From Amritsar to Pathankot: Visuals show Army taking down Pak drones, missiles, terror launch pads
Pakistan's armed drones were brought down over key locations including Khasa Cantonment in Amritsar and Pathankot, while retaliatory operations, part of
Operation Sindoor
, struck back at terror launch pads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Operation Sindoor
'Pakistan army moving its troops in forward areas': Key takeaways from govt briefing
'Pak used drones, long-range weapons, jets to attack India's military sites'
'Attempted malicious misinformation campaign': Govt calls out Pakistan's propaganda
One of the reports of damage came from Kanganiwal village in rural Jalandhar, Punjab, where fragments of a drone were found following a loud explosion. Surjeet Kaur, a local resident, recounted, 'A red-coloured flash passed over our house and there was a huge explosion. The water tank above our house exploded. Everything went dark, and we came out only later to see the damage.'
Similar drone sightings and explosions were reported across 26 locations along the International Border and Line of Control, including Jammu, Baramulla, Srinagar, Pathankot, and Bhuj. The ministry of defence confirmed the drones included suspected armed variants, and some targeted civilian areas. In Ferozpur, a Pakistani drone injured members of a local family. Security forces responded swiftly, securing the area and advising residents in border areas to remain indoors.
Amritsar (Khasa Cantonment): Multiple enemy armed drones spotted and destroyed by air defence units at approximately 5 AM.
Srinagar (Old Airfield): Drone hovering over the old airfield shot down by the air-defence system; two massive explosions heard near the airport around noon.
Pathankot: Air Defence System destroyed a drone over Pathankot; the sound of neutralising the drone can be heard in the video.
Jalandhar (Kanganiwal Village): Parts of a projectile were recovered after a blast; a local resident reported a red-coloured flash and a huge explosion.
Ranbir Singh Pura (Jammu and Kashmir): Parts of a damaged drone were found in a field; locals reported that the drone was neutralised in the air by Indian forces.
Barmer (Rajasthan): Fragments and debris of unidentified projectiles were recovered by locals; residents witnessed the aftermath of the Pakistani attack that was successfully neutralised by Indian security forces.
Sirsa (Haryana): Parts of a projectile were retrieved by security personnel; residents reported an explosion near a local church.
Multiple launch pads destroyed
The armed forces also launched a series of retaliatory strikes targeting Pakistani military infrastructure and launch pads.
According to defence sources cited by ANI, the Army on Saturday destroyed key Pakistani posts and terrorist launch pads near Jammu, which were being used to launch tube-launched drones. These sites were identified as major threats following recent Pakistani drone incursions that targeted military and civilian locations across India.
The Border Security Force (BSF) also confirmed the complete destruction of a terrorist launch pad in Looni, located in Pakistan's Sialkot district opposite the Akhnoor sector. The strike came in response to unprovoked firing by Pakistan Rangers that began late Friday night. The BSF reported significant damage to enemy assets, asserting its firm resolve to defend the country's sovereignty.
Army releases footage
The Indian Army released footage of retaliatory strikes targeting Pakistani military infrastructure and terror bases.
"As a response to Pakistan's misadventures of attempted drone strikes on the night of 08 and 09 May 2025 in multiple cities of Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab, the #Indian Army conducted a coordinated fire assault on terrorist launchpads, pulverizing & razing them to cinders. The terrorist launchpads, located close to the Line of Control, were a hub for planning and executing terror attacks against Indian civilians and security forces in the past. The Indian Army's swift and decisive action has dealt a significant blow to terrorist infrastructure and capabilities," the Army said in a post on X.
