Pakistan Military Intercepts 4 Drones from Afghanistan: Statement
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military said on Wednesday that it had captured four drones sent from Afghanistan the previous day; This was the latest incident in months of clashes between the two neighbours.
The Taliban government has vowed to respond to Pakistan’s deadly airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan this week, and the Afghan defense ministry said overnight it was carrying out air operations targeting militants in Pakistani border areas.
The Pakistani military said on Tuesday that Afghan Taliban forces “launched four primitive unmanned aerial vehicles along the border in Balochistan… the enemy air platforms were immediately intercepted by Pakistan’s strong air defense network.”
“If the Afghan Taliban continues to provoke Pakistan, they will receive an appropriate response that will come at a heavy cost to them,” the statement said.
The Afghan defense ministry said it had carried out “airstrikes” in Balochistan and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, causing casualties among members of the Islamic State (IS) group.
Taliban military forces do not have a fully functional air force, but small unmanned aerial vehicles primarily target areas along Pakistan’s border regions, experts say.
Pakistan, which has denied the use of its territory by ISIS, did not mention any casualties and accused the Afghan government of “misleading” its people by saying drone strikes were “effectively prevented”.
Islamic State-Khorasan, the regional affiliate of ISIS, has claimed responsibility for attacks that killed civilians in Afghanistan in recent years.
The incident was the latest flare-up in the conflict between the neighbours, whose relations have been troubled since 2021 when the Taliban government came to power in Kabul, after a war broke out in February.
Pakistan’s airstrikes have killed dozens of people in eastern Afghanistan following a deadly attack in Karachi over the weekend; Islamabad said it targeted militants on Monday while the Afghan government reported civilian casualties.
The United Nations confirmed that 28 civilians were killed and dozens injured in the attacks. Pakistan did not comment on civilian casualties and said 29 militants were killed in attacks and ground operations.
The months-long conflict, which has left hundreds dead, has centered around Islamabad’s accusations that the Taliban government is harboring militants, particularly those behind the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been waging a violent campaign against Pakistan for years.
Afghan officials deny these allegations and counter that Pakistan harbors hostile groups and does not respect its sovereignty.
