Afghan Taliban drone attacks cross red line, says Pakistan President Zardari

ISLAMABAD – Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said on March 14 that the Afghan Taliban had “crossed a red line” by launching what the military called “rudimentary drones” against civilian targets in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s military said they were intercepted on the night of March 13 and did not reach their targets, including their own headquarters in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad.

The Taliban authorities lack a fully functional air force but have used locally produced drones, targeting areas primarily in the border regions of Pakistan, experts say.

Pakistan’s military said debris from the downed drones on March 13 injured two children in Quetta, in the south-west, and a civilian each in Kohat, south of Peshawar in the north-west, and Rawalpindi.

Security sources said airspace around the capital was temporarily closed as a precautionary measure when the drones were detected.

“Afghan Taliban launched (a) few rudimentary drones to harass the brave people of Pakistan. The drones... did not reach their intended targets,” the military said.

The incident followed attacks by Pakistan on the night between March 11 and 12 that killed four civilians in the Afghan capital Kabul and two reported deaths in border provinces.

The Taliban authorities then vowed to strike back, including on Islamabad.

In a post on social media platform X, Mr Zardari’s office said he “strongly condemned the drone attacks on Pakistani civilian areas, saying the Afghan Taliban crossed a red line”.

“Pakistan will not tolerate its civilians being targeted. Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against neighbours. Pakistan will defend its people,” he added.

In February, Islamabad launched a military operation against Afghanistan, targeting what it said were Islamist extremists following attacks in Pakistan.

The Taliban government has denied any involvement or the use of Afghan territory for militancy, while Pakistan insists it does not target civilians.

There have been repeated clashes at the border in recent weeks, hampering trade and forcing nearby residents to leave their homes.

The UN mission in Afghanistan said on March 13 that at least 75 civilians have been killed and 193 injured in Afghanistan as a result of the clashes since Feb 26. AFP