Pakistani Islamist militants employ drones to target security forces, officials say
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\nIslamist militants in Pakistan\u2019s volatile northwest region have begun using commercially acquired quadcopter drones to drop bombs on security forces, Arab News reported. This new tactic poses a significant challenge to the overstretched and under-equipped police, who are the frontline defense against militant attacks.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, two drone attacks targeted a police station in Bannu district, killing a woman and injuring three children in a nearby house, according to police officer Muhammad Anwar. Another drone armed with a mortar shell was shot down over a different police station last Saturday. At least eight such drone attacks have occurred in Bannu and surrounding areas over the past two and a half months.<\/p>\n
Provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hameed acknowledged the police lack the equipment to counter these drone threats, stating militants are currently better equipped. <\/p>\n
In 2024, militants carried out 335 attacks nationwide, killing 520 people, according to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies. Meanwhile, thousands of residents have protested, fearing both militant violence and a possible military operation that could displace them, recalling the mass evacuations during the 2014 anti-militant campaign. Pakistan\u2019s army has not commented on any planned operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistani Islamist militants employ drones to target security forces, officials say —————————- Islamist militants in Pakistan\u2019s volatile northwest region have begun using commercially acquired quadcopter drones to drop bombs on security forces, Arab News reported. This new tactic poses a significant challenge to the overstretched and under-equipped police, who are the frontline defense against militant …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":129418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"yoast_head":"\n