India Destroys Pakistan's Air Defence in Lahore Amid Cross-Border Tensions
| 2025-05-08
India stated it was compelled to respond to halt ongoing mortar and artillery fire from Pakistan.
India targets Pakistani air defence systems in Lahore following drone and missile attacks on Indian military bases; tensions rise along Line of Control.
The Indian Ministry of Defence confirmed that its armed forces carried out a series of precision operations early Thursday morning, striking multiple air defence installations in Pakistan, including one in Lahore. The action follows attempted drone and missile attacks by Pakistan on military facilities across 15 locations in India late Wednesday night.
According to the government, the strikes were launched in retaliation after Pakistan attempted to target Indian military installations in cities including Jammu, Srinagar, Pathankot, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Bhuj. These attacks were reportedly thwarted by India’s Integrated Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Grid (ICUG) and advanced air defence assets.
“Indian response has been in the same domain and with the same intensity as Pakistan,” an official statement said, adding that one of the Pakistani air defence systems neutralised was located in Lahore.
Indian forces utilised Israeli-made Harpy drones to destroy radar systems and deployed the Russian-built S-400 Sudarshan Chakra air defence system to intercept incoming aerial threats. Harpy drones are loitering munitions designed specifically to destroy enemy radar installations by autonomously detecting and engaging signals from such sites.
Indian authorities also reported that debris from the intercepted Pakistani drones and missiles has been recovered from various Indian locations. This debris, the government said, serves as evidence of cross-border aggression.
The escalation follows India's Operation Sindoor, launched early Wednesday, in which Indian forces conducted airstrikes on nine suspected terrorist camps operated by militant groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Four of these camps were located inside Pakistan, and five in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The Indian military has described Operation Sindoor as a "non-escalatory" campaign, focused on neutralising terrorist threats without targeting Pakistani military establishments. The strikes reportedly killed over 100 militants, although official figures have yet to be confirmed due to the ongoing nature of operations.
India stated that the strikes were carried out in response to a deadly terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people were killed by four militants linked to The Resistance Front, a group believed to be a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba.
According to the government, the strikes were launched in retaliation after Pakistan attempted to target Indian military installations in cities including Jammu, Srinagar, Pathankot, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Bhuj. These attacks were reportedly thwarted by India’s Integrated Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Grid (ICUG) and advanced air defence assets.
“Indian response has been in the same domain and with the same intensity as Pakistan,” an official statement said, adding that one of the Pakistani air defence systems neutralised was located in Lahore.
Indian forces utilised Israeli-made Harpy drones to destroy radar systems and deployed the Russian-built S-400 Sudarshan Chakra air defence system to intercept incoming aerial threats. Harpy drones are loitering munitions designed specifically to destroy enemy radar installations by autonomously detecting and engaging signals from such sites.
Indian authorities also reported that debris from the intercepted Pakistani drones and missiles has been recovered from various Indian locations. This debris, the government said, serves as evidence of cross-border aggression.
The escalation follows India's Operation Sindoor, launched early Wednesday, in which Indian forces conducted airstrikes on nine suspected terrorist camps operated by militant groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Four of these camps were located inside Pakistan, and five in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The Indian military has described Operation Sindoor as a "non-escalatory" campaign, focused on neutralising terrorist threats without targeting Pakistani military establishments. The strikes reportedly killed over 100 militants, although official figures have yet to be confirmed due to the ongoing nature of operations.
India stated that the strikes were carried out in response to a deadly terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people were killed by four militants linked to The Resistance Front, a group believed to be a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Context:
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have escalated sharply in recent days. Since the Pahalgam attack, India has accused Pakistan of intensifying cross-border shelling across the Line of Control (LoC), particularly in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri sectors.
Indian authorities said that 16 civilians, including five children and three women, have been killed due to ongoing Pakistani mortar and artillery shelling. One Indian soldier has also reportedly died.
At a government briefing, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated India’s commitment to non-escalation but warned that any further provocation targeting Indian military sites would be met with a proportional response. “The Indian Armed Forces remain prepared and committed to securing national interests, while continuing to act with restraint if reciprocated,” he said.
While the situation remains tense, officials on both sides have yet to signal any move toward diplomatic de-escalation.
The latest exchanges mark one of the most serious flare-ups between India and Pakistan since the Pulwama-Balakot standoff in 2019. The international community is closely watching developments, amid concerns over potential further escalation in the region.
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