Pakistan shoots down two drones near Rawalpindi

The Information Ministry said on Friday that security forces had “successfully intercepted” two rudimentary drones of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terror group using electronic countermeasures, adding that no damage was caused to infrastructure.

Earlier, security sources said drones were spotted at two locations adjacent to Rawalpindi and were neutralized before causing any damage. Officials confirmed that there were no injuries or damage to property in the Rawalpindi incident. Airspace restrictions imposed as a precautionary measure were later lifted, restoring normal flight operations.

The Afghan Taliban regime’s Urdu X account had claimed to target a military center in the federal capital via drones. But in a post on X, the Ministry of Information denied the claim, saying: “Two rudimentary drones of the terrorist FAK, nurtured by the Afghan Taliban regime, were successfully intercepted by the Pakistani security forces using electronic countermeasures. No military or other infrastructure was hit, apart from minor damage due to debris from the forced downing of the drones.”

“The Taliban regime’s claim contains no verifiable evidence as always, yet fully exposes its established role as a master proxy for terrorism harboring and supporting multiple terrorist organizations such as Indian proxies.”

Referring to the Urdu account, it said the account and other “official accounts of the Taliban regime” were “known to regularly spread fake news and propaganda”.

Speculation about the disruptions at Islamabad International Airport had circulated after the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) briefly stated on X, in a later deleted post, that flight operations had experienced a “brief operational adjustment”.

Several media subsequently reported that the airport had been closed to flights. However, the PAA later clarified that such reports were “baseless”.

“Flight operations at Islamabad International Airport are continuing without disruption and all flights are operating as per schedule,” the authority said, urging the public to rely on official sources and avoid spreading unconfirmed information.

Two injured in Kohat

Meanwhile, in Kohat, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Information Shafi Jan condemned suspected drone flights in the area and said the police acted swiftly to neutralize the menace.

According to a statement issued by the provincial government’s information office, a specialized police team used an anti-drone system to block the signals of a suspicious drone.

The disruption caused the drone’s engine to stop, forcing it to crash to the ground.

Authorities said two people were injured when debris from the downed drone fell nearby. The injured received immediate medical attention.

Jan said the incident demonstrated the effective use of modern technology by law enforcement, adding that any attempt to destabilize peace in Kohat or elsewhere in the province would be thwarted.

The provincial government has recently approved a Rs31 billion package aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of the police, Jan said. So far, more than Rs7b has been spent on procurement of modern weapons, anti-drone jamming systems and other advanced technologies.

He affirmed that the government remained fully committed to maintaining peace and security throughout the province.

The provincial information adviser also condemned the recent bombing near a police vehicle in Lakki Marwat and said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had asked for a report from the Inspector General of Police on the incident.

“We share the grief of the families of the martyrs and they will not be left alone,” he said.