#JustIn: Taliban Shoots at Pakistani Aircraft Over Kabul as Four-Day War Enters Dangerous New Phase
The Taliban fires anti-aircraft guns at Pakistani jets as the Kabul conflict enters its fourth day.
Explosions and bursts of gunfire were reported in Kabul on Sunday as Afghan forces opened anti-aircraft fire toward Pakistani aircraft, marking the fourth consecutive day of escalating hostilities between the neighbouring countries. The incidents underscored rapidly rising tensions following cross-border strikes and retaliatory actions that have pushed relations between Islamabad and the Taliban-led government to one of their lowest points in recent years.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghan air defence units were actively targeting Pakistani aircraft over the capital but urged residents not to panic. The announcement came shortly after loud blasts were heard in parts of Kabul, though there were no immediate official reports of casualties or confirmed damage from the exchange.
The latest flare-up follows Pakistani airstrikes on Friday that targeted Taliban military installations in Kabul and Kandahar, one of the deepest incursions by Pakistan into Afghan territory in recent years. Afghan authorities described their response as retaliation for what they called deadly earlier strikes, signalling a dangerous tit-for-tat cycle between the two sides.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that the country’s armed forces were fully capable of defeating any aggression. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared an “open war” against the Taliban government, announcing the launch of military operation “Ghazab Lil Haq", further hardening Islamabad’s stance.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration of harbouring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group blamed for attacks inside Pakistan. Taliban officials have consistently denied the allegation, insisting they do not allow Afghan soil to be used against neighbouring countries. The dispute over the TTP presence has been a major source of friction between the two sides since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
The latest exchanges represent the most serious military escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan in months and threaten to destabilise the already fragile security situation along their roughly 2,600-kilometre border. Regional observers warn that without rapid diplomatic intervention, the confrontation could spiral into a broader and more sustained cross-border conflict.
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