Afghanistan-Pakistan Conflict: Controversy Over Captured Pilot

Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have reached a critical level after a series of armed incidents on the disputed border. The key flashpoint has become reports of a crash of a Pakistani military aircraft near the city of Jalalabad. The Taliban authorities officially announced the capture of a pilot, which would constitute proof of Islamabad's air force directly intervening on Afghan territory. Pakistan immediately denied these reports, calling them "completely false claims" and an element of information warfare. Meanwhile, the Pakistani armed forces reported significant successes in operations targeting terrorist groups operating from the neighbor's territory. According to Islamabad's official statements, over 330 militants were reportedly killed in recent clashes, although international organizations have not yet confirmed the scale of these losses. Islamabad argues its actions are justified by the right to self-defense against attacks by TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) militants, who find shelter on the Afghan side of the border. The situation is complicated by the fact that both sides are in dispute over the course of the Durand Line, which regularly leads to artillery fire exchanges and border skirmishes. Relations between the two countries deteriorated drastically after the Taliban's return to power in Kabul in 2021. Although Pakistan was a key supporter of this movement in the past, current tensions stem from a lack of control over cross-border terrorism.The international community's reaction is restrained but marked by concern for the region's stability. The United States, through a State Department spokesperson, publicly supported Pakistan's right to defend itself against terrorism, which can be interpreted as tacit approval for limited retaliatory operations. The European Union, meanwhile, has called on both sides to engage in dialogue, pointing out that a full-scale war between a nuclear power and a battle-hardened insurgency would be catastrophic for all of Central Asia. Iran, concerned about the situation at its borders, has offered mediation, but at this moment neither side appears ready for diplomatic concessions. „We have the pilot and the wreckage of the plane as proof of Pakistani aggression.” — Afghanistan's Spokesperson (Taliban)330 — Taliban militants were reportedly killed in recent Pakistani airstrikesExperts indicate that while the risk of total armed conflict is limited by difficult terrain conditions and enormous costs, the current spiral of violence is the most serious in years. The main challenge remains distrust: Pakistan accuses Kabul of supporting the insurgency, while Afghanistan sees Islamabad's actions as a violation of state sovereignty.