Kabul, Mar 2: Kabul was targeted by a Pakistani airstrike early Sunday at around 5:40 a.m., causing multiple explosions and prompting a response from Afghan air defence forces.
The attack lasted approximately 20 minutes and is part of a recent surge in military tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
The airstrikes follow Saturday’s Pakistani bombardment of a temporary camp for Afghan returnees in southern Kandahar, which killed three people and injured seven, according to Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat.
In a related incident, a pilotless aircraft allegedly sent by Pakistan crashed in Khost province, eastern Afghanistan, on Saturday.
Since last Sunday, Pakistani airstrikes have reportedly resulted in at least 52 deaths and 66 injuries across multiple provinces, including Nangarhar, Paktika, Khost, Kunar, and southern Kandahar.
These strikes have affected both civilians and returnees, heightening regional instability.
In a significant development, Afghan forces shot down a Pakistani fighter jet in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province.
The pilot ejected safely and was captured alive, confirmed by provincial police chief Mohibullah Hamas and spokesman Sayed Tayeb Hemad, and is now in police custody.
The ongoing cross-border strikes and retaliatory actions underscore escalating military hostilities and increasing instability along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, raising serious concerns over civilian safety and regional security.