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Pakistan Deploys Fishing Nets to Shield Police Checkposts from Drone Bombs
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Police Deploy Nets as Low-Cost Anti-Drone Barrier
In Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police have strung fishing-net canopies several metres above the Sarki Piyala checkpoint and nearby posts. The nets, assembled from rope, wire and black mesh, were first installed two months ago after an April 16 drone-laden assault claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Police say the overhead barrier can snag an incoming drone, defuse it, or at least disperse shrapnel, reducing direct impact on personnel on the ground.
Official Statements & Responses
Police inspector Fayyaz Khan described the nets as “an extra layer of security” that has so far prevented further drone or quadcopter attacks at Sarki Piyala and the nearby Baliamena post. District officer Tariq Habib noted that a standard netting system costs about 400,000 Pakistani rupees (? $1,435) and is being rolled out to other vulnerable stations in the district. A Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police spokesman, Abdul Salam Khalid, said a formal trial in Kohat involved dropping an explosive on a net, which failed to detonate. Hangu police have asked the provincial government for additional funding to expand the programme, a request that remains under review.
Criticism & Opposition
Security experts caution that the nets may give a “false sense of security.” Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies, called the approach an “immature, cheap ploy” because drones can target locations beyond police posts. Counter-terrorism analyst Fida Adeel warned that the protection level—police estimate a 40-50 % reduction in damage—cannot be verified without systematic testing and that the nets’ effectiveness depends on design and deployment.
Data & Statistics
- Installation cost: ~400,000 rupees per checkpoint.
- Recorded attacks in Hangu this year: at least 16, including the April 16 drone strike.
- July 29 quadcopter assault: >=11 police officers killed, 28 wounded.
- September 20 exchange of fire: six soldiers killed, eight attackers killed.
- Police estimate the nets could cut potential losses by 40-50 percent.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There was a great deal of fear because we were in the middle of a battle. At that moment, we did not even know whether we would make it back home alive,” — Fayyaz Khan, a 40-year-old police inspector
- “The police have introduced the netting system at vulnerable police stations and checkposts to reduce the impact of drone and quadcopter attacks,” — Tariq Habib
- “There is always a fear that a stray bullet or something else could hit our children, brothers, cousins,” — Mohammad Usama, a 28-year-old social activist in Baliamena
- “We cannot say that the netting system provides complete protection,” — Fayyaz Khan, a 40-year-old police inspector