Avinash Azad
Even as Pakistan mouthed diplomatic platitudes about resuming dialogue with India in the aftermath of the precision airstrikes by Indian Defence Forces on terror infrastructure across the border, its military attempted a major backstab by launching a wave of missile and drone attacks targeting multiple Indian military installations in the dead of night.
The Indian Armed Forces, however, thwarted the provocation with decisive strength, triggering a swift and proportionate retaliation under “Operation SINDOOR-II.”
According to an official press statement released by the Ministry of Defence on Thursday, Indian air defence systems and the Integrated Counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Grid successfully neutralised a significant number of incoming threats from Pakistan between the night of May 7 and the early hours of May 8.
“During the Press Briefing on Operation SINDOOR on 07 May 2025, India had called its response as focused, measured and non-escalatory. It was specifically mentioned that Pakistani military establishments had not been targeted,” the MoD noted. “It was also reiterated that any attack on military targets in India will invite a suitable response.”
Despite this clarity, Pakistan resorted to a brazen act of aggression by attempting coordinated strikes on Indian military bases located in Northern and Western sectors — including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj.
While no Indian military assets were damaged, debris from intercepted drones and missiles has been recovered across multiple states, providing irrefutable evidence of the unprovoked assault. In response, Indian Armed Forces launched retaliatory strikes at dawn on Thursday, targeting Pakistan’s air defence infrastructure, including the confirmed neutralisation of a radar system in Lahore.
“Indian response has been in the same domain with same intensity as Pakistan,” the statement clarified, underscoring India’s resolve to defend its sovereignty without escalating tensions unnecessarily.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has intensified shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, employing mortars and heavy artillery in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri sectors. Tragically, sixteen civilians, including three women and five children, have lost their lives due to the indiscriminate firing. The Indian Armed Forces have retaliated in kind to silence the hostile artillery positions and prevent further civilian casualties. Yet, New Delhi has once again reiterated its commitment to de-escalation — but with a caveat: peace will be pursued only if reciprocated.
