In a dramatic escalation of military tensions between India and Pakistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Thursday, May 8, 2025, that Pakistan's armed forces have successfully downed 25 Israeli-made Harop drones sent into the country by India. This incident follows a harrowing day for Pakistan, where 31 lives were lost due to overnight attacks by Indian forces on civilians, prompting the military to characterize these actions as "terrorism" and accusing India of ongoing ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC).
The downing of five Indian fighter jets was hailed as a significant victory by the Pakistan military, which was seemingly validated when Indian officials acknowledged that at least three of their aircraft had "crashed" within their territory. On Wednesday, as both nations engaged in intense artillery exchanges, the extent of the damage from Indian strikes was revealed, affecting six key locations: Ahmedpur East, Muridke, Sialkot, and Shakkargarh in Punjab, as well as Muzaffarabad and Kotli in Azad Kashmir.
In a press release on Thursday, the ISPR stated, "The Pakistan Army, using their soft-kill (technical) and hard-kill (weapons) skills fully, have shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones." The military's statement continued, asserting that the drone attacks were a desperate measure by India in response to the destruction of its aircraft and military posts. "This cowardly attack is a sign of India’s worry and panic," the ISPR added.
Following the drone incidents, the Indian defense ministry confirmed that its armed forces had targeted various locations in Pakistan on Thursday morning. Reports from Indian outlet ANI News indicated that Harpy drones were utilized to target Pakistan’s air defense systems. The Harpy drones, designed to attack radar systems, carry high explosive warheads and are optimized for suppression of enemy air defenses.
In a press briefing earlier on Thursday, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry reported that Pakistan's forces had neutralized 12 drones sent by India since the previous night. He noted that four army personnel were injured when one drone managed to engage a military target partially. The locations of the neutralized drones included Lahore, Attock, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, and Bahawalpur in Punjab, as well as Sukkur’s Miano, Umerkot’s Chhor, and near Karachi in Sindh.
"Four men of the Pakistan Army have been injured in this attack near Lahore and partial damage to equipment has occurred," Lt Gen Chaudhry stated. Tragically, the drone activity also resulted in civilian casualties, with one individual killed and another injured in Miano.
During the press briefing, the ISPR displayed images of the debris from the downed drones, asserting that the collection of debris from various locations was ongoing. "As we speak, the process of India sending across these Harop drones, this naked aggression continues, and the armed forces are on high degree of alert and neutralizing them as we speak," Lt Gen Chaudhry emphasized.
He labeled the situation a "serious provocation," criticizing India for its military actions against civilian infrastructure, including places of worship, which resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, including children, women, and the elderly. "The Indians have resorted to these measures after having miserably failed on the night of May 6 and 7, when they attacked places of worship and civilian infrastructure and killed innocent civilians," he added.
In light of these developments, the international community is urged to recognize the precarious nature of the situation. Lt Gen Chaudhry warned, "The international community can visibly see the path that India is treading through this extremely provocative military aggression in a region, which is highly fragile and putting the security of the region and beyond at risk." He reassured that Pakistan's armed forces remain vigilant against any threats.
Adding to the chaos, a wave of flight cancellations and diversions swept across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe on Wednesday morning, May 7, 2025. Airlines were forced to reroute aircraft to avoid Pakistani airspace, which remained closed following India's precision strikes on alleged terror sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This escalation marks one of the most serious confrontations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in over two decades.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated that dozens of flights were either cancelled or rerouted, with at least 52 flights to and from Pakistan cancelled on Wednesday morning alone. By around 1 pm, only a couple of flights were observed landing in major cities within Pakistan, including a flight arriving from Abu Dhabi to Lahore.
On Thursday, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced that its airspace had been reopened for flights, though it remains uncertain when regular operations will resume. Meanwhile, in India, 27 airports in northern and western regions close to the Pakistan border were shut down until May 10, resulting in the cancellation of at least 140 flights on Wednesday.
Indian carriers reported cancelling 430 flights on Thursday—approximately 3% of the country’s total scheduled flights. In Pakistan, over 147 flights were cancelled, representing 17% of their daily schedules, according to The Economic Times. Major airlines, including Gulf carriers like Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, also suspended flights to northern cities in both Pakistan and India.
Emirates advised passengers not to proceed to airports in affected cities, while Etihad confirmed that three flights en route to Pakistan were forced to return to Abu Dhabi. Flydubai resumed limited operations to certain cities, citing ongoing safety assessments, while KLM announced it would not fly over Pakistan until further notice.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel guidance, advising British nationals against all travel within 10km of the India-Pakistan border and against all travel to Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The advisory urged travelers to remain vigilant and monitor local news for real-time updates.
As the situation continues to unfold, the implications of these military actions and the resulting flight disruptions highlight the fragile state of relations between India and Pakistan. With both nations on high alert, the international community watches closely, hoping for a de-escalation of tensions in the region.
