Streets in Spin Boldak that once teemed with life now lie silent, littered with debris as families mourn their losses and search for remnants of their shattered lives.

Kabul:

The 48-hour temporary ceasefire, agreed between Afghanistan and Pakistan, is set to expire today as leaders in Islamabad and Kabul negotiate on terms to broker a lasting peace along the Durand Line-- the border between the two countries. The recent hostilities between the two Asian neighbours, the deadliest since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, claimed dozens of lives on both sides of the border.

Caught in the line of fire are the residents of the border areas, especially in Pakistan's Chaman district and Afghanistan's southeastern Spin Boldak district, who are trying to pick up the pieces of their lives disrupted by weeks of airstrikes and ground fighting between South Asian neighbours. 

NDTV visited the ground zero on the Afghan side of the border, where civilians are returning to their homes in Spin Boldak, which they fled amid Pakistani airstrikes. Streets that once teemed with life now lie silent, littered with debris as families mourn their losses and search for remnants of their shattered lives. 

Rahimuddin, a local, accused the Pakistani military of targeting civilian infrastructure as opposed to the government establishments, as claimed by Islamabad.  

"They attacked our homes and targeted civilians. They have killed common people - women and children, young and old - leaving communities shattered and many families homeless overnight. They attacked our homes; you can see them with your own eyes," he said. 

Another local, Izatullah, said, "There were no Taliban here. They bombed the house and killed common people."

A section of Afghans, who have resisted the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan so far, also seemed to have extended their support to the Taliban after Pakistani aggression. 

"After this attack, we stand ready to support the Taliban government. Every Afghan stands with the government, according to their means and ability," said Esmatullah, a young man whose family was affected by recent violence. 

The message of locals is clear: these tragedies must stop, and the safety of innocent people must be upheld above all.

Afghanistan Taliban Crisis

The recent deterioration of Afghanistan-Pakistan ties would have been hard to imagine in 2021, when Pakistan welcomed the return of the Taliban in Kabul following the American army's sudden departure from Afghanistan. Islamabad had believed that the Taliban would become a bulwark against any security threats to Pakistan in exchange for over two decades of support that it extended to the Afghan Taliban movement.

But now, Islamabad is accusing Kabul of sheltering militants who plan their frequent assaults from Afghan soil -- a charge the Taliban government denies. The Afghan Taliban instead blamed the Pakistan army's aggressive actions, including airstrikes on Kabul, for the escalation of the conflict.