A Pakistani fighter jet reportedly crashed in Jalalabad on Saturday. Afghan military and police sources said the pilot was captured alive.
Residents told AFP that the pilot parachuted from the plane before being detained.
"A Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in the sixth district of Jalalabad city, and its pilot was captured alive," Hindustan Times quoted police spokesman Tayeb Hammad as saying.
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Wahidullah Mohammadi, spokesman for the military in eastern Afghanistan, also confirmed that Afghan forces brought down the jet and took the pilot alive.
A Pakistani fighter jet was shot down over Jalalabad city on Saturday, and its pilot was captured alive, according to Afghan military and police officials. Tensions along the border continue to rise.
Eyewitnesses describe pilot's escape moments before detention
Local residents told the news agency they saw the pilot parachute from the aircraft before being taken into custody. Pakistan’s military and information ministry did not respond to AFP's requests for comment immediately.
The incident follows a series of cross-border attacks in recent days. Pakistan conducted airstrikes on Kabul and Kandahar on Friday, targeting areas linked to the Taliban government. Afghan forces had started a border offensive against Pakistan late Thursday, which the Taliban administration said was a response to earlier Pakistani strikes on Afghan land.
Islamabad rejects claim
Meanwhile, Islamabad's Foreign Ministry on Saturday rejected reports from Afghan military and police that a Pakistani jet had been shot down and its pilot captured. "That’s a false claim. Totally untrue," ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi told the news agency AFP.
State of emergency in Bannu district
Pakistan has declared a state of emergency in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Certain vehicles face restrictions after police received credible reports of possible sabotage, The Dawn reported.
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District education officer Abdul Malik announced a one-day closure of all government schools for public safety.
Bannu police have been told to stay alert and improve security measures throughout the district. District police officer Yasir Afridi stated that six attacks in the city were successfully stopped, with Afghan advances halted at the Kashoo Bridge checkpoint and in the Kotka Muhammad Khan Domel area.
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