Indian ‘Dome’ Shields 15 Cities

Srinagar:In a dramatic escalation late on Thursday evening, Pakistan launched a barrage of coordinated drone and missile strikes on multiple Indian cities, pushing the region to the brink of full-scale conflict. “Military stations at Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur were targeted by Pakistani-origin drones and missiles along the international border in J&K today,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

It said the threats were swiftly neutralised “using kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities in line with established standard operating procedures”, and no casualties or material losses were reported. Reports also suggested that the Indian forces shot down two Pakistani Air Force jets, including one F-16. The Indian Navy has also started attacking Karachi port, in what is the first such strike since the 1971 war.

Earlier, in a powerful retaliatory strike, the IAF’s Harpy drones, in an early morning strike, neutralised Pakistan’s Chinese air defence system HQ 9B at Lahore. This was a firm response to Pakistan’s provocation late on Wednesday night where it had attempted a coordinated assault using drones and missiles aimed at key military installations across 15 cities in northern and western India — escalating the current hostilities between the two countries.

Indian air defence units intercepted at least eight missiles fired by Pakistan towards the border areas of Jammu, including the strategically important Jammu airport at Satwari on Thursday evening. The missiles were aimed at key locations, including Satwari (Jammu airport), Samba, RS Pura and Arnia. Pakistani drone attacks along the western border at various locations were also reported. The Indian Army claimed that these were “effectively engaged by Indian forces”.

As Pakistan climbed the escalation ladder, a blackout was enforced in several districts across northern India, including Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Mohali in Punjab and the Union territory of Chandigarh on Thursday evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met national security adviser Ajit Doval as well as Army Chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi to review the situation on Thursday night. Defence minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation with the Chief of Defence Staff and the three service chiefs.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who is also the acting American NSA, spoke to external affairs minister S. Jaishankar as well as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where he pressed for an “immediate de-escalation by both countries and expressed US support for a direct dialogue between India and Pakistan”. Mr Doval briefed the Prime Minister on the developing situation.

Multiple loud explosions were heard across Jammu and some areas of neighbouring Punjab on Thursday evening after the Pakistani unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attempted to strike multiple locations. However, a report -- not confirmed officially -- said some damage was caused to Jammu airport precincts in an initial drone strike between 8 pm and 8.15 pm.

Earlier, in a powerful retaliatory strike, the Indian Air Force’s Harpy drones, in an early morning strike on Thursday, neutralised Pakistan’s Chinese air defence system HQ 9B at Lahore. The Indian armed forces delivered a firm response to Pakistan’s provocation late on Wednesday night where it had attempted a coordinated assault using drones and missiles aimed at several key military installations across 15 cities in northern and western India -- escalating the current hostilities between the two countries.

On the intervening night of Wednesday-Thursday, at 1 am, the Pakistani attack, mainly consisting of drone and loitering munitions started around 1 am, and were swiftly intercepted by India’s air defence systems, including the Russian S-400, Akash and other surface-to-air missile systems, preventing them from inflicting any damage on Indian soil. In response, India too launched drones, and loitering munitions at air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan.

“The Indian response has been in the same domain with the same intensity as Pakistan. It has been reliably learnt that an air defence system at Lahore has been neutralised,” said defence ministry statement.

Pakistan tried to target military installations in Awantipur, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj. The debris from these attacks is now being recovered.

As the tension escalated, Pakistan also increased the intensity of its unprovoked firing across the Line of Control using mortars and heavy calibre artillery in areas in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar and Rajouri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sixteen innocent lives have been lost, including three women and five children, due to the Pakistani firing. "Here too, India was compelled to respond to bring mortar and artillery fire from Pakistan to a halt”, the defence ministry said, adding that the “Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is respected by the Pakistani military”.

India used the Harpy drones designed to attack radar systems to target enemy air defence systems in Pakistan. It is designed to attack radar systems and is optimised for the suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) role. Equipped with an anti-radiation (AR) seeker, the Harpy can autonomously seek and strike emitting high-value targets. The Harpy operates in deep-strike missions lasting up to nine hours, day and night, in all weather conditions, and in Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)-denied or contested battlefields.

Meanwhile, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday no limit will become an obstacle to protect India's sovereignty and the nation was fully prepared for such responses.