Pakistan, Taliban agree on strike pause for end of Ramadan

Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and the Taliban in Afghanistan is set to pause for the end of Ramadan. Leaders in both countries said the truce is conditional and could be reversed quickly if violated.

Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban government on Wednesday announced a temporary suspension of military strikes, framing the temporary ceasefire as a gesture to mark the end of Ramadan.

Both sides said the halt for Eid al-Fitr had been requested by "brotherly Islamic countries," including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

The pause is set to run from midnight Wednesday to midnight Monday, according to Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

Pause as a 'gesture in good faith,' Pakistan says

"Pakistan offers this gesture in good faith and in keeping with Islamic norms," Tarar wrote on X.

But he warned that "any cross-border attack, drone attack or any terrorist incident inside Pakistan" would trigger an immediate resumption of operations "with renewed intensity."

Islamabad was first to declare the pause. Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid followed later Wednesday, issuing a similar statement and a parallel warning that "in the event of any threat," Taliban forces would respond "decisively."

Pause follows a deadly strike in Kabul

The announcement came after Afghan officials said that a Pakistani airstrike struck a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul on Monday killed hundreds of people. 

Pakistan denied targeting the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital. The country said its strikes in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan were aimed at military sites and dismissed reports of mass civilian casualties as propaganda.

Conflict enters its third week

Since late February, clashes have escalated, with repeated cross-border fire and airstrikes striking deep into Afghan territory, including the capital, as Pakistan declared itself in "open war" with Afghanistan.

The fighting has alarmed the international community, particularly along the border, where al-Qaeda, the "Islamic State" and other militant groups remain active and are seeking to regroup.

Edited by: Sean Sinico