India on Saturday said that Pakistan was escalating tensions along the Western border by moving troops into forward areas, suggesting an offensive intent to intensify hostilities.
The Indian armed forces, while reaffirming their commitment to non-escalation, asserted that any further provocation would be met with proportionate and decisive action.
At a Press briefing on 'Operation Sindoor', Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, joined by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, said, "The Pakistan military has been observed moving its troops into forward areas, indicating an offensive intent to further escalate the situation. Indian armed forces remain in a high state of operational readiness. All hostile actions have been effectively countered and responded to appropriately."
"Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistan military," she added.
Highlighting Pakistan's sustained aggression, Wing Commander Singh said, "Along the Line of Control, Pakistan has attempted multiple air intrusions using drones and conducted shelling using heavy calibre RT guns targeting civilian infrastructure and killing some civilians. Heavy exchange of artillery mortars and small arms fire in Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, and Akhnoor sectors continued."
India also condemned Pakistan's strikes on civilian infrastructure, particularly at the Srinagar, Avantipur, and Udhampur air bases.
"Pakistan has continued its provocations, targeting the civilian and military infrastructures at medicare centres and school premises located at air bases," said Singh.
According to the Indian Air Force, Pakistan attempted harassment attacks and air intrusions across more than 26 locations stretching from Srinagar to Nalia.
"Indian armed forces successfully neutralised these threats and the majority of the vectors. However, limited damage was sustained to equipment and personnel at Indian Air Force stations in Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, and Bhuj," she said.
"There were also several high-speed missile attacks noticed subsequently after 01:40 hours in the night at several air bases in Punjab," she added.
Terming the targeting of civil infrastructure as a "deplorable cowardly act," Wing Commander Singh emphasised, "Pakistan attacked the Medicare centre and school premises at the air bases of Srinagar, Avantipur and Udhampur, once again displaying irresponsible targeting of our civil infrastructure."
India responded with precision strikes aimed solely at Pakistan's military infrastructure.
"In a swift and calibrated response, Indian armed forces carried out precision attacks only on identified military targets. These included technical infrastructure, command and control centres, radar sites and weapon storage areas," she stated.
India hit 8 military bases in Pakistan, including Sialkot station: Centre
India responded strongly to Pakistan’s repeated drone and missile attacks and hit at least eight military targets inside Pakistan on Friday night with precision, thereby causing significant damage, the Centre told the Press, as part of a special briefing on 'Operation Sindoor'.
Pak fired high-speed missile, tried to hit health facilities, schools but was thwarted: Centre slams escalation bid
The Centre, in a special briefing on 'Operation Sindoor' on Saturday, called out Pakistan’s brazen attempt to escalate the matter by repeatedly targeting India’s military as well as civilian centres and also slammed the state-sponsored propaganda machinery for spewing canards.
Coded messages in phones of 2 arrested JMB men in Bengal show links with other fundamentalist groups
The West Bengal Police recovered several coded and encrypted messages from the mobile phones of Aazmal Hossain and Saheb Ali Khan, the two Indian associates of Bangladesh-based Islamic fundamentalist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh
Marco Rubio reaches out to real centre of Pakistan power, talks to army chief
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has finally reached out to the real centre of Pakistan's power, Army Chief Asim Munir, after talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to de-escalate tensions with India failed.
Responded in measured fashion to continued Pakistani provocations: India
Addressing the press conference on 'Operation Sindoor', Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, along with Indian Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Indian Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, briefed the nation about the current situation along the India-Pakistan border.
Multiple enemy-armed drones in Amritsar destroyed: Indian Army
Multiple enemy-armed drones were spotted flying over Khasa Cantonment in Amritsar in Punjab and they were instantly engaged and destroyed by air defence units, the Indian Army said on Saturday.
Indian armed forces destroy Pakistani posts, launch pads; intercept multiple Pakistani drones
In yet another befitting reply to Pakistan's nefarious activities, the Border Security Force (BSF) has completely destroyed a Pakistani post and a terrorist launch pad in Looni, District Sialkot, opposite Akhnoor area, from where the tube drones were being launched to attack India.
32 airports shut till May 15 as tensions escalate between India-Pakistan
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and relevant aviation authorities have issued a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), announcing the temporary closure of 32 airports across northern and western India for all civil flight operations, effective till May 14.