Pakistan hands Taliban diplomatic protest over drone incursions

Pakistan has handed the Taliban a diplomatic protest note over what it described as the “provocative incursions” of 23 drones from Afghanistan, the country’s Foreign Ministry said.

Sajjad Haider Khan, a spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, told Afghanistan International that the note was delivered to the Afghan side on September 28 over the incident.

Pakistan has said it shot down 23 drones that entered from Afghan territory in several areas, including Kohat and near the Torkham crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The Taliban have rejected the claim, saying the allegations were unsupported by evidence.

The development comes amid growing security tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of failing to prevent armed groups opposed to Pakistan from operating on Afghan soil.

The Taliban have denied the accusations, saying they do not allow Afghan territory to be used against any country.

Tensions increased after Pakistan said last week that it had shot down dozens of drones that Pakistani officials said had entered its airspace from Afghanistan. The Taliban rejected that claim and urged Islamabad to refrain from making baseless accusations.

By Aghakazim Guliyev