New Delhi: Border tensions between India and Pakistan have reached a boiling point after Indian forces destroyed several Pakistani drone launch pads, triggering a wave of retaliatory strikes. The violence escalated dramatically when Raj Kumar Thappa, the Additional District Development Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir, was killed in heavy Pakistani shelling in Rajouri.
India confirmed attempted infiltrations or attacks at over 26 locations along the border, as military engagements intensified following Pakistan’s allegations that India targeted its military installations. In response, Pakistan sealed its airspace and ramped up cross-border aggression.
Overnight, drone and shelling attacks were reported across Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. In a particularly disturbing incident in Firozpur, Punjab, a Pakistani drone strike left three members of a family severely injured with burn wounds. They remain hospitalized, according to SSP Bhupinder Singh Sidhu.
With tensions peaking, the Indian Army has activated ground-to-air missile systems in and around Srinagar to counter aerial threats. Dramatic visuals of destroyed Pakistani drone infrastructure were released by the Indian military, underscoring the scale of retaliation.
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed shock over Thappa’s death, noting that the official had joined an online meeting with him just hours earlier. Abdullah also confirmed that Thappa’s home was destroyed in the shelling.
In Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired an emergency high-level security meeting involving key cabinet ministers and top officials. A joint press conference by the defense and external affairs ministries has been scheduled for 10 a.m. today, as the nation awaits further official details.
