Drones brought down near Islamabad after security forces intervene: sources

ISLAMABAD: Two rudimentary drones were intercepted near Islamabad on Friday after security forces used electronic countermeasures to bring them down in areas close to Rawalpindi, according to security officials. The drones were neutralised before they could cause any significant damage, and authorities confirmed that there were no casualties.

Officials said the airspace in the area was briefly restricted as a precaution during the operation. Once the situation was brought under control and the drones were successfully forced to crash, normal airspace activity was restored.

The Ministry of Information later stated that the drones were linked to militants described by the government as Fitna-al-Khawarij and claimed they had been “successfully intercepted” by Pakistan’s security forces using electronic measures. Authorities added that no military installations or other infrastructure were struck, although minor damage occurred due to debris from the downed drones.

The ministry was quick to reject the widely shared claims on social media from accounts associated with the Afghan Taliban’s defence authorities, which alleged that a Pakistani military facility in the Faizabad area had been targeted and that casualties had occurred. Officials dismissed those claims as unsubstantiated and part of recurring misinformation campaigns.

Earlier in the day, speculation about possible disruptions spread after reports suggested that Islamabad’s airport operations had been affected. The Pakistan Airports Authority later clarified that flights were continuing according to schedule and that reports about the closure of the capital’s airspace were inaccurate.

Authorities urged the public to rely on official updates and avoid sharing unverified information, emphasising that airport operations remained normal and the situation had been fully brought under control.