Situationer: From jammers to drones — KP’s fight against terrorists ‘takes flight’

FROM handheld jammers to anti-drone systems, and now a specialised human division trained for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) combat, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police department is waging a high-tech war against terrorists as their threat evo­lves from quadcopter surveillance and ammunition drops to swarm attacks.

The UAV division, initially floated as an idea, was established following technological advancements in terrorist capabilities and their shifting preference from conventional street fighting to aerial warfare.

Trained in modern drone flying, aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, counterterrorism, protection of sensitive installations, and the effective use of UAV technology in high-risk operations, the division is the first of its kind established by a police department in the country.

Ambushes and attacks on police installations are still reported from across the province, but terrorists are also using quadcopters for surveillance before moving towards their targets, enabling them to avoid ambushes by law enforcement agencies.

“This is a fact that they fly surveillance drones before targeting any installation of the law enforcement agencies,” a senior official said.

Changing tactics, external backing

Senior officials also believe that the situation has completely changed from what it was two years ago, as terrorists’ tactics have evolved, compelling the police force to devise a fresh strategy to stay one step ahead.

They said that with drones being deployed and law enforcement facilities being targeted, the war had expanded to the skies, forcing them into a technological arms race, particularly in high-risk zones.

“It is a fact that the terrorists are more equipped than police since they got hold of the leftover [modern gadgets left behind by the US and its allies in Afghanistan],” a senior security official said while talking to Dawn.

He said the local threat was previously underdeveloped and pointed to continued ‘external’ support — in the form of manpower, finances and technology. He added that the use of quadcopters for surveillance followed by explosive delivery required financial resources, training and, above all, technology.

The department responded immediately, but the handheld anti-drone guns could neutralise only one drone at a time. This gave the police an edge, but it was soon the terrorists’ turn to adapt. After realising the weakness, they turned to swarm tactics, deploying multiple drones simultaneously.

Again, the department took another step by upgrading its defensive capabilities and investing in anti-drone systems capable of detecting and jamming multiple quadcopters at the same time.

With anti-drone systems deployed in multiple areas across the province, quadcopter attacks dropped sharply. The department did not give militants the opportunity to gain another advantage and moved to establish an entire division specialising in aerial warfare.

Data centre, skills training

Officials said the KP police realised that technology alone could not help and took a crucial step by establishing a specialised division of personnel trained for UAV operations. These personnel are not only trained to operate drones for surveillance but are also capable of conducting electronic warfare against hostile UAVs.

They said a data centre based in Peshawar would receive real-time information on quadcopters and, at the same time, coordinate the response of law enforcement agencies.

“The war is escalating and the threat has changed. What we see today is completely different from what we saw two years ago,” KP police chief Zulfiqar Hameed told Dawn, explaining why, beyond technological development, trained human operators were equally critical.

Mr Hameed said the specialised unit was the need of the hour and that, besides deploying it in the provincial capital, the department had approved similar units at the district level, initially in high-risk districts.

He said the department had deployed drones across the province and that not only the regular police but also the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) would be equipped with more advanced drones — long-range models capable of flying at higher altitudes than the existing ones. These would be used against terrorists.

“There is no other option for the future but technological advancement,” the KP police chief said.

Other security officials claimed that the threat level had dropped sharply, particularly in the southern districts, including Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Bannu, as militant tashkeels [groups] were being targeted before they could reach their targets.

“I assure you that there would be no militants had there not been external support, as 70pc of them are outsiders, being supported morally, financially and technically by hostile countries,” a senior police officer said while talking to Dawn.

He said the department’s analysis had indicated that beyond modern war gadgets, drone technology was being provided to terror groups by “external sources”.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2026