KP foils 246 drone attacks as terrorist tactics shift to aerial warfare

• Security forces intercept all 246 attempted drone strikes across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year

• Bannu emerges as the main hotspot with 215 drone attack attempts recorded

• Militants increasingly use modified commercial drones to target law enforcers

• Police deploy advanced anti-drone technology to avert casualties and damage

 ISLAMABAD: Police and law enforcement agencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have foiled 246 drone attack attempts so far this year, with the overwhelming majority recorded in the volatile Bannu region, according to a report carried by state-run media on Sunday.

Quoting official data, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported that a total of 246 attempted drone attacks had been recorded across the province.

Of these, 215 were reported in the Bannu region, making it the worst-affected area, while 15 attacks were attempted in Dera Ismail Khan, seven in Malakand and four in Peshawar.

The report said two drone attack attempts each were foiled in Mardan and Kohat, while one incident was reported in the Hazara Division.

Officials have previously warned that armed militant groups, particularly Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, referred to by authorities as Fitna al-Khawarij, are increasingly deploying commercially available drones modified to drop explosives in attacks on Pakistani law enforcers.

The growing use of drones marks an evolving tactic by militant groups, alongside conventional weapons, to target security personnel in sensitive areas of the province.

Last month, a police officer was killed during an intelligence-based operation in Hangu in the country’s northwest, underscoring the persistent security threat in the region.

Officials say many of these weapons and tactical capabilities were acquired by militants after the withdrawal of US forces from neighboring Afghanistan.

According to police officials, all 246 drone attacks were successfully intercepted and neutralised through advanced anti-drone technology, preventing casualties and material damage.

The report said security agencies remained on high alert and continued to maintain heightened vigilance amid ongoing security challenges in the province.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of harboring militant groups that carry out cross-border attacks inside Pakistan, allegations denied by the Afghan Taliban, who insist their territory is not being used against any country.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in August 2021, with Islamabad linking the surge to militant sanctuaries across the border.

The Afghan Taliban reject Pakistan’s accusations and maintain that Islamabad should address its internal security challenges independently.