In the border village of Barikot, a school complex serving primary to high school students has been heavily damaged, with classrooms littered with debris and abandoned materials after weeks of shelling that residents attributed to Pakistani forces.

Most of the village’s roughly 8,000 residents fled following the outbreak of hostilities in late February.The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the Barikot facility is among 22 schools in urgent need of reconstruction in Kunar province.

Around 12,000 students affected by the conflict require safe learning spaces or support to resume classes, according to a report issued this month.AFP journalists who visited Barikot after access roads reopened this week described deserted streets and shuttered or destroyed shops.

Residents returning to assess the damage said essential infrastructure, including a medical center, had also been hit.Hundreds of civilians have been killed across Afghanistan amid the cross-border violence, according to the United Nations, before China facilitated talks that largely halted the fighting.

Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring militants responsible for attacks on its territory, an allegation Afghan authorities deny.The conflict has displaced more than 94,000 people, with over a quarter from Kunar province, OCHA data shows.

Many have taken refuge along the Kunar River, living in makeshift shelters with limited access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare.Aid groups say conditions in displacement camps are deteriorating. The Norwegian Refugee Council described the humanitarian situation as “dire,” citing urgent needs for shelter, water and sanitation services, and healthcare.

Local officials say schools in nearby areas are already overcrowded, complicating efforts to absorb displaced students. Authorities are considering relocating families to more structured camps established after a major earthquake last year.

Residents expressed concern over the long-term impact on education. Displaced families reported that children have been unable to attend classes for weeks, with some schools entirely shut due to damage or lack of capacity.

The truce, which began at midnight local time, marks a significant step in diplomatic efforts linked to a broader regional de-escalation involving tensions between the United States and . However, the Lebanese military said Israeli actions in the south constituted breaches of the ceasefire and urged residents to delay their return.

Despite the warnings, convoys of civilians were seen heading south toward their homes, with traffic building along coastal routes and damaged infrastructure, including bridges hit during recent hostilities. Residents cited strong attachment to their homes as a driving force behind their return.

International reactions to the truce were broadly supportive. The Kremlin welcomed the agreement, expressing hope it would prevent renewed clashes, while called for its continuation and urged both sides to uphold their commitments. also endorsed the ceasefire, describing it as a step toward lasting peace, while Iran’s foreign ministry framed it as part of a wider understanding tied to regional de-escalation.

The conflict in Lebanon intensified in early March when launched rocket attacks toward Israel, triggering a series of Israeli strikes. Fighting continued until shortly before the truce took effect, with casualties reported on both sides.

Under the ceasefire framework, mediated with US involvement, Israel retains the right to act against perceived imminent threats, while Lebanon is expected, with international support, to prevent Hezbollah from carrying out attacks. Israeli Prime Minister said the agreement could open the door to a broader peace arrangement but reiterated that disarmament of Hezbollah remains a key condition.

US President said he had spoken with both Israeli and Lebanese leaders ahead of the truce and suggested the possibility of high-level talks in Washington in the coming days, a development that could mark a significant diplomatic milestone if realised.

The ceasefire remains fragile, with both sides maintaining heightened alert levels as the situation on the ground continues to evolve.

At least three people were killed and five others wounded when rockets struck a house in the Khor Al-Zubair area near Basra, according to security and health officials.

Authorities said the death toll could rise as some victims remained trapped under rubble.Police said demonstrators gathered outside the Kuwaiti consulate before storming the premises, damaging property in response to the attack.

Kuwait condemned the incident, describing the storming and vandalism of its consulate as a serious breach of diplomatic norms. In a statement, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said Iraq bears responsibility for ensuring the protection of diplomatic missions on its territory.

The ministry also said Kuwait was not involved in any regional conflict and would not permit its territory to be used as a launch point for attacks against other countries.

The incident highlights heightened tensions in the region amid ongoing instability linked to broader Middle East conflicts.

The King Fahd Causeway Authority said movements across the 25-kilometer bridge, the only road link between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, were halted in response to security alerts issued through the kingdom’s early warning systems.

Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said it had intercepted ballistic missiles aimed at the Eastern Province, without providing further details on the origin or scale of the attack.

