New Delhi: In a powerful retaliatory move, the Indian Army has destroyed several terrorist launchpads near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The precision strikes, carried out on Friday, came in response to a series of escalating drone and missile attacks launched by Pakistan in recent days, the Ministry of Defence confirmed on Saturday.
Video footage released by the Army shows high-precision targeting of the launchpads, which had been under surveillance for their role in facilitating infiltration and coordinating terror attacks against Indian civilians and security forces.
“The Indian Army’s swift and decisive action has dealt a significant blow to terrorist infrastructure and capabilities operating from across the LoC,” read an official statement from the military.
The strikes were prompted by a recent wave of cross-border aggression from Pakistan, including drone incursions and missile attacks. According to defence sources, Turkish-origin kamikaze drones—identified as Byker YIHA III—were deployed by Pakistan to hit densely populated civilian areas, including Amritsar, with high-explosive payloads.
India’s Air Defence systems quickly neutralised the aerial threats, intercepting and destroying the drones within moments of them breaching Indian airspace.
In a special media briefing held in New Delhi, senior officials including Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri laid out the timeline of Pakistan’s coordinated offensive. Colonel Qureshi confirmed that at around 1:40 AM on May 9, the Pakistan military launched a high-speed missile targeting an Indian air base in Punjab. Simultaneously, Pakistani fighter jets and loitering munitions attacked military installations in Srinagar, Avantipura, and Udhampur.
The Indian government reported that 26 Indian locations were targeted in the early hours of Saturday using drones, missiles, and airstrikes. However, India has firmly denied Pakistan’s claims of inflicting major damage, stating that its defences held firm and that retaliatory actions have significantly degraded enemy assets across the border.
The situation along the LoC remains tense, with Indian forces maintaining high alert across forward positions.
