Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistan's air defense system shot down an Indian drone near a naval air base in Lahore early Thursday. This incident occurred against a backdrop of heightened military activity and accusations from both sides.
According to Pakistani police and security officials, the drone was downed near Waltan airport, a small airfield with military installations approximately 25 kilometers east of the Indian border. Local media also reported that two additional drones were shot down in other cities in Punjab province. Two security officials confirmed that the drone was small and was taken down by Pakistan's air defense system. However, it was not immediately clear if the drone was armed. The incident could not be independently verified, and Indian officials did not immediately comment.
The incident follows a series of escalating events. India launched strikes in Pakistan's Punjab province and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of 31 civilians, including women and children, according to Pakistani officials. India reported that 13 civilians were killed by Pakistani fire in "ceasefire violations" along their de facto border since Wednesday, with 59 others injured. The Indian army also confirmed the death of a soldier in Poonch due to Pakistani shelling, bringing the total confirmed deaths on the Indian side to 14.
Tensions have been high since April 22, after gunmen killed 26 people, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, in India-controlled Kashmir. India has accused Pakistan of supporting the militants responsible for the attack, which Islamabad denies.
Adding to the escalating situation, Pakistan's army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, stated that an Indian drone attacked a military target near Lahore overnight, wounding four soldiers. He also claimed that the country's air defense system intercepted and shot down 12 Indian drones that entered Pakistani airspace at various locations. In response to these events, the US Consulate General in Lahore directed its staff to shelter in place amidst reports of drone explosions and possible airspace incursions. Trading was temporarily halted on the Pakistan Stock Exchange after the benchmark index plunged following reports of drones being shot down in key cities, including Karachi and Lahore.
According to the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, India launched a wave of drone incursions into Pakistan, targeting urban centers and causing casualties. He stated that the drones were intercepted in cities including Lahore, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Chhor and Karachi. He confirmed that one civilian was killed and five others were injured in these attacks, including four soldiers in Lahore.
India's strikes on Wednesday reportedly targeted sites in Pakistan linked to planning terrorist attacks against India. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to avenge the killings, raising concerns about a broader conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Amid these escalating tensions, Pakistani media reported that air defense systems engaged an alleged Indian drone over Gujranwala, marking the second consecutive night of such claims. Pakistan has yet to release evidence to substantiate these claims, while Indian officials have not responded.
