Islamabad, September 23, 2026: Pakistan’s armed forces have shot down eight drones that entered Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan near the Torkham border and Kohat, according to security sources.
The sources said Pakistan’s air defence systems intercepted all eight drones. Four were brought down in areas adjoining the Torkham border, while the remaining four were shot down in mountainous areas near Kohat.
The sources described the air defence systems as active and vigilant and said the armed forces had thwarted what they described as an attempt to target public areas.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Security sources also said Pakistani forces had foiled an attempted infiltration from Afghanistan into the Kurram sector and responded to firing on Pakistani border posts.
Pakistan’s latest action follows airstrikes carried out on September 21 against what Pakistani authorities described as terrorist hideouts and safe havens in the border region with Afghanistan. Pakistan said 28 militants were killed in those strikes, while Afghan authorities and the United Nations reported civilian casualties.
Security sources said the wreckage of the downed drones was being recovered. They also said Pakistan’s air defence and surveillance systems remained on heightened alert along the western border.
Rising Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have remained tense amid repeated cross-border clashes and Pakistan’s allegations that militant groups, including the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), operate from Afghan territory.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban authorities to take concrete and verifiable action against militant groups operating from their soil. Kabul, however, has rejected allegations that it is responsible for attacks in Pakistan.
The latest drone incident follows previous reports of similar incursions. Pakistani authorities said four rudimentary drones launched from Afghanistan were shot down in June, while additional drone incidents were reported in June and July.
The latest developments add to an increasingly tense security situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with both sides exchanging allegations over cross-border militancy and military action.
