The Afghanistan Cricket Board withdrew its national team from next month’s Twenty20 tri-series in Pakistan after it claimed three local cricketers died due to Pakistan military strikes in southeastern Paktika province on Friday.

The ACB said in a post on social media Saturday that the cricketers were “targeted during a gathering” in Urgun district when they returned after playing a friendly cricket match in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province.

Afghanistan board spokesman Said Nasim Sadat identified the three players as Kabeer Agha Argon, Sibghatullah Zirok, and Haroon, who, like many Afghans, only goes by one name.

“The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,” the ACB said.

“In response of this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series.”

National captain Rashid Khan and the Afghanistan Sports Journalists Federation welcomed the decision.

The federation condemned the strike as a “barbaric and shameful act, which stands in clear violation of all international laws.”

The tri-series, also featuring Sri Lanka, was due to be played in between November 17-29 in Rawalpindi and Lahore as part of teams' preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

It would have been second tri-series featuring Pakistan and Afghanistan in four months after both teams competed in a three-nation tournament in United Arab Emirates in September. Pakistan beat Afghanistan in the final of that tournament.

An Afghan police official said Pakistan's military carried out strikes in southeastern Afghanistan on Friday just hours after a two-day ceasefire between the neighboring countries expired.

The bombings struck southeastern Paktika province and two other areas close to the Pakistan border, and included a strike on a civilian house in Khanadar village that resulted in casualties, police spokesman Mohammadullah Amini Mawia said.

He gave no further details, including how the strikes were delivered.

There was no immediate comment from Pakistan about the Afghan claim.

The ceasefire that began Wednesday had halted several days of fighting that killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds.

It ended Friday evening with no formal announcement of an extension, though diplomatic efforts to halt the hostilities were underway and Qatar reportedly offered to host peace talks.

The strikes in southeastern Afghanistan came hours after Pakistani officials said that a suicide car bomber backed by the Pakistani Taliban attacked a compound of security forces near the border, killing several people in the area.

AP video shot by: Shafiqullah Mashal