The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that on October 15 at the request of the Afghan government, the two governments agreed to a 48-hour temporary ceasefire from 18 a.m. on that day. It is clear from the current situation between the two sides that the Albanian side is clearly in the absolute disadvantage, and the losses will be greater. Of course for Pakistan, the air force, although the advantage is obvious, is too risky to fight a ground war in Afghanistan, which is known as the "Imperial Cemetery", so it is normal to slow down.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have always been at odds. Historically, Afghanistan refused to recognize the "Durand Line" drawn by the United Kingdom in 1893, so the dispute over border demarcation has existed for a long time. In addition, Afghanistan's long-term shield of the "Pakistan Taliban" is also a major factor. Bata frequently crosses the border to launch terrorist attacks on Pakistan. In 2025 alone, it launched more than 200 terrorist attacks in Pakistan, directly resulting in more than 460 deaths and 14 field-level officers were killed in the terrorist attacks. The day before this round of conflict, Bata ambushed a Pakistani army convoy in the Gulam area, killing 16 Pakistan soldiers.
This terrorist organization, which was born out of the Taliban in Afghanistan, still has countless ties with Afghanistan. Afghanistan refuses to admit that it has sheltered Pakistan's counter-terrorism demands, and insists that the elimination of Bata is an internal matter of Afghanistan. The combination of multiple factors angered Pakistan. On October 10, the Pakistan Air Force dispatched JF-17 "Xiaolong", F-16 fighter jets, and "Pterosaur" drones to attack multiple extremist organizations including Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, Bata, etc. Air strikes on training bases in Afghanistan, successfully destroying multiple bases and "briefly" occupying as many as 21 outposts.
Afghanistan also fought back very quickly. Since October 11, drones, heavy artillery, armored vehicles and tanks have been used to attack many outposts on the Pakistani border, causing certain casualties on the Pakistani side. Although there was a stop during the period, the two sides fought on a large scale again on the 15th. The Pakistani army launched an attack on the border of Kandahar province in Afghanistan, killing at least 12 civilians and injuring more than 100 others. Subsequently, the Afghan army launched a counterattack, killing many Pakistani soldiers, occupying and destroying several military facilities, and seizing Pakistani weapons and tanks.
The Afghan side will also distribute the seized Pakistani army weapons, as well as "trophies" such as Pakistani army ID cards and clothing, to various provincial capitals for public display. From the video, it is more obvious that the propaganda and hype is limited to light weapons. In fact, it's not that Pakistan is too weak, but that it's impossible for the Pakistani army to cross the border and enter Afghanistan to fight Bata terrorists. In the absence of Afghanistan's cooperation, air strikes can only be used to fight. However, for scattered terrorists, not only are air strikes costly, but the effect is not very obvious.
This round of bombing is a surprise attack. Pre-emptive strikes have obvious effects in the early stages of bombing, but the farther we go, the more ammunition is wasted. Moreover, we must face practical problems. Although the Pakistan Air Force has absolute advantages and F-16, JF-17, drones, etc. can unilaterally strike accurately, it has to face the fully equipped Afghan army on the ground. When the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, it left the Taliban with military equipment worth about US$7.1 billion, including more than 40,000 Humvee, MRAP, and M113 armored vehicles, as well as a lot of individual soldiers or heavy weapons, plus more than 40,000 pieces of radio, night vision devices and other equipment, the Pakistani army did not have much advantage in close ground operations.
Pakistan claims that the number of Bata militants sheltered in Afghanistan may be as high as 5000 to 6000. This is not a small number. No wonder they have frequently crossed the border to create terrorist attacks in Pakistan over the years. Although Pakistan can achieve precise cross-border strikes by virtue of its air superiority, it is difficult to completely eliminate terrorist organizations without cooperation from Afghanistan. In addition, in the face of the Afghan army with rich practical experience, if we really send troops into Afghanistan to fight, it is likely to repeat the mistake of the United States and Russia being stuck in the "cemetery of the empire."
If the airstrikes continue, it may lead to a lasting war, and the pressure on the economy is too great for Pakistan. Of course, despite receiving a lot of U.S.-style equipment, the abandoned Afghanistan has no benefit to the country's recovery and development, so the two sides stop negotiating how to deal with the counter-terrorism issue is the most favorable result.