Pak used 300-400 drones at 36 sites in infiltration attempts: India

Pakistani drones that were shot down were manufactured in Turkiye, Col Sofiya Qureshi said at the MEA briefing on May 9

The Pakistani army targeted 36 locations along India’s western border with drones in infiltration operations on the night of May 7 and 8, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said on Thursday, while addressing a press briefing alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.

 

"The Pakistani army violated Indian airspace several times over the entire western border with the intention of targeting military infrastructure," she said, adding, "Around 300 to 400 drones were used to attempt infiltration at 36 locations. The Indian armed forces shot down many of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means. The possible purpose of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence. Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done."

 

 

She said the drones were likely aimed at targeting Indian military infrastructure, and many were shot down using kinetic and non-kinetic means.

 

Indian forces shot down Pakistani drones reportedly manufactured in Turkiye, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi added. Qureshi said that Pakistan deliberately chose not to close its airspace, thereby using civilian air traffic as a shield for its unmanned aerial operations.

 

“During the attack, Pakistan did not close its airspace; it is using civilian air traffic as a shield,” she stated, highlighting a serious breach of international norms regarding military engagement near civilian zones.

 

Indian armed drones were deployed against four air defence sites in Pakistan following a Pakistani assault, Vyomika Singh stated.

 

"One of the drones was able to destroy an AD radar," she confirmed. Detailing the escalation, she added, "Pakistan also carried out artillery shelling across the Line of Control using heavy-calibre artillery guns and armed drones, which resulted in some losses and injuries to Indian army personnel. Pakistan army also suffered major losses in Indian retaliatory fire."

 

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri condemned Pakistan’s drone strikes along the Line of Control (LoC). “During heavy shelling across the LoC in the early morning of 7 May, a shell fired from Pakistan landed just behind the Christ School in Poonch,” he said.

 

"Several school staff and locals took refuge in an underground hall of the school during the shelling by Pakistan. The school was fortunately closed, otherwise more losses would have occurred. Pakistan is targeting and shelling places of worship with a particular design, including gurdwaras, churches and temples. This is a new low even for Pakistan," Misri said.

 

Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor

 

Tensions between India and Pakistan have intensified after the terror attack in Pahalgam on 22 April, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor, a military campaign targeting nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Wednesday, 7 May.

 

The following day, the government said that Operation Sindoor was still ongoing. Later, on the same day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that over 100 militants and their collaborators had been killed in Operation Sindoor.

 

The already strained ties between the two neighbouring nations further deteriorated following a spate of overnight assaults. On 8 May, Pakistan initiated a series of drone and missile strikes targeting Indian military bases in Jammu and Pathankot. This led to authorities in India enacting emergency measures such as shutting down schools, cutting power in sensitive border areas, and cancelling all leave for security and administrative personnel.

 

In the aftermath, several states, including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Bihar, have ramped up their security protocols. Mock drills, blackout rehearsals, and siren tests are being held in select cities.