File image.
On August 11, the Taliban shot down a drone over the southwestern Afghan province of Farah which shares a long border line with Iran.
The group released photos showing the wreckage of the drone, that was identified as an Iranian-made Qods Mohajer-2N. The drone, which was first presented in 2014, is an upgraded variant of the original Mohajer-2.
Pro #Taliban sources have claimed that the Taliban has shot down an alleged Iranian surveillance drone (Muhajer 2) inside Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/LRltL8zUJ1
— Fantom (@Fantom_M_) August 11, 2021
The Mohajer-2N has a range of 150 km and flight endurance of 6 hours. The drone is equipped with two cameras; one under the nose for navigation, and a second on a gimbal under the body for surveillance. The drone can also transmit imagery in real time.
Afghan #Taliban’s anti-aircraft operatives have shot down #Iranian surveillance drone in the province of Farah, #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/qWUwWTQqxu
— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) August 11, 2021
The Iranian drone was most likely on a reconnaissance mission over Farah, where the Taliban has been advancing nonstop for a while now.
A day earlier, Taliban fighters imposed control of Farah provincial capital. Farah was the second provincial capital in southwestern Afghanistan to fell into the hands of the Taliban. On August 6, the group captured the capital of the neighboring Nimruz province. The capture of Farah also provided the Taliban with another border crossing into Iran.
The Taliban’s recent advance in the southwestern and northwestern parts of Afghanistan created an influx of refugees to Iran. Despite maintaining some low-level relations with the Taliban, Tehran appears to be preparing for a worst case scenario.
