Prime Minister Narendra Modi, within a span of a few days, met the three service chiefs yet again on Friday as the India-Pakistan tensions escalated this week to the worst in nearly three decades.
On Wednesday, India launched air strikes under Operation Sindoor against targets in Pakistan that it said were “terrorist infrastructure”, in response to a deadly attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam two weeks earlier. Twenty six people were killed in the Pahalgam attack.
In response, Pakistan’s armed forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other munitions along the entire western border on the intervening night of May 8-9, which were “effectively repulsed”, the Indian Army said today.
The indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile air defence system has played a crucial role in thwarting Pakistani drone attacks targeting Indian assets on Thursday, according to defence officials. Officials further added that both the Indian Army and Air Force have deployed the missile system along the Pakistan border.
“Pakistan Armed Forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other munitions along entire Western Border on the intervening night of 08 and 09 May. Pak troops also resorted to numerous ceasefire violations (CFVs) along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The drone attacks were effectively repulsed and a befitting reply was given to the CFVs. Indian Army remains committed to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nation. All nefarious designs will be responded with force,” said the Army.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has carried out a comprehensive review of the national security scenario with the top military leadership, a day after Pakistan’s attempts to target Indian military installations were repelled.
In another development, the central government has empowered the Army Chief to call out “every officer and every enrolled person” of the Territorial Army (TA) to provide for essential guard or to be embodied to support or supplement the regular Army.
The Centre has also asked all states to give emergency procurement power to the heads of the civil defence authorities so that they can make the required purchases in case of an emergency situation.
