Pakistan President Says Afghan Taliban Crossed 'Red Line' with Drone Attacks on Civilian Targets

Islamabad. Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari stated on Saturday that the Afghan Taliban has crossed a "red line" by launching drones targeting civilian areas within Pakistan.

The military reportedly responded immediately, preventing the drones from reaching their intended targets, including the headquarters in Rawalpindi near Islamabad. Experts confirmed that the Taliban officials used locally manufactured drones, despite lacking an air force.

The debris of the drones shot down by the Pakistani military indicated that two children were injured in the southwestern city of Quetta, and one civilian each in Kohat near Peshawar and in Rawalpindi. Security sources reported that the airspace around the capital was temporarily closed as a precaution after the drones were detected.

Earlier, reports indicated that four people were killed in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and two in the border provinces from the attacks. Zardari's office, via the social media platform X, strongly condemned the drone attacks carried out by the Afghan Taliban in Pakistani civilian areas, stating they had crossed the red line.

Following the attacks in Pakistan, Islamabad launched military operations against Afghanistan last month, targeting Islamist extremists. The Taliban government denies that Afghan territory is being used for terrorism, while Pakistan insists it is not targeting civilians.

Recent frequent clashes along the border have reportedly hampered trade between the two countries and forced residents in the border areas to leave their homes. The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported on Friday that at least 75 civilians have been killed and 193 injured in clashes in Afghanistan since February 26.