By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD- Pakistan's military said Wednesday that it intercepted and destroyed four drones allegedly launched from Afghanistan into southwestern Balochistan province, accusing the Afghan Taliban regime of supporting terrorist groups operating against Pakistan and warning of a strong response to any future cross-border provocations.

According to a statement issued by the military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the incident occurred on June 30 when four "rudimentary drones" crossed into Pakistani territory from Afghanistan.

The military said Pakistan's air defence network detected the drones shortly after they entered its airspace and security forces successfully neutralized all four using counter-drone systems. It said no damage or casualties were reported, adding that the attempted incursion had been "effectively thwarted."

Pakistan accused the Afghan Taliban government of backing terrorist organizations operating from Afghan territory, claiming the drone launches reflected its continued support for terrorist groups targeting Pakistan.

The military further alleged that such actions were intended to divert attention from domestic challenges facing Afghanistan, urging the Taliban authorities to stop supporting terrorist organizations and instead pursue peaceful coexistence with neighboring countries.

The statement warned that any further provocations would draw a "swift, decisive and overwhelming" response under Pakistan's ongoing Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq, adding that the country's armed forces remain fully prepared to defend its territory.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated sharply in recent years over border security and militancy.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing terrorist groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan and launch attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians. The Taliban administration has consistently rejected the accusations, insisting it does not allow Afghan territory to be used against any other country.

Terrorists violence has risen significantly in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has increasingly called on the Afghan authorities to take action against armed groups allegedly based across the border, while tensions between the two neighbors have escalated through repeated security incidents and diplomatic exchanges.