The truce was announced after appeals from several countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which fear that further violence could threaten to destabilize the region where groups such as the so-called Islamic State or Al-Qaeda.
Pakistan's foreign ministry said the ceasefire would last for 48 hours and said it was at the request of Afghanistan. In turn, the chief spokesman for the Taliban government, Zabihullah Mujahid, stated that the ceasefire was the result of “pressure” from the Pakistani side, but did not mention the 48-hour period.
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Pakistan has previously carried out attacks on targets in Afghanistan, claiming they were militant hideouts. There have also been skirmishes between the two sides along the border in the past.
Pakistan blames Afghanistan for sheltering the rebel Islamist group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP has been attacking Pakistani security forces since 2007, seeking to overthrow the government and introduce fundamentalist Islamic law in Pakistan. Kabul denies these accusations.
Both countries share a border that is over 2,600 kilometers long. km, but Afghanistan never recognized it.
