Afghan Drone Incursion Pakistan says strikes on 10 Afghan sites were self-defence

Afghan Drone Incursion prompted Pakistan to carry out strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Thursday.

In a statement on X, Tarar said Pakistan’s air defence systems detected, tracked and neutralised the drones before they could reach their intended targets. Security sources separately told Dawn that eight drones entered Pakistani airspace near the Torkham border and Kohat on Wednesday and were shot down.

Tarar said Pakistan then conducted what he described as precision aerial and drone strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan used to launch and store drones. He described the strikes as deliberate, calibrated and proportionate, and said they were limited to identified military objectives linked to the attempted attacks.

The minister said Pakistan had repeatedly raised concerns with the Afghan Taliban over what Islamabad describes as terrorist sanctuaries and support networks operating from Afghan territory.

According to Tarar, Pakistan expected the Afghan Taliban to take effective and verifiable action against groups using Afghan soil to conduct attacks. He said the drone operations instead represented an escalation.

Pakistan, he said, would not accept attacks launched from Afghan territory, whether by militant groups or by the Afghan Taliban itself. He warned that any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty would receive an immediate response.

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Tarar called on the authorities in Kabul to halt what he described as hostile activity and prevent Afghan territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan.

He also said Pakistan did not seek escalation and remained committed to regional peace, dialogue and constructive engagement. However, he warned that this position should not be interpreted as unlimited tolerance of hostile actions.

The latest strikes come amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistan has previously accused militant groups of operating from Afghan territory, while the Taliban authorities in Kabul have rejected allegations that Afghanistan is being used to launch attacks against Pakistan. Recent Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan have also drawn protests from Taliban officials and prompted concerns over further escalation.