Tensions between India and Pakistan reached a dangerous high after deadly cross-border strikes this week. Following unprovoked Indian missile attacks on Pakistani airbases, Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyan ul Marsoos.
Security sources confirmed that the Pakistan Army launched this operation hours after the Indian strikes. The attack came in the wake of India’s assault on May 7, which killed at least 31 civilians inside Pakistan. That strike triggered immediate retaliation.
As part of Operation Bunyan ul Marsoos, Pakistan’s military hit several Indian defence targets. Five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, were shot down. Dozens of surveillance drones were also destroyed.
The operation targeted 11 Indian military sites. These included the Pathankot, Udhampur, Gujarat, and Rajasthan air bases. A BrahMos missile storage facility was also struck. The Udhampur air base was hit by three Fateh-1 missiles, which were developed indigenously and have a 120 km range.
Pakistan’s armed forces also destroyed the Indian Army’s brigade headquarters and its supply depot in Uri. A second BrahMos missile site in Nagrota was later targeted and taken out.
A major success came when JF-17 Thunder jets fired hypersonic missiles at the Adampur airbase. The strike destroyed India’s high-value S-400 air defence system. The system, worth $1.5 billion, was completely neutralized along with the base.
This phase of Operation Bunyan ul Marsoos did not stop with missile strikes. Pakistan also launched a massive cyber campaign. The cyberattack disabled over 70% of India’s power grid. Maharashtra faced the worst outages, affecting both homes and businesses.
Security insiders revealed that the BJP’s official website was hacked and taken offline. Sensitive data was compromised. Other affected websites included the Crime Research Investigation Agency, MTCL, and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML). The site of the All India Naval Technical Supervisory Staff Association was also breached and wiped clean.
Hackers from Pakistan also breached the systems of Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (MSETCL). That breach caused blackouts across multiple areas. Reports say electricity meter data for homes and commercial areas was lost. The extent of the digital damage is still unclear.
India’s missile barrage on Friday night struck Pakistan’s Nur Khan, Murid, and Shorkot airbases. These attacks were launched from Indian aircraft, confirmed DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.
He also revealed that India fired missiles into Afghan territory and carried out drone strikes. “India is dragging the region towards war with its irresponsible behaviour,” he said during a press briefing.
The DG ISPR reassured the public that all assets of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) remain secure. “We are ready to respond. All our systems are intact,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the G7 nations called for calm. In a joint statement, foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, the UK, and the EU condemned the April 22 tourist attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir. They urged both India and Pakistan to show maximum restraint.
The G7 appealed for immediate de-escalation. It encouraged both countries to enter direct talks and seek peace.
This new phase of conflict began with Indian strikes that India claimed were a response to the Kashmir attack. Pakistan denies any involvement in that incident. Both countries have long claimed full rights over Kashmir, but each controls only a part of it.
Now, with Operation Bunyan ul Marsoos underway, the risk of wider conflict continues to rise.
