The Pakistani military on Thursday reported it had intercepted and neutralized nearly two dozen Indian drones crossing into its territory amid escalating tensions between the two neighboring countries.
According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistani forces successfully shot down 25 Indian Harop drones using both “soft-kill” (technical) and “hard-kill” (weaponized) defense systems.
These drone incursions were recorded over several regions, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawalpur, Miyano, and Chore near Karachi. ISPR confirmed that while most drones were destroyed, one managed to strike a military installation near Lahore, resulting in injuries to four Pakistani soldiers and partial damage to equipment. Another attack in Miyano led to the death of one civilian and injuries to another.
Harop Suicide Drone
The Harop, also known as Harpy-2, is an advanced loitering munition developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Unlike conventional drones, loitering munitions are designed to hover around a target area and attack by crashing into the target with an onboard warhead. This capability allows for rapid and precise strikes on short-lived or hidden targets while minimizing exposure of manned systems.
The Harop drone was first introduced between 2001 and 2003 and publicly unveiled at the 2009 Indian Air Show. That year, India signed a contract reportedly worth $100 million for ten units, pricing each drone at around $10 million. This drone has since been operationally deployed, most notably by Azerbaijan during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to destroy Armenian air defenses and troop transports.
Constructed with a carbon fiber body to reduce weight and radar visibility, the Harop is equipped with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera for all-weather, day-night operations. Its trapezoidal wings and rotating vertical fins enable agility and compact storage in rectangular launchers. Although variants were developed for Germany and explored by MBDA, political and operational constraints limited further adoption.
In addition to India and Azerbaijan, countries such as Morocco and Singapore have also acquired the Harop drone, reflecting its growing role in modern aerial warfare.
