RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s military on Saturday (May 10) said three of its air bases had been attacked by Indian missiles, including one on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad near the army headquarters.
“India, with its naked aggression has attacked with missiles. Nur Khan base, Murid base, and Shorkot base have been targeted,” military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in a live broadcast aired by state television.
“Now you just wait for our response,” he warned India.
Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, where the military has its headquarters, is around 10km from the capital Islamabad.
Earlier, an army spokesperson said India fired ballistic missiles that fell in Indian territory, announcing it in a sudden statement on national broadcaster at 1.50am local time (8.50pm GMT) on Saturday, with no details provided to support the claim.
“I want to give you the shocking news that India fired six ballistic missiles from Adampur. One of the ballistic missiles hit in Adampur, the rest of the five missiles hit in Indian Punjab area of Amritsar,” the army’s spokesman said in his short video statement.
Amritsar’s district commissioner in a text message between Friday and Saturday said: “Don’t panic. Siren is sounding as we are under red alert. Do not panic, as before, keep lights off, move away from windows. We will inform you when ready to resume power supply.”
India has not commented on these claims.
Pakistan has warned that it will “not de-escalate” a spiralling conflict with India, and blamed New Delhi for bringing the two nuclear-armed neighbours closer to a full-blown war, with the death toll from days of violence crossing 50.
On Friday, the third day of tit-for-tat exchanges, the Indian army said it had “repulsed” waves of Pakistani attacks using drones and other munitions overnight, and gave a “befitting reply”.
Pakistan’s military spokesman denied that Islamabad was carrying out such attacks, and vowed revenge for the initial Indian strikes.
“We will not de-escalate – with the damages they did on our side, they should take a hit,” said Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.
“So far, we have been protecting ourselves but they will get an answer in our own timing.”
Pakistani military sources said that its forces had shot down 77 Indian drones in the last two days, with debris of many incursions seen by AFP in cities across the country.
An Indian army spokeswoman on Friday spoke of “300 to 400” Pakistani drones being fired, but it was impossible to verify that claim independently.
The two countries have fought several wars over Kashmir, which both claim in full but administer separately.
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