Web Desk: Security forces intercepted three rudimentary drones in the northwestern district of Kohat on Friday, rejecting claims by Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities that Afghan air assets carried out successful retaliatory strikes on Pakistan’s military targets.
Pakistan’s military said the drones were brought down through electronic warfare countermeasures before they could reach intended targets. Falling debris injured two civilians, officials added.
Earlier in the day, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense and Afghan media outlet TOLO News English reported that the Afghan Air Force had conducted drone or airstrikes against strategic Pakistani military sites in Kohat, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The reports claimed that targets included a military fortress, a command center, a commander’s office, depots and soldiers’ quarters, causing heavy human and material losses.
Authorities in Pakistan rejected the Afghan claims as inaccurate, saying no such strikes occurred.
According to initial assessments by Pakistani security officials, the drones appeared to be commercially available observation-type devices that had been modified to carry small explosive payloads. The devices were neutralized before causing significant damage, officials said.
“The drones were intercepted through effective electronic countermeasures,” a security official said, adding that only minor injuries were reported due to falling debris.
Officials said investigations were underway to determine the origin and launch points of the drones.
The Taliban administration in Kabul has not provided evidence supporting its claim of successful strikes. Pakistani officials accused Afghan authorities of spreading misinformation, noting that similar claims had been made in the past without substantiation.
The incident underscores rising tensions along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, where Islamabad has repeatedly accused militant groups operating from Afghan territory of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan.
Pakistan’s security agencies say they remain on alert to counter cross-border threats and protect civilian areas and military installations.
Analysts say the competing claims reflect an intensifying information battle between the two neighbors as security incidents along the frontier continue to mount.
Pakistan maintains that militant groups linked to factions operating in Afghanistan are responsible for a growing number of attacks inside its territory. Afghan Taliban officials, however, have often denied involvement.
Authorities in Pakistan said security forces would continue monitoring the situation following Friday’s drone incident.
