Reports of heavy drone activity in parts of Afghanistan. What does it signify?

Heavy drone activities in some parts of Afghanistan have been reported in the past few days. As per reports, the increased drone activity suggests that the United States is stepping up efforts to target Al-Qaeda or ISIS-K. However, there's no official confirmation whether or not the US is striking (or planning to strike) any terror outfit.

Locals in Helmand and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistanhave reported heavy drone activities in the last few days, a prominent Afghan journo and war observer Bilal Sarwary wrote on his verified Twitter handle on Wednesday (August 25) based on sources.

Sarwary said, "A drone strike targeted camp bastion in Helmand around 5AM. AQIS and AQ members Abu Zubair, Abu Anas, Farooqi Qari Sulaiman and Abu Al Hassan have been present in various parts of Helmand province, including inside camp bastion."He mentioned that two sources, including a CT source, told him.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Some other observers, with expertise in the matter related to Afghanistan and Taliban, have also noticed increased drone activity lately which appears to be by the Western coalition.

ALSO READ |Taliban say they've not found body of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri

Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media.

ALSO READ |Pakistan declares national emergency after floods kill more than 900 people, seeks aid

This development comes after US President Joe Biden said on August 1 that Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike in Kabul. The alleged killing of al-Zawahiri was touted to be the biggest blow to the militant group since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011.

Despite Biden's claims, there are several claims and counterclaims over the entire operation. On Thursday (August 25), the Taliban announced that they had not located Zawahiri's body and that they were still conducting investigations.

On the other hand, a White House spokesman had said after the strike that the US has no DNA confirmation of the death of Zawahiri. The spokesman had stated that his identity was verified through other sources.

'Violation of the Doha agreement'

When Pentagon said it killed Zawahiri, the authorities also mentioned that his presence in Afghanistan was a clear violation of the Doha agreement signed in 2020, which chalked out the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan a year ago.

But the Taliban had said that the US had breached the accord. "The fact that America invaded our territory and violated all international principles, we strongly condemn the action once again. If such action is repeated, the responsibility of any consequences will be on the United States of America," the Taliban statement said.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.