Pakistan used civilian flights as shield during May 8 attack: Indian government
The Indian government on Friday said Pakistan did not close its airspace and allowed civilian flights to operate while launching drones on multiple targets across 36 locations in India on Thursday.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said Pakistan is using the civil airliner as a shield despite knowing that by attacking across the border, it would elicit a swift air defence response.
"Pakistan is using civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response. This is not safe for the unsuspecting civil airliners, including the international flights which were flying near IB between India and Pakistan," she said.
Drone and Missile Attacks
#Pakistan did not close its civil airspace despite launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on 7th May at 08:30 hours in the evening. Pakistan is using civil airliners as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence… pic.twitter.com/HwZjQICYbS
— PIB India (@PIB_India) May 9, 2025
Two weeks after the attack took place in the popular tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).India Armed Forces on Thursday neutralised missiles and drones shot by Pakistan, targeting multiple cities in India, which included Amritsar, Jammu, Pathankot, among others.
The Indian Army earlier said in a statement: "On the night of 07-08 May 2025, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles."
"These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks," the statement said.
The Indian Ministry of Defence said the Indian Armed Forces targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan.
"Indian response has been in the same domain with same intensity as Pakistan. It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised," the statement said.
The Indian Armed Forces foiled a major infiltration bid at the international border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district and killed at least seven terrorists on Friday.
The infiltration bid was foiled on the intervening night of May 8 and 9.
