest sorrow and grief over the tragic martyrdom of the brave cricketers from Urgun District in Paktika Province, who were targeted this evening in a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.”

“In this heartbreaking incident, three players (Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon) alongside 5 other fellow countrymen from Urgun District were martyred, and seven others were injured. The players had earlier travelled to Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, to participate in a friendly cricket match. After returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering,” it added.

Further, it said, “The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family. The ACB also extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the bereaved families of the martyrs and to the people of Paktika Province.”

Following the attack, Afghanistan has withdrawn from participating in the upcoming T20I tri-series involving Pakistan, scheduled to be played in November.

Also read: Pakistan says 23 soldiers, over 200 Taliban fighters killed in border clashes

In a statement, Afghanistan T20I captain Rashid Khan condemned the Pakistani attack.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan. A tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage.

"It is absolutely immoral and barbaric to target civilian infrastructure. These unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed.

"In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB’s decision of withdrawing from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time, our national dignity must come before all else," Rashid wrote on his X account.

What police said

Earlier, an Afghan police official said that Pakistan's military carried out strikes in southeastern Afghanistan on Friday, just hours after a two-day ceasefire between the neighbouring countries expired.

The bombings struck southeastern Paktika province and two other areas close to the Pakistan border, and included a strike on a civilian house in Khanadar village that resulted in casualties, police spokesman Mohammadullah Amini Mawia said. He gave no further details, including how the strikes were delivered.

The ceasefire that began on Wednesday had halted several days of fighting that killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds. It ended on Friday evening with no formal announcement of an extension, though diplomatic efforts to halt the hostilities were underway and Qatar reportedly offered to host peace talks.

The strikes in southeastern Afghanistan came hours after Pakistani officials said that a suicide car bomber backed by the Pakistani Taliban attacked a compound of security forces near the border, killing several people in the area.

The attack in Mir Ali, a city in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, also triggered an intense shootout that left at least six militants and one soldier dead, police said.