(MENAFN) Overnight airstrikes carried out by Pakistan have resulted in the deaths of five Afghan citizens, including three athletes, as confirmed by the Afghanistan Cricket Board on Saturday.

The strikes occurred in the border region of Paktika province, which lies close to Pakistan.

The attack comes just days after both nations had consented to a short-term ceasefire on Wednesday, following an invitation by Qatari officials to begin dialogue in Doha to establish a lasting peace and resolve shared issues.

“In this heartbreaking incident, three players (Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon) alongside 5 other fellow countrymen from Urgun District were martyred, and seven others were injured,” stated the Afghanistan Cricket Board on X.

The board explained that the athletes had traveled to Sharana, the provincial capital of Paktika, to engage in a non-competitive cricket match. Upon their return to Urgun, they were attacked during a community gathering.

As a response to the incident, the Afghanistan Cricket Board declared it would no longer take part in a forthcoming tournament featuring Pakistan, which had been scheduled for the end of November.

Afghan cricket star Rashid Khan expressed his sorrow over the tragedy, saying he is “deeply saddened” by the attack.

“A tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage,” he shared on X.

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