ISTANBUL 

After winning rave reviews on the battlefield, a famed Turkish drone has now taken to the skies in the hunt for a wanted, armed fugitive.

Polish authorities have deployed a Bayraktar TB2 drone to aid in the manhunt for a 57-year-old man suspected of killing two family members and evading capture in a remote region of southern Poland, local media reported on Monday.

The suspect, identified as Tadeusz Duda, is accused of fatally shooting his daughter and son-in-law in the village of Stara Wies near Limanowa, Polish state-run TVPWorld reported.

Following the attack, Duda fled into the nearby mountainous forest.

On Saturday, he reportedly opened fire on police officers after being sighted, before escaping again into wooded terrain.

A large-scale operation involving hundreds of officers, including counterterrorism units, has been launched in the Malopolska region to locate the suspect.

On Sunday, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced military support for the police effort.

"At the request of the Malopolska governor, the BSP Bayraktar will assist in the search for a suspect in the murders near Limanowa, with FlyEye drones also on standby to provide support," Kosiniak-Kamysz said on X.

The Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 UAV, known for its role in Ukraine during the ongoing war, can fly up to 220 kilometers per hour (137 miles per hour) and stay airborne for 27 hours.

The Polish military also operates FlyEye drones, which are used primarily for reconnaissance missions.

Authorities confirmed that prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant, and a court has approved a 14-day detention order.

Duda has a criminal history, with previous charges of domestic abuse and making criminal threats in 2022 and again earlier this year.

Police have urged the public to immediately report any sightings or information related to the suspect’s whereabouts.