Colonel Sofiya Qureshi during her media briefing in New Delhi, on May 10, 2025. (India Sentinels photo)
New Delhi: India carried out precision strikes on multiple Pakistani military bases in the intervening night of May 9 and 10 in response to escalating provocations from Islamabad that included drone and high-speed missile attacks, and targeting of military and civilian infrastructure, the government said in a media briefing on Saturday. This development is the latest in the escalatory steps Pakistan had been taking since India smashed nine terror bases inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on the intervening night of May 6 and 7 under Operation Sindoor following the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
In the Ministry of External Affairs-led briefing, the foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, flanked by Ministry of Defence spokeswoman, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi from the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh from the Indian Air Force, described Pakistan’s actions as “escalatory and provocative” while characterizing India’s response as “responsible and measured”.
“[The] Pakistani military continued with its provocations, carrying out aggressive actions employing multiple threat vectors all along the western border,” said Wg Cdr Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force during the briefing.
During the briefing, the officials said Pakistan attempted air infiltrations at more than 26 locations along the international border (IB) and the line of control (LoC) from Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir to Naliya in Gujarat. While Indian forces neutralized most threats, equipment and personnel were damaged at Air Force stations in Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, Bhuj, and Bathinda, the government said.
Earlier on Friday night, citizens from Baramulla in Kashmir to Bhuj in Gujarat reported sighting drones along both the LoC and the IB with Pakistan. These include suspected armed drones posing potential threats to civilian and military targets.
The locations include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala.
There are credible reports that an armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur, which caused severe injuries to the members of a local family. The injured have been provided medical assistance and the area has been sanitized by security forces.
Speaking in Hindi during the briefing, Col Qureshi revealed that Pakistan fired a high-speed missile at an airbase in Punjab at 1.40am and targeted medical facilities and school premises at Air Force bases in Srinagar, Avantipur, and Udhampur, which she described as a “reprehensible and unprofessional act” revealing Pakistan’s “irresponsible tendency to attack civilian infrastructure.”
In what officials described as a “swift and calibrated response,” the Indian armed forces conducted precision strikes on Pakistani military targets including technical installations, command-and-control centres, radar sites, and weapon depots.
“Air launches were carried out with precision weapons and fighter jets on Pakistani military bases located in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian,” Col Qureshi said. She added that radar sites at Pasur and the aviation base at Sialkot were also targeted by precision ammunition.
The defence officials emphasized that India ensured minimal collateral damage during its counterstrikes, while accusing Pakistan of misusing international air routes “under the guise of civilian aircraft flying from Lahore” to hide military activities.
The briefing highlighted that Pakistan has been engaged in – what Misri called – a “misinformation campaign” on social media, making false claims about destruction of Indian military assets including the S-400 system at Adampur, airports at Suratgarh and Sirsa, the BrahMos base at Nagrota, artillery positions at Dehragiri, and a forward ammunition depot at Chandigarh.
“India completely rejects these false narratives,” Col Qureshi said, with Wg Cdr Singh later showing time-stamped images of Indian airbases with intact runways to debunk Pakistani claims.
The situation along the IB and the LoC remains tense, with officials reporting that Pakistan made several attempts at drone incursions and conducted heavy artillery shelling in multiple sectors including Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, and Akhnoor.
“The Indian Army gave an effective and comparative response and inflicted considerable damage on the Pakistani Army,” Col Qureshi stated.
The escalation has resulted in civilian casualties. Misri reported that Pakistan shelled the town of Rajouri, killing the additional district development commissioner, Raj Kumar Thapa. He also noted overnight damage to property and injuries to civilians in Ferozepur and Jalandhar.
India also expressed concern that Pakistan appears to be increasing troop deployment in forward areas, “which shows the intention to further aggravate the situation.” However, New Delhi maintained that the Indian military remains in “a state of full operational readiness” and have effectively confronted and appropriately retaliated against all hostile actions so far.
Both military representatives – Col Qureshi and Wg Cdr Singh – reiterated that the Indian armed forces “do not want escalation of tensions, provided Pakistan behaves in the same way.”
In his closing remarks, Misri strongly criticized Pakistan’s “execrable and wanton campaign of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure,” particularly in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab. He also dismissed what he called “ludicrous claims” from Pakistan, including allegations that Indian missiles had hit Afghanistan and that India had fired missiles towards “Shri Amritsar Sahib”.
“These lame attempts to divide India are doomed to failure,” Misri stated.
The foreign secretary also responded to comments from a Pakistani army spokesman who allegedly expressed satisfaction at Indian public criticism of their government. “It may be a surprise to Pakistan to see citizens criticizing their own government. That is the hallmark of an open and functioning democracy. Pakistan’s unfamiliarity with that, again, should not be surprising,” Misri remarked.
Officials declined to take questions from the media, citing the evolving nature of the situation, but promised to provide updates as events develop.
The current escalation represents one of the most serious military confrontations between the nuclear-armed neighbours in recent years. International observers and diplomatic sources have expressed concern about the developing situation, with several countries calling for restraint from both sides.
Citizens living in border areas have been advised to remain indoors, limit unnecessary movement, and strictly follow safety instructions issued by local authorities. While officials insisted there was no need to panic, heightened vigilance and precaution were essential.
As the situation continues to evolve, defence analysts told India Sentinels that the coming 48 hours will be crucial in determining whether the conflict intensifies further or whether diplomatic channels can help reduce tensions between the two nuclear powers.
MEA and MoD media briefing on Operation Sindoor, on May 10, 2025.
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