Golden Temple Saved: How Indian Forces Foiled a Major Aerial Assault

New Delhi: In a dramatic show of preparedness and precision, the Indian Army’s air defence units averted what could have been a catastrophic national tragedy when they successfully neutralised a massive aerial assault by Pakistan aimed at Amritsar’s Golden Temple. The attempted strike took place in the early hours of May 8, just days after India’s Operation Sindoor targeted terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

According to Major General Kartik C Seshadri, General Officer Commanding of the 15th Infantry Division, Pakistani forces launched an array of unmanned aerial weapons—drones, loitering munitions, and long-range missiles—in a coordinated attempt to target religious and civilian sites in India. The most prominent among these targets was the Golden Temple, a revered Sikh shrine in Amritsar.

“On 8th May early morning, in the hours of darkness, Pakistan carried out a massive air assault with unmanned aerial weapons, primarily drones and long-range missiles. We were fully prepared since we had anticipated this, and our braveheart and alert army air defence gunners thwarted Pakistan Army’s nefarious designs and shot down all drones and missiles targeted at the Golden Temple. Thus, not allowing even a scratch to come on our holy Golden Temple,” said Major General Seshadri in a briefing.

Foreseeing such an offensive, Indian intelligence agencies had issued alerts regarding potential attacks on religious and civilian sites. Acting swiftly, the Army deployed an advanced array of air defence assets around the Golden Temple and key locations in Punjab, forming what officials described as a “holistic air defence umbrella.”

In a demonstration held on Monday, the Army showcased how systems like the AKASH missile system and L-70 Air Defence Guns were used to intercept and eliminate all incoming aerial threats. These air defence systems worked in unison, operating on a 24/7 surveillance grid with rapid response capabilities.

“Knowing that the Pak Army does not have any legitimate targets, we anticipated that they would target Indian military installations, civilian targets including religious places. Of these, Golden Temple appeared to be the most prominent,” Major General Seshadri added.

The Defence Ministry later confirmed that several other Indian cities and military bases—including Jammu, Srinagar, Pathankot, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, and even Bhuj in Gujarat—were also on Pakistan’s target list. However, thanks to India’s integrated air defence network, all attacks were foiled without any reported damage.

The Pakistani offensive was reportedly in retaliation to India’s surgical strike on nine terror hubs inside Pakistan, launched after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. While the political tensions between the two nations remain high, the Indian Army’s swift and decisive action has been widely praised for preventing potential devastation.