‘Air defence system in Lahore neutralised’: Pak’s bid to escalate attacks negated by India, followed by a proportionate response

Pakistan tried to unsuccessfully attack several locations in north and west India, including Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using missiles and drones on the intervening night of May 7 and 8, according to a release from the Press Information Bureau.

However, the attempted attacks were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from several locations that prove the Pakistani attacks.

In retaliation, this morning, the Indian armed forces targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at several locations in Pakistan. The Indian response has been in the same domain with the same intensity as Pakistan. “It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised,” the release added.

Pakistan has increased the intensity of its unprovoked firing across the Line of Control using mortars and heavy-calibre artillery in areas of Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir. “Sixteen innocent lives have been lost, including three women and five children, due to Pakistani firing. Here too, India was compelled to respond to bring mortar and artillery fire from Pakistan to a halt,” it added.

Nonetheless, the Indian armed forces remain committed to non-escalation, provided it is respected by the Pakistani military. Yesterday, the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure across multiple locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), the government said.

The strikes come in response to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including one Nepali citizen. As per the government of India statement, nine locations were targeted.

“Our actions have been focussed, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution,” the statement from the Ministry of Defence said.

The operation follows the killing of 26 civilians in the dastardly Pahalgam attack, which Indian intelligence agencies have linked to groups operating from across the border. Muridke, for instance, is known to be the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba, led by Hafiz Saeed, while Bahawalpur is a base for Jaish-e-Mohammad, founded by Masood Azhar. Both groups have been involved in previous attacks on Indian soil.