Operation Sindoor, launched earlier in the week, continued with targeted air and ground strikes against nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Army reiterated that it would continue to respond decisively to Pakistan's attempts to violate India's sovereignty.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Opening new doors for Parliament's library service
In recent years, disruptions have been the hallmark of parliamentary proceedings in India. It is almost easy to forget that Parliament is not just a seat of politics. It is where policy is made and autopsied and the government is held accountable by people chosen to do so. Legislating on complex and diverse issues, from economic reforms and climate change to national security and emerging technologies is a daunting task. The key is to have access to world-class research and referral services. The Parliament library is one of the best in the country. Its services are used by research scholars, but only a handful of Members of Parliament (MP) use it, say MPs past and present. The Parliament Library and Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Service (LARRDIS) is prompt and efficient — an MP recalled how his online query about the speeches made by another MP during his 15-year parliamentary tenure led to all of them being sent to his email inbox within three days. Inputs, however, are limited to what is contained in its now entirely digitised volumes. 'It is not a research organisation or an academic institution,' was how one MP described the role of LARRDIS. But this gap is now filled by organisations such as PRS Legislative Research with its Legislative Assistants to Members of Parliament (LAMP) fellowships. Of the 800 or so MPs in Parliament, at any given point, only between 40 to 50 MPs have a LAMP fellow. Lauded for its immense value addition and effectiveness, LAMP nevertheless has finite resources — fellows spend a short time with MPs. Therefore, many MPs rely on political aides or external consultants for research. With House discussions devolving increasingly into political combats, many political parties also supply their MPs with talking points. This means that inputs to MP offices can be partisan or lacking in expertise or facts, resulting in debates that may lack analytical depth. The good, the bad and the ugly of LARRDIS While LARRDIS has been active in digitising parliamentary records such as creating PDF archives of Lok Sabha proceedings, committee reports, and rare books (even introducing a service in 2023 to share articles written by MPs with others), its services are predominantly reactive. MPs must submit requisitions either in person or online. The volume of requests by MPs for information surged from 150 in 1950 to over 8,000 in 2019. Yet, LARRDIS operates largely in a silo, with minimal partnerships with universities, think tanks, or consulting firms. This isolation limits its ability to provide proactive, anticipatory policy analysis and predict trends. It has also limited in-house research capacity. To meet the evolving demands of Indian democracy, there is a need for LARRDIS to evolve into an agile, forward looking, and inclusive research hub, making the best use of some of the premier academic institutes in the country. It will enrich India's legislative process. Other parliamentary research services Established parliamentary democracies have dedicated research units that provide lawmakers with authoritative, objective, and timely information. According to the Guidelines for Parliamentary Research Services by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a holistic research function within the system ensures confidentiality, neutrality and institutional memory. The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) collaborates with think tanks, academic partners, and other parliamentary services to build a diverse knowledge repository. It maintains an accessible website housing reports and policy digests. The EPRS tracks global trends affecting the European Union (EU), provides initial appraisals of European Commission impact assessments, and produces 'Cost of Non-Europe' reports assessing benefits of EU-level common action. Argentina's Scientific Office for Legislative Advice (OCAL) informs Parliament about scientific and technological options by collaborating with external institutions, conducts studies on social challenges, connects legislators with scientists and citizens, and runs training programmes. France's Parliamentary Office for Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Options (OPECST) and Mexico's Office for Information of Science and Technology for the Congress of the Union (INCyTU) serve similar roles. LARRDIS could emulate this proactive 360-degree approach. Partnerships with academic institutions for policy-relevant studies to address complex and emerging issues such as Artificial Intelligence governance or climate change can be one option. The IPU highlights such collaborations in countries such as Benin (Africa) and Colombia (South America), where embedding scholars co-author technical papers for enhanced research quality. Egypt attaches groups of specialists and research fellows to parliamentary committees. Sweden has the Association of MPs and Researchers (RIFO), for facilitating dialogue between lawmakers and researchers. Building an institutional asset A phased and consultative approach that is aligned with global best practices would be the ideal route for restructuring LARRDIS. LARRDIS's mandate, eligible users (MPs, citizens), turnaround timelines, and confidentiality protocols need to be delineated. Talent from think tanks, academic institutions, consulting agencies, and experts from organisations such as the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the United Nations Development Programme can add depth to its work. This is not merely an administrative reform. It is an investment in the quality of lawmaking, accountability, and governance. For a complex country such as India, the cost of misinformed policy can be staggering. A state-of-the-art research service would bridge the information asymmetry between legislature and executive, enhance the quality of debates, and strengthen the trust of citizens in parliamentary processes. Swati Sudhakaran is with Chase Advisors, a public policy advisory firm in New Delhi. Abantika Ghosh is with Chase Advisors, a public policy advisory firm in New Delhi. The views expressed are personal
