The Pakistan Army had made an effort to strike at Golden Temple in Amritsar with long-range missiles and drones during the night of May 7-8 after Indian troops eliminated terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor, but the enemy was unable to break through India’s strong air defence (AD) shield, a senior army official asserted on Monday.
Golden Temple Was a Prime Target: Indian Army
It was a prime objective for the Pakistan Army, stated Major General Kartik C Seshadri, who’s leading an infantry division in Amritsar.
“Knowing that the Pakistan Army does not have any legitimate targets, we anticipated it will target Indian military installations and civilian areas including religious places. Of these, Golden Temple appeared to be the most prominent (target). We also received credible intelligence that it was a prime target, which we had brainstormed earlier,” he told news agency ANI.
Operation Sindoor: India’s Response to Pahalgam Terror Attack by Pakistan
Operation Sindoor, launched in the early morning hours of May 7, was India’s reaction to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. Modern AD assets were rapidly deployed to grant a strong AD umbrella to the Sikh shrine, he asserted.
“In the hours of darkness, Pakistan carried out a massive air assault with drones and long-range missiles. We were fully prepared since we had anticipated this. Our alert army air defence gunners thwarted Pakistan Army’s nefarious designs and shot down all drones and missiles targeted at the Golden Temple. Thus, not allowing even a scratch to our holy Golden Temple,” Seshadri added.
Four Days of Escalation Ends With Ceasefire
Operation Sindoor precipitated four days of strikes and counterstrikes with drones, missiles and long-range weapons before the two sides came to an agreement on halting all military activity on May 10.
Between the start of the operation and the ceasefire, Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK and killed at least 100 terrorists, and the Indian Air Force attacked targets at 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations.
Retaliatory Strikes of Pakistan Thwarted by India’s AD Network
By 8.30pm on May 7, Islamabad made aerial strikes in the form of drone and missile attacks on several towns and cities, including Awantipora, Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Pathankot, Phalodi, Uttarlai, Nal and Bhuj. India’s AD systems repelled all the attacks.
India’s multi-layered AD network was impenetrable, said officials. It broke through several waves of Pakistani attacks on Indian military bases, airbases and populated areas by ensuring quick detection and engagement of the attacking threats. India’s AD systems, integrating the resources of the IAF, army and navy, functioned with uncharacteristic synergy, the information and broadcasting ministry stated last week.
Overview of India’s Air Defence Arsenal
India’s AD grid functioned on several weapons on four levels, depending on the range of the approaching target. The weapons that were part of the grid include the S-400 system, medium-range surface to air missile system (Barak 8), the Pechora air defense system, Spyder quick-reaction missiles, and advanced L-70 and Zu-23-2B guns.
The nine terror camps targeted by the Indian forces using a combination of missiles and smart ammunition were Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur, Markaz Taiba on the outskirts of Muridke, Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot, Sawai Nala and Syed Na Bilal in Muzaffarabad, Gulpur and Abbas in Kotli, Barnala in Bhimber, and Sarjal.
The IAF attacked positions in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur, Sialkot, Skardu, Sargodha, Jacobabad, Bholari and Malir Cantt in Karachi.
