ISLAMABAD: All departing flights from Islamabad airport were briefly halted after a suspicious drone was spotted in the capital’s airspace, raising security concerns.
According to sources, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-713 bound for Madinah was stopped just before takeoff due to the situation. A short while later, the pilot announced that clearance for takeoff had been granted by the control tower.
The Madinah-bound flight eventually departed about 50 minutes behind schedule.
Officials said the airspace over Islamabad was temporarily closed after the drone was detected. Security teams later neutralized and shot down the suspicious drone, after which the airspace was declared clear.
Following the clearance, flight operations at Islamabad airport resumed as normal.
Sources said the drone appeared to be of a local type, though authorities are also examining the possibility that it may have come from Afghanistan.
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