Pakistan Army chief's advisor killed in Afghanistan airstrike in Islamabad: Reports

Islamabad: With the rising tension between both the countries, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has become an open war field. The Afghan Defence Ministry on Friday claimed that carried out airstrikes on Pakistan installation and said that the action has been taken in response to recent attacks by Pakistan.

What did the Afghan Ministry claim?

According to reports, the Afghan Air Force targeted a military camp near Faisalabad, near Pakistan's capital, Islamabad at around 11 am. Several targets were also attacked in the army cantonment in Nowshera, the military colony in Jamrud, and Abbottabad. 

According to reports, Aashiq, advisor to Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir, was also killed in the airstrike in Islamabad.

The Afghan Defense Ministry claimed that these operations were successfully carried out and targeted key Pakistani military installations, centers, and military bases. 

The ministry also stated that these attacks were carried out in response to Pakistan's air incursions into the Afghan cities of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktika the previous night. 

However, no official information has yet been released regarding the damage or casualties caused by these attacks. 

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also said that, "The attacks we have carried out are just the beginning. We will attack more major cities."

What did Pakistan say?

Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif on Friday said that Pakistan's patience had run out and the situation with Afghanistan was bordering on open war. 

Did Afghan army really shoot down F-16?

In an official statement, Afghan spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Pakistani plane was entering Afghan airspace and was targeted. He also claimed that in this conflict Pakistani posts were also damaged and some soldiers were captured.

However, this claim has not yet been independently confirmed by any international or third-party agency. In the past too, such claims and videos have gone viral on social media, which are either old or out of context. Such old claims have been rejected earlier by media and fact checking agencies.

What is the difference between the claims on both sides?

The Afghan Defense Ministry said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and several were injured or captured in the clash. According to Pakistan's claim, only two soldiers have died and it has been denied that any soldier has been captured. Pakistan in its response has said that it targeted several positions of Taliban and Afghan army and is retaliating.

Can this border dispute escalate somewhere else?

This tension near the Durand Line has already been going on for a long time. Several clashes have been recorded between the two sides in the last weeks. Meanwhile, tension seems to be increasing on the Afghan border and appeals are being made at the international level to maintain peace.

Afghan forces reportedly shot down Pakistani F-16 aircraft and captured several soldiers. The ongoing conflict between the two countries has widened the internal gap, and the regional security situation remains tense.