Did Taliban Use Drones In Pakistan? Afghanistan Claims Deep Strikes As Border Tensions Turn Into 'Open War'

Last Updated:February 27, 2026, 17:23 IST

Taliban sources said they successfully struck a military camp near Faizabad (Islamabad), the Nowshera cantonment, Jamrud colony, and installations in Abbottabad

The Afghan Taliban on Friday claimed to have launched drone strikes in its attack on Pakistan as border tensions between the two neighbouring countries exploded into a state of “open war".

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan worsened following a series of intense cross-border airstrikes and military clashes, pushing the region to the brink of a broader conflict.

In a significant escalation, the Afghan Taliban claimed to have carried out drone strikes deep within Pakistani territory, targeting strategic military installations in retaliation for strikes on Kabul and Kandahar. The Taliban’s ministry of defence said its forces “successfully conducted" air strikes using drones to hit military targets across the border.

According to Taliban sources, the strikes, which allegedly took place at 11 am, were a direct payback for Pakistani raids on Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia the previous night. The insurgent-turned-government forces said they successfully struck a military camp near Faizabad (Islamabad), the Nowshera cantonment, Jamrud colony, and installations in Abbottabad.

If confirmed, a successful deep strike on facilities near the capital of Islamabad will represent a major psychological and symbolic blow to Pakistan’s military prestige. It underscores the growing technological capabilities of the Taliban’s aerial forces, marking a violent shift from traditional ground-based border skirmishes to sophisticated long-range operations.

Pakistani officials, however, strongly disputed the scale and success of these claims. Information minister Attaullah Tarar said while militants attempted to use drones in Abbottabad, Swabi, and Nowshera, they were successfully neutralised by anti-drone systems. He said there was “no damage to life or property", and that Pakistan’s defensive measures remain effective against such threats.

The declaration of a state of war was formalised by Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif, who said Islamabad’s “patience has now run out". In a post on X, he accused the Taliban of failing to focus on regional stability and the welfare of the Afghan people. 

“Now it is open war between us," Asif said, accusing Kabul of denying basic human rights, including those for women, which he said are guaranteed under Islam.

When it comes to the death toll so far, both countries have reported wildly conflicting casualty figures and significant destruction of enemy assets. Afghanistan’s defence ministry said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 19 army posts destroyed, while alleging that some bodies were taken into Afghanistan and others captured alive. Pakistan, meanwhile, reported only two of their soldiers killed while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson, Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, said at least 133 Afghan fighters were killed and 27 Afghan posts destroyed.

None of these accounts have been independently verified.

This violent breakdown marks a total collapse of previous ceasefire efforts mediated by Qatar and Turkiye.

The conflict further complicates a dire regional humanitarian crisis. Following a sweeping Pakistani crackdown on undocumented migrants in October 2023, millions have been displaced; last year alone, 2.9 million people returned to Afghanistan. As clashes erupt at the Torkham border, authorities have been forced to move dozens of refugees to safer areas, leaving millions of vulnerable people navigating a volatile and increasingly deadly frontier.

(With agency inputs)

News world Did Taliban Use Drones In Pakistan? Afghanistan Claims Deep Strikes As Border Tensions Turn Into 'Open War'

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