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The Indian government on Friday, May 9, said that the Pakistani Army violated Indian airspace on the night of May 7-8 across the western border in a coordinated attempt to target military infrastructure, prompting a strong response from Indian forces.
Addressing a press briefing, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said the Pakistani side employed heavy-calibre weapons along the Line of Control (LoC) and attempted multiple drone-based intrusions from Leh to Sir Creek.
"Drone intrusions were attempted at 36 locations along the International Border and LoC, using approximately 300 to 400 drones and non-kinetic means," she said. "The possible objective was to test our air defence systems and gather intelligence."
Indian armed forces are currently analysing debris from the intercepted drones. Preliminary assessments suggest that Turkey-made SONGAR drones were used in the operation, Col Qureshi added.
The situation escalated later that night when a Pakistani armed UAV attempted to strike the military station in Bathinda. “The UAV was detected and neutralised before it could inflict any damage,” Col Qureshi said.
In a calibrated response, India launched armed drones targeting four air defence sites in Pakistan. "One of our drones successfully destroyed an air defence radar installation," the officer said.