Pakistan’s armed forces have so far successfully intercepted and destroyed 25 Israeli-made Harop drones used by India in a series of unprovoked aerial violations targeting multiple cities across Pakistan, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Thursday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
According to the ISPR, the Harop drones—technologically advanced loitering munitions—were intercepted using both “soft kill” (technical disruption) and “hard kill” (kinetic weapons) methods. Debris from these drones is being recovered from Lahore, Attock, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Sangla Hill, Miano, Chhor, and Karachi.
Director General of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry condemned the drone aggression, terming it a “cowardly and provocative act” that reflects India’s "frustration and panic" following heavy military losses on May 6–7 night.
Addressing a news conference in Rawalpindi on Thursday, DG ISPR Lt-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the Indian drones were launched in several cities of Punjab and Sindh including Lahore, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Karachi and Miano.
He revealed that Pakistan armed forces have shot down 12 Indian drones during the night between Wednesday and Thursday which the military described as “serious violation” and which claimed the life of a civilian and left four soldiers injured, reported 24NewsHDTV channel.
he siad a civilian was martyred in the drone attack in Miano and four Army soldiers were injured in the Lahore attack.
The ISPR chief said India last night took yet another blatant military act of aggression against Pakistan by sending Harop drones at multiple locations.
The Pakistan armed forces, being on a high state of alert and vigilance, have so far neutralised 12 Harop drones at various locations, he said and added four personnel of the Pakistan Army have been injured as a 13th Indian drone “managed to engage in a military target near Lahore partially”.
“Four Pakistan Army soldiers have been injured in this attack near Lahore with partial damage to an equipment,” he said and added “Another result of this activity is that one civilian has embraced martyrdom and one is injured in Miano, Sindh.”
Lt-General Ahmed Chaudhry said the locations where the Indian drones were neutralised were in Lahore, Attock, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Miano, Chhor and Karachi. The ISPR chief also showed a series of pictures showing the debris of the downed Indian drones.
Lt-General Chaudhry said the process of India sending across these Harop drones was a “serious serious provocation”, adding “This naked aggression continues, and the armed forces are on high degree of alert and neutralising them as we speak.”
The ISPR DG maintained that the provocation “miserably failed on the night of May 6 and 7, when they attacked places of worship and civilian infrastructure and killed innocent civilians, including children, women, and the elderly”.
Recalling that the Indian army faced “destruction of five of their aircraft and suffering heavy casualties along the Line of Control and damage”, the DG ISPR said India has “apparently lost the plot”.
“Rather than going on a path of rationality, it is further escalating in a highly charged environment to satisfy the hubristic mindset of the Indian government,” Gen Chaudhry said.
“The international community can visibly see the path that India is treading through this extremely provocative military aggression in a region that is right now highly fragile and putting the security of the region and beyond at risk.
“Pakistan armed forces remain fully vigilant to any type of threat, and as and when further updates come, I will keep you updated,” the DG ISPR added.
Meanwhile, sources confirmed that at Walton Airport in Lahore, the military intercepted and shot down three more drones using anti-aircraft guns. The drones were locked within Lahore’s airspace before being successfully neutralised. Pak Army also intercepted an Indian drone in Karachi's Gulshan-e-Hadid, Malir area, where a citizen was injured.
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Reporters: Ahmad Mansoor, Irfan Malik, Durre Nayab and Anusha Jaffery