New Delhi [India]: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Friday strongly condemned the May 8 attacks by Pakistan that targeted multiple locations in India, including Amritsar, and dismissed Islamabad’s claim that India was attacking its own cities as “preposterous and outrageous.”
Addressing a press briefing, Misri stated:
“Instead of owning up to its actions, Pakistan made the preposterous and outrageous claims that it is the Indian armed forces that are targeting its own cities like Amritsar and trying to blame Pakistan.”
He further criticised the Pakistani narrative:
“That we would attack our ciites is the kind of deranged fantasy that only the Pakistani state can come up with, perhaps they do it because they are well versed in as their histroy would show.”
On the issue of disinformation surrounding a drone strike on the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara, Misri was unequivocal:
“Pakistan spread disinformation that India targeted the Nankama Sahib Gurdwara through a drone attack, which is yet another blatant lie… Pakistan is trying desperately to impart a communal hue to the situation with an intention to create a communal discord…”
Misri labelled the Pakistani actions as “provocative and escalatory”, emphasizing that the attacks were clearly aimed at both civilian and military infrastructure:
“These provocative and escalatory actions taken by Pakistan last night were targeted at Indian cities and civilian infrastructure in addition to military establishments. Indian armed forces responded proportionately, adequately, and responsibly… The official and blatantly farsical denial of these attacks that Pakistan carried out, by the Pakistani state machinery is another example of their duplicity and the new depths they are plumbing to.”
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, also present at the briefing, revealed that 300 to 400 drones were launched by Pakistan across 36 locations, with many being intercepted by Indian forces.
“On the night of May 7 and 8, the Pakistani army violated Indian airspace several times over the entire western border with the intention of targeting military infrastructure. Not only this, the Pakistani army also fired heavy-calibre weapons along the Line of Control. Around 300 to 400 drones were used to attempt infiltration at 36 locations.”
She added:
“The Indian armed forces shot down many of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means. The possible purpose of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence. Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones…”
Defence sources told ANI that Pakistan used Hamas-style missile tactics to target Jammu on Thursday, using multiple inexpensive rockets aimed at causing widespread disruption.
These actions are being seen as a retaliatory move following India’s Operation Sindoor on May 8, during which Indian Armed Forces destroyed nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This operation was conducted in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
On Thursday, the Indian Army neutralised over 50 Pakistani drones in a large-scale counter-drone operation along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Borders (IB). In addition, the Indian Armed Forces reportedly neutralised a Pakistani Air Defence system in Lahore during the attacks between May 7 and 8.