India has destroyed air defence system of Lahore and foiled attempts by Pakistan to attack 15 places in Northern and Western India using drones and missiles, Defence Ministry said here on Thursday.
The Pakistani military attempted to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj, officials said.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the choice of de-escalation is with Pakistan as it escalated the situation with the Pahalgam terror attack and India only responded to it through “Operation Sindoor”. His comments at a media briefing came amid heightened tensions between the two countries. He said escalation started from that side (Pakistan) with the April 22 Pahalgam attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
As regards the counter measures that foiled Pakistan attack, Defence Ministry said the attempts were neutralised by the Integrated Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (Grid and Air Defence systems). “The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks,” it said.
“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,” the ministry said in readout. “It has been reliably learnt that an air defence system at Lahore has been neutralised,” it said.
The ministry said Pakistan has increased the intensity of 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.
The ministry statement said, “During the press briefing on “Operation Sindoor” on May 7, 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 7-8 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.
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.”
The Foreign Secretary, meanwhile, said, “Our approach is not to escalate the situation, we only responded to the Pahalgam terror attack,” he said.
On de-escalation of the situation, Misri said, “Pakistan escalated the situation, we only responded. Choice is with Pakistan.”
He said at the UNSC meeting, Pakistan opposed mention of the role of terror group The Resistance Force (TRF) when it had already claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack.
The foreign secretary also said the retaliatory actions of Pakistan are impacting civilians, referring to firings along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Pakistan’s reputation as the centre of global terrorism is rooted in various terrorist attacks across the globe,” Misri, flanked by Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, said, adding Pakistan has been pursuing cross-border terrorism against India for decades. He said India’s action on Wednesday was restrained and it was confined to terrorist infrastructure.
In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces early on Wednesday carried out missile strikes on terror targets including Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group. Misri also said Pakistan was deliberately creating roadblocks over the years on the Indus Waters Treaty issue.