On the night of May 8–9, 2025, Pakistan launched an unprecedented drone offensive against India, deploying between 300 and 400 Turkish-origin Asisguard SONGAR drones across a vast swathe of northern and western India.

The coordinated assault targeted military installations and strategic sites in at least 36 locations, spanning from Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, and including areas as far apart as the Siachen glacier base camp in Ladakh and the Kutch region in Gujarat-nearly 1,400 km apart-demonstrating the wide geographical spread of the attack.

Most of the drones used in the attack were reportedly unarmed, equipped mainly with cameras for surveillance and reconnaissance purposes, suggesting that Pakistan was testing India’s air defence readiness and mapping its aerial response capabilities. However, some drones carried payloads and attempted to relay real-time footage back to ground stations in Pakistan. According to Indian officials, the incursion aimed to detect the deployment and operational patterns of India’s aerial defence systems.

India’s air defence forces responded swiftly and effectively, intercepting or neutralising all incoming drones and missiles.

The multi-layered response included:

Shooting down at least 50 drones using air defence guns.
Neutralising another 20 drones by jamming their radio frequencies.
Deploying the indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile system, which played a critical role in repelling the attacks along the western border and the Line of Control (LoC).
Utilising advanced systems such as the S-400 Triumph and Barak-8 missiles to intercept and destroy hostile aerial threats.
The Integrated Counter-UAS Grid was activated, ensuring coordinated detection and interception across targeted regions.


Debris from downed drones and missiles was recovered, notably in Punjab’s Amritsar, and will be analysed as part of the ongoing investigation to further establish Pakistan’s involvement in cross-border terrorist activities.

The drone offensive was accompanied by intense ceasefire violations, including heavy artillery and small arms fire across the LoC in Jammu & Kashmir, resulting in civilian and military casualties. The Indian government characterised the attack as a blatant breach of the February 2021 ceasefire agreement, with 13 civilians and at least one soldier killed in the shelling that followed the drone assault.

In response, India launched precision strikes targeting four Pakistani air defence sites, successfully destroying at least one air defence radar. This measured retaliation was part of Operation Sindoor, which had already seen Indian forces strike nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians on April 22.

India’s robust defence and counter-offensive measures have been widely seen as a demonstration of its aerial dominance and technological preparedness. The Indian government emphasised that its response was focused, measured, and aimed at military targets, avoiding civilian infrastructure and airspace to ensure the safety of international civil aviation.

The large-scale use of Turkish SONGAR drones by Pakistan marks a significant escalation in cross-border hostilities, underscoring the evolving nature of modern warfare in the region. India’s successful neutralisation of the attack and its calibrated military response have reinforced its commitment to defending its territorial integrity while adhering to international norms regarding civilian safety and proportionality in conflict.

Agencies