Pakistan's Airport Authority on Friday dismissed reports claiming that the airspace over the capital had been closed following a drone incident near Islamabad.
“The circulating news regarding the closure of Islamabad's airspace is baseless. Flight operations at Islamabad International Airport are continuing without interruption as per routine, and all flights are running according to their schedules,” the authority said in a statement on X.
The authority also urged the public not to rely on unverified information.
Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) clarifies that reports circulating about the closure of Islamabad's airspace are baseless. Flight operations at Islamabad International Airport are continuing without interruption and all flights are operating according to schedule.
— Pakistan Airports Authority (@Pk_PAA_Official) March 13, 2026
“The general public is requested not to pay attention to unverified and incorrect news and to rely on the official sources of the Pakistan Airports Authority for authentic information,” it added.
Earlier, media reports citing security officials said that Pakistan's air defence systems shot down two drones near the Faizabad Interchange after the unmanned aerial vehicles were detected flying close to the capital.
Minute Mirror, an independent Pakistan newspaper citing senior Pakistani security authorities, reported that the two UAVs were seen loitering near the key junction connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The drones were intercepted and brought down shortly after detection, officials said, adding that security agencies responded swiftly to prevent any potential threat.
Minute Mirror also reported that authorities had launched an investigation to determine the origin and purpose of the drones, while security forces remain on alert as officials continue to monitor the capital's airspace.
Earlier, Afghanistan's Ministry of National Defense said the Afghan Air Force carried out strikes on strategic Pakistani military facilities in the Kohat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, in response to what it described as overnight raids by Pakistani forces in Beka.
In a post on X, the ministry said Afghan aircraft targeted military installations, including a fort and command facilities near the Durand Line.
“In response to the Pakistani military regime's night raids in Beka, Afghan Air Force targeted strategic military centers and facilities of Pakistani troops in Kohat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this morning,” the ministry said in a post on X.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X that Pakistani aircraft struck civilian areas, killing four people, including women and children. He also alleged that fuel depots belonging to private airline Kam Air near Kandahar airport were targeted.
Al-Jazeera reported that the Pakistani security sources, however, said the military conducted “successful airstrikes” on “four terrorist hideouts” in Kabul and frontier regions, and destroyed an oil storage facility at Kandahar airport.
The latest exchange comes as fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan enters its third week, amid a broader regional crisis linked to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
Cross-border hostilities intensified on Feb. 26 when Afghanistan launched an offensive along the shared border, which it said was in retaliation for earlier Pakistani airstrikes targeting the Pakistan Taliban.
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