Taliban Leader Moves After Drone Activity Over Kandahar

Reports emerged that on Tuesday afternoon, unmanned drones hovered for several hours over the office of Mullah Hibatullah, the Taliban's leader in Kandahar, setting off alarms within the group.

This aerial surveillance led to the decision to move their leader to a safer location in the Panjwai district.

According to sources of Afghanistan International, the prolonged drone presence over Mullah Hibatullah's Kandahar office was interpreted by Mawlawi Abdul Ahad Taleb, the commander of the Taliban leader's special security forces, as a direct and immediate threat to Hibatullah Akhundzada's safety, prompting a swift relocation.

The Taliban subsequently transferred their leader to the "Tolakan military base," located in Kandahar's Panjwai district.

Drone patrols have not been uncommon in the region, with Kandahar residents previously noting similar occurrences. Additionally, in recent days, individuals from Badakhshan, Panjshir, Kunar, and Laghman provinces reported drone sightings to Afghanistan International, pointing to a broader pattern of aerial surveillance.

In reaction to these incidents, the Taliban's spokesperson has pointed fingers at the United States, accusing it of infringing upon Afghanistan's sovereignty by violating its airspace.

Zabihullah Mujahid, in statements to the local press, has made it clear that these aircraft are unmistakably American, accusing them of entering Afghan airspace from neighbouring countries. He called for all involved parties to acknowledge their roles in this breach and to cease their invasive actions immediately.

Following their departure from Afghanistan, US officials have affirmed their commitment to keeping a watchful eye on terrorist activities within the country.

The assertion of Afghanistan's airspace still being under "occupation" by the United States has been a point of contention, voiced by several members of the Taliban leadership, including the group’s Defence Minister and the army's chief of staff.