New Delhi: In the wake of escalating hostilities from Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level security meeting with the top brass of the Indian Armed Forces, including Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The meeting was convened to assess India’s preparedness and review the progress of Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory mission targeting terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
This comes just a day after Indian forces successfully repelled an unprecedented Pakistani drone offensive involving over 300 drones targeting 36 strategic locations along the western border and the Line of Control (LoC). The drones, reportedly Turkish-made Asisguard Songar models, were used to breach Indian airspace and test the country’s air defence grid.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, addressing a press briefing, revealed:
“On the night of May 7 and 8, the Pakistani army violated Indian airspace several times over the entire western border to target military infrastructure… Around 300 to 400 drones were used to attempt infiltration at 36 locations.”
She added, “The Indian armed forces shot down many of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means. The possible purpose was to test air defence systems and gather surveillance data.”
India’s retaliation under Operation Sindoor targeted nine terror hubs inside Pakistan and PoK, in response to the April 22 terror attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam. In what defence sources described as a “Hamas-style attack”, Pakistan used low-cost rockets and heavy artillery to target civilian and military areas in Jammu and Kashmir, including Uri, Poonch, and Rajouri.
While the Indian Army neutralised more than 50 drones in counter-operations on May 8, Pakistani forces further escalated by firing at Indian positions along the LoC on Friday evening.
The Prime Minister’s security review also focused on reinforcing border surveillance, enhancing drone countermeasures, and ensuring civilian safety amid heightened alert levels across northern India.
Defence officials have confirmed that one of India’s drones successfully disabled an air defence radar system in Lahore during the retaliatory strikes — a move seen as a major tactical gain.
