On January 1, 2026, a fixed-wing MALE drone crashed in the snow-covered mountains near Maidan Shar, in Maidan Wardak Province, approximately 40-50 km west, southwest of Kabul.
In the aftermath of the crash, several observers initially identified the drone as an Israeli-manufactured Heron UAV, a type associated with Indian surveillance operations in the region. However, subsequent technical analysis of the wreckage ruled out the Heron designation and confirmed that the aircraft belonged to the MQ-9 drone family. A detailed frame-by-frame inspection of available footage revealed curved, unidirectional winglets on the wings, a design feature unique to the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, SeaGuardian, also referred to as the “Big Wing” MQ-9B.
The MQ-9B SkyGuardian is operated by India, the only known regional operator of this variant. India currently operates four MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, which have been procured for long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
Facts explained:
This situation raises several important questions for the Taliban regime:
Why were Indian drone operations permitted over Afghan airspace?
Have the Afghan Taliban effectively rented out their sovereignty and airspace to India for intelligence activities?
More critically, are Afghan skies being used to facilitate Indian spying against Pakistan, China, Central Asian Republics (CARS), and Iran, effectively turning Afghanistan into a covert platform for regional espionage?
If these speculations are true, Afghanistan could be transforming into a covert intelligence corridor for India, with serious implications for regional stability and trust.
