Unidentified Drone Seen Circling Kabul, Say Residents
Residents of Kabul say they have seen an unidentified drone flying over the Afghan capital.
A resident of District 17 told Afghanistan International on Thursday, 19 February, that an unmanned aerial vehicle was observed flying at a visible altitude above the city.
The resident shared a video with the broadcaster showing what appeared to be a drone circling in the sky over Kabul. According to the resident, the aircraft remained over the capital for several hours.
It is not clear which country the drone may belong to. The Taliban have not issued an official statement regarding the reported flight.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has not had full control over Afghanistan’s airspace. Taliban officials have previously acknowledged that the country’s skies remain under what they describe as “occupation”.
Over more than four years of Taliban rule, residents in several provinces have repeatedly reported sightings of unidentified drones.
According to various reports, US surveillance drones and military aircraft have flown over parts of Afghanistan during this period. Pakistan has also operated fighter jets and drones in Afghan airspace with US approval and coordination, according to reports.
