A senior defence official on Monday claimed that Pakistan attempted to target the Golden Temple in Amritsar during the recent conflict with India, but the strike was successfully thwarted by India’s air defence system.
The official made the statement while showcasing the country’s air defence capabilities, including indigenous Akash missiles and L-70 air defence guns, which were instrumental in intercepting Pakistani drones and missiles during the attempted attack.
"Following the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor was launched and punitive strikes carried out on terror targets in Pakistan. Of the nine targets hit, seven were exclusively destroyed,” said the official.
He stated that the army was fully prepared to counter any misadventure by the Pakistani military. The defence system remained operational round-the-clock and had successfully intercepted and neutralised all attacks aimed at military installations and religious places, he added.
“We anticipated that they would target our military installations besides the civilian targets, including religious places, said the official, adding, “Of these, the Golden Temple was the most prominent. We received credible intelligence that the Golden Temple was their target. We mobilised additional modern air defence assets to provide a holistic air defence umbrella cover to the shrine.”
He said "On May 8 morning, Pakistan carried out a massive air assault with drones and long-range missiles. However, our alert air defence gunners foiled its attempts and shot down all drones and missiles targeted at the Golden Temple.”
Meanwhile, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) declined to comment on the matter. When questioned about the army’s claim, SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan remained silent.
Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, however, expressed gratitude to the army for successfully thwarting the attack.
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