A series of loud explosions was heard on Walton Road in Lahore on Thursday morning, police officials claimed.
Multiple blasts were heard on Walton Road in the Gopal Nagar and Naseerabad areas of Lahore near Walton Airport. People ran out of their houses in panic and reported seeing clouds of smoke.
Police sources said an Indian drone was shot down near Walton Airport. They said the drone measuring 5 to 6 feet was being operated from across the border. The drone was shot down by jamming the system, the sources added.
The Indian drone was flown to spy on sensitive places, the sources further said, adding that the drone carrying explosives had reached very close to the building.
Police and rescue teams have reached Walton Road.
Earlier this morning, several key air routes in Lahore and Sialkot were temporarily closed for commercial flights due to prevailing regional tensions, according to airport sources.
The closures, which began early Thursday morning, were expected to remain in effect until 12 noon today. According to a fresh Notice to Airmen (Notam) issued, the Lahore and Sialkot air routes would remain closed till Thursday noon.
"Several air routes within Lahore and Sialkot have been closed for commercial flights," the Notam added.
As a result of the restricted airspace, multiple Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights have been impacted. A PIA flight from Medina, originally bound for Lahore, was diverted to Karachi, while another flight from Multan to Lahore was also rerouted to Karachi due to operational delays.
More details to follow...
