The possible purpose of such large scale intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence

During the intervening night of May 8 and 9, Pakistan carried out strikes by drones on India at 36 locations along the western borders from Leh in the north to Sir Creek in Gujarat, using 300-400 unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Revealing this at a media briefing related on the ongoing military engagement between India and Pakistan, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said preliminary examination of downed drones showed that Turkey’s Asisguard Songar drones were employed for the attacks.

Stating that the Indian Armed Forces shot down many of the drones using kinetic and non-kinetic measures, they added that the possible purpose of such large scale intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence.

Developed by an Ankara-based firm, Asisguard, Songar is a low-altitude, quadrotor, unmanned combat aerial vehicle that was developed for the Turkish Armed Forces and has been in use since 2020 for battlefield operations as well as internal security duties.

Consisting of a quadrotor that can be armed and a ground-control station, it can be operated in autonomous and manual-flight modes and can simultaneously transmit telemetry data and images. Its features include route-planning and navigation based on GPS and autonomous return-to-base operation in an emergency.

The company’s website states that Songar Armed Drone System is the first armed drone in the Turkish Armed Forces’ and is meant to be used in any kind of day and night military and security operations.

Songar has an operational range of about 10 kms and a maximum take-off weight of 45 kg. According to reports, the system is low-cost and can be modified according to requirements at hand, is easy to use, It is also light weight and easy to carry by troops.

Besides carrying daytime and infrared cameras, it can be equipped with different types of weapons that can be triggered remotely. These include machine guns, grenade launchers and mini missiles that can be used to target personnel, bunkers, light vehicles and buildings up to a range of two kms.

Barrel rotation up to 45 degrees, close air support capability for critical military installations, ability to perform 35 minutes of duty without payload, rapid response to known threats, multi-layered firing safety measures and gimbaled automatic firing system are among its other listed features.

Songar has been integrated into both ground vehicles and standalone UAV operations. It has also been mounted on a 4×4 armored vehicle to support close-range combat and surveillance missions.

Pakistan and Turkey have close bilateral relations encompassing cultural, economic, diplomatic and military domains and are both members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Turkey is a major supplier of military equipment to Pakistan and has been supporting it in the international arena.

Lahore Police said that the explosions occurred within moments of each other. The blasts were so loud that people who were several kilometres away heard its sound and rushed to streets in confusion and fear.

Lahore [Pakistan], May 8 (ANI): Three explosions were heard in quick succession in Walton Road of Pakistan’s Lahore on Thursday, prompting residents to rush out of their homes in fear, ARY News reported, citing police. The blasts happened in the vicinity of Gulberg, which is one of Lahore’s most upscale and sensitive districts.

Lahore Police said that the explosions occurred within moments of each other. The blasts were so loud that people who were several kilometres away heard its sound and rushed to streets in confusion and fear.

Emergency response teams, including Rescue and Firefighting units, have reached the site of the incident. Furthermore, the police have cordoned off the area, ARY News reported.

According to officials, investigations were being made to determine the nature and source of the explosions. The authorities have sealed the area and unrelated people have been restricted from entering the area as bomb disposal and intelligence teams start their preliminary assessment, ARY News reported.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has temporarily suspended flight operations at airports in Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot, local media outlet Aaj News reported.

The Chandigarh administration sounded an air raid siren appealing to people to remain indoors after receiving a warning from the Air Force station of a possible attack. The administration in Ambala, which has a key IAFbase, ordered a complete blackout…

The Chandigarh administration sounded an air raid siren appealing to people to remain indoors after receiving a warning from the Air Force station of a possible attack. The administration in Ambala, which has a key IAFbase, ordered a complete blackout during night hours.

Amid the escalation of tensions with Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Friday said the services at the Kartarpur Sahib corridor had been suspended until further notice. The 4.7-km-long corridor connects Indian border in Gurdaspur with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in…

Amid the escalation of tensions with Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Friday said the services at the Kartarpur Sahib corridor had been suspended until further notice. The 4.7-km-long corridor connects Indian border in Gurdaspur with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.

Pakistan early claimed that its three airbases were targeted by Indian missiles and drones

Multiple blasts were heard in Srinagar city early Saturday morning, hours after the Indian military thwarted drone attacks by Pakistan on several installations, including the airport, late last night.

According to officials, the blasts were heard near vital installations, including the airport.

As soon as the blasts were heard, sirens went off in the city.Advertisement

Power has also been snapped in the city and most other parts of the valley, the officials said. PTI inputs

Area has been sanitised by security forces, say officials

In a morning update today, official sources said drones had been sighted at some locations near the International Border and the Line of Control with Pakistan through the night.

These suspected armed drones are posing potential threats to civilian and military targets, they said.

Officials said, “Regrettably, an armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur, resulting in severe injuries to members of a local family. The injured have been provided medical assistance and the area has been sanitised by security forces.”

They said the Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high state of alert, and all such aerial threats are being tracked and engaged using counter-drone systems.

“Citizens, especially in border areas, are advised to remain indoors, limit unnecessary movement, and strictly follow safety instructions issued by local authorities. While there is no need for panic, heightened vigilance and precaution are essential,” government sources said.

