Daily Briefing: Sirens, blackouts and a long night
Good morning,
If you were glued to your television screen last night, you likely witnessed India's anti-missile systems in action, intercepting a barrage of Pakistani drones and missiles along the western and northern borders. Air raid sirens blared through, and at least 15 cities in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat went dark.
🎯 Targets: Pakistan aimed its strikes at Indian military facilities, with a heavy focus on Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur. Sources say eight missiles were also fired at Satwari—home to the Jammu airport—as well as Samba, RS Pura, and Arnia. Drone activity was also reported in parts of Rajasthan.
📡Defence: India reported no casualties or damage. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that threats were swiftly neutralised using kinetic (missiles and weapon systems) and non-kinetic (jammers and anti-drone nets) means. The Indian Air Force activated its Integrated Counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Grid along with an array of surface-to-air missile systems, including the S400 Triumf, Barak 8 MRSAM (Medium Range Surface to Air Missile) and the indigenous Akash. (Know more about these defence systems.)
Also read: An in-depth explainer on the assortment of weapons that make up air defence systems and how they work.
⏩ Escalation: These developments came hours after India stated it had neutralised an air defence system in Lahore in response to the Pakistani aggression on early Thursday morning. Authorities maintain that India's response was measured, but as a senior government official told my colleague Ritu Sarin, they will not back down from retaliating against any escalation from Pakistan.
🗣️Diplomacy: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had a packed evening, holding talks with the visiting foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran, both pushing for calm. Saudi Arabia's involvement stands out, given its historic tilt toward Pakistan and its recent pivot toward India. The United States and the European Union also called for restraint. Jaishankar's message to all was clear: India will respond firmly to escalation.
Crucially, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is set to conduct a performance review of the aid disbursed to Pakistan before releasing the next tranche of $1 billion of the $7 billion package committed in September 2024. India has urged the IMF to 'look deep within' before bailing out the impoverished country.
📺 Digital blackout: The Indian government has advised OTT platforms to scrub all Pakistani content in the 'interest of national security'. Meanwhile, social media platform X stated it had received directions from Indian authorities to block over 8,000 accounts, including those belonging to international news organisations and prominent X users. Failure to comply would result in penalties. The move is significant given the massive amount of mis/disinformation doing the rounds on social media, fuelling distorted narratives and unverified claims.
✈️ On alert: If you plan to take a flight, factor in a few extra hours as airports across the country ramp up security. On Thursday, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) ordered 100 per cent secondary ladder point checking, which means an additional screening of all passengers and luggage before boarding the airplane. Additionally, commercial flights have been suspended at 25 airports close to the India-Pakistan border or those housed at Indian Air Force bases.
🏏 And lastly, the BCCI is expected to announce the fate of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) today. Last night's Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match in Dharamsala was abandoned following aerial threats and blackouts along the western front. Several foreign players have since expressed a desire to return home.
That's all for today. Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta
Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She runs The Indian Express's weekly climate newsletter, Icebreaker. Apart from this, her interests range from politics and world affairs to art and culture and AI. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023.
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