Pakistan’s capital Islamabad was hit by a series of drone attacks on Friday evening, triggering panic across the city and forcing authorities to temporarily shut down the capital’s airspace. Fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) were scrambled on emergency patrol following the strikes.
According to initial information available till 8:50 PM IST, drones targeted five locations in Islamabad. The affected areas include Faizabad, I-8 Sector, I-9 Sector, Shamsabad and the Margalla Hills.
Air Defence Intercepts Drones In Parts Of City
Information accessed by ABP News indicates that Pakistan’s air defence systems attempted to intercept the incoming drones.
Drones flying over Faizabad and Shamsabad were reportedly shot down mid-air. However, explosions were heard in I-8 and I-9 sectors, where the blast impact shattered windows of a building and caused panic among residents.
In the Margalla Hills area, thick fire was seen rising from the hillside after a drone crash. Security teams later recovered the wreckage of a destroyed drone from the mountainous terrain.
Flights Disrupted As Airspace Closed
The attacks prompted authorities to temporarily close Islamabad’s airspace, leading to disruptions in air traffic.
Several flights scheduled to land at Islamabad International Airport were diverted to other cities, while multiple departing flights were halted on the runway.
Visuals accessed by ABP News showed the Pakistan Air Force placing its fighter fleet on high alert, with jets conducting continuous aerial patrols over the capital amid fears of further strikes.
Strikes Follow Pakistan’s Attacks In Afghanistan
The escalation comes just hours after Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, targeting locations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktika. An oil storage facility near Kandahar Airport was also hit during those strikes.
The drone attacks on Islamabad could be a direct retaliatory response to Pakistan’s military action.
Afghanistan’s Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob had recently warned that if Pakistan attacked Kabul again, Afghanistan would respond by taking the war to Islamabad.
Questions Raised Over Pakistan’s Air Defence
While Pakistani authorities have not officially confirmed who launched the drones, the incident has exposed vulnerabilities in Pakistan’s air defence around its own capital.
The attacks have raised questions about the country’s security preparedness and its ability to protect key locations in Islamabad.
