...Arabic for students...
forces used "rudimentary drones" to target various parts of the country, a ban has been imposed on flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of any kind across the country.
The development comes as several ’drone attacks’ were reported from across part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Subsequently, during his press briefing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that Afghan forces attempted to use "rudimentary drones" to attack areas like Swabi and Abbottabad
... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden....
"However,
the hip bone's connected to the leg bone...
the anti-drone system over there and the effective deployment took them out," he said.
According to local reports, at least six people were maimed in three drone attacks in Bannu, Swabi and Abbottabad.
In Bannu, a mosque in the Mirbaz Barkazai area was targeted by a quadcopter around Iftar, leaving five worshippers injured. The attack occurred in the evening, while people were inside the mosque breaking their fast.
The incident in Swabi, which occurred near a girls’ school, was one of the first reported incidents of a drone attack in the area. According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Muhammad (ASP) Numan, at least one schoolgirl was injured, while other children narrowly escaped.
The incident occurred in Pabbini, a village located in the mountainous region of Gadoon Amazai, when children were playing near the school. The school had closed early on account of Friday, and the injured girl, identified as Amna, had just stepped out when the drone struck.
ASP Numan said that the injured girl was taken to the hospital for treatment, while residents of the village gathered in large numbers at the site of the attack.
"It was a self-made drone that also contained explosives," he told Dawn.
Meanwhile,
...back at the buffalo wallow, Yellow Wolf clutched at his chest and fell from his horse...
in Abbottabad, no loss of life or property was reported when a drone flying over the cantonment area was brought down by forces around 1pm, the local DPO confirmed.
BAN ON DRONE FLYING
In view of drones being used, ostensibly by Afghan Taliban forces, to stage attacks inside Pak territory, drone-flying has been banned across the country.
In a letter addressed to the chief secretaries of Punjab
...1. Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2. A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3. A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots
....
, Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
, Azad Jammu and Kashmir
...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it
Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there....
and Gilgit-Baltistan as well as the Islamabad chief commissioner, the interior ministry said, "It has been decided to impose an immediate ban on outdoor flying of quadcopters/ UAVs with immediate effect and until further orders."
It added: "In this regard, the provincial governments are requested to ensure strict enforcement of said ban."
Subsequently, the administrations of Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Sindh and Balochistan notified a comprehensive ban on flying UAVs of any sort, for different periods of time.
Punjab had already banned the flying of drones and UAVs in its jurisdiction for 30 days, starting on Wednesday.
The Islamabad administration banned the use of drones, phantoms and camcopters in the federal capital for a period of two months under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which can be extended for another two months.
The ban applies to everyone, except law enforcement agencies and the Islamabad administration.
A spokesperson for Gilgit-Baltistan police told Dawn that flying drones had been banned in all districts with immediate effect, on the orders of the interior ministry.
The region witnessed demonstrations in favour of the Pakistain Army, and security checking was also heightened following the skirmishes between Pakistain and Afghanistan.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the Home and Tribal Affairs Department issued a notification banning the use of drones, quadcopters and UAVs for one month, classifying it as a "direct or indirect threat and... potential risk to the lives and properties of citizens as well as infrastructure of the government".
In a separate notification, the additional chief secretary of Sindh also imposed a similar restriction on the use of helicams, drones, UAVs and quadcopters for two months.
The ban, however, would not apply to law enforcement or intelligence agencies and would be enforced by local police.
The Balochistan home department also imposed an immediate and complete ban on the use, possession, and operation of drones, UAVs, quadcopters, camcopters, and other remote-controlled aerial devices across the province.
According to an official notification, the decision was taken in view of security concerns, including the potential use of such devices for surveillance, espionage, transportation of prohibited items and explosives, spreading fear and panic, and disrupting law and order.
The measure was described as necessary to safeguard public safety and protect sensitive installations, public gatherings, key personalities, and official convoys.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that the Afghan Taliban had to choose between standing with Pakistan or with terrorist organisations.
“I want to make one thing clear: the oppressive Afghan Taliban regime has to make a clear choice. The choice is to choose between Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Baloch Liberation Army, Daesh, Al Qaeda, the terrorists and terrorist organisations and Pakistan,” he said while giving a briefing on security forces’ response to unprovoked aggression by the Afghan Taliban on Thursday.
At the outset of the briefing, the DG ISPR gave a breakdown of the security forces’ response.
“The Afghan Taliban regime, which is the master proxy of all these terrorist proxies operating from Afghanistan … that master proxy … came into action last night … along with the terrorists of Fitna al Khawarij,” he said.
Fitna al Khawarij is a term that the state used for banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
The DG ISPR said that Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khawarij opened fire and carried out physical raids on 53 locations along the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“This aggression was done by this master proxy in coordination, in collusion and in support of a terrorist organisation. That’s what happened last night,” he said.
Talking about Pakistan’s response to the aggression, he said: “We were ready.”
He said that Pakistan’s armed forces responded “immediately and effectively”, adding that the attack was repulsed at all 53 locations.
“They came with armed quadcopters [and] big and small weapons. We shot down their quadcopters and silenced their weapons,” he said.
