A ceasefire along the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan was holding on Thursday, after dozens of troops and civilians were killed in cross-border clashes.

In Spin Boldak, a focal point of recent clashes on the Afghan side, an AFP journalist saw shops reopening and residents returning to homes they had fled during the fighting.

The 48-hour ceasefire was aimed at allowing time to "find a positive solution... through constructive dialogue", according to Pakistan.

Just after it took effect, at 6:00 pm Islamabad time (1300 GMT) Wednesday, AFP journalists in Afghanistan briefly heard gunfire at the border.

The UN rights chief, Volker Turk, welcomed the ceasefire and appealed to "both parties to prevent any further harm to civilians & commit to a lasting ceasefire".

The truce announc

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