By Our Correspondents

KABUL/ISLAMABAD — Pakistan Air Force has carried out precision strikes on an Israeli drone facility at Bagram Air Base near Kabul, killing or wounding an unknown number of personnel, including foreign engineers, two local security sources in the Afghan capital have confirmed to The South Asia Times.

The strikes, part of Pakistan's ongoing "Operation Ghazab lil Haq" against militant infrastructure in Afghanistan, targeted a highly restricted compound within the sprawling former US military installation where the Taliban, with foreign assistance, had been operating advanced drones.

"My cousin works at Bagram, and he told me what happened," said a Kabul-based source who spoke on condition of strict anonymity due to the extreme sensitivity of the matter.

"It was around midnight. They heard the roar of Pakistani fighter jets overhead, and just minutes later, a massive explosion shook the entire base."

According to the source, Pakistani jets struck at least three locations within Bagram Air Base. The primary target was a large compound that the Taliban's Defense Ministry had converted into a drone facility.

When asked how the Taliban, which has no formal defense agreements with any developed nation, could establish a drone operation, the source acknowledged limited knowledge. "I don't know the full details. What I've heard is that it was a drone facility. Only select personnel were allowed access -- ordinary soldiers couldn't go near that area. But my cousin told me that sometimes drones were tested outside the compound."

A second source within the Taliban's Defense Ministry provided more specific information, confirming that Pakistan's strike had hit the drone facility and that foreign engineers were present at the time.

"Some foreign engineers were present in the base who have been helping Afghanistan with drone technology," the official said.

Asked when these foreign personnel arrived, he stated: "They came recently in December."

The official could not confirm the nationalities or casualties among the foreign engineers. "I have no information about whether they are Indian or came from any other country. I only know that some foreigners recently arrived there and they are based in Bagram for drone work."

Since Thursday the Pakistan Air Force has targeted 56 locations across Afghanistan, including Bagram. The operation, named Ghazb lil Haq, was launched by Islamabad after the Afghan Taliban initiated attacks on Pakistani border posts on Thursday evening.

- Pakistan destroys Israeli drone facility

Pakistani security sources, speaking separately, provided additional details about the operation. According to these sources, the Bagram facility housed a substantial fleet of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles manufactured in Israel, including the IAI Heron and Hermes 450 models -- sophisticated surveillance and combat drones capable of long-range operations.

Using advanced radar data and tracking technology, Pakistani forces identified the specific hangars housing these drones. In a highly focused strike, the entire fleet was destroyed within moments, the sources said.

The Pakistani account aligns with information provided by the two Afghan defense ministry sources, who confirmed the presence of "some foreigners" at the facility -- whom Pakistani analysts believe were likely Indian and Israeli engineers.

- India-Israel-Taliban connection raises questions

The presence of foreign engineers at a Taliban-controlled drone facility raises profound questions about regional alignments. The Taliban have no diplomatic relations with Israel and have historically positioned themselves as supporters of the Palestinian cause. Yet reports have long suggested covert ties between Tel Aviv , New Delhi and Kabul.

During the two-decade US occupation of Afghanistan, Israeli-made drones and weapons were extensively used by NATO forces. Countries including Britain, Germany, Canada, and Australia deployed Israeli drones such as the Skylark 1, manufactured by Elbit Systems, in counterinsurgency operations.

The Jerusalem Post reported in 2019 that Israeli troops were secretly deployed to Afghanistan to collect intelligence on Iranian military movements along the Afghan border, operating "under the flags of the United States and the United Arab Emirates."

More recently, reports have emerged suggesting deepening ties. In October 2025, GTV News reported on what it called a "Taliban's Secret Alliance With India, Israel Exposed," claiming that Taliban Foreign Minister Mullah Amir Muttaqi held secret meetings with Indian and Israeli intelligence agencies during a visit to India. According to those reports, Israel agreed to provide the Taliban with advanced military weapons, including drones and laser technology, while India would gradually install its Akash air defense system in Afghanistan.

- Bagram: From US Hub to Israeli drone base

Bagram Air Base, located approximately 40 kilometers north of Kabul in Parwan province, was once the largest American military installation in Afghanistan. Throughout the two-decade US war effort, it served as the epicenter of operations, featuring three massive hangars, a 3,000-meter runway capable of handling heavy cargo planes, and millions of dollars in military infrastructure.

When American forces withdrew in August 2021, they left behind this sprawling facility. Since the Taliban's return to power, the group has maintained strict control over the base, restricting access and media coverage of activities there.

Pakistani sources described the February 28 attack as devastating. Satellite images shared with The South Asia Times also show significant destruction caused inside the facility.

Provincial spokesman Fazl ur Rahim Maskin Yar initially claimed Pakistani jets "attempted to bomb" the base with no casualties or damage. However, residents' accounts of smoke and fire, combined with multiple source confirmations of a successful strike, contradict the official denial.

- Broader strategic implications

Regional security analysts suggest the Bagram drone facility was intended for purposes extending far beyond Afghanistan's borders.

The advanced surveillance capabilities of Israeli Heron and Hermes 450 drones would have enabled monitoring of Pakistani military installations and nuclear assets, activities along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and Russian interests in Central Asia.

By positioning Israeli surveillance assets in Afghanistan, Israel -- potentially in coordination with India and the United States -- gains a strategic vantage point overlooking Pakistan, China's Belt and Road investments, and Russia's southern flank.

The strike leaves several critical questions unanswered: Were Indian and Israeli engineers present, and were they killed or wounded in the operation? What was the exact nature of their work at the Bagram facility? How did the Taliban acquire the technology and expertise to operate advanced drones? And what role, if any, did official Indian or Israeli government agencies play in supporting the facility?

Pakistani security sources declined further comment, stating only that the operation achieved its military objectives. Afghan Taliban officials have not responded to requests for comment on the fate of drone facility and the foreign engineers.