*아시아엔 해외필진 기고문의 한글번역본과 원문을 함께 게재합니다.
파키스탄 국방부는 2025년 5월 8일, 인도가 자국 영토에 투입한 이스라엘제 하롭(Harop) 드론 25기를 격추했다고 발표했다. 양국의 국가안보보좌관(NSA)이 접촉했다는 보도가 나온 가운데, 인도의 공습과 드론 공격이 이어지면서 핵보유국 간 군사적 긴장이 빠르게 고조되고 있다.
격추된 하롭 드론 중 일부는 파키스탄 남부 신드주 수도인 카라치 외곽의 말리르(Malir) 지역에 떨어졌고, 이로 인해 화재가 발생했다. 현지 주민들은 큰 폭발음을 들었다고 전했다. 영상과 사진은 소셜미디어를 통해 빠르게 확산됐다.
같은 날 카라치 전역에는 인도 공습 가능성에 대비해 야간 소등을 권고하는 음성 메시지가 유포되기도 했다.
파키스탄군 홍보부(ISPR)는 성명을 통해 “파키스탄군은 소프트 킬(전자적 방해)과 하드 킬(무기 사용) 시스템을 동원해 하롭 드론 25기를 격추했다”고 밝혔다. 이어 “이 같은 도발은 인도의 절망과 좌절을 반영하며, 파키스탄은 단호히 대응하고 있다”고 강조했다.
파키스탄군은 또한 신드주의 수쿠르와 남부 펀자브주의 라힘 야르 칸 인근 상공에서 인도군 드론 2기를 추가로 격추했다고 전했다. 해당 드론들은 파키스탄 영공을 침범했고, 레이더 시스템에 포착된 직후 즉각 방공망에 의해 격추됐다.
ISPR에 따르면, 인도는 5월 6일과 7일 양일간 파키스탄과 아자드 잠무카슈미르(AJK)의 여섯 지역을 타격했다. 대상에는 모스크와 수력발전소 등 민간 시설도 포함됐으며, 이로 인해 어린이를 포함한 민간인 31명이 사망하고 57명이 부상을 입었다. 공격 지역은 아흐메드푸르 이스트, 무리드케, 시알코트, 샤카르가르(이상 펀자브), 무자파라바드, 코틀리(AJK) 등이다.
파키스탄은 이에 대한 보복으로 인도 공군 전투기 5기, 드론 7기, 여단 본부 1곳, 검문소 다수를 파괴했다고 주장했다.
ISPR 대변인 아흐메드 샤리프 차우드리 중장은 이날 기자회견에서 “지난밤부터 인도 드론 12기를 격추했으며, 이 중 하나는 라호르 인근 군사 기지를 부분 타격해 병사 4명이 부상을 입었다”고 밝혔다. 나머지 11기는 펀자브의 라호르, 아톡, 구즈란왈라, 차크왈, 라왈핀디, 바하왈푸르와 신드주의 수쿠르, 우메르코트, 카라치 인근에서 격추됐다.
차우드리 중장은 “인도는 LoC(통제선)에서 항공기 5기 손실과 병력 피해 등 중대한 타격을 입은 상황에서도 오만함으로 갈등을 확대하고 있다”며, “국제 사회는 인도의 무모한 군사적 도발이 지역과 전 세계 안보를 위협하고 있음을 직시해야 한다”고 말했다.
그는 “이번 무력 충돌에 대한 대가는 인도가 지금도 치르고 있으며, 앞으로도 혹독하게 치르게 될 것”이라고 경고했다.
다음은 영어원문.
Pakistan shoots down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones used by India
By Nasir Aijaz
Amidst reports of contact between the National Security Advisors of two rival countries, India continues drone attacks targeting various locations in Pakistan, including Karachi, the southern port city, capital of Sindh province, and the economic hub of the country.
An Israel-made drone was destroyed in Malir, a suburban area of Karachi, on Thursday. The area, where the destroyed drone fell down, caught fire. The videos of fire went viral on electronic and social media, according to which the people heard a big blast.
Separately, a voice message is circulation in Karachi advising the citizens to observe complete blackout at night in view of probable Indian air strike.
By the evening of Thursday May 8, the reports suggested that Pakistan army shot down at least 25 Israel-made Harop drones following a series of provocative attacks by India, as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors in the aftermath of the last month’s attack on tourists in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir continue to escalate.
“Pakistan Armed forces have so far shot down 25 Harop drones using both soft-kill (technical) and hard-kill (weapons-based) systems,” said a statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of army, on Thursday.
It said that the escalation follows India’s cowardly assault on May 6 and May 7, “which resulted in the destruction of five advanced aircraft, drones, multiple military posts, and reported casualties among Indian troops”.
In a state of panic and confusion, India resorted to deploying Israel-made Harop drones for attacks on Pakistani territory, the ISPR said,
“These unprovoked attacks are a clear reflection of India’s desperation and frustration, as it continues to suffer significant losses along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir,” it added.
Debris of the downed Israeli drones is being recovered from various locations across Pakistan, the military’s media wing added.
“Pakistan Armed Forces are responding with full force, thwarting all hostile designs and delivering a decisive response to the enemy’s aggression,” it concluded.
Separately, the Pakistan armed forces shot down two Indian drones that violated its airspace near Sukkur in Sindh province and Rahim Yar Khan, in South Punjab province.
The media reports, quoting the security sources, said that both drones were detected on radar systems and were promptly locked and neutralized by Pakistan’s air defence units.
“The drones were precisely targeted after confirming their hostile trajectory within Pakistani territory,” said a senior security official.
The officials stated that both drones had crossed into Pakistan in a serious violation of its sovereignty. “These were not routine surveillance drones — they posed a potential threat and were treated as such,” one official added.
India launched strikes on Pakistan and AJK in the wee hours of Wednesday, an assault that Islamabad called a “blatant act of war”.
Islamabad said six Pakistani locations, from mosques to hydropower projects, were targeted. At least 31 civilians, including children, were martyred and 57 sustained injuries after India launched an unprovoked and devious attack at six locations — Ahmedpur East, Muridke, Sialkot and Shakkargarh in Punjab and Muzaffarabad and Kotli in Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
In retaliation, the Pakistan armed forces shot down five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets, seven drones, destroyed a brigade headquarters and a number of check-posts along the Line of Control (LoC).
‘India will pay dearly’
Speaking at press briefing earlier on Thursday, Director General Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that Pakistan’s armed forces had neutralized 12 drones sent by India since last night.
He also stated that four army personnel were injured as one drone, besides those downed, managed to engage a military target partially.
The ISPR DG detailed the locations where 12 of those drones sent by India were neutralized — Lahore, Attock, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur in Punjab, as well as Sukkur’s Miano, Umerkot’s Chhor and near Karachi in Sindh.
“Other than these 12, one drone, however, managed to engage a military target near Lahore partially,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said. “Four men of the Pakistan Army have been injured in this attack near Lahore and partial damage to equipment has occurred,” he added.
Recalling that the Indian army faced “destruction of five of their aircraft and suffering heavy casualties along the Line of Control and damage”, the DG ISPR said India has “apparently lost the plot”.
“Rather than going on a path of rationality, it is further escalating in a highly charged environment to satisfy the hubristic mindset of the Indian government,” he said.
“The international community can visibly see the path that India is treading through this extremely provocative military aggression in a region that is right now highly fragile and putting the security of the region and beyond at risk. “Pakistan armed forces remain fully vigilant to any type of threat,” he added.
He said there should be no doubt that India is paying dearly — and will continue to pay dearly for this naked aggression and reckless military adventurism.
