Kabul: At least three Afghanistani cricketers have been killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Paktika province. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said that the players had traveled from Urgun to Sharana in the eastern Paktika province on the Pakistan border to take part in a friendly match.
The ACB named the three players as “Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon” and said that five other people were also killed in the attack.
It said that “after returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering” in what it described as “a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime”. The ACB did not give any more details on the attack.
Following the attack, Afghanistan pulled out of a tri-nation series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka next month, “as a gesture of respect to the victims”.
“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,” ABC said in a post on X.
Cricketers Mourn Deaths
Afghanistan’s T-20 team captain, Rashid Khan, condemned the recent attacks and welcomed ABC’s decision to withdraw from the friendly series.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan. A tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage,” he said in a post on X.
Khan said it was absolutely immoral and barbaric to target civilian infrastructure, and such “unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed.”
“In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB’s decision to withdraw from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time; our national dignity must come before all else,” he added.
Another international player, Mohammad Nabi, added, “This incident is not only a tragedy for Paktika but for the entire Afghan cricket family and the nation as a whole.”
“The massacre of innocent civilians and our domestic cricket players by these oppressors is a heinous, unforgivable crime,” wrote Afghan international cricketer Fazalhaq Farooqi on Facebook.
According to Afghan media, Pakistan conducted a series of airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province on Friday, with Kabul accusing Islamabad of breaching the fragile ceasefire agreement between the two neighboring countries.
Citing sources, Afghanistan’s Tolo News reported that airstrikes targeted residential areas in the Urgun and Barmal districts of the country, causing significant civilian casualties.
The deadly strikes come amid a 48-hour ceasefire agreement between the two nations following days of intense cross-border clashes.
Earlier, Pakistan had called for an extension of the ceasefire until the end of the ongoing Doha negotiations aimed at easing tensions and preventing cross-border violence. Kabul has reportedly agreed to the proposal, extending the truce until the conclusion of the ongoing talks in Doha. Negotiations between the two sides are set to begin on Saturday.
