The North News
New Deli, May 10
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level security meeting at his official residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, on Saturday. Those present at the emergency briefing included Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, chiefs of the three armed forces, and senior security officials. In response to what it called a “deliberate and escalatory” Pakistani assault on Indian air force bases, India has launched retaliatory strikes deep into Pakistani territory. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, speaking to reporters in Delhi, described the operation as “swift, surgical, and restrained.”
Strikes using precision-guided munitions and fighter jets targeted key Pakistani military assets — command centres, radar sites, ammunition depots, and aviation facilities, she said. “Sites struck included bases in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian,” Qureshi said. “We ensured minimal collateral damage and avoided civilian areas entirely,” she added.
India has accused Pakistan of misusing international aviation routes to mask military deployments. “It is deeply concerning that Pakistani military movements were hidden under the cover of commercial aircraft leaving Lahore,” said Colonel Qureshi.
Indian air defences, she said, were forced to act with extreme caution to prevent any harm to civilian aviation. “This level of deception required extraordinary precision from our side.”
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri defended India’s actions, calling them “measured and responsible,” and laid the blame squarely on Pakistan. “It is Pakistani aggression that has provoked this escalation,” he said.
India confirmed that 26 sites along its western front — from Srinagar to Chhalliya — had come under attack. According to Colonel Qureshi, Pakistani forces deployed drones, long-range missiles, and loitering munitions aimed at Indian military infrastructure.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh added that Pakistani fighter jets attempted multiple incursions, causing damage at Udhampur, Bhuj, Pathankot, and Bathinda air bases. “Even civilian targets, including schools and hospitals, were struck at 1.40am with high-speed missiles,” she said. Indian forces also destroyed a terrorist launch pad in the Pakistani village of Looni, opposite the Akhnoor sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Intelligence inputs indicated increased Pakistani troop mobilisation near forward posts — a development raising fears of a broader military confrontation.
India has forcefully rejected what it described as a Pakistani disinformation campaign designed to falsely claim successful strikes on sensitive Indian defence assets.
“These claims — about damage to S-400 systems or airbases in Surat and Sirsa — are fabricated,” said Wing Commander Singh.
In a specially convened briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri accused Islamabad of spreading “lies, misinformation, and propaganda.” He dismissed as “ludicrous” Pakistani assertions that Indian military actions had extended into Afghanistan.
Misri also confirmed that Pakistani shelling killed Additional District Development Commissioner Raj Kumar Thapa in Rajouri. “This civilian death is part of a disturbing pattern of escalation from Pakistan,” he said.
Despite the sharp escalation, India’s foreign ministry reiterated its commitment to avoiding war — unless provoked.
“India remains committed to restraint,” Misri said, “but let there be no doubt that we will respond decisively to any aggression or falsehood.”
In a pointed remark, he criticised Pakistani army statements encouraging Indians to turn against their own government. “That is the hallmark of a functioning democracy,” Misri said. “If Pakistanis find that unfamiliar, it only highlights their own lack of democratic tradition.”