Pakistan early Saturday claimed that its three airbases were targeted by Indian missiles and drones. The Pakistani military has claimed that the blasts occurred at three air force installations, including the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi. Videos circulating in Pakistani media and social media reportedly show the Nur Khan Air Base on fire following a huge explosion.

Woman killed in Poonch

May 10, 2025 7:39 am

A woman identified as Rashida Bi from Mendhar in Poonch killed in Pakiatan shelling at 7 am today

ADC Rajouri Raj Kumar Thappa killed in Pakistan Army strikes

May 10, 2025 7:22 am

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri, Raj Kumar Thappa, has been killed during Pakistan Army strikes in response of Indian non-stop aggression.

Devastating news from Rajouri. We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administration Services. Just yesterday he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district & attended the online meeting I chaired. Today the residence of the officer was hit by Pak shelling as they…— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) https://twitter.com/OmarAbdullah/status/1921015452454605262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>May 10, 2025

Smoke seen from Dibber area, Udhampur

May 10, 2025 7:11 amPakistani drone fragments recovered in Punjab’s Jalandhar

As Pakistan attacked multiple locations in India, parts of a drone were recovered after a blast in Kanganiwal village in rural Jalandhar of Punjab on Saturday. Surjeet Kaur, a local whose house was affected due to a Pakistani drone attack, said, “A red coloured flash came above our house and there was a huge explosion. We got scared. Everything was dark. We came out of our houses after a short while and saw that the water tank above our houses and our neighbours’ houses had exploded. There was a blackout at that time, and all the lights were off.” In an immediate response to Pakistan’s attack on 26 Indian locations on Saturday, India launched retaliatory strikes, sources told ANI.

Pakistani artillery shelling in Rajouri, Jammu, Poonch

May 10, 2025 6:58 am

Many civilian areas have been hit by Pakistani artillery shelling in Rajouri town, Poonch town and Jammu. Additional District Development Commissioner, Rajouri, Raj Kumar Thapa critically injured in shelling near his home. Taken to hospital

Explosion-like sounds heard in Punjab’s Pathankot   

May 10, 2025 6:51 am

Explosion-like sounds were heard in Pathankot district of Punjab early Saturday morning, amid the ongoing military conflict between India and Pakistan. The blast sounds were heard around 5 am. There was no official word in this regard.

ADDC Rajouri critically injured

May 10, 2025 6:47 am

Heavy artillery shelling reaching Rajouri town. Many houses and structures damaged. ADDC Rajouri critically injured.

Blasts in Srinagar

May 10, 2025 6:31 am

Multiple blasts were heard in Srinagar city early Saturday morning, hours after the Indian military thwarted drone attacks by Pakistan at several places here late last night. According to officials, the blasts were heard near vital installations, including the airport. As soon as the blasts were heard, sirens went off in the city. Power has also been snapped in the city and most other parts of the valley, the officials said.

Pakistan claims India targeted three airbases with missiles

May 10, 2025 6:30 am

Pakistan early Saturday claimed that its three airbases were targeted by Indian missiles and drones. Pakistan military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told a hurriedly called press conference in Islamabad at around 4 am that Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district) airbases of Pakistan Air Force were targeted. “But all assets of the Air Force remain safe,” he claimed. India has fired air-to-surface missiles with its jets, he claimed. He added that several missiles were intercepted by Pakistan’s air defence system. He said this is a “sinister act of India pushing the region into lethal war and Pakistan will respond to this aggression. India should wait for our response”. Chaudhry did not take any questions and ended the presser abruptly.

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh exposed Pakistan’s airspace tactics, saying that Islamabad deliberately kept its civil airspace open after launching a ‘failed unprovoked drone’ and missile attack on Wednesday, effectively using civil airliners as shields.

New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): Wing Commander Vyomika Singh exposed Pakistan’s airspace tactics, saying that Islamabad deliberately kept its civil airspace open after launching a “failed unprovoked drone” and missile attack on Wednesday, effectively using civil airliners as shields.

Adressing the special briefing on Operation Sindoor on Friday, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said, “Pakistan did not close its civil airspace despite it launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on 7 May at 08:30 hours in the evening. Pakistan is using civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response.”

She further emphasised that this decision endangered unsuspecting civil airliners, including international flights operating near the India-Pakistan border.

“This is not safe for the unsuspecting civil airliners including the international flights which were flying near IB between India and Pakistan,” she said.

During the briefing the Wing Commander showed the data of the application flight radar 24 during a high air defence alert situation in the Punjab sector.

Singh pointed out that while India’s airspace was closed due to the heightened alert, Pakistan allowed civil airlines to continue flying, including those on the Karachi-Lahore route.

“As you have seen, the airspace on the Indian side is absolutely devoid of civil air traffic due to our declared closure. However, there are civil airlines flying the air route between Karachi and Lahore…Indian Air force demonstrated considerable restraint in its response thus ensuring safety of international civil carriers,” she said.

