India has taken retaliatory action in the wake of the series of attacks launched by Pakistan on Indian Soil on Thursday night. Indian armed forces reportedly attacked several cities in Pakistan late on Thursday night in retaliation to Pakistan’s drone and missile attack aimed at states like Jammu, Punjab and Rajasthan.
There were reports of India attackng Islamabad, Karachi port, Lahore and Sialkot, however, there are no official confirmation yet about the move.
Indian Army successfully intercepted a barrage of missile and drone attacks in several parts of J&K, Punjab and Rajasthan on Thursday evening, with the Armed Forces also destoying at least two Pakistani F-16 aircraft. The Indian Army intercepted several attacks from the western border after several serious ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
Complete blackouts were enforced in several bordering regions in India. The action reportedly started around 9 pm in India merely hours after Pakistan’s foiled attempts to target several Indian cities. The Indian Armed Forces swiftly intercepted swarm drones in Jammu while effectively neutralising Pakistan’s attempts. The development follows India’s clear stance that if its precision targeting of terror infra in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), categorically without targeting Pakistani military, is followed by escalation from Pakistan, it will relatiate in full force.
This significant development comes as tensions between the two countries continue to flare, following Pakistan’s failed attempts to target Jammu with drones and missiles. India has activated its Integrated Air Defence Systems along the northern and western sectors in response.
Earlier late in the evening today, 8 Pakistani missiles were intercepted near Jammu – all of them successfully destroyed. The attack also caused a temporary blackout at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district, with similar power outages reported in Srinagar under heightened security measures. Also, an F-16 supersonic fighter jet of the Pakistan Air Force was shot down in the evening by an Indian surface-to-air missile defence system,
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has a couple of minutes ago tweeted, “Military stations at Jammu, Pathankot & Udhampur were targeted by Pakistani-origin drones and missiles along the International Border in J&K today. The threats were swiftly neutralised using kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities in line with established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). No casualties or material losses were reported. India remains fully prepared to defend its sovereignty and ensure the safety of its people.”
Earlier, on the intervening night of Wednesday (May 7) India carried out precision airstrikes, under Operation Sindoor, on nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, reportedly eliminating around 100 militants. This was Indian government’s response to Pahalgam terror attacks on April 22 that killed 26 innocent people.
Operation Sindoor marks one of India’s most assertive cross-border military responses since the Balakot airstrikes in 2019.
US directs Pak to stop attack immediately
Meanwhile, the Donald Trump administration directed Pakistan to strictly stop escalation immediately. US Vice President JD Vance said that he and Trump encourage both India and Pakistan to de-escalate, stating that it’s “none of our business”.
The Indian Armed Forces have reiterated their commitment to non-escalation, emphasising that India’s response is contingent upon Pakistan respecting the principle of peace and restraint. India is on high alert following Operation Sindoor, launched in Pakistan to retaliate against the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Due to escalating tensions along the Pakistan border, the movement of flights at 27 airports across India has been suspended until May 10 (Saturday). This includes both major and smaller airports in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat.
