The Indian radar systems detected a hypersonic ballistic missile launched by Pakistan late Friday night, which was heading towards New Delhi. The Indian air defence systems reacted swiftly and intercepted the missile, shooting it down over Sirsa in Haryana.
The missile, called the Fatah-II, is a guided artillery rocket developed by Pakistan, with a range of 450 km and advanced guidance systems to improve accuracy. The Fatah series is a relatively new addition to Pakistan’s missile arsenal.
While the earlier Fatah-I has a reported range of around 150 km, the more advanced Fatah-II, which Pakistan tested last year, boasts a precision-strike capability with a claimed circular error probable (CEP) of less than 10 meters, meaning it can hit within 10 meters of its intended target.
Three air defence systems could bring down a missile of this class. These were the Russian-origin S-400, the indigenous Akash NG and the Israel-origin MR-SAM, The Tribune reported quoting sources. One of these three engaged the missile near Sirsa, 220 km west of the national capital.
Locals in Sirsa reported seeing a bright red explosion in the sky around midnight. Debris from the missile was later found near a church and in surrounding fields.
"Shortly after midnight, we saw from our terrace that something exploded above us. It formed a red-coloured sphere. In the morning, we saw that it had fallen near a church," a local in Sirsa told news agency ANI.
This missile launch was part of a broader Pakistani military operation named Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos (which means "solid wall of lead"). Pakistan fired drones and missiles at 26 locations across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat on the intervening night between Friday and Saturday. Missile and drone fragments were found in several places, including Sirsa (Haryana), Barmer (Rajasthan), and Jalandhar (Punjab).
Most of the incoming drones were successfully intercepted by India’s air defence systems. However, some attacks caused casualties. Five people, including a senior official in Jammu and Kashmir, were killed in artillery shelling. In Ferozepur, Punjab, an armed drone crashed in a residential area, injuring three members of a family, India Today reported.
In response to the attacks, India launched a strong counterstrike on Saturday morning. The Indian military targeted three Pakistani airbases and destroyed drone launch pads. Among the key sites hit were the Chaklala air defence system and strategic airbases in Rawalpindi (Nur Khan), Shorkot (Rafiqi), and Chakwal (Murid).
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