New Delhi: The Indian Air Force deployed its S-400 air defence systems on Wednesday night and foiled an aerial attack by Pakistan in retaliation for Operation Sindoor. Pakistan attempted to strike multiple military targets across northern and western India using drones and missiles. The targets included bases in Awantipora, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Bhuj. The projectiles were intercepted and neutralised by the S-400 air defence systems, dubbed “Sudarshan Chakra”.
The Russian-made S-400 systems used in the interception are among the most advanced in the world, capable of tracking targets up to 600 kilometres away and intercepting threats at ranges of up to 400 kilometres. Meanwhile, in a calibrated response on Thursday morning, Indian armed forces struck Pakistani air defence radars and systems, destroying an installation near Lahore. Sources said the Indian response was “in the same domain and with the same intensity.”
This follows the government’s earlier statement that Operation Sindoor was a “focused, measured, and non-escalatory” strike in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. The Ministry of Defence in a statement said that Pakistan’s bid to escalate tensions were met with proportionate response by India. The statement mentioned, “Indian Armed Forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is respected by the Pakistani military.”
The latest escalation between India and Pakistan after New Delhi targeted terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir days after the deadly Pahalgam attack.
