NEW DELHI: In a sharp escalation following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Armed Forces on Thursday morning launched targeted strikes on Pakistani air defence radars and systems, including the neutralisation of an installation in Lahore, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. The strike follows what India described as a “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible” military response under Operation Sindoor .
According to the MoD, the action came in retaliation for Pakistan’s overnight attempt to strike Indian military sites across northern and western India using drones and missile systems. The targeted locations included Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Bhuj, Bhatinda, and Chandigarh. India’s Integrated Counter-UAS Grid and air defence mechanisms reportedly intercepted and neutralised the incoming threats.
“Today morning Indian Armed Forces targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan. It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised,” the MoD said in its statement.
As per media reports, the strikes mark a significant shift in India’s response posture following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which several civilians, mainly tourists, were killed. India has blamed the attack on Pakistan-based terror groups and has vowed to pre-empt any further cross-border threats.
The MoD also confirmed that India’s precision strikes over the last 48 hours had targeted infrastructure belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba across the Line of Control. On May 7, nine such locations were hit under the ongoing Operation Sindoor.
Meanwhile, tensions along the Line of Control have escalated. Pakistan has increased “unprovoked” artillery and mortar shelling in Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri sectors. These attacks have reportedly killed at least 16 Indian civilians, including three women and five children.
Despite the rising tension, the Indian government maintains that it does not seek escalation. “Our response remains within the same domain and intensity as the provocations,” the MoD stated, while cautioning that “any attack on Indian military targets will invite a suitable response.”
Debris from the Pakistani drones and missiles has been recovered across several Indian cities and is being examined as further proof of cross-border aggression.
Here is the statement issued by the Ministry of Defence: “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. It was also reiterated that any attack on military targets in India will invite a suitable response.
On the night of 07-08 May 2025, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles. These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks.
Today morning Indian Armed Forces targeted 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. It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised.
Pakistan has increased the intensity of its unprovoked firing across the Line of Control 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. Here too, India was compelled to respond to bring Mortar and Artillery fire from Pakistan to a halt.
Indian Armed Forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is respected by the Pakistani military.”
