The Indian government on Saturday confirmed that the Pakistan Army has launched sustained and coordinated attacks on India’s western front, escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
According to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Pakistan has been carrying out repeated assaults along the western border using a combination of drones, loitering munitions, long-range missiles, and fighter jets. Addressing media, Qureshi said Indian forces had successfully neutralized several threats but noted that Pakistan attempted aerial intrusions at over 26 locations on Friday night alone.
Key Indian Air Force (IAF) bases, including those in Udhampur, Bhuj, Pathankot, and Bathinda, suffered damage, both in terms of personnel and equipment. “They launched high-speed missile strikes at around 1:40 a.m., specifically targeting the airbase in Punjab,” Qureshi detailed.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, speaking alongside Qureshi, confirmed that the Pakistan Army is mobilizing additional troops toward the forward areas, suggesting a preparation for further escalation. Singh emphasized, however, that India has responded proportionately to all hostile actions while maintaining a firm stance on de-escalation — provided Pakistan exercises reciprocal restraint.
“The Indian armed forces are in a high state of operational readiness. While we have effectively countered Pakistan’s actions, India remains committed to non-escalation, contingent on Pakistan halting its provocations,” Singh stated.
Meanwhile, Pakistani state-run broadcaster PTV claimed that the Pakistan Air Force had successfully destroyed India’s advanced S-400 air defense system stationed in Adampur. Similar claims were echoed by China’s Xinhua news agency, which reported that Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder fighter jets had eliminated the S-400 system in Punjab.
These assertions were swiftly dismissed by the Indian Air Force, which labeled them as part of a disinformation campaign. An IAF spokesperson clarified, “In a swift and calculated response, Indian forces targeted only pre-identified military objectives. The claims by Pakistan of destroying the S-400 system or airfields in Suratgarh and Sirsa are entirely false and are part of a deliberate misinformation effort.”
Further complicating the security situation, Indian defense officials reported that several Byker YIHA III kamikaze drones launched from Pakistan were intercepted and shot down over Punjab’s Amritsar region in the early hours of Saturday. “The Indian Army’s air defense units neutralized these incoming drones by 5 a.m., preventing any civilian casualties or damage,” said defense sources.
In Rajasthan’s Barmer district, local residents discovered debris and fragments from unidentified aerial projectiles on Saturday, further highlighting the spread and intensity of the ongoing cross-border hostilities.
On the Pakistani side, at least three airbases were struck by Indian retaliatory strikes early Saturday, following Pakistan’s attacks across multiple Indian locations the night before. Intermittent cross-border firing continues in several sectors along the Line of Control (LoC), as both sides remain locked in a tense standoff.
The latest surge in hostilities was sparked by India’s recent Operation Sindoor, a cross-border military action launched on Wednesday targeting nine suspected terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. That operation, according to Indian defense officials, was in direct response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which left several Indian security personnel dead.
With tensions running high and military assets on both sides on alert, calls for restraint are growing louder from diplomatic channels. While India has signaled its willingness to de-escalate if Pakistan shows similar intent, the situation remains volatile, raising concerns across the international community about the risk of further escalation between the two countries.
