Afghanistan said it had fired at Pakistani aircraft over Kabul after explosions and gunfire rocked the capital early on Sunday, marking a sharp escalation in fighting between the two neighbours.
Blasts echoed across parts of Kabul before sunrise, followed by bursts of gunfire, a Reuters witness said. It was not immediately clear what had been targeted or whether there had been casualties.
Taliban administration spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghan air defences had engaged Pakistani aircraft over the city.
"Air defence attacks were carried out in Kabul against Pakistani aircraft. Kabul residents should not be concerned," Mujahid said.
Pakistan’s prime minister’s office, information ministry and military did not respond to requests for comment.
The exchange follows Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan earlier this week, which Islamabad said targeted militant infrastructure. Kabul condemned those strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and announced retaliatory operations along the countries’ 2,600km (1,615-mile) border.
The Taliban-run government denies harbouring militants after Pakistan accused it of sheltering fighters from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad says is waging an insurgency inside Pakistan.
The latest confrontation represents the heaviest fighting in years between the neighbours and has raised fears of a prolonged border conflict.
Pakistani security sources said an operation known as "Ghazab Lil Haq", meaning "Wrath for the Truth", was under way, and claimed Pakistani forces had destroyed Afghan posts and camps.
Both sides have reported heavy losses and issued conflicting casualty figures. Reuters was unable to independently verify the claims.
The violence comes amid broader regional instability following U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks on U.S. targets in Gulf states, adding to concerns about escalation across the region.
Diplomatic efforts have intensified, with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Russia, China, the European Union and the United Nations urging restraint and calling for talks.
The U.S. said it supports Pakistan’s right to defend itself.
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif described the situation as "open war".
Afghanistan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani warned the conflict would be "very costly", adding that only front-line forces were currently engaged and that Afghanistan had yet to fully deploy its military.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 22 March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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