PAKISTAN DOWNS 29 ISRAEL-MADE INDIAN DRONES: US makes appeal for end to violence amid no let-up in Indian aggression

By Monitoring Desk

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: In the wake of Indian misadventure of launching 29 drones, which were all shot down by Pakistani forces, into Pak airspace, the US has warned that military action offers no solution to long-running disputes, urging restraint from both India and Pakistan.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Thursday, “Violence is not the answer,” Bruce told reporters during a briefing in Washington late Thursday. “We have seen in [the South Asian] region and in the Middle East that war and military action do not resolve these issues -- it never ends.” Diplomacy is the only viable path forward, she added.

The comments came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate calls with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, pressing both sides to avoid escalation and maintain direct lines of communication. According to Bruce, Rubio expressed condolences for civilian casualties during his conversation with Sharif, and reiterated Washington’s expectation that all parties work towards a “responsible solution”.

Bruce declined to provide further details on the nature of the discussions, citing diplomatic sensitivities, but confirmed that the US remains “deeply engaged” with both governments. “We believe it is essential that these conversations happen privately between leaders,” she said.

When asked whether the US had been presented with intelligence supporting India’s assertion that it struck terrorist infrastructure in retaliation, Bruce refrained from commenting on specifics. She underscored, however, that the US backs accountability for the perpetrators and supports efforts to investigate the incident.

While Pakistan has reportedly called for an independent probe into the latest incident, the US’s immediate focus, Bruce stressed, remains on halting further violence. “Right now, the priority is ending the back and forth and stopping the escalation,” she said.

Earlie in the day, the Pakistan military shot down at least 29 Israeli-manufactured Harop drones following a series of provocative attacks by India.

Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, while addressing a media briefing along with Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday evening, said that several armed Indian drones violated the Pakistani airspace by crossing the international border at multiple locations, with an apparent aim of targeting civilians and military installations. He also said that one of the drones struck the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the venue of the ongoing PSL, in a deliberate attempt to target both domestic and foreign cricket players.

He said that Pakistan reserves the right to respond to India at a time, place and manner of its choosing, given the grave and unlawful Indian aggression of violating Pakistani airspace. He also noted that the National Security Committee at its meeting considered India’s act of holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and stopping Pakistan’s water an act of war.

While rubbishing India’s claims of attacks on 15 different locations in India, the foreign minister said that rather the adversary resorted to provocative and dangerously escalated attack, firing four projectiles, three of those intentionally targeting Amritsar while the fourth was neutralised by Pakistan’s air defence on entering Pakistani territory on Thursday, and its debris fell in Dinga town.

Dar also rejected any intention or action that may endanger the civilian population in Indian Punjab. Dar emphasized that the deep-rooted and centuries-old cultural affinity between Pakistan and the Sikhs of Indian Punjab is well known, along with the long history of communal persecution of both at the hands of the extremist Hindutva majority. He said this Indian act appears to be a design to falsely implicate Pakistan for targeting Indian civilians and incite anti-Pakistan sentiments among the Punjabi Sikh population to conveniently externalize the rising communal tensions within India. He said Pakistan deeply sympathises with the Indian Sikh population as their lives were in danger by India’s malicious use of projectiles to achieve sinister political ends.

The deputy prime minister said Pakistan remains firmly committed to safeguarding innocent lives and regional harmony, unlike India’s divisive policies. Ishaq Dar said a political-based and motivated statement was issued that Pakistan attacked India’s military installations and buildings late Wednesday night. “It is a big lie and a shame. They concocted a story only to hide their embarrassment and sent their drones to Pakistan, which were downed at over 24 different locations in the country, from southern parts of the country to Islamabad,” he said.

ISPR DG Lt Gen Chaudhry said Pakistan has successfully neutralised 29 drones so far, assuring that any airborne object approaching Pakistan is closely monitored and will be taken down accordingly. The ISPR said that the drones were downed using both soft-kill (technical) and hard-kill (weapons-based) systems. He said India should refrain from creating war hysteria for domestic consumption and political purposes. He also condemned the targeting of religious sites, revealing that one of the drones was directed toward Nankana Sahib, a holy place for Sikhs, a move he described as abhorrent and unacceptable.

