New Delhi (TIP) : In a strong retaliatory move after unprovoked firing by Pakistan Rangers on Friday, May 9, night, the Border Security Force (BSF) confirmed it had destroyed a terrorist launch pad in Looni, located in Pakistan’s Sialkot district across from Jammu’s Akhnoor sector.
The action was a calibrated response to the ceasefire violation that began around 9 pm on May 9. “The terrorist launch pad at Looni was completely destroyed,” BSF said in a statement issued on Saturday, emphasising the force’s commitment to neutralising cross-border threats.
This development marks a significant escalation in tensions along the International Boundary, even as Indian forces remain on high alert to ensure the nation’s security and sovereignty.
India repels Pak attacks for second night in a row
India hit back at Pakistan on Friday night after repelling Pakistani drone strikes at 26 locations in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, as Islamabad ratcheted up hostilities for the second straight day, raising fears of a full-blown conflict. Three civilians were injured in an armed drone strike in Punjab’s Ferozepur town. Drones were sighted across a wide arc of locations – ranging from Baramulla and Srinagar in the north to Bhuj in the west – along both the international border and the Line of Control, the army said.
“The Indian armed forces are maintaining a high state of alert, and all such aerial threats are being tracked and engaged using counter-drone systems. The situation is under close and constant watch, and prompt action is being taken wherever necessary,” the army said.
The strikes came a day after Pakistan targeted 36 locations inside India with 300 to 400 Turkish-origin armed drones and used civilian airliners as a shield to attack military sites, prompting New Delhi to strike Islamabad’s air defence systems at four places and destroying one of them.
On May 9 night, Indian forces launched an appropriate and proportionate counter-strike. A number of civilian flights were operating in airports such as Lahore and Islamabad at the time of the drone strikes, lending credence to India’s claim earlier in the day that Pakistan was using civilian flights as a shield to attack its neighbouring country.
“An armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur, resulting in severe injuries to members of a local family. The injured have been provided medical assistance and the area has been sanitised by security forces,” said the army officials.
The drones included suspected armed drones posing potential threats to civilian and military targets, said the officials.
“Citizens, especially in border areas, are advised to remain indoors, limit unnecessary movement, and strictly follow safety instructions issued by local authorities. While there is no need for panic, heightened vigilance and precaution are essential,” the army said. The shower of drone strikes on military sites seen on May 9 night represented the third wave of attacks by Pakistan since India’s Operation Sindoor struck nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in the early hours of Wednesday.
On May 7 night, India had thwarted Pakistani attacks on 15 places and on Thursday night, repelled attacks at 36 locations. On all three occasions, New Delhi launched a swift counter-attack, inflicting damage on Pakistani air defence systems.
The escalations represent the worst face-off between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in decades and ratcheted up fears of a full-blown conflict.
Air raid sirens wailed and blackouts imposed across a wide swathe of cities and hamlets – from Srinagar to Jodhpur and Bilaspur to Ambala, just 200km away from the national capital. Visuals showed a shower of golden streaks across the night sky and bright flashes where defence systems engaged with incoming projectiles as loud bangs pierced the silence.