ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces intercepted and brought down unidentified drones loitering near the garrison city of Rawalpindi, a senior security official said on Friday, hours after authorities said they had shot down three drones launched from Afghanistan toward the northwestern city of Kohat.
The incidents come amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan following cross-border strikes and clashes that have escalated in recent weeks, with both sides accusing each other of attacks on military and civilian targets.
“A couple of rudimentary drones were intercepted adjacent to Rawalpindi,” a senior security official said on condition of anonymity, adding that they were “brought down by electronic measures” without causing any damage.
“Airspace was closed as a precautionary measure and is open again,” he added.
In a separate statement, the Pakistan Airports Authority said flight operations at Islamabad International Airport had briefly been subject to “minor operational adjustments.”
“All flights at the airport are now operating as normal,” it added. “Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for information regarding their flights.”
Afghanistan’s TOLOnews, meanwhile, reported that Afghan forces had targeted a military facility in the Faizabad area of Pakistan’s capital, though it said no information had been released about any damage or casualties resulting from the incident.
The latest developments follow Pakistan’s announcement on Friday that it had carried out “precision strikes” against militant camps and support infrastructure inside Afghanistan. Taliban authorities said the strikes had hit civilians and damaged infrastructure in Kabul and other provinces near the border.
The two countries have witnessed fierce clashes since the Afghan Taliban launched attacks on Pakistani border posts last month. Kabul said the assault was retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes earlier in February which Islamabad said had targeted militant camps inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan has long accused the Taliban government of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghan soil, a charge Kabul denies.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said earlier in the day the country’s military had killed more than 650 Afghan Taliban fighters and destroyed 70 militant infrastructure sites since the latest round of fighting began last month, including strikes carried out overnight in several Afghan cities.
