Pakistan is moving troops to forward areas, indicating offensive intent: Indian officials

Pakistan is moving troops into forward areas, indicating an “offensive intent” to escalate tensions, said Indian officials on Saturday, adding Indian armed forces remain in a high state of operational readiness.

The Pakistan army used missiles and fighter aircraft against civilian and military targets along India's north and northwestern frontier during the intervening night of 9-10 May, killing some civilians, the officials said at a joint press briefing by the ministries of external affairs and defence.  

They didn't disclose the number of civilians killed. 

Meanwhile, India continued to target Pakistan's military and technical infrastructure, like command centres, weapon depots, and radar systems in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian, using precision air-launched weapons from fighter aircraft, they added. 

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Pakistan's Sialkot and Pasrur air bases were also targeted, Indian armed forces' representatives colonel Sofiya Qureshi and wing commander Vyomika Singh informed the press. 

Pakistan's actions were provocative and escalatory, said foreign secretary Vikram Misri during the briefing.

According to the officials, over 26 aerial intrusions using drones were detected overnight from Srinagar to Naliya. 

Pakistan continued its onslaught against India on 9 May night, using unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions, and fighter aircraft to target civilian areas and military infrastructure, said Singh. 

Indian armed forces neutralised these threats and a majority of the vectors, added Singh. 

However, limited damage was sustained to equipment and personnel at Indian Air Force stations at Pathankot, Adampur, Udhampur, and Bhuj, the officials said. 

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They said there were several high-speed missile attacks noticed after 0140 hours on Saturday at several air bases in Punjab.

Pakistan also attacked civilian infrastructure overnight in a “deplorable” act, targeting a school and a medicare centre at the air bases of Srinagar, Avantipur, and Udhampur, killing some civilians.  

In a swift response, India carried out attacks against military targets in Pakistan, ensuring minimum collateral damage, they added.

Small arms firing between the two nations also took place in the districts of Kupwara, Baramulla, Rajouri, Poonch, and Akhnoor. 

Pakistan also carried out several disinformation campaigns about the destruction of Indian airfields, Misri said. “India unequivocally rejects these narratives being spread by Pakistan,” said wing commander Singh. 

Misri reiterated that Indians should not be misled by Pakistan's disinformation campaigns. “Pakistan's claims on activity they have undertaken, continue to be heavy on lies, misinformation, and propaganda. And on top of that, this is peddled by Pakistani state agencies,” he said. 

"The claims they have made about attacking and destroying various military installations and facilities are completely false,” Misri said, after displaying photos and videos of undisturbed Indian air bases that Pakistan had claimed to have been destroyed. 

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Misri described Pakistan's attacks on Indian civilian infrastructure as “execrable” and “wanton”, adding that disinformation campaigns were aimed at sowing discord among Indian communities. 

Denying claims of India attacking areas in Afghanistan, Misri said Afghans need not be reminded of who attacked their civilian infrastructure over the last year and a half. 

On Friday evening, the officials had told the press that about 300-400 Turkey-made drones were used by Pakistan in an offensive on 7 May night, in an effort to test Indian air defence systems and gather intelligence. 

Pakistan escalated the conflict after India's retaliatory move against terrorist bases in the neighbouring country and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of 7 May, according to a defence ministry statement, in the wake of the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 civilian lives.

The Indian government also went into a huddle and ensured that an adequate supply of essential commodities such as foodgrains and fuel is maintained. The government also heightened security at key strategically important places such as thermal power plants and dams. The government also took stock of the country's cybersecurity, anticipating a cyberattack during the conflict.