He further assured that Pakistan would respond at a time and place of its choosing, emphasising that the world would witness Pakistan’s retaliation, maintaining that the Armed Forces of Pakistan were on the highest level of alert. The ISPR DG said that the Harop drones were very well picked up by Pakistan’s air defence, but there is a methodology to engage and neutralise them.

The ISPR DG detailed the locations where 12 of those drones sent by India were neutralised — Lahore, Attock, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur in Punjab, as well as Sukkur’s Miano, Umerkot’s Chhor and near Karachi in Sindh. During the briefing, the debris of neutralised Indian drones and a projectile were displayed for the media. He said that only one drone managed to partially engage a military target, in which four soldiers were injured and equipment was damaged slightly. He said that three civilians were martyred and four others injured as a result of these drones.

The military spokesperson said that India launched four projectiles from Adampur, three of which were intentionally targeted at Amritsar, while the fourth one was neutralised by Pakistan’s air defence system on entering the international border. He said that the projectile appears to be a missile, but they are carefully carrying out its forensic.

He also belied claims of India that Pakistan targeted their 15 locations on Wednesday night, saying that it was just a fantastic and cooked-up story that one would laugh at. “What story they are telling can conveniently be called a phantom defence, which they are mounting and pretending that they demonstrated outstanding defence and neutralised Pakistan’s strikes.”

He told the Indian civil and military leadership that every projectile in this era leaves a digital trace and signature. “I will ask the Indian civil and military whether they are living in 21st century or 18th century.” He questioned when the Indian leadership would transition from cinema and theatre life to the actual world.

Lt Gen Chaudhry asked the Indian leadership to refrain from creating war hysteria for domestic consumption and achieving unknown objectives. He told the Indians that when Pakistan strikes at the time and place of their own choice, it would not need to tell the media; rather, the whole world will know. “We are not dependent upon their media to tell that Pakistan has attacked,” he said. The ISPR DG said that there has been war hysteria in India’s media and society, while everything is normal in Pakistan.

Earlier, the armed forces shot down two Indian drones that violated its airspace near Sukkur and Rahim Yar Khan. Security sources told Geo News that both drones were detected on radar systems and were promptly locked and neutralised by Pakistan’s air defence units. “The drones were precisely targeted after confirming their hostile trajectory within Pakistani territory,” said a senior security official.

Meanwhile, an Israeli-made drone struck a shop in the bustling Food Street adjacent to the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium at 11am. A young shopkeeper, Ali Haider, was injured by the drone’s impact, but later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, while two people sustained injuries. Police sources revealed that another drone was shot down in the Sadr Rumi Road area of Rawalpindi, while another met a similar fate near the Racecourse Transit Camp. Reports suggested that a total of three drones crashed in Rawalpindi. A drone also crashed in the Dhman area of Chakwal.

In Gujranwala, two Indian drones were shot down by armed forces.

Meanwhile, authorities in Kharian recovered wreckage of what appears to be an Indian military drone after late-night explosions rattled the district on Thursday. The incident, at 12:45am prompted heightened security measures. A segment of the drone penetrated the ceiling of a house, while another chunk landed on a mosque’s rooftop.

Another Indian drone fell in the fields in Nankana Sahib. Two drones crashed in different parts of Karachi. No casualties were reported. The first incident occurred in the Sharafi Goth area of Malir, where locals reported hearing a loud explosion. The other drone crashed in an open field near the Link Road in Gulshan-e-Hadeed.

A deadly drone crash occurred in a village in District Ghotki near the Pakistan-India border, resulting in the death of one civilian and injuring another. According to local police, the wreckage was found in the border region in the area of Village Bagho Darro. The victim has been identified as Mukhtiar Leghari, while his father Eadan was injured.

Meanwhile, Pakistan denied baseless allegations by Indian media of launching attacks on Pathankot, Jaisalmer and Srinagar.

