Daijiworld Media Network - Kabul

Kabul, Mar 1: Blasts and gunfire were heard across Kabul early Sunday as fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan entered a fourth consecutive day, a Reuters journalist in the Afghan capital reported.

Explosions echoed across parts of the city before sunrise, followed by bursts of gunfire. It was not immediately clear what had been targeted or whether there were casualties.

Taliban administration spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the sounds were due to Afghan forces targeting Pakistani aircraft over the capital.

“Air defence attacks were carried out in Kabul against Pakistani aircraft. Kabul residents should not be concerned,” Mujahid said.

There was no immediate response from Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office, information ministry or military to requests for comment.

The latest violence follows air strikes inside Afghanistan earlier this week, which Pakistan said were aimed at militant infrastructure. Afghanistan termed the strikes a violation of its sovereignty and announced retaliatory operations along the shared border.

Both sides have reported heavy losses, issuing differing casualty figures that Reuters said it could not independently verify.

The escalation marks one of the most intense confrontations between the neighbours in years and has heightened fears of a wider conflict along their 2,600-km frontier.