Afghanistan Strikes ISIS Hideouts In Pakistan: Did Russian Drones Play A Role?

Last Updated:June 19, 2026, 15:29 IST

Kabul says its air force targeted ISIS bases in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, weeks after its defence minister returned from Moscow with a military cooperation agreement.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has claimed that its air force carried out cross-border strikes against alleged ISIS hideouts inside Pakistan, marking a potentially significant escalation between Kabul and Islamabad.

The Afghan Ministry of Defence said the operation targeted what it described as “centres of evil and corruption" belonging to Daesh in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

According to the ministry, attacks against Afghanistan were being planned from these locations with the assistance of unnamed “malevolent intelligence agencies".

The statement is significant because Kabul has carefully framed the operation as a counterterrorism strike rather than an attack on Pakistan. The Taliban’s message was clear: its stated target was ISIS infrastructure allegedly operating from Pakistani soil, not the Pakistani state.

However, the timing of the operation has raised questions over whether Afghanistan used Russian drones, weapons or other military assistance in the strikes.

Did Russian Drones Play A Role?

The possibility of Russian involvement has emerged weeks after Taliban Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid travelled to Moscow and announced a military-technical cooperation agreement with Russia.

After returning to Kabul on May 30, Yaqoob described the visit as successful and said implementation of the agreement would begin shortly. According to intelligence reports, Afghanistan acquired Russian weaponry, air-defence rockets, drones and other security assistance from Moscow.

Yaqoob also issued a warning directed at Pakistan, saying Islamabad would soon no longer dare attack Afghan territory.

The remarks came amid repeated Pakistani attacks inside Afghanistan. Islamabad has maintained that its operations target sanctuaries used by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, to plan attacks inside Pakistan.

Kabul has rejected accusations that it shelters the group and has repeatedly accused Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty.

The understanding between Moscow and Kabul has been presented as a military-technical cooperation agreement. According to reports, it includes cooperation over weapons maintenance and other security requirements.

Intelligence reports, however, suggest that the assistance may have extended beyond maintenance and could include drones, air-defence systems and rockets.

That claim assumes greater significance in light of the latest cross-border operation.

Why Kabul Says It Targeted ISIS, Not Pakistan

The wording of the Afghan statement appears deliberate.

Rather than describing the operation as retaliation against Islamabad, the Taliban said it targeted Daesh facilities from where attacks on Afghanistan were allegedly being planned.

The language echoes the justification previously offered by Pakistan for carrying out attacks inside Afghanistan. Islamabad has said its strikes were aimed at TTP hideouts rather than the Afghan state.

The two neighbours are now effectively accusing each other of harbouring terrorist groups responsible for cross-border violence.

Pakistan Faces Familiar Sanctuary Allegations

The Afghan accusation adds another layer to longstanding international allegations that militant groups have found sanctuary inside Pakistan.

India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of hosting and supporting groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, which have been blamed for major terrorist attacks in India.

Both are UN-designated terrorist organisations and have been identified in UN records as Pakistan-based groups.

India has carried out strikes against terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, most recently during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. New Delhi said the operation targeted nine sites linked to groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed following the Pahalgam terror attack. India had earlier conducted the 2019 Balakot strike against what it described as a JeM training camp.

The United States conducted a major counterterrorism operation inside Pakistan in 2011 when American forces killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. Bin Laden’s presence in a compound close to a major Pakistani military academy triggered international scrutiny over how the world’s most wanted terrorist had lived in the country for years.

Pakistan is now facing a similar accusation from the Taliban regime in Afghanistan: that ISIS-linked operatives are using Pakistani territory to plan attacks across the border.

Russia’s Growing Role In Afghanistan

The developments also point to Moscow’s growing engagement with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban government after the group returned to power in August 2021. Moscow and Kabul have since moved towards closer cooperation on security, counterterrorism and defence-related issues.

ISIS-K remains a common security concern. The group has carried out attacks in Afghanistan and has also been linked to attacks against Russian interests, including the deadly assault on a concert hall near Moscow in 2024.

That shared concern has given Russia and the Taliban a common security interest, despite their historically adversarial relationship.

About the Author

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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