Pakistan Blocks Indian YouTube Channels, Downs Israeli Drones Amid Escalating Border Tensions
Amid intensifying cross-border hostilities, Pakistan has blocked 16 Indian YouTube news channels for allegedly spreading misinformation during wartime conditions. The move was reported by Geo News on Thursday.
Simultaneously, the Pakistani military claimed to have neutralized 12 Indian drones across multiple locations. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the drones—identified as Israeli-made Harop UAVs—were downed using both "soft-kill" (electronic warfare) and "hard-kill" (kinetic) capabilities. The operation remains ongoing. One civilian was reportedly killed and four Pakistani soldiers injured in the skirmishes.
Wreckage from the Israeli-origin drones is being collected from various crash sites. ISPR officials stated, “The armed forces of Pakistan have successfully shot down 25 Israeli Harop drones sent by India.”
In response to the drone attacks, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended all remaining matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) scheduled in Rawalpindi. Bangladeshi cricketers Nahid and Rishad are being flown back to their country via a chartered flight through Dubai.
These developments follow deadly retaliatory strikes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. A day earlier, India had launched missile strikes across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, reportedly killing 31 people. Pakistan has since authorized its armed forces to respond. “India will have to pay the price for this attack,” Islamabad declared.
Addressing the media, Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said, “Last night, India launched yet another incursion by sending drones into multiple areas. As a result, one civilian in Miyano was martyred.”
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned of nuclear escalation if India continued to provoke hostilities.
In a dramatic escalation, the Pakistani military reportedly shot down five retreating Indian fighter jets in retaliation to what Islamabad described as India’s “cowardly” midnight assault. Among the downed aircraft were three French-made Rafale jets, one Su-30MKI, and one MiG-29 Fulcrum.
CNN, citing a senior French intelligence official, reported: “A Rafale fighter jet operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) was shot down by Pakistan.” The official added, “This marks the first time one of these advanced French-built aircraft has been lost in combat.”
While Indian authorities have yet to comment, French officials are investigating whether multiple Rafales were indeed downed overnight. Images from the wreckage in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir purportedly show labels from a French manufacturer, though analysts remain cautious. “It’s difficult to confirm whether the debris is from a Rafale,” said one military expert.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remarked, “India’s pride has been wounded by the disabling of the Rafale’s communication systems.”
India’s early morning assault on Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir has been labeled a “clear act of war” by Islamabad, fueling fears of a larger conflict between the two longtime rivals.
According to the latest figures released by ISPR, six civilian sites—including a mosque and a hydroelectric project—were targeted by Indian airstrikes, resulting in 31 civilian deaths and 57 injuries.
At a Wednesday press conference, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that all Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets remained safe following the Indian strikes.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s armed forces have reportedly destroyed several Indian military posts along the Line of Control (LoC), engaging in fierce gun battles with Indian troops in multiple sectors.
