(L-R) Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi at a Ministry of External Affairs press briefing on Operation Sindoor, in New Delhi on Friday.
| Photo Credit:
ANI
India on Friday accused Pakistan of “using civil airliners as shield”, underlining that while all border airports on the Indian side have been shut down, the Pakistani civil airspace was not closed amidst hostilities.
The strategy was exposed at an official briefing in Delhi while Pakistan continued its aerial assault in the last 24 hours, sending 300-400 drones in 36 locations from Leh to Sir Creek to target Indian military and civilian installations. The drones were shot down by the Indian military. Responding to Pak’s attack, India launched armed drones at 4 air defence sites in Pak; one drone destroyed an AD radar system.
Pakistan reportedly said that they “will not de-escalate” owing to damages suffered from India’s offensive. Multiple aerial threats coming from Pakistan were reportedly intercepted in Jaisalmer among other spots on Friday evening.
Heavy shelling went on at the Line of Control as also on the International Border. “Intermittent sounds of blasts, probably heavy artillery, can now be heard from where I am,” said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The Border Security Force foiled an infiltration bid in the Samba sector in Jammu, killing at least seven terrorists and caused extensive damage to Pakistan Rangers at the Dhandhar post.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the three service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan to review the developing situation.
Considerable restraint
The Indian Air Force (IAF) demonstrated considerable restraint in its response, ensuring safety of the airlines and passengers, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said at a press conference.
The two women officers along with the Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri explained why India believes that Pakistan is using civilian airliners as shield in the ongoing conflict. They said Pakistan did not close its civil airspace, while it was launching a failed drone and missile attack on May 7 at 8:30 hours in the evening. India had, in the meantime, suspended civilian flight operations from many airports in J&K, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, among others and closed the airspace.
“Pakistan is using civil airliners as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response. This is not safe for the unsuspecting civil airliners, including the international flights, which were flying near IB between India and Pakistan,” Qureshi and Singh said while showing screenshot of flight path data of that day in Punjab sector.
“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. Amongst the other civil aircrafts, we have highlighted an aircraft, which is Airbus 320 of Fly Nas aviation, which was originated Damam at 1750 hours and landed later at Lahore at 2110 hours in the night,” both stated.
India also said that Pakistan launching Turkish-made Asisguard Songar armed drones in its aerial attack on military and civil installations which were intercepted and shot down. The evidence of Turkish drones emerged from the forensic examination of the debris found this side of the border.
However, Indian officials have so far not officially responded to some reports that Chinese missiles and drones were also used by Pakistan its offensive against India’s right to defend itself against Islamabad’s decades-long proxy war. Other than this, police and security agencies have said that terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF) had used Chinese made communication devises for secured conversations at the time of April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack.
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Published on May 9, 2025
