Indian armed forces reportedly targeted at least three Pakistani airbases in retaliatory strikes in the wee hours of Saturday.
As per sources cited by ANI, a fourth airbase has been targeted too, details of which are awaited.
Addressing a hurriedly called press conference in Islamabad at around 4 a.m., Pakistan military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry announced that the Nur Khan Airbase (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid Airbase (Chakwal), Rafiqui Airbase (Shorkot, Jhang district) had come under attack, as per a PTI report.
According to Chaudhry, India fired air-to-surface missiles using fighter jets, but he assured that “all assets of the Air Force remain safe.” He also claimed that Pakistan’s air defense systems intercepted several incoming missiles.
Calling the alleged strikes a “sinister act of India pushing the region into a lethal war,” Chaudhry vowed that Pakistan would retaliate. “India should wait for our response,” he warned before ending the briefing abruptly without taking questions.
The Pakistani claims come amid an escalating military standoff that flared up late Friday night after Pakistan launched a series of drone attacks on 26 locations across India, spanning from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat.
Indian air defense systems successfully intercepted and neutralised the drones, preventing widespread damage. However, in Punjab’s Ferozpur district, three civilians were injured when debris from a downed Pakistani drone struck a home.
The Indian Army reported drone sightings over several sensitive areas, including Jammu, Samba, Rajouri, Udhampur, Nagrota, Reasi, Awantipora, Poonch, and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Pathankot and Amritsar in Punjab.
(With inputs from agencies)
(This is a developing story)
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