Militants in Pakistan have started using drones to attack the country’s security forces. The Pakistan Police Department stated that militants in the country’s southwestern region are using commercially available drones, not military-grade ones, to drop bombs on security forces. Militants are launching attacks on security forces by attaching homemade explosive devices to these drones. These bombs are made using easily accessible materials such as scrap metal, nuts, and ball bearings. Pakistani police have described the militants’ use of such tactics for attacks as dangerous. The department continues to state that the police lack the capability and resources required to stop such attacks.
Earlier this month, militants attempted to attack a police station using two quadcopter drones. In that attack, a woman in a nearby house was killed, and three children were injured. Additionally, another drone attempting to attack a different police station was shot down. Police report that in the past three months or so, there have been eight such attempted attacks in Bannu and nearby areas of Pakistan. Sajjad Khan, the regional police chief, stated that militants have not yet fully mastered the use of drones. He added that while militants are learning to use these modern tools, they cannot yet carry out precise attacks.
Zulfiqar Hameed, a senior police official, stated that the police lack the necessary capability and resources to confront the new challenges posed by drones. He also mentioned that militants possess significantly more resources than the police. So far, no militant group has claimed responsibility for the drone attacks ongoing in the Bannu region. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the main militant group active in southwestern Pakistan, also denies using drones, stating it is a technology they aspire to use.
In 2024, militant groups in Pakistan have carried out 335 attacks in the country. A local non-governmental organization, the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, has reported that these attacks resulted in the deaths of 520 people.
