Pakistan says eight drones from Afghanistan shot down near Torkham and Kohat
By The South Asia Times
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s security forces shot down eight drones after they entered Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan on Wednesday morning, according to Pakistani security sources, in the latest escalation along the two countries’ tense western border.
The sources said Pakistan’s air-defense systems intercepted all eight drones. Four were brought down in areas near the Torkham border crossing, while four others were shot down in mountainous areas near Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The security sources described the drones as belonging to the Afghan Taliban regime and said that they were part of an attempt to target public areas in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s armed forces have remained on heightened alert amid growing tensions with Afghanistan. The latest incident comes after Pakistani forces destroyed several Afghan Taliban positions and hideouts in the Kurram sector in response to what Pakistani security sources described as firing from across the border.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated sharply amid repeated accusations over cross-border militancy. Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban regime of allowing militant groups, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, to operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan.
The latest drone incident follows a series of deadly attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A major assault on a police compound in Kohat last week killed more than 20 people, including police officers and civilians, according to Pakistani authorities.
Pakistan subsequently conducted ground operations and airstrikes against what it described as terrorists' hideouts and training facilities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the border region with Afghanistan, reporting dozens of militant deaths.
Pakistani security sources said the armed forces, including the Pakistan Air Force, remain prepared to respond to threats to the country’s airspace and territory.
