At least four people, including two children, were injured after the Afghan Taliban launched a small number of “rudimentary” drones, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported on Saturday.
On Friday evening, security sources said two drones were intercepted near Rawalpindi using electronic countermeasures. According to the ISPR, the drones were neutralized through both “soft and hard kills” and did not reach their intended targets.
The injured included two children in Quetta, a civilian in Kohat, and another person in Rawalpindi. The military described the attacks as attempts to “induce fear among the public” and highlighted the Taliban’s pattern of targeting civilians through proxies and drone attacks while portraying themselves as victims internationally.
“Pakistan’s people and its Armed Forces are clear about the true nature and intentions of the terrorist militia-for-hire ruling Afghanistan,” the ISPR said, reaffirming that Operation Ghazab lil-Haq will continue until Afghanistan addresses Pakistan’s core concerns regarding cross-border terrorism.
The military emphasized that it remains committed to defending the country from such provocations. A day earlier, Pakistan’s Information Ministry confirmed the interception of two rudimentary drones linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij by the state. Officials said no military or civilian infrastructure was significantly damaged, aside from minor debris from the drones’ forced crashes.
Initial reports of Islamabad International Airport’s closure were later dismissed by the Pakistan Airports Authority as “baseless,” following a brief operational adjustment due to the drone incidents.
The attacks followed overnight airstrikes by Pakistan’s armed forces on terrorist positions and logistic hubs in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reported that 70 installations affiliated with terrorist groups were targeted in these strikes, aimed at disrupting cross-border terrorism originating from Afghanistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the drone attacks, calling them a violation of a “red line” and targeting of civilians. He criticized the Afghan regime for failing to prevent terrorist safe havens and warned of “grave consequences” for its provocations. The president also extended his wishes for the recovery of those injured in Quetta, Kohat, and Rawalpindi and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the protection of its citizens.