Pakistan security posts use fishing nets to counter drone attacks

Security outposts across Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have deployed fishing nets overhead to counter attacks by explosive-laden drones and quadcopters, using a low-cost measure that began at a checkpost in the sensitive Hangu district.

The measure originated at the Sarki Piyala checkpost, about 30 km (18 miles) from the Afghan border, and has since expanded to at least five other districts, including Kohat, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan, says Al Jazeera.

Black mesh nets are stretched several metres overhead between checkpost rooftops and perimeter walls, creating an aerial canopy intended to trap incoming drones or cause them to detonate in mid-air, dispersing shrapnel away from personnel on the ground.

Armed groups, primarily Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have increasingly combined ground ambushes and mortar attacks with bomb-rigged drones and quadcopters.

Hangu district has recorded at least 16 armed attacks this year. A seven-hour battle took place at the Sarki Piyala checkpost on April 16, while a July 29 drone and ground assault killed 11 police officers and 15 attackers. A September 20 clash left six soldiers and eight attackers dead.

Frequent attacks have also disrupted daily life in nearby villages, with some families withdrawing their children from school because of the risk of stray fire.

Low-cost defence

Covering a standard police checkpost with the nets costs about 400,000 Pakistani rupees ($1,435), according to the information provided. Police authorities have requested additional funding from the provincial government to extend the measure to more police stations and military outposts.

Police in Kohat have conducted formal trials of the system. In one test, an explosive device dropped onto a net failed to detonate.

Local officers say there have been no drone or quadcopter attacks at protected posts such as Sarki Piyala and Baliamena since the nets were installed two months ago. They estimate the system could reduce potential casualties and damage by 40% to 50%.

Nearby residents have also reported a noticeable decline in ambushes.

Experts question effectiveness

Security analysts have cautioned that the nets could create an "immature, cheap ploy" and a false sense of security. They said armed groups use drones primarily against prominent, strategic targets to generate dramatic optics rather than simply targeting checkposts.

Experts also said physical netting does not replace airborne interception capabilities and that police estimates of 40% to 50% protection require rigorous testing rather than field assumptions.

Analysts said the approach draws inspiration from military camouflage and anti-drone mesh deployed in the war in Ukraine.

Police officers acknowledge that the system is not a foolproof solution but regard it as an additional layer of defence.