Pakistan downs 25 Israeli-made Harop drones used by India: ISPR
As many as 25 Israeli-made Harop drones flown by India over multiple cities of Pakistan have been shot down, the military said on Wednesday as the information minister called the neutralised unmanned vehicles (UAVs) “war trophies which will be kept in museums.”
The military’s media wing said the drones were shot down using both electronic countermeasures (soft-kill techniques) and conventional weaponry (hard-kill systems) after they were detected over multiple areas across Pakistan.
The ISPR termed the drone incursions as a "desperate and panicked response" by India, coming after Pakistan’s retaliatory operations on May 6 and 7, which downed five Indian fighter jets and struck several military posts.
According to the ISPR statement, debris from the Israeli-origin drones is being recovered from various locations within Pakistan. The ISPR further said that India has suffered substantial losses along the Line of Control (LoC) in recent days.
“The Pakistan Armed Forces are responding decisively to all hostile actions and continue to thwart enemy intentions,” the statement read.
Earlier in the day, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the drones were successfully neutralised in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Karachi, Chor, Miano and Attock.
He further said that a 13th drone partially struck a military target near Lahore which caused a minimal damage to equipment.
"Four Pakistan Army personnel were injured in a drone attack in Lahore, while one civilian was martyred in Miano, Sindh," the spokesperson said.
The military spokesperson termed the attempts as a continued pattern of aggression and affirmed that Pakistan’s forces remain on high alert to defend the country’s airspace and territorial integrity.
Referring to the destruction of five of Indian aircraft by PAF, DG ISPR stated that India “apparently lost the plot” and suffered heavy casualties along the Line of Control (LoC).
He emphasised that the international community can clearly witness the dangerous trajectory India is following through these provocative military actions, which are threatening not just regional stability but also broader global security.
The drone strike follows a recent Indian missile attack that martyred 31 people and wounded 57 in multiple locations across Pakistan. New Delhi described the strike as retaliation for an April 22 assault that resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists.
Pakistan, India NSAs establish contact
Meanwhile, National Security Advisers of Pakistan and India have established contact with each other after India launched a series of missile strikes inside Pakistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) in the early hours of Wednesday.
Pakistan NSA Lt General Asim Malik, who is also DG ISI, spoke to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval in what seems to be part of efforts to seek de-escalation, according to officials familiar with the development.
"Yes, Pakistan and Indian National Security Advisers are in touch," Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told The Express Tribune.
He would not provide further details about the nature of discussions and purpose of the contact between the two NSAs.
A Pakistani official said such channels of communications were necessary during the times of crisis.
It is believed that the two NSAs established contacts after hectic behind-the-scene diplomatic efforts by international and regional players.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also has the additional charge of NSA, also spoke to both the Pakistani and Indian NSAs soon after the Indian missile strikes and Pakistan's response.