After strikes on Pakistani airbases, Ministries of Defence and External Affairs to brief on Operation Sindoor at 10:30 am

In the screengrab from a video posted by @adgpi via X on Friday, May 9, 2025, Indian Army neutralises a Pakistani drone attack.

Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs are scheduled to conduct a joint briefing on Saturday regarding Operation Sindoor. The press meet, according to ANI, will begin at 10:30 am and is expected to shed light on India's recent military operations in response to Pakistani aggression.

This development follows significant cross-border shelling by Pakistan early Saturday morning, which resulted in heavy damage to civilian infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

Among the casualties was a senior officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Administration Services, Raj Kumar Thappa. He was killed when his residence in Rajouri town was struck by a shell. Thappa had just the previous day been accompanying the Deputy Chief Minister on an official district tour and had participated in a virtual meeting chaired by the Chief Minister.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed deep sorrow over Thappa's passing. "We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administration Services. Just yesterday he was on official duty, and today we have lost him to targeted shelling by Pakistan. I have no words to express my shock and sadness. May his soul rest in peace," said Abdullah in an official statement.

In response to Pakistan's assault on 26 locations across India - which included suspected drone attacks - India launched retaliatory strikes in the early hours of Saturday. Indian forces targeted at least four Pakistani airbases, with ongoing intermittent firing still reported along several points of the Line of Control (LoC).

The Ministry of Defence, in a detailed statement, confirmed that drones - including potentially armed ones - were observed at multiple sites along the International Border and LoC. These locations included Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala.

Regrettably, a drone attack in Ferozpur resulted in civilian injuries when a family home was struck. The injured were given immediate medical attention, and the site was subsequently secured by security forces.

The Defence Ministry added that all aerial threats are being vigilantly monitored and neutralised using counter-drone systems. "The Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high state of alert. The situation remains under constant watch, and prompt action is being taken wherever necessary," the statement said.

(With inputs from ANI)