India Neutralises Pak Drone & Missile Attack on 15 Cities, Decimates Air Defence in Retaliation

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 8th May: A late-night and early morning attempt by Pakistan to escalate tensions with India has been negated, the Indian government announced earlier today. Military installations in 15 cities across northern and western India, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Gujarat, were targeted.

Indian forces responded swiftly and decisively, targeting and neutralizing Pakistani Air Defence Radars and systems in several locations, including Lahore. This action was in direct response to Pakistan’s attempts to attack military facilities in Srinagar, Pathankot, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, and other locations. The government emphasized that India’s response was “in the same domain (and) with the same intensity” as the initial attacks.

According to government sources, Pakistan employed drones and missiles in their attempted attacks, all of which were successfully disabled by India’s robust air defence systems. News agency ANI reports that Indian forces utilized HARPY drones to neutralize Pakistani air defences, followed by the deployment of the Russian-made S-400 defence system to intercept and shoot down incoming missiles.

Debris from the destroyed drones and missiles is currently being collected and, according to the government, will serve as further evidence of Pakistan’s, or its “deep state’s,” involvement in cross-border terrorism targeting India through financial support and military training.

This attempted military action follows closely on the heels of “Operation Sindoor,” a series of precision strikes conducted by Indian armed forces yesterday morning on four terrorist camps within Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The 25-minute operation, commencing at 1:05 AM Wednesday, involved the deployment of 24 munitions, including HAMMER smart bombs and SCALP missiles, resulting in the destruction of terrorist group headquarters and training camps.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated this afternoon that over 100 terrorists were killed in Operation Sindoor, which was a direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. In that attack, four terrorists from The Resistance Front, a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, tragically killed 26 people, many of whom were civilians, in the Baisaran Valley near Srinagar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously vowed retribution for this attack.

During a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, the Army and Air Force clarified that the targets for Operation Sindoor were chosen based on credible intelligence and that the action was “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” explicitly stating that Pakistani military establishments were not targeted. The targeted locations included Muridke in Pakistan’s Punjab province, housing Lashkar-e-Taiba’s headquarters and a training camp, as well as the headquarters and training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed, the group responsible for the 2019 Pulwama attack.

Pakistan was put on notice following Operation Sindoor, with a clear warning that any attack on Indian military targets would trigger further strikes. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated this warning this morning during an all-party briefing, informing opposition leaders that “Operation Sindoor is ‘ongoing’ based on Pakistan’s actions.”

The government has also highlighted a significant increase in the intensity of cross-border firing and shelling initiated by Pakistan within 24 hours of the Pahalgam attack. Mortars and heavy calibre artillery shells are reportedly being fired across the border in the Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri sectors. Tragically, 16 civilians, including three women and five children, have been killed in this recent shelling. One Indian soldier has also lost their life.

Despite the escalating tensions, the Indian government has reiterated the Indian military’s commitment to non-escalation, provided that this is reciprocated by the Pakistani Army.