In a tragic incident that has sparked outrage across Afghanistan, three Afghan cricketers were reportedly among eight people killed after Pakistan carried out an airstrike near the shared border on Sunday. The strike, which targeted areas along the volatile Durand Line, has once again raised concerns over escalating tensions between the two neighbouring nations.

According to Afghan authorities, the airstrike hit a civilian area in Khost province, killing eight people, including three young men who were part of a local cricket club. Local sources said the cricketers were playing a friendly match when the attack occurred, leaving the community devastated. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and grief as rescuers pulled bodies from the rubble.

Afghanistan’s interim government strongly condemned the attack, calling it a “violation of sovereignty and international law.” Officials in Kabul stated that they have lodged a formal protest and are seeking accountability for what they termed as an “unprovoked act of aggression.”

Pakistan, however, has maintained that the airstrike was aimed at militant hideouts near the border, claiming it targeted terrorists responsible for recent attacks inside its territory. The Pakistani military has not yet commented on reports of civilian casualties.

Locals in Khost expressed anger and heartbreak over the loss of the cricketers, who were seen as rising talents in Afghanistan’s sporting community. “They were our pride, our hope for the future,” said one villager, tears welling up as he recalled their last game together.

The incident has drawn international attention, with human rights groups urging restraint and calling for an independent investigation. The strike comes amid renewed border clashes and growing distrust between Kabul and Islamabad, both of whom accuse each other of harbouring militants.

Afghanistan’s Cricket Board has yet to release an official statement, but players across the nation took to social media to mourn their colleagues. “They loved cricket more than anything,” one teammate wrote. “Their only dream was to play for Afghanistan. That dream has been taken away.”

As both nations trade accusations, families of the victims are left to grapple with unbearable grief — and a haunting question: why did young men with bats in their hands have to die in the crossfire of geopolitical strife?