ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military said on Wednesday it had intercepted and destroyed four drones launched from Afghanistan into the southwestern province of Balochistan, while the Afghan Taliban government in Kabul said they launched airstrikes into Pakistani territory.
Afghanistan’s defense ministry said its forces hit what it said was a Daesh center in the town of Saranan in Pakistan’s border province of Balochistan, as well as elsewhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The latest exchange comes days after Pakistan said it had carried out cross-border strikes against militant hideouts in eastern Afghanistan following an attack on a Pakistan Rangers camp in Karachi that it blamed on Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Islamabad said 29 militants were killed in the operations and later summoned Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires, saying Afghan nationals had taken part in the Karachi attack. Afghan authorities rejected Pakistan’s account, saying the strikes hit residential areas and killed 36 civilians.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban administration of allowing the TTP and allied militant groups to use Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan, allegations Kabul denies.
“On 30 June, Afghan Taliban regime launched four (4) rudimentary drones across the border in Balochistan as part of their patronization and support of terrorist outfits operating from inside their controlled territories,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.
The military said the drones were detected immediately after crossing the border and intercepted before they could cause any damage.
“The hostile aerial platforms were immediately picked up by Pakistan’s robust air defense network,” the statement said.
“Demonstrating high operational readiness, security forces successfully neutralized all four incoming drones using sophisticated countermeasures. Due to the swift and effective response, the malicious attempts were effectively thwarted.”
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated sharply since late 2025, with both countries accusing each other of failing to prevent cross-border militancy.
The worsening security situation has been accompanied by a breakdown in bilateral relations, including deadly border clashes in October 2025 and February 2026 that left dozens of troops dead or wounded on both sides.
Pakistan has also closed its border crossings with Afghanistan to most trade since late 2025, disrupting commerce between the neighboring countries and Afghan transit trade through Pakistani ports.
