Pakistan Launches Missile Strikes on 15 Indian Cities; India Responds with Forceful Counterattack
Pakistan Launches Missile Strikes on 15 Indian Cities; India Responds with Forceful Counterattack
New Delhi, May 8: In a swift and strategic military response, India successfully neutralised a major Pakistani offensive that targeted military installations across 15 Indian cities, including key areas in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Gujarat. The attempted escalation by Pakistan comes a day after India launched precision strikes on nine terrorist camps under Operation Sindoor.
According to government sources, Pakistani forces attempted to strike Indian military targets late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning using drones and missiles. However, India’s robust air defence, including the Russian-made S-400 missile system, intercepted and destroyed all incoming threats. Indian forces also retaliated by targeting and disabling Pakistan’s air defence radars and systems at multiple sites, including Lahore.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that India’s response was “in the same domain and with the same intensity” as Pakistan’s aggression. HARPY drones were deployed to dismantle enemy air defences, marking a high-tech counter-offensive by the Indian Armed Forces.
Debris Recovered, Evidence of Pakistan’s Involvement in Terror Activities
Recovered debris from the intercepted drones and missiles is now being analysed and added to India’s growing body of evidence implicating Pakistan in cross-border terrorism, including financial and military support to terror groups operating against India.
This attempted strike is seen as a retaliation to India’s Operation Sindoor, a coordinated pre-dawn air assault that destroyed four terrorist camps in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation began at 1:05 AM on Wednesday and lasted 25 minutes, deploying 24 advanced munitions including HAMMER smart bombs and SCALP missiles.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that over 100 terrorists were eliminated during Operation Sindoor, which was launched in direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 people, including civilians, were killed by members of The Resistance Front, a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Terror Camps and HQs Flattened in Muridke and Balakot
Targets during the strike included the Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters in Muridke, Punjab, and Jaish-e-Mohammed’s training camps, which were reportedly involved in the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel.
The armed forces emphasised that no Pakistani military establishments were targeted, reinforcing India’s stated intent of a focused, measured, and non-escalatory approach.
Continued Shelling by Pakistan Along LoC
The government also raised concerns over continued shelling from Pakistan across the Line of Control (LoC), particularly in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri sectors. Since the Pahalgam attack, cross-border shelling has intensified, with Pakistan deploying mortars and heavy artillery shells, resulting in the deaths of 16 civilians, including three women and five children, and one Indian soldier.
At an all-party meeting Thursday morning, Defence Minister Singh reiterated that Operation Sindoor remains active, and warned that further aggression from Pakistan would invite stronger retaliatory action from India.
