Border tensions escalate following conflicting military statements
Pakistan’s military said on Wednesday that it intercepted and destroyed four rudimentary drones allegedly launched from Afghanistan, while the Taliban-led government in Kabul claimed its air force had carried out precision strikes against alleged Daesh positions inside Pakistani territory.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan’s air defence system detected the drones shortly after they crossed into Balochistan on Tuesday. The military said security forces neutralised all four aerial platforms before they could reach their intended targets.
The military further alleged that the drones had been launched by Afghan security forces in support of terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory. Islamabad warned that any future provocations would receive what it described as a “befitting response.”
The latest developments follow heightened tensions between the neighbouring countries after a recent terrorist attack on a security installation in Karachi and subsequent Pakistani air strikes targeting alleged militant hideouts inside Afghanistan last week.
Kabul claims successful strikes against alleged Daesh camps
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s interim Taliban administration rejected Pakistan’s allegations and presented a different account of the events.
Deputy Defence Ministry spokesperson Sadeequllah Nasrat said Afghan air force aircraft had conducted precision strikes against alleged Daesh camps located in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
In a statement shared on X, Nasrat claimed the operation inflicted significant casualties and material losses on Daesh while avoiding civilian casualties. However, Pakistani authorities have not confirmed the reported strikes or the claims regarding militant losses.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained in recent years due to repeated cross-border security incidents. Islamabad has consistently accused Kabul of allowing militant groups to operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation the Taliban administration continues to deny.
The latest exchange of accusations is expected to further complicate already fragile bilateral relations, as both governments maintain sharply contrasting narratives regarding recent cross-border military activity.
