India strikes Lahore air defence system with Akash missiles following major Pakistani drone attack, reveal sources

India fired the sophisticated surface-to-air Akash missile to target Pakistan’s Lahore air defence system, defence sources revealed on Thursday.

New Delhi successfully retaliated against Pakistan’s attempted drone and missile strikes on multiple military targets in northern and western India—including Awantipora, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj.

Sources added that this was the first time India deployed the Akash missile. Several Indian air force stations were the primary targets of the Pakistani attacks, which were countered using both “hard kill” and “soft kill” technologies.

Additionally, the Indian Air Force’s S-400 Sudarshan Chakra air defence systems were fired last night against incoming threats, all of which were successfully neutralised.

Meanwhile, amid the soaring tension, all schools in six border districts of Punjab have been shut until further orders and the leaves of all the police personnel have been cancelled, officials said Thursday.

The schools were closed in Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts, they said. The Tarn Taran Deputy Commissioner issued an order that all schools in the district will remain closed from May 8 till 11. In Ferozepur, the district authorities ordered closure of schools for next 72 hours till further orders, said officials.

In Amritsar, the district administration issued an order, forming a task force to prevent any hoarding or black marketing of essential items like food items, milk, dairy products, fodder and fuel.

(With PTI inputs)