Taliban attacks Pakistan with drones in respons to previous air strike

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have deteriorated to a dangerous new low.

The Taliban government in Kabul claims it launched air strikes directly into Pakistani territory, which was later confirmed by Pakistan’s military.

According to the military, Afghan Taliban forces had “launched four rudimentary drones across the border in Balochistan … the hostile aerial platforms were immediately picked up by Pakistan’s robust air defence network”.

The military added, “if the Afghan Taliban continue to provoke Pakistan, they would receive a befitting response which would cost them heavily,” signaling that the situation could quickly escalate.

Article continues below.

Afghanistan confirms

Afghan officials later stated on X that they carried out “air strikes” in both Balochistan and the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They claimed the operation caused casualties among members of an ISIL (ISIS) affiliate.

Article continues below.

The Taliban lacks a fully functional air force with modern fighter jets. Instead, the group relies heavily on small drones. These low-tech aerial platforms have rapidly become a favored weapon in fierce border clashes that have simmered since the Taliban took power in Kabul in 2021.

Tensions rising

According to Al Jazeera, the immediate trigger for the latest strikes dates back to a deadly weekend attack in Karachi.

Following that incident, Pakistan launched air strikes inside eastern Afghanistan. Islamabad claimed it was targeting active militants, but the Afghan government reported at least 36 civilian casualties from those operations.

Pakistan routinely accuses the Taliban government of sheltering armed groups behind attacks in Pakistan, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, known as the TTP.

Afghan officials fiercely deny the allegations, instead accusing Pakistan of harboring hostile groups and refusing to respect its neighbor’s sovereignty.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people have already been killed in cross-border fighting since February alone.

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation