8 BSF Troops Injured In Pak Shelling In J-K, Terrorist Launchpad Destroyed In Retaliatory Strike
Eight Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were injured in intense Pakistani shelling along the International Border (IB) in Jammu’s R S Pura sector on Saturday, officials said. The injured troops were immediately rushed to a nearby military medical facility, as the BSF continued to maintain a high state of alert along the over 2,000-km-long India-Pakistan border.
The Border Security Force on Saturday also confirmed it had “completely destroyed” a terrorist launchpad in Pakistan's Sialkot district, opposite the Akhnoor area of Jammu, following unprovoked firing by Pakistani forces. The launchpad at Looni, reportedly used to facilitate infiltration and cross-border attacks, was eliminated in a precision strike late Friday night, according to BSF officials.
The retaliation came after Pakistani forces opened fire without provocation on BSF posts along the International Border in Jammu at around 9 pm on Friday. “BSF responded in a commensurate manner, causing widespread damage to the posts and assets of the Pakistan Rangers,” said a spokesperson. “Our resolve to protect India’s sovereignty is unshaken.”
This escalation is part of a broader, ongoing standoff between India and Pakistan. The Indian Armed Forces have been carrying out retaliatory precision strikes since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Nine terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including known strongholds of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, were hit in missile strikes on May 7.
Meanwhile, heightened tensions have also triggered drone incursions and artillery strikes along multiple sectors. Defence ministry sources confirmed that Pakistani drone and artillery attacks have targeted 26 locations across India, including Jammu, Baramulla, Pathankot, and regions in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Armed drones were reportedly sighted in Ferozpur and other sensitive areas, prompting high alert and blackout measures in several border districts. In Punjab, a drone-triggered explosion damaged a house in Jalandhar, while in Gujarat's Kutch, authorities imposed blackouts and advised residents to stay indoors as a precaution.
“The Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high state of alert, and all such aerial threats are being tracked and engaged using counter-drone systems. The situation is under close and constant watch & prompt action is being taken wherever necessary,” the Ministry of Defence said.
At least five people, including a two-year-old girl, a senior Jammu and Kashmir government officer, and a woman in Poonch district, were killed in the recent escalations. Dozens more have been injured in Rajouri, Poonch, and Jammu following heavy shelling and suspected drone attacks.
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