He added that not only were the attacks effectively repulsed, but Pakistan, exercising self-defence, responded and gave a “befitting reply”.
Giving details of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq — which was launched in response to the attacks by Afghan Taliban — he said so far 274 Taliban regime personnel and khawarij had been killed and more than 400 were injured.
“Seventy-three posts of the Afghan Taliban along the Pak-Afghan border have been totally destroyed. Eighteen posts have been captured,” he said.
As per conservative estimates, 115 tanks, armoured vehicles, and artillery pieces of the Afghan Taliban forces had been destroyed, he said.
He further said that the headquarters and military installations — which were providing support to terrorist organisations and helped them plan — were targeted and hit.
In these airstrikes, 22 locations in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Nangarhar, Khost, and Paktika were targeted, he said.
“All these targets were very carefully selected based on intelligence. They are military targets, and great care was exercised so that there is no civilian collateral damage,” he asserted.
He said that these targets included corps headquarters, brigade headquarters, battalion headquarters, sector headquarters, ammunition depots, logistics bases, and places providing shelter to terrorists and their supporters.
He further said that at several places, the “cowardly Afghan Taliban forces and the khawarij with them” not only fled but also abandoned the dead bodies of their accomplices, which had been “secured” in accordance with the Geneva protocols.
He said that 12 Pakistan Army soldiers had been martyred, while 27 were injured and one soldier was missing in action. He then played several video clips of the action undertaken against the Afghan Taliban.
He further stated that Afghan media and their proxies were floating lies on social media regarding the targeting of civilians.
“At no place was any civilian infrastructure targeted. These are all military targets. These are all the infrastructure from where Pakistan was attacked,” he asserted.
He also played a clip showing Pakistan Army soldiers taking down the Afghan flag and hoisting Pakistan’s flag at a checkpost along the Pak-Afghan border.
“The nation is proud of these soldiers who have rendered their lives, their sweat and their blood for the protection of the land and the honour of the people of Pakistan,” he said.
“Whether on ground or in the air, the armed forces of Pakistan gave an effective, immediate and brutal response; a well-deserved response to the terrorists and their facilitators,” he said.
He went on to say that the Afghan Taliban were threatening that they would respond to Pakistan.
“We saw that they also tried to use some rudimentary sort of drones for attacking Abbottabad and Nowshera. However, the anti-drone system over there and the effective deployment took them out,” he said.
He added that this “again showed” how Afghan Taliban had become a “master proxy”.
“It is difficult to distinguish where the Taliban regime ends and where the terrorism starts. The lines have blurred. Therefore, it is necessary to make it clear that if anyone tries to carry out any terrorist activity in Pakistan … its response will be given to terrorists, their guardians, and those who protect them. No place will be safe for them as we also have equal rights,” he said.
During the question-answer portion, the DG ISPR was asked about credible information pointing to India’s involvement in the recent attack.
“It is absolutely clear that Indian sponsorship, abettment and design are behind any terrorist incident in Pakistan. The base of the operation is… they use the area that is under the oppressive regime of the Afghan Taliban. So that is how they work.”
He further said: “Pakistan armed forces … are always vigilant.”
In response to another question, the DG ISPR said that the Afghan Taliban regime had signed the Doha accord and had made certain promises “while presenting a different face to the world”.
“They made promises in writing. They promised an inclusive government. Is there an inclusive government there? That women’s rights will be respected. Are women’s rights being respected there? Do they get equal opportunity?”
He said that the Afghan Taliban had also vowed that its territory would not be used for terrorism.
He said that while “clarity” regarding the Afghan Taliban did not exist before, it did now.
“We now have supreme clarity. Your civil leadership, your military leadership, your intelligentsia, your media, the children of this country; there is absolute clarity about what the Afghan Taliban regime is,” he said.
He said that the whole world was also saying the same.
“We are the bulwark state which is standing against this terrorism. It is not only Pakistan; the threat is to the whole region. Not to the whole region [but] to the whole world,” he said.
The DG ISPR said that “everyone understands” that the actions taken by Pakistan last night were in self-defence and for the safety of the people.
“Everyone understands that,” he said. He recalled clashes with Afghanistan in October last year, saying friendly countries had understood Pakistan’s stance at that time.
He further stated that the whole nation was united in the war against terrorism.
“Let there be no doubt — whatever political divisions we may have, whatever different political perspectives we may have; all political parties, all political leaderships are absolutely clear that no place can be given to terrorism and its facilitation in Pakistan,” he said.
He recalled the National Action Plan of 2014, saying that political parties were behind it.
“Since then, all political parties … have always respected, followed, and said yes to this revised NAP, which is now called vision Azm-i-Istehkam,” he said.
He also talked about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, paying tribute to the province’s police force.
“Is there anyone who denies their sacrifices and martyrdom. [Is there anyone who] … is not standing with them. No one. The whole nation is together,” he said.
“I must take this opportunity to give our biggest homage to the very brave and proud police of KP, which are on the frontline,” he said, adding: “We are proud of them. The nation salutes them.”
