The explosions occurred late Thursday night, with witnesses saying there were between three and eight explosions. News agencies on the scene confirmed that gunfire had been heard after the sound of jet engines was identified.
"The first two explosions were heard far away from us. The later ones were heard close by and shook our houses - the sound of fighter jets could be heard immediately afterwards," a Kabul resident told AFP.
Day of escalation
The events in the capital - which have not yet been commented on by the regime in Kabul or by Islamabad - followed a day of escalation in the conflict between the two countries.
According to a statement from the Afghan military on Thursday, "heavy clashes" were taking place in border areas.
"Large-scale offensive operations have been launched against Pakistani military bases and military installations," wrote Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on X and added:
“Several soldiers have been killed and a number have been taken alive.”
Another Taliban spokesman stated that at least 17 Pakistani army outposts had been captured and around 55 Pakistani soldiers had been killed.
The Information Minister in Islamabad, Attaullah Tarar, said only two soldiers had lost their lives on the Pakistani side and that 36 Afghan soldiers were killed.
Accusing each other
According to a previous statement from the Pakistani Interior Ministry, Afghan forces have carried out “unprovoked shelling of several locations” in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistan's military carried out airstrikes on the Afghan border provinces of Nangarhar and Paktia over the weekend. At least 70 members of militant groups were reported to have been killed, a claim denied by the Afghan side. According to the Taliban regime, dozens of civilians were among the dead.
Both countries accuse each other of the recent escalation.
