India Launches Retaliatory Strikes After Pakistan Targets 26 Locations

Explosions reported in Udhampur, Rajouri and Akhnoor as cross-border shelling intensifies along LoC following renewed Pakistani aggression

Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 10: In a swift and coordinated response to Pakistan’s cross-border aggression, India launched retaliatory strikes on Saturday after Pakistan attempted to target 26 locations across Northern India, defence sources told ANI.

The Line of Control (LoC) witnessed intense and intermittent firing, with multiple explosions reported from Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri, Akhnoor, and Udhampur districts.

In Udhampur’s Dibber area, thick plumes of smoke were seen billowing after a loud blast, raising concerns over civilian property damage. In Rajouri, houses sustained damage due to continuous shelling, while explosions rocked Akhnoor, leaving local residents on high alert.

This escalation follows a pattern of intensified drone activity, as Pakistani drones were sighted again on Friday in the Jammu, Samba, and Pathankot sectors, despite a prior failed attempt to target India’s military infrastructure.

The renewed offensive comes in the wake of India’s earlier precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, which targeted and neutralised nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) on May 7. These strikes were launched in retaliation to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 civilian lives.

India had also previously neutralised a large-scale drone and missile assault launched by Pakistan during the night of May 7-8, intercepting threats using its advanced air defence grid. A Pakistani air defence system in Lahore was also destroyed during that operation.

Defence officials reiterated that the Indian Armed Forces remain on high operational alert and will continue to respond to unprovoked aggression with precision and force, maintaining a measured but firm stance.