MEA Press Conference Today: Pakistan’s actions provocative and escalatory, tried to hit air base station in Punjab, says govt

Vikram Misri, during the briefing, said that Pakistan had attacked 26 locations in India and the Pakistan military has started moving the troops to the forward areas.

The briefing comes hours after India launched retaliatory strikes as Pakistan fired a wave of drones and missiles at targets in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

The Indian Army, via a statement, said that multiple Pakistani drones were intercepted over Amritsar around 5 am and declared that it would “thwart enemy designs”.

Across northern India, explosions rattled cities through the early morning hours. In Jammu, residents reported hearing intermittent blasts as Pakistani forces attempted to strike the Air Force Station there. Rajouri came under heavy artillery fire, with shells hitting the main town area. In Pathankot, a strategically significant military hub, multiple explosions were reported at dawn. Anti-aircraft guns roared in retaliation, and the district administration imposed a high alert, ordering residents to remain indoors. The streets fell silent as people waited for an all-clear siren.

Similar scenes unfolded in Srinagar, where blasts were heard near the airport just after 5 am, and in Baramulla and Udhampur. The Indian Army said Pakistan had launched swarms of drones for a second consecutive night, targeting military installations along India’s northern and western borders.

While Indian air defenses shot down multiple drones, one armed drone crashed into a civilian area in Ferozepur, Punjab, injuring members of a family, officials said.

Late Friday, the Indian Army reported that Pakistani drones had been sighted at 26 locations, from Baramulla in Kashmir to Bhuj in Gujarat. The list included key cities such as Srinagar, Jammu, Ferozepur, Pathankot, Jaisalmer, and Barmer, underscoring the geographic spread of the threat.