Pakistan Accused of Launching New Wave of Drone Strikes on India as Tensions Escalate

Explosions reported across Indian-administered Kashmir and Punjab amid rising cross-border hostilities.

A new wave of drone strikes allegedly launched by Pakistan has hit multiple regions in India, including Indian-administered Kashmir and Punjab, according to Indian officials and local witnesses. The attacks, which occurred late Friday and early Saturday, were described by observers as significantly more intense than earlier incidents.

In a surprise 1:50 a.m. broadcast, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s military accused India of firing six ballistic missiles from the Adampur airbase, all of which reportedly landed within Indian territory—one in Adampur itself and five in Amritsar, Punjab. The military provided no further details.

Explosions were also heard in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, while witnesses in Jammu reported several projectiles and bright flashes in the sky. In Srinagar, at least ten blasts were reported near the airport. Residents said these were the heaviest strikes since Thursday night.

Earlier on Friday, India had accused Pakistan of launching an unprecedented attack involving up to 400 drones aimed at civilian areas, military facilities, and religious sites. Indian officials claimed to have intercepted hundreds of the drones, which reportedly crossed into Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Gujarat in two waves—one on Thursday evening and another before dawn Friday.

India retaliated with four drone strikes targeting Pakistani military infrastructure, according to its defense officials.

At a press conference, Indian military representatives said Thursday’s drone attacks struck a Sikh gurdwara and Christian churches, injuring at least one civilian. “The targeting of temples, gurdwaras, and convents is a new low by Pakistan,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, rejected the allegations, calling them “baseless and misleading.” He insisted that Pakistan had taken no offensive actions inside India. However, a Pakistani security source told The Guardian the drone strikes were a prelude to a larger retaliatory operation. “When we hit back, everyone will know,” the official said.

Misri dismissed Pakistan’s denials as “farcical” and part of a pattern of “duplicity.”
Escalating Military Confrontation

This latest exchange follows a series of violent events, beginning with a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that killed 25 Hindu pilgrims and a local guide. In response, India launched missile strikes on nine sites in Pakistan on Wednesday, killing 31 people. Pakistan labeled the strikes an “act of war” and vowed retaliation.

On Friday, Pakistan’s military provided new details of the aerial conflict, claiming it had deployed over 100 aircraft to repel the Indian assault. The engagement reportedly included a prolonged dogfight, and Pakistan said it used Chinese-made air defenses to down five Indian fighter jets. India has yet to officially confirm any aircraft losses, though debris from at least three jets, including a Rafale, has been found in Kashmir and Punjab.

The city of Jammu, near the Line of Control (LoC), was hardest hit by Thursday night’s drone barrage. Residents reported widespread fear as fiery trails filled the sky, air raid sirens wailed, and neighborhoods were plunged into darkness during an enforced blackout. Videos shared online showed glowing orange objects—believed to be intercepted drones—lighting up the night.

“We’re used to skirmishes,” said Ajay Lakhotra, a 24-year-old student in Kanachak, near the Pakistan border. “But this was something else entirely. It looked like fireworks—flames everywhere. It was terrifying.”
War of Words and Disinformation

As the military conflict intensifies, so too does the information war. India has accused Pakistan of spreading “grossly exaggerated” reports in its media, including false claims about the downing of dozens of Indian drones. “What should have been a moment of reckoning against terror has become a disinformation war,” India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said.

At the same time, Indian media has also been flooded with fake or unverified stories, including reports of attacks on Karachi port, a military coup in Pakistan, and the arrest of Pakistan’s army chief. Footage from unrelated conflicts, including Gaza, has been widely circulated as purported evidence of Indian strikes on Pakistan.

India has responded by ordering social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to block over 8,000 accounts. These include Pakistani politicians, celebrities, media outlets, as well as Indian journalists and independent news platforms. X confirmed the move, saying it had received no legal justification in many cases but had to comply or risk heavy penalties and imprisonment of its local employees.

With both nations on high alert and rhetoric intensifying, the risk of further escalation remains dangerously high.