ISLAMABAD, Mar 14: At least four persons, including two children, were injured when hit by the debris of the Afghan Taliban drones which were destroyed before reaching their targets, the Army said on Saturday.
The drones were intercepted and destroyed on Friday in Quetta, Kohat and Rawalpindi, adjacent to the capital Islamabad. Â
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing, these attacks were aimed at inducing fear in the public and “remind us of the terrorist mindset which drives the Afghan Taliban”.
“The drones were intercepted through soft and hard kills and did not reach their intended targets,” the military’s media wing said.
However, the debris from these drones resulted in injuries to two children in Quetta and a civilian each in Kohat and Rawalpindi, it added.
“On one hand, the Afghan Taliban project victimhood to garner global sympathy, while on the other hand, they actively target civilians through their terrorist proxies and their drones,” it said.
The military further said that Pakistan and its Army were aware of the true nature of the Afghan Taliban.
“Pakistan’s people and its Armed Forces are absolutely clear about the true nature and intentions of the terrorist militia-for-hire that rules Afghanistan,” it said.
The Army also reiterated that Operation Ghazab lil-Haq will continue until the Afghan Taliban address Pakistan’s core concerns regarding terrorism emanating from Afghan soil.
“The Armed Forces stand steadfast in the fight against terrorism and its manifestations, like the drone attacks by the Afghan Taliban.”
“We shall keep defending the people of Pakistan against terrorists and their facilitators and shall not flinch in the face of such provocations by the Afghan Taliban,” the statement concluded.
The drones, which were destroyed near Islamabad, created momentary panic, and the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said that flight operations at Islamabad International Airport experienced a “brief operational adjustment”.
However, it deleted the post on X and issued another statement, saying that any news about the closure of the Islamabad International Airport was “baseless”.
“Flight operations at Islamabad International Airport are continuing without interruption, and all flights are operating according to schedule,” it said.
“The public is advised not to pay attention to unverified or misleading reports and to rely on official sources of PAA for authentic information.”
Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil Haq on February 26 in response to attacks by the Afghan Taliban along 53 posts along the border.
Relations with the Taliban regime plummeted lower than anyone could have imagined in 2021 when they came to power in Kabul, allegedly with the support of Pakistan. (PTI)
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