Pakistan denies Afghan claims of jet downing, captured pilot Updated

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on February 28 rejected claims by Afghan media that a Pakistani jet had been shot down in Nangarhar province and that its pilot had been captured alive, calling the reports “false and fabricated.”

The Pakistani information ministry categorically denied the allegation, stating, “No aircraft belonging to the Pakistan Armed Forces had been shot down and no pilot is missing or captured," Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

The ministry added, “No loss of any Pakistani jet has been reported by the Pakistan Armed Forces.”

It also noted that no visual evidence, including crash debris, wreckage, or proof of a captured pilot, had been presented to substantiate the claim.

“Multiple videos used in the narrative are old clips being recycled to fit the false claim,” the statement said.

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Afghan forces successfully shot down a Pakistani military jet in the 6th district of Jalalabad, officials confirmed, capturing the pilot alive. 

The spokesperson for Nangarhar police did not provide further details on the circumstances leading to the downing of the aircraft or the current status of the pilot, Ariana News reports. 

The incident comes amid escalating tensions along the Durand Line, the disputed border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where security forces from both sides have reportedly engaged in sporadic clashes in recent days.

Fighting between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban entered its third day on February 28 following overnight confrontations, prompting international calls for urgent dialogue. Both sides have reported heavy casualties, though figures remain conflicting and could not be independently verified. Pakistan reported 12 soldiers and 274 Taliban fighters killed, while the Taliban claimed 13 of its fighters and 55 Pakistani soldiers were dead.

Islamabad has accused the Taliban of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who it says are carrying out attacks inside Pakistan—a claim denied by the Taliban. Pakistan described its operations as a response to cross-border assaults, while Kabul condemned them as a breach of sovereignty.

By Sabina Mammadli