Pakistan's actions are escalatory and provocative, and India has defended and reacted in a responsible, measured fashion to Pakistan's provocations, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a press briefing on Saturday. He also pointed out Pakistan’s repeated attempts to sow communal discord in India with its disinformation campaign. “Pakistani officials also continue to make ludicrous claims about India firing missiles towards Shri Amritsar Sahib. These lame attempts to divide India are doomed to failure,” said Misri.

Misri also noted that the Pakistani Army spokesperson takes great joy in the fact that the Indian public criticises the government of India regarding various issues. “It may be a surprise to Pakistan to see citizens criticising their own government. That is the hallmark of an open and functioning democracy. Pakistan’s unfamiliarity with that should be unsurprising,” he explained.

The Foreign Secretary also dismissed Pakistan's claims of an Indian missile hitting Afghanistan, calling it a ludicrous and totally frivolous allegation. “I don’t think Afghan people need to be reminded about which country has, on multiple occasions, in just the last one-and-a-half years, targeted Afghan civilians and infrastructure,” he said.

Misri’s remarks came after Wing Commander Vyomika Singh’s revelation that the Pakistani Army has been observed mobilising its troops in forward areas, an indication that it harbours offensive intentions to further escalate the situation. “Indian Armed Forces remains in a high state of operational readiness. All hostile actions have been effectively countered and responded to appropriately,” she added.

Wing Commander Singh was referring to the response and neutralisation of harassment attacks that Pakistan resorted to in the intervening night between 9th and 10th February, where it carried out air intrusions along the international border and the Line of Control (LoC) at more than 26 locations. “Pakistan deployed drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions, and fighter aircraft to target civilians, military infrastructure,” she said, adding that the Pakistani military resorted to air intrusions using drones.

India sustained minimal damage to equipment and personnel, along with some damage at the Indian Air Force stations at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, and Bhuj. “Pakistan continues its inexorable and wanton campaign of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in J&K and Punjab. Earlier this morning, Pakistan shelled the town of Rajouri, killing the additional district development commissioner Shri Raj Kumar Thapa,” said Misri. “We have also observed overnight damage to civilian property and civilian injury in Ferozpur, and Jalandhar, among other places.”

In what was dubbed by India a deplorable and cowardly act, Pakistan resorted to targeting civilian infrastructure that included medical facilities and school premises at the airbases of Srinagar, Avantipur, and Udhampur. “Yet again, displaying irresponsible targeting of our civilian infrastructure. In a swift and calibrated response, Indian armed forces carried out precision attacks only on identified military targets (of Pakistan),” she added.

The precision attacks included technical infrastructure, command and control centres, radar sites, and weapon storage areas. “Pakistan military targets at Rafiqi, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukoor, and Chunian were engaged using air-launched precision weapons from our fighter aircraft. Radar sites at Pasrur and Sialkot air base were also targeted using precision munitions, while ensuring minimum collateral damage,” Wing Commander Singh said.

The Indian contingent also debunked Pakistan’s campaign of peddling lies and misinformation. “The claims made about attacking and destroying Indian military installations are completely false. The claim about Sirsa air force station, Suratgarh air force base, along with the S-400 base in Adampur being destroyed is completely false,” Misri said, exhorting the nation not to be misled by the lies peddled by Pakistan. Images of the aforementioned air force bases, which were functioning normally, were also shown.