Shaken by Operation Sindoor, under which the Indian Defence Forces targeted and destroyed nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan attempted to strike multiple military targets in Northern and Western India, including Amritsar, home to Sikhism’s sacred Golden Temple, on the intervening night of May 7 and 8.
In a statement on Thursday, the Defence Ministry said, “On the night of 07–08 May 2025, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India, including Awantipora, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles. These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter-UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. Debris from these attacks is now being recovered from multiple locations, confirming Pakistani aggression.”
According to reports, at least two of the artillery rockets (and possibly some drones) intercepted yesterday were on a trajectory to hit the Golden Temple.
Notably, for the past 25 years, Pakistan has intentionally avoided targeting Sikhs. It is Pakistan’s strategy to keep both the Khalistan and Kashmir insurgencies alive by creating a divide between Hindus and Sikhs. Initial reports suggest that Pakistan intended to blame India for the attack—claiming that India used its own retaliatory shelling, drone, and rocket strikes as a cover to destroy the Golden Temple, thus attempting to fuel a Hindu-Sikh divide. A full-proof social media campaign was also ready to spread this false news.
The blackout in Amritsar yesterday was intentionally implemented by the army to prevent any Pakistani drone or missile from striking the Golden Temple or the sacred city. Notably, the lights in the Golden Temple complex were turned off after fifty-four years as a part nationwide civil defence mock drill.
At a joint press conference on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri strongly rebutted Pakistan’s recent claim of having “downed” Indian jets and called out this as Islamabad’s “long history of lies.”
Notably, in coward act Pakistan on May 7, launched a targeted attack on the Sikh community in Jammu & Kashmir, striking a gurdwara in Poonch and killing three members of the Sikh community.
In response, on May 8, the Indian Armed Forces targeted Pakistan’s air defence radars and systems at multiple locations. In the response by Indian defence forces, Pakistan’s air defence system in Lahore was neutralised.
India’s S-400 air defence system can track aerial threats up to 600 km away and intercept fighter jets, ballistic missiles, and drones—making it a vital component of the country’s security apparatus.
“The Indian Armed Forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided this principle is respected by the Pakistani military,” the statement further said.
Pakistan relies on a variant of the Chinese HQ-9 air defence system to shield Lahore. According to sources, the version supplied by China is called the HQ-9P, customised specifically for Pakistan. The “P” likely stands for Pakistan.
The HQ-9 or HQ-9P forms the backbone of Pakistan’s layered air defence system.
India’s strike on Pakistan’s air defence infrastructure has significantly degraded its ability to detect and defend against aerial attacks.
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