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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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
