Pakistan says it intercepted four drones fired from Afghanistan

Key Points:

• The Taliban in Afghanistan claimed to have launched air strikes on Pakistani territory following Pakistani air attacks on eastern Afghanistan earlier in the week, marking an escalation in their ongoing conflict.
• Pakistan's military reported intercepting four rudimentary drones launched by the Afghan Taliban into the southern province of Balochistan and warned of a heavy response if provocations continue.
• The Afghan defense ministry stated it had conducted air strikes in Balochistan and northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, targeting an ISIL affiliate and causing casualties.
• Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified since the Taliban took power in 2021, with hundreds killed in cross-border fighting linked to accusations that each side harbors hostile armed groups.
• Pakistan accuses the Taliban government of sheltering the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), responsible for attacks in Pakistan, while Afghan officials deny this and accuse Pakistan of harboring hostile groups and violating Afghan sovereignty.