Islamabad: Pakistan’s military has said it intercepted and shot down four drones that allegedly entered its airspace from Afghanistan, marking a fresh escalation in tensions between the neighbouring countries amid a series of recent cross-border confrontations. According to the military, the drones were detected in Balochistan province and neutralised before reaching their intended targets.
The incident comes days after Pakistan carried out air and ground operations against what it described as militant hideouts along the Afghanistan border. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban administration of allowing armed groups to operate from Afghan territory, a claim Kabul denies.
Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, meanwhile, has stated that it recently conducted aerial operations against alleged Islamic State (ISKP) positions inside Pakistani territory. The exchange of military actions has intensified concerns over deteriorating relations between the two countries.
Pakistan’s military alleged that the drones were launched with the support of militant elements operating from Afghanistan and warned that any future provocations would be met with a firm response. Afghan authorities have not publicly acknowledged responsibility for the drones but have accused Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty through recent strikes.
The latest developments underscore growing instability along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, where militant violence and retaliatory military operations have fuelled tensions in recent months.