In brief
In a tragic escalation of tensions, Afghanistan has announced its withdrawal from an upcoming cricket series following an airstrike purportedly conducted by Pakistan that killed three local cricket players. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) expressed deep condolences for the lives lost and condemned the attack, which has drawn international attention and condemnation from the sport's governing body, the ICC. The incident adds to the existing volatility between the two nations amid ongoing border conflicts.
Afghanistan will no longer take part in an upcoming cricket series after three players in a local tournament were killed in an air strike, the nation's cricketing body says.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said it would withdraw from November's tri-nation T20 series out of respect for the dead, who it said were targeted in an attack carried out by the Pakistani regime on Friday. The three did not play for the national team.
The strike hit a home in Urgon district in Paktika province, where the players were eating dinner after a match, witnesses and local officials told the BBC.
Eight people were killed, the ACB said. Pakistan said the strike hit militants and denied targeting civilians.
The ACB named the three players who were killed as Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah and Haroon, calling their deaths a great loss for Afghanistan's sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was deeply saddened and appalled by the tragic deaths of three young and promising Afghan cricketers in an air strike that also claimed the lives of several civilians. The ICC stands in solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and echoes their grief, it said in a statement, adding that it strongly condemns this act of violence.
The attack came hours after a temporary truce between Afghanistan and Pakistan was due to expire following days of deadly clashes on the border between the two nations. Dozens of casualties have been reported.
Pakistan said it had targeted Afghan militants in the air strike and that at least 70 combatants had been killed. Pakistan's Minister of Information Attaullah Tarar said claims that the attack targeted civilians are false and meant to generate support for terrorist groups operating from inside Afghanistan.
In a social media post, Afghan national team captain Rashid Khan paid tribute to the aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage.
On Saturday, large crowds of people were seen gathering at the funeral for the strike's victims. The 48-hour truce between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which began on Wednesday at 13:00 GMT, has reportedly been extended to allow for negotiations.
An Afghan delegation arrived in the Qatari capital of Doha for peace talks with the Pakistani side. The Taliban government said it would take part in the talks despite Pakistani aggression, which it says was Islamabad's attempt to prolong the conflict. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged Pakistan to reconsider its policies, and pursue friendly and civilized relations with Afghanistan.
Pakistan's Foreign Office stated that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif would lead the country's delegation in Doha, focusing on ending cross-border terrorism and restoring peace and stability on the Pakistan-Afghan border.
Zimbabwe will now replace Afghanistan in the T20 series.
