New Delhi – Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated sharply overnight as Indian forces successfully neutralised a wave of Pakistani missiles and drone strikes aimed at 15 major cities across the northern and western regions of India, including key military zones in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Gujarat, the government confirmed Thursday.
The Pakistani offensive, launched late Wednesday night and continuing into the early hours of Thursday, targeted sensitive Indian military installations in cities such as Srinagar, Pathankot, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Chandigarh. However, India’s advanced air defence systems — including the S-400 missile defence shield — intercepted and neutralised the incoming threats.
In retaliation, the Indian Armed Forces executed precision strikes on Pakistani Air Defence Radars, destroying several installations in and around Lahore, sources said. Using HARPY drones, Indian forces targeted radar and surveillance systems to degrade Pakistan’s air defence network, according to military officials.
“India responded in the same domain and with the same intensity,” a government spokesperson said, emphasising that the action was both defensive and proportionate.
The escalation follows India’s Operation Sindoor, launched on Wednesday at 1:05 a.m., in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed by members of The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy. The operation saw nine terror camps — four in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — obliterated in under half an hour using HAMMER smart bombs and SCALP missiles.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed that over 100 terrorists were eliminated in the strikes. “Our response was swift, focused, and necessary. Operation Sindoor remains ongoing,” he told an all-party meeting Thursday morning.
Pakistan has denied launching offensive military operations and accused India of provocation. However, Indian authorities are recovering drone and missile debris that they say will provide clear evidence of Pakistani military aggression and support for cross-border terrorism.
Meanwhile, border sectors across Jammu and Kashmir — including Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri — have come under intense shelling, with Pakistan reportedly deploying heavy artillery and mortars. The government confirmed the deaths of 16 Indian civilians, including five children, and one soldier in the ongoing exchange.
India has reiterated its intent to avoid further escalation, provided Pakistan exercises similar restraint. However, officials warned that any further provocation will be met with decisive force.
The international community, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, and China, has urged both nations to de-escalate tensions and return to diplomatic dialogue.