India leaves Lahore defenceless after neutralising overnight Pak threats

Indian military drones on Thursday (May 8) targeted air defence radars at a number of locations in Pakistan and destroyed the system in Lahore after Islamabad tried to attack military targets in India, the government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) reported.

Official sources said the HQ-9 missile defence system units, developed by China, were hit, effectively rendering the Pakistani army defenceless in Lahore, capital of Punjab province.

Pakistan launched drones and missiles aiming for multiple military targets across northern and western India on Wednesday night, in the aftermath of India’s military strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack.

India’s Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems successfully neutralised these threats. Debris from the attacks, now being recovered from a number of locations, provides clear proof of Pakistani involvement.

Also Read: Operation Sindoor aligns with UNSC call against terrorism, says India

The incidents came a day after the Indian armed forces hit nine terrorist camps in Pakistan in the wake of the massacre of 26 civilians at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.

Missile debris in several locations

On the intervening night of May 7-8, Pakistan used drones and missiles and tried to engage a number of military targets in northern and western India. These included Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, across several states.

On Thursday morning, missile debris was found in Makhan Windi village, Amritsar, after locals reported multiple explosions past midnight. Army personnel have cordoned off the area where projectile debris has been found and are assessing the site for live explosives.

Locals claimed that they heard four-five explosions at around 1 am on Thursday, with debris falling on roofs of several houses. One villager reported the explosions felt like an earthquake, with metallic objects scattered across the terrace.

Also Read: How Col Sofiya Qureshi's feats led to a landmark SC verdict on women officers

It later turned out that the missiles were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and air defence systems.

Panic in Lahore

In response, Indian armed forces targeted air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan, including Lahore, on Thursday morning.

As the air defence systems were hit, air raid sirens went off in Lahore, forcing residents to flee their homes. A string of loud explosions was heard near the Walton airport, Pakistani media reported.

The area adjoins Lahore’s posh central business district and the Lahore army cantonment.

Police sources told Samaa TV that an explosion might have been caused by a drone, measuring five-six feet. No casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure have been reported.

The blasts were so loud that people who were several kilometres away heard them and rushed to the streets in confusion and fear. Pakistani authorities hurriedly suspended flight operations at Sialkot, Karachi and Lahore airports.

Also Read: Operation Sindoor still on, says Rajnath Singh at all-party meet

Pakistan attacks, India counters

After India’s precision missile strikes under Operation Sindoor early on Wednesday, Pakistan intensified 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 civilians, including three women and five children, lost their lives due to Pakistani firing. A Defence Ministry statement said India was “compelled to respond” to bring mortar and artillery fire from Pakistan to a halt.

India’s warning

“The Indian response (on Thursday) has been in the same domain with same intensity as Pakistan,” an Indian statement said.

New Delhi had warned on Wednesday that any attack on military targets on India would invite a suitable response.

“The Indian Armed Forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is respected by the Pakistani military,” the statement said.

Border states on high alert

The border states of Rajasthan and Punjab, besides the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, are on high alert.

Rajasthan, sharing a 1,037-km border with Pakistan, has sealed its borders. BSF personnel have been issued shoot-on-sight orders if they spot any suspicious activity. Authorities have also restricted movement near the border for those who don't live there.

Also read: India, Pakistan on brink of war after Operation Sindoor? | Talking Sense With Srini

The Indian Air Force has suspended flight operations at Jodhpur, Kishangarh, and Bikaner airports till 9 May, with Sukhoi-30 MKI jets patrolling from Ganganagar to the Rann of Kutch.

Schools in Bikaner, Sri Ganganagar, Jaisalmer, and Barmer are closed, and exams postponed. Blackout orders are in place in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur from midnight to 4 am to hinder enemy aircraft.

Border villages are on high alert and evacuation plans are in place for emergency response. Anti-drone systems near the border have also been activated

In Punjab, the leaves of all police personnel have been cancelled, and public gatherings restricted. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has suspended government events as the border tension escalates.

Operation Sindoor

On Wednesday, while the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out air-to-surface missile attacks using Rafale jets, the army launched surface-to-surface missiles.

The precision strikes killed 80-90 terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the Indian strike an “act of war”.

The latest crisis in India-Pakistan relations erupted after Pakistani terrorists shot dead 26 civilians at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.