Pakistan escalating again, Indian response will continue: Foreign Secretary Misri
New Delhi — Indian defence forces successfully thwarted an attempt by Pakistan to target several military locations in Northern and Western India, a senior army officer confirmed during a special press briefing on Thursday.
Colonel Sofiya Quraishi, addressing the media on developments related to Operation Sindoor, said Pakistan had launched a coordinated drone and missile attack on the night of May 7 and 8, aiming at multiple Indian cities including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj.
“These attempts were neutralised by our Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid and Air Defence systems,” she stated. “Debris recovered from different sites confirms the Pakistani attacks.”
Col Quraishi noted that India's earlier military response was “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” and that no Pakistani military establishments were targeted at that time. However, she said, India had warned that any attack on its military installations would invite an appropriate response.
“Today morning, Indian Armed Forces responded by targeting Pakistan’s Air Defence Radars and systems at multiple locations. It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system in Lahore has been neutralised,” she added.
In the same briefing, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh highlighted the increased intensity of unprovoked cross-border shelling by Pakistan.
“Pakistan has been using mortars and heavy artillery to target Indian positions along the Line of Control in sectors such as Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri,” she said. “So far, 16 innocent civilians, including three women and five children, have lost their lives due to this shelling.”
She said India was compelled to respond in order to halt the artillery fire from across the border. “Our Armed Forces remain committed to non-escalation, provided this is respected by the Pakistani military,” Wing Commander Singh said.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also addressed the media, pointing to Pakistan’s contradictory stand on international platforms. He said that despite the terror group The Resistance Front (TRF) publicly claiming responsibility for the Pahalgam attack twice, Pakistan denied their involvement during discussions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
“Col Quraishi and Wing Commander Singh made it clear that India’s military actions are measured and focused only on terrorist infrastructure. Our intention is not to escalate tensions. We have not targeted any Pakistani military sites,” Misri said.
He further added, “Any further action by Pakistan, some of which we are seeing today, is nothing but escalation by Pakistan once again, and will be responded to and is being responded to appropriately.”
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Tumakuru: Dalit family allegedly prevented from entering temple; accused arrested
Tumakuru: Police in Turuvekere have arrested a 65-year-old man for allegedly obstructing a Dalit family from entering a temple and making caste-based remarks, officials said on Saturday.
The accused, identified as Rajanna, has been booked under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act based on a complaint filed by Rangaramu T. of Thuyalahalli village.
According to the FIR, the incident took place on April 18 around 5:30 pm when Rangaramu T. and his family visited the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Mallur village to offer prayers. It states that the accused allegedly objected to their entry and made remarks referring to caste hierarchy and questioning their presence inside the temple premises.
The FIR further states that the accused made additional remarks asserting that such entry into the temple was not permitted and asked the family to leave. It also mentions that the complainant was subjected to mental harassment through these statements.
Following the complaint, DySP Om Prakash Gowda along with revenue officials and police visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
Further investigation is underway.
