Afghan authorities claim to have captured the pilot of a Pakistani military aircraft shot down near Jalalabad, which Pakistan has denied, amid ongoing conflict between the two countries. The United States has expressed support for Islamabad, which declared an “open war” against the Taliban authorities on Friday. Pakistan accuses Afghan authorities of harboring armed militants attacking its territory, a claim Kabul denies.
“A Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in the Sixth District of Jalalabad and its pilot was captured,” announced Afghan police spokesperson Tayeb Hammad. Wahidullah Mohammadi, an army spokesperson in the East, confirmed that a Pakistani plane had been neutralized by Afghan forces and the pilot captured. Residents reported seeing the aviator parachuting before being apprehended.
Earlier, an AFP journalist heard an aircraft flying overhead, followed by two powerful explosions near the Jalalabad airport, the capital of Nangarhar province on the road between Kabul and the Pakistani border. However, Islamabad denied the plane’s downing and the pilot’s capture, calling it a “completely false assertion.”
On the previous day, Pakistan bombed the Afghan capital, Kabul, as well as the city of Kandahar, where Afghan Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada resides. The European Union called for an “immediate de-escalation” between the two neighbors to prevent further hostilities. Meanwhile, the United States also expressed support for Pakistan’s right to defend itself against Taliban attacks.
The tensions have raised concerns from China, the UK, the UN, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar affirmed that Islamabad will defend itself “under all circumstances,” revealing that 37 sites have been targeted in Afghanistan by Pakistani airstrikes since the start of military operations.
According to the Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, Afghan forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and captured several others, while 13 Afghan troops were reportedly killed. On the Pakistani side, Mosharraf Zaidi stated that 297 Afghans were killed, and 12 Pakistani soldiers lost their lives, as per Islamabad’s figures.
Amidst the escalating tensions, Kabul expressed a desire for dialogue to resolve the conflict. The two countries, once close allies, have sporadically clashed since the Taliban leaders regained control of Kabul in August 2021. [Context: ongoing conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Fact Check: Statements from Afghan and Pakistani authorities regarding cross-border military actions and casualties.]
