In Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan, law enforcement has adopted an unconventional defense strategy against armed groups using drones in attacks. Officers strung fishing nets several meters overhead between checkpost rooftops and perimeter walls, creating an aerial barrier designed to catch or deflect unmanned aircraft carrying explosives. The nets, constructed from materials used by fishermen and costing approximately 400,000 Pakistani rupees ($1,435) per standard checkpost, were first installed two months ago at the Sarki Piyala police checkpost following a significant assault on April 16 by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to local police officials, no drone attacks have occurred at the Sarki Piyala and nearby Baliamena checkposts since the nets were installed. Police say that if a drone becomes ensnared in the netting, it may be stopped or defused, and explosions occurring above the nets would have reduced impact as shrapnel would disperse in the air rather than striking personnel below. Hangu district police officer Tariq Habib stated that the netting system is being deployed at vulnerable locations across the district, with the provincial government currently reviewing a request for additional funding to expand the program. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police confirmed nets have been installed at checkpoints in at least five other districts and at some military outposts.
Pakistan has experienced a significant increase in armed attacks in recent years, particularly in Hangu, where police documented at least 16 incidents this year. Armed groups have adopted combined tactics involving gunfire, mortars, and drone strikes. Major attacks included a July 29 assault that killed at least 11 police officers and a September 20 exchange that resulted in six soldier casualties. While residents and some police personnel report noticing a decline in attacks since net installation, some security experts question the strategy’s effectiveness. Imtiaz Gul of the Centre for Research and Security Studies characterized the approach as offering a false sense of security, arguing that addressing drone threats requires institutional capacity to intercept aircraft at launch rather than merely protecting specific locations.
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