Following a series of cross-border attacks and drone strikes, the Pakistan Army has begun moving troops towards forward positions. India warns that while it remains committed to de-escalation, it will respond proportionately to any provocation
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri with IAF officer Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Army's Colonel Sofiya Qureshi addresses a press conference, in New Delhi. (PIC/PTI)
The Pakistan Army has begun moving its troops towards forward areas, signalling possible offensive intentions following a spate of cross-border attacks on Indian territories and civilians including the use of kamikaze drones and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC)
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, addressing a press briefing on Saturday, confirmed the movement of Pakistani troops and described it as an indication of “offensive intent”. Singh reiterated that while India has responded proportionately to all hostile actions, it remains committed to de-escalation, provided Pakistan exercises reciprocal restraint.
“Pakistan Army has been observed moving troops towards forward areas, indicating an offensive intent to further escalation,” Singh stated. “Indian Armed Forces remain in a high state of operational readiness, and all hostile actions have been effectively countered with proportionate responses. We reiterate our commitment to non-escalation, conditional upon restraint from the Pakistani side.”
In what is being described as a “swift and calibrated response”, the Indian military carried out precision strikes on identified military targets in Pakistan. These retaliatory strikes reportedly hit four airbases across the border during the early hours of Saturday.
The Indian military showed time stamped pictures to deny Pakistan's claims about air force stations and base destruction in India. "Indian armed forces remain in high state of operational readiness... all hostile actions have been effectively countered," Wing Commander Vyomika Singh told reporters.
Singh also refuted Pakistan’s claims of destroying Indian defence systems, including the S-400 missile system and airfields at Suratgarh and Sirsa. “India unequivocally rejects these falsehoods being propagated by Pakistan in its ongoing misinformation campaign,” she said.
Earlier in the day, India thwarted an aerial drone attack in Punjab’s Amritsar. Defence officials revealed that Pakistan had launched Byker YIHA III kamikaze drones targeting civilian populations and medical facilities in Srinagar, Avantipura and Udhampur. The drones were intercepted and destroyed mid-air by the Indian Army's Air Defence systems at approximately 5 a.m, ANI reports.
“Pakistan launched Byker YIHA III Kamikaze drones in Amritsar, Punjab, endangering residential areas. The attempt was thwarted by Army Air Defence guns, and the drones were neutralised in the air,” said defence officials, according to ANI.
Simultaneously, locals in Rajasthan’s Barmer district recovered debris believed to be from unidentified projectiles, lending further weight to reports of widespread and indiscriminate attacks on Indian soil.
Tensions have been escalating since India launched Operation Sindoor earlier this week, in which Indian forces targeted nine terror infrastructures located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This operation, according to ANI, was a direct response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
Pakistan’s retaliation involved attacks on 26 Indian locations and was followed by India’s airstrikes on multiple Pakistani airbases. Intermittent firing is reportedly still underway at several points along the LoC.
(With inputs from ANI)
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