Continued high tensions between India and Pakistan; exchange of fire, emergency meetings and drone warfare

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: In response to recent developments, the Indian Defense Ministry has held a high-level meeting to review the trend of military tensions with Pakistan.

 

On the other hand, Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, while rejecting Indian media claims about border attacks, emphasized that his country has not carried out any attacks inside Indian Kashmir or beyond international borders. He added: "Pakistan's Air Force is on full alert."

 

At the same time, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States also stated: "Pakistan has the right to defend itself against Indian attacks and to respond appropriately to any aggression."

 

Al Jazeera's correspondent also reported that the exchange of fire between the two countries' forces on the border continues.

 

The Pakistani army also announced on Thursday that it had shot down 29 Israeli drones that were trying to target military and civilian positions in various cities of the country. According to the Pakistani army, the crash of one of these drones in the city of Lahore resulted in the death of a civilian and the injury of four soldiers.

 

In this regard, the Pakistani information minister claimed: "India has used Israeli drones after its fighter jets failed to penetrate Pakistani airspace in the attack on Tuesday." A security source in the Punjab province also reported that this morning (Friday), four Indian spy planes were shot down in the area.

 

In another development, the Indian army announced in a statement late last night that Pakistan had used missiles and drones to target three Indian military bases near the international border in the Jammu and Kashmir region. Although the attacks did not result in any casualties, the Indian army said it had thwarted the attack using a combination of hardware and software methods.

 

On the other hand, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters that the United States was the main obstacle to diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions between the two countries. He warned: “In the event of any retaliatory action by India, Islamabad will target its military installations.” The Pakistani defense minister also added that some Gulf countries had been trying to mediate, but US interference had prevented these efforts from being fruitful.

 

However, the US Secretary of State, in a call with the Pakistani Prime Minister, claimed that the country was committed to promoting peace and stability in the region.

 

In response to Pakistan’s attacks on Wednesday night, India’s defense ministry said on Thursday that it had targeted and destroyed Pakistani air defense systems in Lahore. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s information minister said: “We have killed between 40 and 50 Indian soldiers on the border and have also blown up several military installations.”

 

The Indian government also confirmed that Pakistani air defense and radar systems in various areas, including Lahore, were targeted by Indian forces on Thursday. However, Pakistan’s defense minister stressed in an interview with Reuters that the Indian drones had not managed to damage the country’s military installations.