On the night of May 8, between 8:00 pm and 11:30 pm, Pakistan carried out a large-scale drone offensive against India, targeting multiple locations across the country.
According to the Indian Army, approximately 500 small drones were launched in a coordinated swarm, focusing on 24 cities spread across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
The Indian armed forces, including both the Army and Air Force, mounted a swift and coordinated response. Using a range of air defence systems—such as the L70 anti-aircraft gun, ZU-23-2, Schilka self-propelled systems, and the Akash missile system—the Indian forces successfully intercepted and neutralised the incoming drones, ensuring that none of them caused damage or casualties.
Military officials believe that most of the drones were unarmed and were possibly deployed to instill panic among the civilian population or to conduct surveillance of key Indian military sites. The drone offensive is seen as a retaliatory move by Islamabad, coming just a day after India executed precision strikes under Operation Sindoor.
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Those strikes, conducted in the early hours of May 7, targeted terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India clarified that the operation was aimed solely at terrorist infrastructure and deliberately avoided Pakistani military assets.
In addition to the drone swarm, Pakistan also fired missiles targeting several strategic areas in Jammu. Indian air defence units quickly sprang into action and intercepted all incoming missiles, successfully preventing any impact. "Eight missiles from Pakistan were directed at Satwari, Samba, RS Pura, and Arnia.
All were intercepted and blocked by air-defence units. Visuals over Jammu reminded exactly of a Hamas-style attack on Israel, like multiple cheap rockets," an Army official said.
The combined drone and missile assault represented one of the most extensive aerial threats India has faced in recent times, but the country’s robust air defence systems ensured that the attack was effectively neutralised.
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