In a dramatic escalation of hostilities, Pakistan reportedly fired a Fatah-II long-range missile targeting India’s capital, New Delhi, on Saturday. According to News18, India’s advanced air defence systems successfully intercepted and destroyed the missile near Sirsa in Haryana.

The Fatah-II, a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 400 km, marks a significant shift in the nature of offensive threats facing India. The attempted strike on the national capital has drawn immediate and forceful retaliation from New Delhi.

In the early hours of Saturday, the Indian armed forces launched coordinated strikes on four Pakistani airbases. As per sources cited by ANI, these included Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, Murid in Punjab’s Chakwal, and Rafiqi in Punjab’s Shorkot. The Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed that Pakistan’s airbases were targeted.

The retaliatory action came after Pakistan reportedly carried out attacks at 26 locations across India. Intermittent exchange of fire was ongoing along several points of the Line of Control (LoC) at the time of reporting.

Despite the heightened military activity, the Indian Defence Ministry assured the public that “All Indian Army and Air bases are safe.”

The Defence Ministry further revealed widespread drone activity:

“Drones have been sighted at 26 locations along the International Border and LoC with Pakistan. These include suspected armed drones. The locations include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala,” the Ministry said, as reported by ANI.

One such drone incident caused civilian injuries:

“Regrettably, an armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur, resulting in injuries to members of a local family,” the statement added.

Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have surged in the past week. On Wednesday, India conducted precision strikes targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These strikes were a response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which Indian intelligence confirmed had cross-border linkages.