ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar late Thursday said that the country’s Air Defence has successfully shot down another Indian drone in Bahawalnagar city of Punjab province.
In a post on X, Attaullah Tarar said, “Pakistan Air Defence has successfully shot down another Harop drone in Bahawalnagar. Alhamdulillah.”
Pakistan Air Defence has successfully shot down another Harop drone in Bahawalnagar. Alhamdulillah
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) May 8, 2025
Earlier, Pakistan’s Armed Forces have successfully shot down 25 Israeli-manufactured Harop drones launched from India, using both soft-kill (technical) and hard-kill (weapons) measures.
The information minister also rejected the baseless claim of the Indian media alleging Pakistani attacks on Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Meanwhile, in a phone call with United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan reserves the right to act in its self-defence in response to Indian misadventure.
Late on Tuesday, India launched air strikes targeting different cities in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan’s military said India targeted six locations, and at least 31 civilians were killed and 57 others injured in the strikes and cross-border firing along the Line of Control.
In retaliation, Pakistan claimed it had downed five Indian aircraft and vowed a strong response.
The Pakistan armed forces shot down five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets, a combat drone, and destroyed brigade headquarters, including a number of check posts along the LoC, after New Delhi carried out missile strikes in cities of Punjab and AJK, DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed.
The military escalation follows the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, located in Occupied Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. India blamed Pakistan for the attack.
India swiftly blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the attack. Pakistan condemned the attack and strongly denied India’s “baseless allegations”.
Pakistan also offered an independent, neutral, and transparent international investigation into the Pahalgam incident.
