KABUL: An unmanned aerial vehicle believed to be of Indian origin crashed on the outskirts of Maidan Shahr, the provincial capital of Maidan Wardak, Afghan sources said on Tuesday.
Visuals circulating from the crash site show wreckage that appears consistent with the Israeli-manufactured Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a long-endurance surveillance drone. India is the only country in the immediate region known to operate the Heron platform.
The circumstances surrounding the drone’s presence in Afghan airspace remain unclear. However, P-AM, an independent monitoring outlet, has previously reported that a Heron UAV was delivered to India in May, allegedly under the cover of a humanitarian shipment — a claim that has not been independently verified.
The crash has raised fresh questions about regional security and the use of advanced surveillance assets near Afghanistan’s borders, at a time of heightened geopolitical sensitivity in South and Central Asia.
Neither the Indian government nor Afghan authorities have issued an official statement on the incident. Israel has also not commented on reports linking the drone to its defense exports.
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Security analysts say the incident could further strain regional relations if confirmed, particularly amid ongoing concerns over intelligence operations and cross-border surveillance activities involving Afghanistan.
