Islamabad, June 19, 2026: Pakistan on Friday strongly rejected claims made by the Afghan Taliban regime regarding alleged drone strikes on Daesh (Islamic State) camps in border areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, calling the assertions “false” and part of a recurring propaganda narrative.
In a statement posted on its official Fact Checker account on X, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the Afghan Taliban regime, through “various propaganda mouthpieces and official statements,” had claimed responsibility for targeting alleged Daesh hideouts using rudimentary drones.
“The claims are false as usual,” the ministry stated, adding that terrorist infrastructure, including Daesh and other groups, is “factually located, operated and patronised from territories under the control of the Afghan Taliban regime.”
The ministry further clarified that a rudimentary drone launched from across the border had intruded into Pakistani airspace in Khyber district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and was immediately detected and neutralised by the Pakistan Air Force’s air defence system.
It said the Afghan Taliban authorities were “habitually issuing such fake and nefarious statements” to deflect attention from what Islamabad alleges is the continued presence and patronage of terrorist networks operating from Afghan territory, including Daesh, Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.
The statement came in response to Kabul’s earlier claim that its forces had carried out “airstrikes” targeting Daesh hideouts in Pakistan’s border provinces. The Taliban defence ministry had posted on X that the alleged targets in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were struck by the Afghan air force on Thursday night.
Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have remained strained in recent years amid a surge in cross-border militant activity. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban regime of failing to act against militants using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan, allegations Kabul denies.
Security incidents have escalated since 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, prompting Pakistan to intensify counter-terror operations and border security measures.
Earlier this year, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting militant networks in response to rising cross-border attacks, while last October saw deadly border clashes after militants attacked Pakistani border posts. According to official figures, more than 200 militants were killed in retaliatory action, while 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred.
Despite multiple rounds of diplomatic engagement, both sides have yet to reach a sustained agreement on counter-terrorism cooperation, with Islamabad maintaining that effective action against cross-border militant groups remains essential for regional stability.
