India Targets Pakistan’s Air Defence Systems

Our Bureau - : May 9, 2025 - : 12:32 am

In a decisive escalation of hostilities, India Thursday struck key Pakistani air defence systems in response to a major overnight offensive involving drones and missiles launched by Pakistan against India. The retaliatory action came just a day after India’s precision...

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The retaliatory action came just a day after India’s precision strikes under Operation Sindoor targeted terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Briefing reporters in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described the latest Indian strikes as “measured, necessary and proportionate,” aimed specifically at degrading Pakistan’s ability to conduct further offensive operations.

“Last night, Pakistan attempted a significant escalation by targeting multiple Indian military facilities across the north and west using drones and missile systems,” Misri said. “Our air defence grid successfully intercepted these attacks, but the scale and intent behind them necessitated a calibrated response to neutralise the source and shield against future threats.

”According to the government, the Pakistani assault targeted a wide arc of Indian military infrastructure, including bases in Awantipora, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj. While India’s Integrated Air Defence Network—anchored by the S-400 Triumf systems deployed in the western sector—successfully neutralised incoming threats, debris was recovered across several states, underlining the magnitude of the attempted strikes.

In retaliation, India reportedly used IAI Harop loitering munitions—autonomous, precision-guided drones designed for suppression of enemy air defences—to strike Pakistani radar sites and surface-to-air missile batteries in southern Punjab and Sindh. These systems are believed to have been central to Pakistan’s ability to shield terror infrastructure and launch offensive capabilities.

“These precision tools allowed us to degrade critical components of Pakistan’s air defence architecture without escalating into a broader engagement,” a senior official familiar with the operation said on background.

When asked about a wave of misinformation emanating from Pakistan—including claims by the Pakistani Prime Minister and senior ministers that three Indian fighter jets, including Rafales and MiGs, had been shot down—Misri responded sharply.

“Look, when the time is right, an official statement will be made,” he said. “It’s no surprise that Pakistan’s Prime Minister and other ministers are making such statements. After all, this is a country whose journey began with falsehoods. In 1947, when the Pakistani army invaded Jammu and Kashmir, they lied to the United Nations, claiming they had nothing to do with it. This legacy of deceit began 75 years ago, so I am not surprised they are once again resorting to disinformation.

”Misri reaffirmed that India “remains committed to regional stability and is not seeking conflict,” but warned that the country “will not hesitate to respond firmly and decisively to any hostile action targeting Indian assets or citizens.

”He said India had briefed key global partners about the sequence of events, and urged the international community to take note of “Pakistan’s reckless disregard for peace and regional security.

”While Islamabad has yet to issue a formal response, social media accounts affiliated with the Pakistani military acknowledged damage to installations near Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan.

Tensions have remained high since India carried out coordinated strikes on May 6–7 targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied territory. Those strikes, under Operation Sindoor, were carried out in response to recent infiltration attempts and attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Indian airbases remain on high alert, with civil aviation partially rerouted in several sectors as a precaution. Intelligence agencies are monitoring for signs of further Pakistani retaliation, even as senior Indian leadership holds high-level consultations to prevent a broader conflict.