Pakistan says Afghanistan jet crash claim 'totally untrue'

Islamabad's foreign ministry said on Saturday that claims by Afghan military and police of downing a Pakistani jet and capturing a pilot were "totally untrue". "That's a false claim. Totally untrue," ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi told the media.

Earlier, Afghan military and police said Saturday, with residents telling the media that a Pakistani jet has crashed in Jalalabad city and the pilot captured alive.

"A Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in the sixth district of Jalalabad city, and its pilot was captured alive," police spokesman Tayeb Hammad said.

Wahidullah Mohammadi, spokesman for the military in eastern Afghanistan, confirmed the Pakistani jet was downed by Afghan forces "and the pilot was captured alive".

The announcement followed an AFP journalist hearing a jet over Jalalabad, followed by the sound of two explosions from the direction of the city's airport.

Pakistan launched air strikes Friday on the Afghan capital Kabul and southern Kandahar, where Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is based.

The aerial attacks followed Afghan forces starting a border offensive against Pakistan late Thursday, which the Taliban government said came in response to prior Pakistani strikes on Afghanistan.

Agence France-Presse