American Drones Penetrate Afghanistan as Taliban Appeals to Pakistan

The Taliban's acting defense minister has accused Pakistan of allowing American drones to penetrate Afghanistan through its airspace, according to The Hill. 'According to our information, drones are infiltrating Afghanistan through Pakistan, they are using Pakistani airspace, and we request Pakistan not to use their airspace against us,' Taliban's Mullah Mohammad Yakub stated at a press conference in Kabul.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry has denied Yakub's claims, expressing 'deep concern' over the 'alleged accusations.' 'In the absence of any evidence, as acknowledged by Afghanistan's minister himself, such assumptions are highly regrettable and contradict the norms of responsible diplomatic conduct,' the statement read. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry also called on Afghanistan not to allow its territory to be used for terrorism against any country.

It is worth noting that Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was a former deputy of Osama bin Laden and the main architect of the September 11 attacks in 2001, was killed last month in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul. The Biden administration characterized al-Zawahiri's strike as a long-awaited act of justice.