- By Surarika Das
- Sat, 28 Feb 2026 03:16 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Amid brewing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Taliban shot down a Pakistani fighter jet over Jalalabad on Saturday and captured the pilot alive. The aircraft was downed in the sixth district of Jalalabad city, according to reports from AFP and local officials.
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Wahidullah Mohammadi, a spokesperson for the military in eastern Afghanistan, confirmed the incident, stating that Afghan forces successfully targeted the jet. Eyewitnesses in the area reported seeing the pilot eject from the aircraft and parachute to the ground before being detained by Taliban security personnel. While the Taliban has released these details, Islamabad has officially dismissed the claims as "totally untrue," denying the loss of any aircraft.
A Retaliatory Attack?
The dramatic escalation comes just a day after Pakistan carried out significant airstrikes on Kabul and Kandahar. Those strikes were reportedly intended to target the base of Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. The aerial campaign is part of an intensifying "open war" between the two neighboring nations, which has seen months of tit-for-tat border clashes.
The Afghan government stated that its forces launched this retaliatory strike in response to Pakistan's Friday bombings, which Islamabad claimed killed over 270 militants. In contrast, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid asserted that Afghan forces had killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and successfully hit "important military objectives" inside Pakistan.
UN Expresses Grave Concern
The capture of a pilot significantly tweaks the diplomatic landscape, with Kabul now holding a high-value prisoner of war. Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed "grave concern" over the safety of civilians in the border regions, as thousands of families have begun fleeing their homes to escape the cross-border shelling.
With air power now directly engaged and a pilot reportedly in Afghan custody, the confrontation marks the most serious flare-up between the two countries since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Global powers, including China and Britain, have urged both nations to exercise restraint and seek a ceasefire to prevent a full-scale regional war.