Pakistan would have launched an air attack on the capital of Afghanistan. Loud explosions were heard in the city
Several loud explosions were heard in the evening of March 16 in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul. According to preliminary reports in the local press, the attacks could have been carried out by Pakistani planes.
Several people would have been injured. PHOTO: collage X/@ArmedUpdat1947
Afghan television station Kabul News reported that several loud explosions were heard in the city, and witnesses reported seeing planes flying low over the capital. At the same time, the anti-aircraft defense systems would have been activated.
According to preliminary information cited by the publication Oneindia, at least two explosions took place in District 5 of Kabul, near several government institutions.
Shortly after the explosions, intervention teams and units of the security forces arrived in the area, who are trying to establish the exact targets of the attacks and the extent of the damage.
Some unconfirmed reports suggest that targets near Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense were hit, but authorities have not officially confirmed this information.
The Taliban blame Pakistan
Representatives of the Taliban administration accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan's airspace. The Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that according to the data held by the authorities, the Pakistani army would have struck a rehabilitation center for drug addicts in the capital.
The official stated that several patients undergoing treatment were reportedly injured in the attack and described the incident as “a serious violation of humanitarian principles and the sovereignty of Afghanistan”.
Growing tensions at the border
Tensions are escalating along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, known as the Durand Line, a roughly 2,611-kilometer border that Afghanistan does not officially recognize.
Pakistan claims that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks against its security forces. On the other hand, the authorities in Kabul reject the accusations and claim that Islamabad is using these claims as a pretext for military operations on Afghan territory.
In late February, Afghan forces in turn launched a military operation against Pakistani army positions along the Durand Line in response to earlier Pakistani airstrikes.
In the context of the escalation of the conflict, several states, including China, Iran, Russia and Turkey, have called for the reduction of tensions and the resumption of negotiations, offering to mediate the dispute between the two countries.
