Islamabad, MINA – Pakistan claimed on Thursday (May 8) that its armed forces had shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones launched by India, amid intensifying cross-border clashes in the disputed Kashmir region.
“The Pakistan Armed Forces have so far shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones,” the military said in an official statement, as reported by The National News. “Debris from the Israeli-manufactured drones is being recovered from various areas,” the statement added.
At least one civilian was reported killed and four Pakistani soldiers wounded during the drone operations.
Due to the military activities, airports in Pakistan’s three largest cities, Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore were temporarily closed.
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Military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry accused India of persistently violating Pakistani airspace with drones, stating, “India will continue to pay the price for this blatant aggression.”
Meanwhile, India accused Pakistan of launching its own airstrike using drones and missiles on Wednesday night, prompting Indian retaliation targeting Pakistani air defense systems.
One Indian drone was reportedly shot down near a naval airbase in Lahore, just 25 kilometers from the border, according to Pakistani police and security officials.
The exchange of fire followed India’s earlier air raid on Pakistan. Indian forces accused Pakistan of initiating “unprovoked shelling” along the 740-kilometer Line of Control (LoC), targeting Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, and Akhnoor areas.
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According to Indian authorities, at least 13 Indian civilians, including a soldier and four children, were killed, and nearly 60 others injured by artillery and mortar fire. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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