Kartarpur, Turkish Drones, Missile Attacks: What Govt Said During Briefing Amid India-Pak Tensions

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh addressed a special briefing on Operation Sindoor even as the tensions at the country's Western borders escalated to a new high with Pakistani drone and missile attacks on Thursday.

During the briefing, the military officials and the Foreign Secretary spoke on the Pakistani attack that took place across the Western borders, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The officials said that Islamabad used Türkiye’s Songar drones built by Turkish weapons developer Asisgard in attacks targeted at military installations in India. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said that around 300 to 400 drones were used by Pakistan to attempt infiltration at 36 locations in India.

Here are the top highlights of the special briefing on Operation Sindoor:

- Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the services of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor have been suspended till further directions in view of the existing security scenario.

- Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said Pakistan did not close its airspace on Thursday and allowed civilian aircraft to operate even as it launched Turkish-made drones at India.

- Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that during the shelling across the LoC on May 7, a shell fired from Pakistan hit the home of two children, who lost their lives, while their parents sustained injuries. The Foreign Secretary accused Pakistan of targeting and shelling places of worship.

- Speaking on the talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Misri said that the two leaders discussed the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and India's response on May 7.

- Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, speaking on the Thursday's attack, said that around 300 to 400 drones were used by Pakistan to attempt infiltration at 36 locations.

- Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said heavy-calibre weapons along the western border of India. The centre said that Pakistan was using the airspace between itself and India to shield itself with civil airlines flights, knowing fully that India would not target civilians. The Centre also said that the drone incursions were aimed at detecting the locations of the aerial defence systems of India.

- Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also spoke on Bahawalpur, which was one of the sites of Indian attack on May 7. Speaking on the terrorist camp, Misri said, "Bahawalpur is the headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group that is proscribed by the United Nations. Its leader Maulana Masood Azhar is a proscribed individual."

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