New Delhi: India on Thursday thwarted Pakistan’s attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles at 15 places in northern and western regions of the country and targeted Pakistani air defence systems with one in Lahore being “neutralised”, as tensions soared between the two countries amid fears of a wider conflict.
The attempts by Pakistan came after the Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out precise missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan under ‘Operation Sindoor’.
As the Ministry of Defence(MoD) reiterated that any attack on military sites in India will invite a “suitable response”, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the choice of de-escalation is with Pakistan as it escalated the situation with the Pahalgam terror attack and that India only responded to it through ‘Operation Sindoor’.
As leaders across the political spectrum projected a united front, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is reported to have told an all-party meeting that at least 100 hardcore terrorists and their associates were killed in the Indian strikes.
At another event, he assured the nation that no limit will become an obstacle for the Government in protecting India’s sovereignty. “We are fully prepared for such responsible responses in the future as well.”
In a press statement, the MoD said that on the night of May 7-8, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj.
“These attempts were neutralised by the Integrated Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (Grid and Air Defence systems),” it said. The S-400 air defence systems were deployed to counter the attacks in northern India.
The statement said the debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani strikes.
“It was also reiterated that any attack on military targets in India will invite a suitable response.”
The statement further said that the armed forces targeted this morning air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan.
“Indian response has been in the same domain with the same intensity as Pakistan,” the ministry said.
“It has been reliably learnt that an air defence system at Lahore has been neutralised.”
In Islamabad, Pakistan Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry claimed that drones launched by India were neutralised in Lahore, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Bahawalpur, Miano, Karachi, Chhor, Rawalpindi, and Attock.
He said one drone crashed near Lahore and four soldiers sustained injuries as a result of the attack.
An official told PTI that at least four drones hit the Lahore cantonment area.
“So far, 25 Israeli-made Harop drones have been shot down by the Pakistani Army’s soft kill (technical) and hard kill (weapons),” the Pakistan Army claimed in a statement.
In New Delhi, the MoD said Pakistan has increased the intensity of its unprovoked firing across the Line of Control(LoC) using mortars and heavy calibre artillery in areas in 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,” the ministry said.
Here too, India was compelled to respond to bring mortar and artillery fire from Pakistan to a halt, it added.
“Indian Armed Forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is respected by the Pakistani military.”
In a powerful retaliation to the Pahalgam massacre, Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out the missile strikes on the terror targets including Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group. A total of 26 people, mostly terrorists, were killed in the Pahalgam attack on April 22.
At a meeting with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, External Affairs minister S Jaishankar said India has no intention to escalate the situation with Pakistan but if there are military attacks on the country, then it will be met with a “very” firm response.
At the all-party meeting, Minister Rajnath Singh is reported to have said that at least 100 people, including hardcore terrorists and their associates, were killed in the Indian strikes.
A source quoted Singh as saying, “It is difficult to give an exact estimate as the operation is still ongoing and we are collating the details. India will give a befitting reply if Pakistan attacks.”
The operation has achieved its intended objectives, he added.
In his address at National Quality Conclave 2025, Singh said the Indian armed forces executed ‘Operation Sindoor’ with “unimaginable” precision. He again said that a “good number of terrorists” were killed in the mission but did not specify any number.
“The Armed Forces executed the operation without harming any innocent person and with minimum collateral damage, terming it as unimaginable and a matter of great pride for the nation.”
At his media briefing, Misri said escalation started from that side (Pakistan) with the Pahalgam attack.
“Our approach is not to escalate the situation, we only responded to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.”
On de-escalation of the situation, Misri said, “Pakistan escalated the situation, we only responded. Choice is with Pakistan.”
The retaliatory actions of Pakistan are impacting civilians, referring to firings along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, said Misri, flanked by Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofia Qureshi.
Officials said the Pakistan Army continued shelling along the LoC in four sectors of J and K, prompting a befitting response by the Indian Army.
“On the intervening night of May 7 and 8, Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing using small arms and artillery guns across the LoC in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri and Akhnoor sectors in J-K. The Indian Army responded proportionately,” a defence spokesman said in Jammu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with secretaries of various ministries and called for continued alertness and clear communication, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to national security and operational preparedness.
The issues discussed during the meeting included strengthening of civil defence mechanisms, efforts to counter misinformation and fake news, and ensuring the security of critical infrastructure, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
Ministries were also advised to maintain close coordination with state authorities and ground-level institutions, it added.
As tensions escalated, US President Donald Trump asserted that he wants India and Pakistan to “stop” what he described as “tit for tat” actions, saying if he can do anything to “help”, he will be there.
In Beijing, China urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may “further complicate” the situation, as it asked the two neighbours to act in the “larger interests of peace and stability”.
