राजनीति

Rajnath Singh In Key Meet With Chiefs Of Armed Forces As Indo-Pak Conflict Escalates, Cancels Patna Visit

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is in South Block, New Delhi, to meet the chiefs of all three armed forces as India-Pakistan tensions escalated last night. Defence Minister Singh has also cancelled a scheduled visit to Patna, Bihar.

A high-level meeting is underway at South Block, where Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is reviewing the security situation with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO). The meeting is focused on assessing the current situation amid heightened tensions and planning further actions.

The meeting comes just hours after India successfully intercepted a barrage of missiles and drones launched from Pakistan, targeting key military installations and urban centres.

The dramatic overnight developments unfolded as Pakistan initiated its second wave of airstrikes, focusing on cities and military bases across Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Punjab, starting around 8:30 PM on Thursday. Strategic targets in Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur were also in the crosshairs. However, India’s defence systems and armed forces acted swiftly, neutralising the threats and launching a decisive counter-response.

Amid the aerial aggression, large-scale power outages were reported in Srinagar, Jammu, and various parts of Punjab and Rajasthan, plunging several regions into darkness and uncertainty.

Sources within the defence establishment said that Indian forces launched a potent retaliation, decimating several Pakistani military posts situated along the Line of Control (LoC). Precision strikes, including the use of anti-tank guided missiles, were employed to dismantle enemy positions, they confirmed.

The Indian Army, in an official statement, disclosed that the Pakistan Armed Forces initiated “multiple attacks using drones and other munitions” along the entire western border during the night of May 8 and 9. In addition to the drone strikes, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire numerous times along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The drone attacks were effectively countered, and a befitting response was delivered for the ceasefire violations,” the statement emphasised.

Reaffirming its stance, the Army asserted: “The Indian Army remains steadfast in its commitment to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation. Every hostile attempt will be met with overwhelming force.”

This recent flare-up follows India’s military action under Operation Sindoor, a targeted retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which led New Delhi to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with Islamabad. In response to that terror strike, India executed a high-impact offensive, launching 24 missiles in just 25 minutes, across nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. The coordinated attack reportedly eliminated 70 terrorists and injured 60 others.

In response, Pakistan launched attacks at military installations and civilian areas in Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Punjab. Officials report that indiscriminate artillery shelling and firing from across the LoC resulted in the deaths of at least 16 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir. India has vowed that these provocations will not go unanswered, and the military continues to strike back with force and precision.