Pakistan Attacked India With 300-400 Turkish Asisgard Songar Drones: Govt

India has successfully countered a massive drone assault by Pakistan using Turkish Songar drones. Key military sites were targeted as tensions soared between the two nations amid Operation Sindoor.

From Left: Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and Colonel Sophia Qureshi

Source : MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs and the armed forces said Pakistan used Türkiye’s Songar drones built by Turkish weapons developer Asisgard in attacks targeted at military installations in India. The press briefing was attended by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sophia Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. 

Pakistan used 300 to 400 Turkish drones in 36 locations during its attack on India on the intervening night of May 8 and 9, said Colonel Sophia Qureshi. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said heavy-calibre weapons along the western border of India. The government also said that Pakistan was using the airspace between itself and India to shield itself with civil airlines flights, knowing fully that India would not target civilians.

The Centre also said that the drone incursions were aimed at detecting the locations of the aerial defence systems of India. India, in response, launched 4 drones and destroyed an aerial defence radar in Pakistan.

Tensions between India and Pakistan reached a fever pitch this week as fresh cross-border hostilities flared, raising alarm across northern and western parts of India. The Indian military reported neutralizing multiple drone and missile threats aimed at key military installations, including those in Jammu and Pathankot.

The latest wave of aggression, which unfolded just a day before a critical government briefing, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing standoff. According to defense officials, Pakistan launched renewed attacks targeting Indian military sites—efforts that were met with swift and decisive countermeasures by Indian forces.

Wednesday saw an Indian response under Operation Sindoor, during which precision missile strikes were carried out against nine identified terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These strikes came in direct retaliation to what Indian officials have labelled as "provocative and sustained attempts" by Pakistan to destabilise the region.

Blackouts In Border States 

Amid the heightened hostilities, blackouts were reported in several cities and towns across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan — regions that have borne the brunt of cross-border incursions in recent days. Surveillance teams spotted numerous drones breaching Indian airspace, with targets including strategic military bases in Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur. The Indian Defence Ministry confirmed that these threats were "effectively neutralised using both kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities".

'Up To Pakistan, If It Wants To...'

During a high-level briefing on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addressed the growing concerns. He underscored that the ball is now in Pakistan’s court when it comes to dialing down the tension. "It is for Pakistan to decide whether it wants to de-escalate," Misri said, stressing that India’s actions were a direct consequence of the Pahalgam massacre—an incident that triggered the latest spiral of violence.

Meanwhile, heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) continues to rattle border districts in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Local populations have been advised to stay vigilant as security forces remain on high alert.

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