Top government sources in India stated on Saturday that any future act of terror will be considered an “act of war” against India and will be met with a corresponding response.
This declaration followed a meeting earlier in the day, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, involving Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), and the chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces at the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi.
The meeting was convened in the aftermath of India’s strikes on four airbases within Pakistan in the early hours of Saturday. These strikes were a direct response to Pakistan’s attacks on 26 Indian locations.
Indian Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi reported that Indian fighter aircraft executed precision strikes using air-launched weapons against Pakistani military targets in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian. Additionally, radar sites at the Pasrur and Sialkot aviation bases were targeted.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, along with Colonel Sophia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, briefed the media on the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stressed that Pakistan’s actions against India were being viewed as “escalatory” and “provocative.” During the press briefing, he presented evidence of Pakistan’s escalatory and provocative actions while also refuting what he described as lies being disseminated by Pakistan.
Speaking to the media, the Foreign Secretary stated, “Pakistan’s actions constituted provocation, escalation. In response, India defended and reacted in a responsible and measured fashion.”
Despite the intensity of the attacks, Indian forces successfully engaged and retaliated. However, airbases in Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, Bhuj, and Bathinda sustained damage, and personnel suffered injuries. Pakistan’s use of high-speed missiles at 1:40 AM to target Punjab’s airbase station and the targeting of hospitals and schools at airbases in Srinagar, Awantipora, and Udhampur were particularly condemned as unprofessional.
India firmly rejected Pakistan’s alleged misinformation campaign, which falsely claimed the destruction of critical Indian military assets and infrastructure.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during the joint press conference, addressed Pakistan’s attempts to spread disinformation regarding purported damage to the S-400 system at Adhampur, airfields at Suratgarh and Sirsa, the Brahmos space at Nagrota, and artillery-gun positions in Dehrangyari and Chandigarh, among other claims.
She emphasized India’s unequivocal rejection of these false narratives, asserting that they are part of a broader strategy aimed at undermining India’s military capabilities and creating fear among the public.
Reports of heavy shelling and cross-border firing were received from various locations along the India-Pakistan border on Saturday.
