Kabul: At least three Afghan cricketers were killed and several others injured in Pakistani airstrikes targeting the Arghun and Bermal districts of Afghanistan’s Paktika province. According to Afghan sources, women and children were also among the casualties.
Reports indicate that the air operations were carried out across multiple areas of Arghun and Bermal, resulting in the deaths of three cricket players. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed that the players were attacked while returning from a friendly match in the provincial capital, Sharana.
According to the ACB, five people including cricketers Kabir, Sibghatullah, and Haroon from Arghun were killed, while seven others were injured. In a statement, the ACB said:
“We express our deepest sorrow over the tragic loss of our brave cricketers from Arghun district, who were targeted and killed in a Pakistani airstrike.”
Following the incident, Afghanistan announced its withdrawal from the upcoming tri-nation T20 series scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November. The series was set to feature teams from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s national team captain Rashid Khan, former captain Mohammad Nabi, and several other players have strongly condemned the attack.
