Dhaka, Oct. 18 -- At least three Afghan cricketers have been killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province, according to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

The ACB said the players, whom they identified by single names as Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon, had travelled from Urgun to Sharana, near the Pakistan border, to take part in a friendly match, according to a NDTV report run by bdnews24.com.

In a statement, the board said that "after returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering" in what it described as "a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime". Five others were also reported killed.

Following the strike, the ACB said it was withdrawing from a tri-nation series with Paki...