New Delhi:
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief Sohail Aman on Thursday said that he has ordered to shoot down any drone sighted in its airspace, including those of the US if country's airspace is violated.
The announcement was made weeks after a US drone strike targeted a terrorist compound in Pakistan's tribal region near the Afghanistan border, killing three militants.
According to The Times of India, PAF chief Aman said, “We will not allow anyone to violate our airspace. I have ordered PAF to shoot down drones, including those of the US, if they enter our airspace, violating the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
"We will not allow anyone to violate our airspace. I have ordered PAF to shoot down drones, including those of the US, if they enter our airspace, violating the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman told an audience in Islamabad.
According to media reports, hundreds of civilians including women, children and senior members of terrorist groups have perished in these attacks. Status of many more people is unknown.
He also added that in the attack on Kamra airbase, terrorists managed to completely destroy one PAF Saab plane and inflict considerable damage on another.
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Earlier in July this year, an Iranian drone allegedly on a spying mission was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force fighter jet in restive Balochistan province.
Pakistan Air Forces indigenously built JF-17 Thunder fighter was used to destroy the Iranian drone in Balochistan's Panjgur area, officials said.
It was not clear when the drone was shot down but officials confirmed the debris was found.
Pakistan has a long border with Iran, which in recent months, has expressed concern over militants operating along the Pakistani border.
With PTI Input
