The Pakistani military announced Thursday that it had intercepted and downed 25 Israeli-manufactured drones launched by India since Wednesday evening, in what is being described as the most serious military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in over two decades.
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According to a military statement, the drones were neutralized through both technical and military means. The army had earlier reported disabling 12 drones in separate locations, noting the death of a civilian and injuries to four soldiers.
Military spokesperson Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said, “Last night, India committed another act of aggression by deploying drones to multiple sites. One managed to strike a military target near Lahore.”
Local media and witnesses reported a loud explosion in Lahore early Thursday. Police confirmed that a drone was downed near Walton, a residential area housing military facilities. Two more drones were reportedly shot down in other cities within Punjab province.
India stated it had targeted what it called “terror infrastructure” inside Pakistan, responding to a recent attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26, mostly Hindu tourists. Pakistan denied involvement, claiming it had downed five Indian aircraft and accusing India of killing at least 31 Pakistani civilians and injuring nearly 50 in retaliatory strikes.
India, for its part, reported 13 civilian deaths and 43 injuries from Pakistani shelling.
Tensions appeared to ease slightly overnight, with reduced cross-border fire, but hospitals and civil defense units in border regions remained on high alert.
Despite calls for retaliation, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told The New York Times that Islamabad is open to de-escalation.
