ISLAMABAD: Inter-Services Public Relations said Pakistan’s security forces intercepted rudimentary drones launched by the Taliban, preventing them from reaching their intended targets.
According to the military’s media wing, the drones were neutralised through “soft and hard kills” before they could hit any targets.
However, debris from the intercepted drones injured two children in Quetta and one civilian each in Kohat and Rawalpindi.
The military said the attacks appeared aimed at spreading fear among the public and described them as reflective of a “terrorist mindset”.
“On one hand, the Afghan Taliban project victimhood to garner global sympathy, while on the other hand they actively target civilians through their terrorist proxies and drones,” the statement said.
The military added that the people of Pakistan and its armed forces were fully aware of the intentions of the militant group governing Afghanistan.
ISPR reiterated that Operation Ghazab lil-Haq would continue until concerns about terrorism originating from Afghan soil are addressed.
“The armed forces stand steadfast in the fight against terrorism and will continue defending the people of Pakistan against terrorists and their facilitators,” the statement added.
Earlier, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the drones were neutralised using electronic countermeasures and that no military or key infrastructure was damaged.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Airports Authority clarified that flight operations at Islamabad International Airport continued normally after a brief operational adjustment, dismissing reports that the capital’s airspace had been closed.
Pakistan has experienced a rise in cross-border militant activity since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
According to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, more than 650 Afghan Taliban fighters have been killed and over 800 injured during Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, while 249 militant checkposts have been destroyed.
Security sources also said Pakistan previously conducted airstrikes against militant hideouts linked to Fitna al Khawarij and Islamic State – Khorasan Province in Afghanistan’s provinces of Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost, killing more than 80 militants.
