Pakistan Delivers Protest Note to Taliban Over Airspace Violation by Drones

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The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered a protest note to the Afghan embassy in Islamabad regarding what it described as a violation of Pakistani airspace by drones that launched from Afghanistan last Wednesday, amid rising security and military tensions between the two countries in recent days.

Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman, Sajjad Haider Khan, stated that the note was delivered to the Taliban government in light of the airspace violation, while Islamabad also raised the issue of armed attacks and border violations.

The move came after an attack on a police compound in the Kohat region on September 18, which resulted in the deaths of 23 people, including 17 police officers, and Pakistani authorities stated that one of the suicide bombers was Afghan.

Days later, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for another attack in Dera Ismail Khan that killed at least 12 people.

This coincided with Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, which Islamabad claimed targeted militant positions, before announcing the downing of drones that it said had entered its airspace from Afghan territory, and then targeted ten sites inside Afghanistan that it claimed were used for storing and launching drones.

In contrast, the Taliban government accused Islamabad of violating the sovereignty of Afghan territory and stated that the airstrikes resulted in civilian casualties.

The dispute escalated on Sunday to Nuristan province, located on the eastern border of Afghanistan with Pakistan, where the Taliban government's Ministry of Defense stated that its forces killed 28 militants and arrested 32 others in Kamdesh district, accusing Pakistan of supporting the group and sending them from its territory, but Islamabad denied the accusation and stated that Kabul had not provided evidence to substantiate it.

The "Afghan Freedom Front" provided a different account, stating that the clashes began on Saturday after Taliban forces attacked its positions in Kamdesh district with ground troops and drones, before its fighters launched a counterattack. The front claimed to have taken control of several points in Kamdesh and Nari district in Kunar province, stating that 37 Taliban members were killed and 24 others were injured.

The clashes in Nuristan came after an increase in the activity of armed opposition groups against the Taliban since July, as the Zibak district in Badakhshan province witnessed days of fighting between Taliban forces and the Afghan Freedom Front, which claimed to have taken control of positions and downed drones.

Between July 23 and August 22, the front announced the execution of 21 operations in eight provinces.

This coincided with the activity of other groups opposed to the Taliban. In August, the "United Front of Afghanistan," led by former Afghan Special Forces commander Sami Sadat, who resides in the United States, announced the start of its military operations. It later stated that it had carried out dozens of operations in several provinces, while the "National Resistance Front of Afghanistan" continued to announce attacks in the north of the country and other areas.

The month of July also witnessed the emergence of the "Front of Homeland Soldiers," led by a former special forces officer in the previous government, Qayoom Malang, which briefly seized control of the center of Yiftal-e Sofla district in Badakhshan before withdrawing.

In an indication of the depth of the crisis, the "Express Tribune" reported a senior Pakistani official as saying that relations with Kabul are likely to become more tense, adding, "I believe we have reached a point of no return."

He stated that the Taliban may have taken steps to address Pakistan's concerns, but described them as insufficient and superficial.

The escalation comes despite diplomatic efforts involving Turkey and Qatar, as Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin visited Afghanistan and met with officials from the Taliban government, before moving on to Islamabad. A Qatari security official also visited Kabul as part of efforts to reduce tensions.

The current crisis dates back to October 2025, when the fiercest border clashes erupted between the two sides since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, leading Pakistan to close the main crossings and halt trade and transit largely. The two sides later reached a ceasefire, without resolving the dispute over armed groups.

The escalation returned strongly in February 2026 with Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan and a response from Taliban forces, along with clashes and cross-border strikes.

Islamabad claims that the Pakistani Taliban is using Afghan territory to plan attacks inside Pakistan, while the Taliban government denies this and accuses Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty and supporting its adversaries.

The main trade crossings have remained closed to regular movement since October last year, with limited passage allowed in humanitarian and exceptional cases.