KABUL (SW) – A number of former military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, believe that the current government lacks the authority to protect the country’s airspace that is why drones and other types of aircraft are seen in Afghan airspace.
Recent media reports indicate that missile strikes were carried out on the Uzbekistan’s city of Brakes from Afghan territory.
Although Uzbek and Islamic Emirate officials have denied the reports, Uzbek planes are said to have patrolled the port of Hairatan in Mazar-e-Sharif in response to the attacks.
On the other hand, there are allegations that drones have been seen in Panjshir and Balkh provinces. Just a few days ago, the Pakistani military launched airstrikes on areas in the southern provinces of the country.
According to these former officials, the Islamic Emirate should gain the trust of the international community as soon as possible so that, along with solving other problems, the control of airspace can be ensured.
Wahab Wardak, a former commander of the country’s defense forces, told Salam Wtandar that Afghanistan had an air defense system, which was modernized and developed in 1978. According to him, this defense system was operated from Bagram, Kandahar, Shindand and Mazar-e-Sharif airfields, and its place of command and administration was the Kabul Airport.
Wardak added that the system, consisting of radar, jet aircraft, missiles and air defenses, was active until 1992, but when the Americans came to Afghanistan, the system was weakened. “Unfortunately, the Americans destroyed the entire air defense system and did not build a new one,” he said. “Now all countries, including Pakistan, can take advantage of this vacuum because we have no air defense system.”
However, Ghulam Jilani Vafa, deputy director of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, told Salam Watandar that the government was in control of the airspace. He emphasized that in the civilian sector, Kabul airfield radar is now active and should soon have a radar system only in the military dimension.
The Ministry of Defense did not respond to our request for comment, but Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, blamed the former regime for the airspace problems. He said foreign forces destroyed radar systems as they left Afghanistan, which are no longer usable.
In the most recent case, Rafiullah Samim, Logar’s director of information and culture, insisted that on Sunday night, unmanned drones patrolled the fourth infantry brigade of the 203rd Mansouri Army Corps, but were shot by Islamic Emirate forces.
US media recently reported that US military officials had raised concerns about Afghanistan’s airspace security in addition to logistical challenges, as well as the ability to monitor and neutralize threats outside Afghanistan.
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