India conducted targeted strikes on three Pakistani airfields: Nur Khan (Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal), and Rafiqui (Jhang) in an overnight retaliatory action for Pakistani drone movement observed at 26 locations in several Indian states. Indian defense forces assured that the drones had been monitored and struck before the counter-attack.
The Indian retaliatory strikes were confirmed soon after Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, revealed information at a press conference on Saturday morning. As a precaution against further escalation, Pakistan shut down its airspace from 3:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. local time on May 10, 2025, as announced by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Pakistani Conducts Shelling Again
Tensions still prevailed on Saturday as explosions were heard throughout Jammu and Kashmir in cities such as Srinagar, Jammu, Rajouri, and Udhampur. Pakistan is said to have conducted new shelling, resulting in Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Raj Kumar Thappa of Rajouri meeting a sad demise as his residence was targeted.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lamented Thappa’s death and said Thappa was with the Deputy CM on an inspection the day before. Reacting to international appeals for peace, Omar Abdullah wrote on X, “I’m not sure how the ‘International Community’ thinks the current tension in the subcontinent will be de-escalated when the IMF essentially reimburses Pakistan for all the ordnance it is using to devastate Poonch, Rajouri, Uri, Tangdhar & so many other places.”
Drone and Missile Threats
In the face of increasing hostility, the Indian Army reported seeing ‘enemy armed drones’ over Amritsar’s Khasa Cantt around 5 a.m. on Saturday. Defence forces moved in quickly and took them out. There were explosions heard in Haryana’s Sirsa late Friday as well, when Indian forces intercepted a Pakistani missile, its wreckage landing near Khaja Khera village just 2 km from the district headquarters. There were reports that this missile could have been headed for Delhi.
In Punjab’s Ferozepur, three civilians were wounded Friday night in a drone strike, highlighting the growing danger to non-combatants.
International Concern and Safety of Civilians
The international community has started expressing concern. In a joint statement, the G7 countries condemned the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 individuals largely tourists and called on both nations to exercise ‘maximum restraint’.
The statement said: ‘We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, condemn unequivocally the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and call for maximum restraint by both India and Pakistan. Any further military escalation would constitute a grave threat to regional stability. We are gravely concerned about the safety of civilians on both sides’.
To avoid civilian safety dangers in the continued conflict, on Saturday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said it would close all 32 of northern and western India’s airports to commercial travel until May 15.
