Why is the Afghan Taliban launching drone strikes in Pakistan?

Pearl Pandya, Senior Analyst for South Asia, said: 

“Overnight, the Afghan Taliban carried out drone strikes in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, striking two places which they claimed were Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) bases. 

“Pakistan is yet to officially comment or acknowledge the attacks, though social media show evidence of a drone strike in Khyber Paktunkhwa. The Afghan Taliban has long accused Pakistan of harboring the ISKP, its key rival, mirroring Pakistan's own accusation of Afghanistan offering a safe haven for anti-Pakistan militant groups.

“This comes as almost a week ago, Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan's border provinces led to sharply different claims. The Afghan Taliban said 13 civilians, including 11 children, were killed; Pakistan said 26 militants died in strikes on militant infrastructure.

“ACLED data show that the Afghan Taliban first began using drones as part of its military response in February this year, with at least 12 instances of drone strikes into Pakistan recorded until now. “If confirmed, however, the latest attacks would mark the first instance of Afghanistan explicitly striking claimed militant hideouts. Its previous attacks have largely targeted Pakistani security posts, or been intercepted before hitting their target.

“These drones, which are essentially commercially available drones modified to carry a small load of explosives, are likely to become a key feature in the conflict between the two countries going forward. They offer a cheap alternative to the Afghan Taliban forces, which continues to lack a fully functional air force. And while largely experimental as yet, their capabilities could become more sophisticated over time.”