Two detained after false bomb threat on flight at Islamabad airport

ISLAMABAD: Airport security forces on Tuesday detained two people for making a fake bomb threat on a private airline flight. It was en-route from Islamabad to Karachi.

The two passengers allegedly alerted everyone on board by giving false information.

As per standard operating procedure, the plane was thoroughly inspected, including checking the luggage compartment and passengers’ belongings.

Authorities confirmed that the bomb threat was a hoax, and the plane was later deemed safe. The flight was cleared to depart for Karachi sometime later with over 100 passengers on board.

When the individuals were questioned, authorities said that investigations were underway.

Several people have been arrested in connection with bomb hoaxes on flights in India and the US in the recent past. In October, over 275 flights in India were targeted by hoax bomb threats.

All flights landed safely, but the threats led to aircraft being diverted to Canada and Germany, and fighter jets scrambled to protect the planes in the skies over the UK and Singapore.

Last month, a spokesperson for X, formerly known as Twitter, said the company was dedicated to addressing terrorist threats on its platform against Indian flights.