PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police announced on Tuesday that they have prevented 341 drone attacks orchestrated by terrorists over the past six months, thanks to advanced technology.
In a statement, the force said it established Pakistan’s first dedicated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Division in March, tasked with disabling terrorist drones and conducting further research on the devices.
The remarks were made during a law‑and‑order review meeting chaired by Provincial Police Chief Zulfiqar Hameed at the central police headquarters, where the force presented its performance record for the first six months of the year.
The meeting was briefed that the Counter‑Terrorism Department (CTD) conducted 2,004 intelligence‑driven operations across the province during the six‑month period, pre‑emptively thwarting major terrorist plots and apprehending 504 militants, among them 14 high‑value targets.
In the same timeframe, 182 terrorists were killed in police encounters. Police forces faced 294 attacks, of which 161 were successfully repelled.
The meeting also noted that 122 officers and personnel lost their lives in the line of duty, while 175 were injured.
During various CTD operations this year, police seized 1,771 kg of explosives, 91 hand grenades, two suicide vests, two RPGs, seven RPG shells, eight shotguns, 52 pistols and 45 sub‑machine guns.
The meeting was also updated on the police’s crackdown on drug traffickers, proclaimed offenders and illegal weapons across the province.
During the period, police recovered 9,159 kg of narcotics and registered 10,197 first‑information reports under the Narcotics Act, resulting in 10,718 arrests. From detainees’ possession, authorities seized 7,577.32 kg of charas, 385.618 kg of opium, 246.45 kg of heroin and 949.418 kg of ice (methamphetamine).
In the same six‑month span, 21,903 cases were registered and 21,355 accused were apprehended.
Confiscated from detainees were 1,457 rifles, 2,994 shotguns, 25,805 pistols, 141 daggers, 943,047 cartridges, 1,821 Kalashnikovs, 236 Kalakofs, 93 hand grenades, eight stenguns, two push‑push guns, 5,117 detonators and 1,215 dynamites, as well as light‑machine guns.
Over the six‑month period, under the National Action Plan, police carried out 2,742 search and strike operations against criminals, apprehending 10,540 offenders and suspects and seizing a wide array of weapons, ammunition and prohibited items.
During these operations, 39,171 houses and 14,098 hotels were searched, leading to 1,598 and 73 cases being registered for law violations.
The police chief commended his force’s efforts and instructed participants to maintain close coordination with other law‑enforcement agencies and take stringent action against anti‑state elements and those undermining peace in the province.
Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2026
