Pakistan said it had downed 25 Indian loitering munition drones across the country after a “serious provocation.” India said it targeted air defense systems in several locations after Pakistan tried to attack a number of Indian military targets using missiles and drones.
ALJAZEERA
Pakistan’s military says it shot down 25 Indian drones that entered its airspace, as hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours continue to spiral following Indian air raids on multiple locations within Pakistan’s territory.
Pakistani Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the military spokesperson, said on Thursday that Indian-made Israeli Harop drones had been deployed to targets including Karachi and Lahore.
“Indian drones continue to be sent into Pakistan airspace … [India] will continue to pay dearly for this naked aggression,” Chaudhry said. The military said one civilian was killed and four Pakistani soldiers were wounded as a result of the drone incidents.
India’s army said it “neutralised” attempts by Pakistan to “engage” several military targets in its northern and western regions on Wednesday night and early Thursday. It targeted air defence systems in several locations in Pakistan, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement, adding that 16 people were reported killed as a result of Pakistani fire.
Wednesday’s incident came a day after India said it launched precision strikes on what it called “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistan. Pakistan said those attacks killed at least 31 civilians.
New Delhi’s operation followed a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir two weeks ago, which killed 26 people. India blamed Islamabad for the attack – a charge Pakistan strongly denies.