Kabul: At least eight people, including three Afghan cricketers, were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province on Friday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed. The board identified the deceased players as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, who had travelled from Urgun to Sharana near the Pakistan border to play a friendly match.
According to the ACB, the players were killed “after returning home to Urgun” when the airstrike hit a local gathering. The board condemned the attack as “a cowardly act carried out by the Pakistani regime” and expressed deep sorrow over the “martyrdom of brave cricketers from Urgun District.” Five others also lost their lives in the same strike, the board added.
As a mark of mourning, Afghanistan has withdrawn from the upcoming tri-nation cricket series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka, calling the decision a gesture of respect for the victims.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,” the ACB posted on X.
Cricket Community Condemns Attack
Afghanistan’s T20 captain Rashid Khan called the airstrikes “immoral and barbaric,” condemning the killing of civilians and aspiring athletes. “It’s a tragedy that claimed women, children, and young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation,” he wrote, while supporting ACB’s decision to pull out of the Pakistan series.
“All our national dignity must come before anything else,” he added. Veteran player Mohammad Nabi described the strike as “a national tragedy,” and pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi termed it “a heinous and unforgivable crime against innocent civilians.”
Tensions on the Border
Afghan media outlet Tolo News reported that Pakistan carried out multiple airstrikes in Paktika’s Urgun and Barmal districts, hitting residential areas and causing heavy civilian casualties. Kabul accused Islamabad of violating a fragile ceasefire that had been in effect for 48 hours following intense border clashes.
The latest strikes came ahead of peace talks scheduled in Doha, where both nations were expected to extend the truce to ease tensions and prevent further cross-border violence. (Agencies)
