Pakistan resumes small arms, artillery firing along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri

Amid rising tensions, Pakistan resorted to small arms and artillery fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday evening, reported news agency ANI.

More details awaited.

Meanwhile, in a major escalation along India's western front, the Pakistan army carried out multiple airspace violations and drone intrusions on the night of May 7 and 8, targeting Indian military infrastructure.


Previously, a villager was killed and three others were injured in shelling by Pakistan in forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts early Friday morning, prompting Army troops to retaliate. A series of high-intensity blasts between 3:50 am and 4:45 am triggered an immediate blackout and sounding of sirens, officials said.

Videos from the pre-dawn hours showed drones and other flying objects in the Jammu region being neutralised by the air defence system.

The firing and shelling were directed at areas in Rajouri, Poonch, and Jammu districts, apart from Kashmir's Kupwara and Baramulla districts, overnight.

One person was killed and three others, including his wife, were injured in Pakistani shelling in different areas of Loran and Mendhar sectors of Poonch district, the officials said. The injured were shifted to hospital.

The shelling also caused significant damage to property, with many houses and hundreds of vehicles affected, they said.

Addressing a press briefing on Friday, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi revealed that 300 to 400 drones were deployed across 36 locations, with several being shot down by Indian forces using both kinetic and non-kinetic methods. Initial investigations suggest the drones were Turkish-made Asisguard Songar models.

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said during the press briefing, "On the night of May 7 and 8, the Pakistani army violated Indian airspace several times over the entire western border to target military infrastructure. Not only this, the Pakistani army also fired heavy-calibre weapons along the Line of Control. Around 300 to 400 drones were used to attempt infiltration at 36 locations."

She added, "The Indian armed forces shot down many of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means. The possible purpose of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence. Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones..."

Pakistan's attempted retaliation came in the wake of India's Operation Sindoor, where the Indian armed forces targeted nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday.

The operation was a direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Earlier on Thursday, the Indian Army had shot down more than 50 Pakistani drones during a large-scale counter-drone operation along the LoC and International Borders (IB), sources told ANI.

The Indian Armed Forces also successfully neutralised Pakistan military's attempts at a large-scale drone and missile attack on multiple Indian military installations across Northern and Western India during the night of May 7-8, and an Air Defence system at Lahore was neutralised.