Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 1
Pakistan Intercepts 4 Afghan Drones in Balochistan as Taliban Claims Air Strikes
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 1

Pakistan Intercepts 4 Afghan Drones in Balochistan as Taliban Claims Air Strikes

3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 1

Summary

  • Pakistan’s military said it detected and intercepted four “rudimentary” drones launched from Afghanistan into Balochistan, warning the Taliban against further provocation.
  • The intercepts followed the Taliban government’s pledge to retaliate for Pakistani strikes earlier this week in eastern Afghanistan, which Kabul says killed at least 36 civilians.
  • Afghanistan’s defence ministry said it carried out air strikes in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa targeting ISIL-linked fighters, though the Taliban lacks a fully functional air force and has relied on small drones in border clashes.
  • Cross-border fighting has killed hundreds since February, driven by Pakistan’s accusations that Kabul shelters TTP militants and Afghanistan’s countercharge that Islamabad violates its sovereignty.

Insights

Is the Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict, fought with commercial drones, a preview of future low-tech warfare?
With Russia now arming the Taliban, is a wider proxy war brewing on Pakistan's border?
Could the escalating border war derail China's and Russia's economic ambitions for the region?