In response to another question, the DG ISPR said that the number of Afghan Taliban operatives and terrorists killed was 274 as of now, but was “much higher”.
“I have said it earlier, that the distinction between the master proxy and terrorists … it has blurred,” he said, adding that they were acting “more or less” the same.
He further said that the operation against the Taliban regime was ongoing.
“The operation is continuing. It is under the instructions of the prime minister of Pakistan, the civil leadership. And we are achieving the desired results,” he said.
Fact check: Viral visuals of Pakistani F-16 jet allegedly shot down by Afghan forces are doctored
[Dawn] A keyword search was conducted to corroborate whether any credible mainstream international or Pakistani media outlets had reported any such alleged downing of an F-16 jet, but yielded no results.
A close analysis of the viral videos and images revealed discrepancies in the aircraft’s markings.
The serial number visible on the tail of the jet in the viral video is “85510”. The same serial number is also printed on the body of the aircraft in the viral video, whereas the body of the original F-16 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) does not contain any serial number.
Additionally, the size and proportions of the aircraft appear inconsistent when compared to verified images of an F-16.
Furthermore, in the viral video, a structure appears to be protruding from the tail of the aircraft and sits above the exhaust. However, upon closer inspection of actual F-16 aircraft images, this particular feature is noticeably absent, with the exhaust instead jutting out from the body.
Running the video through multiple AI-detection tools flagged it as being AI-generated. Attestiv.video gave it a 61 per cent suspicion rate, while AI or Not indicated the video was 70pc AI-generated and flagged the text in the video as 100pc AI-generated.
When iVerify Pakistan contacted a Pakistan Air Force officer for comment, they too identified key discrepancies about the viral F-16 aircraft video and said the exhaust appeared disproportionately large compared to genuine F-16 models.
The officer also said that the tail number did not match any existing F-16 aircraft in the air force.
Contacted for comment, Dawn news editor Ali Osman said the jet’s dimensions were “distorted”, adding that the burn marks on the tail fin also looked irregular.
A search of aircraft records on the f-16.net database shows that the serial number “85510” belongs to a United States F-16 aircraft that crashed in Arizona in 1990.
🚨 BIG BREAKING NEWS💥
— Afghanistan Defense (@AFGDefense) February 27, 2026
This is a Pakistani military F-16, American-made, that Afghan defensive forces have shot down. pic.twitter.com/7qBAjv89rk
Following overnight fighting:
Fighting along Angoor Adda, Landi Kotal border areas stops; armed forces capture several Afghan checkpostsPakistan’s security forces carried out a robust retaliatory response following unprovoked aggression by Afghan Taliban in the border areas of South Waziristan Lower, security sources said on Friday.
According to officials, an intense exchange of fire continued throughout the night along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. However, the situation has since calmed after the firing subsided by morning.
Security sources stated that the Pakistan Army responded swiftly and in a coordinated manner by targeting multiple Afghan Taliban checkposts located across the border in Afghanistan’s Paktia province.
During the operation, Pakistani forces reportedly took control of five key Afghan checkposts and raised the national flag at the captured locations. Among the posts brought under control were two opposite Shawal, two facing the Angoor Adda sector, and one located opposite Zarmilan, security sources confirmed.
The operation, officials said, was aimed at restoring stability in the sensitive border region and effectively countering hostile activities.
Sources further revealed that Pakistani forces also destroyed an Afghan terminal in the Angoor Adda area, which was allegedly being used for military-related purposes.
As a result of the strong and coordinated response by Pakistani forces, Afghan Taliban elements reportedly suffered significant losses. Security officials confirmed that the Afghan Charlie Post and Afghan Babri Post in the Angoor Adda sector were completely destroyed during the engagement.
Authorities described the military response as a defensive measure intended to safeguard Pakistan’s territorial integrity and preempt any potential threats arising from cross-border hostilities.
While the situation remains tense, security forces are said to be on high alert and fully prepared to respond to any further aggression.
Officials added that developments in the border belt are being closely monitored to prevent escalation and maintain stability in the region.
GUNS FALL SILENT IN LANDI KOTAL
With guns falling silent on the border, authorities are busy ascertaining any damage caused by last night’s artillery firing from the Afghan side.
Residents in Landi Kotal said they spent a sleepless night due to the continuous noise of heavy gunfire, which caused panic among the civilians located in the area.
Residents in Landi Kotal also held a demonstration against what they called the unprovoked aggression from the Afghan side, calling for an early ceasefire.
| And, via Red State, some interesting tweets: |
BREAKING: 🇸🇦🇵🇰🇦🇫 Saudi Arabia says it is ready to deploy its Air Force to fight the Afghan Taliban if Pakistan requests it. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have a defense pact under which an attack on one country is considered an attack on both. pic.twitter.com/ZWa8Vpinby
— War Radar (@War_Radar2) February 27, 2026
Taliban vs. Pakistani conventional military comparison. The Taliban is much more fragile as an established regime than as an insurgent shadow government. pic.twitter.com/YyYnRrFlyo
— Imperial Maps 🇻🇦 (@ImperialMaps) February 27, 2026