Pakistan carried out strikes in southeastern Afghanistan hours after a two-day ceasefire lapsed, an Afghan police spokesman said, reporting hits in Paktika and nearby areas, including a house in Khanadar with casualties. Pakistan offered no immediate comment. The escalation followed a suicide car bombing backed by the Pakistani Taliban that hit a security compound in Mir Ali, triggering a firefight that killed at least six militants and a soldier, police said; a Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction claimed it. As tensions rose, delegations prepared for talks, while Kabul said it seeks no war and Islamabad targeted militant hideouts.

Prepared by Rachel Morgan and reviewed by editorial team.