DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2025, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `15 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 India counters Pak attacks on west and north fronts, long night in over 15 cities DRONES, MISSILES TARGET JAMMU, PATHANKOT, UDHAMPUR HEAVY EXCHANGE OF ARTILLERY IN AKHNOOR, RAJOURI, POONCH PAK BID TO ATTACK JAISALMER, BIKANER DISTRICTS FOILED Lahore air defence neutralised after Pak targets Indian military sites: Govt SHUBHAJIT ROY & AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA NEW DELHI, MAY 8 SHARPLY ESCALATING tensions between the two countries, Pakistan launched missiles and drones in the early hours of Thursday to try and target 15 Indian military installations in the northern and western sectors, from Srinagar to Bhuj, and the Indian armed forces retaliated by targeting “air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan” and “neutralised” an air defence system in Lahore. This exchange came a day after India struck and destroyed nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were Blackout in Jammu city Thursday night. AP IAF ACTIVATES ITS INTEGRATED GRID TO RESPOND TO DRONES Srinagar to Chandigarh to Bhuj: Blackouts & sirens mark sharp escalation in standoff LIGHTS OFF AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA & ARUN SHARMA Srinagar Islamabad NEW DELHI, JAMMU, MAY 8 Jammu Pathankot Lahore Hoshiarpur Mohali PAKISTAN Chandigarh Jaisalmer Bhuj IMF board should look deep within before bailing out Pak: Misri ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU NEW DELHI, MAY 8 A DAY BEFORE the International Monetary Fund is scheduled to reviewthefinancingfacilitiesextendedtoPakistan,India’sForeign SecretaryVikramMisriThursday said the IMF board should look “deep within” and take into accountthefactsbeforegenerously bailing out the country. He questioned the efficacy of several bailout packages extended to Pakistan over the last three decades and raised questions on its utilisation by the country. Misri said India’s Executive Director will put forward its position at the IMF Board meeting onMay9.“WehaveanExecutive Director at the IMF. Tomorrow thereisameetingof theboardof the IMF, and I am sure that our Executive Director will put forward India’s position. The decisions of the Board are a different matter, you know, the process through which they are made. But, I think the case with regard to Pakistan should be self-evident tothosepeoplewhogenerously open their pockets to bail out this country…,” he said. Misri pointed out that there have been several IMF bailout programmes sanctioned in the space of the last three decades. “...I think you would also have an CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Panchkula Jalandhar Amritsar Tarn Taran Firozepur INDIA Fazilka INDIAN ARMED forces began a counter-offensive Thursday night after Pakistani drones and missiles attempted to hit Indian military facilities in cities along the western and northern frontiers. Blackouts were imposed in over 15 cities, from Srinagar to Chandigarh to Bhuj. The Pakistani attack, which focusedespeciallyonmilitaryinstallations in Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur, came hours after India said it had targeted air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan Arniaandallwereinterceptedby air defence units. The IAF activated its Integrated Counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Grid and other air defence systems,includingtheS400Triumf, Barak 8 MRSAM (medium range surface-to-air missile) and the indigenousAkash,helpingsetup an air defence umbrella that helped thwart the attacks. There was a complete blackout in Jammu in the evening and peoplesaw what appeared to be drones and missiles being intercepted. Loud explosions were heard. Residents heard sirens blaring and the Jammu airport appeared to be a target. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA NEW DELHI, MAY 8 INDIA’S FLAGSHIP surface-to-air missile systems — S400 Triumf, Barak8MRSAM(MediumRange SurfacetoAirMissile)and the indigenous Akash — playedakeyroleastheIAF activated its Integrated Counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Grid and other air defence systems to thwarttheattacksbyPakistanon 15 military bases and several cities Thursday. Sources told The Indian Expressthattheairdefenceshield set up by the IAF, using guns, radars,missilesandthecounterUAS grid to jam and spoof UAVs (UnmannedAerialVehicles),prevented the Pakistani drones and missiles from reaching Indian military installations. The sources said Pakistan launched a swarm of drones and ● missiles between 1 am and 1.30 am Thursday morning,withIndia’sairdefence systems immediately tracking thethreatsanddestroyingthem. The debris is now being E CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 If (Pakistan) will go further, we will not stop, says top security official RITU SARIN NEW DELHI, MAY 8 IF THEY (Pakistan) will go further, we will not stop…we will go till the very end.” That’s the unequivocal message from New Delhi Thursday, according to the Government’s top security official who has been closely associated with Operation Sindoor. This came on the day the Ministry of Defence said that Indian armed forces had “neutralised” Air Defence radars and systems at “a number of loca- tions” in Pakistan, including Lahore, as a retaliation to Pakistan’s attempts to escalate. Speaking to The Indian Express, the official said there was nothing “absolute” in the current military stand-off between India and Pakistan, and that India’s responses would depend on whether and how quickly Pakistan climbed the escalatory ladder. “Wearepreparedforthebest but we are also ready for whatever happens,” the top official said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, MAY 8 AS BILATERAL tension deepens between India and Pakistan, SaudiArabiaandIranhavetaken theleadindiplomacywithIndia; theUShasexpressedsupportfor a direct dialogue between the two countries offering to play a role, and the EU has urged both sides to engage in dialogue and protect civilian lives. Riyadh and Tehran are the first to send their ministers after the May 7 strikes by India on ter- ror targets in Pakistan. Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Aljubeir landed in India on an unannounced visit and held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Thursday with a focus on de-escalating tension.IranianForeignMinister Abbas Araghchi landed in New Delhiaroundmidnightlastnight on a scheduled visit. US Secretary of State Marco RubiospokewithJaishankar,and according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 At least 100 terrorists killed, Rajnath at all-party meet; Opp hails Op Sindoor FULL COVERAGE PAGES 9, 10, 11 S-400, Akash missiles Jaishankar refrain to Saudi, Iran, key to IAF shield against US, EU: Will counter escalation Pak missiles and drones SHUBHAJIT ROY B U EXPLAINED Bikaner Karachi Gurdaspur and “neutralised” an air defence system in Lahore. Late Thursday, the Ministry of Defencesaidtherewerenocasualties or material losses and the threat was “neutralised” using kinetic and non-kinetic means — kinetic options refer to use of missiles and other weapon systems, and non-kinetic to measures like jammers and anti-drone nets. OfficialsourcessaidPakistani drone attacks were reported at multiple locations along the western borders and the Indian Armed Forces had managed to effectively engage them. Sources said eight missiles from Pakistan were directed at Satwari, Samba, RS Pura and killed on April 22. Delhi is learnt to have used attack drones to hit the Pakistan military’s air defence and radar facilities, notably in Lahore, its secondlargestcitywhichisclose to the India-Pakistan border. The Ministry of Defence, in a statement Thursday, said, “On thenightof May7-8,Pakistanattempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot,Amritsar,Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi,Uttarlai, andBhuj, using drones and missiles. These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of theseattacksisnowbeingrecovered from a number of locations USINESS AS SUAL BY UNNY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MANOJ C G & LIZ MATHEW NEW DELHI, MAY 8 AT LEAST 100 terrorists are estimated to have been killed in strikes carried out by the armed forces on terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is learnt to havetoldanall-partymeeting Thursday even as he underlined that the “intended objectives” of Operation Sindoor had been achieved. Singh is learnt to have also said at the meeting that while Indiahadnoplanstoescalatethe tension, if there was any move fromPakistan,“Wewillgiveabefitting reply.” Sources said Singh addedthat“OperationSindooris a continuing exercise”, which is mainlywhytheGovernmentdid not make a formal presentation on the move at the meeting. Later, speaking at the NationalQualityConclaveorgan- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi Thursday. ANI ised by the DRDO, the Defence MinistersaidIndiahasbeenaresponsible nation but if anyone testsitspatience,theywouldface “quality action like yesterday”. Thesecondall-partymeeting after the Pahalgam strike on April22sawleadersacrossparty lines hailing Operation Sindoor, and once again pledging unequivocal support to the Government in whatever action it takes against perpetrators of the attack and their handlers. Sources said Opposition CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Border shadow on Dharamsala, match off, cricket board waits for Govt word on IPL PAGE 1 ANCHOR DEVENDRA PANDEY & VENKATA KRISHNA B MUMBAI, CHENNAI, MAY 8 Lights out at the Dharamsala stadium before the match was called off on Thursday. Rohit Jain Paras THEUNPRECEDENTEDblackout on the western front Thursday cast a longshadow on the Indian Premier League. Around 9.35 pm, the match betweenPunjabKingsandDelhi CapitalsinDharamsala,about90 km from Pathankot which saw aerial attacks from across the border, was called off after 10.1 overs. Then, the BCCI went into a huddle to decide the future of the tournament. “We are monitoring the situation, seekingthe Government's advice,andwilltakethefinaldecision on the IPL tomorrow. The situation is changing day by day. We will do whatever we are told and inform all stakeholders. At the moment, our priority is the safety of all players, fans and stakeholders,” BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told The Indian Express. ItislearntthattheBCCIisalso keepingitsoptionsopen,including the possibility of pausing the league or revising the tournament itinerary. Sources said the decision to stop the Dharamsala game was taken by the hosts Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association following a phone call from a top cricket official. Following the communication, the light towers went off and the ground went partially dark. Soon, the spectators were asked to head towards the exit. IPLchairpersonArunDhumal was seen walking along the boundary, gesturing to the fans toleavethestadium.Theplayers from both teams were asked to boardtheirbusesandheadtothe team hotel. The evacuation was CONTINUED ON PAGE 2