NEW DELHI: Pakistan is increasing its deployment of troops along the border, the Indian military said on Saturday (May 10) as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours soared, with Pakistan launching a military operation against India.
The Pakistan army has been observed to be moving its troops into forward areas, “indicating offensive intent to further escalate the situation”, an Indian military spokesperson told a media briefing.
“Indian armed forces remain in a high state of operational readiness,” she said. “Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistan military.”
The Indian army earlier that Pakistan was continuing its “blatant escalation” with drone strikes and using other munitions along India’s western border, and its “enemy designs” would be thwarted.
Multiple “enemy armed drones” were spotted over the holy city of Amritsar in India’s border state of Punjab, the army said in a post on X.
“The hostile drones were instantly engaged and destroyed by our air defence units. Pakistan’s blatant attempt to violate India’s sovereignty and endanger civilians is unacceptable.”
Pakistan’s planning minister said on local television that “special measures” had been taken to avoid civilian targets and that they were targeting locations that had been used to target Pakistan.
Following the announcement of Pakistan’s retaliation, residents in Indian-controlled Kashmir said they heard loud explosions at multiple places in the region, including the two big cities of Srinagar and Jammu, and the garrison town of Udhampur.
“Explosions that we are hearing today are different from the ones we heard the last two nights during drone attacks,” said Shesh Paul Vaid, the region’s former top police official and Jammu resident. “It looks like a war here.”
Vaid said explosions were heard from areas with military bases.
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