J&K Police issues citizens advisory
VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: In the wake of heightened cross border shelling along Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Poonch Sector, Pakistan on Thursday evening launched eight missiles from across the border, targeting strategic and civilian zones including Satwari, Samba, RS Pura, and Arnia.
According to defence sources, India’s Air Defence Units activated swift and precise response and the missiles were intercepted mid-air, averting what could have been a serious tragedy. The temple city and its adjoinging areas, apart from various other parts of the Jammu region plunged in darkness, what is seen as black out.
Indian destroys Pakistani Air Defence System in Lahore; foils Pak attempts to target 15 places in India
The traffic movement on the roads came almost to halt. Visuals emerging from Jammu bore a disturbing resemblance to the HAMAS-style rocket attacks on Israel, with multiple low-cost projectiles launched in a clear attempt to cause mass disruption and panic.
The sources privy to defence experts said that the missile attacks strongly indicate that Pakistan Army is resorting to terror tactics, akin to globally condemned terror outfits.
Intelligence reports also suggest a recent convergence between Pakistan’s ISI and HAMAS operatives in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), further pointing to a disturbing pattern of state-sponsored terrorism.
Residents of Jammu City were seen perching from their balconies to observe the aerial activity, including flares lighting up the night sky.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir has issued a citizens advisory asking people to stay indoors and take shelter in safe places during blackout periods; switch off all types of lights as directed; avoid unnecessary vehicular movement until further notice and do not spread rumors or unverified news via social media or other OTT platforms.
Sources said that authorities are in full control of the situation as there is no need to panic.
India said it foiled Pakistan military’s attempts to attack 15 places in Northern and Western India using missiles and drones, and destroyed a Pakistani air defence system in Lahore as tensions between the two sides mounted amid fears of a wider conflict.
The defence ministry said the Pakistani military attempted last night to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj.
These attempts were neutralised by the Integrated Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (Grid and Air Defence systems), it said.
The Pakistani attempt came after Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.
The defence ministry said India called its anti-terror response as “focused, measured and non-escalatory” and that Pakistani military establishments had not been targeted.
“It was also reiterated that any attack on military targets in India will invite a suitable response,” it said.
“Today morning 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 the same intensity as Pakistan,” the ministry said in a readout.
“It has been reliably learnt that an air defence system at Lahore has been neutralised,” it said.
The ministry said Pakistan has increased the intensity of its unprovoked firing across the Line of Control using mortars and heavy calibre artillery in areas in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar and Rajouri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.
Here too, India was compelled to respond to bring mortar and artillery fire from Pakistan to a halt, it said.
“Indian Armed Forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is respected by the Pakistani military,” the ministry said.