In a press statement, the Foreign Office stated these claims are unfounded and politically motivated propaganda aimed at maligning Pakistan. The repeated pattern of levelling accusations against Pakistan without any credible investigation reflects a deliberate strategy to manufacture a pretext for aggression and to further destabilise the region.

Such actions not only further endanger regional peace but also reveal a disturbing willingness to exploit misinformation for political and military ends. “We urge the international community to take serious note of this dangerous behaviour and to counsel India toward restraint and responsibility,” the FO added. Any escalation based on false pretences will be met with full resolve and determination to safeguard Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Meanwhile, security sources said that Indian media reports alleging attacks in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) were “fabricated, baseless and a deliberate attempt to mislead.” Sources told Geo News that the false claims were aimed at creating a “misleading narrative” that Pakistan is carrying out strikes in India. “These fake reports are designed to justify India’s ongoing aggression against Pakistan by creating a false pretext,” they added. “There is no truth to these fabricated claims.” Security sources further said that such fake news was recently spread regarding an alleged attack in Amritsar. “The aim was to provoke the Sikh community and turn them against Pakistan,” they added. Sources added that now, Indian media is falsely reporting attacks in IIOJK to once again mislead the public and the international community.

In another development, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the United States is leading global efforts to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan. India’s drone incursions made Pakistan’s attack on India “increasingly certain”, Asif said during an interview. He said there is no room left for de-escalation.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar dismissed the claims made by India about shooting down an F-16 and JF-17 fighter jets as “absurd and false”. “Fake and concocted stories will get you nowhere. Such false claims only reflect your desperation. Denied and rejected,” the minister said in a post on X formerly Twitter.

Meanwhile, speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Attaullah Tarar said India suffered heavy losses on the Line of Control (LoC) as 40 to 50 of their army men have been killed while a brigade headquarters and several posts were also blown up. He said the National Security Committee (NSC) has authorised the armed forces to respond at a time and place of their choosing. The information minister said a strong reply would be given, but it would not be done in a hastily rather; it requires a detailed planning and strategy.

He said that not only that Rafale jets were shot down but morale and pride of the whole Indian nation was shattered. Frustrated by humiliation, the enemy changed strategy and sent unmanned drones to Pakistan and did not pick courage to bring their fighter jets again.

PTI’s Malik Amir Dogar in his speech declared that each and every worker of his party would stand by the armed forces to counter enemy’s aggression.

Meanwhile, loud explosions were reported at the IIOJK airport in Srinagar, a security source told AFP. Shesh Paul Vaid, a former director general of police for Jammu and Kashmir, also wrote on social media that there were “loud explosions”. The security source, who was not authorised to speak to the media, could not give the cause of the explosions.

All private and government educational institutions in Punjab will remain closed for next two days, May 9 and May 10, provincial education minister announced on Thursday. The Punjab government has postponed the intermediate examinations scheduled for May 9 and 10 across the province, according to Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat.

However, the minister clarified that O-Level and A-Level examinations will continue as per their original schedule. Also, Cambridge International Education (CIE) and the British Council have cancelled all exams scheduled for Friday, May 9, in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Islamabad Capital Territory and Punjab province due to the current security situation. The decision affects O Level, IGCSE, and International AS & A Level exams for students at both Cambridge Direct and British Council schools.

The US Consulate General in Lahore also issued a security alert following reports of drone explosions. In response to the potential threat, all US consulate personnel in Lahore have been directed to shelter in place. According to the advisory, the Consulate has also received preliminary reports indicating that Pakistani authorities may be evacuating areas near Lahore’s main airport as a precautionary measure. US citizens in Lahore or the broader Punjab region have been urged to remain vigilant.

Meanwhile, India is escalating its diplomatic efforts against Pakistan by leveraging its position at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At an upcoming board meeting scheduled for today (Friday), India’s representative will formally present the country’s position, likely to question or seek a review of ongoing or future IMF loan disbursements to Pakistan.

Meanwhile, sources said ex-PM Nawaz Sharif had attended a meeting on security situation at the Prime Minister’s House.