Further, she also higlighted that, in response to the Pakistani attack, armed drones were launched at four air defence sites in Pakistan. One of the drones was able to destroy an Air Defence radar on Thursday.

Citing Pakistan’s attack on Indian Army on the night of May 7 and 8, she stated, “Pakistan also carried out artillery shelling across the line of control using heavy-calibre artillery guns and armed drones… which resulted in some losses and injuries to Indian army personnel. Pakistan army also suffered major losses in Indian retaliatory fire.”

Meawhile, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi revealed that, in a major escalation along India’s western front, the Pakistani army carried out multiple airspace violations and drone intrusions on the night of May 7 and 8, targeting Indian military infrastructure.

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said during the press briefing, “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. Not only this, the Pakistani army also fired heavy-calibre weapons along the Line of Control. 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 of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence. Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones…”

Escalating its tensions with India, Pakistan targeted Jammu using Hamas-style missiles to target multiple areas on Thursday, defence sources had told ANI.

The sources said the attack resembled a Hamas-style operation in Israel, where multiple cheap rockets were used to target cities.

Pakistan’s attempted retaliation came in the wake of India’s Operation Sindoor, where the Indian armed forces targeted nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday.

The operation was a direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Earlier on Thursday, the Indian Army had shot down more than 50 Pakistani drones during a large-scale counter-drone operation along the LoC and International Borders (IB), sources told ANI.

The Indian Armed Forces also successfully neutralised Pakistan military’s attempts at a large-scale drone and missile attack on multiple Indian military installations across Northern and Western India during the night of May 7-8, and an Air Defence system at Lahore was neutralised. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)

Dive deep into the shocking air-to-air engagement that just reshaped South Asian air power! 🇮🇳✈️🇵🇰 In this video, we unpack the first-ever combat loss of the Indian Air Force’s elite Rafale EH (BS001) at the hands of Pakistan’s J-10CE, armed with China’s PL-15E “fire-and-forget” missile. From the discovery of wreckage near Aklian Kalan, to the implications for future beyond-visual-range (BVR) dogfights, we analyze:

Since the first leg of Operation Sindoor launched by the military in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India has thwarted all Pakistani attempts to breach national sovereignty. The swift Indian response establishes the strength of national…

Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service

Since the first leg of Operation Sindoor launched by the military in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India has thwarted all Pakistani attempts to breach national sovereignty.

The swift Indian response establishes the strength of national air defence systems assiduously built over the past decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s national security policy. On the other side, the Indian military’s response has exposed the chinks in Pakistani air defence mechanisms.

Top official sources point to a concerted effort over 11 years to acquire cutting-edge weapon systems and point to the Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, S-400 Triumf systems, Barak-8 missiles, Akash surface-to-air missiles and the DRDO’s anti-drone technologies as the “aerial shield over Indian skies that held firm in the face of enemy hostility”.

“With its initial response, which is ongoing, India has shown it is not just defending its skies but controlling them,” said a government source mentioning Operation Sindoor’s ability to hit deep into the Pakistani territory and destroy a Chinese-supplied HQ-9 air defence unit in Lahore, damaging key radar infrastructure in Pakistan’s second-largest city.

Senior ruling BJP leaders say graded and focused acquisitions in spite of consistent Congress-led Opposition’s offensive against the critical Rafale jet deal held India in good stead since Pakistan’s April 22 provocation in Pahalgam.

India resisted US sanction threats to seal the Rs 35,000-crore deal with Russia for five S-400 Triumf squadrons in 2018. Three of these squadrons are now operational along the borders with China and Pakistan, securing India.

The deployment of Barak-8 medium-range surface-to-air missiles (MR-SAM), a $2.5 billion deal signed in 2017 with Israel, continues to guard the frontline bases like Bathinda. Developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Israel Aerospace Industries, the state-of-the-art surface-to-air missile system can engage a range of aerial threats in one of India’s most sensitive regions.

Indigenous high-end military technologies used in the response against Pakistan include the DRDO-developed Akash missile system with 96 per cent domestic content, counter-drone technology and Man Portable Counter Drone Systems (MPCDS) to jam and disable hostile UAVs.

On the modern warfare front, Operation Sindoor saw the combat debut of loitering munitions, suicidal drones ordered under emergency procurement in 2021 and jointly developed by India and Israel.

“These drones executed simultaneous, precision strikes across sectors, taking Pakistan’s defences by complete surprise,” said official sources.

They added that Israeli-origin Harop drones, now locally built, were also deployed to target and destroy air defence assets in Karachi and Lahore. “These platforms, combined with the strategic deployment of Rafale fighter jets equipped with SCALP and HAMMER missiles, demonstrated India’s capability to project power with surgical precision,” a government note said of the Indian strong tech-driven air defence shield capable of detecting, jamming and eliminating threats before they breach.

“Operation Sindoor gives a clear message of Indian dominance of the land and skies in this combat. This military operation mirrors our rise as a self-reliant defence power capable of producing high-end military technologies at home and a rising global power conscious of its responsibilities to bolster the national defence paradigm, notwithstanding internal and external opposition and threats,” said a senior government source.