Debris of Pakistan-launched HAFT-1 fragments, shrapnel, air-launched munitions, and UAVs/UCAVs intercepted by Indian Air Defence systems was displayed on Monday during a demonstration of how these defences shielded the Golden Temple and Punjab’s cities from Pakistani missile and drone attacks
| Photo Credit:
ANI
Indian Army on Monday showed an air defence system which, it said, thwarted aerial projectiles from Pakistan in Punjab, shielding the holiest Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple, from any damage.
On May 8, during Operaton Sindoor, after the Pakistan Army failed to strike any civilian or military targets, it launched a massive aerial attack and fired missiles towards ‘Darbar Sahib’.
The Indian Army, especially AD (Air Defence) Gunners, however, thwarted the aerial attack, thereby ensuring that not even a scratch was inflicted on our holy Golden Temple, said Major General Kartik C Seshadri, GOC, 15 Infantry Division.
“Knowing that the Pakistan Army does not have any legitimate targets, we anticipated that they would target Indian military installations and civilian targets, including religious places. Of these, Golden Temple appeared to be the most prominent,” he said.
The Golden Temple in Amritsar is the most significant and holiest Sikh shrine, visited by millions of Sikhs and Hindus. Also known as ‘Darbar Sahib’, it is a spiritual site that is open to all sects and attracts pilgrims from all walks of life and faiths.
Air defence umbrella
Meanwhile, according to the GOC 15 Division, additional modern air defence assets were deployed to provide a air defence umbrella over the Golden Temple.
On the early morning of May 8, under the cover of darkness, Pakistan launched an air assault using unmanned aerial weapons, primarily drones and long-range missiles.
“We were fully prepared since we had anticipated this, and our braveheart and alert army air defence gunners thwarted Pakistan Army’s nefarious designs and shot down all drones and missiles targeted at the Golden Temple,” he said.
As part of the demo, the Army showcased upgraded L-70 air defence guns, which shielded the Golden Temple in Amritsar and various cities in Punjab from Pakistani missile and drone attacks. Also on display was the debris of Pakistan-launched missiles, including the Chinese-made AAM PL-15, brought down by AD systems, which with its entire architecture has come in for a lot of praise for standing like a wall against incoming missiles and explosive-laden drones and probe drones from across the border.
“…Only 10 per cent of the ammunition of ground-based air defence weapons and Army air defence weapons were used…We have recovered Kamikaze drones and micro-drones like YIHA-III and Songar, which are likely of Turkish origin…It is very difficult to breach our air defence wall,” a soldier of the Indian Army said.
Earlier, during the Operation Sindoor official briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistry had accused Pakistan of targeting and shelling places of worship with particular designs, including Gurudwaras, churches and temples, calling it a “new low even for Pakistan.”
Countering Pakistan’s propaganda that Indian armed forces are “targeting their own cities” and blaming Pakistan, Misri debunked it as a “deranged fantasy” and an attempt to spread disinformation.
“Instead of owning up to its actions, Pakistan made the preposterous and outrageous claims that it is the Indian armed forces that are targeting its own cities like Amritsar and trying to blame Pakistan. They are well-versed in such actions as their history would show,” Misri had commented.
Pakistani shelling in J&K had caused massive damage to a Gurudwara in Poonch, killing civilians, including a Ragi.
Published on May 19, 2025