Kabul (Kubha News) – On Friday, March 29, two American drones were spotted flying for several hours in Kandahar and Nimroz provinces, followed by another sighting two days later in the Pich Dara district of Kunar province, before disappearing from the airspace.
Kandahar, known as the residence of Mullah Hebatullah, the spiritual leader of the Taliban, along with Nimroz and Kunar, are areas under CIA surveillance to monitor potential movements of Al-Qaeda network members and other global jihadists.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the drone flights in an interview on Saturday, asserting that the aircraft entered Afghanistan’s territory from neighboring countries. “Everyone should understand their responsibility in this field and stop this aggression,” he declared.
The Taliban does not specifically name any countries, but it is well-known that neighboring Pakistan has been cooperating with the United States in drone strikes since 2004.”
The revelation comes in the wake of a statement made by Senator Deb Fisher during a US Congress hearing on March 8, where she highlighted Washington’s reliance on Pakistan for air surveillance in Afghanistan. Fisher expressed concerns regarding the efficacy of counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan, citing only one attack on a single target since the withdrawal and the dependence on Pakistan’s airspace.
Despite Fisher’s candid disclosure, the Taliban government has maintained a cautious stance towards Pakistan for over a year.
On July 31, 2022, a month following the assassination of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a CIA drone strike within Kabul’s Shirpur district, Taliban Defense Minister Mawlavi Yaqub Mujahid asserted during a press conference that the United States launches attacks on Afghanistan via Pakistan.”
The spokesman of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, dismissed Yaqub’s statements as undiplomatic, emphasizing the absence of evidence to support such claims.
In the wake of the backlash, the Taliban government refuses to publicly name Pakistan as a facilitator of the drones, but the drone strikes are one aspect of the group’s tensions with Islamabad.
Following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, the CIA executed three attacks on Al-Qaeda and IS-KP targets in Afghanistan. However, reports of foreign fighters under Taliban control have reignites CIA surveillance efforts, raising the specter of increased drone flights and attacks.
Analysts speculate that Pakistan may leverage CIA cooperation to target the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan along the Durand Line, amidst strained relations with the Taliban and threats posed by the Pakistani Taliban within its borders.
However, according to Zardasht Shams, a political analyst and former Afghan diplomat in Pakistan, there has been a shift in the nature of cooperation between the United States and Pakistan since 2021. Shams believes that following the Doha Agreement, Washington secured a direct commitment and assurance from the Taliban to mitigate threats to U.S. security.
According to this former Afghan diplomat, Pakistan is endeavoring to portray the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban as a global threat, particularly to the United States, yet has thus far failed to achieve this objective. ‘Washington will collaborate with Pakistan to curb the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan,’ stated Shams in an interview with Kubha News, ‘but the United States is unlikely to engage in direct confrontation with the Afghan Taliban once more or offer direct military or logistical support to Pakistan’s operations within Afghanistan.’
The United States continues to urge the Taliban government, per the Doha agreement, to take decisive action against terrorist groups posing a threat to US and allied security interests in Afghanistan. Despite Taliban denials, concerns persist regarding the presence of groups such as the Pakistani Taliban, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda within Afghan territory.
The Taliban denies the presence of the Pakistani Taliban, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, dismissing the narrative as propaganda.