The causeway is a critical transport and economic corridor linking Bahrain host to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet to the Arabian Peninsula, and its closure underscores rising regional risks tied to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

The development comes as Donald Trump has set a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and agree to a ceasefire, warning of potential strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including bridges and power facilities, if demands are not met.

Regional tensions have intensified in recent days, with missile interceptions reported across Gulf states and increased security measures implemented to protect critical infrastructure and civilian areas.

In February, Indian and Pakistani participants met in Doha for a round of Track 2 talks, according to people familiar with the matter, even as formal relations between the two countries remain tense.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of India’s concerns over cross-border terrorism following the Pahalgam attack, which has kept official engagement limited.

Track 2 dialogues between India and Pakistan have continued for decades, at times involving nearly 20 parallel channels. These discussions, conducted away from official scrutiny, involve former officials, academics, journalists and civil society representatives. No formal statements are issued and participants typically do not confirm their involvement, preserving deniability while allowing candid exchanges.

One of the longest-running such initiatives has been the Neemrana Dialogue, which has historically brought together stakeholders from both sides to discuss contentious issues outside formal diplomatic frameworks.

The concept of Track 2 diplomacy was coined in 1981 by American diplomat Joseph Montville to describe unofficial, non-structured interactions aimed at building trust and testing ideas. Unlike formal government negotiations, these engagements provide flexibility and confidentiality.

A related format, Track 1.5, combines serving officials acting in an unofficial capacity with non-government participants. Such mechanisms have gained relevance globally in periods of diplomatic deadlock.

Informal engagements played a role in early contacts leading to the 1993 Oslo Accords, where preliminary discussions between Israeli and Palestinian representatives were held outside formal channels. India has employed similar approaches in multiple geopolitical contexts.

After the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, which led to a freeze in official engagement between India and China, Track 2 exchanges helped maintain communication.

Subsequent high-level interactions, including a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin in 2025, signalled a tentative thaw.

Direct flights resumed in October 2025 after a five-year suspension, and cross-border trade and people-to-people contacts have begun to recover. Chinese leadership is expected to participate in the BRICS summit in India later this year.

During the 2022 outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, India engaged in Track 2 and Track 1.5 discussions involving European, Russian and Ukrainian interlocutors. These interactions focused on humanitarian issues and de-escalation options, complementing New Delhi’s publicly stated policy of strategic autonomy.

A similar pattern was observed in India’s engagement with Canada following tensions over allegations related to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Informal diplomatic channels preceded high-level meetings between Prime Minister Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the G7 summit in June 2025 and the G20 summit in November.

These interactions contributed to the return of high commissioners and renewed bilateral engagement. Carney’s visit to India in early 2026 advanced discussions on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at boosting bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030, alongside cooperation in energy, critical minerals, defence and nuclear sectors.

Officials and analysts view Track 2 diplomacy as a supplementary tool rather than a substitute for formal negotiations.

It allows stakeholders to exchange perspectives, explore policy options and maintain contact in politically sensitive environments where official dialogue may be constrained.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency, citing the health ministry, said four people were killed in a strike on the town of Adloun, while two others died in an airstrike on an apartment in the Mieh Mieh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon that also wounded four people.

Earlier, three people were reported killed and 18 wounded in a separate strike on the town of Habboush.There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the reported strikes. However, Israel had earlier warned of imminent attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah that has faced repeated bombardment.

The latest strikes come as Israel intensifies operations against Hezbollah, which began launching rockets on March 2, drawing Lebanon deeper into a broader regional war triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a statement that forces were targeting Hezbollah’s “military infrastructure” across Beirut’s southern suburbs “with increasing force,” urging civilians to evacuate immediately for their safety.

Lebanese authorities say the Israeli campaign has killed at least 1,072 people and displaced more than one million since the escalation began, underscoring the humanitarian toll of the conflict.Israel has indicated it may seek to establish control over territory up to the Litani River, approximately 30 km from the border, reviving concerns of a prolonged ground presence in southern Lebanon.

Israel previously occupied the region for nearly two decades until 2000.Cross-border impactIn northern Israel, ongoing rocket fire from Lebanon has disrupted civilian life, with air raid sirens sending residents into shelters.

Israeli authorities reported that a woman was killed on Tuesday in one such attack.The exchange of strikes highlights the intensifying cross-border hostilities, with no immediate signs of de-escalation.