- A Pakistani aircraft was reportedly shot down by Afghan forces after entering Afghan airspace
- A viral video shows wreckage claimed to be a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet, unverified by NDTV
- Pakistan confirmed strikes on militants but denied any aircraft losses during the operation
Afghan forces have shot down a Pakistani aircraft that entered Afghanistan's airspace, Afghanistan's Tolo News reported, citing sources. An unverified video of a burning plane carcass also went viral on social media, claiming it to be a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet that was shot down by Afghan forces.
The video showed wreckage of a plane with serial number 85510 and the Pakistani flag painted near the vertical stabiliser. However, the shape and size of the plane do not resemble that of an F-16.
A query on Grok, a popular bot on X, also showed the wreckage doesn't resemble an F-16 fighter.
Afghan media claimed their forces shot it down after Pakistani airstrikes entered Afghan airspace on Friday. Pakistan confirmed strikes on militants but reported zero aircraft losses. NDTV could also not independently verify the Afghani claim.
Afghanistan-Pakistan Clashes
Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan, including the capital, Kabul, with Islamabad's defence minister declaring the neighbours at "open war" following months of tit-for-tat clashes. Pakistan's latest operation came after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops on Thursday night over earlier air strikes by Islamabad.
Relations between the neighbours have plunged in recent months, with land border crossings largely shut since deadly fighting in October that killed more than 70 people on both sides.
Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to act against militant groups that carry out attacks in Pakistan, which the Taliban government denies.
Several rounds of negotiations followed an initial ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey, but the efforts have failed to produce a lasting agreement.
Both militaries said they killed dozens of soldiers in the latest round of border violence, which followed multiple Pakistani strikes on Afghanistan and clashes along the frontier in recent months.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country's armed forces can "have the full capability to crush any aggressive ambitions".
