A Pakistani drone attempting to cross into India near the Jaisalmer border was shot down early Thursday, as part of an intensive response by the Indian Armed Forces to a wave of cross-border incursions and military provocations. According to defence sources, the drone was intercepted using advanced electronic surveillance jamming, preventing it from reaching its intended target.
In a broader escalation, four intrusion attempts were reported across Rajasthan, including Nal in Bikaner, Uttarlai in Barmer, Phalodi in Jodhpur, and the drone incident near Jaisalmer, which occurred just a few hours ago.
The downing of the drone comes in the wake of a major cross-border escalation on the night of May 7-8, when Pakistan attempted coordinated drone and missile strikes on multiple military targets across northern and western India, including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, and Bhuj. These attacks were effectively neutralised by India's Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems, with debris being recovered from several locations as evidence of the thwarted strikes.
India's counteroffensive
In a swift counter-response, Indian forces reportedly targeted Pakistani air defence systems, including the HQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missile system of Chinese origin, which is a critical component of Pakistan’s air defence network. Defence sources confirmed that an air defence radar system near Lahore had been neutralised in the operation.
Simultaneously, Pakistan has also intensified its artillery fire along the Line of Control (LoC), targeting civilian areas in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri sectors of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of 16 civilians, including three women and five children.
Ongoing tension
The current escalation follows India’s recent 'Operation Sindoor', a 25-minute precision strike campaign that destroyed nine terror sites belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) deep within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation, launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, targeted key militant hubs, including JeM strongholds in Bahawalpur, over 100 kilometers from the Indian border.
The Indian Armed Forces have reiterated their commitment to maintaining peace along the border, provided the Pakistani military respects it, as tensions remain high following this latest round of cross-border hostilities.
