India Foils Pakistani Drones Aimed At Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – A complete blackout was ordered in Jalandhar and Bhuj in Kutch as India said it has successfully repelled a major attempt by Pakistan, including coordinated drone strikes and cross-border shelling, a day after Indian forces carried out precision operations targeting terrorist infrastructure across the Line of Control (LoC).

The Ministry of Defence confirmed on May 8 that multiple Pakistani attempts to strike Indian military installations in the northern and western regions—including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Gujarat—were neutralized overnight by India’s air defense systems. Among the targeted sites were critical locations in Srinagar, Pathankot, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Chandigarh.

In response, India launched counterstrikes on May 8, destroying Pakistani air defense radars and systems at multiple locations, including Lahore. “Our response has been in the same domain and with the same intensity as Pakistan’s provocations,” the ministry said, asserting that India’s actions were strictly defensive and targeted at neutralising immediate threats.

The escalation follows India’s May 7 precision strikes on nine terrorist camps—four in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)—conducted in response to credible intelligence and a surge in militant activity after the Pahalgam terror attack.

As tensions flared, Pakistani authorities claimed they had shot down five Indian aircraft and 25 drones, but India dismissed those reports as misinformation. “There is no truth to the Pakistani narrative. These claims are part of their attempt to shift focus from India’s successful anti-terror operations,” said an official at the Indian embassy in Beijing.

India also reported intensified shelling by Pakistan along the LoC. Mortars and heavy artillery were fired into civilian areas in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri. At least 16 Indian civilians, including five children and three women, were killed. Over 50 more were injured.

The government conducted blackout drills across border areas on May 7 night, and some towns in Punjab witnessed panic buying amid fears of further Pakistani retaliation.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the situation during a bilateral meeting with Iranian officials in New Delhi, stating, “India does not seek escalation. However, any attack on Indian soil will receive a strong and decisive response.”

The Defense Ministry also highlighted the use of advanced technologies in the response, confirming that India employed HARPY drones to disable Pakistan’s radar systems and deployed the S-400 air defense system to intercept incoming missiles. (with inputs from ANI, Reuters)

As the situation develops, the Indian government has made it clear that while it does not wish for a wider conflict, it will act firmly against any threat to its national security and sovereignty.