Pakistan airstrikes kill 8 in Afghanistan, including 3 young Cricketers; Kabul cancels cricket series
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Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan on Friday evening, killing at least eight people, including three young Afghan cricketers. The attacks reportedly targeted areas in Khost and Paktika provinces near the border.
Afghan officials and local residents said that all the victims were civilians, including the young cricketers who were training nearby. The tragic deaths have sparked outrage across Afghanistan, with strong condemnation from both the public and government.
In response to the attack, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced the immediate suspension of its upcoming cricket series with Pakistan. The ACB said in a statement that it could not “continue sporting ties with a country that targets innocent Afghan lives.”
"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 traveled 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.
In response of this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T201 Series involving Pakistan, scheduled to be played in late November,” Afghanistan Cricket Board said in a statement.
Afghanistan’s national cricket players have welcomed the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s decision to cancel the tri-series with Pakistan.
National team player Rashid Khan, while condemning the last night attack on civilians in Paktika, said he supports the board’s decision and emphasized that national dignity and honor must come before everything else, Tolo news reported.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry called the airstrikes a “clear violation of sovereignty” and warned that Pakistan’s aggression could “worsen regional tensions.”
Pakistani fatal air strikes come amid a 48-hour ceasefire agreement between the two nations following days of intense cross-border clashes.