Pathankot (Punjab) [India]: Amid rising cross-border hostilities, Indian air defence systems shot down a Pakistani Air Force jet in the Pathankot sector of Punjab on Friday, according to multiple sources. While official confirmation is awaited, defence and security establishments remain on high alert.
Earlier, two Pakistani drones were also shot down by the Indian Army in the Naushera sector of Jammu and Kashmir during an ongoing exchange of artillery fire between Indian and Pakistani troops.
According to the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, Pakistan attempted coordinated strikes using missiles and drones to target military stations in Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur, located near the International Border (IB). The Indian Armed Forces successfully intercepted the threats with kinetic and non-kinetic measures, and no casualties were reported.
“Threat neutralised by Indian Armed Forces as per SoP,” read an official post on social platform X.
In New Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level security meeting with top officials of all border guarding forces, including BSF and ITBP, to assess operational readiness along the border in light of Pakistan’s large-scale drone and missile attacks on Jammu and Rajasthan, including areas like Satwari, Samba, RS Pura, Arnia, and Jaisalmer.
Separately, airport security was reviewed with the Director General of the CISF, given the elevated national alert levels.
These events unfold just days after India launched “Operation Sindoor” on May 7, conducting precision missile strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoJK. The operation targeted infrastructure tied to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 28 civilian lives.