Operation Sindoor 2: How India's 'Sudarshan Chakra' crushed Pakistan's escalation attempt

Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor (Retired) said that the S-400 missile system has made an enormous difference during the recent tensions with Pakistan.

India on Thursday night swiftly thwarted Pakistan's fresh attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles including in Jammu and Pathankot after foiling similar bids at 15 places in northern and western regions of the country, as tensions soared between the two countries amid fears of a wider conflict.

Sirens and numerous explosions were reported in Akhnoor, Samba, Baramulla and Kupwara and several other places as the Indian military carried out a massive night aerial vigil along the border with Pakistan.

"Military stations at Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur were targeted by Pakistani-origin drones and missiles along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir today," a defence ministry spokesperson said.

"The threats were swiftly neutralised using kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities in line with established standard operating procedures (SOPs)," he said as the second day of the confrontation between the two militaries further escalated the already tense situation.

Military sources said missiles from Pakistan were also directed at Jammu's Satwari, Samba, RS Pura and Arnia towns and that they were blocked by India's air defence systems.

Indian military officials said the Pakistani drones and missiles were effectively engaged by Indian armed forces and the attempts by the enemy were thwarted.

It said the Pakistani military attempted to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj.

In its response, India launched kamikaze drones and destroyed a Pakistani air defence system in Lahore.

The ministry said, "Indian armed forces this morning targeted air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan."

"Indian response has been in the same domain with same intensity as Pakistan. It has been reliably learnt that an air defence system at Lahore has been neutralised," it said.

Pakistan's fresh attempts to target Indian military installations came less than 24 hours after a similar attempt.

The renewed attempts and intense shelling by the Pakistani forces on the Line of Control(LoC) and the International Border(IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan came after India on Thursday morning targeted Pakistani air defence systems at multiple cities with one in Lahore being "neutralised".

Blackouts from several cities and towns in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan were enforced as drones were sighted from across the border.

‘S-400 shielded 15 Indian cities from Pakistani attack’: ex-Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor

Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor (Retired) said that the S-400 missile system has made an enormous difference during the recent tensions with Pakistan. In a self made video, Air Marshal Kapoor said Pakistan tried to target 15 Indian cities, but the S-400 system, which India bought in 2018 and received in 2021, helped prevent the attacks.

Kapoor explained that the S-400 can detect aircraft, missiles, and drones and can be deployed quickly across the country. The system has a range of 400 kilometres and can track many targets simultaneously.

Air Marshal Kapoor said, “Pakistan tried to attack 15 of our cities saved by S-400, which was purchased in 2018 and delivered in 2021. It can detect aircraft, missiles, drones, and is fully deployable within minutes and has a range of 400 Kms... It can pick up targets... It is a versatile and mobile and has been deployed suitably all across the country... It was one of the purchases that made a huge difference in our latest skirmish with Pakistan...”

Indian Air Force S-400 Sudarshan Chakra air defence missile systems were fired on Wednesday night against targets moving towards India. The operation successfully neutralised the targets.

Following the terror attack in Pahalgam of Jammu and Kashmir in India on April 22, the Indian Armed Forces on Wednesday launched 'Operation Sindoor', carrying out precision strikes on nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), days after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.

(With inputs from ANI, agencies)