Loud explosions were reported near the Sharafi Goth area in Karachi, Pakistan’s financial hub, according to local media.
Police have recovered metal fragments from the site, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the blast. Local officials confirmed that rescue and security teams have been deployed to the area.
The incident follows an earlier explosion reported in Lahore, a city near the India-Pakistan border.
Series Of Explosions
Local media reported, citing Pakistani Army officials, that a series of loud explosions were heard across nine cities in Pakistan.
According to Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), the strikes targeted key locations including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Attock, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Chhor, and Karachi.
The military claims its forces neutralised the drones, though nine blasts were recorded. Significantly, Pakistan’s HQ-9 air defence missile systems are said to have sustained substantial damage in the attack.
“India has undertaken yet another blatant military act of aggression against Pakistan by sending HAROP drones at multiple locations,” the DG ISPR said.
The Pakistan military officer claimed to have “neutralised” 12 HAROP drones at multiple locations, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Chhor, and near Karachi.
“Other than these 12 drones, one drone, however, managed to engage a military target near Lahore, partially. Four men of the Pakistan Army have been injured in this attack, and partial damage to equipment has occurred,” the official added.
The ISPR DG also claimed a civilian was killed and another was injured in a similar “drone strike” in Miano region in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
Airports Shut
In a related development, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has temporarily suspended flight operations at major airports in Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot, Aaj News reported.
Flights in and out of Lahore and Sialkot will remain halted until 12 p.m. Thursday (local time), affecting both domestic and international schedules.
Passengers have been advised to check with their airlines for updates on flight delays or rescheduling, according to ANI.
These developments come a day after the Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes under the codename ‘Operation Sindoor’ on terror infrastructure located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in retaliation for last month’s deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people, all men and mostly Hindu tourists, and injured many others.
(With inputs from IBNS)
