Taliban forces reportedly used drones for the first time in an attack on a Pakistani border post, sources within the group told Afghanistan International. The Taliban’s intelligence media outlet released a video purportedly showing the drone strike.
A Pakistani security source said the drone used was a rotary-wing, or copter-type, similar to those operated by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The black-and-white footage shows a drone dropping explosives from a low altitude onto a rectangular structure described as a Pakistani military position. Moments later, an explosion is seen.
Taliban officials have not disclosed details about the type or origin of the drones. However, the Pakistani security source said TTP had obtained several drones “through traders in Afghanistan,” adding that the Afghan Taliban may have supplied some, though this remains unconfirmed.
These small, lightweight, remotely controlled drones are often used by both state and non-state armed groups. This marks the first time Taliban-linked media have claimed the group has employed drones in combat beyond Afghanistan’s borders.
It remains unclear which country may have supplied military-grade drones to the Taliban. The group maintains close ties with Iran, a major producer and exporter of drones in the region.
Experts note that while commercial drones can be modified for military use, advanced models capable of carrying explosives are tightly controlled and typically sold only to governments.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was the first outlet to report, citing sources close to the Taliban, that Taliban forces had attacked Pakistani army positions along the Durand Line using drones. The report was later deleted from the Tasnim website.
According to the deleted report, the attacks “inflicted heavy casualties on Pakistani soldiers.” The Pakistani government has not yet issued an official response.
