PM Modi Convenes High-Level Meeting as Pakistan Resumes Strikes for Third Consecutive Night

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting on Friday with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri amid continued missile and drone attacks by Pakistan on western Indian cities and military installations for the third straight night.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force as India prepares for a calibrated and proportionate response to a third consecutive night of Pakistani attacks.

The government reported that swarms of Pakistani drones were sighted over Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Punjab, prompting the Indian military to actively engage the hostile targets.

On Friday night, drones were sighted over Jammu and Samba in Jammu & Kashmir, Pathankot and Ferozepur in Punjab, and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, among other areas. Explosions were also reported in Barmer and Pokhran, the latter being the site of India’s nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998, in Rajasthan.

The city of Jammu was plunged into darkness following a series of blasts. "Intermittent sounds of blasts, probably heavy artillery, can now be heard..." Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X.

Defence officials stated that the latest wave of attacks was intercepted by India’s air defence systems, including the Russian-made S-400s, successfully preventing major damage.

Late Thursday, Pakistani forces launched 300 to 400 drones, including Turkish-made Asisguard SONGAR models, and missiles targeting 36 cities across Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Punjab, triggering air raid sirens and widespread blackouts.

India responded with precision interceptions using its integrated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) and missile defence systems, including the indigenously developed Akash and the Russian-made S-400.

Pakistani forces also fired drones and missiles on Wednesday night, just hours after India's Operation Sindoor, a precision strike on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Among the targets was a camp in Muridke, the base of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The Resistance Front, a Lashkar proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. India had previously provided evidence linking Pakistan's deep state to the attack. While Pakistan's government denied the connection, the Indian government strongly refuted these denials, highlighting clear ties between the Pakistani Army and terrorist groups.

Following India’s successful defence against the first two waves of attacks, government sources emphasized that the efficient interception of the drones demonstrated India's aerial dominance.

Also Read: "Pakistan's act was cowardly, aimed at creating a communal hue," says Vikram Misri