New Indian Express
42 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
India reinstates geo-blocks on Pakistani celebrity accounts
This latest move follows the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' recommendation to block 16 Pakistan-based YouTube channels after the recent act of terrorism in Pahalgam. The Ministry alleged that these channels spread communally sensitive and provocative content as well as false information that targets India, its security agencies and armed forces. Besides the YouTube channels, social media profiles of numerous public figures from Pakistan, including actors Saba Qamar, Mahira Khan, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, Danish Taimoor, Fawad Khan, Hania Aamir, and Mawra Hocane remain geo-blocked in India. Moreover, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has told Indian OTT platforms, digital intermediaries, and media streaming services to stop distributing web series, songs, podcasts, films, and other media content hailing from Pakistan. The Ministry's advisory mentioned national security as the primary concern.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
44 minutes ago
- First Post
'The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case' web-series review: Nagesh Kukunoor's take on one of India's darkest chapters scores with its restrained telling
It's fitting Kukunoor and his writers Sriram Rajan and Rohit Banawlikar opt for a streaming format to tell this bone-chilling story of a dark chapter in Indian history. But they don't treat the subject as a documentary read more Cast: Amit Sial, Sahil Vaid, Bagavathi Perumal, Danish Iqbal, Girish Sharma, Vidyut Gargi, Shafeeq Mustafa Director: Nagesh Kukunoor Language: Hindi It's hard to make political thrillers without taking sides. But what if a filmmaker decides to essay the aftermath of a tragedy that shook the nation? Filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor's The Hunt is one such show that chronicles what happened after how it happened. It's based on the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Shoojit Sircar's Madras Cafe showed us the before, Kukunoor focuses on the after. Despite being a web series that allows makers to explore as much information as possible, Kukunoor wastes no time and jumps directly to the Prime Minister's speech at a crowded fare being blown into smithereens. The way he stages those little shots and jump cuts shows his grip over the material. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even the reaction shots don't feel theatrical or flimsy. The Hunt begins with an anonymous phone call to the Indian High Commission in Colombo. The receptionist is asked if the Prime Minister is alive. Her immediate response and discomforting close-up shows how there's going to be no room for theatrics here. The opening credits too do a fine job of absorbing the viewers into the world the makers have created. As the names begin to roll, the newspaper like visuals with moving images prepare us for the calamity in the series ahead. It's based on the book Ninety Days by Anirudhya Mitra. And Kukunoor chooses actors over stars. He wants vulnerability over vanity. He wants lesser seen faces to become more discussed names. It's tricky to go back in time but there's definitely something charming and quaint about nostalgia. When Amit Sial, who plays D.R. Kaarthikeyan (IGP CRPF) is informed about the assassination, the next scene sees him in front of a television watching the news. That was the time when media was yet to dive into cacophony and decay for the greed for TRPs. The way the reporter reads out the news about Rajiv Gandhi, you wish to listen to her again purely because how composed she's. In fact, everyone barely raises its voice in the series. Even when a character tells Sial this is going to the most challenging time for him, he calmly responds by saying he'll choose his own team. Kukunoor at times has faltered as a filmmaker but his fondness or fetish for slow-burn is just as fresh. He jumps to the point swiftly but moves ahead with the narrative with composure. The best example is his remarkable sports drama Iqbal that completes two decades this year. Even the turgid 8x10 Tasveer established the mystery around the plot and took its own sweet time to unveil all its cards. And with The Hunt, the filmmaker's ambitions must be lauded. It's a bold and precarious subject. It involves a giant of a political figure's assassination. It's fascinating how the makers refuse to conceal or change names and give them fictional stories. There are open references to IPKF and LTTE. In one key scene, Sial says how the Gandhi family is truly cursed. It's also fitting that Kukunoor and his writers Sriram Rajan and Rohit Banawlikar opt for a streaming format to tell this bone-chilling story of a dark chapter in Indian history. But they don't treat the subject as a documentary. It unfolds like a whodunnit. We have been told how it happened. Now the SIT has to figure why it happened, and by whom it happened. We have heard this booming background score before that's meant to add a tinge of urgency to the plot, but the way it all unfolds keeps the show going. And such stories need conversational treatment. There are endless discussions and questions that pop up among the characters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It will also be interesting to see the response The Hunt receives. The Rajiv Gandhi assassination is a chapter that unfolded 34 years ago. The pages of history books have been long forgotten as we moved towards our phone screens. It's also a horror that barely resurfaces on social media. We have faint memories of reading about the former Prime Minister. Getting to know about the brutality of his death now feels like going through mixed emotions. Should we describe this show as a brush with nostalgia? Is it a history lesson we ought to have been taught with more detail? Or should we treat this as another whodunnit? As stated above- We know what happened. Now tell us how it happened and who made it happen. Take your pick. Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars) The Hunt - The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case is now streaming on SonyLIV
