- Pakistan deploys fishing nets for low-cost drone defense at checkpoints.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa security forces counter TTP drone attacks with nets.
- Innovative tactic inspired by Ukraine, addressing cheap militant drone threat.
Pakistan's security forces have adopted an unusual, what it called a "low-cost" and "effective" measure to protect police checkpoints in the country's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from drone attacks-- fishing nets stretched above security posts.
The move follows a series of attacks involving drones carrying explosives, particularly in areas near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. In one major incident on April 16, fighters from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacked a police checkpoint in Hangu district, using explosive-carrying drones before opening fire on the post.
Police installed reinforced nets several metres above rooftops
In response, police have begun installing reinforced nets several metres above rooftops and between buildings and perimeter walls. The nets form an overhead barrier intended to entangle incoming drones or intercept explosives and other munitions dropped from them, reducing the risk to personnel inside the compounds.
The tactic has reportedly been influenced by defensive measures used in Ukraine, where large mesh networks have been deployed to counter drones. Pakistan is combining the nets with other measures, including concrete barriers, drone surveillance, training and handheld jammers.
The growing reliance on such improvised defences reflects the increasing use of relatively inexpensive commercial drones by militant groups. According to reporting cited by Al Jazeera, the TTP has increasingly used drones for both surveillance and attacks, creating a new challenge for police and security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Inexpensive solution
While the nets are a relatively inexpensive solution, officials acknowledge that the threat continues. Security forces are therefore expanding their counter-drone capabilities alongside these physical barriers.
The development highlights how cheap, commercially available drones are changing the nature of militant attacks, forcing security forces to improvise inexpensive ways of protecting vulnerable checkpoints.