ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Information on Friday rejected claims by the Afghan Taliban that it had carried out strikes on alleged militant hideouts in border areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
In a statement issued through its official fact-checking platform, the ministry described the claims as “false” and accused the Afghan Taliban of spreading misinformation through official statements and affiliated channels.
The ministry said the Taliban had alleged targeting Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) camps using drones in areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. However, it maintained that no such camps exist in the targeted locations and asserted that various militant groups, including Daesh and others, continue to operate from territory under Taliban control inside Afghanistan.
According to the statement, a rudimentary drone allegedly launched by the Afghan Taliban entered Pakistani airspace near Shinko in Khyber district and was promptly detected and neutralised by the Pakistan Air Force’s air defence system. The ministry also released an image of the downed drone.
The statement further accused the Taliban administration of issuing such claims to divert attention from militant groups operating from Afghan territory and carrying out attacks in neighbouring countries.
Earlier in the day, the Afghan Taliban claimed it had conducted air strikes against what it described as terrorist hideouts in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over cross-border militancy. Earlier this month, Pakistan said it had carried out strikes on militant hideouts along the Afghan border, killing 26 militants.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban government to take action against militant groups, particularly the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad says operates from Afghan soil. Kabul has denied the allegations and insists that militancy in Pakistan is an internal matter.
Islamabad has also raised concerns about cross-border terrorism at international forums, including the United Nations, and continues to call for verifiable action against militant groups operating from Afghanistan.
