KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban’s army chief, Fasihuddin Fitrat, confirmed on Wednesday that Afghanistan’s airspace has been repeatedly violated by foreign drones, prompting them to initiate diplomatic talks with the countries involved.
Speaking at a press conference in Kabul, Fitrat disclosed that Taliban officials are engaged in negotiations aimed at preventing further breaches. He expressed optimism that the Taliban would gain full control over Afghanistan’s airspace by next year but did not specify which countries were responsible for the drone incursions or where the drones were being launched from.
Reports of drone activity have emerged from several provinces, including Kandahar—where the Taliban’s reclusive leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, is believed to reside—as well as Kabul, Panjshir, Laghman, Parwan, Kapisa, and Baghlan. Residents in these areas have observed drones flying overhead, fueling concerns about foreign surveillance and potential military operations.
“The violation of our country’s airspace has been a recurring issue,” Fitrat said. “In the past years, our airspace was frequently violated, and diplomatic efforts have been made to address this with the offending countries. The Ministry of Defense has not remained silent on this matter.”
While Fitrat did not name specific nations, it has been widely reported that U.S. drones have continued to operate over Afghanistan as part of Washington’s “Over-the-Horizon” strategy, aimed at curbing terrorist activities in the region.
In a related issue, Fitrat reiterated the Taliban’s demand that Uzbekistan return the military aircraft flown out of Afghanistan by former Air Force personnel during the collapse of the previous government in August 2021. However, Washington and Tashkent recently reached an agreement to retain the aircraft in Uzbekistan.
The Biden administration has consistently maintained that it retains the capability to counter terrorist threats in Afghanistan through its “Over-the-Horizon” operations. Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, the U.S. has conducted two significant strikes in Afghanistan: one in August 2021 targeting a house allegedly linked to ISIS, and another in July 2022, which killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the co-founder and former leader of al-Qaeda, in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood of Kabul.
